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Key Questions – The Wedding Dress

Date: November 25, 2011  Author: Chelle Leave a comment

Once the date and venue have been set the next thing that springs into a brides mind is a mega shopping trip to find that all important wedding dress. It is the one day in a girls life when she will want to outshine even the brightest star and why shouldn’t she, after all she is about to marry her Prince Charming.

Following the start of our Key Questions series with The Venue, I have compiled a series of fairly comprehensive list of questions to ask your local wedding boutique and although some may seem obvious it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when spending a lot of money on such an important item.

Is an appointment essential?

Will there be a fee to try on dresses? (Apparently there are some who charge for the privilege of trying on their dresses!!)

Is there a limit to how long the appointment can last?

How many people can come with you?

How much time should I allow for my dress to be made?

What is the cost of alterations?

Should I bring anything with me?

How many fittings will I have?

When do payments have to be made for the dress?

Do you offer a delivery service?

Please note this list is not comprehensive is meant as a guide for when you are visiting wedding boutiques.

Choosing the right Wedding Photographer

Date: October 25, 2011  Author: Chelle Leave a comment

Choosing the right wedding photographer for your wedding

At the last count there were approximately 70 wedding photographers in the Swindon area alone. So it is no wonder that choosing one for your wedding is a daunting task.

The majority are very good but there are also some that are “not so good” and there are those where you get exactly what you pay for!

 So how do you make sure that you have found the right one for you?

Here are my top tips for finding a great Swindon Wedding Photographer:

  1. Do your research! – Look on the internet, go to wedding fayres and find a wedding photographer whose style suits the type of photography you like. Some photographers will claim to be able to shoot all styles (Reportage, Formal, Documentary, etc.) just to get your booking.  At JMW Imaging we tend to shoot an eclectic mix with John shooting the more formal images added to Michelle’s documentary style, this unusual style works for us and our clients love it.
  2. Once you have trawled the internet and wedding fayres select a few wedding photographers who you think satisfy your criteria and arrange to meet them Face to Face. Their images may be wonderful but you might not hit it off and if you don’t get on you then there is a possibility that you may not get the images you want.
  3. Ask the photographer if you can see a full wedding; they may not be allowed to post the full wedding on line, but when you visit them they should quite happily show you a fully edited wedding for a previous client.
  4. Is the photographer insured? With all the meticulous planning that goes with a wedding it is possible for things to go wrong.  Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance helps to protect both you and the Photographer in the event of a mishap.
  5. Is the photographer qualified? Recently there has been a spate of articles in the national press about poor wedding photography. If a photographer is serious about his craft and the work he produces he is likely to be qualified or accredited to one or more of the professional organisations. This does not mean that a photographer who is not qualified nor accredited to a professional organisation is not any good, but you should have additional peace of mind with the ones that are.

For the record John is a qualified member of the SWPP & The Guild of Professional Photographers; Michelle is qualified with the SWPP & The Royal Photographic Society.

These are just a few pointers to help you find the right Wedding Photographer for you. If you’d like more information about JMW Imaging please contact us.

Key Questions – The Venue

Date: October 13, 2011  Author: Chelle Leave a comment

How many times have you gone to look at something or arranged to talk to someone about an important occasion; come away with a whole list of unanswered questions floating about in your head and then had to spend a further half hour on the phone getting them answered?

I think we all have at some point in our lives.

I have compiled a series of fairly comprehensive list of questions to ask your suppliers and although some may seem obvious it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially on such an important day.

One of the first decisions to make is deciding where to hold the ceremony and/or reception so I will start this series of Key Questions with The Venue:

Is your favourite venue available on your chosen date? If not are you willing to consider changing your date to suit the venues availability?

How many people will it accommodate?

Can the venue carry out civil ceremonies? If not is it reasonably close to your ceremony venue?

Is there more than one package?

Does the price suit your budget?

Does the venue offer catering? If so, are you happy with the menus?

Will you have exclusive use of the venue?

Can you move furniture around?

Do they allow candles / fireworks?

Are you able to have a marquee?

Is there room and facilities for a live band?

Do they have a licensed bar?

Is there the option for a late bar?

If you bring your own wine, i.e. for the wedding breakfast, will there be a corkage fee?

Are there any additional costs not included in the quote for example VAT, or a service charge?

Please note this list is not comprehensive is meant as a guide for when you are visiting potential venues.

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