Hi all! Since I last left you, I was in a conundrum about photographers. We had met with 2 amazing people, but alas, we can only choose one. The person we picked is Katy Batdorff! If you recall from my last post, she was the $850 option. So far, I have LOVED talking to her and discussing our ideas for pictures. She is very laid back and has a beautiful eye for the art of photography.
We chose her because, after many many discussions with many people (because apparently I need at least 200 people to agree with our decision), I realized that of all of the wedding decisions we will be making, photography is probably the most important one. This is how we will be remembering our wedding day for the rest of our lives. And it's super-duper important to me because I do it myself! Sure, I want good food, good music, pretty table deco's. But all of those things will not be remembered in 50 years. It will be the people we spend it with, and the pictures we can look back on. Therefore, we are willing to spend a little more to get that extra special feeling for our pictures.
Next step...engagement pics! We decided we want to do ours on the pier and beach in Grand Haven. Mr. Spaghetti proposed on the pier so it would be super meaningful to have some done out there. We are hoping to have them done either this weekend or next. Stay tuned for sneak peeks!
What factors helped you decide on a photographer? Any tips or ideas for awesome beach photos?
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Photographer Update
Well in my last post I was somewhat, um, distraught, about photographers. Since then, I've googled just about every single photographer in the state of Michigan. I've gotten some quotes all over the board, from $450 up to over $2500, and I've scheduled meetings with my top 2 contenders!
First up is Katy Batdorff Photography, a local photographer with an artistic flair. I like the perspective of a lot of her shots.
And the second meeting will be with Huisman Photography, also from the Grand Rapids area. They are a husband/wife team that has a more traditional, but beautiful, style.
Before I give you the quotes I received from these wonderful studios, I'll explain what I was looking for in a photography package:
Alivia Duran Photography quoted $900 for a package with my specifications. She does stunning work and I would definitely be interested in meeting her, however she is out of the country currently and we won't be able to do so quite yet. We'll see how this weeks meetings go.
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
First up is Katy Batdorff Photography, a local photographer with an artistic flair. I like the perspective of a lot of her shots.
And the second meeting will be with Huisman Photography, also from the Grand Rapids area. They are a husband/wife team that has a more traditional, but beautiful, style.
Before I give you the quotes I received from these wonderful studios, I'll explain what I was looking for in a photography package:
- engagement session
- 5 hours of coverage
- cd or dvd of full-resolution images with no copyrights
Alivia Duran Photography quoted $900 for a package with my specifications. She does stunning work and I would definitely be interested in meeting her, however she is out of the country currently and we won't be able to do so quite yet. We'll see how this weeks meetings go.
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Wedding Photography Woes
According to my handy little checklist, now is the time that I should start looking for a photographer. The problem with this is, I am a wedding photographer. My mom and I have a small side-business doing wedding photography. There are many things in our wedding that I am planning to DIY...wedding photography is unfortunately not one that I can do. Nor is it one that Mr. Spaghetti or any family members would let me do (believe me, I've mentioned it once or twice and gotten quite a bit of flack).
So my dilemma lies in knowing how much it actually costs to photograph a wedding, versus how much people pay for it. I will tell you that the prices my mom and I charge are considered "budget", and are on the low end for our area. But so far the lowest price I can find is $700, and that is basically 5 hours of shooting and a DVD of all the pictures, copyright free. I'm not saying that wedding photographers don't deserve every penny they get, I know it is a lot of work. But average prices around here are $2000-$2500. I just can't justify that. Nor would I ever pay that!
Is there anything in your wedding that you couldn't justify spending much on? How did you handle it?
So my dilemma lies in knowing how much it actually costs to photograph a wedding, versus how much people pay for it. I will tell you that the prices my mom and I charge are considered "budget", and are on the low end for our area. But so far the lowest price I can find is $700, and that is basically 5 hours of shooting and a DVD of all the pictures, copyright free. I'm not saying that wedding photographers don't deserve every penny they get, I know it is a lot of work. But average prices around here are $2000-$2500. I just can't justify that. Nor would I ever pay that!
Is there anything in your wedding that you couldn't justify spending much on? How did you handle it?
