A little reminder that this Sunday (4th October 2009) I will be one of the exhibitors at the Pontelands Park wedding show in Chelmsford.
Wedding shows are a great opportunity to meet with suppliers, have a close look at venues, and get great ideas for your big day, without the pressure of needing to make an immediate decision.
I’ve been working hard on getting together lots of cool things to share with visitors to me at the show and anyone who comes to see me at the wedding show will not only get a warm welcome and answers to their questions, but also a little celebration gift from me.
This event is being run by the very experienced and dedicated team at Main Event CO UK Ltd, here is their Wedding Shows a Brides Best Friend Guide.
WEDDING SHOWS……..A BRIDES BEST FRIEND……….
Think of all the things you need for your special day. Where do you start?
The venue is the most important first decision, so decide on how many guests will be coming and then who can accommodate them?
Is it the fairytale, historic beautiful setting of a castle, period country house or converted barn or the chic modern hotel or restaurant that offers you space and a choice of facilities?
Wedding shows in venues are the perfect opportunity for you to look around, with no pressure to make an immediate decision.
They offer a close inspection of facilities, staff and food options coupled with the added bonus of all the other services and products you will need being displayed with an opportunity to meet the supplier and discuss your requirements .
From the show you can also gain ideas and contacts while you see bands perform, inspect the quality of decoration, stationery, bridal gowns and photographers work and many other important things that mean so much on the day.
The Main Event Co Uk Ltd have dedicated their careers to organising quality shows at some of the most loved, yet sometimes surprising venues, to host shows in the south east.
So come along – See the difference – find suppliers and new ideas……
And because as you all know I can’t post without a picture here is a sneek peek of what your’ll get if you visit me at the show.
Come on now you didn’t expect me to ruin the surprise now did you?! ;o) At least you know you have a choice of black or white.
Come and see me, I’d love to hear about your plans for your special day.
P.S Don’t forget to register and if you know someone else who is planning their big day, use one of the links below to share this post with them. See you soon.
I have just returned from a week in Poland where I had the absolute pleasure of documenting Maja and Toby’s wedding. Toby is my brother and so the week was not only about capturing their wedding but meeting new Polish friends and family.
They got married just outside Gdansk which is a breathtakingly beautiful city, so not only did I come home with all their wedding photos but hundreds (Actually 1000’s but whose counting) photos of this amazing city.
Polish weddings have many traditions that we don’t have at UK Weddings, and I’ll tell you all about them in the full wedding blog post. In the meantime whilst I sort out all the photos here is a sneaky peek at the happy couple and the city of Gdansk. You’ll see the weather was exceptionally kind to us, I have rarely seen blue skies in the UK this summer, so this was a real treat!
Around the stunning central square of Old town Gdansk. All the buildings are very ornate, and although Gdansk suffered heavily in the Second world war. They have rebuilt it from old photos and records to be just the same as it was.
Even the street names are ornate. If you look closely you can see names carved in the original bricks.
Just a couple of images from the stunning and exceptionally large, St Mary’s Church. It’s believed to be the oldest brick church in the world and can hold an astonishing 25,000 people, now that would be some wedding if you filled it!
You have to see this organ to really appreciate it’s size and the detail, truly breathtaking.
And finally, we made a trip out to the coast, to a Polish Spa town called Sopot where they have Europe’s longest pier. Despite the sunshine the Baltic sea was as freezing as you might expect which is why there is only my dad with his feet in the sea!
In this weeks interview we are talking to Patrick at Wish Lanterns. Wish lanterns are becoming more and more popular at weddings in the UK and with a long and interesting history, they are going to be around for many more years to come.
Where does the tradition of Wish lanterns come from?
The tradition of wish lanterns is a pretty long and interesting one - The original Kongming lantern is thought to have been invented in China during the the 3rd century. The invention is credited to a military strategist called Zhuge Liang, but this is quite probably wrong. Apparently the Chinese have a bit of a habit of giving credit to people who were already important figures of their society! The lanterns were originally used as signalling balloons, but over the centuries they became used at celebrations as a sign of good luck, which is where we took our Company name from, with the idea of making a wish as you release one.
