What You REALLY Should Be Asking When Planning Your Wedding

Piqua wedding photographer

What You REALLY Should Be Asking When Planning Your Wedding
St Rose church Perrysburg wedding photography
He popped the question!  You said YES!  Now comes the task of planning your wedding!  But, where do you start?
tips for planning your wedding
Most brides immediately go online to The Knot or WeddingWire to begin looking for their perfect venue, dj and photographer.  Sites like these make it easy for brides to contact their favorite wedding specialists by clicking on the email link.  They even supply a pre-worded email to send.  It almost always asks for the same thing:  “Please send me pricing!” But what brides don’t realize is that every wedding specialist charges differently depending on what is right for their own business and the services that they provide.
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The better question to ask is: “What am I getting for my money?”  Since I am a photographer, I will use photography as an example.

Many photographers take lots of pictures on your wedding day.  Some take more than others.  Some only show you a few hundred.  How do they decide what to give you?  Some show you all that are taken but only allow you to pick a few hundred or an album.  Many only sell you prints of your favorite images.  Some give you all of what they took.  That is what I do.

Some photographers also provide a second photographer for your wedding.  Another question you should ask yourself is if this is necessary.  What do you get from the second photographer?  Do you get any photos?  Will you get all of their photos as well as the main photographer’s photos?  Do both photographers shoot at the same time?  Will they take turns taking photos?  Almost all of the photographers that provide second shooters do it differently to fit the needs of their business.

Their answers to these questions may surprise you!  That is why it is important to not only know how much they charge for their services, but to also know what you will be getting.  When comparing, you want to be comparing apples to apples, not apples to oranges.
photography packages that include photo booth
The same things can be said about photo booths.  Almost all of the area’s photo booths are the exact same thing.  They use software that automates the process.  You pick from a couple of props, step in front of the camera and take a couple of pictures.  The machine then prints out a couple of strips.

However, when it comes to pricing, this is where everyone is different.  Some charge for extra hours. Many charge to bring props.  Some charge by the hour.  Most charge for a background screen that is bigger than five feet wide.  They may also charge for different backgrounds.  Almost all of them charge for extra prints.  When you add up all of their extra fees, you wind up paying way more than you thought you were going to pay.
best toledo photo booth

Now for the example of what you get from my Complete Wedding Package!

My Complete Wedding Package includes all day wedding photography coverage with all of your images put on a decorative USB drive with print release.  This also includes extra locations for taking romantic photos along with the getting ready photos if you want them.  You will also receive a free engagement session and all of the images on a disk with print release.  Also included is a disk of all of your wedding photos set to music in a lifelong video montage.

This package also includes my Kurt’s Kustom Keepsakes green screen photo booth for your entire reception.  You get to pick 4 to 6 digital backgrounds from which your guests will get to choose to use at your reception.  Everyone in Every Photo gets a full 4×6 print Every Time they use the photo booth.

Plus, we print an extra photo to put in a 12×12 real scrapbook.  We have seen some photo booths use spiral bound notebooks and call them scrapbooks!  The scrapbook will contain enough pages to hold 200 photos taken in the photo booth.  Your guests get to sign and decorate the pages.  You will get to take the scrapbook home at the end of the night!

All images are posted to an online permanent gallery and your guests can download them for FREE at any time.  Depending on your venue, we may also be able to immediately upload them to your gallery for instant sharing.

Because our photo booth is not automated, we have a photographer, a computer technician, and someone to help with the scrapbook or pass out pictures at every event.  We are the only photo booth that provides choices of backgrounds for every picture.  That means that my staff will actually interact with every guest in every photo.  This ensures that your guests have a great experience at your reception!
what you should be asking when planning your wedding
Knowing what you will be getting for your money is a good idea for all aspects of planning your wedding.  Understanding the value of what you are getting makes you a savvy bride!
Piqua wedding photographer
For more information about Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography, including pricing, please visit my website at:  www.kurtnphoto.com.

To check for availability and schedule your FREE Wedding consultation, please call:

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

Feel free to make comments below and/or share this blog post.  Help spread the word and pin this image to your Pinterest board!

