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Posts Tagged ‘wedding in France’

Inspirational Wedding Video

 For every married couple who doesn’t mind that they don’t have an official video of the day, there are ten others who regret not pushing the financial boat out that little bit further to get their hands on one. 

Now you have selected a wedding venue, and we hope you selected a beautiful wedding castle you need to pick a wedding videographer to capture those memories. 

Wedding videography in particular is best when it is discreet and observational – the equivalent of reportage photography. If the Videographer charges more for their work there is usually a good reason. It is advisable to watch several videos covering a wide price range before making your decision.

The digital camera is not the only thing that preserves moments. Moments that you have not seen in your wedding, reactions and emotions are well captured because of the different arts applied in video production.

Modern technology has advanced the quality of the equipment dramatically and the end product is often a lavish, well edited and professional product that you will be both proud of and keen to view again and again.

Almost as important as the camera and the format is how good the videographer is. Its also nice to see sample here they are at “just the right place at just the right time” to catch a magical moment. You will know when you see a good sample  and it means the videographer was focused and anticipating getting a great shot.

A few good samples should be enough to get a sense of their style and professionalism. Things to look out for are the quality of the picture composition; whether the editing flows or feels slow and laborious; and whether there is a coherent sense of story. .

 Sample DVDs will give you the truest sense of what you can expect from a videographer and you shouldn’t book them unless you are satisfied with this. 

Be wary of companies that send you incomplete samples, examples that are several years old, or are wholly inappropriate.

The commonest weakness in ‘home video’ is the cameraperson constantly panning the camera left to right and back again, zooming in and out, all in one shot, from one location. Zooming and panning should be very rarely used. Instead ask them to take a series of static shots, from a variety of angles (following the 30° rule) and without breaking the 180° rule.

You must read the small print of the contract in order to determine exactly what you will get for your cash as this does vary greatly, but on the whole you can expect the presence of a skilled and qualified videographer at your ceremony and your Reception, with a fully edited and professional movie supplied on the format of your choice.

It is also important to know what format the video will be shot in. You want to see something like Hi8, MiniDV, DV, or even digitally on a hard drive or other mobile storage device.

Ask the Videographer if they are covered for Public Liability Insurance and, if possible, ask to see their policy. They should also have the appropriate copyright licences to record the wedding service and any other copyright material that is included in the video.

The wedding videography industry for example is relatively young and there is a huge variation in individual methodology. He or she may also conflict with your photographer as they both vie for the best vantage points – only to obscure each others work! In our experience, event videography should be non-obtrusive to ensure material captured is genuinely natural and spontaneous.

If you can arrange to meet the videographer in person to assess their professionalism, interest and commitment to producing your film project. This is also the best time to ask questions about their experience, working methods and what is included in the price (see separate notes). If a meeting in person isn’t possible due to distance or timing, then you must have a chat over the phone.

Basic Questions:-
How many years of experience do you have as a videographer?
Approximately how many wedding videos have you videotaped?
Are you the person who will be videotaping my wedding?
Will you have an assistant or other videographer with you on the day of my wedding?
Are you familiar with our ceremony and reception location?
(If No to above) Do you visit the ceremony and reception sites before the actual wedding date?
What is your style of video production? Documentary or cinematic?

Cost Questions:-

What type of packages do you offer
Can you add in a photo montage, if so, what is the cost?
Does the package include titles for the video, if not, can it be added, and at what cost?
How many hours does this package include?
How is overtime calculated?Are ceremonies and speeches filmed in full?
Are video messages or interviews allowed?
Do they offer a choice of music?
How long will the finished film be?
Exactly how will be DVD be presented?
How many copies of the DVD are supplied?
Do they include highlights of the event?How much are additional copies?
How many cameras & operators?
Does the price include full editing?
How many hours attendance is included?
What sort of preparatory planning is provided?
Are travel costs included?
Do they have public liability & professional indemnity insurance?
Is VAT included?
What is your payment policy?
What is your cancellation policy
Do you offer a money back guarantee?

Equipment
What format with the film be in? (e.g. 4:3 PAL, 16:9 Widescreen)
What type of equipment do you use?
Do you bring back up equipment with you to the wedding?
Do you have a wireless microphone?
Does he have liability insurance?

Most importantly on the day enjoy yourself and let the wedding videographer do his job.  Hopefully you did your research and selected a good one – so trust him and try to forget that he is there and enjoy your wedding day. If you selected a wedding castle you will have a magnificent back drop for your wedding video.  We hope you have a fantastic castle wedding.

black and white wedding theme ideas

Black and White Wedding Theme

2008 was the time for black and white wedding themes and in 2009 the theme will continue to be popular because it is a classic.  Remember, this theme is so versatile and will suit a modern wedding in a chic modern venue, as well as a venue with old world charm.

