TWESA Members Can Help in So Many Ways

There are so many ways that a wedding professioal can help. they are trained to find the solution to fit you perfectly. Here is how one TWESA member, photographer Jay Farrell, helped one couple recently.

In the recent past, I had the pleasure of working with a nice young couple who had not lived in the Nashville area for very long, and wanted nice elegant wedding party photography and bride and groom photography at a nice outdoor location….as they were having a private ceremony elsewhere. The only snag they were running into was knowing where to do the group portraits. Naturally, when showing up with a group, you draw attention and often most public venues require permits…..even park property.

There were no coordinators or anything, so I told them I’d try to brainstorm and help them out.  I struck out getting a permit at Radnor Lake, then suddenly I thought of Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro, where I had shot a wedding 2 years ago…..I remembered it was a really cool location with lots of neat textures and buildings, open land, etc. They saw it and loved it…..I contacted the park office and they were nice enough to grant us a free permit, and were glad I came to them rather than just showing up with a group of people. The bride and her helpers really did a great job with the styling and colors of the bridal party dresses and childrens’ clothes, very well coordinated. That and the location really worked well together to allow me some great photos to make their day special. They are well satisfied customers and I have new friends now, plus print orders and referral business. All turned out very well especially considering my assistant and I were the only wedding vendor. Congratulations Betty and Aaron!

 

The Art of Photographic Serendipity

Recently, I have had two different fledgling photographers ask me with great concern why they seemed to be missing a lot of great shots at weddings.  I suspected I already knew the answer, but after some questioning it was clear that it all boiled down to a lack of experience with weddings themselves.  Each had done less than ten weddings total, one only four.

I explained that they did not yet fully understand the wedding itself, not just the traditional aspects of ritual and formality, but those things that one can only discern and anticipate by having been around a LOT of weddings, not to mention the many different faiths, denominations, customs, indoors, outdoors, rainy, hot, dark, etc.  This experience gives you an intuition.  A knowing.  I often know what is about to happen moments before even the participants themselves know.  Having done well over 1,000 weddings in the past 15 years has heightened my sense of anticipation.  Having a heightened sense of anticipation allows one to be ready in advance and able to capture that fleeting moment that will escape those who only realize 3 seconds after it is over what has just happened.  Anticipation allows preparation.  I never have to re-stage anything because I capture it when it actually happens.  It looks more natural that way.  ;)

Serendipity.  Making fortunate discoveries by accident.  All very nice, but as a wedding photographer you will come away with very few great images if you are just waiting for ‘accidents’ to happen.  I’m not talking about forced or phony moments, but about being prepared.  A quote from a movie that I have always remembered – “chance favors the prepared mind”.  You will be much more apt to be able to capture those serendipitous moments if you understand weddings and what is going on around you.  You will then be able to anticipate, some times minutes ahead, but usually seconds, what is about to happen so that you are in the right position, have the right lens on the camera, the right shutter speed, the right aperture. Sadly, for those in a rush to get to the top of their field yesterday, that only comes from experience.

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING CAN HEAL WEDDING HURTS

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING CAN HEAL WEDDING HURTS

With the marriage barely two weeks old, the bride sat sobbing in my office. It seems that immediately after the wedding ceremony, as the couple joined the minister to sign their license, the bride commented, “The ceremony was so meaningful. I feel so married!” The groom, in response said, “I didn’t need all of this.” Before any further discussion could take place, the minister asked for their attention to the license, and then the couple was whisked off to their reception.

Crushed, the bride sobbed two weeks later, “I feel so betrayed. I thought we had planned a beautiful wedding together. I gave in to him, so he would feel his wishes were respected. I kept my mama from taking over, so it would be “our” wedding. I was extra nice to his mother, so she would feel included. And then he said he didn’t want any of it! I can’t even look at him. Everything has been awful. I hardly talked to him on our honeymoon, and since we’ve been home, all we do it argue.”

I asked her to say more about her groom’s comment, “I didn’t need all of this.” What did he mean, exactly? What tone of voice did he use? What was his body language? And lastly, would the groom join her for a counseling session.

The following week a sullen couple sat across from one another. Despite their misery, they were able to articulate what they appreciated about one another. Then, the groom asked to clarify what he meant.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he began. “I wanted her to know that I didn’t need a big wedding to make transform my commitment to her. The ceremony didn’t make me love her more. I became committed to her long before I asked her to marry me. .

