Weddingbee

I am now meeting with only people who do both photo and video. I think I’ve seen enough photographers who work on their own to have a good idea of what I am looking for. I’m looking at photo and video people who work together, because it might save me some money.

Photo/Video I - 5 West Studios

Please go to their website for pictures and a demo clip of their video

Package & Pricing

Photography

• Digital pictures
• 4 hour basic coverage, but you can buy additional hours
• Negatives on CD or DVD (your choice)
• Online proofing
• Proof book
• Assistant
• $250 per hour
• $200 for engagement session
• Sales Tax additional
• Albums are coffee table style, with about 100 images - base at $350 plus $12 per page. Additional albums are discounted.

Videography

Package 1

• only available on off season
• 7 hours of shooting
• 1 camera and 1 camera operator
• 1 DVD
• $1,400

Package 2:

• 9 hours of shooting
• 2 cameras and 2 camera operators
• 3 DVD’s
• $1,800

Package 3:

• 11 hours of shooting
• 3 cameras and 2 camera operators
• Online highlight footage
• Raw footage (everything they shot during the day)
• 5 DVD’s
• $2,300

Final Rating:
A-/B+

This photographer takes some amazing shots. Very photojournalistic and has a good eye for detail shots. He takes about 500 to 700 photos which was the only thing that concerned me a little, since I was expecting over 1000. However, the quality of his photos are really good, so I don’t think I will have any problem coming up with 100 or 120 really good shots for an album. He touches up a little bit on photos that go into an album. If you are looking for a very reasonably priced photographer, this is it! His photos are very good, especially for someone in this price range.

The video that I saw was also very good for its price. The editing during the fast songs were a bit choppy (went from one scene to the next very quickly), however, the editing during the slower songs was very good. I got teary eyed when I saw the groom getting ready, in black and white. He was showing off how he looked to his groomsmen, and they gave him a hug for good luck. Awwwwwww.

I told him that I liked this slower feel better, and he said just to remind him of it when it comes time. The bonus? If you liked Iris Cinema, then you’ll like the feel of this group - the videographers used to work for them! There is a whole range of videographers between this price range and the higher price range, but again, I think this video is very good for the price. You can also customize your package, depending on what you want added (example - online highlight of the wedding video).

Note: If you book them together, you get a discount of 5%.

Photographer Search I
Photographer Search II

I’m almost done meeting with photographers! As much as I love seeing different styles of photos and meeting with different personalities, I am tired of running around all over the city and running out of work just to get to these meetings! I’m putting cab drivers’ children through college with all the money I’m spending on them. Why do all photographers work from the west side!

Anyway, I met three photographers this weekend.

Photographer 4 - Daphne Borowski

Basic Package:

• Digital pictures
• 8 hours
• Website for online pictures
• Proof book
• Assistant

Cost:

• Prices (including albums prices) are available upon request

Final Rating:
A-

I think her pictures are absolutely fantastic. She has some great shots that are not on the website, my favorite being a wedding ring on the bride’s finger while she is getting ready. Her style reminds me of something out of a classic 50’s movie - very classic and very elegant. She also takes portraits of brides to make sure that you have that one shot of you where you look absolutely perfect.

She takes about 600 to 700 shots for the 8 hours, and does all different types of albums, including coffee table (my favorite!). She also touches up all of the pictures when they go into an album (wow). I loved her personality - very frank. I talked to her like she was my friend, not someone whom I would potentially hire.

Finally, she works with a specific group of videographers (if you were interested in hiring a videographer through her), and their videos were really good. I don’t know which company does it or if it’s even a different company - all I know is that you book them through her. If you like her style, then I would definitely go in for a meeting, and ask about the videos too!

I ordered my magnets a while back, and they came out really great! Considering that I wasn’t that happy with the picture itself, the magnet looks fantastic!

For you DIY people, here is what I did to send out the magnets in a nice, simple fashion.

First, I bought some cardstock, 3.5″ x 5″ in ivory color. I think ivory is a much better color for wedding stuff. Plain white is too office-like. This size was perfect for my magnets, since the magnets were 2″ x 3.5″.

I searched everywhere for a store that would print some words on the cards. However, as soon as you tell them it’s card stock paper, they tell you no (Kinkos and Staples) because it will jam their printers. Apparently the paper is too thick.

Well, they are all liars. I printed mine on a HP DeskJet printer (a nice one) and it printed just fine. You have to remember to set the paper size to match the card size you are using, both on the page setup as well as the printer setup. Also, there is a place on printer setup where you can specify the type of paper you’re printing on - if you set it to something similar to matte paper, or thick paper or photo paper, it will print fine. You just have to specify to the printer that the paper is thicker than ususal.

