1. Are they really pros?

Recent advancements in technology have made camera equipment and editing software very affordable. The downside of this is that now there are a lot of wannabes calling themselves “cameramen” and “editors” when really they are just “guys with a camera and some software.”

How do you tell the difference? Experience. The ideal cameraman has experience shooting weddings, documentaries and/or live television. These are the people who really understand the art of “anticipate and respond,” which is what you want because when it comes to your wedding, there are no second takes.

Shooting and editing are two separate art forms; make sure that the company you hire to do your video is good at both shooting and editing.

2. What kind of cameras do they use?

Consumer camcorders you see at your local electronics store are typically “single chip” cameras. These are small and lightweight and great for home videos and vacations but are inappropriate for shooting weddings. You want someone with a “three chip camera” (known as a “three CCD” camera).

Three chips produce much clearer and more accurate colours (even in low light) than one chip.

You also want someone who has a wireless lavaliere microphone, a camera-mounted light, a tripod and/or monopod and some extra lights just in case.

Pretty much everyone is shooting on digital tape these days (mini DV or DVCam) so they can do digital editing (also called “non-linear” editing) and output digitally onto DVD. The benefit of keeping the capture, edit and output process in the digital domain is that the footage experiences little to no quality loss. You should definitely hire someone who is up-to-date with digital technology.

3. What kind of lights do they use?

You probably won’t like it if your videographer mounts glaring hot lights on an elaborate scaffolding. After all, this is your wedding, not a film set. The camera equipment should absolutely not compromise the décor and ambiance of the wedding.

An adjustable camera-mounted light works really well. It moves around with the cameraman (who moves around with the couple) and it should be used only when necessary. It should be soft and subtle, and its intensity can be adjusted so it is not overly glaring. The way to find out if the cameraman understands this is to look at his footage and watch for any “deer caught in headlights” reactions from his subjects. The people in the video should not even realize he’s there: they should be enjoying the wedding!

4. What do the cameramen wear?

It’s tough, physical work, but they should be dressed nicely so that they blend into the background. They should not wear jeans, running shoes, etc.

5. Can they do multiple camera shoots?

A 2 camera set-up is ideal if you have the budget for it. Your coverage will be a lot more complete and then your editor can cut between the two cameras for a dynamic and entertaining wedding video.

Just make sure that BOTH cameras are the same quality (three chip) and both cameras are manned by separate qualified cameramen; do not let them leave a camera unattended on a tripod: it can lead to disappointing results.

6. What is their sound quality like?

It is easy to forget about sound when you are thinking of video, but please do not make this mistake. Insist on a videographer that uses a wireless microphone: they are small and unnoticeable and amazing at recording vows, etc.

7. What is their editing style?

This is a very important question! Make sure their style suits your taste. Don’t be seduced by a lot of dazzling animation and special effects - it might not be the look you want. And it might look cheesy in the years to come. Classic simplicity never goes out of style.

8. Do they have a demo DVD?

They had better! Don’t fall for a “music video” or a series of carefully chosen shots timed to music, because anyone can look good that way. Ask to see actual, sequential clips from a wedding (or even an entire wedding) incorporating recorded natural sound mixed with music.

When you are watching the demo DVD, be sure to look for:

• clear, bright picture, even in low light
• clean natural sound
• audible, consistent audio levels
• smooth, non-jerky camera movement
• artistic camera composition
• seamless and dynamic editing
• relaxed bridal party and guests who hardly notice they are being taped

Most importantly, ask yourself, “Is a story being told? Do you feel the emotion of that magical day?” Because after all, you want a video that becomes more valuable as time goes by, something that is true to your personalities and tastes and not some form of torture on your unsuspecting dinner guests in the years to come! A good wedding video will enable you to relive one of the best days of your life.

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Authored by Nishi Dias from Night Day Productions

Nishi Dias is a full-time editor in Toronto. She owns and runs Night Day Productions, a small collective of videographers and photographers who work on weddings, corporate events and creative projects.

Today we’re launching a great new feature: advanced invitation and RSVP tracking for your MomentVille wedding website!  With each MomentVille website you can create invitations and track responses for different occasions.  This lets you invite and track guests for events such as the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the reception, or any other occasion of your choosing.

We’d like to introduce a few basic concepts that will help you to use these great new planning tools for your wedding website.  The first is the idea of an occasion.  Weddings and other special events often have one or more particular occasions around them, such as bachelor parties, showers and of course the wedding itself!  You can track each of these occasions using the same wedding website.

