Wedding Photography

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, but life is busy, busy, busy. Since I posted last, I have made a lot of progress on the wedding planning front but I want to focus on photography because this was the second thing I booked after my venue (with 14 months to go until the wedding!). To me personally, the photographer was one of my top priorities. I knew when the FI and I started our budget planning, that I would be willing to allocate a significant portion (15-20%) of our budget for the photographer. I feel that the pictures are one of the tangible things that you can use to look back on your wedding day. I know it's sort of out of style now, but I like the idea of having a wedding album on my coffee table to remember the day by and to have pictures to show my children and grandchildren some day. I will do a couple of posts about wedding photography and this first one will focus on only a couple of things to consider when picking a photographer.

Price: Not everyone will feel the way I did about hiring a photographer in regards to money. As with every aspect of your wedding I would suggest you have a budget in place before you look for a photographer. Make sure whoever is paying for it (your family, the FI and you, etc) is on board with the cost. One person may feel that it is super important to spend a large chunk of the budget on photography while the other person want to spend it on something else, i.e the bar. Photographers, in my experience, can range from $1,000-$6,500+ for a entire evening of service. Every photographer has difference packages that offer different services and products. Make sure that when you are comparing prices between photographers you are comparing apples to apples. So make a list of what each of the photographer packages includes and try to match the packages from photographer to photographer and then see how the prices compare.

Credit: www.greenweddingconsortium.com

Photography Style: Everyone likes a different photography style. I would say the "trendy" photography style right now is photojournalistic. This approach to photography is more about capturing moments as they happen throughout the wedding than having posed portraits. This is the style that appealed to me when I started looking, and the one we ultimately chose. The photographer will be more hands-off and sort of let things happen and just capture the moments.When looking for a photographer to shoot in this style, it is best if they have had previous experience in photojournalism or at least have been shooting in this style for a long time.

Credit: murakamiphotography.blogspot.com

The second most common wedding photography style is traditional. This style is the kind that was favored for a long time (and still preferred among many parents) and is focused more on portraits and posed wedding pictures. The photographer will have more control and will be more directional when taking the photographs. Photographers may even do some post-shoot editing to add filters or soften the edges of the pictures to give it a hazy sort of feel. In talking to my photographer, she finds that most parents or grandparents expect at least some portion of the photography to be taken this way. Another thing to consider depending on who is pay for what.

Credit: www.shaunringphotography.com

Another type of photography s style is artistic. In this case the photographer has full creative license to take pictures in a unique and sometimes unusual way. There is usually no posed or pre-planned pictures.The idea is that they will capture the special moments but also new perspectives that most wedding photographers wouldn't go for. Most people who want this type of photography will know it far in advance and they may have to spend a little more time looking for the right photographer, as this is a less common wedding style.

Customer Reviews: I am a big fan of customer reviews for everything. I think people usually give honest opinions about the service they receive and they can tell me a lot about what to expect from a vendor. I would suggest doing a lot of research before you meet or contact a potential photographer. Once you narrow them down by price and style, I would look at reviews by previous brides about potential photographers. Don't just take the reviews from the photographers website but do some digging and see if you can turn up any negative reviews. Take every review with a grain of salt and remember sometimes people post overly positive or negative reviews for whatever reason. Just trust your gut instinct.

After you do these things and have some potential photographers to call up, there are a few questions you should ask when you set up a meeting or send your first e-mail.I will make those questions the topic of my next post. What is your photography style for your wedding going to be? Do you already have a photographer picked out? Leave some comments below and as always, happy planning!

MA Wedding Venue: Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long in between posts but things have been crazy with work and school  in addition to wedding planning! I have made great progress and want to share some of the things we've been doing but I wanted first to share our wedding venue finally! We chose to have our wedding June 14, 2014 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Bolyston, MA. It is so amazingly beautiful. I knew I didn't want a traditional wedding venue and the FI and I are outdoorsy people so this fit perfectly. They have two amazing ceremony spaces, on on the long upper lawn where the couple will be framed by two huge and gorgeous pergolas or down on the lower lawn for smaller wedding parties.  On the lower lawn you can either be framed by a small pond with a stone staircase or in the other direction a stone wall overlooking an apple orchard. The reception is held inside in the Orangerie which has one wall of glass windows with the ceiling made of glass and the other walls are brick with ivory and water features. The floors are a great gray slate and the whole space is open and airy, perfect for a June wedding. On either side of the Organerie are gardens the guests can walk out into if they get too hot or just want a break from the party for a little while. Overall it is just the most wonderful place and I knew the minute we toured it I wanted to get married there. I had "the feeling" I had been searching for in all of the other wedding venues. Take a look at the pictures below and leave a comment if you want more information. My next posts will move away from the wedding venues and focus on photographers which is the next step the FI and I took in our wedding planning!

