Wedding Cake Supplies

Posts Tagged ‘Choose’

23 CUP CAKE CUPCAKE DESSERT STAND HOLDER PARTY WEDDING

US $25.99 End Date: Monday Jun-06-2011 0:01:30 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $25.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

14" Round Wedding Cake Stand NEW silver Platter Plate

US $57.99 End Date: Monday Jun-06-2011 9:45:24 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $57.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

3 Glass cake stand plate platter pedestal wedding party

US $17.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Jun-06-2011 10:06:13 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

Getting married is an amazing experience. It is a day filled with emotion, joy, happiness and sometimes a little sadness when a family member or friend who is no longer with us is not there to share our special day.

As a wedding photographer in Yorkshire we know how traumatic arranging your wedding day can be. With so many photographers around, where do you start? What do you need to know when looking for a wedding photographer? With prices ranging from a few hundred pounds to many thousands, how do you know if they are right for you?

It is a simple fact of life that with the arrival of digital cameras, many people now call themselves a “photographer”. Over recent years there has been an explosion of people offering their services as wedding photographers, many of who have never received any training, have no insurance, do not use professional equipment and do not have sufficient backups in place to cater for any eventuality.

A professional photographer will have all of the above and this post is a quick “Help Guide” to the things to look for and the questions we recommend you ask when choosing a wedding photographer. Grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy. This is not a definitive guide, merely a general overview of what to look for.

Looking for a Photographer:

Personal Recommendations:
Have you been to a wedding recently? What did your friends think of their photographer? As a Yorkshire wedding photographer the majority of our clients come from personal recommendations from either Bride and Grooms who have used us, or from Venues that know the quality of the work we produce and the fantastic value for money we offer. For example, at the time of writing, we are the Resident Photographers at the Chevin Country Park Hotel in Leeds. Personal recommendations are one of the best ways of choosing your photographer as they will have a proven track record.

Google And Other Search Engines:
A quick search on any of the major search engines will produce a mind numbing amount of choices. For example, if you type into Google the search terms “Wedding Photographer Yorkshire” it will return somewhere in the region of 2,770,000 results (yes we are there on Page 1). Simply going through each result would take you years, so as a general rule of thumb, stick with those on page 1 or page 2. The reason for this is simple: If they are on page 1 or 2 then they have taken the time to ensure that their website is well designed, optimised and placed, to ensure that their products or services are easy to find for prospective Bride and Grooms.

Choosing A Photographer

As soon as you have decided on a date, have booked your wedding venue and received confirmation then book all other services required for your wedding day as quickly as possible. Leaving it to the last minute to book your wedding photographer is not a good idea. To give you an example, as a wedding photographer in Yorkshire, we often get booked two years in advance! Many Bride and Grooms start looking for their photographer the day they get engaged.

Websites:
The first thing to do is look at a photographers website but do NOT be fooled into thinking this is the be all and end all. Always concentrate on the images and not the website design. These days for a few hundred pounds you can have a real classy looking website designed. Never forget that a website only shows the content that the photographer WANTS you to see. You will only generally see the best images, the ones they want to use to showcase their abilities so take a good look around the website. Have a look and see how many different weddings you can see. If there is only one or two, have they only photographed a few weddings? Also how much information does the photographer give you? Are they up front about their prices or do you have to go in and see them to find out how much they charge? Do they give you specific detailed information about their services?

Also be VERY wary if they say they are a member of a “Professional Trade Organisation”. Some trade organisations only require photographers to pay an annual subscription fee to join then allow the photographer to use the Organisations logos on their website. Indeed some organisations have absolutely no joining requirements, you do not even have to own a camera and your Granny, who has no idea about photography, could join if she wanted. Do your homework and check out Trade Organisations carefully as they are not all the same. Some are for full time professionals only and Members are required to undergo evaluation, inspection and have insurance documents checked, others simply let you pay a nominal amount and declare you to be a “Professional Photographer”. Remember that the photography industry is not regulated and anyone can claim to be a “photographer”.

Price:
If it seems too good to be true, chances are it is!
Many photographers just starting out tend to charge really low prices and only cover their costs. Many see your wedding as a way of building a portfolio of wedding images. Now this won’t apply to all budget priced photographers but as a general rule of thumb, if the price seems really low, then there is a reason for it, so try and find out what it is.

