Columbus Ohio Wedding Photography | Serving Westerville Delaware New Albany worthington Dublin

LADIES!!! Your wedding day is approaching and the hunt for that perfect dress is just so over whelming with joy and stress. I want to tell you about the cutest and hottest bridal boutique that just landed on N. State st. in Westerville, Bella Laccio Bridal. I was driving through town and noticed the boutique going through construction and immediately looked up Jen and added her to my Facebook friends! Jen and I got to meet up and have a chat in her store front while sitting on her big over-sized red couches sippin’ on a cup of joe and snackin’ on snickers! I was able to learn so much about Jen and her wonderful personality and immediately knew that she was going to be a high recommended vendor from me! Tonight was Jen’s open house and I got the chance to pop in and connect with some new photographer friends and meet new wedding vendors! This weekend she is having a Matthew Christopher Trunk Show – February 26-28th! I strongly encourage brides to go in, meet Jen and try on her amazing gowns that she has to offer.

Jen- I have sincerely enjoyed our lunches together and cant wait for many more! I just know we are going to be totally rockin’ friends! Go Snickerdoodles!

Bella Laccio Bridal is recognized by their AMAZING chandelier!

Jen has amazing selections of couture wedding gowns!

This is why I love Jen: Shes Stylish and Fun!!!

Go Jen-dawg….Its yo birfday!

If you havent seen enough of Jen or Bella Laccio Bridal check out her website HERE

You and your photographer(s) will be spending a lot of time together. Out of every vendor you hire for your wedding, the photographer is going to be with you the most. It is important to make sure you communicate well with your photographer and afford them the time they need in order to give you what you hired them to do.

When we shoot weddings that do not have coordinators we will help in constructing a time line of the day with the bride. This enables us to be on the same page as the bride and the rest of the wedding. Its important for us because we then know how to structure our shooting.

I attended a workshop a little while ago in New York City and the host of the workshop, Lawrence Chan, created a user group for all of the attendees. We usually have a topic to talk about and one of the topics was on questions that brides should have answers to. One of the questions was:

• What will help the photographer in getting great shots for the big day?

One of my favorite responses was from Shannon Kelley of Shannon Kelley Photography. She wrote:

“Remember the photographer when planning your wedding.  Think about the lighting at the reception and let them know. Make sure to talk about the time line of the day and set enough time aside for pictures, and enjoy the day!”

Her answer really sums up all that needs to be done by the bride:

• Keep the photographer in mind when planning
• Know that extremely low light does affect the photographer
• Go over the time line with the photographer
• Budget enough time to get what you want
• Most importantly, ENJOY THE DAY!

Budgeting time for great pictures is just as important as hiring a great photographer. It doesn’t matter how amazing your photographer is if they dont have any of your time. Get a solid time line down and you will have nothing to worry about! The only thing left to do is have fun at your wedding and cherish the moments.

Here is one of Shannon’s eye candies! Enjoy!

I walked into Clover Valley Golf Club to a striking red and black decor. Susan, who owns The Wedding Workshop is a wedding decorator in central Ohio. The air smelt of a freshly cleaned building and….SUGAR?? I glanced over to my left and saw the giant candy table Susan set out to display. “Take what you want!!” she kindly offered to me. Oh, well, I mean, if you’re twisting my arm and calling me bad names!! I grabbed me a handful of M&M’s and with a very happy stride, I walked away. But then came back multiple times. Susan decided to do two different mock receptions with Clover Valley. A classy red and black and then (my favorite) pink, green and orange! What a perfect setup to see to get me into spring mode!!

Here is the Pink, Green and Orange set up!

Tall skinny caramel macchiato please….After ordering my hot beverage from a local Starbucks I glanced over to see the beautiful Meleka Murphy Joliff walking through the door. Styled in her fabulous button down wool coat, black tights and Aldo high heeled boots. We immediately eyed each other and exchanged long distance waves from across the room. As she walked towards me to order herself a hot yummy beverage I was caught off guard by her flowing model-like strut. She could have been placed next to Tyra Banks and would have completely fit in. We exchanged hugs and hello’s and found ourselves a table. Finally, getting a chance to get to know Meleka was a huge honor for me. Meleka is a fabulous wedding planner who any bride would be lucky to have. Her ideas are funky fresh, extensively creative and endless. Her personality and kindness would win over any Polar Bear….( I chose polar bears because they are MEAN!)

I did a Q&A for Meleka to let all you brides out there know how awesome and stress relieving it is to hire a wedding planner. A wedding planner is NOT to be confused with your wedding coordinator  that comes with your venue. A personal wedding planner goes MUCH deeper into detail.

