Nashville Wedding Photographers | Jen & Chris Creed » Wedding Planning

Planning a Stress Free Wedding | Tips from the Pros

Jen — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:58:28 +0000

Happy Tuesday, friends!

For awhile now, I’ve been wanting to do a blog post that will be helpful to any of my lovely readers who are brides (or grooms!)-to-be. But when it came to something I could write about…I didn’t have too much helpful information But, we’ve had the opportunity to get to know some A-MAZING wedding professionals here in Nashville, and who better to learn from than the pros? So today’s post features wedding planning advice from three lovely ladies who really know their stuff!

First up, Amy Parman from CJ’s Off the Square! We got the chance to work with the CJ’s team for Kristi and Eric’s wedding last October.

From Amy:

1. Check in to your evening’s hotel early! If you or your fiancée can’t do this on the day of your wedding because of scheduling, have one of your trusted friends or family members take your bags to the hotel for you and request that the bags be waiting for you in your room upon arrival. You’re going to be tired at the end of the evening, and this gives you one less thing to do. Also, arrange for someone to drop off your personal vehicle at the hotel as well, if you plan to drive home or to the airport the next day.

2. Pre-pay all of your wedding bills and invoices during the week before. The last thing you want to think about (or have your parents think about) during the whirlwind of getting ready, taking photos, and trying to absorb all the wonderful memories of your wedding, is money. If you’ll be tipping some of your vendors, have those all divided, labeled and sealed in envelopes, rather than counting out bills in the midst of your reception.

3. Think about the items that you’ll need to take home from your venue at the end of the night, and assign them to specific people that you know will have vehicles to load them. Precious family photos, decorative items, cake tops, and guest books can be lost in the shuffle if you haven’t planned ahead and made someone responsible for them.

4. Assume you will run late while getting ready. Even if you’re the punctual type, allow yourself at least 30 minutes of extra time before you are due to begin your pictures. If you stay on schedule, great! Take that time to breathe, hug your parents and your bridesmaids, and recall wonderful stories about the man you’re about to marry!

5. Most importantly, hire trusted professionals! Free your family and friends from responsibilities like arranging your flowers or playing DJ so they can be with you! Wedding professional enjoy serving you and giving you the ability to simply the bride and focus on enjoying yourselves and hosting your loved ones at this memorable occasion.

Next up, Jennifer Hamilton of Mr. & Mrs. Events! I had the opportunity to photograph some fabulous details by Jennifer for her Oscar Party in January.

From Jennifer:

#1 – My most important tip (other than hiring a wedding planner, of course) is to plan YOUR wedding, not someone else’s. For the most part, there are no set rules anymore when it comes to weddings. Think about you and your fiancé’s passions, hobbies and interests and find ways to add elements of them into your day. Think about how you met, your favorite foods, favorite movie, aspects from your childhoods and put these unique qualities about you into every detail! It’s so hard to get around to and spend quality time with each guest on your wedding day to tell them how much you appreciate them being there. But I’ve found that adding these special details makes guests feel like they’re with you all day and in turn, makes them feel more loved and appreciated!

#2 – Set up a budget at the beginning of your planning process. Couples who fail to do this at the start can get confused and make decisions that end up being issues down the road because they haven’t got a plan to stick to. This can lead to much unneeded stress …. which we want to eliminate! When you begin the budget process start off deciding what elements of the wedding day (flowers, photography, venue, etc….) are most important to you and then decide which items that are lower on your list. You can allocate more of your budget to those things you can’t live without and try to cut corners on those things that aren’t as important to you, or at least do them on a smaller scale. {** Side note, always try to put photography somewhere near the top of your list. These are photographs you will be cherishing for years to come and skimping on this is something you might really regret. Quality photography is so important!} Creating a budget is also something a good Wedding Planner can assist you with so if you’re a little unsure about how to do it, definitely seek help from a talented professional.

And last but not least is Kristin Kaplan of Simply Stunning Events. We had the pleasure of working with Simply Stunning for Jennifer and Jon’s wedding back in October!