For many Bride and Grooms, price ends up being the determining factor. You spend hundreds, if not thousands on the dress, the venue charges a small fortune, then there are the cars, the Groom’s attire, Bridesmaids dresses, the cake, the flowers – cutting costs on your wedding photography can result in poor wedding photographs resulting in huge disappointment and photographs of the day that you simply do not want to look at. Remember it is a one shot event – to get everyone back to retake the photographs will be time consuming and very expensive.

Make An Appointment:
Until you go meet the photographer, you won’t be fully informed if they are the right person for the job. At the meeting ask to see photographs from AT LEAST five recent weddings. Ask if the photographer has worked at your venue before and if so ask if you can see some images from that wedding. Ask to see the demo albums – is there a good range to choose from? Does the photographer have letters of recommendation from previous clients, if so ask to see them. Does the photographer work from home or from a Studio?

During this meeting there are some really important questions to ask, a few are detailed below:

Q. How long have you been trading and how many weddings have you photographed?
If the answer is “6 months and 2 weddings, both of them friends of the family who I didn’t charge because I need the experience and the images for my portfolio” – is this the right photographer for you?

Q. Are you insured?
All professional photographers should carry Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance. If they don’t then tread carefully.

Q. What are your prices, and what do I get in my package?
Seems a silly question to ask right? Well no! There is nothing worse than handing over your hard earned cash only to find that after the wedding you are not getting what you thought you were. Is there an album in the package? How many hours coverage do you get? What additional products are included in the price? Does the price include image editing? Do you have an overtime fee if we run over?

Q. Do you contract out your wedding photography service?
Picture this scene….. you spend months researching photographers, finally decide on one, get them booked then on the wedding day, someone you have never met before turns up to photograph your big day. How are you going to feel? Angry?

Make sure that the person you book with is the person who will attend and take your wedding photographs. Sounds simple I know but you will be surprised just how many photographers sub contract out their work to other, often inexperienced and uninsured, photographers. It is a practice we do NOT subscribe to. If you book with us then it is Mark Pearson Photography who covers your wedding, not an outsider.

Q. Is this your full time job?
Many photographers have full time jobs and photograph weddings on a part time basis so may not necessarily be available to answer your questions or emails during normal working hours. If you have a last minute question, it may take some time to get a response or you may not be able to schedule meeting times that are convenient to you.

Q. Do you provide a written contract?
It is absolutely critical that you receive a written contract detailing your exact expenditure and what products/services you are getting. Do NOT accept contracts that are sent by email.

Q. How many weddings do you cover per day?
If the answer is anything other than ONE – be careful. Many photographers will cover more than one wedding a day and this can lead to problems at YOUR wedding. What if the first wedding runs late? This will mean that the photographer may be late to yours.

Q. Can I see some of your work / view the demo albums?
Make sure you have a good look at the photographers work. Look at image quality, look at album quality. Looking at images of babies, sunsets, buildings or family portraits will not give you any idea of their abilities as a wedding photographer. Also ask the question “Is this from a real wedding?”. You will be amazed just how many photographers use images taken on training days in their portfolios. They attend a training session where a Trainer sets up the shot then tells the photographer how to take it. The image may be amazing but can they reproduce it during a real wedding with all the pressure and stresses involved?

Q. What backup equipment do you bring to the wedding?
It never fails to amaze me that photographers still attend a wedding with only ONE camera! If that camera breaks down what are they going to do? Pop out their mobile phone and carry on shooting? We always bring a full range of backup equipment to every wedding. For example, we bring backup digital cameras, extra storage cards, a laptop, blank discs, spare batteries and a portable studio if the weather is wet and we have to shoot indoors.

Q. Do you do a pre-wedding site visit?
Have you ever been to a wedding and when it comes to having the photographs taken, it is absolute chaos? Uncle John has gone to check in, Aunty Flo has nipped to the loo, your Best Man has popped to the bar. Surely the Bride and Groom should have been a bit more organised shouldn’t they? Well actually no!

