After shooting weddings and events all over the United States and abroad, we thought we would put this up for our readers (and hopefully a few thousand “brides to be”) to read and consider. We have seen literally thousands of cases and this advice comes from seeing many, many mistakes as well as accurate things that people commonly do. We advise all of you to FOLLOW THIS ADVISE.

• Photography – Well of course we are going to put this as number one. This is what we do and a vital part of any wedding. It is the ONLY thing (short of fire or theft) that can and will outlast everything else. And yes . . . in today’s “high divorce” world, even sometimes outlasting the marriage itself. It is for this reason that we feel it is of the utmost importance to have done “right” and in a way that is “cost effective” and “comfortable” for the photographer and client. We suggest to find a photographer who does not work any job by the hour. This allows for complete dedication to the client on that day(s) and in the event that something runs late (which is almost always the case) nothing is lost or missed. We also recommend a photographer who does not take months to get your prints back to you. In today’s digital printing world (yes, 99% of all prints are done this way today), there is no reason to wait beyond a few weeks for this. And finally the subject of “formals.” This should be done when “THE CLIENT” is most comfortable. Most photographers do everything possible to get the client to do this “before” the wedding. They do this because it is easier and they have their sites on leaving shortly after the wedding. In our opinion, this shows just how lazy a photographer is and that he(she) has not interest in the references that will come from their services at your event. Now we are aware that there will be a few photographers our there who read this and be furious at us for saying this. The bottom line for us is simply. STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND DO THE RIGHT JOB FOR THE CLIENT. If they can’t do that, they deserve to get the clients they do. The ones who “get it” will be hiring our team.

• D.J. Service – Some clients do not understand the importance of having a “good” D.J. They hear horror stories from their friends about D.J.’s at weddings in the past and it makes people believe that this is the way they all are. This could not be farther from the truth. A D.J. is the “time keeper” for the entire event. He (or she) is the way that all the other things, (photographers, video, florist, cake, caterer, etc.) all come together and happen at exactly the right time. Now we are aware that there are D.J.’s out there that are not experience or talented in this area. For this reason, you either have to “go see a few at actual events” or get good references from people you trust. On another note . . . some people also are told to “write a list of songs and tell the D.J. to NOT play anything that is not on the list.” THIS IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE ANY COUPLE CAN MAKE! No way on earth can a couple determine what all the people, family and friends (why have never been together before) will like or dislike for music at your event. And even though the bride likes Garth Brooks or Motley Crue, the chances of the groom’s grandmother feeling the same, is VERY slim. We highly recommend to find a pleasant D.J. that understands how to work WITH all the other vendors and hand him(or her) a list of the songs you love (as well as ones you prefer NOT to be played). After this, tell him or her that it is their responsibility to keep people organized and on (or off) the dance floor. If that means they need to play a song of two that is not on your list, so be it. It is far more important to have the people at your reception have a GREAT time than to have no one on the dance floor at all and people starting to leave way early. This happens all the time and we are in hopes that some of you will take this to heart. There is nothing worse that seeing a D.J. (and a really good one at that) who appears to be really bad, when all they are doing is FOLLOWING THE LIST THAT YOU GAVE THEM.

• Florist – We see people spending tens of thousands as well as a few hundred on flowers. This really depends of personal preference and what (usually the bride) wants the event to look like with flowers and other decor. And with the “really cool” paper flowers today, this adds even more to what the options are. So why is this the third point of our “5 Points for a Worry-Free Wedding? This is simple. No matter how much you decide to spend on flowers or who the florist is or whether they are real or artificial . . . make sure to have the florist PEN THE BOUTONNIERES AND CORSAGES ON THE GUYS AND GALS. We have seen weddings get way more stressful than need be, over the fact that one of the groomsmen broke his boutonniere or lost a pin. Any descent florist should always agree to stay until this is done. Seems like a little thing, but can get out of control more than most realize.

• Key Contact – We suggest appointing a “key contact” for your wedding. It usually works best if this is a female and someone who knows the majority of the people at the event. She can help with many aspects including photography, florist, D.J., caterer, etc. Take the worry away from the bride, groom, wedding party and parents and let someone else deal with the “little details” that happen during an event such as this. The events that have someone like this appointed, run smooth and worry free.

• Do Something Memorable – After the wedding, the ones that stick out in our minds are the ones where something very “memorable” happened. Now this doesn’t have to be something way crazy or offensive in any way but something that most at the event do not expect. An unannounced horse drawn carriage at the end, a father daughter dance with the father wearing a wild baby blue tux from the 70′s with ruffles, a surprise guest that pops out of a box at the reception, a dessert that looks like a giant fortune cookie. You see what we mean here. These are all things that actually happened this year. The people at the event were BLOWN AWAY when they saw these things. It will be something that is great for memories, great for pictures and great for keeping everyone focused on “your event.”

Well . . . these are our 5 this year. We are here to help if you need us. We have a wealth of experience and knowledge doing this for all sorts of people. We hope that this will help to make your event worry free and very memorable . . .

Deke