From Kristin (emphasis mine):

Many couples are always worried and stressed during the final month before their wedding and afraid that they might forget a key detail. There are many small items that cannot be handled until the last couple of weeks before the wedding since you won’t have an accurate guest count until then so it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. I always suggest putting together a to-do list ahead of time with every tiny task included (we provide one to all of our couples, including our Month-of clients). Sort the list by week then day. So first you would have everything that you need to handle 4 weeks prior to the wedding, then 3 weeks, then 2 weeks, then 1 week, then 2 days prior, then the day before. This will help you to keep track of all the last minute details and feel less overwhelmed knowing that nothing is going to be forgotten or fall through the cracks so to speak.

When it comes to the wedding day, my favorite and largest piece of advice for all couples is just to relax and take it all in. Even though it’s often a 12-14 hour day, your wedding is going to FLY by. It’s so important to stop every hour or so and just breath and really look around and appreciate everything about the day. This may be the only time in your life that all of your closest family members and friends are in the same room together and they are all there to support and celebrate you. Things may not go exactly as planned, or some family member may be aggravating you, but just try to remember the big picture. You only get one wedding day, and you have full control over how you feel that day. So let the little things go, and remember why you are there in the first place, to marry the one you love most in the world.

Fabulous ideas, ladies! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers! I have to say, I had a very much less than impressive planner/coordinator for my own wedding. It definitely made it hard to see the importance of a good planner/designer/coordinator. But ya’ll, seriously, after watching these talented women and others like them, I am totally sold! Having a good planner can seriously take your day to the next level, and help you enjoy the day more (because you don’t have to worry about anything!).

So, dear readers, what was your favorite tip? Do you have any to add to the list? Let us know in the comments!

Have a great week everyone!

P.S. If you’re still looking for a great team of vendors for your wedding day, check out our People We Love page!

Lovely Inspiration | Elizabeth Anne Designs

Jen — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:33:31 +0000

There’s a lot of pretty awesome things about my job. One of them is that I have an excuse to look at some pretty awesome wedding blogs…you know, for “research.” One of my favorites is Elizabeth Anne Designs. From their “About” page:

Launched in October 2007, Elizabeth Anne Designs is a wedding and lifestyle site updated daily with tips and stories from real brides, newlyweds and wedding vendors. The Elizabeth Anne Designs Wedding blog is dedicated to the details and inspirations that make a wedding beautiful. The EAD Vendor Guide is filled with thousands of useful wedding vendor listings – from photographers to shops to stationers – and is designed to help every bride, no matter her location, find the vendors she needs to create her event. The EAD Living blog focuses on all of the wonderful experiences of newlywed life along with home decor, recipes, and crafts.

Editor and Publisher Ami Price holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and is passionate about all things beautiful and crafty. Ami is also the author of the business and blogging resource site Edit and Post. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their pup Charlie.

I absolutely love how they include ideas and beautiful inspiration for pretty much every aspect of the wedding day! And their round up of light, airy images just makes my heart smile We are honored to be included in their vendor guide, and if you need some inspiration, I highly recommend you drop everything and go check out this fabulous blog!

Happy Friday!

Vendor Spotlight | Amy Lynn Larwig-Nashville MUA

Jen — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:55:06 +0000

A week or two ago, I posted an image from the promo pictures we had taken by our good friends at Phindy Studios (still owe you a post with more of those!). Well, when we were preparing for that session, I knew I wanted to have my make up done, because I am just really not great at doing my own make up. I hardly ever wore make up (probably because I never even remember my mom wearing it!), and the last time I had someone teach me how to apply make up was probably a Mary Kay rep some time in junior high haha.

Enter Amy Lynn Larwig, Nashville make up artist extraordinaire! I had met Amy Lynn before, and seen TONS of her beautiful work on various friends and brides (in fact, she will be doing the make up for our gorgeous Nashville bride Lindsay in July!). Amy Lynn is super sweet and fun, and I knew she would be the perfect person to help me with my make up dilemma.

