Advice and Tips – Page 7 – Toledo Wedding Photographer

Toledo Wedding Photographer | How much will your wedding cost? | Kurt Nielsen Photography | Part 1

He popped the question, now what?

Every wedding planner, magazine and website tells you that the first thing a bride should do after becoming engaged and setting a date is to set a realistic budget for the wedding. But, how do you do that if you have no idea what it costs for a wedding? Hopefully I can break down what you will be spending your money on and give you a ball park figure to help you, and maybe remind you of things you may have forgotten to include in your overall wedding budget.
The information used in this blog series is from WeddingReport.com and CostofWedding.com. This is by no means the actual costs you will incur for these items for your wedding. It is merely an estimated average based on several factors which is explained on WeddingReport.com under Methodology and was gathered from over 11,000 surveys from different sources for actual 2011 weddings. Your actual wedding budget will vary depending on the things you choose to spend your money and the importance you place on each item to make your wedding day the fairy tale wedding you have dreamed of. You should expect to pay more than the average for experienced professionals, designer labels, custom products, and popular venues and dates. At the same time, you hopefully can save money with some do it yourself items if you are crafty, sale items, and a smaller guest list. Just remember, for the do-it-yourself items to plan your time accordingly so you don’t add more unwanted stress to yourself.

Let’s start generally speaking. On average, in the US, couples spend $25,631 for their wedding with the majority of couples spending between $19,233 and $32,039. Locally, for a Toledo wedding, couples spend between $16,100 and $26,833. This also depends on location like suburbs and outlying areas. For example, a Sylvania wedding costs between $19,896 and $33,160 (slightly higher) and couples that live in Temperance, MI spend between $18,214 and $30,356 (slightly lower). Out of these figures, Toledo weddings average between 137 and 151 guest at a cost between $134 and $164 per guest; Sylvania weddings average between 152 and 166 guests at a cost between $150 and $184 per guest; while Temperance weddings average between 136 and 150 guests at a cost between $153 and $187 per guest.

For the rest of this blog series, I am going to refer only to Toledo statistics and numbers so I don’t overwhelm you with too much information. This is, after all, just an aid for you to use to help with planning your own budget, and not your real wedding budget.

So what is the breakdown of this $19,233 to $32,039 that the average Toledo Bride and Groom spends? All of the following amounts are averages that a Toledo Bride and Groom would most likely spend for “average” wedding professionals, locations and services. You should expect to pay more for popular venues, experienced professionals and designer items.

Venue, catering and rentals: $4,255 to $7,091 for average; $8,510 to $11,346+ for the experts.

Jewelry: $1,384 to $2,306 for average; $2,768 to 3,960+ for designer or custom.

Photography and Video: $1,020 to $1,700 for average; $2,040 to $2,720+ for the experts.

Wedding Planner/Consultant: $581 to $968 for average; $1,161 to $1,548+ for the experts.

Flowers and Decorations: $568 to $946 for average; $1,136 to $1,514+ for the experts.

Attire and Accessories: $557 to $928 for average; $1,113 to $1,484+ for designer or custom.

Entertainment: $443 to $738 for average; $885 to $1,180+ for the experts.

Invitations: $262 to $436 for average; $524 to $698+ for designer or custom.

Gifts and Favors: $224 to $374 for average; $449 to $598+ for designer or custom.

Transportation: $143 to $248 for average; $285 to $380+ for the experts.

Beauty and Spa: $44 to $74 for average; $89 to $118+ for the experts.

As I stated earlier, these are just estimates from CostOfWedding.com. The amount you will actually spend will vary greatly depending on your taste, location and ideas. Also, the way this report works, if you actually break it down further, the average amounts actually go up on this report. It is therefore wise to do your own research before setting your actual budget.

This is just the first in a series of several blog posts regarding the cost of a Toledo wedding. For the rest of the blogs in this series, I will further break down the actual costs and hopefully give you valuable tips for creating your wedding budget. Feel free to post any comment or question you may have to let me know if this is helpful to you for planning your wedding.

For more information on Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography including pricing, please visit my website at: www.kurtnphoto.com. You can contact me at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography

kurt@kurtnphoto.com

5431 Schultz Drive

Sylvania, OH 43560

419 885 7153

Feel free to leave your comments and/or share this blog post! Keep watching for the next post in this series “How much will your wedding cost?”!

Toledo Bridal Show Tips by Kurt Nielsen Photography

Did he put a ring on it this holiday season? Now is the time when most couples become engaged and start planning their dream weddings. Thus, January begins the Bridal Show season.