On top, it says “We’re getting married!” On the bottom, it says “Invitation to Follow.” I also drew a box (smaller than the magnet) in MS Word, so that I could align the magnets later without any hassle or guess work.

To glue the magnets on, I used glue dots. They also have pop-up glue dots, which will raise the magnets above the paper, however I opted for the regular glue dots.

To apply the glue dot onto the magnet, do NOT peel it off. Press the magnet against a glue dot and it will attach automatically. If you look carefully at this picture, you can see that I circled the glue dot in red. And when your guests receive the card, the magnet will detach itself from the glue dot without any work.

After putting two glue dots on the magnet, I pressed it down on the card. Here is the finished product.

I then printed addresses on clear address labels. A small one for my own address on the back, and a regular sized label for the front. Remember to buy inkjet labels if you have an inkjet or deskjet printer. If you buy laserjet labels and print them on an inkjet printer, it will take forever to dry and it might smudge if it is not dried completely, making the entire label unreadable (and undeliverable!)

Here is a completed product of my Save the Dates! I’m so excited! Just to be extra cautious, I am sending out an example one to a friend to make sure that it goes through the mail without any problems. You can never be too careful…

One final note - please use stamps that are more wedding appropriate. Don’t you think they look so much better than the usual American flag stamps? It’s just more…romantic and classy.

Mr. Butterfly has an old friend who is invited to our wedding. He hasn’t seen her in a few years, but has kept in touch every few months for the past 4 years. She also happens to be some sort of an investor in a restaurant. Since Mr. Butterfly and I were looking for an appropriate place to have the rehearsal dinner, he thought it would be a great idea to ask her.

I just found out that he basically sent her an email asking, “Hey, can I get a discount on your restaurant?”

Seriously?

SERIOUSLY.

I can’t believe he actually did that. So in case any of you don’t know the proper way to ask someone for a discount, especially a friend, this is what I would do.

1. Inquire about them first. “I hear you own a restaurant now. How’s business? I hope everything is going well. Good luck with it.”
2. Inquire about the service that you are buying. “Miss Butterfly and I were thinking of having our rehearsal dinner at a restaurant in the city. Do you think your restaurant is appropriate for a nice dinner for about xx people for a rehearsal dinner?”
3. Tell them that you are interested. “If you think it’s a good place for a rehearsal dinner, I’d love to come and see the place and look at the menu, if you dont mind.”
4. Go look at whatever they are selling, and inquire about price at this point. “I think this restaurant is a possibility for our rehearsal dinner. What do you think a price range would be per person if we were to have a rehearsal dinner here?”
5. Compliment on their service. “The menu is really great, and my fiance and I agree that this is a very good choice for us. However, we are on a budget and we can’t really swing the price that you quoted. I am so sorry that we took up so much of your valuable time. But unless the price can come down by xx dollars, we really dont think we can afford it. Do you think you can work with us? Thank you so much for everything. I really appreciate it.”
6. At this point, most vendors will come back and say that they can be a little more flexible. The negotiating starts here.
7. What can you offer? Sometimes, nothing but your gratitude. Othertimes, a guarantee of something else. Whatever it may be, use it.

I may be wrong on this, but I truly believe that with a little compromise and a little tact, you should be able to get what you want, or at least be happy with what you paid and not feel ripped off at the end.

The above example was written with this specific incident in mind, but this conversation can be tailored to meet any vendor. Recently, I met with a photographer and her price range was out of my budget. I basically said, “I really love your work and the way you capture the emotions of the day. Unfortunately, after taking another look at my budget, I’ve come to realize that your current quote surpasses my budget by xxx dollars. Thank you so much for meeting with me, and I am sorry that I wasted so much of your time. You are very talented and I am sorry that I wont be able to work with you.”

At this point, the vendor contacted me and told me that she could be flexible. (Unfortunately, she wasn’t as flexible as I would have liked, so we couldn’t make it work anyway. BUT the point is, she was willing to cut her price or offer more so that we could work together.)

Sometimes, though, I like to find out the price range first, before I go in for a meeting with a vendor, especially if I have a price range in mind. In that case, just start from number 2,and you’ll be fine.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go write an apologetic email to Mr. Butterfly’s friend.

Photographer Search I

I met with another photographer this weekend - just to check out her work. Here’s a review.