• Q: Will the consultant commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can’t afford?
• A: We are use to working with a budget, no mater how big or small it is! We realize not everyone knows how much a photographer usually charges for a wedding or how much is too much for a wedding cake. But we do! We’ll work with you to save money without compromising the things that matter most to you and your finace.
• Q: Will the consultant devise a master plan mapping out all the little details, from announcement to zebra-striped decor?
• A: Yes, organization is one of the things I do best. From the time you sign the contract to the time you leave for your honeymoon everything will be mapped out in a organized timeline.
• Q: Can the consultant name the best and most original locations in your area (that would be suitable to your wedding size, style, and budget)?
• A: Yes. I am constantly gathering information about local wedding vendors in our area for all price ranges.
• Q:Is the consultant familiar with the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in your price range? Can he/she explain their strong points to you briefly? (Ask yourself: Does the consultant seem both knowledgeable and passionate?)
• A: MMJ Events has put a lot of time and effort into building relationship with vendors. We know who will provide you with that perfect look.
• Q: Can the consultant score you some discounts with any vendors? (Consultants bring volume to favored vendors; often they’ll reciprocate by slashing prices or throwing in extras.)
• A: Discounts are a perk of hiring a planner. Vendors will see you as a repeat customer because of the multiple clients we send their way. Whether it’s 10% off or a free extra it’s a way of saying thanks!
• Q: Will the consultant read over the vendor contracts for you? What are some common traps to look out for?
• A: Yes. I will sit down with you personally to review every vendor contract to ensure you are receiving the services you should be and are not getting charged for things you should not be. People don’t always know what a corkage fee or cake cutting fee is and then end up paying a significantly more money at the end then they had planned.
• Q: Can the consultant create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process — vendors, members of the wedding party, bride/groom, and families — what to do and when to do it? How will she/he make sure that everyone sticks to the schedule?
• A: I will make a timeline for everyone in the planning process. The two planners on site the day of the wedding are there to make sure that everyone is where they are suppose to be when they are suppose to be there.  Your wedding is about being with friends and family while becoming husband and wife. Neither you nor your family should be stressed about whether a certain vendor has arrived or not.
• Q: Can the consultant counsel you on etiquette matters and alert you to hot trends on the wedding horizon?
• A: Part of a job of a planner is keeping up to date with hot trends.  I am consistently working on educating myself in the wedding industry attending workshops, conferences, and researching trends.
• Q: Will the consultant coordinate delivery, arrival, and setup times with photographer, florist, musicians, caterer/banquet manager, et al?
• A: On the day of your wedding there are always at least two coordinators there to help with arrival and setup of the vendors. Each vendor will receive a call the week of the wedding confirming times and location.
• Q: For the day of the wedding, will the consultant be willing to oversee the entire event by supervising vendors, troubleshooting emergencies, and soothing nerves? Can she/he share any anecdotes that required performing above and beyond the call of duty?
• A: This is in part one of the most important jobs of a planner.  Your wedding should flow smoothly without you having any worries. The two coordinators will be involved in ironing out as many of the unexpected wrinkles that happen to appear.
• Q: Will the consultant be willing to step in as your advocate, conveying your visions and desires to vendors when you don’t feel up to the task?
• A: Yes, if for any reason you are unable to attend a vendor meeting, I will be there to make sure the vendor understands your vision and expectations.
• Q: Will the consultant help plan and book your honeymoon?
• A: I am an experience traveler and I love giving my clients suggestions on honeymoon locations.  However, handling the details of the honeymoon is an add-on service to our package. If you choose not to add it on I have a great travel agent referral.
• Q: What happens if you have not worked my venue before?
• A: Each venue operates differently; therefore we will visit the property ahead of time and work with your on-site coordinator to gain a thorough understanding of how they function
• Q: My venue provides an on-site coordinator, so why do I need to hire an independent planner?
• A: On-site coordinators are wonderful, but they are limited as to what they can do for you. Your independent coordinator is there to do such things as review vendor contracts, getyou discounts with certain vendors, help you stay within your budget, offer etiquette advice, be there at your rehearsal, ceremony, and reception to make sure everything goes smoothly. Your event planner will make sure your event has the “wow factor” and much more!

Contact Meleka for more information on wedding planning services! MMJ events

After a week and a half of running the contest for the 2009 Best Engagement Photo I am proud to announce that Brandon and Melissa Dickson are our winners! Congratulations to them both and I cant wait to see what image they chose for their free portrait!!

Honestly, I loved this contest so much that Im going to hold a “Best of 2009 WEDDING photo” I’m trying to decide what category I want to pick, but this blog contest should be up and going within the next week! Keep an eye out!

 That morning I woke up, routinely grabbed my coffee, peered out the window…..and saw FROST. Frost? As in like Jack Frost nipping at your nose….Frost was here and so was the time to get out and shoot a wedding in it. Stubbornly I through on my nice black dress pants a Cami, turtleneck, woolly grey cardigan and my winter coat. I was READY! Ready to freeze. Jenny and Kyle had a beautiful Old Hollywood themed wedding. I think they did a marvelous job at pulling it off. Jennys hair and makeup were done by her fabulous brides maids who constantly fixed her up when needed. It was like having her own personal hair and makeup crew for the day. I could seriously get used to having them around. My eyes would water and her best friend Catie was at my side wiping away my tears. How wonderful!

Jenny and Kyle opted to do a first look! Something I wish every bride and groom would do! Their ceremony was held at 6:30pm and it was going to be to dark to shoot. So we hit up Nationwide Arena and had a BLAST! Here are some samples of their wedding portraits!