Photo courtesy of Amanda Pair Photography

This next tip comes from a conversation that I had with a Mother of the Bride.  She was the planner for the wedding and decided that the wedding day timeline was just too long, especially for the grandparents (having to arrive 2-3 hours before the ceremony for pictures).  

Don’t get me wrong, timelines are essential on a wedding and they are always longer than people (the groom) realize at first.  Let’s say you are getting married at 6:00, you need to be hidden away at 5:00, so his family will do pictures at 4:30, your family at 4:00, the bridal party at 3:00, you and your groom at 2:00, so that puts you getting dressed around 1:00, if your hair and makeup is already done. Whew!!  

For little ones and our older family members, this is an especially hard day.  This mother decided that since the couple was doing a 1st look (to get all of the photos over with before the ceremony) that they would save the grandparent pictures until after the ceremony.  It would also increase the length that the grandparents would be able to come to the reception!  Every wedding should do this!

Wedding Planner Rachael Grammer with Two Hearts Weddings & Events.  Photo courtesy of Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography

So if you have been one of the loyal and avid readers of these posts, you know that so many things can pop up during your wedding planning and on the day of.  Things that you might not ever think of unless you go to a lot of weddings and hang out in the background.  We do.  We see most everything that happens - the good, the bad and the ugly.  

Just the other weekend, the band was complaining about their stage not being big enough and not having the electrical requirements that they needed.  How's your knowledge of power requirements???  I don't know about you, but on my wedding day I wanted to be the bride, not an electrician.

What if you change the time you want to leave your reception?  Who is going to have the number of the car company to tell them the new time?  Sure you have it in your wedding book, but where is the book? 

Short a corsage from the florist?  You can't leave that one grandparent without something to wear!  Who is calling the florist???  Who is stressing about this?  You will be!

Imagine the photographer trying to take all of the family pictures, but where is the family?  Uncle Bob is over there, Aunt Sally is still getting ready, Aunt Sue went to sit down in another room.  Who will be yelling trying to get everyone to be in the same room at the same time?  Yep, you again.  

Wedding Planner Ann Marie of Tres Beau Weddings featured here by Allison Lewis Photography

There was one reception that I heard about where the venue had to make a rain call while the ceremony was taking place at a nearby church.  No big deal, right?  Well the florist was already set up and wasn't made aware that the rain call had taken place and everything (but her flowers) were moved inside.  Fortunately she decided to run back by the venue to double check everything 30 minutes prior to the guests arriving.  She was able to redecorate everything before the couple arrive for their reception.  

Photo of Anita with AK Brides.  Photo courtesy of Stacy Richardson Photography

I wonder what you can do to help ensure that these things don't happen?

If the couple had hired a professional wedding planner, none of this would have been an issue.  

Don't make your friends, your mother, (or you) have to deal with this stuff.  You don't want to be interrupted while you are taking pictures or getting dressed in your beautiful wedding gown - hire a professional wedding planner to handle everything for you.  You will just have to trust me on this one - it will be worth the money!!!!

By the way, each of the examples are from an actual wedding.  We even had one this past weekend where the reception site's power was knocked out by a storm right before the wedding.  No power, no AC, nothing for the entire night.  Who do you think had to deal with that?

Photo courtesy of 2b Photography

We are videographers.  We are cinematographers.  We are film makers.  We are video ninjas.  Whatever you want to call us, fine.  We are passionate about the work we do.  The work speaks for itself.  

When you are searching for a videographer (and you should be!!!), look for someone that you connect with.  I feel that you should have an emotional reaction to our work.  Brides call/email us crying because they just watched the clips on our website.  That’s an emotional reaction.  Our brides actually LOVE their wedding film more than their photos most of the time!!  I know, you can't even imagine that now, but it will happen.  That's the part that makes me so crazy.  Just trust me and let us do our job. 

I hear it over and over from bridesmaids and others.  "I just got married last month and I didn't hire a professional videographer for my wedding."  It's unfortunate because you can't go back and redo your wedding day.  If the company you hire knows what they are doing then you are going to get a priceless treasure from your wedding day.   

