Toledo Wedding Photographer | Kelly and Craig | Summer Wedding

I’ve recently been asked by a wedding planner, whom I have never worked with before, how I can get all of the details of the wedding and be able to capture all of the candid moments without a second shooter.  I thought i would use this blog post to show that with all of my years of experience as a wedding photographer, it can be done!

I have been photographing weddings for over 25 years and have always worked alone.  The popularity of having a second shooter is a recent trend within the last 5 years or so that was started by newer photographers coming into the wedding photography business.  My years of experience, work ethic, attention to detail and ability to anticipate moments of the day and comradery with other wedding vendors that the brides and grooms have hired is the reason I have not needed a second shooter thus far.  It is also the reason I am able to capture the images many of today’s trendy photographers need two people to get the job done.

For this wedding, my day started at 12:30pm at the church (the couple’s chosen time and place to begin) and ended after the reception was over at 10pm.  I took over 1300 photographs and I am showcasing more of the candid moments of their day in this blog post.  This is by no means all of the intimate moments of the day that I captured for them, but merely a sampling to show you what I do and how hard that I do work.  Of course, every wedding is different and how I photograph it depends on the wedding timeline and how the bride and groom have things scheduled, and what they want from me.  Many of the candid moments depend on the actions of the bridal party and wedding guests.
Toledo Wedding Photographer

Kelly and Craig were married on Saturday, July 14, 2012 at St. John Lutheran Church in Williston, OH surrounded by their family and friends.  Their reception was held at St. Michael Centre in Oregon, OH.  On their wedding day, I started with the groom and the guys in the wedding party and the groom’s family while the bride and her maids were getting ready.

Photo of groom getting ready

Picture of Best Man getting ready

helping junior groomsman getting dressed

groomsmen getting ready pictures

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groom's white suspenders

groom's boutonniere

best man and groom photos

ring bearer and groom photos

groom with the fathers photos

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church formal photo of groomsmen

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groom sibling photos

groom with his parents photo

groom's family portraits
Then it was into the room where the bride was adding her finishing touches and then photos with her bridesmaids and the bride’s family.
lacing up the back of the wedding dress

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mom putting on bride's necklace

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allow 30 minutes to lace up wedding dress

long bride veil

attaching wedding veil to bride's hair

putting on wedding shoes

Formal church Photos

Bridal Portrait

Blue Bridesmaids dresses long

light blue bridesmaids dresses

back of wedding dress

formal bridal portrait

Bride with her grandparents photo

bride's family portraits
Before we knew it, it was 2:30 and time for the wedding to begin.
conch shell flower holder

sand ceremony vessels

escorting the grandmother

mothers and sand ceremony

groom entering the church

waiting for ceremony to begin

light blue junior bridesmaids dress

flower girl and ring bearer

anticipation on the groom's face

here comes the bride

father escorting the bride

father giving away the bride

St. John Lutheran Church Williston, OH

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exchanging rings

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After the wedding, the couple headed outside for the bubbles during the recessional and then we headed back inside to finish the formal portraits.
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We had to be out of the church by 4pm and we made it!  Then we headed to Maumee Bay State Park for some more wedding party and romantic photos that the bride and groom wanted.
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When we got to the reception hall, I had enough time to get a few of the detail shots before the wedding party grand entrance at 5pm.
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Michael's Gourmet Catering Toledo

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They went right into the Best Man and Maid of Honor speeches and the prayer before dinner.  While the rest of the guests were finishing their dinners, the bride and groom were able to get in some mingling with their guests.
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It was soon time for the formal dances:  bride and groom’s first dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance and the bridal party dance.
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Next up on the agenda for the evening was cutting the beautiful wedding cake from Jane’s Cakes in Perrysburg, OH.
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There was a little break after the cake cutting for some mingling and dancing before the final formalities of the night.
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The final formal events of the evening were the bouquet and garter toss.
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Doug Bermick of Professional Sounds kept the party going all night long.
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Kelly and Craig’s wedding dreams came true with the help of these great wedding professionals:

Ceremony Site:  St. John Lutheran Church, Williston, Ohio

Reception Site:  St. Michael Hall, Oregon, Ohio

Catering:  Michael’s Gourmet Catering, Toledo, Ohio

Florist:  In Bloom Flowers and Gifts, Maumee, Ohio

DJ:  Professional Sounds, Toledo, Ohio

Cake:  Jane’s Cakes and Confections, Perrysburg, Ohio

Photographer:  Kurt Nielsen Photography, Sylvania, Ohio
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Congratulations Kelly and Craig on your recent marriage!
Best of the Knot Toledo Wedding Photographer

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

To contact me to schedule your FREE wedding consultation, please call me at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments below and share this blog post! Pin your favorite images to your Pinterest boards!