Black and white weddings in France may include a black tie ceremony and reception or the simple, yet elegant, look of black and white combined with briliant reds, royal blues or glistening silver creating a striking effect with an aristocratic atomosphere especially at a french wedding.  Avoid green it looks dull combined with black and white.  You want a brilliant colour or a metalic colour for accent.

The theme particularly works for winter, spring and autumn weddings in France. It is one wedding theme where less is more and minimalist decorations work.  If you are pushed for your wedding budget you should pick a mid-week winter wedding in a destination heritage wedding in France with minimalist black and white decoration.  Let your french wedding venue carry your “wow” factor and highlight it with carefully chosen decorations and bulk classic flowers like roses, tulips or lillies.   

For a typical color combination the bridesmaids can deck up in black gowns and groomsmen can come in black tuxedos while the bride can dress up in white gown or may be an ivory shade or pearl white shade.

For decorations the simplest concept is to start with a white table cloth and add black accents to it. A Black satin table runner will work wonders as it’s the highlight of black you want, with a soft sheen. To add warmth to your colour add lots and lots of tea lights. You could have a fish bowl for the centrepiece filled with black and white floating candles or add candle votives around an existing centrepiece.  For a trendy twist select black table linen and scatterthe tables with white feathers. A splash of silver is a lovely added accent.

In case you want vibrant background colors like the walls or carpets especially in the evening of the reception, then you have to remember that the colors of the dresses and other decorative centerpieces should be light in contrast to the main background.

Feathers in tall centrepieces look great in heritage wedding venues with tall ceilings because they emphasise the height.  Also the centrepiece does not obstruct your guests vision and flow of conversation around your tables.  You could add some battery powered tealights in your vase.  This looks particularly nice if coupled with mirror bases.

The black and white theme colors can be used in the invitation cards and other wedding related articles. But on the whole, the color of the background shouldn’t clash with the rest of the surroundings.
 
Regarding spring and summer collections, pearl or sleek jewelry embellished with turquoise or sapphire stone which offers a very soft and mellowed touch to the whole concept of the color scheme, can be chosen. In case of a gorgeous color combination, a gorgeous jewelry set embellished with ruby or blue diamond is more advisable.

Regarding flowers, if you select light colors then white rose bouquets with pearly and silvery decorative accessories and beads for the bride and the bridesmaids and maid of honor are perfect for that sophisticated and soothing visual impact.

One should try to avoid too much of black and drab colors in the collection and too much of black and white may seem monotonous and dull instead of rendering a sophisticated look even at french wedding castle.

With the growing influence of modernism and fashion, it’s not necessary anymore to wear a white gown for a wedding. Let’s hope, these bright wedding color ideas like red, scarlet red, coffee, violet, mauve, blue, pink add the hues of romance in one’s life in love and union.

As before, start at the invitation stage. One simple black and one white feather entwined on the front of an invitation would look classical, elegant and oh so en vogue. Bridesmaids can continue the feather theme with headpieces and floral arrangements that are heavy laiden with feathers.

Wedding cakes for a black and white theme are an easy choice.  You can select your traditional three tier cake with black ribbons with some embellishments or cupcakes on a multi-layer stand. Or you can go for something very different and personal.  You supply your favorite snap shots and Maisie Fantasie will transfer them to edible sugar paper and without much ado, your own personalized wedding cake! A 3-tier cake will cost you 850 pounds. Not cheap but definitely unique and very cool!  If you are opting for cupcakes you can have lovely laser cut paper lace cups these are fine and romantic and compliment any wrought ironwork and candelabras at a heritage wedding venue.

wedding inspiration boad

You have the guy, you have the ring on your finger, you said “Yes”, now you can start looking for great ideas for the wedding you have always dreamt of.  A wedding inspiration board is a great way to brainstorm, gather, and display the many ideas you may have for your wedding vision or theme. You can show your board to your florist, baker, photographer and/or wedding coordinator to help them understand the look and feel you want your wedding to evoke.

Brides search the web, save clippings from magazines, and share ideas with friends for months sometimes years before their big day.   Your inspiration board is simply all of the ideas, and photos that inspire your wedding. Whether its your dress, cake, table settings, or flowers, its a collage of all the wedding images you love.  For a french wedding google google images for wedding in France, castle wedding and chateau wedding.

Wedding inspiration boards (also called a story or mood board, but let’s be honest – it’s a collage. Sheesh!) are a growing trend. Show your friends and family if you want their input or keep it private or anonymously published on the net if you do not.  Keep your inspiration board at home if you don’t want outside “help”.