Toledo Wedding Photographer | How much will your Toledo Wedding Cost? | Invitations | Part 9

This is part 9 in our blog series “How much will your wedding cost?” and this part is about your wedding invitations and stationary.  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.  As stated in part one of this series, the website listed the Toledo Brides and Grooms spent $262 to $436 for average wedding invitations and between $524 and $698+  for more elaborate ones.  However, they have changed their format on me and now list the cost of Lucas County Ohio weddings and have lumped in the cities of Berkey, Harbor View, Holland, Maumee, Monclova, Neapolis, Oregon, Sylvania, Toledo, Waterville and Whitehouse.  With this change, they have combined all of the survey responses for these cities and now say that Lucas County brides and grooms spend $503 on average for invitations.  I am guessing that because not all brides and grooms shop in Toledo exclusively, this may be a little more accurate, but that’s just my opinion.  In all of the past posts I only used the figures for Toledo proper.  For the purposes of the remainder of this blog series, I will be only using the new figures for Lucas County and your actual costs may vary depending on where you shop.  As also stated in previous posts, the website does not list how many brides and grooms responded to the survey.
Toledo Wedding Photographer
Not all couples send out Engagement Announcements, but those that did in Lucas County in 2011 spent on average between $65 and $108 on regular announcements and spent between $129 and $172+ on custom made ones.  Not all couples sent out Save the Date cards either.  In 2011, Lucas county couples spent $71 and $118 on average Save the Date cards while spending between $141 and $188+ for custom made ones.  Engagement Announcements can also be used as Save the Date cards or for invitations to an Engagement Party.  If you are marrying during a high travel time like a holiday or in the summer, or have a lot of out of town guests, sending a Save the Date card will increase your chances of your guests being able to attend.  They should be sent 6 months prior to your wedding.  Just remember that if you are sending someone either the Engagement Announcement or a Save the Date card, that you must also invite them to the wedding as it is proper etiquette.  You should also address the Save the Date Cards as you would your wedding invitations so your guests know who will be invited; i.e. Mr. Smith and Guest, or Mr. and Mrs. Jones and Family.  Also, if you have a wedding website, it’s a good idea to include the URL on the Save the Date card so your guests can keep up to date on your plans.
Wedding Photographer Toledo
In 2011, Lucas County brides and grooms spent between $155 and $258 for average wedding invitations and reply cards while spending between $309 and $412+ for designer or custom made ones.  This is one area where Do It Yourself projects are becoming all the rage.  Our friend Kelly Henry at UpperCase Designs offers this advice if you are planning on going that route:

”If the bride has the right software program, that is a start but they need to consider the printer they are using. How well will a thicker card stock run through the at home printer? Many don’t feed well with 100lb card stock. Now there are a few tips I can suggest to try and make your invitations not look homemade. To start with start working on designs 6 months from the wedding date; you need time to gather samples. Double up on the paper, do a backer color against a white or cream paper to create a thicker invitation. Have fun with the backer paper there are so many options out there.  Get samples a head of time to find the best fit for your wedding. Invest in a good paper cutter.  If you don’t, you will have jagged edges making your invites look homemade. Glue dots are the easiest way to assemble the two paper stocks together. The ribbon trend is beginning to fade but this is always an easy way to add a detail touch to the pieces.”

If you are going the DIY route, not only do you need to include all of the items needed for the invitations, but you also need to include the printer ink in your budget along with any other items needed such as the paper cutter, scissors, stamps or stickers or whatever you will need to create the invitations.  After pricing all of this out, including your time to make the invitations and put them together, you may find it cheaper and less stressful to have a stationary expert do your invitations instead of you doing them yourself.

Kelly also offers this advice if you are going to order your invitations from a professional stationer:

“My number one suggestion is if you go cheap, they will look cheap. I have so many brides who come to me and this is the first thing out of their mouth: ‘I want these as cheap as possible’.  Many brides believe they are going to throw them away anyway, but think about this… this is the first taste of your wedding day for most of your guests. Do you want them to think they are attending a casual affair or something they will remember the rest of the year? My guess would be the second one. Take a moment and find the right fit for your style.  I am sure there are many local options out there.   You just have to do some investigating.  Keep in mind these ways to save money: 

Do not use a square envelopes, postage is more on these.
Keep the weight down per envelope, adding ribbon details may increase postage cost.
Make the RSVP card a postcard, postage is cheaper for postcards.

 Set up a website for RSVPs, this will save even more money.
Can details be combined on the pieces, such as the reception details on the invitation?
Use one envelope, no need for the traditional way of sending out invites (with an inner and outer envelope).

