Question what’s the hottest color for weddings now a days. Green…

There are ‘green’ favors, ‘green’ flowers, ‘green’ invitations and even ‘green’ wedding gowns, we are all seeing green

Here are 10 great ideas for making your wedding day green

#1. Go on the Smaller side… The less  guests you have at your wedding , the less fossil fuels that will be used. You’ll also consume less, and make  less trash. If you go with a small list, you will also give you more choice of venues. Why not have your small wedding at a designated green inn or have it at a restaurant that serves locally grown foods, less transportation less gas.

#2. Get  Consumable Favor… Consumable favors are fun, fabulous and mother nature  friendly. Some suggestions include homemade jam,  cookies, candy, free trade coffee, beeswax candles, handmade soaps or lotion.

#3. Don’t buy any favor… Another great option for favors is to donate money to a charity in the names of each guest at your wedding. The guest receives a card that informs them  that instead of a favor, money was donated to a specific charity.

#4. Be a ‘Locavore’… Choose a caterer that sources ingredients locally grown. Buying local ingredients supports your area farmers, as well as decreases your carbon imprint. Even better, choose locally sourced organic foods, and offer vegetarian choices for your meat free guests.When you start looking you will be surprised how many there are out there.

#5. Have your Ceremony  &  Reception at  the Same Location…. This means less traveling  for you and your guests. Many inns and bed and breakfasts can accommodate both the ceremony and the reception.

#6.Potted plants or trees… Potted flowers are great so are potted herbs and saplings.

#7. Buy a Second Hand Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses…. Have you seen some of the gorgeous vintage gowns out there,you will also save money

#8. Ditch the Disposables… Don’t even think about having disposable cameras at your wedding.Most  guests will bring their own digital camera. You can even remind them in your invitation that you’d love for them to capture their wedding with their own camera and send you the images.

#9. Don’t use Throwaway Dishes or Flatware… Use china dishes, flatware, cloth napkins and glasses instead of plastic cups. Not only will this save a ton of waste, it will look more elegant.Maybe buy your glasses and plates and re use them later

#10. Scrap the Balloons & Confetti... You don’t need confetti? If you feel it’s a must, then use flower petals. Totally avoid balloons when decorating, as well as any other landfill bound decorations.

Hope this helps you have a green wedding and think of what good you will feel know you have helpped save the planet one wedding at a time

Cheers Peter Bruce & team bELLE

Wedding Favors…

Favors for your wedding guests.

When it comes to wedding  favors, your choices are almost endless,every wedding site you look at has favors. Some couples like to go with traditional  favors, or ones that have historical or family  meaning. Other brides  try something new and fresh , or add their own personal flair. What you do about favors will depend on your personality and the overall feel  of your wedding.

Here are the popular Wedding Favors…

The old  (sometimes boring)  standbys are popular for a reason. You can’t go wrong with these traditional favors…

• Almonds…Your guests will love the old fashioned feel, or you can also modernize them by boxing  them creatively. Dress them up in a customized wedding favor box with your names and wedding date.Or create your own logo.
• Personalized wine labels for wine bottles… These are now among the most popular  favors in the business. For something different, give your guests a personalized bottle of beer instead.
• Photo frames… These add a personal touch and can also be used  as place card holders on the tables.
• Sweet favors…Scented candles and  soaps  always make great  favors. Your out of town guests will appreciate them, as they can use them in their hotel rooms.
• Music CDs…Mix  together your favorite selection of  songs and decorate the CD with a personalized label featuring your engagement picture and wedding date.Your DJ may be able to give you a master disc that he will play at your wedding.
• 

Discount Favors…

You may already know that traditional wedding stores can be unnecessarily costly . The big  trick is to get past  these money traps when shopping for favors. Instead, try craft stores, department stores and even local flea markets. Look for high quality  rather than buying favors specifically sold just  for weddings. Another option is to workout a deal with a local craftsman who’s willing to give you a discount for all your business. Bottom line people, take the time to shop around and don’t rule out any options.Also don’t leave this task to him, I have seen some real crazy wedding favors when the groom was in control.

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Great wedding photos

Here are some tips for great wedding photography & video…

Many years from now,  nothing better than looking back on all the beautiful photos & video from your wedding day. Here are four tips that will make them all just right…

1. Make your comfort  priority one…. Your  photographer will be with you for largest  part of your wedding  day, so it’s important that you feel comfortable around him or her. Weeks before your wedding, get together with your photographer and explain what type of shots you want and how creative you’d like the day to be. This will make  that you’re both on the same page on the day, and that you won’t feel so shy or awkward when being  posed  for photos . The picture taking process should goes easy and be fun. After all, your hair and makeup will be done just right  your dress  will be beautiful and you will look your best ! Enjoy and take in every minute of this,that is why we say do video as well,if it is in the budget.
2. Leave lots of time for photos… You may  be the most organized, bride around  but schedules don’t always run as planned. On your wedding day, don’t be surprised if things take more time than you thought they would, the  photography being one of them. That’s why it’s so important to leave an adequate time  between your ceremony &  reception.Think about  the size of your wedding party as well, the more bridesmaids and groomsmen you have, the longer it will take to get all the photos done. And is  your reception along way from the  ceremony? Make sure you take this into account. Bottom line girls.Please  don’t expect to get all your pictures done in  a half an hour, this is what you have to look at forever.
3. Be ready on time… If you want your  photographer to shoot pre ceremony stuff, like   the salon, getting dressed, getting into the limo and on your way to the church, make sure you and your bridal party are ready when they  show up. If you’d like to feature your bridal bouquet in these photos make sure  that your flowers will arrive on time,before you leave. PS tell the florist you need them 30 minutes before you really do, do this with the hair and make up too. You’ll also want to make sure your limousine is booked for enough time to allow for things to run a little late  they often are.
4. Know your back up plan to a tee…. Of course rain is the last thing you want on your wedding day, but don’t assume it won’t rain. Have a back-up plan for your wedding photos just in case, and make sure your alternate location is available.If  your photographer and video are worth anything, they will know where to go to take photos if it rains…I DO !!!