A few years ago a bride's grandmother got very sick the day after the wedding and never recovered.  We had captured some great footage of her at the wedding.  We were able to use every piece of usable footage as a tribute to her grandmother. We even had natural audio of her grandmother laughing.  I don't know if you have ever lost a loved one, but to be able to remember how they looked and sounded is such a gift.

The above example was used to help you understand that a wedding video not only will capture the things that you understandably find important  - your wedding ceremony and vows, your first dance, the funny moment during cake cutting - but it will also capture the things that you might not realize how very important they will become.  

Be Happy...

As I am preparing to close out an entire year of Insider's Tips, I am trying to think of some things that I really feel are necessary.  And the biggest thing that stands out in my mind is to enjoy your day and be happy.  Hire great vendors that you don't have to worry about - check references if you have to - and sit back and really enjoy the moment.  It will go by too fast.

Our couple in one of their engagement photos by Allison Lewis Photography

We love a party bus!  It arrives at the church and takes the bridal party to the reception safely to enjoy all of the wedding festivities, aka, alcohol.  We love riding on the party bus - you just really never know what footage you will get!!!  

There are many great reasons to hire a bus, shuttle, etc.  You have the obvious, carting around the wedding party, that may or may not be drinking.  Helping out of towners get to the destination without getting lost. All great things!

But remember after the wedding - after you and your spouse leave the reception.  The wedding party that may or may not have been drinking, may or may not be able to drive themselves from the reception back to the hotel.  It might be a good idea to have the party bus come back and pick everyone up to take the back to the hotel.  That way everyone gets home safe and sound.  

Here is a party bus by Rare Transportation! It's off in the distance, but it's there. 

Photo courtesy of J.Woodbery Photography

Photo courtesy of Allison Lewis Photography

We recently saw the best arrangement for the parents during the wedding ceremony. To better help you understand what I am talking about, this was a formal church ceremony, the groom's father was the best man, and there wasn't a center aisle.  

So both sets of the parents (bride and groom's) were sitting on the same aisle. But instead of being on the sides, they both scooted to the middle and sat next to each other.  How great is that!  We think it showed a wonderful sense of unity between the families.  Some brides and grooms are not as lucky.  And besides for a lot of weddings, the groom's mom has to sit by herself because her husband is standing with their son on the alter.  Great for pictures and video too!  

Photo courtesy of 2 b Photography

This tip is actually another one of John's.  Don't we love it when he chimes in from time to time!  

John says to not make any major decisions - like buying a dress, booking a venue, etc., the first week after you get engaged.  Take a little time to enjoy your new sparkly ring.  There is so much excitement right after an engagement, but don't let that excitement cause you to make bad decisions.

Booking the first venue you see, or the first dress you put on because you just sooooo excited and can't wait to start getting ready for the wedding, it might turn out to be a bad thing.  Take the time to make an educated decision so that you won't have any regrets. I doubt many venues or dress shops will give you a refund if you change your mind.

And you know what else would help...hiring a professional wedding planner.  They will be able to lead you in the right direction!  AND save you money in the process!  

Photo courtesy of Allison Lewis Photography

Did you know that you can bring happiness to other people's lives?  Yes, you can!  At the end of your wedding, you can donate your wedding flowers to a great service in Birmingham called Perenity Flower Ministry.  They will distribute the beautiful arrangements to Birmingham hospice patients.  Ask your florist about this wonderful service.  

This article (click here) from al.com is an interview from the founder of Perenity.  It is from Christmas, but trust me, this service is year around.  

Your flowers brought you so much joy on such a perfect wedding day, why not let them bring joy to a very sick patient?

Photo courtesy of 509 Photo

Ok, here is a tip that you won't find anywhere else.  

Please remind your wedding party (and yourself) that although prayers during the ceremony are a time that most of the wedding guests have their eyes closed, the video camera is still running.  All adjustments to dresses, pants, body parts, etc. should wait until the ceremony is over. Jesus (and the videographer's camera) are watching! Probably not something you want on your video...

