Meet Our Members ~ Seasons Catering & Events

 

NAME: Seasons Catering and Events              

Owners:Janis Revilla/ Vikki Patterson
E-Mail jvseasonscatering@gmail.com                                                                 Address: 720 East Main Puyallup WA.

seasonscateringandevents.com                                                                                 Phone Numer: (253)205-7748

What should a bride know about your expertise & experience?
Between the two of us we have over 20 years experience catering to the needs of customers. We realize getting married can be a stressful time, and are committed to giving the customer exactly what they want, regardless of the size of there event. we are very good at creating a menu that serves their specific needs, and fits into there price range. Our customers will not get gouged with over inflated prices and add ons. After our initial meeting they will know exactly what they are getting with a firm price quote so no surprises!

Do you do anything special or different from you competition?
Yes; We also have an event center located in downtown Puyallup it has a "jazz club" feel to it. We can cater all your events not just the wedding. It is perfect for small receptions or weddings, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, and bachelorette parties. The beauty of our space is that your not just renting a room at a restaurant for say, your rehearsal dinner. The space is private and just for your party, we have very generous rental packages without strict timelines.

What has been your sweetest success story?
Every event is a success story if your customer is happy at the end of it. We have been blessed with great customers, and I can truly say that every event we have catered especially weddings has been a success with happy satisfied customers. If we hit a snag in your planning process we do everything in our power to fix it.

What are some pitfalls a customer can expect if they don't hire a professional caterer?
Professional caterers have to follow strict health department guidelines and be licensed by the state, so you know that the people preparing your food are well versed in health codes, they also have to carry liability insurance. If someone is making food out of their home you could run into opportunities for food poisoning, and who wants that at their wedding? Having enough food for your guests is very important. Professional caterers are trained in portion control, they know how much food feeds how many people. If "Aunt Mary" cooks the food there is always a good chance you may run out. Lastly professional caterers take the worry and guess work out of food preparation for your reception. Brides have enough to worry about that’s why you hire a professional. Not only are you paying for the event, you are paying us to worry about that part for you.

Photography contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional member Iris Peridot of Peridot Photography.

Why A Wedding Photographer ~ Part 3

Time for round three, folks! In the last two blog posts we covered why you would want to hire a wedding photographer and why they charge what they do. This time around we're going to look at some strategies for working within your budget.

Now, a quick disclaimer. Not all of these tips are 100% effective. Sometimes a photographer simply can’t go as low as you need them to go, and that’s okay. If you’re realistic with your budget, you will find the right photographer for you. So here we go:

· Go to wedding shows. Wedding photographers will often offer lower prices and discounts to people who book them as the result of a show. Wedding shows are a great way for photographers to drive traffic to their business and they’re a great way for you to snag a great deal. Not only that, but wedding shows offer excellent opportunities to actually meet photographers and get to know their personalities before booking anything.

· Talk to photographers about your specific needs. A recent couple that I worked with had a budget between two of my determined package prices. Because they explained exactly what they wanted, we were able to adjust the higher package to fit their needs and stay within their budget. So if you want the full day of coverage but not the wedding album, just ask!

· Set a budget, and then share it. Ask the photographer if he or she would be willing to work within that, and what they'd be willing to do. You'd be surprised at how sympathetic and helpful a good photographer can be. Remember, the worst they can do is they say no.

· Always ask if a photographer is available! Whether you have a short engagement or your original photographer bailed on you, it’s tempting to throw in the towel and have Uncle Bob shoot your wedding, even though you know the photos won’t be great. But don’t give up! Sometimes you can get better deals with last-minute bookings. Why? Because if a photographer has an open date, they're not likely to fill it with a customer paying the full rate in just a few weeks. The downside is, of course, that it's difficult to find a good photographer just a few weeks out, especially on popular dates. So, while I wouldn’t recommend purposefully waiting and thereby gambling your wedding photos, don’t shy away from asking a professional photographer if he or she is available on late notice.