Unfortunately, she was already booked for the day we had our session scheduled. But never fear…Amy Lynn also offers Glam Sessions, which is what we ended up doing! Amy Lynn went through all the make up I currently own (and was nice enough to not laugh at me ), and taught me how to apply make up (for every day wear and for our photo shoot). She would do one half of my face, and have me practice on the other. She also made me a list of things to supplement my current make up supply, including items that are a good idea to splurge on (SmashBox halo powder is my favorite splurge item!), and things that are ok to save a few $$ on (ELF eyeliner from Target!). She also helped me with contouring, and showing me shades of eye shadow that would help my eyes stand out the best, which was awesome.

I was going to post a before and after photo…but ya’ll…if I posted the before, I’m pretty sure it would scare children Haha. (The day we did our glam session, our home was having the water worked on, and therefore, no water to shower with…not pretty.) So, I’ll just post an after image close up on my glam eyes (we did an every day look and a more glam look). One of my favorite parts is that my under eye circles (which were definitely out in full force that day!) are GONE. No retouching in Photoshop!

And that is some extreme close up-ness! Woah.

I may not have done 100% the job Amy Lynn could have done for our photo session, but I can guarantee you it was 1000x better than I would have done on my own!

Brides: I highly recommend finding a good make up artist for your wedding! You will feel amazing, and with your MUA’s help, will be perfectly camera ready I had a fantastic experience with Amy Lynn, and if she’s not available for your day, you should definitely look into doing a Glam Session with her. Totally worth it!

Thanks, Amy Lynn for helping me out with my make up dilemma! You rock

Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

P.S. I already had this post set for today, but Amy Lynn is also featured on The Bride Room blog today! Go check out to find out more about Amy Lynn and her favorite make up trends! Also check out Amy Lynn’s blog for more of her work and some 2 minute tutorials!

Bowling Green Weddings | Kentucky Wedding Photographer

Jen — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:14:14 +0000

So, it’s for real been a super exciting few weeks around here We have been so blessed! It seriously still blows my mind every day when I wake up and I am EXCITED about my job. Excited to get up and work, and edit, or talk to brides, or research, or even do bookkeeping (ok well let’s not push it on that one but… ). I am so happy that I get to shoot with my husband. I was thinking today about how awesome it is to get to see one of the happiest days in a couple’s life not only through my lens, but also through his. (The images he takes are almost always people’s favorites!) And it’s so wonderful and such a blessing to be reminded of our own vows every time we shoot a wedding together. I could really go on forever right now about how wonderful he is (I am super sappy today haha…must be Valentine’s day closing in…), but I’ll stop there.

So on to some exciting news! First, our official WeddingWire badge is in, which means we are one of the top 5% of vendors on the WeddingWire network. We were the only photographer in the Bowling Green/Paducah area to receive this award, and one of only 11 photographers in the whole state!

Second, today we had a wedding featured on the OneWed Bridal Blog! OneWed is a fantastic source for ideas for your wedding day, and we were so excited when they wanted to feature Allie and Ian’s wedding! We also had a super sweet write up on us on the Sloan Images University blog last week, which totally moved me to happy tears

We also have some WONDERFUL brides for 2010…I cannot wait to work with them! And with Valentine’s Day coming up…if you find yourself with something new and shiny on your left hand, we would love to talk to you

Thanks again (I feel like I say this every day but I really mean it!) to all of you for being so wonderful! Have a great Valentine’s weekend!

Vendor Spotlight

Jen — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:55:30 +0000

*Sorry for the delay in the Vendor Spotlight week wrap up! Enjoy!*

For the last day of Vendor Spotlight week I just couldn’t narrow it down to one person or place! We really are so blessed with all the people we have met, especially in the last year. So, here’s a short list of other vendors you should check out! Some of these are people/places we have actually worked with, and some are people or run by people we have met and loved!

