I don’t normally do senior portraits, but a good friend asked and I couldn’t say no, especially since the subject was an expert Fencer and I know it would make great photos.
Senior portrait session with David Andes photographed Wednesday, October 26, 2016.
Wondering what to put on a wedding registry? Use this wedding registry checklist to get tips and advice and see wedding registry essentials.
Pop those champagne bottles—you’re engaged! That means you’re about to get super busy planning the wedding of your dreams. While choosing your wedding venue and finding the wedding dress of your dreams is surely on the top of your to-do list, you might be surprised to learn that compiling the items on your wedding registry should be one of your very first tasks. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about wedding registry etiquette, how to register for your wedding and the essential items that should be on your wedding registry checklist.
Wedding Registry Etiquette
There are no rules when it comes to what to put on a wedding registry—anything from formal china to a honeymoon in Bora Bora are totally okay to include! Still, there are some guidelines to keep in mind when creating your wedding registry:
The wedding and reception of Lauren Vonville and Ross Gunvalsen photographed Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the Royal American Links Country Club.
Photographers: Jim & Brooke from
Our Dream Photos by James DeCamp Photography
Wedding & Reception Venue: Royal American Links
Caterer: Royal American Links
Music: Jodi Ransom – Night Music DJ’s
Bridemaid’s Dresses: Varied from Various
Wedding Cake: Pistacia Vera
Hair: Kenneth’s Hair Salon & Day Spa – New Albany
Makeup: Kenneth’s Hair Salon & Day Spa – New Albany
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Engagement session with Emily Sites and Murugu Manickam photographed Saturday, October 8, 2016 at the Franklin Park Conservatory and the Scioto Mile.
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1. The schedule goes awry.
Perfect, on-time weddings only happen in movies and soap operas. Pastors are late, tents break, people have tantrums, limos get lost.
The solution: Be prepared by building in enough cushion time to ensure that your day flows flawlessly, and making sure all your pros get a detailed schedule of times and places.
2. Guests assume they’ll be having a full meal because you’re holding a cocktail reception at dinnertime
Many guests do complain about weddings they’ve attended where cocktails and light finger foods were served at the dinner hour.
The solution: If you’re planning a cocktail reception, be sure to hold it between the hours of five and seven, and indicate on your invitation that you will be serving drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Otherwise, you won’t be able to tell which is louder: your DJ’s sound system or the grumbling of your guests and their stomachs.
3. Bugs eat your guests alive at an outdoor event.
The solution: Use Tiki torches with citronella scents to keep insects at bay if you plan to be outdoors.
4. The neighbors become annoyed by the noise from your at-home reception.
The solution: If you are getting married at a private residence, notify neighbors. Send little gifts or even invite them to stop by for a drink. There’s nothing worse than having the police show up to shut down your party!
5. You blow a fuse at the reception hall.
The solution: Before hiring the hall, make sure that there will be sufficient power for your needs. Surprisingly, coffeemakers use a lot. You don’t want the lights and music to suddenly go off.
6. Your equipment breaks down.
The solution: If you intend to have a slideshow, do your homework ahead of time to ensure the equipment is compatible, and have a test run before the day of the wedding.
7. Bad weather ruins your destination wedding.
The solution: If you plan to marry in a faraway location, first find out when its hurricane season begins. Even if you think you’re safe, check out whether your venue has a full capacity generator. If they do not, request they rent one. It’s just as important that they have oscillating floor fans, pillar candles and battery-operated hurricane lanterns and flashlights on hand.
8. Your DJ and/or photographer turns out to be a bit obnoxious.
Nothing is more horrible than a loud, unpleasant DJ playing every song on your ‘do not play’ list or a rude photographer pushing your relatives aside to get ‘his shot’. Take care to choose vendors who mesh with your personality and vision and who do not try to take over your event. Check out your DJ before hiring him: Attend a function where he’s spinning the discs to see how he works; always get references.
9. There are so many details to worry about that you can’t enjoy your big day.
The solution: Assign each bridesmaid to a vendor on the wedding day. She should keep in touch with him — and on top of those particular details — so you don’t have to take time away from your reception.
10. A guest interferes with the band’s play list.
Sometimes an overexuberant guest or two may try to get the band to take requests.
The solution: Tell your bandleader or DJ in advance not to allow it. And if you don’t like the idea of unplanned speeches, also tell him not to hand over the mic to anybody!
11. Another event is going on at the same time as yours.
When choosing your date and venue, I suggest taking a look at community calendars to see if there’s a parade, a large athletic event or anything else happening that could potentially sabotage your experience. Don’t leave this to chance!
12. Playing music late at night is a problem.
Check those local ordinances. In some areas, music is prohibited past 11:00 p.m. You’ll want to know that in advance so that you can plan a start time that allows you plenty of hours to party!
13. A vendor gets sick.
Always have a backup plan in place in case a vendor becomes ill. This should be in the vendors contract, and if they are truely professional, should already have a back-up plan. Negotiate this into your contract, so that if your DJ suddenly comes down with the flu, you won’t be in a panic—the company will supply you with a substitute.
