How to find photographers:

1. Use all your resources. Friends, co-workers, and family are great people to go to for recommendations. (Or for whom not to use!)
2. The internet is probably your best friend when searching for photographers in your area. Make sure you scroll through more than just those on top. You may miss a fantastic photographer who is listed on page two just because he/she spends more time with their clients than using every gimmick in the world to improve their ranking on Google.
3. Check out area bridal shows. This is a great place to preview work and get a first impression of photographers and their work. Make sure you go to more than one show. You will see different photographers at each one. You can expect to see anywhere between 10 -20 photographers at any show.

Now that you have a list of photographers make sure to:

1. Really spend time on their website. Can you picture yourself in the photos you see? Can you feel the emotion of what that photo captured?
2. Make sure to check out their Facebook page! These pages are kept more up to date than their websites and you can really get a feel for the photographer. You will also see more photos!
3. Google them. What do you find? In an age of social media you may be surprised about what you will find. Are they involved in photography groups or charities? Do they contribute to on line journals or blogs?

Meeting with photographers:

1. Have a list of questions ready. Here is a great place to start!
2. Make sure to go over all their packages offer and ask lots of questions. Be sure to talk about a typical wedding day timeline to make sure how long you would need a photographer. (This could make a difference in what package you would pick).
3. Ask to see a sample gallery from a recent wedding. This will give you a glimpse of what you could expect from your wedding.
4. Be sure to review the contract with the photographer. Don’t be afraid to take time during the meeting to read through it. Make sure to ask questions and ask for clarification as they may apply to your wedding.

Once you have gathered all this information it is time to compare it all. Make sure to keep in mind:

1. Don’t let price steer your decision. Sticking to budget is important but you must also make sure you get everything you want. If you have clicked with a photographer and love their work then it may be important to try to cut the budget in another area to get someone you know you will be happy with and get the photo memories you really want.

Written by IWPN Member, Apryl Napier, owner Dimensions Photography

It costs so little to find vendors for you wedding. For about $5-$10 dollars and your time you can enjoy having and educational experience while making decisions about your wedding.

The age of the huge wedding show is over. Now the focus is on regional so If you live in Indianapolis or surrounding counties you may find a wedding show near you.

Why attend a regional as apposed to a national? As Debra Pope of Jameson Creations explained to me. “Because the vendors are all local instead of national and usually small business owners so they can customize their services to the bride/groom and give bigger discounts-more service for the money.”

Whether you are there to learn or book a specialist it’s a great idea to attend.

Here 5 tips on attending a bridal show:

1. COME EARLY
Some shows have exclusive showings where you attend a breakfast, bridal gown show meet the experts plus Q&A.

2. NEW EMAIL ADDRESS
register for a free email address to give out to vendors; then you can delete it after your wedding is over. i.e.(mywedding@yahoo.com)

3. ADDRESS LABELS
Pre-printed with you name,email address,wedding date and phone number.
Makes quick work of filling out for drawings quickly.

4. NOTEBOOK
You may not remember what each specific vendor said to you so take notes.
It will be a great help when trying to decide on which Cake maker or Videographer to choose.

5. DRESS FOR COMFORT
You may be picked to jump on a cake to dig for prizes or stand waiting for the next makeup session. So wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Nothing spoils your day more than fatigue.

Written by IWPN member, George Scharton, owner at Bouquet and Garter, LLC

George Scharton

Today I sat in a Starbucks in Indianapolis and waiting for a client.  Today I noticed a man with blue pants that didn’t fully reach the top of his tube socks, with squirrel-like eyes darting over the top of his laptop screen.  Today I noticed an Asian man sip at his hot tea while he flicked his hand across his sleek iPad that rested in his lap.  Today I noticed a scattered woman with a disarray of blonde hair atop of her head YouTube-ing cute cat videos on her computer.
My new life with Bello Romance Photography has bolted forward at the sound of the shotgun, and now I am letting myself catch up with my own feet.  I have now put use to my love of photography, art and design, and to me, that is success.  I feel like I have done so much and met so many people so far, but somehow have barely managed to scratch the surface.
Every day I see a new perspective I’ve never thought of, and I realize how intricate the world is, which can be overwhelming.  However, I thrive on challenges.  This is a posed challenge for me, and my life will now begin to rotate around the motto, ‘We Capture Romance’, and it has.