The Wedding Album…

After the ceremony, you’re still going to be faced with a few major wedding chores. One, writing thank you letters, and another is selecting wedding photos  from the  proofs. Some of these will be blown up and framed for your wall or as gifts. But the biggest job will be selecting and organizing photos  for your wedding album.

It’s up to you to choose your favorite shots, but many photographers will include a photo album service, for a fee. You’ll get professionally mounted photos, artistically presented in a keepsake album you’ll treasure forever. And take your time on this, do not RUSH it and try not to buy the album from the photographer,call or e mail and i’ll tell you why…

Cheers Peter Bruce

I first met Holly over the phone; she was calling from Chicago- trying to plan her wedding through the internet and telephone.  She and her fiance , Rick, told me a lovely story about his mom and dad; it seems his dad, while he was alive , always took his wife on an anniversary trip to San Francisco, the most romantic place he knew.  Well flash forward to the present- Holly and Rick decided to honor this tradition by having their ceremony in San Francisco.  Of course Mom and her very best girlfriend( who incidently is also the mother-in-law to Rick’s brother) were a big part of the plans.  Everyone was so excited and Holly is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.   This adorable couple chose the Fairmont Hotel Terrace Garden for their ceremony and- big fun- the Tonga Room for their reception dinner. Of course we had to get some cable car action in ( Holly, you should have taken the conductor’s offer to drive!) and yes the first dance was to a certain Tony Bennett  song…

The last pic is the Fairmont lobby  of a weary tourist back from the wine country – gotta love it.

Enjoy

Bernadette & Peter Bruce

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Here are pros & cons of hiring a larger retail studio VS

an independent photographer?

Here are four factors  which can help measure the scope of your wedding photography investment:

Time with clients…

Larger retail photography studios may employ a staff to  streamline the  production, an independent wedding photographers will cater to the individual needs of their wedding clients, which may limit their time & only allow them to capture a limited amount of weddings each year. An independent wedding photographer regards their consultation time as valuable moments to engage and learn about the objectives of their clients, straying from providing  coverage of their event and instead personalizing the objectives in order to execute to their client’s wants and needs of there wedding.

Personality AKA  Bed side manner…

As often shown with larger retail wedding photography studios employing numerous staff photographers, you may never meet your photographer until the day of your wedding. At Peter Bruce photo, we think this is BAD. What happens if you don’t get along with that person.  With an independent wedding photographer you will  meet them right away, allowing you to measure your level of compatibility immediately and whether you like the person. The photographer and video people are going to be with you for the whole day. As I have said before, just because they are a great shooter does not make them a nice person. And your wedding day is not the day you want to hang out with a A__ hole.

Cost $$$…

Larger retail studios systematically use an opportunity to cut costs by providing a company spokesperson or sales representative whose responsibility it is to meet with every client and provide them a generalized code of conduct, a universal task/shot list and other common objectives that their assigned photographer must pledge to demonstrate. Larger  studios may also receive discounts from product manufacturers for producing high volume sales which aids in keeping their prices aggressive, where as independent photographers offer competitive industry standard rates based on their merit while striving to provide the best quality products and services for the amount of time not divisible amongst a staff, whereby shooting fewer events per season and therefore providing a more personalized one on one, prompt performance and service. An independent wedding photographer may offer to discount their services based on a given time period such as an off peak seasons event or a Friday or Sunday weddings. Larger retail studios however rely on a constant price structure which is as low as they’re typically willing to go based on a system driven on volume, whereby not allowing clients to bargain for discounts and/or other special offers.  And though larger retail studios may entice you to walk through the doors with the promise of an cheap “package”, this offer usually includes their lowest tier, lackluster, self-assembled album of comprised of considerably less pages/photos than an independent photographer’s comparable product that the studio anticipates you’ll upgrade to meet the level of popular consumer spending averages which compels their bottom line: a compounded and generalized service with additional products offered based on an average of volume sales. Be careful things may sound good, but not work that way.

Talent…

A Photographer hired by larger retail studios earns a small amount  of the larger studio’s profit forcing these photographers to often also hold a full or part time job which may not prove as beneficial to the client as an independent photographer working on  their craft constantly. These retail studio freelance photographers are usually new to the wedding industry and utilize the opportunity to work for larger retail studios as they practice their shooting while perhaps continuing their education. Most successful, independent wedding photographers have sought their apprenticeships previously & finished their primary education prior to gambling with not only their reputations but their client’s memories as well. While an independent photographer’s livelihood and continued success relies alot  on loyal customer referrals, larger retail studios more often than not focus on their bottom line – quantity often over quality. We Believe that the most important factor is QUALITY.

I hope this helps

Cheers Peter Bruce