Pulling the Plug on Plugged Wedding Ceremonies

Pulling the Plug on Plugged Wedding Ceremonies!

Okay, here we have it.   There are two big reasons why people are choosing unplugged weddings.  In case you don't know what an unplugged wedding is, it is when no electronic devices are allowed other than for those who have been hired or chosen to take pictures or operate the sound system.  

~~Number 1~~

I officiate weddings.  When one wedding photographer asked me before a wedding if the wedding was going to be unplugged, I said, "I always talk about that with my couples and I've had no one refuse my suggestion to have an unplugged wedding!  That's the first announcement I make before anyone walks down the aisle".  That particular photographer looked over to the other photographer and said, "We love her, don't we!"

When guests are taking pictures it interferes with the photographer's lighting.  They want to do the very best job possible and then someone comes out of the woodwork and snaps a picture.  So much for setting up that perfect shot!  At a wedding, there are some moments you just cannot recapture!  Professional photographers will give you a link to pictures that your guests can download.  As you'll see below it's also very dangerous to get in the way of a photographer..for the guest and the photographer.

~~Number 2~~

The second reason is that the cameras, cell phones and what have you, interfere with with the sound system.  I don't pretend to know all of the technical reasons for that, but it's been confirmed by many professional DJ's.  I'm happy to not have the sound messed up when I'm officiating a wedding!

Enjoy the other reasons to have an unplugged wedding!

Wishing you the greatest of days!

Mistakes That Will Increase Your Wedding Costs, Part 3 "Making Assumption"

Mistakes That Will  Increase Your Wedding Costs, Part 3

"Making Assumptions"

This issue of assumptions is a big one on so many levels of planning!!

What first comes to my mind is wedding flowers.  The shorter the distance your flowers have to fly on a plane the better off your budget will be!  Nature only makes most flowers at certain times of the year and only in certain locations.  

The second thing that comes to my mind is, Venues.  Where do I begin because each venues can vary so much one from another.  The biggest word of caution would be when you hear the word provide.  That is the scariest word in wedding planning in my opinion.  That word provide can get you into so much trouble.  Why??  It doesn't always mean that whatever is provided necessarily comes with the price of the venue.  Look out for hidden fees!  I would suggest you read another of my blog posts to get an in-depth look at what I'm talking about here.  Here's a link to that blog post!  

Many formalwear companies for tuxedos and suits will offer the groom's tuxedo/suit for free if three or more groomsmen rent their formalwear from them for the wedding.  Don't go out and buy a tuxedo or suit if this can save you money.

DJ'S!!!!!  In my opinion this is the most important vendor at your wedding!  Again, this is the most important vendor at your wedding!  They will literally make or break your wedding day.  Get to know your DJ!  Will he or she be more like a club DJ?  That is not the kind you would want for your wedding reception who needs to be able to read the audience (your guests) who will be of all ages!  Does he address the issue of offensive language for young children and other guests who don't want to hear it.  Does he/she ask you many questions about your wedding?  They had better if they know what they are doing.  Do they ask about your story as a couple as well as individuals?

Photography:

If you hear yourself saying, "I have a friend", "We know someone who..". "My cousin is really good with a camera".........please swallow those words right back into your mouth.  Pictures are the only thing that you will have left as a tangible diary of your entire wedding day that will last forever.  Photography is equally art and science.  It literally refers to recording light.  An experienced wedding photographer will be worth their weight in gold.  Do yourself a favor and talk to many photographers because if they don't make you smile during a consultation or an engagement shoot, you might not be comfortable with them on your wedding day!

Feel free to go to our Greatest of Days website and find a hidden planning tip on each page of our website!

As always....

Wishing you the greatest of days!

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What Requires 16 Businesses and is 16 Hours Long?

I'm not even sure if it takes 16 or more businesses to build a house.  Well, maybe if you include all of the government agencies involved.  Most weddings take 16-20 vendors.

Couples going through the process of planning a wedding are often shocked at how many businesses they use to bring their wedding day to fruition and well beyond the wedding day.  Wedding checklists often don't list everyone that will end up being hired in one form or another.  There are so many varieties of just about every vendor category and every year we see different aspects added to weddings.  Couples are definitely in to making their day unique.

Yes, the average wedding takes 16-20 vendors.  Most people think of the venue, cake, photography, food, "the" dress or dresses, just off the top of their head.  Soon they find out that there are a lot of smaller choices to be made.  Often they are the things that take a lot of time leading up to a decision such as invitations.  Who knew they could all be so different?  I've never seen a couple not add on aspects to their wedding day beyond what they originally planned.

The people who don't think they need a DJ are often the most disappointed on their wedding day!  I-Pod weddings shouldn't even be compared to the services of a DJ.  They are the eyes and ears to your entire event.  An I-Pod cannot read a crowd to keep the party going or announce that someone left their lights on or is parked in a fire lane. 

Some of the more obscure vendor categories that people wouldn't have thought of several years ago are commonplace now.  For example, photo booths! And a photo booth is not a photo booth!  They vary quite a bit in the types of services they offer.  It goes beyond props and pics.

There are some categories of vendors that people wouldn't have even thought about such as a Ben and Jerry's ice cream truck or cart.  I can't even tell you what a hit this is on a hot summer day and it appeals to kids of all ages.  At one of the weddings I was hired for, can you guess who made their way to the cart more than any one else? Guys over 50!  Since when does this age and gender category have a good time at a wedding?  I heard a lot of "I tried that flavor in a cup, now I'll try it in a cone!"  There was a lot of foot traffic mostly from people saying, "I tried that flavor now I'm going to try this other flavor".

Weddings might begin with a ring purchase, but postage stamps, on site childcare, a dog-sitter can often be forgotten as services that are part of building a wedding.  

As far as time involved on a wedding day, 16 hours is not uncommon.  Depending up on how many attendants and couple have needing makeup and hair styling, you could very well start out at least by 8:00 AM and it's not long after that that the seating and tables are being put together and decorated.  Photographers document the whole process and the only thing they don't photograph are the guests eating their meals.  DJ's often are the last ones to leave a wedding....unless there's a wedding planner involved.  We're almost always the last to leave as we drive home at night often smelling like we've have alcoholic beverages when we haven't.  How does that happen?  It's because we have the wine soaked linens in the back of the car around midnight or 1:00 AM.

I'm attaching my notorious vendor wheel in which I have purposely left out some crucial vendors that every wedding needs.  Tell me if you can discover who is missing!  OKAY, you don't need Santa Claus, event surveys or incentives.  Hint:  Suffice it to say that a wedding as represented by this wheel would not be happening, and some guys might be a little embarrassed.  Rentals alone can sometimes be more than one vendor.

Wishing you the greatest of days!