Once again this year, I will be at the Sounds of Music Superbowl of Bridal Shows. This show is a 2 day event at The Stranahan Theatre Great Hall and Premier Banquet Complex (Formerly Gladieux Meadows). This is Toledo’s biggest bridal show of the year. It already has over 100 vendors signed up to be part of this year’s show. Hundreds of brides will be in attendance ready to book their wedding vendors. The bridal show is on January 7th and 8th, 2012 from 1pm-5pm. You can purchase tickets in advance from any Anderson’s store for $8. Tickets will also be available at the door for $10. Pre-registration isn’t a requirement, but makes it much easier and quicker for you to get started with your wedding planning. You can pre-register on the Sounds of Music DJs website. There will also be transportation to shuttle you between both venues and your tickets are good for both days.

If you have never attended a bridal show, it can be very overwhelming. Here are some tips to get you through (in no particular order):

1. Bring your mom, fiancee, mother, soon to be mother-in-law, maid of honor, bridesmaids, or anyone else that is helping you plan your wedding. This way, they can also see who you talked with and can better help you plan when it comes time to make those important decisions.

2. Go early. By going early, you will get there before most of the other brides to be. Plus, this will give you longer to look around and talk with the vendors. Since this is a two day event, you can even come back to the vendors to talk again on the second day to answer any questions that may have arisen after speaking with other vendors.

3. Visit with as many vendors that you can. Even if you already have a vendor for something, visiting with their colleagues can give you more ideas for your wedding planning. By visiting all of the different kind of vendors and taking the informational packets or fliers that they have can give you a more realistic sense of what to expect as to their services and prices. This in turn will help you better with the budgeting for your wedding expenses and the types of services you want and can afford.

4. Make up self adhesive address labels. Most of the vendors will have give-aways or contests that require you to fill out an entry form. By having this pre-made, it will save you time and your hand won’t cramp up! Make sure you include your name, address, phone number, email address and wedding date on these labels. When you are at the bridal show, you can just stick these labels on the entry forms.

5. Bring a camera and notebook. You can take pictures of the vendors you speak with, decorating ideas or items displayed at their booths. A notebook will help keep you organized and you can write down any questions or comments you have about the vendors or what they offer.

6. If you have a phone that has a camera on it, make sure you download the bar code scanner or QR code app. Many of the vendors will be using this technology for their bridal show specials, including me! Having it already on your phone or ipad will save you time.

7. Bring your checkbook or credit cards. Many vendors, including me, will have special discounts for booking that day, so it is best to be prepared. There are thousands of weddings in and around Toledo every year, and most vendors book quite a few brides from these bridal shows. In order for you to get who you want for your wedding day, and to save money, it’s a good idea to book them early. Booking at a bridal show like this one, will do both.

8. Bring your calendar! If you can’t book at the show, or want to check out everything before you commit, it is a good idea to at least schedule a wedding consultation with the vendors of your choice. This will at least hold your date until the consultation (for most vendors). However, you may not be eligible for the bridal show discount if you don’t actually book at the show.

9. Know your wedding budget. It is a good idea to have some sense of what you can afford to spend on the biggest ticket items in your wedding budget. This includes (but isn’t necessarily limited to) your Reception Venue/Caterer, Photographer, DJ or band, Videographer, Planner, Florist, Dress and Cake. Prioritizing what is most important to you is also a good idea. Always remember, for any vendor, do not go by price alone. Quality of their work and their customer service is also very important and should be a factor in your decision.

10. Wear comfortable shoes! There is a lot of standing and walking involved in attending a bridal show. There usually isn’t much room for sitting down and relaxing.

11. Eat something before you go! Yes there will be samples from some of the cake vendors and catering companies. But that is all it is, samples. Don’t expect to have an entire meal. It is also a good idea to bring a bottle of water with you to keep you hydrated.

12. As I previously stated, there will be hundreds of brides searching for their wedding vendors just like you. As much as I would like to, I cannot do a complete wedding consultation with each and every one that comes to my booth. I will, however, answer any question you may have as best as I can given the situation. That is why it is important for you to be prepared. Have any questions for your vendors written down so you can ask them at the show. Research their websites, read their reviews and ask your friends about their experiences before going to the show. By being prepared, it gives you the advantage of knowing what you are really looking to gain from going to the bridal show. If you want to spend longer time talking than the show will allow, you can always set an appointment to meet with me or any of the other vendors.

13. Don’t be pressured into booking someone that day. Yes, if you book you will get the discount they are offering. However, if you are unsure at all, or want to comparison shop before booking, be sure to go with your gut instincts. You can always come back at the end of the day to the vendor(s) you really like.

14. Be prepared to carry a lot of things. It’s probably a good idea to bring a tote bag with you. The show may provide you with one, but it may not be big enough to carry everything you receive from all of the vendors. Having a second bag (that a friend can carry) to put all of the vendor information from the vendors you are really interested in can save you time when sorting through all of the information you received at the show!

15. Avoid bringing small children, especially those with strollers. With as many people that will be attending and the numerous vendor booths, small children can easily get split up from you and the strollers will prove hard to navigate through the aisles. It will also be a long day for you and if they become cranky, you may not get to see as much of the show as you were hoping to see.

