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We want to help you out!
Planning a wedding can be overwhelming and stressful.
Here are our posts addressing different parts of the journey consolidated in one place and framed as potential questions you might have:
We hope this is helpful for us and, as always, feel free to reach out anytime :)
Or any colour for that matter! <3
How about we see how many reasons we can come up with for having an engagement session:
You can establish a comfortable relationship with your photographer
You can relax/gain confidence in front of the camera in a fun & casual environment (we nearly always meet up with our local couples prior to the wedding day but there is a big difference between sitting down over a cuppa and being on the other side of a lens); quieten those “I am really awkward in front of the camera” voices in the back of your head
Relaxing goes both ways: the more we know about both of you (what makes you laugh, and so on), the more we can help you on your day
Engagement is such an exciting time in life and will not last forever; embrace & preserve the season with some images
The session provides a clearer point of reference for determining wedding coverage/expectations as you personally are in the frame - this makes it easier to see what you like and dislike
You can practice the kind of shots important to you and that you want from your wedding
Try out your hair and makeup style - or mix up the content so you have different looks
Include some of your favourites in your wedding stationery suite (save the date, thank you cards or guest book… or just create a Facebook album and share your love with your loved ones)
The wedding day is about so many things - love, family/friends, emotions - whereas the engagement session is really about just the two of you as the focal point
In amongst the crazy that is wedding planning, an engagement session can ensure a bonding session/opportunity to reconnect for both of you and remind you of what is most important at the end of the day - a really nice pause button, in a way. Make it a date!
Engagement, just like the wedding, is a milestone in itself and worth celebrating one way or another
As time goes by, you might find that you treasure both: images of you in your wedding attire and images of you that are more relatable day to day
Express your personal style (very often, there are multiple people involved in a wedding day with different opinions - puffed sleeves, no train, peonies like grandma’s bouquet, save the dates or no save the dates, Polaroid cameras on each table or no Polaroids… we could go on and on) - this is your day really! No traditional expectations!
While we are creating images different to your wedding day, why not mix up the location, too! Sometimes we hear from couples that they would love images at a location sentimental to them, but it is too far from the wedding venue to reasonably expect people to travel/wait. This is your chance.
Speaking of traditional expectations, if you are wanting something unique from your session, there is a greater chance of that happening at your engagement session than on your wedding day - don’t be shy and work together with your photographer to create some unique magic!
Tell your story as there is more to both of you than a wedding day
You might even learn a little more about each other during the process - embrace it! <3
As always, if you don’t want to do something (including an engagement session), don’t. No one should make you do something you do not feel comfortable with. If this is you, focus on the things that are important to you and, if you go with the flow, your wedding day will come together perfectly!
We regularly discover new, beautiful wedding venues in our travels for inspiration. We decided to make it easy and collate it all in one spot. As we find (new-to-us) venues, we will add them below. If you know of any that should be on this list, please feel free to reach out. If there are any that should not be on the list (assume that if they are below, we are unaware of any inherent racism, ageism, or discrimination of any form that might be known to local vendors/businesses; again, feel free to reach out to us and let us know). We are most familiar with the venues in our local area - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - and so the majority of venues listed will probably be concentrated around this area. Enjoy the following 100+ venues!
Australia
Queensland
Brisbane & Surrounds
QUT Wedding Collection (Old Government House, in particular)
Sunshine Coast & Surrounds
Gold Coast & Surrounds
Kooroomba Vineyards & Lavender Farm
Elsewhere
New South Wales
Victoria
Tasmania
South Australia
Western Australia
Northern Territory
Bahamas
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Morocco
Mexico
New Zealand
Switzerland
Historisches Alpinhotel Grimsel Hospiz
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States of America
Vanuatu
We have planned quite a few events during the past few years. We recently made time to tally how many businesses we have worked with and we’re up around 180 (at least). This means that we have liaised with many more businesses as not every business you approach signs up to work together. This can be for a range of reasons. When businesses work together, it has to work for both parties to be sustainable. What we are offering in that moment does not always align with the goals of the other business at that particular period in time and that is totally okay. Sometimes other businesses are busy working on other aspects of their business to be able to make time to produce content. Sometimes other businesses are in survival mode and having to focus on keeping the essential processes running - and so on. Business-to-business communication is, in most cases and based on our specific experience, very amicable. We have noticed some trends while going through the planning process and thought we would share - hopefully this information proves helpful for you as you go about planning your own event. :)
Here are some of the situations we frequently encounter and how it has played out for us (on average):
Delays in responses from the business?
