Category Archives: Wedding Tips

 

As a wedding videographer, I can’t help but say I think a wedding film is essential. But not only because I do this as a professional, but because I know first-hand the importance of capturing all of your family and friends at that one special moment in time.

A friend of mine recently posted about how much her sons loved watching her 19-year old wedding video. It made me think about my wedding video from 18 years ago, and although I am divorced, this video still has amazing value for me. It holds moving imagery that captures emotion like no other medium, and it has had a lasting effect for myself, and my three daughters. It will always serve as a joyous snapshot in time of their family.

One of my fondest memories of my wedding day was the Mother and Son Dance. It was special because of my Mom. She was my rock. She was my biggest supporter, and she was my sole parent after my father passed when I was a teenager. She was what any child would want of a Mom.

My Mom and I shared the love of music. She was very happy to volunteer songs for the first dance. One of her favorite songs was I’ll Still Be Loving You from a lesser-known band called Restless Heart. But when listening to the song, I realized it was more suited for the Mother and Son Dance. Because it was not a popular song, my wedding DJ did not have this in his CD collection (yes, before digital music). Unbeknownst to my Mom, I borrowed her CD and gave it to the DJ shortly before the wedding. After I took it, my Mom noticed it was missing. I obviously denied that I had seen it, but she was convinced I lost it as I was the one person who was always in her CD collection. I had to deny it on more than one occasion, and she was frustrated. It would not have been an easy CD to replace.

Fast forward to the wedding day and our Mother and Son Dance. My Mom had no idea what song I had chosen for us. Once the song Restless Heart started playing, I looked at her and said, “And you can have your CD back after the wedding”. She burst out laughing and couldn’t stop giggling the entire song. It was one of those moments that I will never forget sharing with my Mom and it is captured in the video below. I know how happy she was that I chose that song for our dance.

The reason that moment was so important to me is that my Mom, who was completely healthy and full of life at my wedding was diagnosed with lung cancer the following year. She passed away just 15 months after the wedding. Now, this wedding video serves as one of, if not the best imagery of who my Mom was…her smile…her joy for life. My kids know her and remember her from this fantastic memory. And, on this Sunday and every Mother’s Day that follows, I will think of and treasure my wedding video and a special dance I had together with my Mom.

 

Credits: Videographer: Mike Houle, Photographer: Terry Chenaille, DJ who kept the CD safe – Nino Cuccovia

 

When it comes to wedding preparations, few things are more stressful than buying bridesmaid dresses. While the bride certainly has enough on her shoulders to try to shrug this off, she will be a lot happier with the bridal party photos if she takes the  time to help the bridesmaids out with their selections.  Below you will find 10 woes that the bride and her maids will have to face and tips for how to handle them with grace.

 

  •  “This will not look good on me!”

    • Your bridesmaids will probably be very physically different. Each of them has wardrobe issues that they deal with every time they go shopping. The friend that is tall and thin. The shorter the dress the taller she looks. The bridesmaid that is very short and a bit heavier than the others should opt for a floor length dress that it is not tight
  • Communication failure

    • You told the bridesmaids to choose a green bridesmaids dress. Is it an emerald green bridesmaid dress or is it pastel green? Without detailed communication, you can expect to have some very interesting wedding photographs.
  • “The dress you chose for me costs how much?

    • Set an agreed upon budget. Use caution adding expenses to the dress that you expect the bridesmaids to pay for. Alterations and accessories may be out of their financial budget. Stay away from diamond earrings
  • “What is my size?”

    • Your bridesmaids may be out of state, If your dresses are all to be exactly the same, that means some bridesmaids may have to buy their dress over the phone or computer. But, all size 10’s are not equal. You may need a size up or a size down. Some dresses do not come in plus sizes. If you have bridesmaids who require plus sizes, they may not be able to get that particular dress.
    • Allow the bridesmaids to buy different dresses made of the same color but different hues. Give them some general guides such as length, sleeves, and neckline.
    • Buy the dress in the sizes the bridesmaids normally wear and ship it to them. If the dress is too small or too large, she will have the dress altered, which is an added expense.
  • “Do not change my hair!”

    • You can ask for the hair to be styled a certain way, but you cannot insist on cutting or adding extensions.

Here are a few other bridesmaid dress issues:

      • Consider the hue that will go with your dresses. For example a green bridesmaid dress, you can have the shoes dyed (though it is an expense). However, silver shoes go with all hues of green and they are easy to find.

 

      • Tattoos are forever. You know if your bridesmaids have them. If you do not want the tattoos to show, you must tell them. This may make it better to choose a dress with sleeves and a higher neckline. If the tattoos are on the back, a pretty shawl will cover the tatts.

