Lazy Bride's Blog

Styled Shoots Aren't a Real Wedding

Having been in the wedding industry for a decade now (gosh, time flies!), I've seen a lot of changes in the biz. The explosion of wedding blogs has had a huge impact, with brides having greater access to vendors' work in a timely manner. Brides today are far more savvy about details thanks to the proliferation of eye-candy just a mouseclick away. Wedding blogs have given brides the equivalent of 20 wedding magazines a day to oggle. And our industry is better for it, as the bar has been raised for all wedding pros to be more creative.

This is a styled shoot I did. We spent a lot of time moving those benches and flowers around. Photos by A Brit & A Blonde

Styled photo shoots are hugely popular as they give pros a chance to flex their creativity in a controlled environment. Stylists have free rein with the flowers, accessories and locations since they aren't worrying about facilitating guests' discussions across the table or that the design can fit in the budget when multiplied by 20 sets of tables or the linens won't clash with the ballroom's hideous carpeting (what is up with ugly hotel carpeting? But I digress...). Focusing on just one table, and having the time to shoot from every angle imaginable, photo shoots are able to showcase design in ways a real wedding can only dream of.

And there's the rub. Styled shoots are what dreams are made of. They are there to inspire, to be cherry-picked to fit into the harsh reality of a real wedding's confines. But they are not real weddings and should not be presented as such.

This is a real wedding. Note the numerous people. Photo by Z Molu

Planning a photo shoot and planning a wedding are two very different things. I have seen a number of rookie planners and photographers present styled shoots on their sites or blogs as if they are real, honest-to-goodness weddings. I understand that they may not have a large body of work from real weddings and hey, we all have to start somewhere. But the bug in my craw is presenting a photo shoot as though it was a wedding - it's misleading. It's the equivalent of walking into the bridal shop, putting on a wedding dress and expecting to look identical to the Photo-shopped/airbrushed/studio-lit model in the magazine ad. Real weddings don't have the luxury of placing every little item 'just so', making sure the light is perfect and moving things about to get the right angle. Usually, the photographer has a few minutes to take detail shots before the hordes of guests descend upon the reception space.

So brides, when perusing the web, if you see a gorgeous setting but there are no guests nor bridal party in any of the shots and it's not labeled as an elopement, chances are that it's a styled shoot. FYI.

And wedding pros, please, call a spade a spade. It's OK to have styled shoots on your site or blog - just call it that.

 

Wedding Invitations

You've decided on location and date but need Save the Dates and wedding invitations to let everyone know the good news. Where to turn? Check out William Arthur, purveyors of fine stationery for over 60 years. They offer a wide range of items, from Vera Wang's elegant paper designs (yes, that's THE Vera Wang of wedding dress fame) to fun DIY products you can print using your home computer. They even have wedding website templates that match their different invitation designs - talk about bringing all the details together effortlessly!

 

 Place your order and within 5 days, your printed stationery will be shipped to your door. How amazingly quick is that? Even the laziest, most last-minute bride can look like she spent oodles of time fussing over her paper products.

 

This invitation is from the William Arthur collection - so elegant!

 

The Printing

William Arthur stationery products are designed, manufactured and printed in West Kennebunk, Maine. From rich, full-color printing and fine embossing to the impeccable imprinting of each personalized order, they pride themselves in carefully handling and inspecting each order individually through numerous quality checks. They are also proud to be premier practitioners of the fine art of engraving, a tradition steeped in craftsmanship and history. 

 

 

 

Another William Arthur collection piece, part of their bamboo collection - yes, that's bamboo paper!

 

The Paper

William Arthur's exclusive paper is produced domestically, custom-made to their specifications using a special blend of premium quality hardwood and softwood fibers. They also import exquisite papers from around the world, assuring that William Arthur customers are delighted by fine stationery products that consistently meet or exceed their expectations.

Their envelope, cover and Bristol weight papers are 100% wood pulp, and text stationery is 75% wood pulp, 25% cotton. The exceptionally smooth finish achieved with predominantly wood pulp is considered by fine pen experts to be the ideal surface on which to write, and professional calligraphers agree: many write to tell William Arthur how much they prefer their paper to other writing papers.

William Arthur papers are produced under the most stringent environmental standards while their paper suppliers practice conscientious forest management to ensure sound harvesting of this 100% renewable resource.

Vera Wang - elegant as always...