Photo courtesy of Leslie Hollingsworth Photography

Whether they are feather or fancy or black or blue, many times they will not write if they are new.  (ha - it rhymes!) I am talking about pens with your guest book.

Every bride has this fancy pen with her beautiful guest book for people to sign, but the pen never seems to write.  Time is taken up by everyone looking into their purses for a pen that will write.  I don't know if the problem is with the type of paper in the guest book or if the pens are just too new, but issues arise.  I guess it could be that they run out of ink.  

I know with a new Bic pen, I have to scribble it a little before it will start to write.  I would assume the same would work with the fancy pens.  If it doesn't have enough ink, you could provide more than one pen for people to use.  I really don't have a good solution - maybe some wedding planners will chime in.... after all, I am just a videographer, a very observant videographer. 

Wedding Planner, Rachael Grammer, from Two Hearts Wedding Planning, had this to say, "We always advise getting a nice fountain pen instead of the typical feather adorned ballpoint pen that is sure to fail at the worst time. There are some beautiful fountain pens out there and how fun to carry that special pen in your purse long after your wedding day... talk about a wonderful reminder of the best day ever!"

Yay, you're married!  Wonderful, let's start the celebration.  But wait, where is the minister?  You need him to sign the marriage license.  Ugh.  Read on to find out about this cool tip we saw recently at a wedding.

The couple and minister signed the marriage license right during the wedding ceremony! It was perfect!  Right after the couple lit the unity candle, they signed it.  And it was done.  No need to chase after anyone after the ceremony.  Cross it off your to-do list.  Plus it is a great time and place for a photo/video opportunity! 

Photo courtesy of Unplugged Photography / Rabbi Barry

"He said, she said."

I don't read all of the traditional wedding blogs with tips and checklists and all of that.  I read it when I was planning our wedding, but really not since, so I hope you won't find any similarities.  The point of the Insider's Tips is to try to post things that you might not have heard of/thought of/seen before.  

With all of that said, my next tip might be one that you have heard about before.  But it is really important, so I wanted to post it.  

I think we have established that it is hard to pick out vendors for your wedding.  You don't know who to trust or who will do a good job.  If you have a friend that has recently gotten married, then she is a great resource.  But don't overlook the great resource that one of your already booked vendors can be.  

Now of course, I love receiving referrals.  A very large portion of our business comes from referrals, so I don't take this lightly.  But I really love giving referrals to brides.  After all, this is our world.  We work with a whole lot of people - we know the quality professionals to refer you to.  Anyone can spend a million dollars on advertising claiming to be the best whatever, but just because you have money, it doesn't mean that you care about your work or your clients.  Double check with a few of your wedding vendors to see who they can recommend.  

Photo courtesy of Stacy Richardson Photography - gorgeous bouquet by HotHouse Design Studio

Is this thing on?

Not only is my next tip one that can help you, as the bride, but it also makes our life easier too!  It's a win-win!

Here in the South, the majority of the toasts are done the day before the wedding at the rehearsal dinner.  Not only do you need to hire a professional to capture those priceless moments, but please also ask you venue for a mic stand.  

It will require your guests who are giving a toast to come up to the front of the room where everyone can see them.  (And maybe even stand in the lighted part of the room.) For your videographer, this helps tremendously!!  If you don't have a mic stand, people think that they can just stand up at their table and speak loud enough for people to see/hear them, while we are trying to get a camera focused on them from across the room.  

We are also able to plug our audio recording devices into the mic so that we get crystal clear audio on that special toast when your "never cries EVER" dad, tells you and everyone how proud he is of you, and how he couldn't have asked for a better guy than your fiancé.  Those are the priceless moments that we capture at the rehearsal dinner.

The video clip below starts with very compelling audio from the rehearsal dinner.  We are so glad that they hired us to film it AND used a professional mic setup. 

Hey you, turn around!  I  can't see!

I thought I would post one of John's tips.  He likes to add his two cents every so often. I am not sure how I feel about, "Hey, you, turn around!  I can't see!"  I don't mind it, it works well for video and the audience, but it might be too untraditional for me to start a revolution about it.  Maybe I will just be pleasantly surprised when it happens.