 

      • Some people simply cannot afford to be a bridesmaid. The cost of a gown and shoes, with the investment of time for rehearsals, dinners, and showers are a reach for a college student or a new mother. You can offer to help her pay for the dress or you can be understanding if she chooses to decline.

 

      • Religion pays a huge part in our lives. If the bridesmaid’s religion is against uncovering her hair in public or not eating certain foods, you must choose a dress with a proper hair covering.

 

    • It takes a long time to plan a wedding. In some cases a bridesmaid may become pregnant, Even if she delivers before the wedding, she will have additional weight on her frame. Select a style of dress that will show off her assets. If you love her and want her in the wedding, make a choice.  

 

 

As wedding filmmakers who like to tell a couple’s story, the wedding toasts at the reception play a vital role in our filmmaking process. When we reach out to our photographer friends to talk about an upcoming wedding together, the toasts are the one item we highlight as important to us. We take pride in filming them with good lighting and great sound quality, as we know that it makes our Boston wedding films stand out. Making them look and sound good is our job, but saying the right things is traditionally up to the Father of the Bride, Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor. So here are some tips to sounding good and making the best of your time in the wedding spotlight.

Length Matters

The best length for speeches tends to be about 2-3 minutes. I honestly believe a well-spoken father of the bride can extend their speech to 3-5 minutes in an engaging manner. But, at the end of the day, the reception is about eating, drinking and dancing. Therefore, speeches that carry on for too long (especially multiple speeches) only cut into the fun part of the evening. On the flip side, 30-second speeches add little the night’s festivities. If you have been selected to speak on behalf of the bride or groom, you have enough knowledge and background to talk for at least 90 seconds.

It’s Not About You

One of the biggest reasons speeches carry on too long is that speakers talk too much about their relationship with the bride and groom. Opening up a speech with your connection to them is a great way to start, but telling multiple stories about every part of your relationship is a way to lose the audience’s interest. Telling one story that exposes the great character traits of the bride or groom has to offer is a great way to show your connection with them. Remember, it’s a toast, not a roast. Save the long stories and razzing of your friend for the bachelor/bachelorette party or rehearsal dinner where the audience is smaller and more connected to the couple.

Courtesy Person + Killian Photography

Courtesy Person + Killian Photography

The Most Important Part of the Speech

All great speeches turn the focus onto the couple. That is what the wedding day is all about! We all have a story about the couple. Most often it was when they first met, or the first time you heard about their new boyfriend or girlfriend. There is always that ah-ha moment. Tell the audience about it. And, then talk about why you think the couple works so well together. It’s the feel-good moment of the night. Own it!

Opening and Closing

How do you start and how do you end your toast? That is the easy part. To start, simply introduce yourself. Secondly, it is a respectful gesture to thanks the parents of the couple for the wedding itself and rehearsal dinner, as most often, parents pay for much of the wedding.

To end a good speech, simply toasts the couple. It could be as simple as asking everyone to raise their glass (don’t forget this part) and wishing them a happy, healthy life together. To take it up a notch, connect your ending to the couple. For example, for an Irish Bride, end with an Irish Blessing. For a brother or sister, quote a respected family member.

Write Down Your Plan

There are two ways to approach the speech. The first is to write it out your speech completely, so that each thought is well thought out and delivered to your satisfaction. For others, reading word for word will cramp their style. If you are this type of person, do not wing it! Simply, just make an index card with a list of topics for each part of the toast. Each part of the speech can be delivered off the cuff, but have a plan in place. Then, you won’t forget to thank the parents when you get a touch nervous.

That’s the basics. Two to three solid minutes of content and you’ll be getting congratulations throughout the night. Do you need a template? I love the DIY wedding toast template Malcolm Fraser gives in his article for Huffington Post. And, one last tip, take a deep breathe as you get to the microphone. It will pay big dividends. Cheers!

 

This week we have a wedding tip that simplifies the day! There are so many important details to plan for and to be excited about when planning a wedding. Things like choosing your dress, picking the right bouquets and centerpieces, finding the ideal linens for your reception space, and selecting the perfect ceremony music. But for their advice, Felice Pomeranz of the Gilded Harps and Lauryn Thibodeau of Lauryn Alyssa Photography are not focused on the music or photography. The two of them have isolated one simple thing that every couple should do on their wedding day. I was lucky enough to do this for 10 minutes at my wedding, but will you? You absolutely should! Find out what it is in this week’s wedding tip from the Boston Wedding Group and JPod Films. To see more wedding tips like this: visit: jpodfilms.com/category/wedding-tips/

Felice Pomeranz is the founder of the Gilded Harps and a Professor of Strings at the Berklee College of Music. The Gilded Harps provides solo harp and harp with many other instruments – flute, violin, cello, and also their world-renowned jazz harp trio and quartet for weddings and other social events. She is a long-time member of the Boston Wedding Group and a well-respected professional in the Boston wedding community.