16. The first question you should ask each vendor is “are you available on [insert your wedding date here]?” This way, if they are not available on your date, you can move on to the next vendor and save you the time to spend with those that are available. However, be sure to take their handouts in case they have a cancellation.

17. Have fun! Planning your wedding is one of the most special events you get to enjoy so be sure to do just that! Enjoy the day!

After the bridal show, make sure you go through all of the information as quickly as possible. That way the information stays in your mind for the vendors you spoke with. If you don’t book your vendors at the show, set up appointments with the ones you really liked as soon as you can. Keep in mind, you are not the only one getting married and the hundreds of other brides will be doing the same. The ones that were available when you spoke with them may no longer be available. Booking a consultation with them will allow you more time to see their work and ask more questions.

Also be prepared for the vendors that were at the bridal shows to contact you with some sort of follow up. Bridal shows usually give their vendors a list of all of those in attendance. Some vendors send follow up information and some do not. The same is true if you sign up for information on the many wedding websites. It is a good idea to prepare yourself for information overload for your wedding planning!

For a sneak peek at my bridal show discount, visit my special bridal show page on my website! Good luck and Happy Planning! Make sure you stop by my booth at the Premier Banquet Complex and say hi!

Choosing your Toledo Wedding Photographer – Kurt Nielsen Photography

I’ve probably blogged this before, but choosing the right photographer is so important that I feel it’s worth repeating. Unfortunately, for you there is a so much to consider when choosing a wedding photographer that this will be a long blog, but it’s what you should know to make your decision.

When you become engaged and start planning your wedding, you are so excited and enthusiastic. This excitement can change to stress very quickly if you are not organized and if you do not do your research. Choosing your photographer, or any vendor for that matter, has become increasingly easier thanks to the internet. You can research all of your vendors in the comfort of your own home, at lunch with the girls, at work (not advised!), or where ever you wish.

Choosing the perfect wedding photographer will not be an easy task. Out of everything you must consider when making your choice, there is one rule that you absolutely MUST follow! Do NOT choose your wedding photographer on price alone! Wedding photos are not some place in your wedding budget where you want to cut corners. I’m not just saying this because I am a wedding photographer; I’m saying this because you can’t do your wedding over!

When choosing your wedding photographer, the first thing you need to do is figure out your preferred wedding photography style. Do you like the traditional photographs or the modern “edgier” portraits or the photojournalistic style, or a combination of all styles? Believe it or not, not all photographers keep up with the current trends or know how to pose their subjects so it is important to know what you like and choose a photographer that fits your specific tastes.

Next, you need to set your photography budget. Keep in mind, this will be one of the more expensive parts of your overall wedding budget. Not only will you need to include your photographer’s base package cost, but you will also need to include the extras like prints, albums, DVD’s or whatever else you may want. If you are buying a disk of all of the images so you can create your own albums or prints, don’t sacrifice quality for cost and keep in mind the time it will take you to do all of this. Even for the professionals, it takes several days just to lay out the album, and we do this all of the time. You may want to let your photographer deal with the details to save yourself the headache. Nonetheless, you need to consider all of these costs in your budget as well.

Once you figure out what you can spend, then you need to research possible photographers. Again, do not sacrifice quality for cost! Just because someone has a great camera doesn’t make them a wedding photographer any more than someone who has a sports car makes them a race car driver. Also remember how much time a photographer will need to capture everything that you want photographed. You won’t be able to get in the ceremony, family portraits, the cake cutting, bride and groom’s first dance, etc. in 3 or 5 hours unless you are having a very small intimate wedding with just a few guests, and/or the wedding and reception are in the same place and the reception starts immediately after the ceremony ends. Even then, it may be a stretch because of things being delayed, like the food isn’t ready on time or your pictures take longer than expected because a member of the bridal party or family member wanders off and you have to find them. Things like this happen more often than not, so you and your photographer need to be prepared. Also, you must know that the photographer’s time starts when they arrive, so just because you have a two or three hour break between the ceremony and the reception, this doesn’t mean your photographer will. This is when they get a lot of the formal photographs done. If a photographer tells you that they are charging you for all day coverage find out when they start and when they stop and if there are limits on the number of covered hours. Sometimes all day could mean right before the ceremony starts until the first dance. If you want your photographer to be there earlier for the “getting ready” photos or stay until the party is over, you need to make sure that this is clear to your photographer and included in the package price so you don’t incur extra charges or become disappointed that the photographer missed the groomsmen dancing to the YMCA (future blackmail photos!). Most photographers will offer basic packages and customize them to fit your needs, so make sure you know just what you want before you book your photographer!

