5 Tips for Choosing Your Ceremony Music

I have a wonderful guest post for you today written by none other than my husband, Alex DiPrima! Alex is a talented musician and when we were getting married, he did a fantastic job planning all of the music for our wedding! I know that when I was planning our wedding, I felt like I had absolutely no idea where to begin with music. I have a feeling many of you may feel the same way and so that is why I asked him to share a few tips with you about choosing your ceremony music:

I’m so excited for the opportunity to contribute a post to the DiPrima Photography blog, not only because I love my wife, but because I’m genuinely proud of the fantastic work she’s produced over the years. Today I wanted to take a moment to provide some pointers for selecting music for your wedding ceremony. As someone with a musical background, I’ve always found that well-selected music can really be a tasteful element to a wedding ceremony. Of course, with anything artistic, there’s always room for personal preference. So feel free to throw out the tips you don’t like and to make use of the ones you do!

1. Keep it simple
In general, don’t be too ambitious when it comes to music in your ceremony. Whether you’re using recorded music, live performance, or including a sacred hymn or song for the congregation to sing, it will always go smoother if you simplify things as much as possible. Unless you have a top-notch wedding planner and audio coordinator working your wedding ceremony, too much music can quickly derail things.

2. Rehearse musical cues
Make sure your wedding coordinator is familiar with your music plan for the ceremony. You will want to communicate with your coordinator before the rehearsal so that he or she can lead the rehearsal well by making sure every groomsmen, bridesmaid, and member of the family knows their musical cues.

3. Live music
If your ceremony is going to feature some sort of vocal or instrumental performance, be sure to communicate well with your musicians beforehand. If you can, make sure they have the opportunity to visit your ceremony venue well before the wedding to make sure they are comfortable and that the room is conducive to their performance. This will go a long way in avoiding last minute technical hiccups and will be a blessing to your musicians.

4. If you’re going to sing…
If you would like to sing a hymn or some other sacred song at your wedding ceremony, make sure the song is either familiar to most of your guests or very easy to follow. Songs that are unfamiliar and hard to follow musically are a sure way to create awkwardness during a ceremony. What often happens is the couple ends up performing a duet while the rest of the congregation mumbles along awkwardly. Don’t try to pick something random or off topic. Better to stick with a classic, well-known song that is meaningful to you and will be blessing to your wedding guests.

5. Be yourself
Don’t be afraid to let your own personality show with the music you select. Choose music that is meaningful to you and your fiancée. I’m so glad my wife and I had a couple of good friends perform a song called “Grace Alone” by Dustin Kensrue. Not only was the song such a fitting piece in our ceremony, but to this day it is symbolic to Jenna and I that this song was sung moments before we took our vows. It was important to us that we declared that our lives and our marriage would be built on the grace of God alone.

Ronnie and my brother Zack singing "Grace Alone" at our wedding (Photo by Naisang Photography)

I hope these tips are helpful to you and that you’re able to find music that you love and that will enrich your wedding ceremony!

Author: Alex DiPrima

DIY Bridal Hair Styles with Plume Events

I had THE best time shooting pictures for Plume Events on DIY bridal hair styles. We worked with some amazing vendors and models and I love the way the pictures turned out! Amy with Plume Events is incredibly talented and did a wonderful job making the florals and doing the hair for this shoot! Amy shared the 4 different DIY hair styles on her blog yesterday with instructions how to do them, so be sure to check her post out.

Vendors Involved:
Styling, Hair, and Florals: Plume Events
Venue: Wagner House
Photographer: DiPrima Photography
Makeup: Wink Hair and Makeup
Jewelry: Gemma Jewels Shop
Dresses: Carolina Bridal World

Here's a few of my favorite pictures of the finished hairstyles (click here to see more):

Why is Wedding Photography So Expensive?!

A question many people ask (or at least think!) is: "Why is wedding photography so expensive?!" And I get it, really! Before I was a photographer, I wondered the same thing! I understand that most brides are on a tight budget, as I was, and they're looking to cut costs wherever they can. So this blog is my attempt to try and explain why wedding photography tends to be expensive and why I think it's SO worth the expense!