For each occasion you can create an invite.  Once you are ready the invite is sent in a stylish email to your guests.

Guest names and emails can be imported from online email accounts like Hotmail and GMail to make adding guests fast and simple.  You can even arrange guests into groups, so you can have a bridal party group, a family group, or any other group you choose.

You can also associate an invite with an RSVP.  Not all invites need to have an RSVP. For example, you may want to send a ‘Save The Date’ email out to your guest, but may not want to track their responses quite yet.

If you add an RSVP to an invite, the response of the invitees will be tracked, and displayed nicely for you to make your planning even easier.  You can request your guests to give you their mailing addresses and ask custom questions in your RSVP too.  This is a great option for tracking meal choices or any other burning questions you need to ask your guests.

Finally, in the admin area of your website, you can view and export all the responses into a spreadsheet file that will let you do things on your local computer such as mail merges, etc.

For a full description of these tools and how to use them, see our How To section for both RSVPs and Invites.

Happy planning!

- The MomentVille Team

When it comes to setting the tone of your wedding, choosing wedding stationery can be one of your most important choices. The wedding invitation is the first glimpse that your guests will get of your wedding style and theme. Use these tips to help choose the right style of wedding invitations for you.

Contemporary Wedding Invitations
If you’re a modern bride planning a chic urban wedding, a contemporary style is the way to go. Although you’re not requiring a black tie dress code, you expect your guests to clean up nice for your special event. Choose hand-made paper, decorative bows, or transparent paper with a dark background for a modern look.

Casual Wedding Invitations
Your fiancé plans to wear a simple shirt and tie, and you’ve always thought a cowgirl hat would go great with your wedding dress. Set a relaxed tone for your wedding with casual stationery. You certainly don’t want your guests to overdress if your reception consists of an outdoor BBQ at your parents’ house. Sending out more formal invites would only serve to confuse guests, so if a casual wedding it is, a casual invitation it should be.

Unique Wedding Invitations
People have always described you as a “different” kind of girl. If you plan to drive off for your honeymoon in an ice cream van rather than a limo, unique would be a good word to describe you. Choose something different and rouse guests’ interests by sending out something that’s not just your average wedding invitation. Add photos or an ethnic touch to make your stationery truly yours.

Elegant Wedding Invitations
Not everyone aspires to model their weddings after the world’s royal families, but if you are that kind of bride, make sure choose timeless elegant wedding stationery. A garden wedding followed by high tea would certainly call for something above and beyond your normal white paper invitation cards. Let guests know what to expect by having your invites printed with Ecru paper, gold filigree, or lace trim. Ecru alone is enough to tell your guests that this event may be the high-class party of the year.

Choosing the right wedding invitation style is key to setting your wedding theme and letting your guests know what kind of event it will be. Your friends may know you well enough to guests, but chances are that the majority of your guest list will decide based on what they receive in the mail. Choose wisely and set the tone right.

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Authored by Heather Carreiro for Dependable Printing.  Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, shower invitations, party invitations, and much more.

Choosing the perfect photographer for your event is one of the most important vendors that you will have. The photos that you receive will be cherished for a lifetime.

Make sure you meet with the photographer that will be shooting your wedding, not just someone who works with the photographer. They should be happy to show you their complete works, not just their best photos.

Let your photographer know which photos you would like to have taken during your Happy Day, while giving them the freedom to make you and your party shine during this exciting time.

Expensive photographers aren’t always the best to choose from, many charge more to make you assume that they have more experience.

Ask for references from other brides and grooms that the photographer has worked for. If they don’t want to share that information, be wary.

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Authored by Sarah Jane from Sarah Jane Photography

I have always loved photography from the moment I looked through my first camera lens. I charge reasonable prices because for me it is not about money, but making the clients happy. I want to ensure that the photos that I take will be cherished for generations. I am happy to meet with clients as many times as they would like, go over the venues, show complete works of weddings that I have taken part in, and become friends with my brides and grooms.

Why would I need someone else on wedding day?

These questions come up frequently when speaking with Brides and Grooms who are starting their planning process. Having an on site coordinator at your venue is a huge asset. They have a ton of knowledge of the facility and what works best there. They have seen tons of weddings done many different ways in the same space, some probably more successful then others. They may know tricks and have ideas of how to make the space work, that someone new coming in may not have. There is some overlap to what a wedding coordinator and on site coordinator do. This is wonderful, and how it should be! You want as many professionals working with you on your wedding day as possible.

