Interview with Randy, by Elizabeth

       

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Engagement_pictures_tips_tags_.zip (245 KB)

We had the chance to talk with Randy Tunnell, a professional photographer. From his 20+ years of professional experience, he discusses his philosophy on engagement photo sessions and shares his favorites places to take engagement photos.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this wedding vendor.

Where are the best places you've shot at for engagement photos?  What's your favorite place?

Randy Tunnell is a professional photographer and the owner of Randy Tunnell Photography in Monterey, CA. You can find more photos of high profile events and publications he's covered on his website.

Interview with Esther, by Elizabeth

Today we continue our interview with filmmaker Esther Andrews. Check out Part I first.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a shopping site for bridesmaid dresses, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.

What's a growing video trend? Are there particular wedding video packages that are popular these days?
 
Out are the boring long wedding videos with the cheesy effects and long clips. The growing trend now is the short form, which includes a shortened version of the wedding video -- the most significant moments of the day -- put together in an artistic and beautiful way. This is the film that couples will watch again and again and proudly show family members and friends long after the wedding. Most filmmakers, as part of this package, also provide a long form video that includes the edited wedding footage as a whole for people who would like to watch the wedding video in more detail.
 
In addition, wedding filmmakers will often offer "cinematic" packages as well as "documentary" style video. More editing time goes into the cinematic packages, which show the footage in an artistic way and sometimes, out of sequence. Documentary style films will show the footage in its original sequence.
 
Another growing trend is the "Same Day Edit". The filmmaker will edit the video footage on location to provide a beautiful and entertaining film that will be presented during the dinner reception. This film will include footage of the ceremony and sometimes even the first dance. The couple's love story can also be added to this film if their interviews were prepared ahead of time. This is great way to introduce the bride and groom to family members and friends who may not have had the chance to meet the partner before the wedding. Family and other guests are always delighted to watch these films, and it creates a wonderfully intimate atmosphere.
 
Finally, another trend is the option of video broadcasting. Almost at every wedding there are family members or friends who live at a distance, and are not able to attend the wedding. The video can be broadcast on-line during the wedding for absent family members or friends to watch.

So there you have it! What kind of wedding video appeals to you?

Esther Andrews is a wedding filmmaker and owner of Newman Media Productions based in San Jose, California. She loves working with people at their happiest time in their lives and being able to preserve their memories in fun and entertaining films.

Interview with Esther, by Elizabeth

We had the chance to speak with wedding videographer Esther Andrews about choosing videographers and different wedding video formats.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a shopping site for wedding apparel, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.
 
How would you recommend a bride choose a wedding videographer?
 
Many brides nowadays search on the web for videographers. They look at a number of videographers' web sites, watch the demos on the site, and call the ones they like most. Although booking a videographer over the phone can be a real time saver, I recommend finding the right wedding filmmaker by meeting them personally.
 
There are a few reasons for this:

• Creating an impressive website is a skill on its own that has nothing to do with video production. So having a good site does not reflect on the quality of video the site owner will provide.
• A wedding is a team endeavor and every service provider at your wedding has to be a team player. The videographer has to share the space with the photographer, and has to be considerate of other service providers as well as your guests and most importantly - yourself.
• A wedding video has to reflect both you and your spouse's personalities, as well as your families' characters. If the videographer sees you for the first time at your wedding, he/she will not have enough information to produce the best movie for you. When I show an example of my work, I pay close attention to what they liked about the film, and find out if there is something they rather not have in their own wedding production. This proves to be very useful when I edit the footage and create a film that meets their personal taste.

 Finally, get plenty of information about wedding film production and all that goes into it, so you can make an informed decision about what options -- number of cameras, short form or long form video, etc. -- you would like included in your video.

What's the difference between HD DVD and Blue-Ray? Can you talk a little bit about what each is? With all the different formats for video, is there a best one for preserving wedding memories?
 
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard definition (SD) video. Most commonly it involves display resolutions of 1280×720 pixels (720p) or 1920×1080 pixels. Picture clarity is higher than SD and more detail is visible. Many film makers use HDV cameras, which provides 720p quality, and some also have cameras that provide 1920x1080, which is considered full HD.

The issue is, how does the video get delivered to the client?

If it gets delivered to the client on a common DVD, then the HD footage will be converted to an SD format in order to get authored to DVD. Blue-Ray, on the other hand, is capable of taking full advantage of the High Definition video. However, in order to watch a Blue-Ray disk, the client has to have a Blue-Ray player and also own a HD TV to watch the Blue-Ray disk. While HD TV's are now very common, Blue-Ray players are not as common, and many clients don't own a player or choose not to purchase one. In this case, in addition to watching the wedding film on a DVD, they can get the HD version on a hard drive for future viewing or view it on a media player that will play the HD film from a hard drive directly to TV. Media players are being made by several companies and are quite affordable, and a good example of a media player is the WD TV made by Western Digital.