Information					Comments
The Venue: Tower Hill Botanic Gardens					A botanic gardens by day and on the weekends a stunning wedding venue.
Location: Bolyston, MA					Just outside of Worcester, MA.
Prime Season: May-October					They only hold weddings Fri-Sun from May to October.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					They have two outdoor spaces, an outdoor tent or inside one of the conservatories if it rains.
Capacity: The facility can from 150 people.					The receptions are held in the Orangerie or the tent outside.
Guest Min Required? None
Bridal/Groom Rooms? No
Function Rental Fee: Fri: $5,000, Sat: $5,500, Sun: $4,000					Rental is for 5.5 hours starting at 6 pm. There is one wedding a day and they can't start earlier than 6 pm.
Overtime Fee: None					You can go beyond 11:30.
Ceremony Fee: None
Catering: Choose from five caterers.
Alcohol: This is done by the venue. They go by consumption only, so you can have an open bar but are charged on a per drink basis not a per person basis.					You can also have a cash bar.
Food/Beverage Min? Depends on the caterer.
Bar Fee: $150 for setup and a min of $60 for the bartender.
Extra Fees: 18% open bar fee and %6.25 tax.
Accommodations: None
Venue Contact: Jennie Backstrom					jbackstrom@towerhillbg.org

 

 

The Last of the Wedding Venues: Part 2

Hi all, sorry it's been so long since the last post but things have been crazy. Here is the last batch of wedding venues that I will post until I do the review for my wedding venue! Hope you find these last few useful and always, message me if you want more info.

The Fells Historic Estate: The Fells is a nice garden and estate wedding venue located in Newbury, NH. It can hold 175 guests with up to 200 if special accommodations are made. They usually hold events from 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm because they are open to the public from dawn to dusk 365 days/year. They usually have tented events but you also have access to the main house. The rental fee is based on the number of guests you estimate on having with a maximum rental fee of $4,500. This would be a good venue for a bride who would like to have outdoor wedding and reception in a beautiful garden setting.


Mountain Top Inn & Resort : This inn is has great views of the surrounding VT countryside. It's selling point is that you can get married on the top of mountain that overlooks the Green Mountain National Forest. They have a newly renovated barn for a wedding reception space, but you can also have it in a tent on the grounds. They have accommodations for up to 90 people and are only 11 miles from Killington where more hotels are available. The rental fee various based on time of year and location of your reception but the highest rental fee is $6,500 for the barn during prime season. The barn can hold up to 250 guests. I think this would be a good venue for a bride who wants a country or rustic style wedding and has a large guest list.

The Essex Resort and Spa: The Essex is located in Essex, VT and is a resort that features two difference spaces for receptions and ceremonies. The two spaces are not located on the same property but are about 30 minutes away from each other. The main resort is where most people choose to have their weddings and they can have up to 300 people in the ballroom. The other venue is the Ponds at Bolton Valley. This site can accommodate up to 200 people. I wasn't overly impressed with the main resort venue because the reception space was a little outdated for my taste. I think that the outside ceremony space is really pretty though. This would be a good venue for a bride who needs a space that can accommodate a large party in northern VT.

The Topsfield Commons 1854: This was our second choice in wedding venue. It is a great place to hold your reception but might be a little tight for the ceremony. We were going to have our ceremony in a chapel and Andover, MA then go to the commons for our reception. This place is elegant and historic with the nicest people to help you out. They have a space one the first floor for cocktails and upstairs is a ballroom with a stage and balcony. The upstairs space is open and clean and the stage is great for a band or DJ. They allow you to supply your own alcohol but do the catering themselves. The prices were reasonable but they do require guest mins of 125 people on a Saturday and they also require you to hire a police officer for the entire time of your ceremony. Overall, I think this is a great venue that any bride on the north shore would like. It would be great for a bride with a medium size party to meet the minimums and who wants an elegant feel.

Gedney Farm and Mepal Manor: This is a rustic chic venue located in New Marlborough, MA. It is a farm and inn with a nice barn for the reception space. It is a little pricey and does require guest minimums for certain times of the year. Rental fees can top $5,000 with menu prices ranging from $95-$125 per person. The admin fees are 20% which really adds to the cost. They have space for people to stay but I not sure how many. I think this would be a good option for a bride who wants a country or rustic wedding but has money to spend.

Bar Harbor Resorts: The Bar Harbor Resorts are made up of two wedding venues. The first is Harborside Hotel and Spa. This has three reception location holding up to 290 guests. They are all ballroom style rooms with differing decor and size. The second venue is the Bar Harbor Regency Oceanfront Resort. It can hold up to 500 people in some of it's rooms. No pricing information was provided with the initial e-mail so I am unsure of what costs would be. I would assume on the higher end because of the location (right on the ocean) and because it is a nice resort. I think this would be a good option for a bride who wants to get married on the ocean and needs a venue for a large party.

The Last of the Venues...Part 1

So after two months of writing venue reviews I'm ready to move on. I have decided to post the last of the venues that I have info on but haven't blogged about yet. There are quite a few so I am going to break it up into two posts. After that I will post about my wedding venue and then I plan on hitting on other topics that I am working on now. Leave a comment if you want any more information about any of the venues listed below! Good luck on the search!