Wedding Coordinators generally love working with on site coordinators. They have the knowledge of what works best for their space, staff, and with their restrictions. Great on site coordinators are a pleasure to work with.

An onsite coordinator sounds wonderful, and you are still wondering what does a Wedding Coordinator do above and beyond this? Well, the on site coordinator is just one small piece of the wedding. What a wedding coordinator does is work with ALL your vendors to execute your wedding day flawlessly and exactly as you would like. They are there from the start of the planning process or several months prior until the sweet end of your wedding day! They work with every aspect of your wedding day not just the location. They set the timeline for all the day’s events as well as work out logistics for what you want on your wedding day. They ask key questions to figure out how it is all going to come together to make your wedding day a success. They know what time hair and make up is happening, and what room you are staying in and share this with the photographer and makeup artist. They help determine how you and the bridal party and family are getting to the ceremony and then to reception. They help establish the time your photographs start and who is supposed to be where at what time. They know how many tables are supposed to be for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. They know your first dance, father/daughter dance, and any other important dance song. They help facilitate who is taking your present home for you, and so much more!

Wedding coordinators also make sure ALL your vendors are on the same page. They ALL understand how the day’s events are to go and what your vision for the day is. Coordinators help each vendor be successful in their role, because they have been shown the big picture, and are only required to do their specific job and not coordinate other aspects. Meaning, your caterer can perfect the food without having to leave the kitchen to check in to see if the event is still on time. Your photographer can capture all the intimate moments going on with you, your groom and guests, instead of searching for the a missing family member who is supposed to be in the next shot. This list could go on and on.

A coordinator makes sure that ALL your vendors are going by the same timeline and have any updates they may need about the flow of the day. Often with out a coordinator as the point of contact all your vendors have separate timelines that may not match up; your DJ has his, your on site has theirs, and the photographer has their own, the cake baker doesn’t know when to set up, the florist doesn’t know what time to deliver the flowers, etc. With a coordinator they all go by the same one that includes any details they could need. The making of this timeline can be somewhat of collaboration of all your vendors. The coordinator can ask for the vendors input ahead of time to make sure they’re successful with the timeline provided. If the wedding gets behind, which can happen, the coordinator makes changes and updates all you vendors and get everyone back on track!

The coordinator is the ONLY go to person for ALL your vendors on and leading your wedding day. They have answered all the emails and fielded all the questions from vendors and family for the last several weeks. They know every detail maybe more than you, the bride. They generally have had the most contact with you and all the vendors leading up to the wedding. They know the role each vendor is playing on wedding day; the on site coordinator at both the ceremony and reception site, your photographer, videographer, officiant, band leader, DJ, ceremony musicians, florist, cake baker, shuttle and limo driver, hotel where your guest are staying, rental companies, and any other vendor you are working with.

Lastly, if something was to go wrong, a coordinator is there with a solution. They have probably seen it before throughout their experience. It’s their job to make sure that all your vendors stay on target with what you want to create the day of your dreams. A coordinator plays a huge role in the success of a wedding. They always protect your best interests and make sure that family, friends and of course the bride and groom truly enjoy themselves. With the right coordinator you can relax, be the bride, and cherish the best day of your life!

Happy planning

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Authored by  Wendi Hroncich - Owner of Ethereal Events

Ethereal Events is an Event Planning company located in Seattle Washington, focusing on weddings and special events

Wedding Photography is more about communication, leadership, and work ethic than simply posing people and having a digital camera. As a bride in today’s market, in order to save yourself disappointment, you’ll want to distinguish between the novice who is experimenting in a hobby, and the true professional who has years of experience. Due to the improvement and declining prices of technology, there has been an increase of substandard photographers entering the wedding market. These people will often use the auto functions of a camera, which are fine for consumer use, but in creating high quality sharp images it takes a highly skilled, experienced photographer who knows how to manually adjust the settings of the camera for different situations to get optimum results.

A High End Photographer also has to have the unique ability to move people around, deal with interruptions, and do so in a friendly, yet timely manner. It takes communication skills, to direct and guide them, with a servant attitude. The more time wasted during the Formals, the fewer shots you will get, and the more time your guests will be waiting at the reception. In order to do this, he or she has to be in good physical shape to be able to move equipment quick enough so as to not miss out on anything. He has to have a good ‘work ethic”. You will hear the word “photojournalism” used a lot. A true “photojournalistic photographer” has the ability to anticipate action so as to be in the right place at the right time. Most inexperienced photographers do not understand what photojournalism is, they think it’s just taking candid shots, but there is a lot more to it than that. An Artistic Photographer has to see beyond the surface, to make something ordinary, extraordinary.