Make sure envelopes are hand cancelled (hand stamped) to eliminate on wear and tear.
Proof read the final copies.  Many people over look the tiny details and miss something they typed incorrectly.  Have multiple people proof them.
Order extras!  This may sound crazy but if you have 145 invites to send out and only order 150 you may find yourself needing 160.  It will cost a lot more to reorder and possibly endure more shipping costs.”

Traditional Wedding Photography in Toledo
You will also need thank you cards for after your wedding and should include this in your budget.  According to the Cost of Wedding website, in 2011 Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $56 and $94 for average thank you cards and between $113 and $150+ for custom designed ones.  You might want to make sure you have extras of these as well just in case you get gifts from people that did not get invited to your wedding and/or your wedding professionals.
Wedding Photographers in Toledo
Postage is probably one thing many brides and grooms forget to include in their budget when planning their wedding and this could be a costly mistake.  According to CostOfWedding.com, Lucas county brides and grooms spend between $67 and $111 on average for postage.  However, it also lists that they could spend between $134 and $178+ if they use custom or designer stationary.  What you need to spend on postage depends on what you send out.  For instance, if you are sending out Save the Date Cards or Engagement Announcements, this can double your amount needed for postage, along with having the added expense of the cards themselves.  You will also need to add postage to your RSVP postcards or envelopes for the response cards.  Plus, you will need postage for the invitations and thank you cards.  How much postage you will need for the invitations will depend on the dimensions and thickness of each invitation.  Remember that the more you add to the invitation, the more it will cost.  For instance, if you are going with the traditional formal folded invitation with the inner and outer envelopes, the tissue paper insert, adding a map for your guests, the RSVP card with envelope, and added embellishments to your invitations such as ribbons, your postage will probably be higher than an invitation that uses a post card for the RSVP and has no added embellishments and only the outer envelope.  The post office determines the postage by size and weight, so keep this in mind when designing your invitation.  Another thing to consider is that the more invitations that are sent, the more you will need for postage.
Wedding Ceremony Program Ideas
Ceremony programs are another added expense you need to include in your budget.  According to the report, Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $66 and $110 for average programs and between $132 and $176+ for custom ones for this item.
Wedding Seating Chart ideas
Lucas county brides and grooms also spend between $70 and $116 for average Reception Menus and $140 to $186+ for designer menus.  Table names and escort/place cards are another expense for the bride and groom to figure into their budget.  The website says that Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $47 and $79 for average items and between $95 and $126+ for custom made items.  The reception menus, table names and escort/place cards are not always necessary and you may not need them for your wedding.  However, if you do chose to include these items, be sure to include them in your budget.  There are also a lot of alternative examples, such as seating charts, that can be found on wedding websites like TheKnot.com and also on Pinterest.com.
Wedding Guest Book ideas
The last thing in this section of your budget that you need to consider is your guest book.  The Cost of Wedding website states that Lucas County brides and grooms spend between $37 and $61 for a traditional guest book while spending between $74 and $98 for a custom designed one.  The new trend is having a guest book made using photographs from your engagement session, which makes for a truly unique and personal guest book.  Of course, if you go with this option, you will have to either order the guest book from your photographer or buy the disk of images that includes a print copyright release so you can make it yourself.  If you do chose to make it yourself, make sure that you have the rights (from the photographer) and software needed to edit the images (crop and downsize) and layout the album to fit your needs.  Most photographers’ print release forms do not include cropping or altering images in any way, so make sure you know this about the images you purchase.  Because you will need to pay your photographer for the disk of images and may need to purchase software to size the images you use (because they usually give them to you at full resolution which is about 48”x72”), you may find it cheaper and less stressful to just have the photographer make the guest book for you.  You will also need to consider the time involved in doing this project on your own.  If you are not familiar with the software needed for laying out an album, it could take you several days or weeks to make the album the way you want it to look.  Plus, a professional photographer uses professional print labs that you can’t access and the quality of the guest book will more likely be better than what you could get online or at a big box store.
Toledo Wedding Photographers
As you can see, the overall numbers do not match the specific numbers given in the report for actual items when it comes to your wedding invitations and stationary.  This is why it is so important for you to do your own research for your wedding budget.  Hopefully, I was able to break down a little bit of the details and help you with your planning.  This is the ninth part in a series of several blog posts regarding the cost of a Toledo wedding (now Lucas County Weddings).  Look for the next blog post about gifts and party favors 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.
Fun Wedding Photographers in Toledo
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!

