Umbrella - ella - ella!

One of my clients is having an outdoor ceremony in October with 350 guests. It's an open, grassy field so we can pretty much do whatever we'd like with the space. One caveat is that there's almost NO trees for shade - and as the SoCal folks know, the afternoon sun can get hot! But the wedding is in the middle of Fall, so I'm not too worried.

The bride is concerned about the lack of shade because her side of the family and friends do not like being out in the direct sun. I quickly called around for some estimates on a large canopy, which will fit 350 guests underneath (Ceremony rows only, no tables - reception will be indoors).

Canopies do not come cheap, especially for a 40' x 80' one! Average price quoted was around $1200. Yikes!

So I got to thinking...how about sun umbrellas (aka parasols) instead? They would become part of the ceremony decor - and add color to an otherwise empty grassy field. I would imagine that it would look pretty nice in photos. As guests come in, ushers can hand out the parasols to the female guests or those who wish to use them. There can even be a pretty basket to hold the parasols.





This site has an excellent selection of parasols in various colors, styles, and sizes: http://www.lunabazaar.com/

If one buys in bulk, each parasol is $5.50. In my clients' case, let's say half will use parasols. I'm thinking the men will be fine without one. That would be $962.50. They will be saving close to $300 and guests can take the parasols home as wedding mementos. One vendor even suggested that if we were to rent a canopy of that size, to rent portable fans as well, since it may be stuffy with so many people. There you have it, with this idea, no fans are needed either!

Alright, now I'm going to pitch this idea to my client. Wish me luck!

Friends and DSLR Cameras

Have you noticed that everyone nowadays has a DSLR camera? Well, I can't blame them - the quality of the cameras are definitely better than the point and shoot ones and at the prices nowadays, the DSLR's are great investments! I'd get one too if I wasn't so forgetful about taking photos. I rely on my friends to remember. (There's usually at least 5 different cameras in a large party.)

I understand people like taking photos, and clear, high definition photos at that, but one gripe I have is when an Average Joe has a DSLR and is confident that they can break into the professional photography business.

When I first launched EWEP, I had many friends try to refer me to various photographer friends. Some whom I met were the actual professional ones, who've took classes and trained in the art of photography. But then some were simply a friend of a friend who owns a DSLR and wants to do wedding/event photography for fun or for low fees.

Photography is a HUGE priority on my list for wedding MUST HAVES. So I don't take photography lightly. Photos serve as memories, and if you don't have quality photos, how are you going to recollect every detail of your special day?

Anyways, Mrs. Avocado said it best in her post on Weddingbee here: http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/07/29/my-friend-has-a-camera-he-can-do-my-photos-right/

"My Friend Has a Camera, He Can Do My Photos. Right?"

WRONG!

Professional photographers are professionals - they have spent years and money on education, equipment, and experience. They will get the best shots and have the creative juices as opposed to your Average Joe.

If your budget is your main concern, there are professional photographers out there that vary in price ranges and sometimes even do complimentary shots or discounted packages. Professional photography does NOT have to be sacrificed due to budget! I promise you that!

Here is a small list of some of my fave professional photographers!

http://www.table4photography.com/
http://www.vinceandcarla.com/
http://www.harrisonlongphotography.com/

Inspired!

I've been following various event/wedding blogs as of late and have decided that some revamping is in order for my EWEP blog.

I've really only been using this blog as a document of events I've coordinated, but I don't think that's enough. And by the time I come around to updating this thing, months have passed since the event occurred! That's just not acceptable for a self proclaimed perfectionist!

With that said, I am now striving to use this blog as a journal of thoughts, ideas, happenings, links to other relevant blog articles, etc in my event planning world.

First topic - friends and DSLR cameras.