Why are Wish Lanterns good for Weddings?
We’ve found a lot of people come to us because they don’t want to spend the time or money on organising a fireworks display. Wish Lanterns don’t need a professional to come and let them off, and it can be a really nice way to round off the reception by getting all the guests outside to let one off. The feedback we’ve had nearly all mentions how nice the guests thought it was to really get involved in doing something for the wedding!
What is important to you at Wish lanterns?
We believe one of the most important things about or company is to make sure the customer is happy, all orders that are made before 4pm are dispatched on the same day on a next day delivery service. There’s always someone here to answer the phone, and we make sure all emails are answered the same day we receive them. We also follow up with our customers to make sure they’ve arrived on time and everything was fine with them. People are often pretty shocked when they get their order within 1 day of making it!
How can I use wish lanterns at my wedding or celebration?
There’s a couple of different approaches to using our wish lanterns at weddings. You can either get a couple for the Bride and Groom to release, whilst everyone watches, either before their first dance or after the ceremony. Or some people like to go for the mass release of lanterns, where they give each guest at the wedding a lantern and they can be let off simultaneously, this is quite nice as it really gets everyone involved in doing something for the wedding.
Can you do bespoke designs?
We do offer customized wedding packages, which you can see at http://wishlantern.co.uk/wish_lantern_weddings.html. For these we put a custom insert into each wish lantern, with the name of the couple and the date of the wedding. You also get wish cards, which people can write messages on or keep as a keepsake from the day.
Do you do bulk orders for weddings?
Our largest wedding package consists of 100 lanterns, but we can do larger bulk orders. Just need to give us a ring or drop us an email and we’ll let you know our best price!
Are wish lanterns safe to use?
Wish Lanterns are very safe to use, one of the reasons we get a lot of people for weddings coming to us is that their a lot easier to organise than a fireworks display. Literally all you need is a lighter to set them off, there’s no explosions or big bangs or anything like that. Although of course we wouldn’t recommend children lighting them.
How long before my wedding should I look to buy my wish Lanterns?
Well we can do next day delivery, and our offices are open 9-5 so it’s really up to you! They don’t have a use by date, so you can buy them well in advance or just a few days before.
Where can I see some of your Wish Lanterns?
You can see photos and videos of our wish lanterns on our website www.wishlantern.co.uk/
How much do Wish Lanterns cost?
They vary in price, depending on how many you want, or if you want the customized wedding packages. But you can see the full list of prices on our website, it ranges from £16.49 for a pack of 5 to £159.99 for a pack of 100.
Do you have a returns policy?
We do have a returns policy, if they haven’t been opened we can do a refund minus a £10 processing fee.
What are Wish Lanterns made of?
Wish Lanterns are made of flame retardant rice paper, bamboo, a fuel cell and a very small peice of wire.
Following the last 2 months bronze awards in the monthly SWPP competitions, I decided to enter another image. Despite the success in the last 2 months it’s still not any easier selecting an image and then waiting to find out whether my image has been successful. In fact the more I enter the harder I think it becomes.
This month I entered an image from Laura and Iain’s wedding that I love. I have it printed on canvas in the office and the canvas really brings out all the detail in the veil, and it looks stunning.
Unlike the other images this one hasn’t been seen on the blog before, so here is the image.
In the second of the series of feature interviews on my blog we are talking to Mark, Creative Director at Lenik Media Wedding Films, about why you should consider having a film of your wedding and what you should look for when talking to wedding film makers.
Meet Mark
Here is Mark’s interview:
Why should I have a video of my wedding, I already have a photographer?
There is no doubting the importance of having your wedding professionally photographed but I do think having a good quality professional video of your wedding day is equally important. A photo can tell the story of the day and capture a single moment in time but you can’t hear your vows, enjoy the speeches or see the first dance you spent months rehearsing.
What should I consider when speaking to Videographers about my wedding?
Equipment is very important…. Do they film in Standard Definition or High Definition? What audio equipment do they use, shot gun mics, radio mics? How long have the company been filming weddings for? Are they full time or part time? Do they hold the relevant insurances? Don’t forget to ask what experience have they had and to see some of their previous wedding films.