Sometimes, when planning each little detail, it’s hard to remember the overall effect. If you include pictures of everything from food to flowers to dresses to lighting, you’ll have a better idea of what your guests will see on your wedding day, when all of a sudden they walk in and see it all put together. And, as you will know how all of your different wedding elements come together ahead of time thanks to your inspiration board, it will be fabulous on your wedding day.

A great way to collect your ideas while planning your wedding is to create an inspiration board. It can be a bulletin board, a piece of foam core, or you can create it on the computer in Photoshop or a layout program. Swatches, photos, even notes you’ve jotted down can be displayed all in one place, and changed around as you change your mind.

Collect images of dresses, bouquets, shoes, favours, placecards, receptions, programs, invitations that you fancy. Create your board using pictures from magazines, websites or personal photographs. You name it, you can include it. Wedding Inspiration boards are also a great way to express your wedding ideas and vision to the many vendors who will participate in your wedding.   Google images for inspiration.  Its also a great way to show your vendors (florist, decor etc) exactly the kind of wedding you want to create. 

An inspiration board also helps you stay focused and avoid purchases that do not fit well into your overall vision.

 You could always download a free program or website or even work it up in Microsoft Word!

Do not be intimidated into thinking you need a fancy program like Photoshop to make an inspiration board.

Wedding inspiration boards are particularly helpful if you have selected a destination wedding with a language that you are not fluent in.  Remember pictures speak a thousand words.  Our bilingual french wedding planner says most brides having a destination wedding have an inspiration board.

Personalise your wedding with style not money to impress

Next to buying a house or car your wedding will be the next most expensive thing in your life. Although a destination wedding and even a chateau wedding may seem a more reaonably priced option than holding a fancy reception at home, these tips can trim you budget even more – without compromising on the uniqueness of your chateau wedding.

Destination weddings are filling a need among the world’s affianced.

According to destinationweddings.com one out of six couples getting married for the first time want a destination wedding.com, a wedding planning site.

And a little careful trimming of the wedding budget can leave you with a lot more cash in your pocket to spend at your castle wedding while you are on your honeymoon.

You get to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life surrounded by people who really love you. You can feel more relaxed on your wedding day.

These are our top 10 tips for saving a bunde on your destination wedding – in no particualr order:

1.  Have a destination Wedding and cut your list – this is a big one.

You get more bang for your buck with a destination wedding even now with the credit crunch upon us.

You can save money because you do not have a guest list into the hundreds of guests.  The two headed cousins who you have not seen for 20 years are likely not to have the money or the willingness to spend it on going to your wedding.  Only ask those you absolutely want to be there to share your day.

You can save thousands of dollars by having an intimate wedding, which means you won’t have to go over your wedding budget.  Wedding couples can splurge on a lavish wedding if they keep their guest list very short.

Since you won’t need a large space to accommodate your guests, many small wedding venues will be open to you. 

2. Get married out of Season
Not only will your flight costs be much less, but you are likely to get better deals in hotels at your destination.

3. Save by getting married on any day other than Saturday.

If you have a small destination wedding you can chose to get married in the middle of the week allowing you to negotiate an even better deal with wedding providers for a destination wedding.

4. Cut the Cake
Yes, really! Tiers of wedding cakes can cost a fortune – and you don’t want to be transporting the leftovers home after a week in the sun. Buy a nice cake in a cake shop or even a supermarket – if you are good at that sort of thing decorate it yourself, it doesn’t have to be elaborate, white frosting and fresh fruit is very effective and pretty

Or consider replacing the cake altogether with pretty individual cupcakes, they will cost a LOT less and your guests will love them!

5. Wedding dresses unless you are using a designer and having one specially made look in the wedding gown shops if you check the labels 90% of them are made in China so cut the cost go direct to there web site and order direct saving up to 70%. One english bride bought her designer wedding dress on ebay from a Hong Kong Vendor for 5 pounds plus postage.   It was the same dress she looked at in an expensive dress shop. 

Become an Ebay Queen  You will find lots of new designer dresses on sale at ebay from Hong Kong and Chinese Vendors.  These are normally reputable vendors.  Just make sure you allow yourself enough time to have it made and posted to you and time for another option if you do not like it.  You do not need to pay 1,500 pounds or dollars or euros for a new designer dress.

6. Do not have a Professional Photographer
Maybe you have a friend who is an amateur photograher, or you could give out cheap disposable cameras to the guests, then collect them later – hopefully there will be some good shots in there.

