Today I thought I’d answer some frequently asked questions about invitations, etiquette and gift requests!

Q: We would like money in lieu of gifts—is it okay to indicate this on the invitation?
A: You should never mention gifts in your invitations. While it’s perfectly fine to include registry information with shower invitaitons, your wedding invitations are not the place to include registry information, or outline any specific requests for gifts. My best advice is to spread the word via family and friends that you are in the market for cash instead of presents. Also, registering for fewer items will be a huge clue to guests! So if you’re looking for cash to fix up your new house (or buy one!) pass the word to you parents so they can answer any inquiries about gifts!

Q:Do we have to list our parents on our invitations?
A:This is completely up to you—but if your parents are contributing to the cost of your wedding, my best advice is to ask them! Some parents will be fine with throwing the old-time traditions to the wind—while some may be surprisingly offended by being left out! Sit down and discuss it with your parents so that you’ll all be happy!

Q: How many stores do I need to register at?
A: There is no magic number here, but a good rule of thumb is to make sure you offer options that will appeal to all of your guests! If you’ve got guests coming from different areas of the country, make sure you’re not excluding your relatives in the South by choosing a retailer that only services the midwest! If you’ve got a favorite regional retailer, make sure you also include a national chain, or another retailer that will appeal to other regions! And, more importantly than where you register, make sure you register for a variety of items in a variety of price ranges to meet all of your guests’ shopping needs (and yours! You’ll be surprised how handy those tiny kitchen gadgets can be!)

If you’ve got wedding-related questions you’d like to see answered, feel free to email us at info {at} Stellaeventdesign {dot} com. We’d love to hear from you!

Posted on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008 No Comments »

It’s the big announcement we’ve all been waiting for! Well, I’ve been waiting for it, and I am so excited to welcome our 2009 Event Assistant, Beth George! Beth will be assisting with our full-service 2009 weddings along the lake shore and I am so excited to have her join Stella Event Design. She’s dynamic, energetic and so driven, and she will be one more way we offer our clients amazing service on their special day!

Beth is a Southwest Michigan native, and currently lives in Grand Rapids. She’ll be working with us to assist with events from New Buffalo to Grand Haven, and will also be a great point-of-contact and resource for our brides further North along the lake shore! Here’s a quick Q+A to get to know her!

What is your favorite aspect of weddings?
I find that what I become most excited about when attending weddings is how all of the aspects of the wedding are brought together through the use of color, shapes, accents, style, etc.  I am a very visual person and I am constantly looking for individuality from wedding to wedding.  However, just being able to be a part of such a extraordinary event is always very special to me.

What are your favorite wedding websites or blogs?
When I was engaged I found that The Knot was a great site to get information and ideas.  It also sent me reminders about things when I was preparing for my own wedding which would just enhance my excitement for my special day!  Brides.com is a new site to me, but I enjoyed the wedding tips and cake blog!  However, it wasn’t until I visited the Stella Event Design website that I experienced wedding blogs and realized how helpful they truly were! (Sidenote from Jessica: I swear I didn’t bribe her! Thanks for the love, and soon you’ll be addicted to so many more wonderful wedding blogs! )

What are you most excited about for 2009 wedding season?
I am so looking forward to meeting new brides and partnering with them to make their wedding day memorable.  I believe there are few pivotal moments in a person’s life, one of them being the day that they marry their best friend.  I look forward to being able to offer my skills and abilities to the families who I will be working with in 2009.  Personally, I am just excited for the season in general.  Weddings are a special time when friends and family have an opportunity to come together and enjoy each other!  This will be a tremendous thing for me to experience people in their true element!

If you could have a whole wedding cake (just for you) what is your dream flavor?
As much as I would like to seem as if I have somewhat expensive taste, for me it doesn’t get much better than a store bought confetti cake with white frosting!  Although, I had a wonderful 4 layer cake at my wedding and I did enjoy the strawberry flavor!

Beth will be assisting with the remainder of our 2008 weddings and will be coming on full-time in 2009! I am so excited to have her join Stella Event Design—Welcome Beth!

Posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 2 Comments »

Photography Week is officially over! Thanks to our photographers who took time out of their busy schedules (during wedding season!) to answer the Q+A’s and get me their pictures—you guys are wonderful!

Don’t forget to check out their websites and blogs!

LVL Photography     Website   Blog
Ben Pancoast Photography    Website   Blog
Monika Photo    Website   Blog

We’ve got a lot of fun posts planned for next week (including an exciting announcement!) so stay tuned!

Posted on Saturday, August 16th, 2008 No Comments »

(click to enlarge)

This lovely 08.08.08 wedding took place on the beaches of Beverly Shores near Michigan City. I love the natural beauty of the location, and how it’s captured in such naturally beautiful photos! Beach weddings are some of my favorites, and they always have such a wonderfully relaxed mood about them! So check out these lovely photos, and for lots more head over to Monika’s website and blog. She shoots lots of beautiful outdoor weddings, so you’ll find a wealth of beautiful locations to browse through!

