Friendors

Friendors

August 25th, 2010 @ 11:09 am by Mrs. Glasses
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We have very few vendors for our backyard wedding. We’ve got our caterer and our rental company. My mom is a florist, and my girlfriends and I are baking our dessert bar.

And then there are our friendors.

Friendors : wedding los angeles photography videography N11701502

This is one of my bestest friends since middle school; let’s call her Trojan. She went to USC School of Cinematic Arts, you ever heard of it? It has produced the likes of Ron Howard, Bryan Singer, and Robert Zemeckis. Since graduating, Trojan has interned and worked at two prominent Hollywood production companies. And the girl is packing heat! She’s got a Canon EOS 550D/Rebel T2i, with two lenses: a 55–250mm with image stabilizer and an 18–55mm image stabilizer; she also has a UV protection filter and a polarizer filter. I have no idea what any of that means, but here’s a video of what the camera can do!

Wedding Highlight 2 from Stuart Cone on Vimeo.

I’m confident Trojan will make us a great wedding video. Although she has never shot a wedding before, she is putting her heart and soul into practicing and learning up. She is really excited and we are too!

Our other friendor is our photographer, Tam. Tam is my spiritual sister and we met in college. Not only does she have a beautiful heart, she takes beautiful pictures!

All images by Tam. T. Nguyen

Tam has worked as an assistant at a bridal photography company in Santa Barbara and now does freelance photography in the L.A. area. She is smart, sweet, and talented.

I know our friendors are going to do a great job; not only are they skilled, they love us and we love them right back. They’ll handle our photos and video with care. Our main priority for our guests on our wedding day is that they have a great time, so we will welcome our friendors to sit back, have some drinks, and enjoy dinner with everyone. We are taking a fairly low-key approach to videography and photography.

Budget brides and grooms, use your resources. Trojan is gifting our video and Tam is offering us a deep discount. We have saved a fortune on what are normally big-budget items. I know it can be nerve-wracking to ask a friend to help out, but in my experience, most of my close friends and family are very happy to be put to work. My design friends are helping me with our creative DIY projects, my glam friends are doing my hair and makeup, and some of my friends are putting on their aprons. Actually, once I started making wedding moves, a lot of my girlfriends asked, “So, what can I do to help?”

I am happy to say that, although we are not hiring many vendors, all of our vendors are small, local businesses. We are supporting them and they are supporting us! Aren’t weddings fabulous?

Do you have any friendors? Have you been surprised at the outpouring of friends and family willing to help at your wedding?

Tags: los-angeles, photography, videography |

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17 Responses to “Friendors”

Member

taupec (message) 143 posts, Blushing bee

Hello Mrs. Glasses,
I am getting married in my fiance’s uncles backyard in LA as well! and like you! on a tight budget!

Are either of your friends interested in working a wedding in June 2011?
I have yet to fine a photographer.

Thanks!

8/25/10 @ 11:34 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Glasses (message) 2,741 posts, Sugar bee

What a coinkidink! I will definitely ask them!

8/25/10 @ 11:36 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Elephant (message) 6,177 posts, Bee Keeper

That is so awesome to have friends skilled in those areas!

8/25/10 @ 12:06 pm (reply)

Guest

Crystal

We had a “friendor” photographer as well who charged us a VERY small fee and I learned you get what you pay for. I was soooo sad when I saw the pictures, I still a month later havn’t ordered any because I get to upset. Just be careful!

8/25/10 @ 12:29 pm (reply)

Member

MaryKatie3 (message) 27 posts, Newbee

we had a few! Our photographer was my DH’s uncle who is an amazing photographer and did it as a gift to us!

http://www.photographybynicholas.com

And we had my friend do our videography who wants to start a business so he did it for free as a portfolio piece!

My grandmother is a minister so she officiated.

AND we are musicians so the pianist and singers for the ceremony were friends and family!