We have had several couples turn toward the audience, with the officiant standing between them and the audience.  You are able to see their faces more and you don't spend 35 minutes staring at the back of the bride's dress.  So sure it has its advantages and we have seen it grow in popularity in the past year - just something to think about. What do you think about it?

Photo Courtesy of Simple Color

How much for the bride?

Remember to take the barcode stickers off the bottom of your new toasting glasses.  I would have never thought about this one, but I saw it the other day in our raw footage!  No, it doesn’t ruin the day if you forget, but you might get a picture of it!

Tape it down!

Photo courtesy of Allison Lewis Photography

You can have the most beautiful bride, bridesmaid, whoever on the wedding day, in a fabulous strapless dress, the perfect shot set up with the sun giving a nice sunburst on your lens, a little wind rustling the trees, and what happens?  The girl hikes her dress up (to keep the chest area from getting too low).  Shot ruined.

The popularity of strapless dresses for both a wedding dress and/or bridesmaid dress has grown tremendously over the last several years.  And I agree, they are beautiful!  But please use some sticky dress tape and secure the dress to your body.  Now you won't have to spend all day adjusting yourself.  Less hassle for you, better shots for us!  

In case you would like to rush out right now and buy some sticky tape for your dress, here is a link!  http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Fashion-Tape-Wedding-Apparel/dp/B000H3WNXM

Ask about regrets.

Do you have friends that have gotten married recently? They might be a good resource for planning your wedding.  Sure, they probably gave you their HUGE stash of wedding magazines, but they have something else that you don't have.  Experience.  

Photo courtesy of Allison Lewis Photography

Now don't get all mad at me.  You are the only one that knows exactly what you want for your wedding day, but there is something to be said for your friend already going through the process.  That is the main reason for this blog.  This is typically your first time planning an event of this caliber and you can only do it once.  

What did your friend do that she would do different? What things didn't she do that she wishes she had done?  I talk with a huge number of girls who regret not hiring a videographer for their wedding.  What are some other things?

Ask as many of your friends that you can. Learn from them and more importantly, implement them into your big day.

Hire a professional wedding planner.

Rachael Grammer with Two Hearts Weddings pins on a boutonniere for a groom.  Thank goodness she was there, because the default person when there is not a planner is the photographer/videographer.  Scary. Photo courtesy of Gretchen B Photography.

You decided not to "waste" money by hiring a professional wedding planner.  After all, you have done most of the wedding planning already and your mom will be able to help out the day of.  Maybe your reception venue also provides someone to assist.  

This is what we see when the wedding day arrives:  Mom is running around crazy because she is trying to get herself dressed, you in your dress (and can't figure out how to do those loops on the dress with her new manicure), checking to make sure that the groom has arrived, all while keeping with the time schedule.  But wait, she isn't wearing her watch because it doesn't "go" with her dress and she doesn't have a pocket for her phone.  Now you are running late.  And that causes you stress.  Thus the photographer is running late and having to quickly make up time on the photos, which might mean that you don't get all of the photos that you wanted.  More stress.

Now onto the reception.  The venue said that someone would be there to assist you.  But for how long?  Make sure you know what time they leave.  What if they are just there for the introduction, 1st dance and cake cutting?  What about the rest of the evening?  Who is going to put snacks of leftover food in your get away car?  What about your luggage?  You and/or your mom will end up having to deal with issues that you shouldn't have to worry about the day of your wedding.      

Hiring a professional wedding planner with a good reputation will be the best decision you make (other than hiring a great videographer, but we will get to that).  I don't even know all of the little things that wedding planners take care of, but I do know that weddings run sooo much smoother when a professional wedding planner is there.  We get better footage, the photographer gets better photos, your wedding party and guests will appreciate the organization.  Let your mom be the mother of the bride, let her celebrate her daughter getting married.  You, as the bride, do whatever you can so that you can enjoy the day.  It really goes by so fast. 

Rachael adding a last minute touch to the cake with family heirloom broaches.  Photo courtesy of Marsha Perry Photography.