Cheaper is not always better

I get this a lot!! Like…a lot a lot. Cheaper is not always better. I firmly believe that you should splurge on the things that really matter. However, that doesn’t mean spend the least amount possible on everything else. Because if you do that, you’ll find that you come up short in all those other areas and it will ultimately effect your wedding day…..and, even your wedding photos. Sure, you can book the budget stylist and makeup artist…but that will also mean that your hair will probably look flat and your makeup will be gone in hours or not photo appropriate. Instead of artificial flowers, you can choose a fresh bouquet for yourself and do super simple for your bridesmaids. You can book the cheaper reception hall. But some key things to remember when choosing the cheapest….is that it will photograph just like that. As a photographer, I can’t change how something looks nor do I manipulate your photos to show that you are or having something you don’t. I love what I do and I’d like to think I’m great, but it’s nearly impossible for me to make your artificial flowers look real…or to somehow replace that low drop ceiling with a beautiful ceiling filled with chandeliers….or add color to your face or curls in your hair. These are things that can’t change unless they are done well to begin with. So, just because someone is much cheaper than another, doesn’t mean they are going to provide a good quality product or service. By all means, please search for those diamonds in the rough, and then be super happy when you discover one. But know that the saying holds true. You get what you pay for. 

DIY is a LOT harder than you think

Having been in the industry, I’ve seen and heard of so many stories!! I see it happen so often where brides will bite off a little more than they can chew. One of those things is trying to do too many DIY projects. So yes…we are all aware that having a wedding is going to take spending a decent amount of money. And with that, folks try to save where they can….which is totally normal. However, when you start to do too many DIY projects to save money, sometimes, they aren’t worth it. Doing your own flowers? For me…personally, I’m terrible at making arrangements. Not only that, but some florals have different needs or have stems that are super thick or whatnot and you have to know these things when putting them together. Yes, can you absolutely order your own flowers and put them together yourself…totally do-able and yes, I’ve even seen it myself and it’s been absolutely stunning!! (Becca…loved your flowers!!) But let’s me honest here, not everyone can pull it off. And the thing is…in photos…I am not a magician and I can’t magically make your florals look amazing if they don’t already have that pizzazz. 

Making your own centerpieces/decor items. Sure…it sounded easy to make your own silver mercury votives. Um…yeah right?! More like no. I love you Sara and I love how these turned out!! But man!! My friend decided to make these on her own and once she got started, she realized that it took many many coats of the silver to achieve the look. And in the end, they did look absolutely fabulous, but it costs so much time, stress, and the money aspect probably wasn’t the biggest savings. 

Through stories from friends in the industry and seeing things myself. Taking on too many DIY projects is a culprit in many failed DIY weddings. Sometimes there is a grand idea, but because the grand idea relies heavily on DIY items….it was tough to plan anything else because it would not match the theme of the wedding. Instead, folks would get started, and then realize it was 30 times more work than they initially planned and then don’t finish all the projects and then the wedding just looks like a have finished theme. And that can be a little not fun. 

Totally beautiful and I adored this wedding so much. But, my couple a few years back…got married on their property. But it was a huge feat to get their place ready. The bride constructed all her own farm tables for the reception and went thrifting for two summers to get old wooden chairs. They even planted an entire wildflower field and some fresh florals to have there ceremony in the midst of the wildflowers and to have flower that were grown on the property for the bouquets. She did nearly everything on her own while commuting quite a distance to work and working a full time job and taking care of her farm animals!!! (and her dogs too) This girl was superwoman!!! I absolutely admire her dedication and craftiness. BUT, I don’t know many brides like her that can truly pull it off and make it that awesome. So, when you start to think about all the DIY things you want to do…I would suggest really narrowing down the list and making priorities on which ones you think will make the most sense financially and time wise. 

Not all Vendor Advice is good Advice

So…some folks may hate me for saying this, but one piece of advice that I’ve heard time and time again is to purchase your wedding gown 2 sizes bigger than what you are when you try on your dress. Well, hey….this ONLY works for some people. Let’s face it, not everyone is the same. And I totally get it!!! Sample dresses are going to fit looser than a new dress because it’s been tried on time and time again. So, it does make sense to purchase a dress 2 sizes bigger than what you try on, so that way you compensate for the stretch and also leaves a bit of room for you to make your alterations. Yes…that totally makes sense. But the thing is…this is the perfect situation and only works for a rather small portion of folks. When you go in to try on dresses, likely, they are sample sizes 6-8. So, if you try on a sample dress and you are bigger than the dress you tried…you order a dress based off what you think you’d be and then go two sizes bigger….and before you know it…you get your dress in and low and behold, you’ve now got a dress that is more than 3 times bigger and has to be altered so much that it actually makes the dress look a little funny and disproportionate. So, I think it’s important to be super real with yourself. IF you have a history of always being the same exact size and never changing, then ordering 2 sizes bigger…might not be the smartest move. In the end, you know yourself better than anyone, so choose wisely.

When your wedding planner has got your whole day lined up and hasn’t really talked to you or your photographer yet, this can cause a whole lot of time interruptions and not being on schedule. Instead of allowing your planner to go forth and plan everything solo, give them your photographer and videographers information right away and then hands off. Your photographer and videographer will see some different needs in not only helping your wedding day run smoothly, but ensuring that all the things you wanted captured both still photos and motion picture wise are accounted for.