Overall, remain polite and understanding. I mentioned in a previous blog why photographers tend to cost such a considerable amount. There’s a reason for the price tag, and if you show your photographer that you understand this and respect their work, they’ll be more willing to work with you. Keep this in mind as you're shopping around.

Have some of your own tips and suggestions?  Leave it in the comments! We'd love to hear from you.

Contributed by Professional Member of Puget Sound Wedding Professionals -- Jason Comerford

Jason Comerford Photography                                     http://jcomerfordphoto.blogspot.com/

Wedding Planning 101, R.S.V.P. Defined

R.S.V.P. ( répondez s'il vous plaît) or Respond Please! Why this is so important (and frustrating) for anyone planning a wedding or other event! Here's some RSVP 101 and my devious ideas!

Does anyone understand the significance of this? They might not! That is, until they are the ones planning an event. It comes down to showing a host the common courtesy of knowing whether you are going to be attending or not.

For a wedding, it can influence the costs tremendously! Most people think that it's just the cost of the food. That is the biggest concern, but a lot of people don't think of the extra costs that a bride and groom might incur because they want to make sure that no one goes hungry or doesn't have a place to sit. Here are some extra expenses you might not even think of in addition to the food. If a person doesn't have an accurate count it can add to wasted money on tables, chairs, chair covers, chair sashes, tablecloths, napkins, glassware, stemware, centerpieces, cutlery, etc. These things do not always come automatically with the catering. (More on that in another blog entry!)

When people don't RSVP by a certain date is causes unprecedented stress on the bride, groom and their families when they least need it! They already have enough things on their minds and have the extra weight due to other's lack of courtesy.

If only you could put in the invitation...if you don't RSVP and you show up, you will be sitting on the floor, be the last ones to be called up to the buffet line, wish you had brought a plate, eat the food with your fingers, wipe your mouth on your sleeve, go thirsty...and be roasted, (oops!) toasted during the reception. Maybe you can just give the name of the town where the wedding will be and not give the location of the wedding until they RSVP. I've never thought of that before! Hmmm. You could make them get up and dance during the reception, but instead of dancing to Y-M-C-A, you could make them do the same only to the letters R-S-V-P. It's your party, you can do what you want to! 8)

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Janis of Greatest of Days Wedding & Event Planning.

Meet our Vendors ~ Lifetime Memories & Events

Name:  Janine Goehler

Website:  Lifetime Memories & Events           

1) How would you describe your business?

My business, "Lifetime Memories & Events", is an affordable custom wedding and events planning service. The bulk of my time is devoted to weddings but I love it when given the opportunity to branch out into a different type of party. I give all of my clients, no matter the size of their budget, event, or type of package they decide on, the utmost of individual attention. I do not limit them to a particular number of contacts with me and always go the extra mile to make them happy. After all, why be in this business if not to make people happy on their important occasions.

2) What has been your sweetest success story?

I was referred to a local couple by a past client. This couple needed someone to help them coordinate a bi-coastal wedding. I was asked to travel to NYC to coordinate a ceremony and reception on the outskirts of the city for about 75 guests, mainly the Bride's friends and family. A month later we did a 275 guest reception locally for the Groom's friends and family with a lot of the east coast guests also making the journey. It was very satisfying, first of all, to receive the referral but also to be able to coordinate meetings for my couple with vendors I had never met in NYC. It took a lot of phone calls and research to narrow down the field but knowing that my couple loved the way their wedding turned out was a very "sweet" moment for me. It is so satisfying to make your clients and their families so happy, especially on two coasts.

3) What should a Bride know about your expertise and experience?

I have been a Professional Bridal Consultant for eight years. I studied with Penn Foster College to receive my certificate in wedding planning. Although I was given eighteen months to complete the course, I was so anxious to get started serving local couples that I completed it in six months. I make sure that I have studied some sort of continuing education every year so that I can stay current will all of the traditions, designs and wedding etiquette. I give all of my clients, no matter the size of their budget, event, or type of package they decide on, the utmost of individual attention. I do not limit them to a particular number of contacts with me and always go the extra mile to make them happy. After all, why be in this business if not to make people happy on their important occasions.