William Arthur offers a full range of printing options. Not sure what the difference between engraving or letterpress is? Fear not, dear Lazy Bride, read on...

Blind Embossing:  It is used to create a raised design by pressing the image into paper. It is called "blind" because the design or type is formed without ink or foil.

Digital Printing: This flat printing method is achieved by laying down a screen of colored dots (known as CMYK, for the four colors from which all colors are composed: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). Digital Printing is a less expensive option for multiple-color printing and for images that are shaded or screened.

Engraving: Type or images are etched into a copper plate; the plate is inked and wiped clean, leaving ink in the impressions. Each piece of paper is hand-fed into a press where the paper is forced against the plate, resulting in a raised, inked impression. The faint indentation on the back of the paper is a sign of fine engraving. The plate or plates are provided with the order and can be reused.

Flat Printing: Technically known as Offset / Lithography, flat printing is recognized by clean edges and a smooth print. Flat printing is recommended for images that are shaded or screened.

Letterpress: A centuries-old technique in which raised words and images are inked and pressed directly into paper, leaving a crisp debossed impression that is enhanced by the tactile qualities of the paper on which it is printed.

Thermography: Thermography was created to imitate the look of engraved printing at a more economical price. Sometimes called raised printing, thermography is achieved when a powdered resin is applied to wet ink and heated to create a raised surface.

More Vera Wang - white on white, so refined!

Check out William Arthur for a full range of invitation options, from beachfun to elegant ecru, there is really something for every wedding budget and style.

What's In a Name

Hello Lazy Brides. I've missed you. Been a little quiet on the blogging front due to someone swooping in and taking my domain name. So, if you've headed over to www.lazybride.com lately, you likely were dismayed to find something other than the Lazy Bride you've come to know and love. While I sleep fitfully with the prospect of a trademark battle looming to regain my domain, I've changed the blog address over to www.thelazybride.com

Now, being technically challenged, it's taken me a while to figure out how to switch the address but by sheer luck, I've seemed to have done it without losing any posts from Lazy Bride. It's now business as usual and more fun and lazy wedding tips will be coming your way faster than Uncle Lou clearing the dance floor with his version of the Macarena.

Please update your bookmarks to our new address www.thelazybride.com

Stay tuned as more laziness ensues...

On Being a Technophobe

We live in a technology-driven world, where the latest gadget is clamoured after like the greatest thing since sliced bread. However, when it comes to your wedding, being a Luddite may be the best course of action. Technology is not perfect and you want to minimize any possible technical failures on your day. 

Case in point - at a recent wedding, the family friend who was officiating had downloaded the wedding ceremony onto his Kindle. Pretty cool, right? Well, not when it froze up right at the beginning of the ceremony, leaving him frantically trying to figure out how to fix it in front of 60 guests and an agitated wedding couple. After a few excruciating minutes that seemed like hours, he had to improvise it all. There is something to be said for the simplicity of paper.

Whether it's your first dance on an iPod or your seating chart on a computer, be sure to have a back up copy in some other form (ie the song on a cd disc, the seating chart printed out). The few minutes you spend creating a back up copy will save a lot of grief on the day should the wonders of technology fail.

Mmmmmarshmallows....

I've got a totally love-in going with etsy, I admit. And given you can find something so amazingly unique as homemade bluberry marshmallows, well, I think you all understand where the crush is coming from. If you're planning a dessert or candy bar at your wedding, consider including these delectable morsels from Mia Mallow. 

There is a mindboggling assortment to try out, including banana, cherry, red hot, coconut, lavender, mango, pomegranate, gourmet praline and pecan...even Mexican chocolate! Each marshmallow is cut into a cube of 1 1/2 inches (these are giants) and come in gift boxes of 6, 18 or 36.

Mmm, how sweet it is...

Vvvv...velum!

Looking for a simple, easy and frugal idea that ratchets up the decor quotient? Try velum covered candles!

Here's what you need: velum paper, glass cylinders (Save On Crafts , Dollar Tree), floating candles

Find a design that you like and photocopy it to sheets of velum paper.

Using a papercutter, cut the sheets to fit the size of the cylinders (you may want to use cylinders in a few different sizes and group them for visual interest). 

Wrap the velum around and secure with invisible tape.

Fill 3/4 full with water, add in floating candle and voila! Chic decor on a dime!

Where's the Beef?