“I’m sorry I said what I said. I could have said it differently. I wish I could take it back. And, I wish she would accept my apology and hear that I love her and appreciate all she did to make our wedding great.”

Helping a newly married couple soothe wedding hurts is a definite challenge to those helping to make their special day a success. Had the minister been paying closer attention, he may have picked up on the problem and helped facilitate a better understanding immediately. Or perhaps, if there had been a wedding consultant in whom one of the couple could confide, she could have intervened.

To this couple’s credit, they sought help quickly and reconciled their relationship. To those of you in the wedding industry, your encouraging couples who have conflicts to seek professional counseling early can make a difference in their future happiness.

Rhonda Borman, LCSW

EVENT PLANNING 101

EVENT PLANNING 101
By Krista Chapman, Event Professional

Planning an event whether it is a small gathering among close friends, large fundraisers communicating an important message or a once in a lifetime event like a wedding, can seem overwhelming and confusing.  The following will break down the basics of creating a stellar event that will impress any guest and make you look like seasoned professional.

Why are you planning an event? Secondly, what are you planning?  These can seem like silly questions but they are key to determine what services you will need, the timeframe that makes the most sense and all the other elements of the event.  Planning a small business meeting, class reunion or rehearsal dinner will demand different traditions and expectations from your guests.  The purpose of your event will also help with deciding the most important parts and what you should focus on.  While business professionals will expect there to be enough power outlets to plug in their laptops during a meeting and comfortable chairs, wedding guests may be more focused on the variety of food and where the bathrooms are located.  Trust your gut, drawn from your own past experiences and rely on professionals to guide you.  We have all been to a bad event… think about what was “bad” and how can you do it differently.

Set the date.  Before you can reserve any space, book any vendors or really commit to the event, you need to pick a date.  Your schedule, vendor availability and potential conflicts are all-important elements to consider.  Don’t plan a luncheon in downtown Nashville during the Country Music Marathon… you are setting yourself up for disaster and a lot of stress.  Have you dreamed of an outdoor garden wedding your whole life?  Avoid July and August when your guests will bake under the hot sun.  Pick a date in October for a fundraiser for a women’s shelter, as this is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.  Will you have a better turnout if you plan a fundraiser on a Thursday evening, when weekend conflicts are less likely?  Every event will have different elements that determine what dates work best.  Weigh the pros and cons to figure the best case scenario.

The Human element.  Face it, there is not a party without people.  This is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle and should remain as an underlying element of all your decisions.  The best-laid plans will be created with your guests in mind.  First and foremost, how many guests are coming?  Before you can determine the amount of space needed, the food you will serve, the number of bathrooms on site, available parking, etc, etc, etc… you need to figure out how many people will be invited and attend your event.  This will also be a key factor in determining a realistic budget as more people = more money, bottom line.  Plan on approximately 75%of your invitees attending your event.  Also, keep in mind how many guests will have to travel, other conflicts (numerous holiday parties to choose from), annual events with steady guest counts and particularly now, economic restrictions that may prevent people from attending.

Show me the Money!  My best recommendation is to determine how much you can afford to spend and then determine what are the most important elements of your event (food, entertainment or location).  Then go with your gut… event vendors all sell their products differently and price as they see fit.  As a result it can be difficult to accurately compare apples to apples.  Essentially all event contracts, regardless of the product, are promises to deliver a future service.  Who makes you the best promise?  Who comfortable fits your budget?  Figure these details out and the rest is easy.  Future Blogs will break budgets down further as I detail what type of costs you should expect for particular services and most importantly, how you can get the most bang for your buck.

Finally, Don’t rush perfection.  It is never too early to get started, at least collecting ideas and information.  As with any project having to-do lists, a timeline of tasks and enough time to research, meet with vendors, send out invites and organize your plans, is key to planning a flawless event.  Just a important, a central location to keep ideas, notes, contracts and deadlines will help to keep you on track to produce a successful and impressive event that will “wow” your guests.

But most of all, don’t go it alone.  Thousands of people make their living producing events, endless books and other blogs like this one exist, loaded with endless advice.  I would never attempt to tear apart my sink and fix a leak, rather depending on a professional to, at the very least, act as a guide.  The vendors you choose will become valuable resources for all your questions, concerns, wonderment’s and logistical limits.

Have questions for the author?  Need specific event planning tips?  Contact Krista Chapman at krista.chapman@ourclub.com.