4) What is the most awkward/memorable moment you’ve experienced while on the job?

My most awkward but also my most memorable wedding was caused by a very sad event. It was a true exercise in team work and proved, without a doubt, that planners must think "on their feet" and also that every planner needs a strong group of vendors on her team. The Groom's Father passed away the night before the wedding. As you can imagine, everyone was in shock and so sad. A great many of the guests had traveled from out-of-town as had both the Bride and Groom and all of the Groom's family. There was no recourse but to carry on with the wedding and try to make the day as happy as possible for my Bride and Groom. My "vendor team" rallied as we many numerous changes to everything from who would walk the Mother-of-the Groom down the aisle, to the dinner seating and place cards to the toasts. Needless to say, it was a very difficult day but everyone pulled together and in the end, after a beautiful tribute from the Groom to his Father, the Bride and Groom had a happy day and really enjoyed themselves.

** Thank-you Jenine for taking the time from your busy day to answer our questions and allow our readers to get to know you and your business.  To learn more about her services be sure to check out her website at the link on top.

Why The Cost of Photography

Welcome back to our blog series on why you should hire a professional wedding photographer. This time we’re going to talk about cost.

Why is a wedding photographer so expensive? A standard rule of thumb has been to spend 25% of your budget on the photography. But what are you paying for? Here’s just a few examples of what a professional photographer’s price includes:

· Wedding Professionalism. You’re not just getting a skilled photographer, you’re getting someone experienced in navigating the wedding day and all of its difficulties. Strict schedules, difficult lighting, once-in-a-lifetime-memories that can’t be reshot, group organization, communication—all of these are things that a good wedding photographer has mastered. These skills are not easily obtained.

• Use of equipment, travel, and assistants. Travel and assistants’ wages are pretty self-explanatory, so we’ll focus on the equipment. Most wedding photographers will be using somewhere in the range of $3,000 to $10,000 in photographic equipment. That includes camera bodies, back-up bodies, lenses, lighting, memory cards, spare batteries, and a host of other things, all of which must be purchased and maintained. And yes, this gear is necessary; a good photographer knows that using less than adequate equipment will give less than adequate photos.
• Time. It’s not just the 8 hours of the wedding. Your photography package includes days of processing, color correcting, developing, and printing. The professional photographer you hired is going to be spending weeks designing, discussing, and applying his or her creative skill to your final product.
• Business expenses and cost of living. In addition to taxes, your photographer most likely pays for a lawyer, an accountant, advertising, insurance, and crucial equipment maintenance. The overhead costs are huge, and beyond this they still need to be able to support their family.

Hopefully this sheds some light on the cost of hiring a wedding photographer. As before, I’d like to leave you with a bit of personal advice, this time from my wife’s experience. Great photography can help you remember the best parts of your day, even when things didn’t go as planned. Even if the cake fell and the best man got sick and the DJ didn’t show up, you’ll be reminded of the best moments of the day you married the love of your life.

Cheers!

Contributed by Professional Member of Puget Sound Wedding Professionals -- Jason Comerford

Jason Comerford Photography http://jcomerfordphoto.blogspot.com/

Why A Professional Wedding Photographer?

Howdy, folks! My name's Jason, and my wife and I are wedding photographers. I'd like to talk about some of the most common questions regarding our profession. Cost is certainly an issue with most aspects of the wedding, but the wedding photographer's price tag seems to garner the most questions. Do I need to hire a professional? Why the high price? Is it worth it? How can I save money? The answers to these questions aren't complicated, but they are important.

For this first blog post, we're going to discuss value. Or, simply put, we'll answer the question, "Why should a couple hire a wedding photographer?"