14. You run out of alcohol.
Allot some money to your caterer in case you find you are running low on alcohol in the middle of the festivities. Then he can provide more supplies so you can keep the party going.
15. It’s pouring rain on your garden ceremony.
When arranging an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, it is a must to always have an indoor backup space, one that is either already set up and at least minimally decorated or can be set up fairly easily at a moment’s notice.
16. Guests get chilly at night.
For outdoor celebrations have heaters on hand. The venue probably has a plan for this, but ask well before booking to be sure.
17. Guests are hot and uncomfortable during an outdoor summer event.
Provide umbrellas for guests to use to protect them from strong, direct sunlight. Hanging mini folding umbrellas from every other chair adds a unique touch to an outdoor ceremony, and they can even double as guest favors.
18. The tent catches on fire.
Nowadays the trend is to use butane candles — as opposed to real candles — for tented weddings, so do check with the fire marshal or tent company to see if these will make acceptable alternatives.
19. The ground beneath your tent is wet.
Order a floor. Even on a beautiful evening, shoes can be ruined, ankles get cold, and footing is unsure.
20. One of your guests has a food allergy.
Notify the catering manager if you are aware of any particular food allergies. Make sure to put Benadryl in a basket in the bathroom if you’re serving any kind of fish or shellfish.
21. Your buttercream wedding cake melts in the sun.
On a warm day make sure the cake is not placed in a sunny spot or in a window. You want it to be picture perfect! Another simple option is to use a fondant icing if your cake will be displayed outdoors.
22. Your feet are killing you.
Bring a comfortable pair of flats to store under your seat at the reception. Once your first dances are over, you can change into them and no one will be the wiser.
23. Your fingers swell in the humid weather, so your fiancé has a tough time getting your ring on.
During the summer months skin often swells up, and people may have trouble with the fit of the rings. I tell brides to put a little bit of lotion on their finger before they walk down the aisle.
24. You don’t have an accurate head count.
Don’t assume that those who did not respond are not planning to attend. Have someone call all non-responders in order to get an accurate count. Also, be sure to have a pair of extra chairs with place settings at several tables—just in case.
25. You have a panic attack on your wedding day.
If you’re a high-anxiety person, then stay away from caffeine, smoothie drinks with an extra kick or energy drinks, because they can make things much worse!
Engagement session with Jackie Powers and Tyler Merkle photographed Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at Innis Woods Metro Gardens in Columbus, Ohio. Cant wait to shoot their September 2017 wedding!
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The wedding and reception of Danya Ray and Jon Sizer photographed Saturday, September 24, 2016 at the Sizer homestead.
Photographers:
Jim & Amanda – Our Dream Photos
by James DeCamp Photography
Wedding Venue:
The Sizer Homestead
Reception Venue:
The Sizer Homestead
Caterer:
L.A. Caterer
Music & DJ:
Mark Dantzer Productions
Bride’s Gown:
Nordstrom
Bridemaid’s Dresses:
Joans Bridal Couture
Groom + Groomsmen Styling:
The Men’s Wearhouse, Inc
Wedding Planner:
Julie Hedricks
Videography:
BlueSkiesHD Video
Wedding Cake:
Piece of Cake
All images from this wedding are available
on the proofing site HERE.
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Check out this sample booking breakdown from start to finish, based on wedding pros’ suggestions.
Planning a wedding is like putting a giant puzzle together — with each interlocking piece, an overarching vision will start to emerge. Your vendors are responsible for bringing each of those pieces to life, so it’s important to book trustworthy and reputable professionals that you are confident can execute your needs. But how do you know where to begin?
First, evaluate what your and your future spouse’s priorities are, and plan accordingly. For example, if you have your heart set on using a specific photographer or band, then locking them in might be more urgent, as opposed to another engaged couple who is more flexible. Location may also play a factor: If your venue is in a field in the middle of nowhere or your backyard, you would need to focus on booking your caterer, tent, and rentals first, as you can’t have your wedding without them.
However, although nuptials have become ultra-customized, there is still an organic order to the planning process. Some to-dos have to take priority only because you can’t move on to the next vendor booking without crucial information. For example, you’ll have a difficult time securing any vendors if you don’t have a firm wedding date, which is why the ceremony and reception venues tend to be one of the first things finalized. Likewise, it would be challenging to complete a rentals order before you’ve hired a caterer, because you wouldn’t be clear on their needs, as well as what the caterer already provides.
Vendors are grouped into two major categories: those who can serve more than one wedding per day, and those who can’t. Always book the service providers who cannot take on more than one wedding first, including the wedding planner, caterer, photographer, and band or DJ. Many other vendors (such as cake designers, florists, etc.) can accommodate multiple events on a single day, and therefore, should be in the second tier of the hiring process.
