I can’t remember where I first met Stefanie. I think it was at the AONightout Cover Release Party back in January at Ventanas, but I’m horrible with names and faces until I’ve met you five times.
Stefanie is the owner of The Wedding Box and her twitter profile describes The Wedding Box as “a stylish, southern, and inspiring event planning + design company located in the South: specializing in creating dream weddings for southern gals.”
I’d say that sums it up. Stefanie just oozes class and I was happy to do her headshots for her. She chose to have them taken at the Hotel Palomar and next door at Altorex Restaurant & Rooftop Lounge, which were über cool and super chic.
This next image was taken atop the rooftop lounge. It was super hot that day and as we were trying to get this huge 4′ outdoor fan turned on for some heat relief, I decided that we’d play a little bit and get some cool “non-business” shots she could enjoy. This one is my favorites:
This is a post that’s been percolating for a few months and I think the time is right to post it. If you’re a bride and you’re on the fence about hiring a wedding planner, I’m going to give you a bunch of reasons why you should VERY SERIOUSLY consider hiring a planner for your wedding and why “I’m on a budget” is not only a bad excuse 99% of the time, but why it’s one of the best reasons why you SHOULD hire a planner.
Disclaimer: One of the reasons I’ve put it off blogging about this for long is that it I’ve had a number of weddings this year who did not hire a wedding planner and I’d never want one of my brides to think that I’m talking about them. So I’m going to be careful here and stick to my collective experiences.
So let’s cut to the chase and deal with the objections.
I’m ultra organized and I can do it all myself You may be right on both accounts. And that there is the problem. Instead of being able to sit back, relax and truly enjoy the emotion and momentous events of one of the most important days of your life, you’ll be endlessly answering questions from a whole plethora of family and friends. Of course, they’re just trying to do their best to help but in the end, when the buck stops with you, the bride, YOU are their only choice to get an answer. And you’ll remember your day for every little tiny glitch. Wouldn’t it be better to look back on your day and hear the words from your planner “everything is taken care of, it’s time to get married!”
My sister/aunt/mother/bff has offered to help me This is the flip-side of the previous objection. You want to celebrate your wedding day with those closest to you, not put them to work.
The church/venue/dj will handle everything for me There are very, very few venues that can live up to that promise. Or more accurately, what the hotel/dj means by “handle everything” and what the planner means by “handle everything” are two entirely different things. What they really mean is that they will take of everything that pertains to the service they provide. In other words, if the table center pieces at your reception being provided by an outside florist are the wrong color or the wrong flower or just plain wrong, guess what? The venue will wash their hands of it (and they will), because that’s not their job. And you aren’t going to find out about it until you waltz in for your first dance. The planner would have been on top of it when the florals arrived two hours earlier. When the groomsmens’ tuxedos arrive with a missing pair of pants, the planner will take care of it (this actually happened about 3 months ago). When the limo goes to the wrong location (this has happened too many times to count), your planner will be on the cell phone talking directly to the driver making sure they get where they are supposed to go. When plans change at the last minute your planner will be there to let your photographer know so they don’t miss an important moment.
I can’t afford to hire a planner This is my favorite. Why? Because it’s so simple to explain. Planners, like all wedding vendors, work with other vendors over and over again. They come to know their policies, how they work and what their preferences are. Moreover, they come to know which vendors, be they photographers or caterers, will serve their brides with spectacular service and quality products. They save you money when they steer you away from vendors who nickel and dime you with hidden charges and fees. They save you money when a venue gives you a preferred rate because they know the event will go smoothly with a planner involved. They save you money by guiding you to vendors who do it right the first time.
So let me tell you a little secret… if you come to me and tell me you are working with a planner, there’s a pretty good chance that the money you save with Ben Vigil Photographers will come pretty close to entirely paying for your “day-of” coordinator.
Does that last statement shock you? It should. It should shock you into going out and hiring a wedding planner. Something goes wrong at every wedding. Without fail. Every vendor makes mistakes. They’re human. But every reputable vendor I know will breathe a sigh of relief when you tell them you are working with a professional planner. The planner is there to make sure everyone is on the same page, that everyone does their best to perform as they have promised and in the end, to take care of all the “little things” so you can enjoy your day. It’s really quite simple from my prospective as a photographer. I deal with emotional intangibles on your wedding day and this is how a planner helps me preserve those moments:
A good planner = a smooth stress-free day.
A smooth, stress-free day = a stress-free bride.
A stress-free bride = a happy bride.
A happy bride = great photos.
Great photos = a satisfied bride.
Do you see the relationship between “a good planner” and “great photos”?
That’s not a guarantee of course, but it sure does help.
A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with Soiree Catering and Events photographing a luncheon they hosted for wedding and event planners at the beautiful Le Fais do-do. Here’s a sampling of the images…
The amazing Robert Long provided florals.
Jamie Fine with Sugarplum Visions brought these magnificent tasting cupcakes. I promise I only had one…
Here’s a list of the industry professional involved:
I don’t remember the exact words, but the first time Susan Graham described Hillary and Brian, I think she used the words “super cute, bubbly and fun!” And having met them, I totally agree (though I’d come up with something more masculine for Brian)!
Hillary and Brian wanted to integrate as much of the Athens college life they shared together into their wedding day. In addition to the festivities surrounding the wedding day being held at some of their favorites haunts, they decided to have the ceremony at Herty Field, the original football and baseball venue for UGA in the early 1900’s.
From start to finish, Hillary and Brian, their wedding party, family and friends were an absolute joy to spend the day with. They could relax and enjoy the day with Susan from Susan Graham Signature Events handling coordination for the day. As a side note, Susan was nominated one of the Top 10 Most Influential Planners in Atlanta by Occasions Magazine in the Spring/Summer 2010 Issue which hits stands on July 1.
After a beautiful ceremony at Herty Field, and a few portraits near the field and famous UGA Arch…
…we all headed back to the Foundry Park Inn & Spa where they held their reception. Everybody had an absolute blast with The Highballs providing some awesome music (check out the slideshow below), and they closed the evening by closing down the Arch Bar with their family and friends. Here’s an image my associate, Huy, captured by putting himself in the right place at the right time.
One thing that’s quite nice about wedding photographers in Atlanta is that contrary to what you might think, many of the established photographers are actually quite good friends. We get together to play poker, we refer business to each other and we even help each other out shooting weddings when we’re available. A few weekends ago was one of those times. I was happy to join Jason Spruill, a.k.a. Weddings by Jason, for a beautiful wedding in Big Canoe, GA.
Becky and Todd chose the perfect weekend to get married in Big Canoe. The dogwood trees were simply AMAZING… a week earlier and the trees would be mostly covered in buds and a week later the colors would be totally different. Here’s just a few of the images I captured for Jason on that day…
In case you’re wondering about this cake topper, it has a very special meaning for the couple. They were both on the same little league baseball team as children and they have the team photos to prove it. This was only one of the 5 cakes they had and while in the past I may have wondered why in the world anyone would want a baseball themed cake topper, I now know. And more than that, I absolutely loved it because I know the profound love they share and the depth that comes from knowing someone for as long as they have known each other…
