,

5 Wedding Myths You Should Not Believe

  • Engagement ring

 

Wedding Myths that you should try to ignore

You’re probably planning your wedding by now and maybe feeling a bit panic-y about everything. Breathe and relax. That’s okay. What’s not okay is believing in these wedding myths our culture imposes on brides and grooms. They are not helpful nor encouraging, that’s why I figured I’d write about them in this article

To help you relax, we’ve compiled a list of wedding myths and help you understand why you should not really worry about them

You Should Not Believe These 5 Wedding Myths

Myth 1: To save more, try DIY – FALSE!

DIY crafts are indeed a good way to add a personal touch to your wedding, and might seem on the surface as a way to cut down on your budget. However, while you think you can save costs from buying all the materials yourself, know that in doing this, you also have to factor in the skill, time, and other back-up supplies in the sums.

Sometimes, hiring someone else to create your invitation for you can cost you less than the total expense from creating it yourself. You’ll even get quality output in a shorter time. Unless you have people willing to help you out, DIY is usually not the most budget-friendly option.

Invite

Myth 2: Stay true to the traditional format of weddings – NOT A MUST!

Just because everyone else runs their wedding day to a similar schedule, doens’t mean you have to! usually the wedding ceremony is first followed by the grand wedding reception at a grand hotel. Why not have a breakfast wedding if you really wanted to? No one will get mad if you don’t follow any of these “rules”; in fact it’d probably be a point of conversation for years to come!

Remember that your wedding is your once-in-a-lifetime union as a married couple. You can tweak the itinerary and celebration by how you want to experience and remember it. Nuts to anyone else!

Make the celebration as close to both your personalities as you want. If you want a simple brunch in the backyard after the ceremony or dinner for just the two of you, there’s no problem! Follow what your heart’s desires.

Bride holding a wedding sword

Myth 3: Not inviting some friends can cost your friendship – FALSE

One of the biggest challenges an engaged couple encounter during wedding preparation is determining who makes it to the guest list. Unless you have unlimited money, your guest list will definitely have a limit.

Stop thinking that it is a test of friendship. Real friends will understand and be happy for you no matter what. Stick to your budget and choose only the special people whom you want to witness your union.

Talking guests at sundown

Myth 4: Wedding planning is a full-time job – NOT REALLY

Wedding planning will require effort, yes, but it doesn’t need to be that stressful. If you work on the requirements, decide, and book everything ahead of time, you’ll have fewer headaches.

Whether you hire a wedding planner or do things on your own, the planning can be manageable as long as you focus your energy on things that are important. The last two weeks before the wedding can be super busy, but early preparations can help you handle the situation well. I’ve even put together a number of blogs to make it easier for you to plan a wedding.

Guests having fun

Myth 5: Your wedding day will be the best day of your life – YES AND NO

Yes, wedding days are indeed memorable, especially when you are surrounded by your loved ones. When you look back at your wedding photos, you’ll remember how you were able to gather and celebrate with all the important people in your life.

Is it the best? It is unforgettable, but there are many more days ahead of you and your life partner. You can create more memories and create more best days of your life, so don’t put too much pressure on the day. In fact often it’s the case that a bridal couple just want it to be over a done with 😛

Just enjoy it and make good memories to reminisce.

Bride and groom through the window

Being aware of wedding myths is important because it helps you focus on things that truly matter. More importantly, knowing that these wedding myths aren’t necessarily true can help you move forward with your wedding planning with less stress. Remember that your wedding is yours. Plan it like how you want it to be remembered.

, ,

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

  • Groom picking up bride through window

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Wedding Photographer

With your big day’s date set, your bridesmaids and groomsmen chosen, venue picked out, and invitations sent, much anticipation will come in the days leading up to your wedding.

As something that you’ve probably dreamt of ever since you were young, tying the knot with the love of your life is undoubtedly an unforgettable experience that should be done right.

Now that you’ve got almost all your arrangements in order and some deposits made, you may still looking for a professional wedding photographer.

Why it matters to choose wisely and what mistakes to avoid

Among all the different parts of your wedding ceremony that need to be sorted out, the wedding photographer you hire is especially important because they’re responsible for capturing the memories you’ll want to look back on in the years to come.

From the time before you walk down to the aisle to the first dance you have as a married couple, a photographer will be there to capture everything they need, and they’ll do it well.

Unfortunately, many couples end up overlooking this important detail and end up choosing poorly, only to find out that the photos they recieved didn’t quite capture the magic of the event.