• Experience. A wedding photographer's experience is probably his or her best asset. Experience has taught the professional not only a list of helpful dos and don'ts, but also a host of practical solutions to wedding challenges. For instance, if the power goes out making the reception an hour late and literally candlelit, a good photographer will know how to compensate for the lighting and still give you the photos you need in the time you have left. Experience makes photographers efficient with your time and ready for the unexpected.
• Technical skill. How did the photographer in our imaginary situation manage to capture great photos in horrible lighting? Professionals know their cameras inside and out, meaning they have the technical skill to respond to photographic challenges. Those foreign concepts like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance-a professional will clearly understand these and be able to use them to your advantage. Let's say that at our disaster wedding the officiant decides that the photographer can't use a flash or move anywhere near the front of the church. While it sounds like a nightmare, anyone who'd shot at least a few weddings has faced it and survived with the skills necessary to overcome it in the future.
• Creativity. Frankly, no one stays in this business without a certain level of creative skill. A professional photographer will have developed this skill by trying new things and developing a unique style. He or she will spend hours simply thinking about new ideas, ways of photographing, poses, etc. Wedding photographers offer you the most creative ways of telling your wedding's story.

• Quality. Your overall quality is going to be much higher with a professional, for a variety of reasons. I'm sure you can see that everything we discussed above has a huge impact on quality. However, also take into account the amount of money a professional will have invested in proper camera and computer equipment. A lot of money and time are also spent ensuring we can accurately produce beautiful colors, in focus, at the right time. Tools don't make a professional, but a professional will have the right tools.

One last tip I'd like to share from my own experience-choose a photographer with the right personality for you. In most situations, the photographer will be your constant wedding day companion. The variety of professional photographers in the industry provides you with the chance to choose someone who will be fun and encouraging for you.

A wedding photographer will bring you the experience, technical skill, creativity, quality, and personality you'd expect from a professional. Come back next time and we'll look at the cost of wedding photographers!

Contributed by Professional Member of Puget Sound Wedding Professionals -- Jason Comerford

Jason Comerford Photography                      http://jcomerfordphoto.blogspot.com/

Meet our Member ~ Art by Leonhardt Photography

Name: Tony Leonhardt       

Business Name: Art by Leonhardt Photography

Website: coming soon!     

Facebook: www.facebook.com/artbyleonhardtphotography

Blog: artbyleonhardt.blogspot.com/       

Google Plus: gplus.to/artbyleonhardtphotography (Google+ page coming soon!)

What should a bride know about your expertise and experience?

I've been photographing weddings for the past four years, with over 12 years experience with classical black & white photography. I'm trained in both digital and film photography, having earned a Bachelor's degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Since moving out to the Seattle-Tacoma area from Miami only two years ago, I've shot photos for over 40 weddings. 

What inspired you to start your business?

Weddings are a thrill to photograph! Who wouldn't want to start a wedding photography business? Having worked with various wedding photography studios on the West and East Coast, it's been impossible to not have fun documenting the memories of a bride and groom's perfect day. I think if one can't enjoy shooting a wedding, find something that is fun. Luckily for me, I have a blast each and every time I work as a wedding photographer. There's so much joy and happiness that it is infectious. This is why I'm branching outwards to establish a business of my own.

Do you do anything special or different from your competition?

The printmaking services that I can offer vastly differ from a typical digital photo package. I can print using classical black & white techniques, use antique alternative process style printmaking and maximize the potential offered by film and digital mediums. I love capturing the artistic image that other image makers may not see or notice.

As for the day of the wedding, I simply don't stop working. My work ethic on a shoot makes me extremely productive. I'm always on the go, shooting during every busy and slow moment so that I can capture every memory that happens that day. I don't leave any stone unturned, or any memory undocumented.

What was your most memorable wedding?

Last year I flew to Miami to photograph a destination wedding for a close friend. After the ceremony, the bride and groom checked in early to their honeymoon suite down on South Beach. With only minutes to spare before leaving for the reception, we all ventured out onto the beach for some quick photographs among the jaded Miami sun worshippers. To our surprise, the entire beach began clapping and cheering for the couple as they posed quickly for some unforgettable shots! It's one of the most unforgettable moments I've ever had as a wedding photographer.