The next thing you should consider when hiring your wedding photographer is the quality of their work. Every photographer will show their best work and it’s probably already on their website and facebook pages. But what about the rest of their work? Definitely ask to see as much as you can. Most photographers will be happy to show you anything you want to look at. Make sure the images they don’t post are as good of quality as those that they do post. Make sure the quality of their albums are professional quality and don’t look like they are cheap so they can make an easy buck. Most photographers do use professional photographer services, but there are those random few that are just in it to make the most money they can, so buyer beware.

Also, when looking at a photographer’s sample images, do they look good to you, or do they WOW you? If you are going to spend all of the money that you will be spending to WOW your guests, shouldn’t your wedding photos be a reflection of that and WOW you? Your photographer should know your vision for your dream wedding and be able to tell the story of your wedding day as you would want it told. Your wedding photographs should capture all of the details and memories of the day so that in the future when you are telling your children and grandchildren about your wedding day, they too can see the memories in your photographs.

Ok, so you figured out the style you want, the pricing you can afford, and the quality of the images, but how is the wedding photographer’s customer service? In a recent episode of Judge Joe Brown (no I didn’t watch it, but I did hear about it), there was a bride that hired an amazing photographer for their 2008 Wedding. It’s now 2011 and they still didn’t have their wedding photos or wedding album! That’s a long time (and yes, it said 2011 in the episode). They saw their photos on line and were very pleased with them and tried several times to order, but the photographer just couldn’t get his act together enough to get the job done. That’s definitely bad customer service to the extreme. It’s not very often that something this bad happens, but things do go wrong. So how do you find out how your photographer ranks when it comes to customer service? The easiest way is to find out what other brides say about them. You can read other bride’s reviews on most of the bigger wedding websites like TheKnot.com or WeddingWire.com. Plus you can find out things about them on the website for the Better Business Bureau, which by the way, you have to be a member to get an A+ rating, so if they are not a paying member, the best score they can have is an A.

After you finally narrow down your list to just a few photographers, you should meet with them to find out what they are really like. You must feel comfortable with your wedding photographer when you meet them to make sure you are comfortable and relaxed on your wedding day. You will already be stressed enough that you don’t need the added stress from your photographer. Your photos will show if you are relaxed or stressed and you definitely want to be relaxed for good portraits. Also, if you are relaxed, your wedding party, family and guests will also be relaxed with the photographer.

With all of this being said, here are the questions (and reasons) I would ask a potential photographer:

Do you have backup equipment? (Murphy’s Law: if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, and you don’t want to chance that with your wedding photos!)

Do you have insurance? (In case something does go wrong, like they forget to put the memory card in their camera or lose the images, etc.)

Are they a member of any professional photographer organization? (Many of these organizations provide continuing education for photographers and some even provide insurance.)

How long have they been in business and how long have they photographed weddings? (This can provide clues as to how well their business is doing or if they are just starting. And you should also know that photographing portraits in a studio is much different than photographing weddings or other events, so how long they have been photographing weddings is a major thing to know about them.)

How many wedding have they done? (Everyone needs to start somewhere, but someone that is just beginning in the wedding business may not necessarily be the best choice when it comes to your one and only wedding. A newer photographer may “forget” to get photos that may be second nature to someone that is used to doing a lot of weddings. I’m not saying that this is always the case because a newer photographer may try harder to get it right, but that is a decision you would have to make based on what you know about the photographer.)

Who is actually photographing your wedding? (Some photographers hire someone else to do the actual photographing of a wedding. A lot of times these may be family members, photography students or interns that they know. Also, if there are two photographers that are used, will both photographers be shooting or will they take turns or how exactly does that work and is the second photographer really necessary or just an added expense?)

How long until I see my proofs? (Remember the Judge Joe Brown story from earlier!)

How long will I have to order my album and prints after I see my proofs? (This time will vary by photographer. Currently, my weddings are online for 60 days before they are archived while some photographers keep theirs online a lot longer and some a lot shorter.)

How did they become a photographer? (This just gives you a little bit of background about them so you can find out about their training and dedication to the art of photography.)

Where do they order their prints and albums from? (Professional photography labs and album companies that service only professional photographers are usually a little more expensive, but also are usually a much higher quality than what the average person can get on their own. You don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for something from SnapFish or Walmart when you can get that a lot cheaper on your own!)

All in all, you have to make sure that your photographer is exactly what you want. Don’t settle for a photographer because the price is cheaper! There are no do-overs on your wedding day! In the end, you get what you pay for. After the party is over and the guests have gone home, you can’t keep the food, you probably won’t keep all of the decorations (and neither will your guests), and you return the tuxes, all you will have left will be your memories and photos of your special day. A good photographer will be able to tell the story of your wedding day image after image as if you are reliving each moment as it happened. A great photographer will make you say WOW!

A good wedding photographer may be a little more expensive, but the memories that your photographer captures are priceless!