Inglewood Inn Wedding Photo

Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Thankfully, making sure that your wedding coverage is in the right hands doesn’t have to entail going on some adventure or spending more than half of your wedding budget on a “pro-rated” shutterbug. In this article, we will share with you three mistakes to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer:

  1. Going for the cheapest photographer

Look, I dont like to say it, because it really doesnt hold true 100% of the time, but when it comes to your wedding photography: ‘you get what you pay for’. Going cheap, or asking uncle Bill with his fancy camera to take your photos may seem like a good way to save a few thousand dollars, but you’re more than likely going to regret it after.

Seeing that a wedding is a special event that you’ll never have again in your lifetime, it should make sense that going for a cheaper option is a tragedy waiting to happen. There are stories like this almost monthly on those horrible shows like Today Tonight. It happens, and dont think it wont happen to you.

That said though, you can do your own personal vetting, and you may find some very talented individual on the cheap as they might be startingout or something. I wouldnt risk it though.

During your search, it’s important to note that you should invest a bit more money into a team that has many good reviews, positive testimonials, and engaging shots. Try not to book a photographer without having looked through an entire album of a completed wedding they have done previously.

  1. Not having a meeting before the wedding itself.

Any professional photographer knows the importance of setting up a meeting with a couple before their big day because it gives a chance to iron out any requests and considerations. As a photographer, it also allows me to guage the kind of personality of the couple and work with that in order to produce images that perfectly reflect that couple’s day.

Overlooking the need for a meeting is a mistake to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer because you’ll go into your wedding day without any coordination or proper expectation of how your shots are going to look like.

By meeting up with your chosen wedding photographer, you’ll be able to make sure that you’re both on the same page in terms of style to ensure that they’re getting the shots you’ve always wanted! You can also browse previous weddings the photographer has shot and possibly samples of albums.

  1. Not checking out reviews

An easy mistake to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer is going for the very first option they see without first considering reviews. The beauty of the internet is that you’re able to gain access to many review sources of any wedding vendor written by previous bridal couples. Be sure they are from a reputable source though as some review sites can be exploited with fake reviews.

ABIA is one such review site with a good reputation as they thoroughly vette each review they recieve.

Thanks to the Internet, you can find out everything that you need to know about a particular professional, how they work, and what experience you should expect with them. With a quick search on the web, you can learn more about the past experiences and reviews that previous clients and couples have had with a particular professional and work up from there.

Photo of the year contest JessChris
Bride and groom amongst gum trees

As one of the most important parts of your big day, the photographer that you hire can make a huge difference in how it goes. This makes it even more important to avoid common and crucial mistakes along the way.

Thinking of these mistakes to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer, you won’t have to break a sweat over worrying about whether or not you have made the right choice!

Our team of professional wedding photographers based in Adelaide also services weddings in Darwin, Canberra, and Hobart. Schedule an appointment with us today to see how we can help!

,

Wedding Services That You Should Invest In

Bride and groom sharing a kiss at night

Wedding Services That You Should Invest In

It’s a universally known fact that weddings can be quite expensive. Some people spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to experience their dream weddings, and you can’t really blame those people who only want the best for their special day. If that’s the way they want to celebrate their love, then everyone should let them be!

When planning for your wedding, you can do anything you want. However, if you want to save money while getting the best out of your wedding, you should be smart about how you spend your money. There are a few items that can be cut while not having much of an impact on your big day, but then there are wedding services that you should invest in.

Smiles in the vineyards

I feel as though these three wedding services that you should invest in are the most important when considering your budget and perhaps leave these three items aside from any cost cutting you may end up doing.

Wedding Services That You Should Invest In

  1. Professional Wedding Photography

As a wedding photographer, I may be a little biased here, but your wedding is one special moment in your life that you will hopefully cherish for the rest of your life.

There’s nothing wrong about getting someone from your friend group or getting one of your family members to take your wedding photos. However, getting a professional wedding photographer on your wedding day can bring more personality and professionalism to your photos.

Having a photographer that is not directly a part of your wedding day alone can justify your wedding photography costs, but they also bring a multitude of different benefits other than of course the wonderful photos they produce.

  • A professional photographer is tasked soley with taking photos of your day and wont be distracted by partying and catching up with guests.
  • The experience a professional brings will show in the final product they produce – far and away from Uncle Bob with a nice camera.
  • A professional will have better understanding of the flow of a wedding day as they will probably have atended hundreds before yours, and therefore able to capture more heartfelt moments.

Ten years after your wedding, you would want to see photographs of your wedding that bring back the same emotions that you felt on that very same day. It would be nice to have something truly beautiful that you and your partner can reminisce on.

