Stella Event Design::Michigan Wedding & Event Planner »

It’s the time of year when we have a lot of newly engaged brides contacting us, as they come across their first issues while planning their wedding, and as I get these questions, I’ll be sharing them on the blog as well, because they are issues that 99% of brides will come across at some point. If you’re a bride, mother-of-the-bride, or groom who has a question,  feel free to submit them to jessica@stellaeventdesign.com!

Q: I found a photographer, and really liked their work online, but I left them a voice mail and an email over a week ago, and have not heard back from them. Should I book them, or is this a bad sign?

A: Unfortunately, there is no clear yes or no here. Unfortunately I know some vendors who do a fabulous job, but aren’t prompt with answering emails (and that doesn’t just apply to photographers). You need to consider your own personality & expectations…if you are the kind of person (like me) who likes a prompt response to messages (I consider less than 24 hours prompt, and less than 48 acceptable) then you’ll want to hire wedding vendors who have similar expectations. For you, hiring a slow-responding-vendor may cause more stress than it’s worth.

On the other hand, if you yourself rarely check your email, and aren’t at all unnerved by a response that takes a week, then this won’t be an issue for you. The key to having a good wedding planning experience is hiring vendors you trust. So whether they respond quickly…or slowly…make sure they have great references, a stellar portfolio, and address all of your questions and concerns. It never hurts to get a first-hand professional referral, so reach out to a local wedding planner for trustworthy vendor referrals. Whether you need a fantastic florist or the perfect photographer, a professional wedding planner can match you up with vendors that fit your personality, budget and style!

Now, I’ll be honest, if a vendor doesn’t respond to you for weeks—after multiple messages and emails—I would personally cross them off of my list. Think about it this way—if this is the level of customer service you’re receiving BEFORE even putting down a deposit—then what will the service be like once you are committed to working with that vendor? It’s your wedding day, and you deserve to work with vendors who communicate with you and value your business!

Last fall we were contacted to contribute to a “Weddings Across America” article featured in the newest March 2010 issue of BRIDES Magazine, and I was blown away to be able to contribute to one of my favorite wedding magazines. The magazine came out this week, and after months of waiting to see it, I was thrilled to receive my copy in the mail!

We shared some of our favorite things about Midwest weddings, including where Midwestern brides are getting married, what food & drinks they’re serving their guests, what personal favors they love, and what they do to make their weddings unique! I really enjoyed reading the articles on what unique elements make up each  regions dream weddings, and you can find the article on page 363 of the March issue of BRIDES!

I received a phone call recently from a bride who had an excellent question, and one I think a lot of other brides could probably use the answer to as well. She was considering hosting her wedding on a piece of family property, and wanted to know what things she should consider when deciding between her property, and an actual reception venue/building.

The key to creating a tented wedding on your own property (or even a rented space), is keeping in mind all of the rental costs you are going to incur. While a tented wedding may seem like the budget-friendly option, let’s take a look at how the numbers break down in comparison to a local venue that has a flat $2800 rental fee:

I am not by any means saying you shouldn’t get married in a backyard or on a beautiful piece of family property—that can be a very meaningful and beautiful option for your wedding location—the thing you have to consider is if you are choosing that option only because it seems like the cheaper way to go.  Because in most cases, bringing in all of those rental items will cost you much more than renting a venue (not to mention all of the extra work for you and your family), and that’s something you should realistically consider when choosing between a tented wedding on private property, versus a reception venue.

Besides the actual cost, you also need to consider logistical issues like where everyone will park, if your music will effect neighbors or cause the police to be called, and what you will do in the case of inclement weather (ie. renting heaters), etc.! If a tented wedding on private property is something that is definitely the right choice for you, you can take a lot of stress off of yourself and your family, by hiring a wedding planner. A professional and experienced wedding planner will be able to ensure you aren’t forgetting or overlooking any of the key elements needed to make your tented wedding a success, and will help you and your family to actually enjoy your beautiful wedding day!

(Invitations by Earthly Affair)

You may not realize all of the paper used in the process of your wedding. Save the dates, invitations, response cards, menu cards, place cards, escort cards, table numbers, programs, wedding announcements, thank you cards and all of those envelopes can add up to a huge tower of paper that will go to waste after the wedding.