Photographer 3 - China Jorrin Photography (her name is pronounced Chee-na)

Packages & Pricing:

• 6 hours, 18 rolls film and digital - $2800
• 8 hours, unlimited film and digital, proof prints in box - $3000
• 8 hours, unlimited film and digital, proof prints in 2 books - $3400
• 8 hours, unlimited film and digital, proof prints in 2 books, 2 parent albums (30 4×6 images) - $3700

Extras:

• Per hour fee - $350 (engagement shoots)
• Film per roll - $50
• Proof books (300 4×6 images per book) - $300 for first, $200 per additional
• All prices include tax and travel
• All packages include negatives

Final Rating:
A-/B+

I think her work is really great for this price range. She has a background in documentary shoots, so her pictures come out with a great quality and have a lot of depth and emotion. However, she doesnt work with an assistant, so it’s impossible to get simultaneous shots (i.e. groom getting ready at the same time the bride is getting ready OR close up ceremony shot vs wide angle shot).

I really liked her work, but I think her personality would fit better with someone who’s not such a bridezilla as I am. She’s very laid back and relaxed, whereas I am super bubbly and like to think fast, talk fast and do fast. So I need a photographer who can deal with that. Also, she just started offering albums, but apparently most people do their own albums when they work with her.

Sorry that I haven’t updated in a while - 4 whole days!! I had been meaning to put off my photographer blog until I met with all of them, but that’s a few weeks away. So here I go in bits and pieces.

Photographer 1 - Zia Photography

I basically really loved her work. Mrs. Bee wrote about this person awhile ago, when she was helping me do research.

Basic Package:

Unlimited film (b&w and color) - no digital
8 hours of shooting time
Assistant
Print of every image on 4×6 in a box

Cost:

$4500 (tax included)
$600 additional to buy negatives
$1000 additional for album (30 4×6 images in leather bound book)

Final Rating:
A-

I really loved her work, but she only shoots in film. Her price was also a little high for me. However, I would highly recommend her - she was very professional, has a lot of pictures to show you, her work is really great, and she was so friendly. I don’t think I will book her - only because I want some digital images on CD and I dont want to pay for negatives. Also, I didnt really like the fact that her album only contained 30 images in a traditional format. I’m looking for more of a coffee table format.

Photographer 2 - Alex Z Photography

Basic Package:

Unlimited film and digital (b&w, color and medium format)
Full set of 4×6 prints - unmarked
CD wtih all images - high resolution for digital
Assistant
Negatives

Cost:

Cost varies per hour - $3400 for 8 hours
$40 travel fee within Manhattan - more for outside Manhattan
$350 for engagement photos
$1000 for coffee table style album with about 100 images ($900 for each album after)
$200 for small album with 30 5×7 images
Other ranges of albums available
Sales tax additional

Final Rating:
A-

Her work is very good - but not as good as Zia. However, she was absolutely friendly and so much fun. Her prices are very reasonable and she’s willing to work with you to find the right package for you. Plus, you get to keep all the negatives!!!

I’m meeting with 2 more photographers in the next two weeks. Hopefully, by then, I will have booked my photographer. Then on to videographers and florists!!

By the way, I ordered the Save the Date magnets - #2 like everyone said. I could have spent more time making it better, but then again, it was mostly the picture that I didn’t like, not the magnet.

I also finalized a personal trainer. Because my friend wanted to train with me, we decided not to do NYSC’s Wedding Ready. Why? Well, we wanted to train together with 1 trainer, and we were willing to pay extra for having them train 2 people instead of 1. However, NYSC said that they would charge us for 2 people for 1 trainer, even though the trainer’s time would be split between the two of us. That seemed like a waste of money, so we are going with Buff Brides!

I’m hating the way my two save the date proofs came out. So I am going to post the pictures here and perhaps you guys can decide for us. We wanted to use pictures that we already had instead of taking new pictures.

Proof 1

Proof 2

Obviously, I’ve blacked out the dates - but you get the idea. There is one more photo that I have sent in, however, I don’t think I will like that one much either.

So ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any of you here) - please vote on which one you like better. And if there is anything else you might change, such as font, placement, etc.

I got my magnets from savethedatemagnet.com. My honest opinion of them as a company….

Pros:

• Friendly and helpful.
• Will call you personally if there are any issues with the picture that you sent.
• Cheap Cheap Cheap!! (I got 50 magnets and linen envelopes for just under $72 dollars!)

Cons:

• It’s a little hard to use their website - you have to describe what you want in words, so your proofs might not turn out like you imagined.
• They only keep one picture on file at a time. So if you do not like it and send in a new photo, they will delete the other photo. If you decide that you liked the first one better, you have to wait for the proof again. It takes 2 to 3 business days for each proof to come in.
• I personally thought they were very good about everything, except for the fact that they wouldn’t send me 4 different versions. It would have been nice to see different types of font and placement options side by side.