Places:

First we have Talon Winery and Vineyard in Lexington, Ky, where we shot Allie and Ian’s wedding!

Next up is the beautiful Indian Hills Country Club in Bowling Green, Ky, where Lindsay+Gerrit’s reception was held. The girls also got ready there, and it was just so fantastic. Super classy, and the staff was super attentive and helpful all day. (If you haven’t guessed…customer service is one of my favorite qualities in a business…and Indian Hills definitely gets an A+!)

And next is CJ’s Off the Square in Franklin, TN! Their event specialists, CJ and Amy, are absolutely wonderful. I met them at a workshop in Franklin back in the fall, and have heard tons about their venue since then! They are also have a winter open house on Saturday, February 27, which you can learn more about here. So fun!

Bridal Boutiques and Salons:

The Couture Closet in La Grange, Ky (near Louisville!) is a super cute boutique, and a fabulous experience! This is actually where I got my dress (Pictured, dress by Melissa Sweet, photo by Krystal from Mint and Sage). Couture Closet is a “blend of an upscale New York style boutique with the charm of Southern hospitality.” Owners Lauren and Tera are there to help you find your dream dress, and treat you like a princess during your dress shopping experience They also have several trunk shows coming up, so check out their website for more info!

b.Hughes Bridal and formal in Nashville, TN is THE premiere bridal salon of the area! They are also the exclusive source for such jaw dropping designers as Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang, Romona Keveza Couture, Romona Keveza Legends Collection, and Oscar de la Renta. How awesome is that?! They also carry an incredible selection of bridesmaids dresses. While I haven’t set foot in b.Hughes Bridal myself (yet!), I have met one of the owners, the fabulous Karen! And if her bridal consultants are anything like she is, you are in for a real treat and the time of your life

So…those are just a few of our other favorite people You can also visit our People We Love page (found at the bottom of the blog) to see more of our favorite vendors. We try to keep this updated whenever we meet new vendors that we want to share with you all. Also, if you all have worked with some FABULOUS vendors, feel free to pass on their info! We always love to meet new people

Vendor Spotlight: Bridal Opulence

Jen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:22:03 +0000

Today’s vendor spotlight is on the fabulous Nashville based wedding coordinator Latrice from Bridal Opulence! To say Latrice is stylish would be an understatement…everything about her and Bridal Opulence is mind blowingly awesome

I first had the opportunity to work with Latrice on Destiny+Patrick’s wedding, which was super cool for both of us (we are both WKU alumni!). Hiring a planner can really help bring together all your ideas for your wedding and achieve them in ways you couldn’t even imagine! Planning a wedding for most of us is uncharted territory, and the experience of an awesome planner really can be such a blessing. (I would have LOVED to have someone like Latrice to help me plan my wedding!) And, Latrice doesn’t just rock out the one on one planning, but also has a wonderful blog with planning tips, unique vendors, etc. You MUST check it out! (I especially love her eye candy posts!)

Thank you all so much for sticking it out here with us on vendor week! We’ll have one or maybe two more vendor spotlights, then back to our regularly scheduled programming with some full wedding posts. I hope everyone has a great evening!

Vendor Spotlight: Etsy Vendors

Jen — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:15:35 +0000

Today’s vendor spotlight is actually several vendors, from the fabulous vintage and homemade site Etsy.com! I couldn’t narrow it down, so I thought I would feature two of my favorite wedding related vendors

First up is Lauren from Handmade Lovelies! She has a fanciful, funky style that is just fantastic. Everything is handmade by her, and she can do custom pieces as well, for that one of a kind look for your wedding day! Lauren also uses recycled materials whenever possible.

I am so in love with her headbands, hairclips, and veils! (I have an awesome peacock feather hairclip from her that I could pretty much wear every day!) This birdcage veil with pink flower is to die for!

Next, we have Garter Lady!

