Category Archives: Wedding Coordinator Diaries

Wedding Coordinator Diaries: Directing Tahnee and Paul’s Pre Nuptial Photo Shoot

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Yesterday was a very fun (and tiring!) day for my career as a wedding coordinator. We shot Tahnee and Paul’s pre nuptial photos with our event photographer DJ Tadena. Makeup pro Melody did Tahnee’s make up and I did the creative direction. That was our first pre nuptial photo shoot; although Melody and I have already supervised and conceptualized for couple shoots before. For this project, we weren’t able to book the wedding coordination because they signed with another contractor already. However, we booked their photo and video coverage, both on-site and pre-nup.

Let me just say this: the pre nuptial photo shoot WAS VERY EXHAUSTING (physically) but it gave a different high! I spend a few days thinking over concepts and poses for the couples and I even had to change some concepts during the last-minute because the environment did not cooperate, props weren’t complete, et cetera. (Well, stress also flooded when I shopped for props, too.) When the actual shoot started, I had to force myself to be cheerful ALL THE TIME so the couple can relate to the emotion that the photo needed to exude. At the same time, I had to PA for our photographer (hold the light this way, fix the model’s hair, etc.) because we didn’t want too  many people in the shoot.

We shot at an abandoned building and then moved to Waterfront Hotel (Davao city) for garden pictures. And then, IT RAINED. Wouldja believe that? It fuckin’ rained. I was AGAIN FORCED to disregard all the garden concepts and then just do indoor shots in their cafe. Had to think of concepts and poses on-the-spot and maintain composure so my clients won’t get turned off. Thankfully, Athena (the goddess of wisdom) was on my side, and our photographer and makeup artist contributed as well. Whew. Kinda needed Tequila shots to pull that off. But with partners like DJ and Melody, who needs Tequila? (Actually, we all do, LOL.)

A little background about our couple:

They are both civil engineers and the motif of their wedding revolves around the nature of their work. This is why they wanted to shoot in an unfinished building and they also wanted to emphasize their profession through the pre nup photos. They are both very approachable and easy to work with…sometimes our groom-to-be Paul is a little too shy to work with the concepts. :-)

Here are teaser pictures from our pre nuptial shoot with Paul and Tahnee:

(raw images from photographer DJ Tadena)



For couples who are planning to get married soon and are thinking of having a pre nuptial photo shoot, you may email me your inquiries via karlastefansingson@gmail.com. I can also give you awesome photo and video coverage packages (plus freebies, because you’re a Bitch Varsity fan, or you’re from Davao!) You’d be surprised how affordable our packages are! :-)

Wedding Coordinator Diaries: Smart Spending for the Season of Weddings

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I can’t be more excited about June. My partner is about to celebrate THE birthday, half of the year is ending (and I just feel like the months are going to pour faster), the rainy season is coming (dvd and tea nights), the school year is going to start (and perhaps a teaching career) and most of all, I’m booked for a couple of weddings and anniversary surprises this month.

A lot of people my age are attending weddings here and there and mind you, it’s very costly. If you are one of those people who are booked for the month’s weddings too, you will find yourself spending for dresses,  the accessories, the parties (bridal shower, stag party, wedding practices), the wedding gifts and communication! I won’t be surprised if a lot of people my age—the 20-30 bracket–would complain about all the spending.

So since I’ve been in the wedding  coordination and events industry for more than 3 years already, here are my tips on smart spending at this season of weddings:

Gift-Giving

If you are attending a shower and then a wedding, then you will have two gifts to think about  (and spend for) in the name of… only one wedding. You can pick a cheaper item for the shower; anyway, they are mostly token-like only. However, for the wedding, your gift has to be, traditionally, something that the couple can use. So here’s one thrift-lovin’ quotation: it’s the thought that counts. You can have a memento album or an AVP for the couple, something they can look back on when they’re old. Or maybe a good looking blanket with a love poem etched on the inside.  (Creativity is the key here.) For the shower, you can also find trinkets in flea shops, chic thrifted personal furniture (jewelry box, underwear drawer) or get her the latest wedding magazine.

(I didn’t bother giving advice about the Stag party gift-giving. For sure the boys won’t be that excited about the gift giving. Unless the gift dances. You know what I mean.)

What to Wear

Stock up on the basic formal wear. The truth is, you can do a lot of things with a simple white, gray, beige, black or brown dress. You can mix and match it with purses, brooches, hair styles, jewelry and other accessories to immediately match the theme of the party you’re attending. Same goes for footwear. Invest on the basics and you can play with the look for longer.

Getting Around

If you have been invited to a wedding miles away and the couple won’t be able to shoulder the air fare, be sure that you book early so that you can save as much as you can. Also, try to lessen your baggage, scour for promos and try to book with friends so the travel agency will give you a bulk discount.

For your communication expenses, try to coordinate with the team (entourage, perhaps?) using email majorly. You can have an email group where you can talk like in the forums, or just launch a mini website where you can post the updates of the wedding. Facebook groups are great too. No, scratch that. They’re not great. They’re MAGICAL. Haha! (As a wedding coordinator, I personally use this to coordinate with my service providers when I’m doing Full Wedding Planning.) Save the cellphone load for the more meticulous and urgent parts.

During the day of the wedding itself, try to hitch with a friend who has a car, or borrow from someone. It’s really a hassle to still be commuting from time to time, especially when you’re part of the entourage and you’ll be traveling from the prep site to the church to the reception.

 

Those are some of the top tips for the spender during this season. Also, for the creative people out there, don’t forget that this season is also a season for earning, not just spending! Try to learn how to do basic wedding stuff like event coordination, souvenir crafting, layouting and floral arrangement. If the idea of working in this industry sounds good to you, then you might have a future in it! Start observing early as you go through a series of weddings this June.

Got comments, suggestions, reactions or wedding coordination bookings? You may email me at karlastefansingson@gmail.com. I’ll get back to you ASAP! (Yes, even when I’m still in my cream dress and high heels.)

 

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BTW, here’s my wedding coordination site: MK Events and PR. We do awesome awesome awesome wedding planning and coordination. :-)