The man with blue pants and squirrely eyes is peeking over is screen to observe the ponytailed woman clad in suspenders across the room.  The Asian man brushes the iPad screen with a finger collared by a golden wedding ring.  The crazy cat lady has a vibrating cell phone next to her, with the words ‘Sissy’ blinking on the screen.
So far, the most important thing I have learned is how to observe relationships.  I do not see people walking down the street anymore, I see a mother and her daughter as they look for a particular shop, or a man and his best friends, who may one day become his best men.

How different this world seems from such a different, romantic perspective.  For me the next step will be to not only perceive what the relationship consists of, but how to capture it.  Watch out romance, here I come.

By Emily Brauchle

Congratulations- you’ve found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with! Finances, future kids (if any) and household chores have been discussed and agreed upon. In a perfect world, all that’s left to do is plan the wedding of your dreams and focus on cultivating your relationship so you spend the rest of your days in marital bliss.
This article was written to help you focus on important steps in planning a wedding and an order of when decisions should be finalized.

1. Decide the Wedding Size, Location and Budget
Have you been planning your wedding since the tender age of 8? Or does the thought of walking down the aisle with everyone staring at you make you want to run off to Vegas? Sit your groom down and seriously discuss how you both envision your wedding day.

Determine your budget to see what will work. If you both just graduated and are footing the bill yourselves then a blow out party at an expensive venue with everyone from your family, fraternity and sorority on the guest list isn’t realistic. Instead compromise and find a more affordable location and only invite close friends and family.

Rank each part of the wedding in order of importance. Some couples want to spend the majority of their budget on the honeymoon or the dress. Others want unique wedding invitations or an amazing photo package from the best photographer in town.
If you are both on the same page then the planning process will go more smooth and miscommunications won’t happen later down the planning road. It’s also important to touch base to make sure everything is still on track with what you’ve both decided.

2. Enlist Help
Planning a wedding can be exciting, daunting and rewarding. If you have the resources, enlist the help of a wedding planner. If a planner isn’t in your budget, ask a trusted friend for advice, but be cautious when asking friends for help. They should not act as your planner, (unless they are being paid) but as a person to bounce ideas off. An outsider can give you a fresh perspective on ideas and also be the voice of reason.

3. Find Your Location
This could be the easiest part for some couples or a bit of a challenge for others. Getting married in the church, temple or mosque you grew up in or both attend now is a great place to tie the knot. Just make sure to let whoever’s in charge know ASAP so you get the date you want or attend any religious classes that might be required.

Parks, canals, hotels, museums and zoos are also nice locations to have a wedding. Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t find the perfect location right away. Visit as many places as needed until you find the right one.

There’s also an easy-to-use venue finder website called Snappening that provides suggestions based on your search criteria. Think Travelocity but for event planning.

4. Select Your Vendors
Next you need to decide which vendors to work with. Again, utilize your planner if you have one. Word of mouth and wedding web sites such as Indianapolis Wedding Professionals Network also list vendors and have portfolios that display work.

This bouquet was handcrafted by Belle Fleur Wedding Flowers

Be sure to meet with the vendor and discuss your goals and vision. Don’t select vendors on price alone. And be careful about having family or friends perform important jobs such as photography or DJs. You won’t believe how many stories we’ve heard about ‘fly by the night’ vendors or friends who flaked out the day of leaving the couple with no photos or music for the reception. Staying within a reasonable budget is good, but if the price is too good to be true, then you might regret it later.

Here is a suggested order to select your vendors.
1. Ceremony Location/Officiant
2. Reception Location
3. Photographer and DJ/Music
4. Invitations (save-the-dates)
5. Cake and Flowers
6. Hair and Makeup

These professional’s calendars book up fast so the earlier you start your search the more likely they’ll be able to provide their services. The same rule of thumb goes for your guests. Send a save-the-date as soon as the date is scheduled and include a url to your wedding web site.

A wedding web site gives out-of-town guests hotel accommodations and other useful information. This is also an appropriate place to list where you are registered. Including this information in your invitations is something etiquette experts advise against. It is appropriate, however, to include the url on an insert of your invitations.

5. Enjoy Yourself
This is also a time to spend quality time with your fiancé, friends and family. The people closest to you want to see you happy and want to help with the planning process. Including loved ones leading up to your wedding (no matter how big or small a job) gets everyone even that much more excited for the big day. Once the big day arrives you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the celebration. After all, your wedding is one of the most important, celebratory days in your and your fiancé’s lives.

Written By Danielle Klotz, invitation designer and owner of Pink Poppy Ink and IWPN board member.

2. My Uncle said, “It has a disc inside so it will record the entire wedding.”

3. My Uncle said, “I won’t need a tripod I can hold it steady. Besides it has anti-shake technology.”

4. My Uncle said, “The camera has a built in microphone so no problem getting your vows.”

5. My Uncle said, “The camera has a Lithium-Ion battery so it will last all day.”

The world is full of good intentioned family members. Trusting your uncle or any non-professional to capture your wedding day should not be one of them.

