Hummingbird

I agree, that's a great winery! Like someone else said, it's a great place for picnics, too. We also found another winery near there called Peju. It's absolutely gorgeous, has a castle-like main hall for wine tastings, complete with "moat" (koi pond) and bridge, lush greenery and trees....and, they don't do weddings! Bummer. They do have a great sauv blanc, though!

Quote: Originally Posted by Soon to be Mrs. Hull My thoughts as of right now are to set up some cameras that family members have for the ceremony only (on tripods so they are not running around in front of photog) and put a digital voice recorder near us so we can record our vows, we will put the voice recording over our slideshow of our pics and possibly video too. If you have a good editing program on your computer, this is possible to do. (Matching voice to video.) It can get tricky, though, if you have footage from more than one camera that you want to edit together. Synchronizing sound and video gets really tricky unless you just start it at the very beginning with continuous footage from one camera, and one continuous voice recording. Does that make sense? I only mention this b/c I have watched my husband work on editing video footage for hours, matching up sound to the actual footage. It can be a huge pain - but it is possible, and a lot easier, if you have an editing program.

It looks to me like the edited package is $575. The Adventure pkg looks like the unedited version. Could be wrong, though. The optional add on for $75 is just if you want them to do a photo montage on your video. That sounds like an awfully small amount for an edited package, if it really is $575. Also, I would ask to have all of the raw footage as well, even if you do go with an edited video.

I agree with the others - definitely look at 1 or 2 entire wedding albums, to see what ALL the photos look like. Also, this may be b/c of my computer, but some of her pics don't look properly focused to me. Jonathan, Jill, what do you think? That is my personal pet peeve when I see a bride's photography - if the photog doesn't use the correct camera setting, flash, etc., the pics can come out looking either dark, overexposed, or slightly blurry. It's not just the shot itself that's important, it's the quality of the overall pictures. I just saw some professional pics of a bride in my area, and I was shocked at how blurry or dark many of the photos appeared. Anyway, there are some nice shots in your photographer's portfolio, like everyone else has said. One thing that some budget-conscious brides do (be careful with this, though) is go to a college or photography school, and ask the instructors if there are any students that they would recommend. Don't get a student photog that has never done a wedding, but you might find one that has a lot of talent, but is just somewhat "undiscovered". If you ask the instructors, I bet they would know who is best. It's just a thought, but again, see at least 1 or 2 full wedding albums from them first. Someone also talked about finding that "hidden gem" - that's good advice. DH and I found a great photographer and booked her before she raised her prices, and also just as she was starting to switch over to digital, so we paid much less than what she is charging now. Keep looking around, go to bridal shows, ask other brides, and I bet you will find one that's awesome!

Quote: Originally Posted by Fotini and what i just thought of it would have to be coverted from the european format to be viewed on american dvd players!! i think i just talked myself out of it! FYI - you can have the format converted in the States, as long as you own the copyright to the video. I would ask your videographer (or the coordinator) what format he uses, though - it's possible that he already uses something that is compatible to what we use in the States. It would make sense for an out-of-country videographer to do that if they shoot lots of destination weddings with American brides! Even if they do shoot a different format, though, it's fairly easy to convert.

We may be in the minority, but my husband and I actually have watched our video quite a few times. Sometimes just for fun, sometimes on our anniversary, etc. We had the videographer edit it, and he did a pretty good job, but we also got the raw footage so we could do what we want with it. (Husband does work with film and video.) Most people don't regret getting the video, but some do regret NOT getting one. As for having a family member shoot it, that's usually not a great idea, b/c it's often a lower quality - most family members just don't have the special equipment that professionals do. Sound and lighting is often an issue with the smaller digital video cameras that most people have - and yes, good equipment makes a huge difference. And then of course, there's often the famous "Dizzy-Cam" portion of the video, when a non-professional shoots an event! You can certainly have a family member film it if you decide against a professional, just know that it probably won't be nearly as nice. You might also consider just hiring someone to get the raw footage, and you can have it edited later on. That's usually way less expensive, b/c editing takes far longer than shooting the actual footage. Most people would be surprised at how much time goes into a simple edited montage. Really, it is a personal decision. I love our wedding photos, but I am also really glad we got the video - and I was on the fence about it before the wedding. We don't watch the receptionportion all that much - except for the first dance - but we sometimes re-watch the ceremony. (That was honestly the best part of the whole day!) I always tell people, if you think you might want one, and you have the budget for it, then do it! HTH!