Posted on Friday, August 15th, 2008 1 Comment »

There are so many great vendors out there, and it would take me a lifetime to meet them all if I waited until the first time I got to work with them! When I started to reach out to local vendors in the area to get to know those I hadn’t worked with, Monika was one of the first to respond and was willing to meet me for lunch and “talk weddings.” So here is a little Q+A so you, too, can get to know Monika Caban of St. Josephs’ MONIKA PHOTO!

How did you get into Photography?
I was born into a photographer’s family, and the gift of art was always part of my life. I was sketching from a young age and began learning photography when I was old enough to understand the camera. My family traveled extensively in Europe and documenting our trips was always a joy for me. From the beautiful scenery of the Mediterranean, to the grand architecture of Italy, there was so much to admire and to capture. I was deeply influenced by all of the beauty I saw when I was young and there was nothing I wanted more than to be a photographer.

What inspires your photography?
As a photographer, there is a constant need to learn from the old masters, as well as the great photographers of today. One of the joys for me is to attend seminars and conventions to see the new advances in technology, to meet new photographers, learn from them and to be inspired. Photography today is changing very fast, and it’s very exciting and demanding at the same time. It is a challenge that keeps my mind sharp.

How would you describe your style?
As far as style, I do not describe my work in words. Photographs should speak for themselves. If my work touches somebody on a deeper level, then you can say they like my style. I can tell you how I approach the wedding—I like to approach it as an unobtrusive observer, and the only time I direct the shoot is during the portraits.

What is your favorite moment during a wedding? Do you have a favorite image to capture?
The time between the ceremony and the reception, when a young couple is alone for the first time as husband and wife is my favorite time of the wedding. It is a very emotional moment and very private. These are the memorable moments when love and passion is expressed. From these images I create an art piece that looks amazing as a large canvas print. What is better than having your own wedding image as a piece of art on your wall, to always remind you of the love you share?

I do my best work when people are comfortable with me, trust me and are free to express their emotions. I do not want the wedding to be about pictures—I want pictures to document the event. I want the family to celebrate this big day and have the best party of their lives. I want to see laughter, hugs, kisses and tears—and when they see my pictures, I want them to cry again.

Thanks Monika! For more pictures of this lovely wedding and more, check out the MONIKA PHOTO website blog! Come back later today for Monika’s featured wedding on the beaches of Beverly Shores in Michigan City!

Posted on Friday, August 15th, 2008 No Comments »

I first heard about WedFog when Monika Caban, a photographer here in St. Joseph had mentioned she was writing an article for the website.  I was intrigued and had to check it out! WedFog is an online resource where you can search for local photographers, look through pictures (categorized, which is great!) and read articles written by Photographers from around the country!

(Top L:Cindy Patrick, R:Danseni Studios, Bottom L:Happily Ever After, R:Dual Shot)

I looked through some pictures, and used the handy search option where I chose to look through only “beach” pictures—ahd here are just a few (of the hundreds) that came up!

Each picture has its photographers info, including a website link, so if you see something you like you can check them out! And, I just had to post this next picture. It’s another one that came up under my “beach” search, and I couldn’t stop looking at it! What is that deer doing on the beach—and why is she letting it eat her bouquet?! She doesn’t look too upset, so she must have gotten a great deal on her flowers! Stay tuned tomorrow for our next featured local photographer, MONIKA PHOTO!

(Bob Summers)

Posted on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 No Comments »

While every photographer does things slightly differently there is one thing we all have in common—we want our brides to love their pictures! The following tips are just a few things that I hope will help you plan for the perfect pictures!

Communication is KEY!
When planning your wedding day, talk with your photographer about expectations, time lines, and what it will take to get the images you are most excited about. Many of the best photographers get great images because their clients work with them to create opportunities to capture those images. The more you communicate with your photographer the better they’ll be able to serve you on your wedding day!

Start the photography early!
Not only are prep photos beautiful story telling images they also give you and your bridal party an opportunity to get used to having your picture taken in a low-pressure environment. By the time the portrait session rolls around you’ll be more relaxed and feel more comfortable in front of the camera!

Personalize your Must-Have photo list!
Photo lists are a hotly debated topic amongst photographers—are they helpful or harmful, useful or useless? While the majority of photographers will agree that downloading a list of 125 “must have” pictures from TheKnot.com isn’t going to be very useful, I think we’d also agree that having a short list of what are truly the most important images to your family is a good thing. I always suggest starting by asking both families to come up with their own top 5 lists. The photos should be unique to the family and not include typical shots, like the bride and groom with parents. Personalizing the list and keeping it short will help make it more manageable for both you and your photographer on the wedding day while ensuring that the most important photos are not forgotten.