                      

What are some of the pitfalls a bride can expect if they don’t hire a professional like yourself?

I understand that everyone works within a budget for a wedding. However the services I offer -including my creativity and passion for the perfect photo- are well worth my value as a professional. My images and work ethic are the best references I will ever need. I can guarantee the value of my work and my years of experience definitely show with the superb quality of my photography.

Size Does Matter

Newly engaged couples are so excited about their upcoming wedding they want to shout the news to everyone … and invite everyone and anyone they ever met. Think about this before you do that and how it will affect your budget.

I love big fun weddings and I know this sounds simplistic but in the excitement sometime we forget … for every person you invite your cost goes up considerably. Just ten extra guests can put you way over budget. For each invited guest you must, in some cases, even pay for another chair, six to ten extra guests means another rental table, plus tablecloths, napkins, overlays, centerpieces, chair covers and sashes, favors and the biggest cost of all, the food and drink. Sometimes you must even rent a bigger, i.e., more expensive venue to accommodate everyone.

As you should choose your wedding party carefully and never regret your choices, choose your wedding guests just as carefully. Of course, close relatives and friends and their significant others are on top of the list but everyone in your office building or yoga class does not need nor necessarily even want an invitation.

The Groom’s guy friend do not need to bring some gal, any gal, just so he has a date and the same goes for the Bride’s girlfriends. Hey, weddings are good places to meet your peers and potential love matches. It happens all of the time!

Example of nice spacing between tables/lots of guests but huge venue

A big trend now, especially for evening weddings, is to make them adult affairs only. Although most venues will give you a break on children’s meals, the cost can still add up fast for the little ones.

Don’t get me wrong, I love kids too but consider if there are children in your wedding party and what they will do after the ceremony. Are there friends and relatives that would really be upset if they could not bring their children or would most of them relish an excuse for a “date night” at your wedding?

Then there is the cake issue. Most children do not understand the significance of a wedding and only look forward to that slice of cake they have been promised. It is truly the centerpiece of your reception and you have spent hundreds of dollars on … cake. It literally has to be guarded all night long. It seems to be the kid’s very favorite place to hover and run around at every wedding!!! There is no right or wrong answer to this question and every couple has to answer it for themselves, keeping cost in mind.

Example of a crowded space/lots of guests/big venue but just not big enough

Even the cost of the invitations and postage should be a consideration when creating your guest list. My best advice is to go slow and consider all sides of the question, “to invite or not to invite” because the size of your wedding really does matter in dollars and cents (and sense too).

Contributed by Professional Member of Puget Sound Wedding Professionals - Janine

Lifetime Memories Weddings & Events

Meet Our Member ~ Bridesclub

Each month we will be sitting down with a member of the Puget Sound Wedding Professionals Networking Group to ask them questions about their business, experience and insights on weddings.  This month, we are with Brad Buckles of the Bridesclub

  Name: Brad Buckles

  Business Name: Bridesclub

  Website: http://bridesclub.com/

  Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/bradbucklesbridesclub

  Blog: http://bridesclub.tumblr.com/

  Twitter:  http://twitter.com/bradbuckles

 

How would you describe your business?

I would describe my wedding business, the wedding expo as an opportunity for brides and wedding professionals to meet and talk about weddings and services on a personal one-on-one face-to-face relationship.  We find that brides are looking to hire somebody that they feel comfortable with.  Wedding professionals do their best work for brides they care about - Wedding Expo is an opportunity for this relationship to start.

How did you get to where you are today?

I got to where I'm at today by spending a lot of time communicating with individuals and small businesses.  Helping people achieve their goals and helping small businesses grow.  I do this a lot with research, travel, the opportunity to meet with people one-on-one.  Talking with them about parts of their dreams, plans and ideas.  Goals that they can achieve.  Helping them set goals.  Helping them build their business first.  I know if I can do that then my business will be fine.