This has not actually been a red flag for us. Sometimes it is but sometimes businesses are just genuinely going through a crazy busy season and admin can fall behind. As long as they have responded to us within 7-10 business days (everyone is entitled to a weekend), we have found slight delays to be workable and not reflect poorly on the business - in the majority of cases. Sometimes it has been consistent with their business model in general: mindful and lots of attention to detail. Bear in mind that you are often dealing with real humans (as opposed to fake ones… yeah, we can be dry) at the other end of small business and sometimes they experience sickness, outside stress, and so on. We try to be a little mindful and plan - with all things going well - far enough in advance that people have a little breathing room and there is less reliance on them responding within 6 hours of us reaching out.
Difficulty in finding channels of communication with the business?
A red flag in a country full of red flags. We have found that the harder it is to track down communication-related information for a business, the more difficult it is to work with them in general. It is a thing. Vulnerable moment: personally, I (Em) dislike talking business over the phone and much prefer to communicate by email, but it is not about me. It is about the client. It should take you no more than 30 seconds or a minute - factoring in reasonable internet speeds - to find a mobile number for me and I will absolutely take your call and happily try to accommodate from my end (hint: you will find it in the header for our website).
Outdated websites?
I have a bias here. One of the first things I do when I visit a website is see how recently the blog posts have been updated. I personally do this for a few reasons: investment in blogging is typically reflective of passion (not always but a key indicator for me), recent informative posts give me some feedback that the business is up to date/on top of their speciality & provides me with a quick glance at some of their most recent work in one place without having to trawl through the whole site. Now that I have declared my bias, this is not always relevant and sometimes the website can collect dust, but the business is booming in real life. I find a quick phone call can typically gauge how much to read into a dated website.
Reviews turned off on different platforms?
This one is a mixed bag. My first question would be: can you find reviews for the business anywhere? If nowhere then that is a red flag for me. The first place I look is Google Business. I actually do not place much value on Facebook reviews personally. It is much easier to troll & leave fake reviews and much harder to contact Facebook for resolution through that platform - as opposed to Google, for example. I have seen a few business owners personally known to me lose a lot of time politely responding to trolling and whatever else people with little time and an internet connection can get up to so that they can try to mitigate damage from unknown sources. I find Google a lot more responsive to issues than Facebook and, for that reason in particular, I have turned off reviews on Facebook. If people want to review us, they are welcome to leave their experience immortalised on Google Business.
Businesses that campaign about issues other than their own?
I am talking about the ones that always seem to have issues with others or in general and broadcast them. Controversy seems to be part of their day to day. The business model is built on being reactive rather than responsive.
It might be issues with other vendors stealing their concepts (we are huge on crediting - as even a cursory glance at our social media pages/blog posts with reinforce; however, what others choose to do is their business and their own moral code. Unless it directly reflects back on us/effects our quality of life, we remain silent and push on with our own workload - if anything, we push on harder and see the situation as a compliment. If it does affect us beyond what we feel is reasonable, we talk with that business rather than do a series of ranting stories - naming and shaming - on Instagram).
It might be calling out other people/businesses for being unkind. Interestingly, we are all for kindness (never enough in this world and we try to do our bit to sprinkle kindness wherever we can!) but there seems to be a correlation here: the people who demand kindness from others seem to… well, prove to be unkind themselves. Again, it is a thing, and I think I will always find it confusing to one degree or another. I am guessing that the kind people are just busy being kind. Perhaps it is as simple as that.