This is down to the photographer and not the happy couple. Whenever we photograph a wedding, we always go out and do site visits at the locations. This allows us to create a plan for the day which we discuss in detail with each Bride and Groom. Nobody wants to be stood around for hours waiting to be photographed, so we work closely with each couple to ensure that this doesn’t happen. We also have a wonderful way that we use to ensure that the photographs go smoothly and quickly. Pop in for a chat and we will show you it!

Q. What “style” do you photograph in?
There are different styles such as Traditional, Reportage, Photojournalistic, Fashion, Glamour – does the photographer photograph in the style YOU are wanting? Do they do it weekend in, weekend out, or are they trying to photograph in a way they may not necessarily do on a regular basis. Get this bit right and you will love your wedding photographs as you will receive what you expected. Get it wrong and you could end up hating them.

Q. Will you put my wedding photographs online for our guests to see?
The majority of photographers now do this as standard though some still do charge extra for it.

Q. Do you do a pre-wedding meeting?
With every Bride and Groom we sit down with them about a month before the big day to discuss in detail the plan for the day. During this meeting we discuss what photographs they want taking and between us create a “plan of attack”. This helps ensure that the day runs as smoothly as possible.

Q. What will you wear when photographing my wedding?
Again seems a silly question right? You will be surprised how many “professional” photographers turn up to photograph a wedding dressed in jeans, t-shirts and trainers. A smart business suit is our standard wedding attire and I will even colour co-ordinate my tie with your colour scheme if at all possible!

Booking Your Photographer:

As soon as you have decided on the photographer who is going to cover your big day…….. PHONE THEM!
It is not unusual for photographers to work on a “first come, first served” basis and there is nothing worse than doing all the hard work only to find that someone booked your date 2 hours earlier.

As a wedding photographer in Yorkshire, we often get booked up to two years in advance by our clients.

Many photographers will require you to pay a retainer to secure the date. This will be either a fixed amount or a percentage of the total package price and will be deducted from your total photography costs.

Remember: Make sure you get a written contract which details the amount you are paying and what you are getting.

One final thing to think about: Personality.
Chances are that your wedding photographer will spend more time with you than any of your other suppliers. Can you spend a whole day with them? Can you work with them for an extended period of time? This is a point that is often forgotten about!

If you would like any more information, or are looking for a Yorkshire wedding photographer then pop over to our website: www.markpearsonphotography.co.uk. Alternatively, give Mark a call on 0113 2295408, make an appointment (no obligation whatsoever and it’s free!) to pop in and see him and he will have a chat with you over a coffee about your big day and what to look out for when looking for a wedding photographer.

Hope this has helped and if you are getting married in the near future, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Mark

Many couples get so caught up with planning all the obvious details of their wedding–such as the cake, the wedding decorations, the gown and gifts for members of the wedding party–that they often overlook the importance of selecting the right wedding photographer. It’s important to remember that the photographer you choose will be responsible for capturing the moments and memories of what may be the most important day of your life! With this in mind, you\’ll want to take great care in selecting a wedding photographer considering there are no second chances.

As you might imagine, wedding photography is one of the most challenging types of professional photography. The wedding photographer has to make everyone look beautiful, shooting in a multitude of locations in all kinds of weather conditions–and accomplish all this in minimum amount of time. At the same time, your wedding photographer should have the personality to complement you on your most joyous day. Take your time and follow some of the simple suggestions discussed below, and you will most certainly be satisfied with the outcome.

Where Do You Begin?

Personal referrals or asking friends, relatives and co-workers for suggestions, is a great place to start. Typically, people who have had positive experiences with photographers are more than willing to share that information. In addition, you\’ll already have some insight about the photographer’s personality before you actually meet. After compiling a preliminary list, visit each photographer’s web site and thoughtfully review his or her online portfolio. If a portfolio looks appealing you, chances are, that photographer might be a good fit. Next, call or email each photographer on your list. Through this initial contact, you can determine the photographer’s availability, the type of work they specialize in (candid or traditional) as well as an estimate of the cost and what you\’ll receive for that fee.

Schedule appointments with the photographers who seem most appropriate and ask to view their portfolios in person and discuss more details. Ask each of them to show you a complete portfolio of a single wedding–this will give you a much clearer sense of what you can expect than a collection of choice shots from several different events. Pay attention to whether the photographer is adept at portraying individual expressions and personalities. Ideally, these meetings should include the bride and groom as well as the bride\’s parents since you will all be interacting with the photographer.

