Photo by Deb Saunders Photography
If you're not in Adelaide, you may have missed out on Unbridely's first-ever, interactive wedding planning event; Unbridely Live.
Hosted at the awesome Published Arthouse in the heart of the city, myself and 11 award-winning, experienced and generous local wedding suppliers presented to an eager audience of engaged couples and local wedding industry identities.
Focusing on the core message of creating authentic, imaginative and heart-felt wedding celebrations, the Unbridely Live team pulled together a fresh and entertaining night of equal parts ideas and advice.
From the post-event survey, it seemed that the most valuable part of the evening was the app-driven Q&A Session; 8 wedding pros tackling the attendees toughest wedding planning problems.
While we covered a lot on the night, there were still some questions that we couldn't get to, so I went to the Unbridely Live team and got them to write this article.
And, if there's anything that we can help with that we didn't cover, something you're really dying to ask, drop me a line anytime at hello@unbridely.com If I don't know the answer, I have at least 11 good mates that will!
Q1: I've heard about couples waiting up to 5 months for their wedding photos. What is a reasonable length of time to wait?
Pete Thornton
Pete Thornton of What Pete Shot – “it’s photography”:
"Asking how long you will need to wait for your photos is a completely reasonable question to ask your photographer. I recommend having an open and honest conversation with them about this, as well as what is to be delivered, during the booking process or even earlier.
Generally, the wait times change depending on the time of year, how busy the photographer is with other weddings, other work etc.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, the evolution of digital photography has not necessarily made it quicker or easier to turn around a shoot (decrease the time, skill and effort it takes between taking the photo on your wedding day to presenting the final, edited product).
The file culling, editing and correcting process is quite the time consuming one, and many photographers have a 'signature' look that they like their images to portray. This can seem like a deceptively simple application, but in reality, most of the time each image is 'tweaked by hand', not just 'filtered'.
So, with all that said, I personally quote 4-6 weeks to get back your finished, edited wedding pics. I find towards the end of the wedding season, that can push out to 5-8 weeks sometimes."
Q2 - Kiera, which styling elements have the biggest impact in a room? In your opinion, what's the best bang for my buck?
Kiera Blanden
Kiera Blanden of Honoured Hire:
"Ponies.... always ponies – haha! No, seriously - it's lighting. Lighting can have such a massive impact that, at times, it can be the sole focus.
If the space is not overly appealing then bringing light and warmth down to the tables with the use of candles can transform how it feels. And, if you need to fill a large space, then adding a lighting feature can absolutely change the overall look of the room."
Q3 - James & Sam, we want lots of fresh flowers all over our wedding cake - how does that work? Who actually puts them on and how do we co-ordinate that?
Sam Burnell
Sam Burnell of Sam Burnell Floral Design:
"As a florist, we find cake makers can differ with what they prefer, so we work in with what suits them best.
However, we mostly send fresh, unprepared flowers, directly to the cake maker so they arrange them onto the cake.
We would have a discussion on what style of cake you are having and the look you want to achieve. From there, we quote the cost of the fresh flowers and make arrangements to deliver them to the cake maker the day before your wedding."
Q4 - How can you make your wedding your own without the pressure of a sibling's recent perfect wedding and family's expectations?
Bianca Velt-Herron of Modeca Bridal and Jasmine Bridal:
"This is a hard one - I was in the same situation! I just made sure everything reflected both my husband (to-be, at the time) and my personal style. All of your guests will recognise that more then spending time comparing it to your sibling's event.
If your family are helping with the organising (and if your budget allows it), maybe mix it up a bit by surprising them with something that wasn't in the initial plans. Tell them you wanted to keep it a secret and watch the look on their faces.
Maybe go for the exact opposite to what your sibling had as a theme:
if theirs was 'glam and formal', maybe make yours more relaxed and down to earth, so your guests can really let their hair down!
if they had pastels as their colour palette, use bright & bold colours with rose gold to soften and really make a statement
if their bridal party wore the same dresses, have a more relaxed mix and match dress code
if theirs was a sit-down dinner, book in a food cart or van etc.
There are so many options around, in all budget ranges, to help you to create your own unique style that perfectly matches you and your partner's personalities.
Make your wedding your own and that confidence will shine and stand out on the day. There will be nothing to compare it to and your family will be in awe of your love and commitment to each other. "
Q5 - Is it appropriate to show photographers and other vendors your mood-boards to convey your style and vision? Would that offend them?