Disposable cameras are a wonderful way to add to the fun of the celebration and provide guests with special memories to take home. If you would like to add disposable cameras to your special day, there are many online retailers that will sell cameras in bulk for just this purpose. You can save money and find the perfect camera to match the theme and color scheme of your wedding.

With digital photography it’s even cheaper – a few friends taking hundreds of shots are sure to hit gold often enough for you to make up an excellent album.

 7. Make Your Own Stationary
There are wonderful and relatively inexpensive kits available for this if you are not artistically inclined. Pick a theme or colour and stick with it throughout for a coordinated look. Think laterally – print a really good photo from you wedding multiple times and use as a postcard, writing on the back, for thank you cards.

8. Pick a destination wedding venue that has some wow factor

A beautiful beach, some stunning architectural features will need very little dressing for your special day.It’ll save on decoration and flowers,. Let your destination venue speak volumes.

Keep your flowers simple – there is no need to have loads to make an impact. Single lilies laid on a table look as good as elaborate displays, a simple bouquet with lots of inexpensive greenery will keep the attention on the bride. 

9. Get your creative juices flowing.

If you select a smaller destination wedding then the idea of customizing your wedding to your own tastes is not so daunting. A small wedding gives you the opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and be crafty and make your unique wedding a reflection of the two of you.

Take each element, the ceremony, the cocktail hour, the dinner, your wedding dance and the party and treated it as its own event, and each event was revealed to the guests as the night progressed. This will keep the element of surprise to a maximum and keep your guests on their toes. 

10. Make your wedding memorable by having an extra funky element

By having a destination wedding alone will probably make a big impression on your circle of friends and they will probably be talking about your wedding as the wedding of the century for a long time. 

Forget all the little fidly decorations, and instead make a statement with your wedding dance that surprises and delights your guests.

french wedding chateau

One of the most exciting things to happen in a person’s life is the wedding. A destination wedding can be a fulfilment of a fantasy like a castle wedding in a wedding chateau.

Nothing beats a destination wedding for unmistakeable wow factor.  Your guests get to have a holiday and attend your castle wedding. Planning for a destination wedding will take a lot of work and could be very demanding but the rewards can be worth it.

Wedding Chateau Venues

The first destination wedding factor to consider is who can attend the wedding location.

Out of town weddings are preferred by couples as a way to lessen the number of guests at the events. Sometimes, when the budget is concerned the destination wedding etiquette is to set aside money for accommodations and transportation for the immediate members of the family and entourage.  You might need to heavily subsidize or simply pay for some travel costs of a close poor relative. 

Destination weddings are usually attended by only a few children usually being immediate relatives.

Guests can turn the out of town wedding into a mini-vacation just by spending their time together at the venue. Do your research.  It is handy if the wedding couple have a wedding website so you can familiarise yourself with the location and possible sight-seeing and cultural activities on offer. 

Just like a wedding at home, family play a big part and help out as much as possible.

Wedding Castle Receptions

When selecting a destination wedding venue accessibility, price and what is included in a package will all factor in your decision. 

· Accessibility – the venue and chapel or wedding location should be near the reception area. This is a destination wedding etiquette in consideration for the family and guests who need to freshen up before the reception.

· Package – some venues offer attractive wedding packages with discounts because of the group booking. Others may include the transportation.

· Price – destination weddings can still be costly, especially if there is a theme involved. But they are typically much cheaper than a wedding in England or America.

You want to have everything sorted before the big day.  As a guideline for your destination wedding:

· Check if your wedding location requires other legal documents to process the wedding. This should be handled by an experienced wedding planner especially if there is a different language involved and you are not fluent yourself.  The last thing you want is not to be able to have your ceremony for some legal technicality.

· Is there a minimum residency requirement?  With a castle wedding most destination wedding couples get married at home in a civil wedding and have a religious or humanist wedding ceremony in a spectacular wedding venue like a luxury chateau or castle.

· Book everything in advance. Making the proper reservations for the hotel, flowers, gowns, music.

To avoid your wedding dress flying to a different country, we strongly advise you to take your wedding dress onto the plane as carry on. A reputable bridal salon can pack your wedding dress for transit.

Ask for it to be wrapped in plastic so that it’s waterproof. bring in a clean towel and ask the bridal salon to  roll the dress around the towel. Insist tahat it not be hard-pressed and folded. This way there are minimum creases in the gown and it is ready to wear when it arrives at it’s destination. Never put a bridal gown in the cargo hold of a plane because you may lose it.
 
Never iron your wedding dress yourself or you could get stains on it.When you get to your destination wedding venue, get the venue to have it professionally pressed or steamed.