Here's one way to make your wedding Lazy 'n Green as well as Lazy'n Frugal - cut out steak from your meal.  Offering chicken, fish or even pork will bring the price point down, as beef is usually the more expensive option. And eliminating beef helps the environment...a lot. A Japanese study for New Scientist magazine concluded that one kilogram of beef (four steaks) releases greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving a car for three hours. Researchers found that the gasses emitted in the chain of raising cattle required 169 megajoules of energy to produce 2.2 pounds of beef. Leave a 100-watt light bulb burning for 20 days and you'd use the same amount of energy. Over two-thirds of the energy used was just on producing and transporting the feed alone!

While I love a good steak every now and then, as consumers, our daily choices have an impact on our world. My suggestions - if you are going to eat beef, opt when possible for organic, free-range cattle, as other studies have shown that these grass-raised cows emit 40% less greenhouse gasses and consume 85% less energy. 

Now that's food for thought.

Get The Skinny On Skin Care and Save $$

I'm a sucker for cosmetics and yummy lotions, creams, shower gels and soaps, much to the chagrin of my pocketbook. So I did my little happy dance when I discovered The Skinny, a members-only site that features time-limited bargains on amazing skin care products. I'm talking 70% discounts here (oooh, that got your attention) on truly fabulous goods. Recent offerings included Tammy Fender Bulgarian Lavender Body Oil for $26 (regular price, $65).

More than just a bargoon-shoppers' Paradise, The Skinny has educational videos and free, personalized skin care advice. The founder, Lauren Forners, is a registered esthetician so she definitely has the skinny on skin care and her philosophy is to educate shoppers before they charge it. Afterall, all the savings in the world won't make purchasing the wrong beauty cream for you any kind of a bargain. 

Get the Skinny, save some dough and look ravishing for your big day!

Lazy 'n Green - Vera Wang Your Maids!

Can Vera Wang be considered lazy, green AND frugal?? Believe it or not, yes. Thanks so her bridesmaids dress collection, your gals can save money (prices range between $180 - $220), look fab and have a dress that they will actually want to wear again (how's that for environmentally friendly?). A reusable bridesmaid dress may sound like an oxymoron but take a look at these beauties and you'll be thinking of all kinds of swanky affairs to get an invite to just so you can wear the dress. Fashion-forward cocktail dresses as well as full-length Grecian-inspired gowns come in a variety of gorgeous colours and rich fabrics.

Since ordering is through the magic of the internet, your maids can order from wherever they may be. Do note that as each dress is made to order,  you'll need to allow at least 9 weeks for delivery so don't leave this to the last minute.

Dresses your maids will love and want to wear again? You'll be the bestest bride ever ;)

House Weddings & Hidden Costs

photo by Comfort Studio, design by Weddings Costa Rica

At first glance, a house wedding would seem to be the most cost-effective option compared to a restaurant, resort or hotel. Dig a bit deeper, though, and the ledger starts to add up, particularly if you're having a larger event.

If it's a rental house, there is likely an additional site fee to compensate for the additional wear and tear on the house, electricity and water usage and additional clean up needed by the house staff.

If it's a private residence (your's, friend's, relative's), there will likely need to be some additional landscaping, painting, minor repairs done to make the place 'wedding worthy'. If you're renting a tent and dance floor, the grass will probably be covered for a few days, causing it to brown or even die. Have some money in the budget for possible lawn first-aid.

Not having the infrastructure that a hotel or restaurant has, you'll be needing a number of items brought in, such as: tenting, dance floor, heaters or fans, lighting, portable toilets. You may also need to rent a generator, depending on the size of the wedding, power requirements for lighting, cooking, dj or band. 

You may need to purchase permits from the City for things such as alcohol consumption, on-street parking, tenting and noise. Check with your local civic office as you may find yourself slapped with a pricey ticket for an infraction otherwise. 

Although you'll save money by bringing in your own alcohol, a caterer's cost may be higher than a meal at a hotel or restaurant. You may also have to rent everything from forks to plates to chaffing dishes, depending on the caterer's contract.

If it's a private home, you may want to consider hiring a cleaning crew to leave the home spic and span the next day.

Having coordinated numerous house weddings over the years, I can say from personal experience that they are always much more work for my crew and I since houses simply don't have the staffing or infrastructure for events like hotels or restaurants. And more work for us means we have to charge higher fees for our services.

A house wedding is wonderfully intimate but be aware that there are additional costs involved that may not be apparent at the beginning of the planning.

Where are you hosting your wedding celebration?