Monday, July 9, 2012
A Walk in the Park
We've done it! We have booked our venue! June 8, 2013 is the date and with this part done I feel soooo relieved. We are booking the lodge (I refuse to call it a "shelter" any longer) and picnic area at Johnson Park in Grand Rapids. This way, we will have backup if we end up with more than 150 guests (that is the capacity for inside the lodge). Plus we can plan the ceremony near the picnic area because it is more shaded and flat.
We had previously looked at other county park lodges, but I was disappointed in the space and area of the park they were in. For example, the lodge at the park in Byron Center was nice, but had almost no yard, and no porch. The lodge at Johnson Park has a big wrap around porch and sits back in a quiet wooded corner of the park. The interior is very rustic, and has 20 large wooden picnic tables. There is a small kitchen with a fridge/freezer, stove, and sink.
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
We had previously looked at other county park lodges, but I was disappointed in the space and area of the park they were in. For example, the lodge at the park in Byron Center was nice, but had almost no yard, and no porch. The lodge at Johnson Park has a big wrap around porch and sits back in a quiet wooded corner of the park. The interior is very rustic, and has 20 large wooden picnic tables. There is a small kitchen with a fridge/freezer, stove, and sink.
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Step by Step
If you haven't guessed by the name of my blogs, I am a bit of a budgeter. So then why, I ask you, is it so hard for me to focus on one of the most important essentials of wedding planning? THE BUDGET! I don't know why. Perhaps it's because I am so excited to get to the fun details, like decorations, flowers, etc. and see how good of deals I can get on them:)
However, I can't disagree with myself on that. Investigating the costs of things like that will actually help me to set a realistic budget. If I don't know how much a DJ costs, how can I budget for it, right? So, how important is the budget in your wedding planning? How quickly did you set one, and did you stick to it?
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
However, I can't disagree with myself on that. Investigating the costs of things like that will actually help me to set a realistic budget. If I don't know how much a DJ costs, how can I budget for it, right? So, how important is the budget in your wedding planning? How quickly did you set one, and did you stick to it?
Happy planning!
Miss Spaghetti
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Venue Search Begins
Knowing that Mr. Spaghetti and I are not looking to have a traditional, big, expensive wedding and reception, that we would rather have an intimate, casual gathering, we are beginning our venue search. Neither of us are involved in any specific religion, and we want to have an outdoor ceremony. We had a few people suggest a few local parks, and after googling them repeatedly to find others who have had their weddings there, I think we've found a few good options!
The Kent County Parks here in Michigan each have an "enclosed shelter". Now, I hate how this sounds like a shed or somewhere you would go in case of a tornado. It truly is a bad name for them. They are actually large, rustic halls with full kitchen, restrooms, fireplaces, 3-sided porches, and room for dancing.
The best part---rental is under $500 for the whole day! And you have the freedom to choose a caterer, make your own food, bring your own alcohol, anything you want! Or you can just rent it for the 1st half or 2nd half of the day for under $300. Can't beat that!
The Kent County Parks here in Michigan each have an "enclosed shelter". Now, I hate how this sounds like a shed or somewhere you would go in case of a tornado. It truly is a bad name for them. They are actually large, rustic halls with full kitchen, restrooms, fireplaces, 3-sided porches, and room for dancing.
http://www.accesskent.com/CultureLeisureAndTransit/Parks/johnson.htm
The best part---rental is under $500 for the whole day! And you have the freedom to choose a caterer, make your own food, bring your own alcohol, anything you want! Or you can just rent it for the 1st half or 2nd half of the day for under $300. Can't beat that!
Monday, June 4, 2012
So many purples!
My girls and I took a trip out to Hobby Lobby, Michael's and Bed Bath & Beyond to check out silk flower options. Found the most realistic by far at BB&B! I saw so many purples and blues but not one was right...until I found these hydrangeas. I am thinking I'll add in sone of these whitish flowers as well, can't remember what they are :)
The hydrangeas are $9.99 regular price, and the white ones are $5.99. Pair that with a sale or use the 20% off coupon I so often get, and that's a beautiful and inexpensive bouquet!
The hydrangeas are $9.99 regular price, and the white ones are $5.99. Pair that with a sale or use the 20% off coupon I so often get, and that's a beautiful and inexpensive bouquet!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)