Toledo Wedding Photographer | Amber and Rob | Maumee

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Amber and Rob were married on May 19, 2012 in a beautiful (and short) late afternoon outdoor ceremony on the terrace at The Pinnacle in Maumee, OH.  The reception was held in the elegant grand ball room inside The Pinnacle where the couple’s love for video games was evident throughout the night.

My day started in the afternoon with the bride and bridesmaids getting ready followed by the groom and his guys also getting ready.
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Floral Bridal Headpiece

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Father of the Groom Photos with Groom

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Groom Pictures before the wedding

Blue Nile Diamonds
The bride and groom wanted to do a few “No Look” photos before the ceremony, and it worked out perfectly because the bride wasn’t quite ready yet when it was time to do them.
No Look Photos before the ceremony
While the bride and her bridesmaids were finishing getting ready, I took some photos of the details and then the formal photos of the groom with his groomsmen.
Photos of the Groom Getting Ready

Cherry Lane Cakes

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Lilac Bridesmaid Bouquet

Traditional Escort Cards Place Cards

Groom's Boutonniere

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Groomsmen Boutonniere

Formal Photos of the Groomsmen

Photos of the Groom and Best Man

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Then it was back inside to check on the bride and photograph her putting on her dress and photos of her wedding accessories.
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Wisteria Purple Renaissance Wedding Dress

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White Satin Wedding Shoes

Blue Wedding Garter

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Mario Brothers Pin

Sentimental Items Pinned to Wedding gown

Wedding Wrap

Wedding Veil
It was time for the wedding to start so I headed outside and took some more photos along the way.
Personalized Wedding Favors M&Ms

Traditional Wedding Guest Book

Photos of Guests Mingling at Wedding

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Groom waiting for the Bride Photos

Wisteria Purple Bridesmaids Dresses

Pictures of the Groom waiting for the Bride

Wisteria and White Wedding Gown

Here comes the Bride

Purple Wedding Gown Sash

Father giving away the Bride

Family performing wedding ceremony

Wedding Vows

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Exchanging Wedding rings

The Wedding Kiss Pictures

Groom Dipping Bride during Wedding Kiss

Just Married Photos

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After the quick ceremony, it was time to do some formal family and bridal party photos while the guests enjoyed the cocktail hour inside.
Kids Activity Table at Wedding Reception

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We then went inside for the introductions, followed by the wedding toasts and dinner.  Be sure to check out the special cake for the Bride’s Mom and Dad!  Amber and Rob were married on their 40th Anniversary!
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Head Wedding Table

Bridal Party Entrance

Bride and Groom Grand entrance

Head Table Seating

Maid of Honor toast

Parents of the Bride Anniversary Celebration at Wedding

Best Man Toast

Wedding Champagne Glasses

Wedding Toast Kiss
After the bride and groom finished their dinner and were waiting for their guests to finish theirs, the bride and groom mingled with their guests and went into their “game room” to relax and enjoy their favorite video games.
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Then it was time for the rest of the “formal” activities: cutting of the cake, bride and groom’s first dance, the bride’s parents’ anniversary dance, the father daughter dance, mother son dance and the tossing of the garter and bouquet.
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Bride Dancing with her father

Father Daughter Dance

Groom dancing with his mother

Mother Son Dance

Tossing the Bouquet

Finding the Garter

Tossing the Garter

I caught the bouquet
Finally it was time for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves.  I continued to take photographs inside and outside by the warm fire pit on the terrace, along with photos of the rings.
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Congratulations Rob and Amber from Kurt Nielsen Photography!
Wedding Programs
Great job to all those that made this day special for the happy couple!

The Pinnacle

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Harp to Harp

Decorative Sound

Beautiful Blooms by Jen

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

To schedule your FREE wedding consultation, please call me at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments and/or share this blog!