Should I have one or more videographers working at my wedding?
This depends on numerous factors. 70% of the weddings we have filmed have been 1 camera shoots. An experienced wedding videographer will know where he needs to be before he needs to be there and will capture all the required shots. Also if you want a more relaxed feel to the wedding 1 camera maybe what you’re looking for as he/she will blend into the crowd, 2 camera men start to become more noticeable. The advantage of a second camera man is you can have both the Bride and Groom’s preparation’s filmed and you also have the freedom with the second camera to get more artistic shots whilst the main camera man captures the essentials. On the whole the second camera will give you more angles and more shots but is by no means essential.
Do they need to be able to work with the photographer?
Definitely! If you want the best out of your photos and video the camera man and photographer need to be working together and not getting in each other’s way. You will generally book your photographer first so ask them for recommendations of videographers or vice versa.
Will the videographer, direct my wedding?
Hopefully not. Time on a wedding day is limited and for both the camera man and photographer to get the shots they need I find that the photographer needs to act more like the director and we then work around them. This way we also get more natural relaxed shots as your not concentrating on the video but on your photo’s being taken. We will ask for a few shots once the photographer has obtained all he/she needs but this won’t take more than 5 minutes
How long before my wedding should I look to book my videographer?
Ideally if you don’t want to be disappointed I would book at least a year in advance, especially if it’s in the summer season.
How did Lenik Media start?
I graduated from the Northern Film School in 2002 desperately looking for a job as a runner with in a production company. I was living in Leeds with my long term girlfriend (now wife) so was unable to move to London (where most of the jobs in film production are). I took a job in recruitment to save up enough money to buy a camera and edit suite. I got a lucky break with an events company who asked me to cover all of their events which was enough for me to go full time. With regards to weddings, I started out with only having filmed my Sister’s wedding and using that as an example whilst exhibiting at wedding fairs. I was charging next to nothing so I could build my portfolio and gain valuable experience of filming weddings. 250 weddings on, I run a team of 3 and we do around 50 weddings a year.
What makes your films so special?
Over the years I have filmed, directed and edited videos for Adidas, Nike, HBOS, Malibu and Carling and input the same high production value techniques into our wedding films. We use only the best equipment, with an outlay of £15,000 this year on new cameras, audio equipment and stabilisation devices to obtain specialist shots. We have over 6 years experience of filming weddings and have constantly pushed the boundaries to create elegant, cinematic and professional wedding films. We are hoping to pick up an award in October with our entry into this year’s IOV awards being shortlisted for the open category. We are really proud of this achievement as ours was picked to be in the top 5 out of thousands of entrants. As a company we are constantly trying to push forward and be on the cutting edge of the wedding film industry.
What is important to you at Lenik Media?
Making our clients happy!!!!
How do you present my Film?
Your DVD or Blu ray will be fully authored with menus, chapter selections etc professionally boxed with artwork and packaged as you would expect a consumer DVD to be from Blockbusters, HMV, etc.
How much do Lenik Media wedding films cost?
Our prices for 2010 start from £795 for coverage from the ceremony to the first dance rising to £995 for coverage of the bridal preparations to the evening party. You also have a number of optional extras such as guest messages, bride and groom interviews, post bridal shoot, to name a few, which you can add onto your chosen package.
How long after my wedding is it, before I get my film?
On average you are looking at a 12 week waiting period but this can fluctuate depending on peak periods.
How can I get in touch with Lenik Media?
You can email mark on mark@lenikmedia.com or you can call us on 0113 2505737/ 07886482024
Where can I see some of your films?
You can visit our website which is www.lenikweddingfilms.comwhere you will find lots of video examples. Also we upload new videos to our blog from time to time. Alternatively We can post you a show reel DVD .
Are you happy to travel all over the UK and further a field?
We are more than happy to travel anywhere in the UK and abroad (subject to travel fee’s)
This film is titled Laura’s Wedding Dream, it takes sometime to download but is worth the wait, so set it off and go and make a cuppa to have whilst you watch it.