Is the business inward- or outward-focused?
This is straightforward and depends on your individual preference (that is, which category you, as a client, are more likely to work together well with - especially when talking about businesses in relational industries): some businesses bring all focus back to themselves and others are genuinely community-focused. One is built on itself and the other is built on community.
Firstly, does the business work with other vendors? If so, do they have positive things to say about the ones that they work with regularly? (It can be a risk to say something nice about a fellow business but if someone is regularly using content from a handful of vendors and all tone is neutral, it can suggest that the business is inward-focused. Also, it does not cost anything to be nice.)
Secondly, if they are self-focused, are they offering something niche that you cannot purchase anywhere else? If so, they might find it challenging to mesh with fellow vendors without losing the clarity of their business purpose. In this case, running solo makes a lot of sense and fits in with their overall theme. Cases like these are unusual, however.
How does this impact you as a client?
I think a classic example would be the recent pandemic. Most businesses, like ours, have strong contracts in place to give the client peace of mind that the business will deliver and to protect the business. However, when clients are going through circumstances beyond their control (such as the pandemic), most businesses we know have been accommodating. For example, non-refundable retainers might not be returned but other sustainable offers have been made to lighten the burden on both sides. In one case, we had 3 venue changes - all outside of the couple’s control - and 3 on-site visits (with no fees incurred; the couple are really sweet and offered to cover our time but we insisted that it was part of meeting halfway. All changes were outside of their control and not for a reason such as change of mind).
The point? If a business is outward-focused, it is more likely to accommodate extenuating circumstances - such as the recent pandemic. If the business is inward-focused, it will most likely lock down and protect itself. We have personally experienced both types but, from our experience, there are a lot more of the former.
Short, abrupt tone from the business?
Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Standalone issue (that is, only red flag): not usually. Some people are simply direct. Some people are time poor. Some people are driven. I am not a short, abrupt-type person but I do appreciate it from others, funnily enough. At the end of the day, the situation is for business purposes and not directly for relationship. Live and let live where possible. Short, abrupt tone during a coffee/chai/hot chocolate catch-up? Well, that is different in my books.
We hope this information is helpful for you and, as we learn more about the process, we will share. We are all for transparency and, if our experience can make yours easier, we will happily divulge. Take care and all the best with the journey that is wedding planning! Feel free to reach out anytime - even by phone <3
Wedding Venue: Gabbinbar Homestead.
Florals & Styling: Emunah Events.
Photography: Poppy & Sage Photography.
Times are tough.
Times are tough for everyone right now.
Clients and vendors alike - and everyone in-between.
We figured that this world could do with a little more thoughtfulness at the moment and so we reached out to some vendors for advice. We asked them this question: “If there is only one piece of advice you would give to couples going through Covid, what would it be?”
We deliberately left it open so that each business could choose whether to give general advice or apply it within the framework of the wedding industry.
Please bear in mind that these businesses are under the pump, too, and balancing postponements and, sadly, some cancellations. However, the following vendors kindly replied and shared their wise and encouraging thoughts to pass onto couples perhaps feeling a little lost or disheartened at the moment.
