Videography: Digitalized not Dainty

It’s a rare occasion that I get excited about a client’s desire to have a Videographer at their wedding. When you think of wedding videographer, what comes to mind? For many people, the images of the static tripod camera in a church where you hear the nearest guest more than the sacred vows still come to mind.

I’ll admit, those images sometimes pop into my head too. Until now.

Hold on….THIS AIN’T YO’ MAMA’S VIDEOGRAPHY

I fell in love with the high energy, rock star style of Mercedes Blackheart and Andrea Reese of Digital Princess Productions a few months back. It was completely by accident that I ran across their site searching for something for my hubby, the DigitalPharaoh. These ladies absolutely give you what your wedding video is SUPPOSED to be. Nothing but Fabulous!

With formal education in Art Design and experience in Film and Television, rest assured this is the best of the best when it comes to Videography. Just check out their teaser trailer.

Mercedes and Andrea have just added an East Coast member of their Staff, a real celeb shooter who is man enough to hang with these two ladies. To promote this new facet of their business, Digital Princess has a special offer for all of you Simply Beautiful Readers…

Told you they were Rock Stars!

You can also visit them on Twitter and Facebook.

Why Hire a Professional Photographer?

Simply Beautiful Words has created this blog series, “Why Hire?” to help you understand what to expect from services, highlight their value and give you some pointers to use in your consultations. I’ll touch base on a few on the most questioned vendors/services.

We started of our Why Hire? series, with a look at a wedding professional that is near and dear to our heart…Wedding Planners.

Now we move on to our next wedding professional, Photographers.

Why Hire a Professional Photographer?

MEMORIES

The main reason is quite simple, besides your marriage and new family, your photographs will be the only tangible thing left of your wedding. After all the planning, all the expenses, all the stress and all the details if your photographs do not expertly and accurately capture the day, you will be sorely disappointed.

SBC: I am not advocating for every couple to spend their entire budget on a high end photographer that is out of their price point. However, I certainly support couples who allocate a portion of their budget that is significant to them on photography.

(and seriously, none of this has to do with the fact that my hubby, DigitalPharaoh, is a professional photographer/artist)

PROFESSIONALISM & QUALITY

Yes, I believe you when you say your cousin, uncle, sister are take amazing photos with their high end DLSR. But have they had the most recent training in the digital technique? Do they know how to work around poor indoor lighting? Poor outdoor lighting?

Unless your friend or family member is a professional photographer with professional equipment and the ability to process your photographs, please consider a professional photographer.

SBC: You can find a professional photographer for every budget and every style. A wedding planner will have a number of photographer referrals to meet your needs that is provided with some wedding planning package or as an a la carte service.

Well, what is a professional photographer? Not every Joe Blow with a website and a camera is a professional photographer…or even a decent one. To help you navigate through the process, here is how Simply Beautiful Concepts guides its clients:

1. Research photography styles that you like. Search far and wide through that wonderful thing called the internet. Don’t worry about price or location, find photographs and styles that appeal to you.

2. Research photographers in your area. Match area photographers with the styles you gathered in step one.

3. Create a list of 3-5 Photographers. Contact them and conduct a phone interview of basic questions. You can find some advice here from Blue Orchid Designs.

4. Eliminate 1-2 Photographers. Set up interviews/consultations with the remaining photographers.

5. Book Your Professional Wedding Photographer. If steps 1-4 don’t yield in a successful selection, repeat.

Happy Planning

Next in our “Why Hire?” series:   Your little brother and his friends DJ/have a band and play at parties every weekend.  They seem to have a lot of equipment and music and wouldn’t cost a dime so “Why Hire a DJ/Band/Entertainment?”

First Comes the Wedding…Then Comes the Marriage: Post-Wedding Wrap-Up

For all my newly-wives (and wives-to-be), I’ve created this series (original post) for the After Wedding aka Marriage. If you have a fear that once you put your Wedding Planning Binder away, you will feel naked and without a sense of direction, never fear, your to-do list still awaits you.

After your wedding is over and after the honeymoon, there are some wedding details that need to be closed out. Simply Beautiful Concept offers a Post-Wedding Wrap Up in their Classic and Most Beautiful Planning packages to cover rentals, returns, contracts and invoices. However, you can ensure a smooth close to your wedding by attending to the following areas:

Contracts

First things first, Security Deposits. Review your contracts if you placed a security deposit on any of your wedding related items, such as reception hall, rentals or transportation. You will want to confirm the method and time frame the vendor is to return your deposit.