What inspired you to start your business?

I can't really say I was inspired to start my business.  I can say that I've been inspired several times throughout my career in making choices that would benefit my clients as well as help brides plan their wedding day.  I do look for opportunities to stay inspired and relevant in our industry.  I see a lot of wedding shows every year.  I speak with a lot of wedding show producers frequently.  We discuss everything about our businesses.

In what ways do you take a leadership role in the wedding community?

I have tried to be a leader in our wedding community by giving back in a variety of different ways.  I serve on a couple of different board positions for a couple of different wedding associations,  I believe in helping those that are in need of help at times when they are challenged with some of the biggest decisions that they have to make.  I listen and offer advice to everyone I can!

Do you do anything special or different from your competition?

One of the ways that I have tried to be different is by listening to the individual needs of my clients.  Trying to help them in a personal way.  Build their confidence, help them, be there for them when needed.  Sometimes I have to make difficult decisions and I try to do that with the needs of my clients first.  Not always easily done.

One thing that we are committed to doing is helping to educate our clients with knowledge.  We teach seminars and host speakers regularly throughout the year to ensure the necessary success of our participants.

Seattle Wedding Expo Jan 14-15

Hawaii Bridal Expo Jan 21-23

Tacoma Wedding Expo Jan 21-22

Everett Wedding Expo Jan 28-29

Wedding favors, are you doing your guest a favor?

All you have to do is clean-up duties for a few weddings and you will see that there are favors left behind on the tables or left in what might have seemed like an ideal place for everyone to know that these were for guests to take home.  If someone has put a lot of time into them, they will think of all the hours that have kind of gone down the tube! There's always ribbon that is abandoned that was wrapped around a box or some object with or without a personalized message on it.  Also if favors are too much geared to female guests or male guests, a good number of favors will be left behind.

What favors seem to be used or make it home with their guests?  I would say that in general they would fall into these categories.

1.  Something with a little bit of practicality.
2.  Food, if you have something that is prepared to avoid common food allergies and is so noted.
3.  Something that has universal appeal.  Take into account age and gender of your guests.
4.  An object that has the bride and groom pictured in it.  Perhaps they can use the frame for something else later.

Don't count on personalized napkins to be a favor!  Who wants to take home a dirty napkin? No one that I know of!  I'm not saying don't use personalized napkins.  I think they add a nice touch.  It might help people remember your anniversary date if nothing else!

If you have a centerpiece that is a live fish that someone will win at a particular table, that can get interesting.  It's good if you're certain that one out of every 8 guests seated at a table is really going to want to go home with a fish.  Please remember that if you do this, that you provide food and instructions on how to take care of the fish.  If someone doesn't win the fish you want to still make sure that they have something to enjoy as a favor to take home.  There are many creative ways to determine who wins the fish!  It's also okay if someone doesn't want that little fishy and hands it off to someone who does.

Some people set up a candy buffet with containers for people to fill with candy and take home as a favor.  I would suggest that you have some that are set up for diabetics!  This will make them feel like they have taken into consideration rather than just another painful reminder that they can't enjoy candy or sweets anymore.

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Janis Flagg of Greatest of Days, event planning and design.

Why Choose a Professional Wedding Photographer

Not quite ten years ago my wedding photographer, a budding amateur, charged me for cost of film, processing and $200.00 for his time. He showed up without a flash, so most of the photos wound up being underexposed or grainy. Fortunately, he was Nikon based so I lent him my flash. He got some passable candid shots of people talking or hanging-out but no keepers of group shots of the family. Most of the relatives were 200 lbs. and beyond and didn’t appreciate seeing photos of them shoveling food down their nostrils or bellies protruding through a misfit wedding garment or rented tux. Nothing ever became of the photos. To this day they’re in a lost drawer collecting dust.