We love the collective wisdom & encouragement here. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you do, too! <3
//
“You now have time! Make the most of this gift of time to re-evaluate your finances, guest list, etc. Above all, this is a perfect time to rest! Your post-COVID wedding will be here in no time. All the best x” ~Zubeidah, HoneyTub Event Hire
“Whether you have just gotten engaged, you have started planning or you had the whole thing booked and had to postpone, just take a step back and think about exactly what is the most important thing to you as a couple. If it is to get married now, then do it with a smaller group. If it is to get married with your extended family travelling from all of the world, then wait and do that (or organise some amazing video streaming!). I think now more than ever couples can forget everyone else's expectations and just decide for themselves what is most important to them and once you have made that decision it will make the rest of your planning easier.” ~Marisha, Magnolia Studios
“I have translated a card my Mother sent me when I got engaged. It has been with me ever since:
‘Certainty, if someone loves you, they will not show from their words; not even from their actions - yet purely how one endures you.’” ~Nadja, Le Sans Souci
“Keep in contact with your vendors every now and again. My first thoughts for each of my Brides are: ‘How can I help you?’ and followed closely by ‘Are you ok!’ As a Makeup Artist, I have put many things in place to offer all kinds of support to my clients; however, understanding your individual circumstance means I can give you your support exactly how you need! It also means we can hopefully share your worry/stress and be a listening ear - a problem shared, is a problem halved! I know this might not apply to all your vendors completely but in my line of work, I operate in a very personal way, and it comes naturally to offer emotional support. I’m also a really good listener!” ~Tyneale, Tyneale Hahn Makeup Artist
“If you’re on the fence about booking your wedding suppliers in now with Covid - don’t let it stop you. Suppliers are now getting booked up faster and more dates are filling with couples having to reschedule. Make sure you check the suppliers you’re interested in using terms and conditions / contract. For example - for couples using me for wedding stationery, I have a section that basically says if their date changes I can provide a reprint at cost (my fees are wiped), or I can design an additional card for free and the only cost is print or I will design an email change of date / new suite with their design that can be emailed out to your guests for free.
To the couples who have already booked vendors but are unsure if their wedding will happen, my heartfelt sympathies are with you experiencing stress and wedding disruption. I wish I could give you a big hug! My advice is trying your best to have an open mind. It is ok to be upset, anxious or to grieve what could have been. If your plans have to change, know that things happen for a reason and, while it may not be clear now, things have a funny way of working out. At the end of the day, remember that you have someone that loves you and that the end goal is your marriage. Your vendors will be doing everything they can to make your day so special! If you decide that you don’t want to get married soon, then please postpone and not cancel. It could mean you may lose your deposits and your wedding vendors will be financially impacted, too.” ~Hannah, Blossie
“If you're hoping for a huge celebration with guests from all over the world, unfortunately this might mean waiting for some time before you can have the wedding of your dreams.
The alternative is that you can do a smaller legal ceremony now, with the big 'whooo-hoooo' celebrations at a later date. If you go down this route, live streaming your ceremony can work really well, and asking these friends and family to film themselves watching your wedding which can be fun to watch later on so you can see their reactions.” ~Roxy, Roxy Hotten - Celebrant
"My advice would be to decide what is most important to you and plan the wedding you want but don’t stress over small details. If you can have the day you want with current restrictions, don’t delay it. If not, just take your time and enjoy the planning." ~Wendy, Wendy Louise Designs
“My advice would be to think of yourselves as a team. At the end of the day when you’re done juggling work and kids and home stuff, sit down and spend time doing something you both enjoy. Watch TV, play a game, sip some wine or have a cup of tea. If you feel like you’d rather do something by yourself at some point, give your partner their space and enjoy yours, too.” ~Sharmeen, Sharmeen Thomas
“We are encouraging all our Beautiful Brides-to-be to allow as much time as they possibly can to order their gowns! This will allow for any unexpected changes COVID may send us!!” ~Cathy, Pearl Bridal
“Roll with it and do what's right for you and your partner. By making the most of it, you'll still enjoy celebrating your love." ~Julia, Creative Love Ceremonies
“We see you. Planning, postponing or even cancelling a wedding during a pandemic is stressful. It is stressful under normal circumstances but the current situation is next level. We would say to look for the positives. For every dark/overwhelming thought/feeling, find just one thing to counteract it and hold on tight to that silver lining. You will get through this, you will come out on the other side, and you will tell the crazy stories from this season for a lifetime! This will pass!” ~Pete and Em, Poppy & Sage Photography