Consider seeing each other before the wedding ceremony!
While this trend goes against nearly 100 years of tradition there’s a reason it’s becoming so popular! The “First Look” shoots are an incredible way to document the moment you see each other for the first time, they give you a few precious moments alone together, and getting family photos done before the ceremony not only ensures that you’ll look your best in the photos it also frees up time after the ceremony for a photo walk at a fun location.

Do a photo walk on your way to the reception!
While most brides would love to be able to do bridal portraits at the beach or a beautiful park sometimes the days’ time line just won’t allow it—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still consider one. Talk to your photographer about the possibilities for a photo walk along the route between your ceremony and reception! Usually you’ll be able to find something you don’t have to go out of your way for and it could be as simple as an old barn, a deserted warehouse, or even an open field. Think you’ll still be pressed for time? Consider leaving the bridal party behind and doing the photo walk with just the two of you.

Add 15 minutes to all of your travel times!
One common mistake I see brides make is forgetting to account for the size of their wedding party when they plan travel times. It just takes bridal parties longer to get places! Adding 15 minutes to your travel times is an easy way to account for some of the things that will inevitably slow your bridal party down as they try to make it from one location to another and it will keep your travel time from taking away from the time you planned to spend taking pictures!

Posted on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 4 Comments »

A quick break from Photography Week for some fun details from an upcoming Stella wedding!I love details—it’s what really brings a wedding together and makes it feel personal!

First, let me say, I am no graphical wizard. Give me a piece of paper, flowers or candles and I’ll whip you up something beautiful—but if you put a mouse in my hand and ask me to design…well, we’re in trouble! So I turned to April from Blu Sky Designs for a monogram design for the September wedding of Kelly+Russ!

Here is a little of what I gave April to go on:

Kelly LOVES daisies, and we’re tying them in wherever we can! It’s a casual and intimate wedding on the beach, followed by a dinner reception at an upscale restaurant overlooking the lake! We’re tying in the colors of fall…red, yellow, orange and green, without having an overall fall theme!

Check out what April came up with! Which is your favorite?

Check out the Blu Sky blog for more fun monograms and amazing custom invites! (The secret’s out…We’re going with the first one!)

Stay tuned as Photography week continues tomorrow with our guest blogger Ben Pancoast, who will give you the tips on how to work with your photographer for the most fabulous pictures!

Posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 2 Comments »

Ben has been shooting weddings all over the country this summer, so I asked him to share some of his personal favorites from different weddings this season! Take a look at this beautiful eye candy, and check out his website and blog for more!

(click to enlarge)

I am in love with the rich colors of fall, so I think my favorite is the bride on the right with the golden leaves! I love fall colors, and I can’t wait until it’s here! I love when brides and grooms take a “photo walk” to find amazing locations for their post-ceremony photos like parks, beaches, or even off-beat places like cool alleys or industiral locations. Do you have any special locations lined up for your wedding photos?

Posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 1 Comment »

(photo via Benpancoast.com)

Ben shot one of my weddings in April and we had a wonderful time! Not only were the pictures great, but the couple absolutely loved working with him! Here is a little info on this Southwest Michigan native…

How would you describe your style?
Style is a tricky thing—lots of photographers love to say they are one thing or another, but I find it’s important to be versatile and willing to work with each bride to capture what is important to her. As far as a visual style goes, I gravitate towards clean, modern portraiture and candid documentary style moments. Currently, I’m enjoying playing with color in my images.

How did you get into photography?
I’ve always enjoyed photography as a hobby, but never really considered it a career option until I got a job working with a photographer shooting homes for magazines. Eventually I began working as a freelance photojournalist for newspapers, and went on to Columbia College in Chicago where I got my bachelor’s degree in photography with an emphasis in Photojournalism. After graduating, I found my skill set was a natural fit for wedding photography and have been enjoying shooting them ever since!

What is your favorite moment during a wedding? Do you have a favorite image to capture?
I love to shoot fun bridal portraits, but my favorite part of the day would have to be the preparations before the ceremony! The anticipation, nerves, the details—it’s just so much fun to be a part of the excitement as the day builds up to that life-changing moment when the bride and groom finally exchange vows!

What inspires your photography?
When I’m shooting a wedding I think the locations are really what inspire me. I love the challenge of coming up with surprising images in unexpected places. It’s easy to shoot something beautiful on a beach or in a vineyard, but what about the basement of the church where a bride is preparing? What about the alley behind the church, an underpass down the road, or the parking lot at the reception venue? I love finding a locations’ artistic potential and then pushing it to the limit!

What are you doing when you’re not snapping wedding pics?
When I’m not shooting pictures I’m working on my computer with the pictures I’ve already taken! One thing many people don’t realize is how much time photographers spend working on images after they have been taken. Even when an image is shot correctly it must be sorted, converted, backed up, prepped for printing, then you design the album. A typical wedding may only take 1 day to shoot, but that same wedding will require many, many days of work on the back end!

Thanks Ben! For more pictures of his weddings, information on booking and availability, visit Ben’s website and blog…And stay tuned later today for his photo feature!

Posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 No Comments »