Images by Daniel Michael

Featured in GetMarried.com

February 11, 2011

Congratulations to Meredith and David as well as Julie and Chris for being featured in the Romantic Wedding Photos feature in GetMarried.com which is nationally produced and viewed Website and Wedding Magazine

Julie and Chris actually have the lead photo on the main page feature which is currently running at the top of the page as it cycles through their latest articles.

Knot Market Party for Vendors

February 9, 2011

Hello Wedding Vendors!  Check out the video clip Lifetime films put together from the knot market party and then come join us on March 10th for the next one.  It'll be a blast as always!!

Wedding tips from Your Dream Day

February 3, 2011

We love help from our favorite vendors.  Today, it's Kathy from Your Dream Day!

Planning a wedding can be very stressful. 
Stick to these rules and you'll do fine! 

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1) Set a date and a budget and stick to it. There is a perfect wedding 
vendor for every price range.

2) Ask for referrals from vendors you've booked, friends or family. 
Check with the BBB about a vendor's history. If names are given to 
you by a wedding vendor, ask them how they got on that list. Some 
paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to be on that list!

3) Coordinating a friend, their own or their daughter's wedding doesn't 
make someone a professional wedding coordinator. Make sure you 
hire a professional at some point during the wedding planning process 
to make sure that you are on track, spending your money wisely and 
tying up all the loose ends properly. A wedding coordinator will save 
you hours in chat rooms, on the phone with vendors and attending 
unnecessary appointments and let you free your time to do other 
things.

4) Set a timeline of tasks that you need to take care of. For example, 
you should book your reception hall 12 to 18 months out; your 
photographer 9 to 12 months out; etc.

5) The number on the guest list will increase or decrease your budget. 
A good rule of thumb is that if you won't be friends with them five 
years from now, don't invite them! However, you do want to invite your
boss, appropriate colleagues, close friends and family. There will be 
family that your parents will request you invite and you'll need to 
accommodate those requests.

6) Invitations should go out six weeks before the wedding. DO NOT 
PUT YOUR REGISTRY INFORMATION IN YOUR INVITATION. This is 
an etiquette no-no. Instead, direct your guests to view your website 
for more information.

7) Take a break from the planning. Have a quality date night with your 
fiancé where you don't talk about the wedding at all. 

8) The rehearsal dinner should only be the people participating in the 
actual ceremony. However, you will have guests arriving a day early 
for your wedding and you can feel free to invite them to the rehearsal 
dinner if you feel inclined to.

9) Have an emergency kit the day of the wedding. A basic kit should 
have a needle and thread, stain remover, glue, nail polish, nylons, 
deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, hair pins, hairspray, double 
sided tape, comb and safety pins at minimum. A wedding planner will 
have a more complete kit to prepare you for anything that will go 
wrong. (And something will!)

10) Eat! Eat! Eat! on your wedding day.

11) Relax and enjoy the process and the event. A wedding is not 
supposed to be stressful, it's a celebration of the love you and your 
fiancé share. This is where a wedding coordinator can come in 
handy. You only get married once -- we do this for a living! We know 
how to keep you calm, collected, under control and enjoying the 
process.

12) IF YOU BOOK A BAND: Get them to add a clause to their 
contract which states that they will not drink alcohol at your event. 
This can be handwritten and initialed by both parties.

Wedding Tips

February 1, 2011

Amazing Photos:

• Guys
  • Get a nice tux that is fitted by a professional.  I suggest a local company that has their inventory on site in case of emergencies.  Check out our Preferred Vendors List at DanielMichael.com
  • Do not cut your hair the day of the wedding!  Give it at least a week to grow in a little.
  • Hang up your jacket when you’re in the car so it doesn’t wrinkle.
• Ladies
  • Have a professional do your make up. I know most women have a comfort level doing their own because they know how they like it. However, for photos you want your make up about 30% heavier than you normally would. Check out our Preferred Vendor List or give us a call if you need recommendations.
  • Do a test run on your hair to make sure it’s what you like. I have more people not like their hair than anything else on the wedding day.
• Couple
  • Do not chew gum.  It will show up in your photos any time you laugh!
  • Contact each person involved in photos to make sure they know where and when they need to be available.  There is no more common issue than grandparents thinking they are not needed or wedding party members thinking they have time to run and do something else.
  • Make sure you have enough time built in to your timeline. Otherwise you will stress and ultimately affect your photos.  Have extra time in your timeline; you’ll use it.  It’s no big deal to be early but it is to be late.
  • Do not dance with your arms around your groom’s neck or all your dance photos will be of your arms, not your face.  You may want to consider first dance lessons from someone like Bud Walters
  • Stand up during your toast so everyone can see you and we get a clear shot of your reactions.  Toast photos with your centerpiece in front of your face are not so lovely.
  • Cut out photos from magazines or print out photos online and bring them to your final meeting with the photographer to give them a better idea of your style and preferences.

Planning Tips:

• Vendors
  • Send all your vendors a final timeline.  If one is off time with the others, all that follow will be playing catch up and the end result is a rushed, stressful day with food that has been sitting waiting for you.
  • Plan a basic timeline with your photographer before setting hair, make up and limo times.
  • Have an emergency day of contact sheet for all the vendors. 
  • Have an emergency contact person besides you since you won’t likely have your phone.  A day of wedding planner is not a bad idea.
  • Hire vendors you trust and then trust them.  You don’t have to do everything they want, but take their advice under consideration and trust your gut.
• Stop and Smell the Roses
  • Schedule some time where you can stop and breathe.  You’re day will be a blur.  Every moment you have to stop and reflect is one you will recall better in 10 years.
  • Take some time to look around and enjoy the work you put in.
  • Enjoy every moment of planning and preparing for your wedding.  It’s so easy to look forward to the next moment that you don’t stop to enjoy the last!
  • Think about taking a day with your family after you wedding and then leaving for your honeymoon the following week.  This gives you a chance to open gifts at a brunch with your family and a chance to relive and share stories about the day before.