Garter Lady has a HUUUUGE selection of awesome garters, from traditonal and elegant, to fun and sassy! Many of them also come with a garter for tossing, which is very cool. Her customer service is fabulous as well! Love this one:

Those are just two fabulous vendors to be found on Etsy! If you’ve never shopped around on that site, you definitely should check it out! (Ummm…just don’t blame me if you have a new website addiction ) You really can find just about anything wedding related you can think of. So check it out, and feel free to leave a comment if you come across any other fabulous wedding vendors!

Vendor Spotlight: Make-up Artist Ana Crane-Simpson

Jen — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:05:48 +0000

I’ve actually only worked with Ana from Applied Cosmetic Services once, but she really made an impression on me! She did Kindal’s makeup for her wedding in October of 2008…incredible!

I think one of the best things you can do for your wedding day is spring for a make up artist! First, who doesn’t want to be pampered a little extra, especially on their wedding day? Second, professional make up can really make a stunning difference in pictures! Ana specializes in photography make up techniques, which is awesome

I know I’m not really writing a whole lot on these posts…but you definitely should check out the websites! While I’m at it…feel free to leave comments with some of YOUR favorite vendors, or with requests for recommendations in various vendor categories and we will see what we can come up with!

Have a great day, everyone!

Vendor Spotlight: Jeff Gibson of Sound Travels DJ

Jen — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:15:44 +0000

We have had the chance to work with Jeff Gibson of Sound Travels DJ twice now, at Bethany and Jerrod’s wedding, and at Katie and Aaron’s wedding. He is absolutely the best of all the dj’s we have come in contact with! The dj can really make or break your party. On occasion, we have worked with dj’s who didn’t seem to get the memo that the party wasn’t about them. Jeff is ALWAYS about the couple! He also is a true professional, licensed and insured, and a member of the American Disc Jockey Association. One of our favorite things about him (other than how fun he is!) is how organized he is! We always know exactly when the first dances will be, when the cake cutting will be, etc. It’s so wonderful to work WITH other vendors, instead of feeling like you’re butting heads!

Besides all that…he’s super fun! He keeps the party moving whether it’s rocking it out, or doing some slow dancing. Jeff is located in Lexington, Ky, but is available for travel!

Vendor Spotlight: The Bridal Suite of Louisville

Jen — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:08:34 +0000

This week on the blog, I am super excited to brag on some of the fabulous wedding professionals we’ve had the honor of meeting and working with! One of the amazing things about being a wedding photographer is meeting other people who love weddings as much as we do, and who are just as dedicated in helping make your day AMAZING as we are

Source: http://www.thebridalsuiteoflouisville.com/

So, first up…The Bridal Suite of Louisville! I actually came across this adorable bridal boutique when I was invited to go wedding dress shopping with a dear friend. It is located in the cutest colonial style house in historic Middletown (just barely south of Louisville).

They do have walk in hours…but do yourself a favor and schedule an appointment, you won’t regret it! Every single person in the shop absolutely blew me away with their dedication to customer service, and making the bride feel like she was special and making it a wonderful experience. One of my least favorite things about larger, chain bridal stores is that it’s super hard to get personalized service. That is definitely NOT the case here! My friend had a list of styles she liked and didn’t like, and they brought in a huge selection of dresses for her to try on. They had a room for all of us to be in, and helped her get into the dresses (goodness knows it would have taken one of us an hour to lace up some of those dresses ) They also have a huge selection of veils, shoes, and even bridesmaid dresses. I really can’t say enough about how focused they were on making it the perfect dress shopping experience!

And, bonus, downstairs from the shop is a super awesome cafe where you can go eat lunch with your bridesmaids after shopping! It’s not related…but two thumbs up to the food definitely

Later on this week we will be talking about some other bridal boutiques as well…so check back soon! We have a huge list of posts to come…including more vendor spotlights, full posts from our last three weddings, some community features, proposals, and more! Get excited!

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

(P.S. With all our Vendor Spotlights, we are not associated with nor do we get kickbacks of any sort for blogging about them. These are just some fabulous professionals that we are excited to share with our brides!)