Bride and groom on Maslins Beach
  1. Wedding Video Coverage

Aside from your wedding photos, making an investment in a wedding video is something that augments your memories in a way that a sinlge photo cannot do. Some people may think of it as unnecessary, but if you are the type of person who loves sharing your precious moments with your friends or who prefers visual keepsakes for re-watching in the future, then you should hire a videographer.

Aside from capturing the highlights of your wedding, it also allows you to relive moments that you may not rememeber from your wedding day due to it being such a whirlwind of emotion. Perhaps a clip of:

  • Your friends wishing you a happy marriage
  • Epic moments on your wedding that no one expected
  • Your maid of honour’s and best man’s wedding speech
  • You and your parent dancing from other people’s perspective
  • And more!

Another really cool wayu to relive your wedding day is via Virtual reality technology where you can wear a VR headset and rewatch your ceremony or first dance from the perspective of your guests. It just so happens I offer this as part of my usual photography packages.

If photos capture precious, intimate moments, a video captures incredibly fun and memorable moments on your wedding day.

  1. Wedding Coordinator

Personalizing your wedding can be pretty exciting, and hiring a wedding coordinator may not usually be on a list of wedding services you should invest in. But hiring a wedding coordinator that understands your needs and wants can significantly affect how you prepare for your wedding. When you hire a professional to do miscellaneous stuff for your wedding, you’re allowing yourself to savour each moment that passes by, and you get to focus on yourself and your partner.

DIY-ing your wedding can save you a lot of money, but the downside with that is that sometimes you don’t get to enjoy the excitement of your wedding because you were too stressed out planning everything on your own. It can be a lot of fun, but sometimes you need that little bit of help with someone who has done it all before.

Most importantly, you can better enjoy your wedding as you’ll be more grounded in the present during the wedding, instead of worrying about how the event is going. When you hire a wedding coordinator, you wouldn’t need to worry about little things that go wrong, allowing you to cherish the moment.

hugging bridal couple

Weddings can be more expensive than you can imagine. The average cost of a wedding in Australia in 2019 according to EasyWeddings was $32,940. If you want to save money, you should be smart about where to cut costs. Ask yourself what exactly it is you want to prioritize.

More than the material things, please do consider not ckimping out on these wedding services that you should invest in. They may make or break your big day and the nenories that you were looking forward to creating just wont be what you imagined they might be.

, ,

8 Picture Perfect Moments you need to shoot at a wedding

  • 9 Picture Perfect Moments You Have to Get on Camera

    Bride and groom amongst gum trees

As a wedding photographer, one of the foremost requirements is to have “the eye” for taking good photos, find ing the picture perfect moments in a day that just need to be taken. There are some moments in wedding photography that you know from experience will make for the best images. I’ve put together a list in the past for some of the most important wedding photos you need to capture, but this list is a little more direct, and more of a list of what most people tend to expect in their wedding photography without any fuss. More focussing on the wedding ceremony itself.

Whether you’re in the wedding photography business or just an avid fan of tear-jerking moments, here are nine of the most picture perfect moments in weddings that you simply have to capture on camera.

Picture Perfect Moments leading up to the Ceremony

The Details

The bride and groom spent copious amounts of time in picking out the details of the wedding—so capturing them on camera is a good way to show appreciation. The flowers, the layout, and the program are merely some of the things you can zoom in on.

Engagement ring in bouquet
Bridal affects
Wedding dress hanging in window

The Venue

Taking a panoramic shot of the wedding venue is always one of the best shots. The venue is one of the things that couples take so much time in choosing and reserving—a nice photo of the place makes for a perfect photo.

Sedan Lutheran Church 2
Inglewood Inn Wedding backdrop
Burbrook forest wedding ceremony

The Guests

A few shots of the guests milling about, finding their seats, and chatting joyously to each other makes for powerful photographs. Candid photos like these aren’t just picturesque, but they add colour and excitement to the wedding portfolio.

Guests
Having a good time
Hugs from guests

The Groom

More often than not, the groom will arrive first on the scene ahead of the bride. Some photos of his arrival and preparation, as well as zooming into his face for emotion are good picture perfect moments in the album. Make sure to watch out for him walking down the aisle, most of Groom’s emotions about the ceremony start showing there. Be on standby to capture his face when he sees the bride—these emotion-filled moments are the perfect time for photography.

Groom’s first lok of bride
Groom waiting patiently
groom waiting patiently

The Bride

The bride will definitely be the star of the show, so documenting her from start to end is a must. As soon as the bridal car arrives, try to capture her inside up to the moment she steps out. Some close-up photos of her face before her entrance is definitely a necessity—and taking a picture of her entrance is an absolute must.

