Leaving a Paper Trail...

A big "hello" and "how do you do to you today?".  It's windy and cold outside, but its full of warmth and great tips inside.  As we countdown to #ProjectBurberry ,our guest blogger for today, Tricia Duncan from Labyrinth Productions (http://www.labyrinthproductionsva.com) is here to share with you her experience know how when it comes to "custom paperie" for your special day.  I hope you enjoy and remember an event is all about the details.

      If you really want your wedding to pop, and want to do it stress free, considering finding a graphic designer to work with for your wedding. I have the advantage of being a graphic designer long, long before I became a photographer. There is nothing I love more then creating custom items for my Brides and Grooms.

Invitations can be printed on normal gloss card stock or if you want a softer touch linen papers. I offer a custom line of very thick linen stock that really makes invitations blow away the people receiving them. Your designer can customize these further with things like custom designed seals and envelope inserts.

I love taking it a step farther and creating beautiful custom seating charts, guest book albums to sign and even amazing wedding banners which you will see in the upcoming shoot. Don’t forget the small things. Sure you can buy pre made table markers, menu cards and food labels at places that carry stationary, but why not match it to your wedding?

One of my favorite things to design are custom wine labels or wine tags. Even a converting your favorite beer into a one just for you day is easy with a custom designed label.

The possibilities are endless and I am excited to be able to work with Jessica on this project even though I was booked to shoot a wedding the day of the upcoming shoot. I hope you are all as excited as I am. - Tricia Duncan

Wedding Planning 101 – The first steps!

 

I want to give a big welcome to a colleague of mine Amber Roberts with Inspirational Event Planning.  We are working together on  # Project Burberry. She has some fantastic advice on how to plan a great wedding!  So for those of you that are preparing for that moment, or have a special friend who might be, this blog is for you!

You found the love of your life! You have the ring. Now what? These 5 steps will guide you through the first part of planning your Big Day!

Step 1: Start a wedding binder. This binder will help you organize everything you will be planning and doing until wedding day. Some of the things in your binder should include pocket folders, a notebook, a calendar, plastic sleeves and tabbed dividers. Whenever you are out, collect wedding-related magazines and brochures and store them in this binder. When you visit bridal shows or local businesses, take a flyer and place it in the binder. Categorize your brochures by vendor-type, for example, all photographers in one place, all caterers in another, and so forth. Inspirations Event Planning Co. will give you more tips on how to organize your binder effectively – A FREE service that we offer!

Step 2: Choose a wedding date! Your wedding date should be something very special. Choose a day during your favorite season or a significant day that means something special to both of you! Tip: Choose a date at least 6 months away so you have enough time to plan everything. Always have a backup day in mind just in case your favorite venue is booked on your first choice.

Step 3: Interview our Certified Professional Wedding Planner! Don’t feel alone and seek the experience of a professional. Hiring a professional wedding planner will save you time and frustration. Our wedding planner is already familiar with the planning process and the business that you will need to hire for your wedding day (we call these “vendors”). Our wedding planner will help you make decisions based on what is available, will keep your timeline and budget on track, and guide you throughout the entire process. Our planner knows the exact questions to ask vendors and may even be able to negotiate prices for you! Did you know that we partner with local vendors who offer a discount when their services are purchased through the planning firm? We also offer packages from monthly consulting sessions to full-service packages so there is something for everyone! Note: Wedding Planners can also be called, “bridal consultants,” or “wedding coordinators.” All of these titles are used interchangeably.

Step 4: Start the guest list! Determine the approximate number of guests who will attend your ceremony and reception. Begin collecting addresses and store them in your wedding binder or give them to your wedding planner for safe-keeping! For tips on how to start a guest list and maintain it, contact Inspirations Event Planning Co.

Step 5: Locate and secure your venue! Because this step is so important, seek the advice of our professional wedding planner who knows exactly what questions to ask the venue staff. There are several things to consider when choosing the location for your wedding. Do you want a church ceremony? Do you want the ceremony and reception at the same place or on different sites? Do you want everything indoors our outside? How many people will the building accommodate? What amenities does the venue offer? We have a full list available exclusively for our clients! Once you have selected the venue for your Big Day, pay the deposit to secure your date as soon as possible.

These are just a few steps required to plan your wedding. We have many lists available to our clients to help your planning experience to be as pleasant as possible. We want you to enjoy being the star of your big day instead of running the show. Leave the directing to us!

Amber Roberts, Certified Wedding Planner Inspirations Event Planning Co. www.inspirationseventplanning.com www.facebook.com/inspirationseventplanning For more information, call (757) 343-4307!

Steam Punk with a Jessica Stone twist

Greetings from the cold tundra of Virginia! It's a whopping 17 degrees outside but without wind it's bearable :). This fall I have been venturing in a new direction; one I think that defines me and my personality.  My love of film, theatre, the details all rolled into one. I   how you will be able to connect with this new direction too!   Stylized sessions are a way of putting a unique spin and presentation on traditional pictures.  For this shoot, I was inspired by the Steam Punk style.  I loved the blending of Victorian fashion with modern quirky twists.  Once I nailed down my theme the next was to bring together the team.  This team included an amazing makeup artist, Keren Robinson with Makeup by MUA, hairstylist extraordinaire, Lisa Hampton with VanGar the Salon, and last but not least the Boxwood Inn for a unique location. Tricia and Marcus Duncan were our "Bride and Groom", and what a couple they make.  Tricia is a local photographer, graphic designer, everything rolled into one, and Marcus is the perfect fit.   Now if you would like to see more pictures and read up on their story check out " Tidewater and Tulle" that recently as of today published our shoot!   I have many more stylized shoots that will be upcoming.  I am wrapping one right as we speak, and prepping to shoot the next in March.  I will be posting an DIY on some of the projects I tackled on this Steam Punk shoot. If you would be interested in doing a Stylized shoot for your family, your friends, your spouse or with your child let me know.  I am all about putting the magic into each and every shoot!  

Hair Stylist: Lisa Hampton  with VanGar the Salon

https://www.facebook.com/pages/VanGar-the-Salon/122185082807

Makeup Artist: Keren Robinson with Makeup by MUA LLC

https://www.facebook.com/UnveiledHeart

Location: Boxwood Inn

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Boxwood-Inn/226503401685

Invitations and graphic design: Tricia Duncan with Labyrinth Productions  https://www.facebook.com/LabyrinthProductionsVA

"A new dawn, a new day and a new year, and it's lookin' good "

Helloo to all my family, friends and fans :). Currently along side taking pictures of  beautiful families, seniors, babies you name it this past year,  I have been working on specialty sessions that allow me to show my  theatrical, artistic side with the goal of  getting published.  We have had success and will be sharing our first published work towards the end of January.  I thought it would be fun to involve my colleagues on the blog, so that they can share a little about what they do, and some great tips you could take with you. Be sure to keep an eye out on Thursdays for the blog because the gold nuggets of info we will be giving you are definitely note worthy. With that said, I thought it would be fun to start the new year off with a mystery as to what I am going to be shooting this upcoming spring.  Now I  love me some mysteries!  I grew up on Perry Mason, Murder She Wrote,Hercule Poirot and Mrs. Marple. You never know, I may want to have another job on the side, I have the camera and a quizzical mind :) .   Now every week up to the shoot I am going to leave you a photo clue.  These will be hints at what I will be shooting in March.  The shoot is entitled:  #Project Burberry and here is your first photo clue  ( please note this is not the actual location but more an example to the kind of shoot I will be doing.)  Have a great week and don't forget to check back on Thursdays for the next clue !