Toledo Wedding Photographer | How much will your wedding cost? | Wedding Planner | Part 5

This is part 5 in our blog series “How much will your wedding cost?” and for this post I am focusing on Wedding Planners/Consultants.  As with all the blogs in this series, I am using CostOfWedding.com as a resource for the facts and figures listed in this blog.
Ideas for weddings in Toledo
According to the Cost of Wedding website, Toledo couples spend between $581 and $968 on average for a Wedding Planner or Consultant.  For the more experienced planners, they spend on average between $1,161 and $1,548+.  The report also breaks this down further depending on the type of services provided, which I will try to explain later.  For “A La Carte” services, Toledo Brides and Grooms spend between $661 and $1,101 for A La Carte coordinators and between $1,322 and $1,762+ for the experts with the average cost being $881.  For “Day Of” Coordinators, Toledoans spend between $574 and $956 for coordinators and between $1,148 and $1,530+ for the experts with the average spent on “day of” wedding coordinators being $765. For “Getting Started” services, Toledo couples spend between $565 and $941 for planners and between $1,130 and $1,506+ for the more experienced planners with the average amount spent for “Getting Started” services being $753.  For “Full Service” planners, Toledo Brides and Grooms spend on average between $2,331 and $3,885 for wedding planners and between $4,662 and $6,216+ for more experienced experts with the average spending at $3,108 for “Full Service” wedding planning.  For “Month of Direction” services, Toledo couples spend between $825 and $1,375 on average with them spending between $1,650 and $2,200 for the experts and the average spent was $1,100 in 2011.
Champagne Fountain for Weddings
With so many different numbers for different types of services, it is obvious that wedding planners/coordinators can fit into any type of budget.  So what do they do and what is the difference in services?  Without being a wedding planner myself, I will try my best to answer this for you.  First, let’s start by differentiating between wedding designers, wedding planners and wedding coordinators.  A wedding designer is one who works primarily on the “visual” aspect of your wedding from flowers to centerpieces to decorations and usually plans these things out based on your “vision” for your wedding, a creative director of sorts.  A wedding planner is more for logistical planning such as helping to hire your vendors like the photographer, caterer, reception hall and such.  They can help you plan your itinerary for your wedding day, schedule your appointments, make sure everything is in place for your wedding and can even help you save money.  They are also sometimes called wedding consultants.  A wedding coordinator is a lot like a wedding planner but may not always do the same things or as much as a planner would do.  For instance, a coordinator may let you pick your vendors and just help you finalize everything and work with the vendors after you have already booked them to make sure everything runs smoothly for you on your special day.  Some reception halls have their own event coordinators and these are NOT the same as a wedding coordinator that you would hire.  Reception hall coordinators are only responsible for their own staff and services included in your bill.  They are the ones that make sure dinner is served on time and the hall is ready to go when your guests arrive.  They are not responsible to make sure the DJ knows when to play the song for your first dance and they are not the one you go to when you realize someone switched their seating cards because they didn’t like the table they were at and now there are people without seats.
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Supposedly, it takes 250 hours on average to plan a wedding.  That’s like working full time (based on a 40 hour work week) for over 6 months just to plan for a single day!  Locally speaking, many of our area’s “wedding planners” do as much or as little as you want them to do and have services to cover all bases for wedding design, planning and coordination.  They offer initial consultations to guide you with the planning of your wedding.  They can do all the research for you so that you can stay within your budget and save you valuable time.  They can also oversee everything on your wedding day to make sure that there are no problems, which helps alleviate stress on the bride and that’s priceless!
Cupcake Wedding Cake
So why hire a wedding planner or coordinator?  A good wedding planner or coordinator can save you enough money elsewhere in your budget to pay for most, if not all, of their services.  They can give you advice and do a lot of the legwork for you.  They know what is trending for today’s modern brides and can help you find what you want to make your wedding unique.  Many of the Toledo wedding planners also offer items for you to rent for your wedding like centerpieces, chair and table covers, and even backdrops and lighting.  They keep you organized and help deal with any problems along the road that you may encounter.  Because they plan weddings for a living, they probably will know things that you may never even think of.  But I think the biggest and best reason to hire a wedding planner or coordinator is to keep you stress-free so you can relax and enjoy your wedding day!
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There are many wedding planners, coordinators and designers in the Greater Toledo Area.  The types of services and price packages they offer vary according to their services, experience and your needs.  The way they charge also varies from company to company so make sure you know for sure how much you will end up paying before you sign a contract with them.  If nothing else, you really should consider hiring a good wedding coordinator for “Day of” services for your wedding day just to make sure that everything runs smoothly so you can enjoy the festivities that you planned.

Hopefully I have answered some of your questions about wedding planners/consultants and/or wedding coordinators.  If I’m wrong on any of the details I have stated about services, I’m sure my wedding planning friends will be sure to comment on here to let me know (and hopefully also let me know if I’m right!).
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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.

This is the fifth part in a series of several blog posts regarding the cost of a Toledo wedding.  Look for the next blog post about wedding flowers and decorations coming soon.   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.
Toledo Wedding Photographers

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
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments and/or share this blog post!  Thank you for your interest in Kurt Nielsen Photography!