What Questions Should You Ask?

Be sure to write down all of your questions beforehand, and take thorough notes during the meetings. Although most professional photographers will provide you with a clear outline of their services and fees prior to your meeting, you will, in all likelihood, still have a large number of questions to ask. Remember, the more information you have, the more confident and relaxed you\’ll feel on your special day. The following are some questions, courtesy of http://www.iqphoto.com/, you may wish to consider asking:

- How will you show me pictures for selection (e.g., electronic, proofs, contact sheets, online gallery, etc.)?

- Will you help me choose the final pictures?

- How will you make it easy for friends and family to order reprints?

- What are the costs of the various levels of coverage?

- Are there different degrees of coverage?

- What is your photography style; photojournalistic, traditional, mixed, etc.?

- How much for the duplicate prints, albums, folios, enlargements, thank you cards, etc.?

- What’s your time frame for preparing the pictures for my selection?

- How about engagement session?

- How long do I have to make up my mind as to which pictures I want and how many?

- How long have you been in business?

- What kind of guarantee comes with my hiring you?

- What’s your philosophy for photographing weddings?

- Will you have an assistant?

- Do you have travel fees?

- How much is your overtime fee?

- What do you plan to do at my wedding to make my wedding photographs unique and personal to me?

- Do you have a backup?

- Will you be shooting my pictures personally?

- Will you use film or digital?

- What\’s your payment policy?

- Do you give any guarantees on your services and photographs?

- What is the possibility of the pictures fading?

How Much Will It Cost?

The following are some points, courtesy of Elegala.com, that will help prepare you for what you might expect to pay for your wedding photography:

- Plan to allocate a significant portion of your wedding budget to ensure photographs are perfect. Expect to spend at least $1000 on a professional wedding photographer to document your event. Albums and prints are usually extra. Other extras that may increase your bottom line include additional hours, additional photographers, custom albums etc. etc. Add on too many extras – and your photography budget could quickly creep to $5000 and beyond!

- Cut the extras and purchase a basic wedding photography package from a skilled photographer. By paying for the photographer’s expertise only, you will ensure great images – and you\’ll buy yourself some time to save up for the custom album and prints after the wedding.

- Get the proofs! To that end, try to find a photographer who will let you keep the proofs. Many photographers consider themselves to be photographers only – artists not in the business of selling photographs. After the big day, they\’ll hand over your proofs and be on their way. They\’re yours to keep – you can print them in any manner you please or save them for printing after you\’ve saved up some cash.

- Enter the digital age with digital photography. It’s less costly than film, and with technological advances in equipment – digital images are no longer a sacrifice in quality. Many photographers have taken the digital plunge – which results in savings for you!

- Cut the timeline – the longer your event, the more it will cost to document it. Since photographers often charge based on the number of hours they will spend at your wedding, a shorter/smaller wedding celebration will yield big savings in your photography budget.

Making a Commitment

At this point, you should have a relatively clear idea of which photographer is best suited to capture your wedding day memories. Once you have made a decision, be prepared to leave a deposit to reserve the date. You may still wish to reassure yourself by asking about a few final details. For example, find out what the photographer\’s policy for wedding-date changes is and what the alternatives are if he or she is not available on the backup date. Also, ask about their policy for an unexpected cancellation. If you feel the photographer is right for you, then relax and make the commitment with the confidence that you\’ve made a well-formed, intelligent decision in planning the most important day of your life.

Choosing a florist for your wedding may be a daunting task, but keep a few of these tips in mind to make the process less stressful.

Choosing a florist is one of the many important decisions you will have to make over the course of planning your wedding. Flowers can be found everywhere on your special day, from your bridal bouquet and the fragrant centerpieces on your tables, to the decorations on your wedding cake. It is also a great way to remember those people who are special in your life, and those who could not be with you for your wedding. How do your choose a professional you can trust to do all these things to your specifications? royal wedding india

Early on, you will want to check into referrals. Referrals can start with suggestions from family and friends. If you were in a wedding and enjoyed the flowers, do you also remember how the florist worked behind the scenes to make the bride and her party look their best?