Did he have wedding photography experience? Yes, he had helped a couple of times and had a dynamite portfolio. A caterer had highly recommended him. Later, I visited the caterer’s home she had walls of his landscape work. Being an accomplished landscape photographer he had little experience with people or wedding photography. He even showed up in blue jeans. He worked as an assistant on a couple of jobs and just clicked the shutter while the contracted photographer posed and coordinated the shots. He had no real-time under pressure to perform wedding experience. He kept interrupting asking what shots I wanted next even though I had faxed a shot list a week earlier.

Ten years later the wife still reminds me that we should’ve hired a pro.

Pushing my personal experience aside, in 2010 the economy was depressed so many brides sought less expensive alternatives to professional wedding coverage. In the following three scenarios the client decided to either entrust the talents of a close friend or budding amateur.

Scenario #1. Dark-skinned Afro-American bride with fair-skinned groom.

Apparently our extremely young sleepy-headed groom showed up with problems. In the photos, his shirt wasn’t tucked in, clothing was badly wrinkled and hair was uncombed.

The groom’s images were properly exposed but his poor bride appeared darker than life. Apparently, the photographer had limited knowledge of flash photography and relied on the camera’s automatic settings thus underexposing the darker skinned bride. According to Mom, this was the photographer’s first attempt at photographing interracial couples.

Attempts to forewarn the bride’s mother proved fruitless. The bride claimed that her best friend had been dreaming of this experience day and night and she didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Nine months later, wedding images surfaced via Facebook. Mom was furious, the bride reportedly still cries whenever the topic arises and now she’s angry with her best friend forever.

Scenario #2. Outdoor ceremony in bright sunlight.

Bride #2 later admitted that she based her hiring decision on budget and on the photographer’s outdoor photojournalistic portfolio. The wedding took place outdoors at a local marina under intense bright sunlight. The bride figured what could go wrong… all the light is provided and the photographer claimed to be a natural light candid type photographer. Well, the bride didn’t factor in the photographers inexperience in dealing with bright overhead contrast producing light. Eye sockets were shadowed while faces were full of bright spots or specular highlights. Ornate details in her deceased mother’s refitted wedding dress were blown out or lacking. The photographer compensated by unsuccessfully using Photoshop filters on each image. The bride, a Photoshop guru, spent hours doctoring the images but was only able to rescue a few.

How could these problems have been prevented? Simply avoiding the bright sunlight would’ve been a bright alternative and using an off camera flash to balance a contrasting situation or maybe a combination of the both.

Scenario #3. A medium skinned Afro-American couple in white wedding garments.

They decided on a church friend “an up and coming photographer” who was good with a camera. The ceremony was an indoor church wedding. The photographer used a flash; but often, and more toward the end, the flash failed to fire. In the excitement he failed to notice that the flash wasn’t operating properly. The batteries were probably too exhausted to fire at the end so we ended up with dark shinned people in a dark church grossly underexposed.  The photos showed a bunch of flatfooted, slouching, overweight, eyes closed people in basically uncomplimentary poses.

The bride printed some pictures at Wal-Mart but the contrast and colors were off. The faces turned out too dark so the photos were unusable. After fussing at the technician, Wal-Mart gladly refunded her money. The bride requested that I work with her to develop a professional album or adjust the digital files. I agreed to point her in the right direction; however, upon closer inspection, I noted black spots on the digital files in the same location on each image. The photographer had dust on his camera’s sensor which now has to be removed manually on each digital file.

On a minor note… most professional labs offer free color correction on prints. The MART type labs only offer as is type printing.

Summary

When all is said and done, the only tangible memories left are the photographs. Correcting another photographer’s mistakes is time-consuming and usually cost the bride lots of money so many pros seldom contract to do after-the-fact cleanup. Here we are in 2011 and these brides are still crying their eyes out because they got a second rate record of a once in a life time event. Take good advice, if you want to minimize post-wedding horror stories, contract with a pro. Your firstborn and unborn bloodline will hold you in high regard forever.

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional member John of Pendleton Imaging & Photography.  They can also be found on Facebook.