Continue to Part II.

Esther Andrews is a wedding filmmaker and owner of Newman Media Productions based in San Jose, California. She loves working with people at their happiest time in their lives and being able to preserve their memories in fun and entertaining films.

     

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Do_It_Yourself_Free_Online_Wed.zip (237 KB)

My husband and I got married last summer at a fairly secluded beach with limited parking.  So when I thought about how all the guests would arrive at the ceremony, I started freaking out.  Even with massive carpooling plans, it would be difficult for the guests to find parking in a timely way.  I really needed to provide everyone with a map that laid out where all the potential parking spots in the vicinity. Since most of my guests were going to use Google Maps to find driving directions, I decided to create an online wedding map with Google Maps. 

Getting started

• Go to maps.google.com
• Click on the "My maps" link on the left (below the Google logo)
• If you are not logged in, click the "Get started" button and log into your Google account
• If you are already logged in, click the link on the top-left that reads "Create new map"
• Add a title and description about your wedding map for your guests.  I'd suggest making your map publicly viewable so your guests won't need a Google account to view it.

Adding places of interest

• Click the placeholder icon at the top of the map
• Zoom to your first location.  
• Click the location of your choice to place the icon -- you can always move this icon later
• Add a title and description for this place in the bubble that appears
• Click the icon in the upper right of the bubble to change its shape/type
• Click "Ok".  Congrats!  You've just added your first marker.  Now, rinse and repeat this section to add other places of interest.  For my wedding map, I added parking markers to indicate parking areas near our ceremony location and also added nearby hotels.  Feel free to add touristy-places-of-interest and nearby eateries/bars to your wedding map.

• After you've finished adding markers to your wedding map, click the "Done" button in the upper left corner of your screen
• Now click on the link that reads "Link" in the upper right corner of your screen.  The first link can be copied and sent to all your guests 

By Jennifer

(left to right, top to bottom)

• Terani 2010 Prom Dress 95057P - Head-turning, beaded prom-style dress with a fabulous strappy back. Find more pink Terani bridesmaid dresses
• Bill Levkoff Bridesmaid Dress 285 - Classic simple, clean V-neckline both in front and back. Find more European pink Bill Levkoff bridesmaid dresses
• Mori Lee Bridesmaid Dress 416 - Chiffon pink bridesmaid dress with a classic, elegant v-neck style and ruched waist band. Find more pink Mori Lee bridesmaid dresses
• Moonlight Me Too Bridesmaid Dress MT8857 - Sweetheart neckline combined with a halter bodice and empire waist. Find more cosmopolitan Moonlight bridesmaid dresses
• Forever Yours Bridesmaid Dress 78214 - Comes in bridesmaid, junior bridesmaid, and flower girl dress styles to create a matching bridal party. Find more rose/lipstick Forever Yours bridesmaid dresses
• Blush 2010 Prom Dress 9044 - Short bridesmaid dress with cute tiered skirt and strapless neckline. Find more coral Alexia bridesmaid dresses
• Jordan Bridesmaid Dress 637 - Knee length, pink bubble skirt with a thin sash accent around the waist. Find more primrose Jordan bridesmaid dresses
• Alfred Angelo Bridesmaid Dress 6133 - Satin dress with satin band and bow on an empire waistline. Find more pink sorbet Alfred Angelo bridesmaid dresses

Interview with Steve, by Elizabeth

     

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Wedding_music_band_DJ_songs_ta.zip (672 KB)

We had the chance to talk with Steve Ezzo, a professional musician, band leader, and DJ. He shares great advice on choosing songs for your wedding and on selecting a band or DJ.

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this wedding vendor.

What should a couple consider when deciding on either a band or a DJ?

I always tell couples that a band will have a repertoire of songs that they can play, so they should not expect a band to be a "human jukebox". Also a band will usually have a few styles of music that they are really strong at performing. My band for example, can play all types of music, but we really specialize in playing classic rock, funk, Motown and R&B.

Also, a band has that live energy that you just can't get from a DJ. On the other hand, a DJ can play just about any song that will be requested at a wedding. If I don't have a song that a couple wants, I download it for them prior to the event. Also, I subscribe to a service that allows me to stream songs on the web, so if I have an internet connection, I can play just about any song a guest might request. When a couple hires my band, I also bring my DJ laptop, and DJ the band breaks. This way the couple gets the best of both worlds.

How many songs are played at a typical wedding?

I generally don't like to play any song over three minutes. This would mean that in an uninterrupted hour of music, I would play 20 songs. So multiply 20 by the number of hours of the reception, minus toasts, cake cutting, bouquet & garter, etc.

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08 Here Comes The Sun.mp3 (954 KB)

How about a few songs for wedding inspiration? R&B wedding songs? Father daughter wedding songs?  Wedding first dance music?