Bridal entrance
Bridal arrival
bridal arrival

Picture Perfect Moments During the Ceremony

The Traditions

As the ceremony begins, ensure to capture the various traditions involved. Whether it’s lighting the unity candle, stomping on glass or hand fasting—these small gestures define the couple and the lives they live, making for a picture perfect moment and representation of themselves. If they write their own vows, it’s also the perfect time to zoom in and capture their emotions on camera.

Asatru hand fasting
Bride holding a wedding sword
Vows

The Reactions

While the guests may not have that big of a role in the ceremony, their reactions to various things happening is a key to capturing the story of a ceremony. This is where your photographer’s eye comes in, watching out for any sudden streaks of emotion which would make for picture perfect moments. More often than not, this will elicit some laughter and joy—further driving this joyous occasion.

Parents singing
little one in the aisle
Singing

The Kiss

Undoubtedly, capturing the kiss is basic for wedding photographers. No wedding is complete without this shot—as well as the couple’s reaction right after.

First kiss
First kiss under the trees
First kiss

 

Conclusion

 

Weddings are the perfect avenue for capturing beautiful moments on camera. With a couple of shots, you can be a part of something much greater than yourself—even if just for a few moments.

 

Are you looking for a wedding photographer in Adelaide to capture your perfect moments? Get in touch with us today and schedule a meeting to discuss what services best fit you.

,

Things to do before your wedding you may not have thought of

  • bridal party in mirror

 

Things to do before your wedding

For both parties, weddings are often a blast. However, when you’re an almost-bride who is just months away from the big day, the entire time can be stressful, considering all you’ll need to get done.

To avoid panic, have a look at some of these things to do before your wedding and make sure you schedule to get them done ASAP.

A list of things to do before your wedding you may not have thought of

Get your paperwork in order

Remember, you can’t actually get married without signing an intent to marry with your celebrant. If you and your partner haven’t yet applied for one, now is the best time to do so.

Depending on your area, you can easily find the required documents online, which you should research and prepare before heading down to your registry office, or your celebrant.

Exit from wedding ceremony at Al-Ru Farm

Schedule your final fitting

If you’ve been exercising daily to achieve your ideal wedding bod, you’ll want to be sure your dress fits you perfectly. Schedule a final fitting in advance in case you have any alterations to undergo.

Bridal party helping bride get ready

Reiterate final details with wedding vendors

Review all the details of your wedding day with each of your vendors, whether in person or over the phone. That way, you can make any revisions to your menu or venue decor should you spot anything that isn’t quite up to par. Anyway, it can’t hurt to be too careful.

Engagement ring

Follow up with guests who haven’t RSVPd

If some of your guests are just a “maybe” you’ll want to make sure they give you a concrete yes or no. This task can be tedious, so you can ask your maid of honour to help finalise your headcount.

guests

Practice your final hair and makeup look

Whether you’re doing your own makeup or hiring a make-up artist, it’s important to get the look just the way you want it well before your wedding day to avoid any mistakes. After all, you’ll want to look perfect in all those glamorous close-up wedding photos. If possible, take your veil to try out along with your final look.

Putting on the makeup

Get your bridesmaids fitted

One of the most difficult aspects of a wedding to coordinate is customising each bridesmaid’s outfit. Make sure they’ve made arrangements for their own final fittings and that they’re scheduled to pick up their dresses on time. If not, you could be subject to several time-consuming alterations and last-minute bills.

Bridesmaids dresses

Treat yourself to a facial or a massage

There’s no denying the stress that comes with the month leading up to your wedding, so you’ll want to make sure you’re finding pockets of time to relax. If you’re getting a facial, do so at least a few weeks before your big day as you won’t want to risk having a reaction too close to your actual wedding.

Smiling bride

Send out your rehearsal dinner invites

A rehearsal dinner is an important part of making sure everything about your wedding is going according to plan. It’ll also give you an opportunity to practice walking down the aisle and exchanging wedding gifts if you aren’t planning on doing so on your actual wedding day.

Send your invites out in advance, especially if you’re inviting anyone from out of town.

Serafinos Wedding Reception

Come up with a wedding day timeline

If anyone needs to be kept in the loop, hand out a schedule to your bridal party, family members, and vendors. You never know who might need to make last-minute changes.

bridal entrace at Woodstock winery wedding reception

 

While your big day may come with a lot of responsibilities, it’s important that it’s one that is memorable to you and your groom, so to make sure your day runs as smoothly as possible, think about this short list of some of the things to do before your wedding and make sure there is time set aside to make sure they happen!

If you haven’t hired a wedding photographer yet, we like to think we are the best in Adelaide and make capturing unmissable moments a priority on your wedding day – contact us today!