...only if it's my husband behind the lens! For the brides who are interested in this, I am assuming it would be a female taking the photos, such as Jill or Leigh? I don't think most FIs or husbands would appreciate a male photographer taking those photos! (I wouldn't, if I were a guy, lol!)

I like the idea, personally. I don't know about the customs thing either, though. Still, if you can get the candy down there, (or even maybe have it shipped down to the resort when you order it?) it would be fun. People don't have to eat it if they don't want to. You might want to re-think the glass jars, though. Paper or plastic bags would be much easier and lighter for you to transport, and your guests might not want to carry glass jars with them in their bags. You can still do a monogram on a bag.

I agree with CalGal, don't go into debt over your wedding. We used our savings, and our parents contributed some, but none of us went into debt over it. Credit card interest rates are just way too high! As for how to save - the best way is to write down all of your monthly expenses, (if you don't already have a budget sheet) and compare that to your monthly income. Anything you can afford to spare should go into a savings account - automatically, if possible. Even if it means foregoing that daily Starbucks (or whatever your vice is!), it will be worth it. Another thought, sort of off topic - I don't know how many of you are doing pre-marital counseling, but if you don't live together yet, it might be a good idea to sit down with a counselor and/or financial counselor to talk about how you will go about household finances, your expectations, saving money, etc. That is one of the major issues with couples, and talking about it now can save fighting about it later. For example, will you have separate bank account? Who will pay the mortgage? Will you split your earnings together? Etc....

If they are things that you really know you want, buy them now if you see them for a great price. The little things can really add up, and even if you are a good at saving and budgeting, I think it's easier if you have purchased some items along the way. If you do change your mind, you have some options: Re-sell them on Ebay, Craigslist, etc., or return them to the store depending on when they were purchased. Just keep your receipts in one of those wedding folders, to make them easy to find. Try to write down what you've spent on a budget sheet, and add things up along the way, too. That said, do be careful that you aren't just thinking, "Oh, I like this, and this, and this....", and then you end up with tons of stuff that you won't really use. If you are unsure of whether or not you really like something for the wedding, just wait on it. Like you said, you do have plenty of time. )Just be sure you don't wait too long, and then stress yourself out having to rush to find things.) Did that help, or just completely confuse you again?

You found it! Yay! Ok, but I'm not seeing the flowers - am I looking at the wrong photo? I see the fabric coming down in ruffles - and I swear I think I saw this dress while searching, but I thought it was the wrong one b/c it wasn't flowers. I do see the sketches behind her - the whole thing is beautiful! Are you going to go to a salon to try it on?

One more and I'll stop. Promise. For "Unity": A marriage...makes of two fractional lives a whole; it gives to two purposeless lives a work, and doubles the strength of each to perform it; it gives to two questioning natures a reason for living, and something to live for; it will give a new gladness to the sunshine, a new fragrance to the flowers, a new beauty to the earth, and a new mystery to life. -- Mark Twain Also Unity: God, the best maker of all marriages, combine your hearts in one, your realms in one. -- Shakespeare Also, you could use "Blessing" (As in, either you are a blessing to each other, or just as a blessing over your marriage.): Heaven give you many, many merry days! -- Shakespeare May your joys be as bright as the morning, your years of happiness as numerous as the stars in the heavens, and your troubles but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love. -- An Old English Blessing The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart. -- J. G. Holland

Ok, so I love this stuff... Another table name - Forgiveness? I know it may be too much on the "negative" side, so to speak, but it's still important in marriage! And here's another poem, author unknown: Love is a friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad. It settles for less than perfection, and makes allowances for human weakness. Love is content with the present. It hopes for the future and it doesn’t brood over the past. It’s the day-in and day-out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals. If you have love in your life, it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don’t have it, no matter what else there is, it is not enough, so search for it, ask God for it, and share it!

You're welcome!