Here are a few suggestions to lighten the paper load of your wedding:

Save the Dates::Send out a postcard-style Save the Date so you can ditch the envelopes

Invitations::If you make your invitations you have a whole array of earth friendly products available to you from partially recycled papers to 100% recycled! If you’re purchasing, use an earth-friendly company such as Earthly Affair who uses recycled materials and has green business practices! Set up a personal wedding website where guests can rsvp online and you’ll cut down on fuel usage by cutting out the mail drop for that RSVP card!

Place Cards::Use alternatives to paper such as beach glass, river stones or reclaimed wood with guests names! This isn’t only earth-friendly, but also unique and beautiful!

Programs::You can make a big dent in your paper pile by cutting out programs all together!

Planning::You can use a huge amount of paper just in preparation for your wedding. We’ve all seen a bride with a 4 inch thick binder of printed materials! If you’re thinking about printing it, save it instead! Think twice before printing out pictures, emails or spreadsheets and make sure everything is a final copy before it hits the printer!

Have your own green wedding tips? Share them by leaving a comment below!

LEARN MORE AT BRIDE2BE  UNIVERSITY:

Class: Green Weddings 210::Creating an Eco-Friendly Wedding

Class Description: Planning a “green” wedding doesn’t have to mean growing your own flowers or wearing a gunny sack dress. We’ll go over creative, chic AND realistic ways to make your wedding day more eco-friendly, and it’s easier than you think! Class will include an additional 15-30 minute Q+A portion!

How to Register: Visit the Bride2Be University website, and click RSVP!

One of the things I was most excited to see this year at the Wedding World bridal expo, was the brand new Mod Photo Booth, created by Jennifer Mayo Studios. Now I know there are a lot of photo booths out there, but I have yet to come across one that can compare to the beautiful look and quality of this one (check out the picture below)! It’s not your black, boxy photo booth—it’s elegant, sleek, and sexy (go figure, a sexy photo booth!) The picture quality is also fantastic—I have several recent strips from photo booths, and the pictures I got from the Mod Photo Booth when I tried it out at the bridal expo were fabulous (you can see my less-than-stellar posing skills on the left!)

So if you’re in the market for a really fun favor for your wedding or special event–that people won’t throw away–then check out the Mod website, and read below for all of the details on Mod and what makes it unique!

What makes Mod different?
Mod utilizes the same line of Canon EOS professional digital SLR camera equipment that Jennifer May Studios uses to photograph high-end weddings. You will not find any point-and-shoots here. Each 10 megapixel photograph from a photo booth session is saved individually and into a separate file on each event-specific custom print design for reprints that can be made at a later time.

The photo booth also utilizes the same type of softbox lighting used in professional photography studios. The large strobe softbox provides a modeling light so that visitors are never left in the dark during their photo booth session and the light provides soft, flattering light unlike the small flash incorporated into most mainstream photo booths.

How does it work?
Each photo session is controlled by a 21” touchscreen monitor. Visitors can select color or black-and-white photos and choose how many prints they want printed at the completion of the session. The monitor also serves a mirror so guests can see exactly what the camera sees through Canon’s live view technology.

At the completion of each session, prints from Mod’s commercial-grade dye sublimation photo printer are printed in about 25 seconds each and can be retrieved through the photo slot on the exterior of the booth so that the next group of guests can start their photo booth session. Unlike many of the ink jet printers used by some photo booths, the commercial printer used in the Mod booth delivers prints in only seconds, prints are completely dry, prints are archival rated so they will not fade over time, and the specific printer line used by Mod is the only dye sublimation series that can provide a matte finish similar to the luster paper used by most professional photographers.

After each event, the bride and groom or guest of honor receives a disk with all of the original photos and print layouts in full and web resolution for printing, viewing and social networking. Clients also receive a login so guests can access all the images online and place orders for reprints if desired.

Find out more @ www.modphotobooth.com

If you were at Wedding World on Saturday, you may have heard my seminar on how to get your wedding planning on track with the first 3 steps in planning your wedding—determining your budget, creating your guest list, and choosing your venue & date. And you also heard me talk about a fun new program called Bride2Be University, and as promised, we have a special for those who attended Wedding World 2010:

Sign up for one of our Bride2Be University classes for only $15! Bride2Be University Classes are fun & intimate small-group sessions that will get your planning on track! Enjoy a glass of wine, sit back and relax…we’ll help you feel confident in planning your wedding! Spaces are limited, so visit the website to see class topics & RSVP soon! (Please mention Wedding World on your RSVP to receive the special rate! Offer good until March 1, 2010)