A few old school R&B artists are Al Green, Wilson Picket, Sam Cook and Barry White. One of my favorite, current R&B singers is John Legend. My advice to couples for their first dance, and for dances with their parents, is the same. Pick a song that is meaningful to you, then actually try to dance to the song in your living room. You want to pick a song that is special to you, but also one that is easy for dancing. The biggest mistake I see couples make is not taking into account the length of the songs they pick. A five minute song may be great for listening, but five minutes alone on the dance floor can seem like an hour. Also, if you have a five minute first dance, a five minute father/daughter dance and a five minute mother/son dance, you have asked your guests to watch 15 minutes of solo dancing, which can get boring. Work with your DJ or band leader to fade out songs at two or three minutes if you have chosen longer songs.

Steve Ezzo is a professional musician and DJ with Ezzo Entertainment.  He is also the band leader and guitarist for Steve Ezzo & The Monterey Bay All-Stars. You can find more photos and his stellar client reviews on WeddingWire.

By Jennifer

(left to right, top to bottom)

• A-line Sweetheart Floor-length Silk Chiffon Quick Delivery/ Evening/ Prom Dress (OFGC0257) - Strapless, sweetheart neckline dress with a black lace patterned bodice
• Raylia Bridesmaid Dress 2235Z - Whimsical lace overlay on a cocktail / tea length dress, chiffon band and tulle hem
• Alfred Angelo Style #6555 - Elegant halter two piece ensemble with a lace and sash combination at the waist
• Bari Jay Bridesmaid Dress 432 - Colored lace on white with a ribbon belt, several colors for the lace are available
• Jordan Bridesmaid Dress 1828 -Black lace bodice with a satin trumpet skirt, strapless but comes with optional spaghetti straps
• Jordan Bridesmaid Dress 1829 - Choose matching skirt and lace color to complement the top
• Faviana Short Dress 6460 - Fun, flirty, and colorful dress, not quite lace but a sheer mesh pattern overlay on the skirt
• Beyond Prom Dress B10679 - Deep v-neck tea length dress with a band that accentuates the waist

By Jennifer

(left to right, top to bottom)

• Jovani Evening Dress 8211 - Mermaid style skirt with sweetheart neckline and ruffled and jeweled one-shoulder strap
• Faviana Dress 6235 - Based on the stunning red one-shoulder dress worn by Katherine Heigl at the 2008 Oscars
• Landa Bridesmaid Dress M826 - Poly chiffon bridesmaid gown with a one strap knotted neckline
• Terani 2010 Prom Dress 95216P - Sheer and dreamy, layered ball gown with beaded detailing on the shoulder strap and bodice
• La Femme 2009 Prom Dress 14499 - One-shoulder neckline and ruched bodice with empire waistline
• Tony Bowls Evenings Dress TBE2928 - One-shoulder taffeta and chiffon cocktail dress, bodice with a dramatic accent
• Jovani Cocktail Dress 155703250 - Jeweled little black dress with silver metallic fringe
• Tony Bowls Evenings Dress TBE2912 - Floor length floral printed gown featuring a sensational jeweled single shoulder strap

by Elizabeth

We want to thank the person who took the time to let us know today that several products in our catalog had been sold out on our retail partners' sites.  I'm happy to say we started working on it immediately, and three and a half hours later, we've removed every sold out product in our catalog.  Although we constantly check Shiny Orb to make sure it's running smoothly, we do miss things and really appreciate your letting us know about issues.  Even if something is not amiss, we'd still love to hear from you so we can continue to improve the user experience on Shiny Orb.

by Alissa, edited by Jennifer

       

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Alternatives_to_the_classic_wh.zip (414 KB)

Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this wedding vendor.

As a bride I found myself leaning toward the very traditional, and this applied to my cake as well. I wanted a simple white cake with a delicate lace pattern and a few fresh flowers to highlight my garden theme.

As a cake decorator, I encounter all kinds of different bridal personalities and am very often asked how couples can add unique touches to their cake while still upholding a delicious tradition.

• Alternative desserts - Serve cupcakes instead of cake or display a beautiful dessert bar a la Amy Atlas, with confections such as brownies, marshmallows and candy to match your colors.
• Colorful cakes - An obvious alternative to the standard white cake is a cake that complements your color scheme. Match your cake to your invitations or a beautiful piece of fabric that inspires you.
• Multiple cakes - Another trend I’m loving is having multiple smaller cakes of varying height to add an eye catching element to your reception.
• Unique cake shapes - Instead of round tiers, opt for square, hexagon and even heart shaped cakes. Check with your bakery since many bakers will charge more for exotic shaped cakes.

In the end, you need to choose a design you feel comfortable with and one that reflects you and your fiancé’s personalities and sense of style. Good luck!

Alissa Levine is the chef and owner of Pastry Girl Cakes in New York City. Pastry Girl Cakes specializes in providing high quality custom cakes, cupcakes and cookies for weddings, birthdays and other special events.