Pete Thornton of What Pete Shot – “it’s photography”:
"I don't mind when couples send me inspo pics they like or styles they aspire to.
I always try to tactfully point out that I'm not here to recreate other photographers' work, but always happy to accept some direction.
But, most photographers have a particular style and manner in which they shoot and it's more important to be on board with that look, to love it and expect that feel from your photographer, rather than get them to copy another's work.
Kiera Blanden of Honouerd Hire: "As long as you are open to feedback. Then hell yes."
Bianca Velt-Herron of Modeca Bridal and Jasmine Bridal:
"As a bridal consultant, I have always loved seeing a bride's vision.
It helps me to style you from head to toe, as it's not always about the gown, but how you can accessorize as well, that creates a complete look.
Colour palettes help as well for teaming up the bridal party perfectly with your gown and overall vision, venue and theme."
Q6 - Is it okay to ask your celebrant to wear a certain outfit or colour?
Photo by Belinda Monck Photography at The Lane Vineyard
Penelope Carrick of Celebrations by Penelope:
"When it comes to your marriage ceremony and how it all ties in and looks, we know your celebrant's appearance is very important to you.
I absolutely take direction from my couples, when it comes to their requests for what we might wear on their big day.
My brides often stalk me on social media to see what I wear to other weddings and ask me to wear that outfit again because it compliments their bridesmaids, theme or colour palate.
I also ask my couples their wedding theme or colour scheme so that we can dress within that to make sure I’m not standing out or dressing like a bridesmaid.
I don't want to stand out for what I wear, just how good of a job I did!"
Q7 - What is the most effective way to communicate with potential vendors to get the most knowledge out of them, as I have struggled with asking the right questions?
Kiera Blanden of Honoured Hire:
"DO NOT TEXT ME BEFORE 9am. Or on a Saturday. But, please pickup the phone and call! Just know that from Friday to Tuesday, I will more than likely be onsite at a wedding. "
Q8 - Would MCA work with people who want to include religious or cultural rituals into their ceremony?
Vicky Flanegan of Vicky Flanegan Marriage Celebrant:
"Each and every couple is unique, so I fully appreciate that certain elements and inclusions within the ceremony are more important than others to different couples. Every ceremony I put together is customised to suit my couple - I’m happy to work with you to include rituals, symbolism and religious aspects so that your ceremony feels like your ceremony.
Backed by my experience, I sometimes like to brainstorm alternative ideas and find out what is important to you, in the effort to come up with a modern version of what you are thinking about.
With a civil ceremony, as long as the legal aspects are covered, I can help you add and incorporate pretty much any aspect you wish. That's what makes a civil ceremony so flexible and individual"
Q9 - How do I assure my partner that having a wedding is a good idea? He's starting to freak out.
Camille Abbott of Unbridely and Camille Abbott Celebrant:
"Putting on my ‘celebrant hat’ here - unfortunately, this is something that I see happen with wedding couples fairly frequently. And in my experience, as long as your relationship is solid and getting married is something that you both want to do, then the underlying reason for a ‘freak out’ is often socially driven or an internal struggle.
So my first word of advice is to not assume that the problem is you.
Social pressures include high or unrealistic expectations from family and/or friends that lead to a feeling of anxiety around getting married and the wedding itself.
And sometimes there are internal pressures that haven’t been fully discussed or acknowledged, like clinical depression, being uncomfortable socially or a fear of going into debt or losing a job.
But, as always, the key is to get to the real source of the problem. And there are places to go to seek help including low/no cost counselling services that specialise in pre-marriage education. You can check some out at Relationships Australia.
Sometimes a wedding is not the right path for every couple, but it is a decision that you will need to work through together.
Best of luck!"
Q10 - Is it worth organising a collaborative meeting between my major vendors (venue, photographer, celebrant and stylist)?
Pete Thornton of What Pete Shot – “it’s photography”:
"It can be helpful sometimes, but trying to get everyone together can be hard. Generally, I have an onsite meeting with my couples a week or two out from their wedding. We will usually fine tune things with the venue at that point and in reality, the best way to be in sync, is with a run sheet that all your vendors can have a little input into. This way everyone can carve out how much time they need to meet your expectations and it can be worked into your day."