For wedding consulting I think the industry is definitely growing and I think more and more people are hiring wedding planners than they used to and I also think that it’s–it used to go if they just wanted someone–the family would want someone there for the day of, but that’s still you know such a struggle because it’s also hard for people who are hired just the day of an event. It’s very difficult because you don’t know; you haven’t worked with any of these vendors before–typically the planner will call and just introduce themselves, so you haven’t made any decisions; you don’t know–you know a cake is supposed to be delivered but you have no idea really what you know–what exactly it’s supposed to look like. So it’s hard because you have a little bit of control but not really very much and so it’s been very difficult and plus you’re not there to advise your client the entire way. Whereas now weddings seem to be getting bigger and they’re much more an event and experience especially all these weekend weddings and I think that that’s why the industry is growing–people want bigger weddings; they really want to make it this huge experience for their families and friends and they really want their families and friends to feel like they’re taken care of. So wedding planners need to be able to take care of all events that go with–aside from just the wedding and reception but to be able–all the logistics for the pre and postevent as well as take care of the bridal party and everything that do-of–really just–it’s no longer just something that’s just for one day. It–it kind of runs for three or four days you know sometimes and it’s just things are getting bigger and bigger. And so wedding coordinators and planners need to be able to prepare for that and have the staffing for that and have the facilities and the– the time to really be able to devote their time to such large events.

And do you find that that’s the key reason why there are more wedding consultants now than say 20 years ago?

I definitely do. I definitely do. I think there’s just a huge–and it’s–and with these big events, it’s–they’re even more detailed and personal than they used to be you know with all these you know monogrammed you know little gifts that each you know–gifts that each guest receives at a wedding that are left on the–the tables for dinner, just–and the personalized little notes and then with you know no longer it’s the guestbook but now there’s you know plates that people sign and making sure the plate moves around and you know it’s the–the couple can have this plate on–to display at their home on their mantle. It’s just all these little things of personalized touches that people don’t want to do the tradition–the traditional guestbook or–or things like that–that the wedding planner has to be on top of all that and making sure that all those little details that make it a personal wedding are implemented and Page 4 of 30 followed through with by all the other vendors.

So detailed orientation is–is one thing, so what are some of the other characteristics that one would look for in a wedding consultant?

If you or a freind are taking the wedding photos here is a list of the key shots which you must absolutely try and get!

Before The Ceremony

• Bride and bridesmaids dressing (keep it G rated!) 

A shot of the bouquets and boutonnieres prior to being put on. A good alternative is the slow zoom out, or reveal shot. Groom getting ready, horse playing with groomsmen. You can try some staged shots. A classic is the reservoir dog’s intro with all the groomsmen.
Or, the best man checking his watch in response to the groom’s question, or the best man proving he’s still got the ring in his pocket.

• Groom getting boutonniere placed by his mother

• Detail shots 

• Additional detail shot ideas: Bride’s shoes, wedding gown on a hanger, bride’s earrings, and other jewelry, the details of the gown and bouquets, ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket.

• Exterior church. A nice shot might start at the top of the church steeple, and then pan down to reveal the entire building. Try to take architectural shots at an angle, not standing flat in front of one wall. 
 
• Wedding party arriving at church. If the limo takes them, try to get a shot of the limo departing the bride’s house, and another of the limo arriving at the church. At The Ceremony

• Continuous roll of ceremony, from prior to the bride’s entrance to the couple’s walk down the aisle at the end. Ideally, use two cameras. Place one in the back third of the church, near the aisle. Start the other handheld, positioned on the bridesmaids’ side of the aisle at the altar Shoot the procession, letting the bridesmaids walk past your position. After the bride arrives on her father’s arm, move to a tripod placed behind the officiate and on the groom’s side. This gives the best shot of the bride during the vows. This movement MUST be coordinated and cleared with the officiant, which is why it’s necessary to attend the rehearsal. If the officiant won’t allow this, just place the front camera on the tripod from the beginning.

• Another tip on the processional: Don’t make every shot a pan, or at least not a full pan. 

You really don’t need shots of people’s backs as they walk past the back camera and on up the aisle. Pan a little to keep them in frame, but as they get to the back camera, stop the pan and let them walk out of frame.