Bakers and photographers are a great source of referrals, as well as halls and churches. These are professionals who work with the florists on a monthly, if not weekly, basis. They know who can be relied upon, and who goes out of their way to make the bride happy.

Bridal shows and fairs are a great way to get to meet with several different florists in the same afternoon. You often get to see first-hand a sample of their work and equally important, meet with the person in charge of designing the bouquets. Take a few minutes to talk with them. Do they listen to you, offer suggestions, or tell you what they think you should have? A good give-and-take approach is important, but in the end, remember that they have the expertise in their field.

Walking into a local floral shop unannounced is not a good idea if you plan on meeting with a designer; but if you just want to check out what the shop is like (mostly organized chaos) and if you like the selection of flowers they have in stock, it is a good starting point. A few things to consider: Are their arrangements fresh and beautiful? Is there a good selection of interesting and unique flowers? Is the staff courteous to browsers? Are they reasonably priced? event planner

Phone several shops to set-up a time to check out their wedding photo albums or better yet, arrange to make a quick stop on a Friday while they are doing wedding work. This is always done at the floral shop’s discretion. Some florists do not welcome the interruption, others are very agreeable to showing off their work as long as they’re on schedule. However, most will have a shop photo album on-hand for walk-ins. Many will let you browse on your own, some will insist on having a consultation. Before any consultation, check to see if the florist charges a consultation fee and if it’s deductible from your final bill.

In addition to seeing their work first-hand and liking it, choose the florist that comes with experience, good references and a good reputation. Make sure you meet with your actual designer and not a store manager who might not have anything to do with the actual designing of your bouquets. Remember you will be working with this person closely for several months, make sure you are comfortable with this person’s expertise and suggestions.

For many hundreds of years, using chocolate as a wedding favor has been considered a privileged custom. This tradition of giving wedding favors was started by the rich Europeans who had the money to offer sophisticated presents to the guests at the wedding. Initially, wedding favors started out in the form of little artistic boxes which were made up of porcelain, gold or crystal. These little boxes were acknowledged by people as bonboniere and usually they were covered with precious gems. At that time, sugar was quite costly and also had health advantages and so these boxes were used to keep bonbons or any other sweet treats.

The most preferred wedding favor that has been in use even now are Bonbons, chocolates in particular. Of course there have been changes in the traditional bonboniere all through the past centuries. Nowadays, the stylish bonboniere are made from crystal, porcelain, pewter or stainless steel. Moreover, there are different designs to suit the wedding theme or the preferences. White chipboard boxes are the most reasonable ones which can be printed to reveal the conventional wedding themes or they can also have a solid color. For a more sophisticated bonboniere, the exterior can have a foil lamination and also an embossed appearance. Regardless of the design of the box, the main purpose is to conceal an undisclosed present that is inside the box.

Chocolate truffles are enjoyed by most of the people because of their rich flavor and smooth texture. Therefore, a single chocolate truffle or a collection of three will make a very stylish wedding favor or gift. Chocolate truffles are reasonably priced and they can be easily bought from local confectionaries or even online.

It is because of the use of chocolates as wedding favors that regular chocolate bars now have brand names. Using chocolate of a particular brand is considered as declaration of sophistication. Most of the small chocolate firms that provide specially-made chocolates can make a mold that will be carved with the personal message from the bride and the groom. These firms have stock molds to make chocolates coins and bars of a particular theme. They can create three-dimensional chocolate delicacies that are similar to conventional wedding themes, the cake topper of the couple and chocolate pops. These delicacies are made from chocolate that can be of milk, white or dark. The bride and the groom can also have the molded chocolates painted with gold and silver that are suitable for eating.

By filling exclusive and clear containers with candy-coated chocolates, you will get a simple, reasonable and yet a very sophisticated wedding favor. These chocolates can be bought in large quantities and they are available in different varieties of color so as to suit the wedding color plan. The clear containers for the wedding favor consist of clear boxes, organza bags, plastic tubes and glass jars.

By selecting and arranging for a particular chocolate and container, we are still carrying on the tradition of using chocolate as a wedding favor or gift. The couple displays their gratitude by gifting chocolates to their wedding guests. They can make their guests happy at a reasonable cost.