1. Wedding Planner
One of the biggest mistakes that engaged couples make is booking their wedding planner after their ceremony and reception. Ideally, those who want to hire pro help should make it their first priority to fully take advantage of all of the benefits of working with a seasoned expert. He or she can guide you on the wedding-planning process, as well as assist with venue and vendor shopping. A professional planner comes with a set of trusted vendors they can recommend — people they’ve worked with before and trust to not only make your wedding day better and more beautiful, but also make their job easier. When I spend more time wrangling vendors I’m not familiar with or who aren’t up to par, it’s less time that I’m spending on your timeline, site map, and other important tasks pertaining to the overall design and flow of your big day.
2. Venue
You’ll want to reserve your venue ASAP, especially if you plan to tie the knot in a major city, where dates can book up as much as one (or even two) years in advance. It will set the overall tone and look for your event. Don’t get too attached to a vintage-themed wedding when you decide to have your reception in a modern loft. During this time, you’ll also need to nail down the ceremony plans — do you prefer to get married on the property or in a house of worship? Lastly, the venue you choose may determine which other vendors you’ll be working with: The last thing you want is to have booked your band only to find out they aren’t on the venue’s list!.
3. Caterer
If your venue doesn’t offer onsite catering, then you’ll need to look into hiring an offsite caterer. Many catering companies provide not only food and beverages, but also rentals such as tables, chairs, linens, plates, and silverware. Many couples book their wedding venue and catering company in tandem with each other, since they often take up the largest chunk of the budget. This is especially the case when you’re considering a less traditional property to say your ‘I dos.’ You want the ability to tour the space early on with your caterer so that you can anticipate (and solve) any potential challenge.
4. Photographer
Popular photographers book up quickly, so this should be one of the first tasks that you tackle. Your photographer is the mouthpiece for all of your planning, designing, and execution. Securing someone who speaks your language is important. Planning a destination affair? It’s imperative to decide early on whether you want to hire a photographer from that destination or invest in transporting someone from home. If you choose to source a local photographer, connect with the resort for a list of pros in the region who are very familiar with the property.
5. Music and Entertainment
A fantastic DJ or band will get guests’ energy up and ensure that the dance floor is packed all night long. If you’re open to exploring a number of DJs and bands, then a good rule of thumb is to start the process about nine to six months before the big day so that you can check out each prospective vendor live in action. There’s also been an increased demand for unique entertainment options for wedding receptions, so if you have a particular type of performer in mind (e.g. an electric violinist, a fire-eater, or a dance troupe), then don’t procrastinate, since there are a limited number available per area.
The wedding and reception of Ashley Jett and Kyle Compton photographed Saturday, July 30, 2016.
Photographers: Jim & Abby from
Our Dream Photos by James DeCamp Photography
Getting Ready: Hilton Columbus Downtown
Ceremony: King Avenue United Methodist Church
New Couple photos location: Scioto Mile & Bicentennial Park
Reception Venue: Walter Commons – St. Charles Prep
Music: Mark Dancer
Groom + Groomsmen Styling: Black Tux
Want to take your wedding from the best day ever to the BEST. DAY. EVER? Consider having a fireworks display after your ceremony or reception!
(© James D. DeCamp | http://OurDreamPhotos.com | 614-367-6366)
Wedding fireworks have become increasingly popular over the last few years, with couples choosing to do everything from a simple sparkler send-off to a full-on 4th of July-style spectacular. If you’re considering a fireworks display, there are a few things to consider before taking the plunge.
1. Research state and local laws.
Most states allow the use of small wedding sparklers, but there are strict laws governing when and where large fireworks can be displayed. Be sure to check out the state rules and city bylaws that will affect your use of sparklers, fireworks, or baloon lanterns. Your wedding planner or venue coordinator can usually help figure out whether or not a fireworks display is even in the realm of possibility.
2. Consider cost.
Having a wedding-day fireworks display is certainly unforgettable, but it can be a very big-ticket item. If you’re considering a large fireworks display be prepared to spend up to $5,000 or more on a 5-10 minute show. We recommend hiring a professional to display and clean up the fireworks if you’re planning a 4th of July-style display.
3. Consider your location.
If you’re getting married in a cabin in the woods, a fireworks display is not going to be the safest idea. Large displays are best only in large open areas, such as golf courses, grassy clearings, or best yet, over lakes.
4. Get permits and insurance.
Even if your state allows certain fireworks, you may still have to apply for a permit to display them. Fireworks companies often have the most up-to-date information on permitting, so do some calling around and find out how to apply. Note: you may also have to apply for insurance before obtaining a permit.
5. Don’t rule out other options.
Wedding sparklers are a wonderful alternative to a big fireworks display, but there are a couple of other options to consider. If you’re marrying on or near Independence Day, take advantage of a local fireworks display and include it in your reception timeline. If you’re not marrying on a holiday, consider lighting beautiful lanterns that will drift up into the sky (but be sure to tether them — loose lanterns are terrible for Mother Earth!) or fill your reception space with candles.