The Bride-Zilla's List of How to Really Annoy your Wedding Florist*

From the beginning to the end, these are sure-fire, tested techniques you can use to compromise the patience, flexibility and sanity of your wedding florist.  Use these techniques with caution.  You don't really want to cause her any irreparable harm -- or do you?

1). Make an appointment and not show up. Assume that if you texted her alone, or e-mailed her alone, she got your cancellation message.  You will have wasted hours of her time, and caused her undue worry and frustration, while she waited for an actual phone call.  And you can blame her for not being a good communicator because she didn't see your text or e-mail.

2).  Reschedule and then cancel again at the last minute.  Insist on another appointment.  This will cause her to want to call her therapist.

3). Have no idea of what you want or even like for flowers. And when she shows you a lot of beautiful and creative options, act passive and emotionless.  She'll wonder why you even came to see her, and how you managed to get engaged.

4). Be completely stuck on hard-to-get, out-of-season, very expensive flowers, because you saw them in a magazine and they're pretty.  She will suggest other options.  Accuse her of being closed to new ideas -- after all, the magazines are always "on trend," and she just "ties flowers together with a ribbon."  What does she know, really?  She will try hard not to be flustered by your lack of regard for her experience.

5). Don't bring any color swatches, pictures of dresses, samples of fabric, copies of your invitation, or anything at all to your consultation that might help her figure out your tastes. Leave her guessing all along.  And when she finally comes close to guessing your taste, tell her she's the fourth florist you have interviewed, and you don't think you like her "style."  She will try very hard to be nice to you as she walks you to the door, but as soon as you leave, listen for her to start slamming her head against the wall, or throw herself to the floor in a total melt-down.

6).  Have no budget to pay for your expensive tastes, and still expect that your florist will come through for you. After all, you've read all of her reviews, and past brides have said she's a "miracle worker!"  This will give her stress-induced colitis, and make her head for the medicine cabinet.

7). Insist on micro-managing every detail, like exactly what number of rose petals will go into each paper doily cone, how many gel marbles will go into each centerpiece, and how many loops will make up each aisle bow, exactly what combination and quantity of flowers will be used in every single arrangement.  This will tie her creative hands behind her back, and really make her nutty.

8).  Change the parameters, drastically, after your initial consultation. Lead her to believe you have thousands to spend on your large and complicated order, let her work hard on a quote for you, and then after the fact, tell her that you have less than $500.  Or, let her know you have a simple budget and simple needs, and then surprise her later with 40 complicated centerpieces.  Be self-righteously annoyed that her estimate went way up.  This will make her want to drink heavily.

9). Vandalize to Scandalize. After she creates picture-perfect bouquets for you, let your photographer convince you to throw them up in the air, or jump with them, to get a fun, active shot.  Then, when they break, innocently send your bridesmaids running to her to ask her to "fix" them.  Stand back and watch her reaction carefully.  Did she stifle a very shocked expression? Then, CONGRATS!  You've succeeded in scandalizing her!

10). Think of other ways to abuse the flowers early in your wedding day.  Insist on hand-tied, very thirsty flowers, and then DON'T put them in vases at all during the day.  Better yet, plan to cook them thoroughly in the hot sun hours before the wedding during your outside photos.  Then accuse her later of giving you "flowers that died."  She will really not know what to say, and just stand there, wondering if she should cry.

And a Bonus tip!

11).  Have her make a nice tossing bouquet for you.  Then don't throw it.  Throw your own gorgeous masterpiece, or your maid-of-honor's bouquet instead, because you couldn't find the toss bouquet, even though your florist told you she would place it in a vase by the guest book.  When she hears about it later, she will go bonkers -- especially if you fixate on it, accuse her of not supplying a tosser for you, tell all your friends about it, and actively try to gut her reputation online with uncharitable reviews.

*Author's note:  These tips are intended only for True Bride-Zillas.  Nice Brides will be given a list of their own in the next post.

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professionals Member Julia Miller of Julia’s Floral.