1. There are Many Expenses Involved in Running a Business
Before owning my own business, I had no idea how many expenses are involved in running a business. I have so much more respect for small businesses now that I understand how many things they are balancing! Here are a few of the expenses I have:

Expenses Associated with One Wedding:
-Second Shooter
-Gas
-Meals for client meetings/travel
-Wooden USB, prints, and wedding package materials and postage
-Taxes
-Client gifts

Other Business Expenses:
-Equipment (thousands spent every year...I have $10,000+ worth of equipment that is always growing!)
-Equipment insurance (average $500/year)
-Equipment maintenance
-Website
-Computer & external hard drives
-Editing software
-Marketing
-Education and workshops
-Home office
-Cell phone
-Health insurance
-Retirement
...and the list goes on!

2. Taxes
Believe it or not, the IRS typically takes 30%+ of our income! In normal jobs, your employer pays half of the tax and you pay the other half. But when you're self employed, you pay all of the tax! So that typically amounts to at least 30%.

3. Time is Money
Many people think, "Man! Photographers are making bank! I mean they charge $2500* and they only work 8 hours!" In order to clear up that misconception (which you already know isn't totally true because of the taxes and business expenses that are already taken out of that $2500), let me break down the time I typically spend one wedding for you:
*Please note: I chose $2500 as an average amount that low-mid range photographers may charge. These numbers do not necessarily reflect what I charge.

• Initial client emailing, phone calls, and/or coffee/lunch/dinner meeting, preparing the contract and invoice: estimated 4 hours
• Engagement session: estimated 3 hours (usually 1.5 with the couple, .5 to arrive early and check out the location, 1 for driving)
• Total post-processing time to upload the session, back it up, cull, edit, export, upload to the online gallery, and blog: 6 hours
• Continued client communication throughout time leading up to wedding: estimated 2 hours
• Social media posting between the engagement session and wedding: estimated 1 hour
• Build final timeline for wedding day: estimated 1 hour
• Assorted administrative stuff (e.g. send out final invoice, contact other vendors, etc.): estimated 2 hours
• Wedding day: estimated 12 hours (8-9 official, 1 to be there early, and 2, on average, for driving)
• Total post-processing time for wedding to import, cull, edit, export images, load them to online gallery and organize in gallery: estimated 30 hours
• Blog wedding: estimated 2 hours
• Submit wedding for publication: estimated 2 hours
• Social media following the wedding: estimated 1 hour
• Send images to wedding vendors: estimated 1 hour
• Continued client communication following the wedding: estimated 1 hour

TOTAL ESTIMATED HOURS: 68 hours

That's right, a photographer most likely spends an average of 68 hours on every wedding! That's a week and a half of full time work! Time is one of most valuable assets. Time is time spent away from our family and friends and time is something we can never get back. Time is valuable!

So, let's take that $2500 average profit made from one wedding that I mentioned above. Let's say after expenses and taxes a photographer theoretically take home $1250. That means that after a photographer's 68 hours of work, they're making $18/hour (VERY different than the $300+/hour price tag some people may assume photographers make). 

4. If They Book Your Wedding, They Probably Can't Book Another Wedding

Another thing to keep in mind is that if a photographer books your wedding and something happens or you have to cancel for some reason, it's highly likely they will not be able to book another wedding because most couples book their wedding photographer 6 months-2 years out. That is why almost all photographers require a non-refundable deposit (usually 50%) to book their services. your wedding is cancelled, that 50% will offset some of the costs they'll still be loosing.

Why I think wedding photography is worth the expensive for a talented, professional, and personable photographer:

1. Tangible Memories are Extremely Important

In my opinion, your wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of your day because it is one of the few (or may the only) tangible reminders you'll have of your day once it's over. Your wedding pictures are something you'll look back on and cherish for years and years to come. I think that makes them incredible valuable and important and so they should be an aspect of your day that you invest in and prioritize. 

2. You Get What You Pay For

Often, I think that people can assume that all photographers are created equal and so they should just book whoever is cheapest. However, like most things in life, you typically get what you pay for with photography! In my opinion, it is important to not only preserve your most cherished memories, but also to have someone who can capture them in a beautiful, artistic way. When a photographer charges more, it is likely because they are in demand, they have experience, and they have better equipment. Most photographers, at least in the early years of their businesses, raise their prices a little after every few weddings they book (or maybe after each year). That is because their experience, equipment, and talent continue to grow.