Certain contracts, such as the Reception or Catering, may have required minimum dollar amounts or your bar may have been on consumption. Be sure to get final bills and figures to ensure you met your minimums, owe any balances or are due any refunds.

If any of your vendors did not provide some of the contracted services or substitutions were necessary, you may also be entitled to a refund of some of your cost.

100 Proof: Photography and Videography

Your photographer and/or videographer was great on your wedding day. You can’t wait to see the pictures/video! But before you start ringing his or her phone of the hook once your return flight hits the tarmac, check your contract. Most photographers/videographers have a specified time frame to present you with your proofs, albums, CD/DVD etc.

You will want to touch base with them soon after the wedding to see if there are any known issues that will delay delivery of your proofs or photographs or video. After that, let them do their thing. Remember, in high wedding season, your photographer/videographer may be booked every weekend, which leaves little time for editing, manipulating and printing. My DigitalPharaoh is a photographer, and I sometimes get impatient for my clients pictures before they do. I’ve come to realize that after hours and hours of adding effects, cropping, correcting etc, his eyes get a little crossed and he needs to take a break so that he can bring fresh eyes to the rest of the photos. You don’t want some really great photos and the rest looking like snapshots from a disposable camera because you had an unreasonable expectation. Ask your photographer during your initial consultation about these time frames. And after the wedding, hold them to it.

Thank You Cards

Etiquette states that Thank you notes for gifts should be sent as soon as possible after the gift is received, if this is prior to the wedding. For those gifts received after the wedding and if you plan to thank each guest for attending, 3 months is the maximum amount of time to complete this task.

Next up in our series: To Change or Not to Change Your Name & How

Complete Series

Sunday: Kick Off

Monday: Post Wedding-Wrap Up

Tuesday: To Change or Not to Change Your Name & How

Wednesday: Holidays

Thursday: Your 1^st Anniversary

Friday: Awkward Questions, Awesome Answers

Saturday: It’s Different

Be sure to leave a comment letting us know what Post-Wedding topics interest YOU.

Dare to Be Different!

Dichotomy / [dahy-kot-uh-mee]

1. Separation of different of contradictory things; a separation into two divisions that differ widely from or contradict each other

2. Moon phase when half visible; Astronomy the phase of the Moon or a planet when half of its surgace appears illuminated by the Sun

Source: Encarta Dictionary: English (North American)

Simply Beauty is a Pisces and with this zodiac sign’s vast many traits that you can find in most places online, I most identify with my dichotomy. For example, I am a dreamer and love mythical things, yet I crave structure and goals. I need to feel validated by others, yet am proud of my uniqueness.

Source

Many of us have a natural dichotomy to our lives, personalities, likes and dislikes. Sometimes, our contradictions are so far from what we portray in our mainstream lives, even our closest loved ones could have no idea. I’m not talking about alternative lifestyles, secrets or anything taboo. Just simple contradictions.

For example, just because my mouth is already salivating at the thought of old school, soul food, down south Thanksgiving dinner, some in my family may not know that I LOVE octopus.

This sweet, organized, professional pink rose loving Wedding Planner used to have her tongue pierced…for about 7 years. I’m into piercings and tattoos. I appreciate the beauty, the artistry, the self-expression. And by no means would ever make preconceived assumptions about anyone with any type of body art.

Being different does not mean being completely inappropriate. So when clients come to me for “etiquette advice,” trust and believe I will tell what is in good taste and what is not, BUT I will never discourage you from being YOU.

If you feel that your wedding ideas are DIFFERENT and you would really like to showcase your PERSONALITY…Let’s Do It! Your wedding is the perfect time to put your personal touch into all aspects of your special day. And it’s a wonderful way to highlight all those things that made your fiancé fall in love with you in the first place.

Have Tattoos? If you want to cover them up, visit Terrica at Fabuluxe’s Cocktails & Details. If you don’t want to cover them up…get some inspiration from Nina & Jason’s wedding pictures on Mi Belle Inc’s blog. Here’s my favorite shot from Mi Belle:

1113

Our special number.