8/25/10 @ 12:54 pm (reply)

Member

may2011bride (message) 79 posts, Worker bee

I am soooo lucky to have an amazing graphic designer as one of my best friends! She will be doing our save the dates, invitations, and many other various projects Check her out: http://www.heatherobriendesign.com/

8/25/10 @ 12:59 pm (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Taco (message) 950 posts, Busy bee

I had about five friendors. I think the key was paying them back 10-fold for their generous discounts (dinners out, presents, etc.)

8/25/10 @ 1:30 pm (reply)

Member

SandraMarie_1986 (message) 1,363 posts, Bumble bee

Wow, that is amazing. You and Mrs. Taco are so lucky! Yay for Friendors!

8/25/10 @ 2:00 pm (reply)

Member

KayMeiBee (message) 156 posts, Blushing bee

Just one “friendor” so far - my amazing baker! We are torn on whether or not to go ahead with our friend’s offer to photograph the wedding since our venue doesn’t let “responsible parties” drink and things.

8/25/10 @ 2:26 pm (reply)

10.

Guest

Purple Orchid

Most of our vendors were friendors and it worked out really well for us. At first, I didn’t think we had ANY friendors, but digging a little further, I found out friends and family had hidden talents. A friend made our STDs. We had a very outgoing and charismatic friend be our MC and he made the reception more initmate and fun. A former co-worker who decided to take up wedding photography gave us a really great discount on gorgeous photos. My MOH was able to put us in contact with her church choir and pianist who performed for our ceremony for free. She also had a friend who’s trying to break into the wedding industry as a wedding coordinator and volunteered to be our day-of-wedding coordinator. My MOH also put us in touch with a friend whose cousins performed Samoan dance for our reception. My aunt and cousins put together our flowers and bouts. A family friend made our church arrangements. My MOH, an art major, made our hand-drawn maps. Everyone provided their services for free or for a minimal fee (we gave everyone a gift or nice tip for their help). But just because friends and family are offering their services, you don’t have to take them up on it. Just like any vendor, you should take a look at their skills and determine if they can perform the kind of job you expect from them. If you don’t trust their skills, ability or responsibility, then politely say thanks but no thanks. I have a cousin (a pro DJ) offer us a “discounted” rate that we found was too expensive. ALthough he’s family, I had a gut feeling that I couldn’t really trust him to do that great of a job for what he was asking. It’s not worth the money you save to end up with a botched effort. I had our friend who wasn’t a professional but had the all equipment be our DJ and he did an awesome job.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask people you know or even ask friends and family if they know anyone to help. A lot of our friendors were actually friends of our own family and friends. We wouldn’t have found them with out our own friends and family spreading a good word

8/25/10 @ 2:42 pm (reply)

11.

Member

letta (message) 23 posts, Newbee

An artist friend of ours did the artwork for our invitations, and a BM who is a graphic designer is helping out as well. I think having friends help makes it more personal which is nice. I wish I knew a photographer and videographer though! Those are definitely two big pieces of the wedding budget!

8/25/10 @ 5:16 pm (reply)

12.

Member

MissMargie (message) 767 posts, Busy bee

Hmm have been torn about doing this just b/c I also want them to fully enjoy the wedding as much as any other guest….was that an issue at all for you before asking them Glasses?

8/25/10 @ 6:56 pm (reply)

13.

Member

jordynrose (message) 6,351 posts, Bee Keeper

Our officiant is a friendor! I would definitely not trust his job to a stranger.

8/25/10 @ 8:09 pm (reply)

14.

Bee

Miss Glasses (message) 2,741 posts, Sugar bee

@MissMargie: We’re taking a really casual approach and I absolutely don’t mind if they sit down and have drinks, converse with other guests, and have dinner. I want them to enjoy too. Just as long as I get specific shots (details, altar kiss, etc.) which I will discuss with them beforehand!

8/25/10 @ 9:01 pm (reply)

15.