Many people think that if a photographer has expensive equipment, it makes them a great photographer, While equipment is very important, that is only part of what makes someone a talented photographer! Being able to find light and composition, pose subjects, and work with people in order to make them comfortable so they can capture natural, candid expressions are a HUGE part of the quality of photographs. Really equipment is only half of what's involved in getting a beautiful photograph and light, composition, and posing are just as (if not more) important.

3. Your Photographer Impacts Your Wedding Experience

In addition to paying for beautiful pictures, you also want to pay for an amazing experience! From the very beginning you want to have a relationship with a photographer who is professional, hard working, and enjoyable to be around! Having your pictures taken can be awkward and so it's important to have a wedding photographer who you communicate well with and who makes you comfortable. You'll probably be with your wedding photographer more than almost any other vendor (or even any other person for that matter!) on your wedding day and so it's important to be with someone who you enjoy being around! In addition, it's also important that your photographer is able to work with your friends and family, handle stress and pressure, and respond calmly in difficult or unexpected moments (because there's likely to be a few unexpected moments during every wedding!). For me, it was so important to have a photographer who I enjoyed being around and who I felt would be professional and capable to capture my wedding day.

I hope this post has better helped you understand all of the financial aspects that are involved in running a wedding photography business and why wedding photographers are worth the investment! As always, I would love to hear your feedback so please leave comments and questions below!

10 Ways to Save Big on Your Wedding

I totally understand what it's like to be a bride who wants a beautiful wedding that is also affordable! When planning my own wedding, I received some great advice. I was told to pick 2-3 things that I want to prioritize and to spend money in those areas, and to try to cut costs as much as possible in all of the other areas. So I picked my most important priorities: Photographer, catering, and venue. Then I made a budget with those three thing being the priority and then limiting my costs elsewhere. It's really important that you make and budget and that you stick to it! 

1. Order local, in season flowers

You can save a lot of money by ordering flowers that are in season. Look for a farm or a florist who buys seasonal flowers from local famers. For my wedding, I purchased flowers from a farm and my original plan was to arrange them all myself. That got a little too overwhelming and so I ended up paying a little more to have the farm owner put them together for me. If you plan to order local, in season flowers, it is important that you remain somewhat flexible with your colors and types of flowers. Local farms only have so many flowers available and they may not have the exact colors you imagined. However, I always prefer the natural, somewhat wildflower look anyway! Two great options for people in the Raleigh-Durham area are Spring Forth Farm and Pine State Flowers.

2. Rent furniture and decorations

Instead of buying 200 candle holders or multiples of decorations you'll probably never use again, why not rent them? I recommend searching for a vintage rental company. A great option for Raleigh-Durham area weddings is Plume Events!

3. DIY decorations

There are so many great decorations that you can make yourself! I made almost all the decorations for my wedding and I kept things really basic. Pinterest has a lot of great ideas for DIY wedding decorations! You can also find great ideas on Something Turquoise. 

4. Serve a Smaller Cake

Wedding cakes can get really expensive! One way to save a lot of money on your cake is to display a smaller cake and then to have sheet cake in the kitchen that your caterer can cut up and serve to guests. That way, you still have a pretty cake display and your guests will probably never know that the cake they're eating isn't actually part of that display!

5. Buy a sample or secondhand dress

There are a lot of great wedding dress consignments stores out there these days! You can also find many wedding dress options on sites like Tradsey and Preowned Wedding Dresses. Also, you can ask bridal boutiques if they have any sample dresses for sale. Keep in mind that the average wedding dress sample size is a 10 so you may need to be a size 10 or less (if you are a smaller size, you can always get the dress altered).

6. Have a smaller bridal party

This was one that I really had no clue about when I got married! I never thought about the connection between bridal party size and cost and so I had a bridal party with 18 people! Now, I don't regret that at all and I'm so thankful for each person who was in our bridal party. However, if you're trying to cut costs, consider having a smaller party. The reason bigger bridal parties cost more money is because you have to pay for each bridesmaids bouquet (typically $50+/person!), boutonnières, and bridal party gifts. 

7. Invite less guests

When planning my own wedding, I was also pretty unaware of how much each wedding guests costs. If you are serving a full dinner, you're most likely going to spend at least $35/person just on food! One of the things that can most significantly reduce the cost of your wedding is inviting less guests.

