Julie + David’s wedding photos online (password required):  Julie + David’s Wedding

I read wedding planning boards and magazines to keep current with the trends and what brides and grooms are looking for. I think any serious wedding vendor does. Recently I ran across a situation where a bride had to cancel her wedding for a very valid reason – the groom died. Some of her vendors wouldn’t return her deposit when she canceled the wedding. As you might imagine, feelings run high on this situation, with vendors trying to explain why they are not being totally heartless to not return the deposit (or only to return some of it) and brides and grooms being outraged that the deposits weren’t returned.

There is a solution here and I think one that more couples should be aware of. It used to be that a wedding cost a few thousand $$ and deposits were small tokens that didn’t amount to much. Nowadays weddings are big events and prior to the day a couple may have spent tens of thousands of dollars in deposits, booking fees, and retainers. In most cases those retainers are NON-REFUNDABLE for any reason.

With weddings costing so much and the amount of money a couple puts out prior to the event being so high, I STRONGLY recommend to my clients that they look into wedding insurance. I know most people have never heard of it … but there are several companies that offer event and wedding insurance in case of cancellation or postponement. The most popular one is WedSafe.

For around $150-$250 (depending on the level of coverage you choose), you can purchase insurance that will reimburse you for your vendor deposits if you have to cancel your wedding for any reason.

Now some people will think that it’s crazy to spend another $150 on your wedding for insurance for something that will probably never happen. Me? I think that if you’re going to spend $10,000 or $20,000 or more on a wedding, then it’s well worth $200 or so (around 10% of the total cost of your wedding) to make sure that you’re protected in case of a death, a natural disaster, or any other event that might cause you to have to cancel or postpone your wedding.

It’s not a fun subject to talk about – just like life insurance, making a will, and other serious things that you should discuss when you join your lives together – but I think it’s important. I really encourage you to look into wedding day insurance, either with WedSafe or another company. I truly believe it’s money well spent.

[Disclaimer:  I'm not affiliated with WedSafe, I haven't received any compensation for posting this, and I don't know anyone who works for them.  I just know their name and have heard good things about them.  They don't even know that I'm posting this.]

As a photographer I always try to get lots of photos of the dress and the accessories that go with it – both on and off the bride.   Very few women will wear a dress like this again in their lives and I think it deserves to be properly documented!

Custom cocktails are more and more popular as well.  Instead of having an open bar, many couples are designing and serving one or two signature drinks at their receptions.  Appletinis and Cosmos were the drink of choice at one wedding where the colors were green and pink.  A southern (spiked) lemonade  was served in mason jart at a Deep South themed wedding.  Champagne cocktails with a perfect raspberry in the glass were served at a brunch reception.

Whether you have a sit-down dinner or a buffet; whether you have plated appetisers; whether you have an open bar, served signature cocktails, or beer and wine; whether you have a simple dessert offering or a full meal; having tasty and well prepared food tells your guests you appreciate them!

The winner of this fabulous book is #27  Kim F. Kim – I’ve sent you an email. You just need to let me know your shipping address and I’ll get the book out to you today!

Technically the ceremony isn’t a “detail” … it’s the point of the entire wedding day and therefore the most crucial element.  Ceremonies are tricky, though, from a photographer’s point of view.  Many venues, churches, and officiants put serious restrictions on photographers; limiting where they can stand, how much they can shoot, some even forbidding the photographer from being in the sanctuary or chapel during the ceremony.  When photographers are allowed in the ceremony, often we’re restricted to the very back of the room, so finding ways to be creative is important.  When I am allowed to photograph from different angles,  I can get wonderful closeup shots of rings and facial expressions.  When I can’t, I still try to be creative by shooting from different angles, from balconies, through doors or archways, and even by using a remote controlled camera hidden in the back of the altar (when it’s allowed).

“If you fly in only one vendor, make it the photographer. ”
-the Knot Guide to Destination Weddings (p. 70)

Have I mentioned that I love to travel? Have I mentioned that I’m willing to travel anywhere in the US, Mexico, Canada, the World, the Known Universe … to photograph a wedding? I’m sure I have!

The Knot guide quoted above mentions some great reasons to bring your photographer with you when you have a destination wedding.  But there are also some equally great reasons to hire an out of town photographer to photograph your local wedding, or to fly to your destination wedding from somewhere other than your home town.

I think there are two primary reasons to bring in a photographer from out of town, no matter where you’re getting married. Those reasons are STYLE and PERSONALITY.   Photography is an artistic pursuit.  When you choose your photographer, you should choose someone whose images speak to you; whose style and personality come through on their website; someone who you can see spending the entire day with you and your family. If that person should happen to live in another state, it’s not really that big a deal.

A photographer who is willing and used to traveling for weddings will be able to easily accommodate things like print orders (online galleries and ordering), delivery schedules (USPS Priority Mail with signature confirmation, easily upgradeable to FedEx when necessary), album design (online and email), and any and all communication (phone, email, text, IM, Facebook – whatever works).  None of those things should prevent you from hiring a photographer whose work you really love and bringing her (or him) to you.

Something else to keep in mind is that it’s often not that much more expensive to hire an out of town photographer than it is to hire one locally.  Many photographers offer flat rate travel to certain major cities or within a region.  Some photographers are willing to negotiate on price to photograph at a location or venue that will benefit their portfolio (although keep in mind that negotiating on price does not mean taking a loss – and time away from the business must be accounted for).

So where do I stand on these matters?  As I think I mentioned above, I love to travel. I’ve photographed weddings in 24 different states (Portland, Washington, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, Connecticut, and DC) and 3 countries (US, Mexico, and Canada).  In my personal life, I’ve traveled to and lived in over 14 countries – in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

I offer flat rates for travel, based on region.  And yes, I’m willing to negotiate if there is a venue or location I’m particularly interested in working with or adding to my portfolio.

(Oh, and the locations above? New Orleans, Charleston, Puerto Vallarta, Captiva Island, Coconut Grove, Mismaloya)

I’m going to give away a copy of Colin Cowie’s book Colin Cowie Wedding Chic: 1,001 Ideas for Every Moment of Your Celebration

I’ll ship the book directly to you from amazon.com via standard shipping – anywhere in the US or Canada.

As with the other two giveaways, just comment on this post. Tell me why you want the book, or a little bit about your wedding, or just say “hi”. Be sure to leave your email address so I can notify you if you win. I’ll pick the winner by a random number drawing.  And we’ll let this one go until Thursday, February 5th.