Toledo Wedding Photographer | How much will your Toledo Wedding Cost? | Wedding Attire | Part 7

This is part 7 in our blog series “How much will your wedding cost?” and this part is about your wedding attire.  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.  As stated in part one of this series, the website listed the Toledo Brides and Grooms spent $557 to $928 for average wedding attire and between $1,113 to $1,484+ for designer or custom items.  As stated in previous posts, the website does not list how many brides and grooms responded to the survey.  By looking at these figures, I’m guessing that there were not many because this seems very low and does not equal the rest of the figures listed on the report for this category.  Also, as with my past posts in this series, all figures listed are for Toledo, OH weddings and may be different for the suburbs or outlying areas.
Toledo Wedding Photographer
Every bride dreams of her wedding dress and how gorgeous she will be walking down the aisle, but how much will it cost?  This of course depends on your taste and where you shop.  According to the Cost of Wedding website, Toledo Brides spend between $708 and $1,180 for an average wedding dress while spending between $1,416 and $1,888 for a designer gown.
Toledo Wedding Photographers
Have you seen the reality TV show “Say Yes to the Dress?”  A Pnina Tornai gown purchased from Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City, as frequently seen on the show, could cost you thousands of dollars.  At the same time, a gown purchased on sale at a wedding boutique or one purchased from a consignment shop like my neighbor Dream Designs Bridal Outlet & Consignment Shop can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.  Not thrilled with the idea of purchasing from a consignment shop?  Did you know that most of the gowns have never been worn?  Many times a bride that purchases a gown but does not go through with the ceremony or finds a different one to wear will sell the unused gown at a consignment store.  Consignment stores also purchases gowns that other stores or distributors do not sell because they may have over-ordered or anticipated a higher volume of sales.  Because consignment stores purchase gowns at a lower price than other bridal shops, they can sell the dresses at a lower price.  No matter where you choose your gown, if you have to order it, make sure that you do so with plenty of time for the dress to be made and shipped and also allow time in case alterations are needed.  Also allow in your budget for the alterations whether you think you may need them or not, just in case because you may lose or gain weight from all of the stress from planning the wedding.  These alterations could cost hundreds of dollars depending on what needs to be done.  You may also need for your gown to be professionally pressed so don’t forget to include that in your budget.  Always ask the store what is included in the purchase price so there are no surprises in your purchase.
Wedding Photography in Toledo
According to CostOfWedding.com, Toledo brides spend between $65 and $109 for their veil or headpiece while spending between $131 and $174+ for designer or custom veils or headpieces.  But that’s not the only accessories that you will need.  The website has a separate category for this and states that local Brides spend between $90 and $150 for average accessories and spend between $180 and $240 for custom or designer accessories.  However, it does not state what these accessories are.  I’m guessing that the shoes are included along with your garter.  However, you may also need a slip or crinoline to go under your gown, a jacket or wrap for cooler weather, a purse or clutch, and don’t forget your other undergarments.  Your wedding shoes are necessary for pictures but you may want a second more comfortable pair to wear for the rest of the evening so make sure this is included in your budget along with the garter that gets tossed.
Wedding Photographers Toledo Ohio
The groom is part of the wedding also and needs to be dressed, so let’s not forget him in the budget.  According to the website, Toledo Grooms spend between $122 and $203 for the tux purchase or rental and between $243 and $324+ for the designer labels.  They also spend between $60 and $100 for accessories and between $120 and $160+ for custom or designer accessories.  When renting or purchasing a tuxedo, it’s important to find out what is included in the price.  Many tuxes come with either a vest or cummerbund.  The vest is for a more formal look and the cummerbund is a more relaxed look.  If the tux does not come with either, make sure you add this to your budget.  The tux should also come with a tie, shirt, cuff link and stud set (pieces of jewelry that are used instead of buttons on a formal shirt), and suspenders if needed.  Shoes, socks and pocket silks are usually extra.   However, depending on the store where you choose to rent or purchase the groom’s tux, these all may be add-ons so be sure to check with the store.  Many stores also have deals where if you rent so many tuxes for the bridal party that the groom’s tux is either discounted or free, so be sure to find out the store’s policy on this when figuring it in your budget.
Toledo Wedding Photography
This is the seventh part in a series of several blog posts regarding the cost of a Toledo wedding.  Look for the next blog post about entertainment 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.

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 post any comment or question you may have to let me know if this is helpful to you for planning your wedding.