8. Borrow or make a veil

I saved $200+ by simply borrowing a veil from a friend. The bride in the picture below on the left had a friend make her veil with tulle and a brooch! You could also consider not having a veil at all.

9. Get married on a Friday/Sunday or during the Off Season

Choosing to have my wedding on a Friday evening was one of the best decisions I made! When you get married on a Friday or Sunday, venues are often less expensive and you typically have a much larger selection of vendors available to you.

10. Skip the favors

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy wedding favors and they're fun to photograph. But if you're trying to cut costs, wedding favors are something you can easily skip and I guarantee that people will not notice. At most weddings I've been to, I've found that over 50% of the guests don't even remember to pick up favors anyway! Hmm...maybe that's why I still have a huge basket of pink matches in my closet 1.5 years after my own wedding?!

I hope you found this post helpful! What are some ways you've found to save money on weddings? 

5 Tips for Hiring the Right Wedding Photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer is SO important! I've found that many people base their decision on who to hire solely on cost. While I completely understand working within a budget, I also think there's a lot more involved in deciding on a wedding photographer than money! After all, you're with your wedding photographer more than most other people on your wedding day and you're entrusting your photographer with the important task of capturing one of the most memorable days of your life! I learned a lot when I was searching for a photographer for my own wedding, as well as from conversations with couples who are inquiring about my services. Here's a few tips I've picked up along the way:

1. Determine Your Style
There are so many different styles out there and to me, that is one of the beautiful aspects about photography! Photography is art and its subjective so everyone has different preferences and styles. First determine if you want a photographer who has a documentary style and who captures candid pictures of people and action, or a portraiture style photographer that spends more time posing people and objects. In addition, do you want a fine art photographer whose pictures look like film and are more grainy, airy, and muted, or a photographer with a crisp, clear, and bright style, or a photographer with a vintage, dark, and heavily edited style? If you're having trouble determining your style, I encourage you to look through numerous wedding photography websites and write down the things you do and don't like about the pictures you're seeing. Then choose a photographer whose pictures have the qualities you like.

2. Ask the Right Questions
I encourage you to either meet your prospective photographer in person, on the phone, or at least over email to get to know them better and to ask questions. Here's a few questions I would encourage you to ask:

• How much experience do you have and how long have you been shooting weddings?
• What type of equipment do you shoot with?
• How would you describe your style?

3. Get to Know Their Personality
The personality of your photographer is very important! You want to make sure that you hire someone you feel comfortable with and who you feel that you can be yourself with in front of the camera. In addition, you want to hire someone who is responsible, professional, and a hard worker. You may not be able to determine all of these things right away, but I think you can find out a lot about your prospective photographer by reading their blog, social media, and talking with them in person, on the phone, or at least over email. Personally, when I was looking for a photographer, it was most important to me that my photographer was professional, laid back but also punctual and able to keep a schedule (really important on a busy wedding day!), kind, and enjoyable to be around.

4. See a Full Gallery
I encourage you to ask to see a full online wedding gallery. It is easy to present just a few great images online, but you want to see a full and accurate picture of the types of images you'll be getting. A few things you should look for are consistency in their style and editing, a variety in the types of images they capture (for example: some detail pictures, some posed, some candid, etc.), and the overall quality of all of their pictures.

5. Compare Packages and Pricing
If you haven't done so already, sit down and think through your wedding budget and approximately how much you have to spend on wedding photography. As a wedding photographer I do feel the need to encourage you to seriously consider prioritizing wedding photography in your budget as one of your top expenses. I truly think wedding photography is one of the most important things you can spend money on because it is one of the only tangible reminders you'll have of your wedding day that will last for years and years to come. I also understand that most brides are on a budget and that money is a big factor in planning a wedding. As you compare packages and pricing, make sure that the photographer and package you are considering can meet your needs within your budget. Make sure you're aware of the specifics of whats offered in a package (like, do you get all of the edited digital images or is their an additional fee per image once the wedding is over, etc.). Keep in mind that if a photographer is more expensive its because of their level of experience, equipment, and the quality of their work. 

I hope you found this post helpful. If you are searching for a wedding photographer and feel that my style may be a good fit for you, I'd love to hear from you! 2016 & 2017 are filling up quickly but I do still have available dates so please contact me and we can talk more about your wedding day photography needs!