In order ensure we are meeting the changing needs of today’s brides our photographers learn from each other by exchanging ideas. We keep up on the latest technology and education by attending conferences. Unlike some companies who casually hire contractors, we have a Photography Manager who assists with their constant development. We also learn by having you the bride evaluate us with customer satisfaction survey forms. Look at our photo galleries and judge for yourself. At Celebrations of Tampa Bay you’ll get a photographer who has a passion to serve you with Excellence.

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Authored by Randy Markham from Celebrations of Tampa Bay

Randy Markham is the owner of Celebrations of Tampa Bay which has been serving Tampa Bay weddings since 1991. He started as a sound technitian for a contemporary church, and found himelf providing music for weddings. He starting DJing professionally in August of 1991 along with a girl who played the harp. Now 18 years later, employs a staff of 20, including Photographers, Videographers, and DJs. He credits the grace of God along with a good work eithic, and an obcessive desire to always impove, for his success. http://celebrationsoftampabay.com

The goal of any good cake artist is to help you express yourself and continue the overall presentation theme of the reception through the design of your cake. If you find that the artist is not listening or has an agenda of their own, try someone else until you feel comfortable and heard.

The season in which you are getting married, the venue where your reception will be hosted and the time of day that your reception commences may affect the cake you ultimately want to display. An elegant, evening reception in the fall will probably have a different looking cake than a simple summer wedding held outdoors.

When you arrive at your appointment bring everything that you can come up with to express what you want your wedding cake to look like. Even just ideas about the feeling you want to create at your reception can help guide an artist toward a design for you. You can bring swatches of fabric from the bridesmaid’s dresses, pictures from magazines, your invitations and other reception items you have collected so far.

Having an idea about your bouquet, the flowers for the boutonnierés or what kind of flowers you and your fiancé really like will help coordinate your wedding cake to the environment that will be around it. Perusing your florist’s idea books and asking about the availability of flowers for the season of your wedding will also help to push you in a direction of theme. If you go on the Internet and use www.images.google.com to look up wedding cakes you will be able to save and print cakes that inspire you.

Finally, remember to bring all of your contact information for:

1) your florist
2) your wedding coordinator
3) your venue’s event manager

It’s also a very good idea to bring your cheque book to your appointment. If you decide to book your wedding cake, you will probably be asked to put down a deposit and leave a post dated cheque for the balance owed dated one week before your wedding, that’s the way I do it.

Good luck in finding that perfect wedding cake!

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Authored by Jennifer McLean from Jennifer McLean Cakes

If you are planning a reception or destination wedding in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, please contact Jennifer to make an appointment. Her website and email are www.jennifermcleancakes.com and jennifer@jennifermcleancakes.com

Jennifer has owned her own designer wedding cake business, Jennifer McLean Cakes, for 6 years. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Victoria, Jennifer decided to explore her artistic side and find an outlet for her creativity. Throughout her life Jennifer enjoyed learning arts and crafts but had always done so as a hobby. When she discovered sugar paste and creating hand made flowers, she finally found a niche that utilized her skills in painting and creativity. Jennifer is fully self taught in the art of sugar flower making and enjoys learning from every new book and new flower idea.

Have you ever considered releasing live butterflies at your wedding or reception? Make yours memorable with a butterfly release. Much better than throwing rice, birdseed, releasing balloons or blowing bubbles, a butterfly release is a beautiful way to help repopulate the species.

Several species are available that are indigenous to your state. The butterflies are hand-raised and shipped overnight to your door.

There are two ways to release them: (1) individually where your guests have a chance to “interact” with them before sending them on their way and (2) a mass release where all the butterflies are released at one time, which is a more dramatic way to see them flutter away.

Monarchs are the most-requested butterfly because they are “social.” Once released, they tend to hang around, alighting on flowers and your guests before taking wing. Several other species are available, which can be released if the temperatures are above 60 degrees

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Authored by Linda Marchman from Social Butterflies

Linda Marchman is the owner of Social Butterflies. She has seven years of butterfly-raising experience and is always available to give personal attention to you and your most special event. She is a director of The Association For Butterflies, a member of the International Butterfly Breeders Association, and the Butterfly Society of Virginia. Also a Master Gardener, she gives programs to all type of groups on her favorite subject, BUTTERFLIES!