Today marks the 10th Anniversary of the night I met the DigitalPharaoh face to face, fell hopelessly in love and became engaged!

Yup, you heard it right.  He proposed the very same night…ah hem…morning we met. 

So it’s always a bit of an awkward conversation when someone asks how long we dated.  Uh…we didn’t.  As you can imagine, that brings a confused look.  But I have always matter-of-factly, let it be known that we met on the internet (a Yahoo Group not a dating site), met by unusual circumstances, married 3 ½ months later on my 21st Birthday (another post altogether) and had been together ever since (ok ok..a few hiccups here and there, nobody’s perfect).

10 Years and 3 Kids later…Here we are at this milestone.

So in honor of our Anniversary, I’d like list the Top Ten Reasons I Love DigitalPharaoh:

10.  He has been fixing my coffee for me for the past 10 years so now I can barely make it on my own.  I just don’t know how much sugar and how much milk makes it taste like I like it.

9.  Neither his father nor mother appears to have a balding gene.

8.  My website & branding wouldn’t be possible without him.

7.  We never have to buy those yucky school pictures.

6.  He rarely brings up the fact that I don’t give him enough credit for ________(fill in the blank).

5.  He is the most loving, caring, nurturing Father and the best Mr. Mom when I needed him to be.

4.  He spoils me rotten and pampers me no matter how little or how much we may have at the time.  (Thus the reason Little Miss Diva aka Mini Me is the way she is…trickle down theory.)

3.  Our 3 Beautiful, Brilliant Children

2.  He loves me.

1.  He lets me love him.

Uriah & Kikie Jumped the Broom 9-13-08

This past weekend, I had the pleasure and honor of witnessing a childhood friend marry his longtime love.

We all ~ except the Bride & Groom ~ had worries about the forecasted cloudy, shower filled weather. After test shooting during the rehearsal (a dreary, drizzly Friday evening), the photographer, Stephen Evans (my hubby), was overly worried that the little Dorsey Chapel could not provide enough natural lighting for the photographs. Alas, the show must go on. Uriah & Kikie were not concerned with the weather or the photographs and tried to calm our nerves; their attitude, “we’ll just go with the flow.”

Fortunately, when I arose that morning to prepare for coordinating this event, the skies were blue and clear.

September 13, 2008 turned out to be a nearly perfect day (save for the humidity).

Sure, setting up the reception hall, Adelphi Mill, traveling between multiple locations, and trying to stay Fabulous the entire time, was a challenge, pure work…but for these two dear friends, I would do it every day.

I cannot begin to express the amount of love I witnessed that day. This day was reminiscent of what this tradition of marriage is all about. It was far removed from the big business the Wedding Industry has become and brought you back to the basics, when weddings were not a business but a family affair. Every family member of the Bride & Groom that were present was integral in orchestrating this event. And I mean EVERY family member: Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Moms, Dads, Sisters, Nieces, Nephews, Grandparents and dear Friends. From the chair covers (whew that was a doosie!) to the centerpieces, to the delicious meal prepared by the Groom’s father, the decorations, the music, the cake…ALL was provided or set up by family and friends. Not a complaint or a question (except for “What else needs to be done?”) was heard. We did it for love; we did it with a smile (and a sweat).

And when it was all said and done, I believe every single guest, rolled up their sleeves and began helping with the take down. That is what family is about. This is what true love is about.

Congratulations Uriah & Kikie! Happy 3 Day Anniversary! I love you both truly, deeply, madly!

Enjoy your preview.

To see more pictures from this event, go to DigitalPharaoh.

Wedding Porn – Kevin Swan Photography

I have been mesmerized by the Wedding/Engagement Photos from Kevin Swan”>Kevin Swan. Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic (well, I better be to be a Wedding Planner), but I have been oohing and ahhing over these photographs since Thursday night. The music, the love, the beauty…oh my!

And all I can think of is: My Turn!

Yes, since Mr. Wonderful and I did not have the traditional wedding (me, him, 2 witnesses and a justice of the peace) I am always wanting that fairytale to come true. Our Wedding. One Day.

Which is probably one of the reasons I am such a Beautiful planner, I’ve been planning and planning every detail in my head for the past 9 years of our marriage.

So, for my very own Simply Beautiful Wedding…I wished to be Swanned.