Recently, I met with Emilie of Pink Orchid Weddings, they provide day-of wedding planning services.  She was totally great.  Articulate, detail oriented, professional and very personable.  As a photographer I’ve worked with a few day-of wedding planners.  They’re really helpful; here is a list of the main reasons I’ve found a day-of wedding planner to be helpful.

1.  A planner helps get everyone on deck, ready for the next photo. More often than not, when it’s time for the formal photos, people inevitably go to the bar, the bathroom or basically disperse.  This makes the formals take longer and on your wedding day, every minute counts.   I love having a go-to person that can help with the formals.  This alone can save you a lot of stress on your wedding day.

2.  Paying vendors. No one wants to have to think about money, writing checks and paying vendors on their wedding day, let the planner do that.

3.  Confirming dates and times with vendors. It seems like a small thing but often times the last week before your wedding, things get hectic and people forget to do this themselves.  A small mix up on a officiant’s start time for example, can be a big deal if you’re ready to get married and there’s no one there to lead the ceremony.

4.  Making sure the groom doesn’t accidentally see the bride before the ceremony. Enough said!  : )

5.  Referrals. Getting good vendors is key, but sometimes if you don’t have any referrals… you’re out of luck.  A good wedding planner has worked with and/or already interviewed several vendors.

There are a lot of details to tend to on your wedding day and having a friend or family member do it isn’t necessarily the best idea.  It’s a lot of work… and an actual job.  Your guests will want to enjoy the wedding.  If you’re considering interviewing wedding planners, you may want to start with Pink Orchid.

I just came across a company that rents bridal jewlery and figured I would share it with you.  I can see it being useful to brides who really want to make a statement, look beautiful and not break the bank.  At Adorn.com, you can rent the most fabulous jewels for your big day and then when the wedding’s over, you ship it back to the company.  For more info check out their website here.

Happy Monday folks!  I was reminded of how valuable a genuine compliment can be when my older sister told me that she was proud of me.  It feels great and is often reciprocated in unintentional ways.  What’s the best thing about the person closest to you?  Tell them and let me know about it.  The quote’s below the photo (which is of The Painted Ladies in San Fransisco):

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”   Howard Thurman

Here’s a tool that will help you figure out sunset times on your wedding day. www.SunriseSunset.com

Hello Readers! I hope you’re not bored by all the recent publication blog posts. I’m just very happy that people out there like the work… and where else to share other than the blog. Today we’re featured on the Beantown Bride Blog. Read the post here. It’s a good and quick read regarding save-the-dates and being a good host at your wedding.

My fiance and I are really into bridal head-wear these days, and came across Artikal. They make hats, and bridal head pieces as well.  Check out their bridal offerings here.

Yay, we’ve just gotten word that the photos we submitted to WeddingWire  have been selected for Best Wedding Pic’s! If you use WeddingWire (which is a very valuable resource btw) you may come across more DiasPhotos as part of their permanent website.

Here we are, Monday morning.  I hope you all had a happy Valentine’s Day, celebrating love!  This is going to be a good week!  What positive things are you going to make happen?  There’s much beauty out there, here’s something to think about; today’s quote comes from Allan K. Chalmers

The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

We’re happy to share that we are now renting Photo Booths for weddings!  Our rates are competitive and you can trust that you’ll have the same quality and customer service with DiasPhoto.  Photo booths are really fun and such an easy way to add some excitement to your wedding.  Just like a traditional photo booth, simply step in, strike your pose, push the button, and 4, 3, 2, 1!! The booth takes four photos with 3 second intervals in between each photo.  The best part – you get to see each photo immediately after they are taken on an LCD screen located in the booth. That may help you plan your next pose.  After you have taken your four photos, simply step out of the booth and instantly you get a 4 x 6 print of your memories!  If you decide, you can get two copies of each 4 x 6 print. One for you and one for your guests.

For those of you planning on buying roses for a loved one this weekend, you should consider donating to WBUR.  Send your Valentine roses from Winston Flowers and WBUR. When you do, you’ll also be supporting Boston’s NPR® news station and the important work it performs every day.  As I contributing member, I was allowed a tour of the radio station last week.  It was so interesting; I was engaged and in awe of how much goes into the production of the radio shows that many of us listen to.  I was so inspired that I will actually be volunteering as a phone operator.  Listen for DiasPhoto’s on air mention this morning!  Here are a few photos from the studio tour