Venues, Couples and details about actual weddings are showcased by the Style Me Pretty blog in their articles about genuine weddings. They call the features “Real Weddings.” And they highlight authentic in-the-moment weddings. This is opposed to using models and hyper-designed modeling shoots in movie-set venues.
Brides-to-be look at the real bouquets, cakes and wedding photographs in the articles. Then read about the vendors and the venues who made the couple’s dreams come true.
Crystal and Scott chose the elegance of Celebration Gardens for their venue. Landscaped garden views create the perfect natural background for any bride, but only a trained photographer can use scenery to the best advantage for your photographs.
You see, real moments are what it’s all about for Sterling Wedding Photography. So, we thought we’d take our cue from Style Me Pretty and showcase some of our “Real Weddings” for you in this blog.
Just as we promised in our previous blog, we’re bringing the tips and hints for wedding planning for tomorrow’s brides, even as we illustrate the beauty of yesterday’s weddings.
And this week we will begin a three-part blog highlighting a few of the venues favored by our couples. The Venue controls the look of the wedding to a large extent. And the memories of the wedding are often shaped over the years by the photographs of it.
Look at the incredible depth of this photograph at right. It is shaped and enhanced by the scenery. But it is composed by the photographer to maximize the moment.
If you missed last week, please read or review our great hints about choosing the perfect flowers for your special day. Now we will offer Sterling’s advice on choosing venues, which can be a more difficult challenge than you might realize.
Choosing Venues Ignites a Different Style of Planning
You have a variety of options with most of the planning for your wedding. For example, when you make choices about flowers, you can choose not to have them. Flowers? That’s right we knew a hyper-allergic bride who chose bejeweled hand-made paper blooms over the real blossoms.
Music? We even know of a bride who chose wind chimes and a real babbling brook as the music for her processional.
Even, Guests? Many destination weddings are almost elopements, with a minimum of guests invited. Venues are the exception…You cannot just say no.
However, Venues Cannot Be Ignored–The Sterling Photography International Planner – Venue Viewing Chapter
A Romantic Sign of the Times
You must choose to have a venue, a place, for your gathering. It can be your own backyard or a glamorous beach. But, you must choose a place for the reverence and romance of ritual and celebration.
As we promised last week, we are dedicating this month not only to current and future brides. This includes brides who are making plans for their weddings 6-18 months from now. Last week we focused on flowers. However, this week, we are focusing on venues.
Read on to see more of our favorite tips and hints for choosing the perfect place for your day.
Since you cannot simply ignore finding a place or deny the “must-have” quality of a wedding venue, it’s a good thing that Florida is replete with beautiful options.
One of Sterling wedding couples, Crystal and Scott chose Celebration Gardens. It actually features two different lushly landscaped areas. One is located in Winter Park and one in Kissimmee.
Whatever Your Choice of Setting, Sterling Illuminates Your Memories with Line, Light, Focus and a Little Magic
Photographers like Sterling are flexible about whatever setting is embraced by the wedding couple. However, that being said, trained photographers have a deep appreciation of the beauty of the scenery. And the garden scenery is very appealing in the spring.
Choosing Venues-Tip Number 1: Here’s a tip about photography and amazing scenery. Having beautiful scenery is not enough. You must also have a camera artist knows how to compose images of the scenery to enhance the people and the mood of your photographs.
Blooming for Crystal and Scott: Celebrations Gardens: An Invitation to Celebration Gardens
We of Sterling Photography International are always glad to recommend Celebration Gardens. This intimate event location offers elegance year round. And you can’t beat their location.
Divine Details: Baked Goods and Blossoms brought the wedding into the garden for Crystal and Scott.
Celebration Gardens is “conveniently situated minutes away from the best Orlando theme parks. They are also close to our world famous Central Florida beaches.”
Choosing Venues–Tip Number 2: When you choose a venue, judge the friendliness and graciousness of the staff as well as beauty of the place. At Celebration Gardens’ exceptionally talented staff and coordinators stand by their reputation for friendliness, organization and experience. Crystal and Scott were spellbound by the stunning natural beauty and splendor of the ceremony gazebo, pavilion and the Bridal party house. At the wedding, even Sterling could not help but see how the staff went the extra step to make every detail perfect and every moment smooth.
Special Wedding Tip
Venue Tip Number 3: If a couple asks about scouting out garden venues, Sterling has a very special tip. He advises our brides (and grooms) to see the garden in the season–and in the time of day, they anticipate their wedding date will be.
Light and shadow strongly affect color. And in a garden, the time of day or the season can enrich jewel tones or soften pastels.
Venue Tip Number 4: By the way, at High Noon, white hot light will not only make the blooms and the guests wilt, but also cause harsh shadows, flatten dimension and blanch out pretty pastels.
Venues, Choices, and Criteria: Answer Two Big Questions Before Viewing Venues
We suggest one basic master-Question brides (and grooms) must ask before they hunt and choose a venue. Will the venue hold your currently anticipated number of guests? It’s like the chicken and the egg, actually. Which comes first—choosing the venue or tabulating the RSVP’s into an accurate guest count?
Flowers are important. But, they are just one of the Brides’ concerns.
- Our answer is that you should have at least a good strong estimate of the number of guests you anticipate before you go shopping for venues.
- Our second big question is, “What part of your budget will you spend on the venue?” Remember, this is one of your first primary decisions in the grand scheme of planning the wedding.Calculate your amount and then stick with it, solid as a rock, or at least do not waffle too much or you will have to plan everything else on a shoestring. Likewise, the blogger at Chaseamie cautions brides about the little extras. She Wrote, “Factor in whether you’ll need a marquee, furniture rentals. (it’s definitely not a given that your venue will have appropriate tables, chairs – or even cutlery!). Will you require extra toilets, more extensive travel costs etc? These items are not cheap and could take your reasonably priced venue to a super-expensive territory.”
With answers to the two questions above, you can pick a venue with your heart and your head.