Lauryn Thibodeau began Lauryn Alisa Photography in North Carolina before relocation closer to home with her husband in 2016. Based on her talent level and personality, she will quickly immerse into the Connecticut wedding scene and become one of the more sought out photographers in the area. One thing is sure about both of these women, they are passionate about their crafts and have their clients best interests always at heart.

 

We are back at it this summer with some more wedding tips for New England brides from the experts at the Boston Wedding Group. In this week’s tip, Jeri Solomon of Jeri Solomon Floral Design talks about how to prepare for your first meeting with your floral designer. The most important thing you need is not as complicated as you might think. Find out in this week’s wedding tip from the Boston Wedding Group and JPod Films. Special Thanks to the following outstanding wedding photographers who have shared photos of Jeri’s work: Person & Killian Photography, LifeFusion Studio, Zev Fisher, Creative Images Boston & Nikki Cole. To see more wedding tips like this: visit: jpodfilms.com/category/wedding-tips/

 

 

Earlier this spring, we were fortunate enough to be asked to take part in a wedding planning conference put on by wedding planner Andrea Poisson Delucia of Elegance & Grace Weddings. The Elite Workshop took place the historic Dane Estate at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA and featured several of the top professionals in their field from the New England area. The conference was designed to help the younger professional in our industry begin to grow their business, but the wealth of information provided could have benefit the most seasoned professional in many ways.

We were honored to be one of the speakers at the conference, as we shared the importance of cinematography and the important things to consider when searching for a videographer or cinematographer for your client (as a wedding planner). Our talk was just the beginning of a day-long workshop that focused on growing your business through branding, stylized shoots, photography, getting published in magazines, incorporating a floral event designer, and utilizing specialized vendors to up improve your event. Some of the professionals who presented at the workshop included the event’s organizer Andrea Poisson Delucia, Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore, Danielle Duane of Boston Magazine, Binita Patel of Binita Patel Photography, Erica Jones of Orchids N’ Blooms Event Design, Jennifer Iovino of JMI Branding Forward and Crystal Mills of Wanderlush Boston. We have always believed in giving back to the industry that has been very good to us. And, Andrea and the team of professionals assembled for the Elite Workshop live by the same motto. Enjoy this short highlight film of the conference from this spring.

https://vimeo.com/174218885

 

For this week’s wedding tip, we venture back into the area of floral design. Everybody loves beautiful flowers, but most couples do not know where to start except for going on pinterest and pinning a bunch of flower photos that they think match their style. In this week’s tip, Boston Wedding Group member Kelly Dolloff of Artistic Blossoms Floral Design Studio talks about the trust that you need to put into your floral designer. If you bring a color palette and a vision, great floral designers will do the rest. Special thanks to photographers Person + Killian, Zev Fisher, Snap Photo, Ashley O’Dell and Hinkley Photo for the images they supplied of Artistic Blossoms amazing work. Take a minute and learn from one of the best floral designers in Boston in this week’s wedding planning tip.

https://vimeo.com/148247406

 

Justice of the Peace Elizabeth Gemelli brings over 20 years of experience with her to every wedding that she officiates. Today, Elizabeth shares a few pieces of advice that she shares with each one of her couples before their wedding day. One has to do with your wedding vows and a second piece of advice is what you need to practice before the wedding ceremony. Take a minute to learn from the sweetest officiant in the area in the latest of a series of tips from the Boston Wedding Group.

https://vimeo.com/142379954

 

Make sure you budget for a wedding video or film. It is easy for me to say, because it’s my passion. Not getting a wedding video or film continuosly lands on, or tops the list of regrets for couples after the wedding. If you don’t believe me, check out this article from the Huffington Post. Well, the wedding filmmaking community is strong in the Boston area, as the majority of the top filmmakers in Beantown collaborate on a regular basis to improve our crafts. That is why I am not hesitant to have our Newbury St. neighbors Kathy and George Horemotis of S.H. Videography give our latest wedding tip about wedding films on our blog. Boston Wedding Group members Kathy and George talk about budget and what one of the common mistakes couples make in the wedding planning process.

 

https://vimeo.com/137274768

 

Planning a wedding is a big deal. It takes a lot of time and effort, as there are so many pieces to the puzzle. It is very important to take care of many of the big things first like the choosing the wedding date, the venue, the photographer, the cinematographer/videographer, the entertainemnt and of coarse, the wedding dress. So, how early should you head out to the bridal boutiques and salons to find your perfect dress? It is earlier than many brides think. Our good friends Lisa Almeida and Heidi Nicholson of Bella Sera Bridal of Danvers offer the answer in this week’s Boston Wedding Group Wedding Tips series. Stay tuned in the future too, as Lisa and Heidi have tips for Moms who are shopping for the perfect dress on that special day.

https://vimeo.com/135350617