Reason #1: Brand new equipment and the lack of familiarity. Professionals know their equipment and what is needed to capture your once in a lifetime event.

Reason #2: The disc inside has a record time of 30 minutes and most weddings run longer. Professionals have cameras that will last 90 minutes or more.

Reason #3: Having a tripod or some other equipment to steady the camera is essential. No “anti-shake” technology can totally cure camera shake.

Reason #4: The truth is without a professional wireless microphone the vows will be nothing but a whisper. Most consumer grade cameras don’t even offer a microphone input.

Reason #5: Most consumer cameras come equipped with a Lithium-Ion battery however they are not high capacity. So the length of charge will always be limited. A professional carries backup or uses high capacity batteries.

My final and most compelling reason is to allow your uncle to enjoy your wedding and reception without the burden of having to record it.

Written By: Bouquet & Garter LLC
www.bouquetandgarter.net

May 17 at 11 am Scottish Rite

Jun 21 at 11 am Location TBA

Jul 19 at 11 am

 

Photo By Fredric's Photography

1. Hire a professional. There are many affordable professional wedding photographers out there. Watch for the ones who have never done it. You cannot do this over so make a good choice. First, decide some of the basics you will want. Color? Black and White? Formal poses? A mix? More photojournalistic? More artistic? Do you want the Formal Album or just a proof book? Do you want the negatives or digital files? Make up your mind to some of these so you will understand what the photographers offer and do they match your requirements. Remember, most true professional photographers are artists and very proud of their work.

2. Compare the prices between the photographers package prices and ala Carte pricing. One or the other may work better for you. Find out before hand if you take the a la carte plan, how much are the reprints and enlargements?

3. The higher the costs, the better they are? NOT NECESSARILY TRUE with any vendor. This is up to you and what you are looking for. You may pay more for one style of photography over another. You may also find you’ll pay more for artistic pictures, Infrared, special techniques and hand tinting. The cheapest might not be your answer either. They may not have the experience. Don’t put your wedding in the hands of someone who is not experienced. Remember you cannot re-shoot it later.

4. Do you want a female photographer (they come with the woman’s perspective of course) or a male photographer? Women have made great strides in this industry, which was dominated by men. Man or woman, it doesn’t really matter, what does matter is that you like the person you are working with, that you feel you can trust them, and that you are comfortable with them.

5. When viewing the portfolio: Do you like what you see? Why would a photographer show something that was not the best work? Every photographer should furnish you with a standard portfolio. But what are you going to get? Ask to see a complete wedding in a real proof book. This will give you an idea of really what to expect. A heads up: Not every image is the perfect picture, and there is no photographer who can guarantee perfect pictures each and every shot. Do you see a variety in the portfolio? Is there a mix of candid and formal portraits? What about black and white? Infrared? Sepia? Hand Tinting? Do they offer retouching of blemishes? What about scanning to CD ROMs?

6. Meet the photographer. Many companies have multiple photographers and it is important you get a feel for the personality and work of the actual person who will be there. You will also need to work with the photographer on a plan for the day and a time schedule. The photographer is your crucial timing link between the end of the ceremony and your arrival at the reception. You should find out if you can adjust the amount of pictures taken so that your schedule is maintained. Try to arrange for a number of formal shots to be taken before the ceremony to save time later.

7. Dress Code: I am always shocked when I see a photographer dressed inappropriately for the occasion. If your wedding is formal they should be formal as well, (or at least wearing the same as the service). Men should always wear a suit, or Sport Coat and Slacks, and always a tie. Woman either black slacks and a button down shirt (for formal they would match the caterers or the guests).

8. Processing time: If the film photographer tells you 3-6 weeks that is very reasonable. Digital Photographers may provide a special website page for you to view all the shots he took and may let you choose from those. It generally takes between 1-2 weeks for the page to be uploaded and made available to you.

9. The contract: Do you understand the payment terms? When does the photographer require full payment? What is their guarantee to deliver the proofs? What happens if the photographer is sick? What is the cancellation policy? 

10. References: Get a few references from each vendor you contact. When speaking with the references remember they are regular people taking time out to answer questions. Be courteous to them and remember one day you may be a reference. Your gut feeling about a person or photographer may be your best guide. If you don’t feel comfortable, they probably are not the photographer for you. Move on to the next on your list and be sure to ask the same questions to use as a comparison.