Planning a wedding can be lots of fun, but it can be hard work as well. There are so many details that must come together in order for that dream wedding to become a reality, and planning that special day can quickly become overwhelming. From finding the perfect cake to choosing the right color flowers, there are just so many things to think about. In all that excitement it can be easy for simple things like the wedding invitations to get pushed to the back burner.

That would be a mistake of course. So much of wedding planning hinges on getting an accurate guest count, and it is impossible to get that guest count without sending out the wedding invitations and counting the RSVP responses. So it is important to start thinking about those wedding invitations as soon as possible and to get them in the mail as soon as the date of the wedding has been confirmed.

It is also important to choose those wedding invitations with care. Wedding invitations should reflect the style and taste of the happy couple, and they should reflect the casualness or formality of the ceremony itself. A big formal wedding at the best country club in town will naturally require a different style of wedding invitations than a casual backyard affair. It is important to consider the nature of the ceremony as you shop for those important wedding invitations.

If your wedding has a specific theme it is also a good idea to make the wedding invitations you choose a reflection of that special theme. . For instance, beach weddings and destination weddings are all the rage these days. If you plan to hold your nuptials at a local or far off beach, why not let the fun shine through with the right wedding invitations. Maybe you could use a splash of bright colors and beach themes to invite your special guests to your special day. Maybe you could even include a souvenir drink umbrella or cocktail stirrer your guests can use as a memento of your special day.

If your wedding will use your special colors, why not use those special colors throughout the wedding invitations? From the colors used on the RSVP card to the colors of the mailing envelope, there are plenty of ways to make those wedding invitations even more special.

Wedding invitations are much more than simple documents. They are a way to express your joy and offer your family members and friends a way to share in this most special of days. The wedding invitations you choose should be a reflection of your taste, your style, your creativity and above all your happiness. So choose those wedding invitations carefully and create a wonderful first impression with your honored guests.

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Authored by:  Bonnie Conrad for Dependable Printing. Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of wedding invitations, unique wedding invitations, bridal shower invitations, party invitations, and much more.

It is very difficult to shop for the right company when it comes to buying flowers. Most people are looking to get the best deal. We are all looking to cut cost and get the biggest bang for our buck. When it comes to flowers and pricing is that you have to compare apples to apples. You need to know exactly what you are pricing in quantity and quality. Flowers are sold in grades just like meat in the grocery store. The higher the quality the more it cost. Each piece of greenery and flower bud is also accociated with a price.

What are you really getting for the price? From the prospective of a Floral Designer we are looking to give you the design and style to best fit your desired look and complement your overall venue to fit within your desired budget. When there is a picture presented along with the colors of the wedding we can complement your over all look with seasonal flowers and greenery that will cut the cost and still give you the same design without the higher cost. Some designers will price flowers and design according to the exact picture or only the flowers that you have mentioned. Therefore, the price will be much more depending on supply and demand. Flowers are produced all over the world and can be purchased at anytime of the year and then the price goes up at the supplier depending on where they will be coming from and the season. Pricing flowers by the package is the best way to purchase for a wedding or event. The price is determined by the quantity of items. All flowers are purchased in bulk. The more you order the less the cost on each individual flower. A good designer artist will only use the top quality produced. They will only work with the best to give the freshest. The lower grades may not hold up and could fall apart.

Next time you are asking about the cost make sure you are also asking about quality, quantity, supply and demand and the season in which they will be needed. Ask about packages. What exatly are you getting for the price? Compare apples to apples. Are they additional charges associated? Are they going to supply you with exactly what you are asking? Get References. Know who you are dealing with. Set a budget and let the designer know what you would like to spend so they can help you find the flowers to best fit that price. Flowers and price can be endless.

Good luck and Congratulations on the most important day of your life.

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Authored By: Susan Rickea from Flowers by Rickea

You won’t have any worries on your wedding day as Flowers by Rickea provides excellent quality flowers, designs and customer service. Susan Rickea’s extensive background and floral design stem’s from her ownership of Rickeas Flower Xpress in League City for nealy 25 years.

This award winning designer has taught her craft for ten years and designed for many floral shows throughout the country. But her passion lies with designing florals for weddings. With her community involvement with the Clear Lake Chamber and local networking groups her repetation speeks for itself.