• Any special touches in the ceremony, like a solo song, unity candle lighting, etc.

• Reaction shots of bride and groom’s families, especially during the vows.

• Try a depth of field shot - For example, the soloist in focus with the Bride and Groom in the background out of focus, then gently shift focus to Bride and Groom… things like that. 

• (At the rehearsal, I tell the Bride and Groom to stop a few feet in front of the back camera as they come down the aisle at the recessional, and kiss. This is a nice touch.)
At The Reception

• Exterior shots of the reception venue, if it is at all photogenic. Cutaway shots of flowers, fountains, statues, etc. 
 
• Limo arriving at reception, and wedding party getting out. This one’s important. While you are setting up your gear at the reception, you or your assistant should keep a sharp lookout for the arrival of the bridal party!

• Wedding party entering reception. (This, and sometimes the best man’s toast, are about the only shots at the reception that I’ll use a tripod for.)

• First dance. This is the most important dance to shoot, and here are some of my tips for getting good dance footage:  maybe twice, never thrice. 

• Mom’s dance with the groom.

• Dad’s dance with the bride. This one can be a real tear-jerker, if you take a close-up with one camera, and a full shot with a second camera. 

• Best man’s toast. This is best shot with two cameras, one on the best man, the other getting a reaction shot from the bride and groom.

• Cake cutting. 
 
• Garter removal and toss.

• Guest book signings. 

• Any other special dances and ceremonies at the reception. You’ll see stuff like the
Chicken Dance, Electric Slide, conga line, Hokey Pokey, etc. at many receptions.

• Interviews with guests.

• Interview with the bride and groom. (This may be easier to do if you can arrange a separate interview shoot, rather than trying to squeeze it into the reception when there are so many other demands on the Bride and Groom’s time and attention).

• Cutaways and detail shots - cake, presents, decorations, flower arrangements, the DJ or band, etc. Get a copy of the wedding announcement, and anything like souvenir napkins, etc. for later copy stand work. If the bar has a lot of glasses set up, shoot a detail shot through the glasses. Get a shot of a dinner plate being served. If buffet style,
truck or zoom-reveal the buffet. Detail shots of the Bride and 
 
Groom champagne glasses. Centerpieces on the tables, and
anything unique. 

• Romantic Moments. 

• Children: Want to get a response from a child? 

• Guests saying goodbye.

• Bride and Groom exiting the building and getting showered with confetti.

• Bride and Groom getting into the limo; limo driving away.
Have a great wedding!

Perhaps the most important thing that must be done when you are ready to begin planning your wedding is to first create your budget. Your budget is important because it is almost impossible to know what you can afford for each aspect of the wedding if you don’t give yourself a limit to the overall spending costs. For most people, creating the budget is the hardest job to do because you want to have the nicest and most memorable wedding that you can afford.

Creating your Wedding Budget
 
The days when the wedding is paid for by the parents of the bride are practically gone now. Parents will often contribute to the wedding cost as a gift to the couple, but it rather rare for parents to cover the whole cost of the wedding these days.

Usually it is because the parents simply can’t afford it, but couples today often prefer to pay for their own weddings because it ensures that they can do it the way that they want to without interference.
 
A lot of the time, parents will forego paying for the wedding and pay for the honeymoon instead. Basically this makes creating your own budget very important; especially if you are paying for both the wedding and the honeymoon yourself.

These days, 4 out of 5 couples pay for their own wedding and it helps to know how your budget should be broken down When creating your budget, you will first begin with the overall amount that you can afford to spend. The average wedding today costs approximately $19,000. This is not a definite, but this is what the figures currently show.
 
Now you will need to take that starting amount and apply it to an actual separate dollar amount. If you are not good at percentages, you can always utilize the internet and check with the various websites that offer you free or cheap wedding budget calculators that will do it for you.

With these calculators, all that you have to do is give it the total budget amount and then it will calculate for you how much money in dollars that you will have to spend on each aspect of your wedding.
 
Once you have figured out the dollar amount that you can spend on each aspect of the wedding, you can then begin to create a chart that will itemize the list for you.