Final Rating:
B+

Everyone knows that every bride wants to lose weight before the big day. I certainly do - in the past year or so, I’ve put on a lot more weight that I ever thought I could. I have never been heavier in my life and I’m determined to lose all this weight before my wedding day. I don’t ever expect to look like I did in college (ah - the good old days), but I do expect to get back down to a size 2.

So being the bridezilla that I am, I decided to spend the morning doing a little research. (My boss is going to kill me once she finds out how little work I’ve been doing - oh well ).

Beneficial Fitness

General Info: This program offers a one on one session with a personal trainer. There is a 16 week nutritional/fitness package for brides called the Buff Brides System.

Structure: You can set up twice to three times a week sessions with your trainer. They prefer that you do 5 times every two weeks (twice one week, three times the following week, etc).

Cost: The cost for the 16 week Buff Brides is a flat fee of $72 per session.

Location: You can either train at their location on 34th street and Madison, or a trainer can come to your place (if you have a gym in your building, for example).

New York Sports Club

General Info: The class is called Wedding Ready and it’s for anyone who wants to lose weight before the big day - grooms, mother of the bride, bridesmaid, etc. You do not have to be a member of NYSC to buy the package.

Structure: It is a 12 week program where you meet with a personal trainer twice a week for one hour sessions. The package comes with a 3-month (12 week) membership to the location of your NYSC, where you can take advantage of every amenity available as if you were a member. You also get a bridal package which includes a book, water bottle, tote, discount coupons for classes and massages, etc.

Cost: The program costs $1550 with a regular trainer, and $1790 with a master level trainer.
Hot Tip 1 - The sales manager told me personally that you cant really tell the difference, so get the regular trainer.
Hot Tip 2 - The costs for personal training sessions, including the Wedding Ready program, will go up sometime in March. Go buy the package now, and arrange with the sales manager to take the classes later in the year.

Location: Available at all NYSC.

Extra Notes: You can also buy personal training sessions with a trainer at the gym without being a member at $89 dollars per session.

I am going to buy the NYSC package, then if I want some more help after the 12 weeks, I might go with the Beneficial or buy another NYSC package.

• A good source for information online about fitness for brides - Fit To Be Tied Online.
• Article on losing weight for the big day - note that the Crunch system called Bridal Survival is no longer available.

And for all you Queens brides…

Bridal Bootcamp

Cynthia Conde wrote the following on a Brides.com message board.

My name is Cynthia Conde. I wrote a book titled Bridal Bootcamp, Look Fabulous on Your Big Day, Running Press November 2004. I created the program five years ago at Gold’s Gym Astoria, New York. You have probably heard of the name in other places, but the real Bridal Bootcamp is available on line at http://www.bridalbootcamponline.com and at my gym, Gold’s Gym. I have been doing an extensive google search and asking personal trainers using my trademark to change the name of their program. All so far have complied (which is really professional of them).

To answer some of your questions: Buff Brides was a program and book created and written by Sue Fleming. It was available at NY York Sports Club. The program was 3 months long (meeting twice per week with a trainer and costing roughly 1,200). New York Sports Club is no longer licensing out Ms. Fleming’s program Buff Brides; it is now called Wedding Ready. It is essentially the same thing, but with a different name.

I have a few affordable options for you women who want to do the Bridal Bootcamp. I am having a fall special with all my programs.

a) Online Program. For $69.99 you can sign up for my 6 week nutrition and training program http://www.bridalbootcamponline.com The package includes weekly menus (wherein I design your nutrition program and teach you how to eat. Also included are personalized workout programs at home or at the gym). You get 24 hours phone support. The program is a great bargain, as it was originally $299, plus you don’t have to live in New York to to it.

b. Bootcamp classes. Meet with our trainers twice per week outside Gold’s Gym or Astoria in Queens. Walk in’s are welcome and can pay $30 for the class. You will perform a series on military drills which will get your body lean and fit. Men are also welcome. The classes are $349 for the month.

c) One on One Training. Some people like to workout solo with an instructior. You will meet with our trainer twice per week. Our monthly special is $399.

d) Nutrition program. I am huge on nutrition, because if you don’t change your diet you will never get the body you want. I have a 6 week nutrition program for $150.

Members who join the bootcamp or nutrition program do not have to sign up for a Golds’ Gym membership. People purchasing a one on one package need to pay $99 for a three month membership.

If you are interested please hurry, out bootcamp classes fill up quickly.

Cynthia Conde
Bridal Bootcamp
646-261-2287
http://www.bridalbootcamponline.com
Cynthia