Point Lookout Resort: This is a rustic-chic resort in Lincolnville, ME that has a great lodge on a mountain top with awesome views. The views are what drew me to the venue in the beginning but the price ultimately pushed me away. I do have to say that the wedding coordinator, Lisa Tapken, worked with me for a while to try and bring the price back into my range. She was super nice and helpful. I would recommend this venue to a bride who wants the rustic-chic style but has a big budget.

The Endicott Estate: This is an historic mansion located in Dedham, MA. It is good for smaller weddings and allows you to bring your own alcohol and food, which can save you some serious money. They offer on-site ceremonies, house and tented receptions with different rental pricing for prime and and off-seasons. The contact there is Erin Perron.

The Stonehurst Paine Estate: The Paine Estate is an old wooden and stone estate located in Waltham, MA. It was really hard to get in touch with the coordinator Marcia Goodwin. She didn't always respond to e-mail very quickly so if it is a place you are really interested, then you should be persistent. This is a good venue for the couple looking for a historic venue that is reasonably priced. The estate can hold up to 150 people, so it would be good for a small to average sized wedding.

Alden Castle: This is a Longwood venue located in Brookline, MA. It is described as modern chic and the price reflects this. The minimum is $20k which doesn't include the 20% admin fee. This is a really nice space that can hold 150 people but it was too expensive for us. This would be a great venue for a bride who wants to have a city wedding but doesn't want to feel like they are in the city. The contact is Michell Sagi.

The Lakeview Pavilion: Lakeview is ballroom style wedding venue in Foxboro, MA. They have 150 person minimum for a Saturday wedding and only has one wedding at a time. They have outdoor space for a ceremony and the reception is held in a ballroom that is decorated with tulle swags and white Christmas lights. They offer some great discounts so I'd would recommend this venue to a south shore bride who has a bigger wedding party and wants to work on a mid-range budget. The contact for the venue is Terry Memmo.

Tuppor Manor: This is venue is part of Wylie Conference Center at Endicott College and is gorgeous. They have an beautiful room for the reception and you can have your ceremony on the beach. They are pretty expensive with food and beverage minimums up near $15k and the rental fee as high as $7k. This would be a great venue for a bride with a big budget looking for an elegant venue. The contact for the venue is Paul Bachinger.

More venues soon!

ME Wedding Venue: Spruce Point Inn

The Spruce Point Inn is an upscale collection of inn rooms and cottages on the coast of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. It is has all of the trappings of a coastal Maine inn with a seaside motif but in an upscale and elegant way. On the website and in the literature they send out, they really push the idea of having a whole weekend event. Obviously they want you to spend more money there but I am unsure if they only hold one event a weekend or even a day. I assume because they have three different reception spaces they would hold more than event a weekend if not a day. The reception spaces are a nice mix of indoor and outdoor areas. The Pemaquid is my favorite reception space because you get an indoor space to eat and dance but have the outdoor area to hang out and drink cocktails. They also have a really cool grand staircase to make a grand entrance. The packages for the food and alcohol are inclusive and I think are a pretty good deal. The packages range from $149-$179 per person and there are food and drink minimums but the packages include 4 hours of open bar, cake, dual entrees, two night stay for bride and groom plus more. Considering the individual costs for each of those things it is a pretty good deal. There is one draw back, they charge a 20% service fee plus tax and facility fee. This is pretty high considering the minimums and adds a lot to the bill. Always check for these extra costs to make sure they don't put you over budget! Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Spruce Point Inn					An elegant and modern inn in northern ME.
Location: Booth Bay Harbor, ME
Rental Season: No prime season specified.					As far as I can tell you can rent all of the spaces year round but the prices in the summer might go up.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.
Capacity: The guest count ranges from 150-250.					You can have less people in each of the spaces, these are just the maximums.
Guest Min Required? There is a minimum of 50 ppl for the packages.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes.They are rooms you rent at the inn.					Two night room for the bride and groom at complimentary.
Function Rental Fee: The Pemaquid: $2,750, The Linekin: $2,000, The Oceanfront Tented Deck: $2,250, The Oceanfront (no tent): $1,250					The rental is for 5 hours. I am unsure if you are the only wedding reception on your day.
Overtime Fee: Not specified
Ceremony Fee: Included in the rental fees.
Catering: All food provided by resort. Packages range from $149-$179 per person.					This includes cake, coffee and tea, champagne toast, apps and either buffet or dual entrée.
Alcohol: 4 hours open bar of call liquors included in all the packages!					It doesn't say specifically but I assume you can also have a consumption, cash bar or upgrade your open bar liquors.
Food/Beverage Min? Yes, ranges from $12,500 - $17,500 depending on the room.
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: 20% admin fee, and unspecified ME tax and facility fee.					$100 buffet station fee for each station.
Accommodations: 14 rooms.					The room prices range from $180-$745 depending on the day and season.
Venue Contact: Cindy Mastrella					CMastrella@sprucepointinn.com