The wedding is over. And it's time to write the thank you notes. It's not the most fun thing in the world to do. You want to be personable but they all start to sound the same after you've written a few. If guests can't attend and they send a gift prior to the wedding, you can go ahead and write their thank you card and send it out to get those out of the way. The suggested timeline to send a thank you cards is 2 weeks after you received the gift. For gifts received on or after the wedding, you have 3 months to write a thank you note. I will go over how to write thank you notes, what to write for certain types of gifts, how to address them, and a few other tips.
Who Gets a Thank You Card?
Purchase Thank You Cards Early
You may be able to get a discount if you order thank you cards when ordering your wedding invitations. Be sure to make several copies of the guest lists your parents and future in laws give you. Or you can use a website to keep track of guests and their addresses. On either your list or website keep track of what each guest gifts you. Be sure to get extra thank you cards in case of mess ups or for unexpected gifts. Use only blue or black ink and ink that will not smear or bleed. Also purchase the Forever stamps.
Saving Money
You can save money for opting out of getting the most fancy, over the top thank you cards. You can dress up plain cards or use a photo from your wedding day as a postcard. Your photographer may offer this as a product you can purchase. Don't forget the turn around time it will take for your photographer to get these. You could also make these yourself but be sure to get your photographers permission so you are not breaking your contract.
Who Writes Them and What to Write
Typically just one person writes them and mentions the other spouse. You can both sign the thank you card, but still only one person should write them. Don't think too hard about what to say. Don't make it harder than what it is. The wedding planning was the hard part and that is over. You don't have to be a great writer to write a thank you note. As long as it comes from the heart it will be appreciated. Thank them for the gift(state what they got you), why you appreciate it, and if you want, how it will be used. You will want to thank them for more than just gifts. If the guest drove a long distance, thank them for making the trip for your special day.
What to Write in Thank You Cards
Depending on how well you know the guest that gave you the gift will determine how you write your thank you card. Another factor is what you were gifted. If someone gave you money as a gift, you do not need to mention the amount that was gifted. You can use the word "generous" in place of the amount. So it would say, "thank you for the generous gift. We plan to put it towards the remodeling of our kitchen." If a group of people purchased a wedding gift such as employees at your work you will want to send each person an individual thank you card. If you don't know the person very well, address them in a formal manner. When writing a thank you card for someone who sent a gift but was was not able to attend the wedding thank them for the gift, mention why you appreciate it and add that you wish they could have attended and/or that you missed them.
How to Sign Off
How you sign off on your thank you card should reflect your relationship with the recipient. If it is family or close friends you can sign off with "love". For those you work with, don't know well, or friends that you aren't very close with you should use "sincerely". You can sign off with your first name on thank you cards for family or close friends. If it is someone you don't know well or business associates you should use your first and last name.
Additional Do's & Don'ts
Was there any special things you did to thank your guests? Are there any tips you would have for future couples that will be writing thank you cards?
1 Comment
I have always found wedding coordinators to have interesting jobs. I found the part they play of the wedding even more interesting once I photographed several weddings. As a wedding photographer I think it helps to learn about the other team players that it takes to have a successful wedding from the vendors point of view. While mentioning the job title, I would like to add that I have also heard them called wedding planners. After reading up on the lovely lady that I interviewed for this blog post, I found that on her site she calls herself a Wedding Day Management Specialist. Now while it is a mouthful it also sounds so much more intriguing AND is so much more fitting after learning about her career. So as a blogger I reached out to a few wedding coordinators to find out a little bit more in depth of what their job entails.
One of the Wedding Day Management Specialist I had the pleasure of learning about is Brandy Blackford of Sweet I Do's located in Suprise, Arizona. Here is her very eye opening interview!
KAP: What made you want to be a wedding planner?
BB: My venue. Short story, we got married there on a Friday and the Monday after I got a phone call from the venue coordinators telling me they had never had a wedding come together quite like mine. They said I needed to come up with a business name because they were going to start referring me. Two weeks later my business was born! KAP: What education, schooling, or skills are needed to become a Wedding Planner? BB: All the skills to run a business - marketing, accounting, English. It helps to have a degree in business and definitely shadow an existing planner before jumping in. KAP: What do you like about your job? BB: I love being around people that are in love, that want all their wedding dreams to come true. KAP: What do you dislike about your job? BB: This can be a very cut throat, unkind business. It isn't for the faint of heart. KAP: How do you charge for your services(flat fee, hourly fee, packages)? And if not too intrusive can you say what you charge? BB: I have packages that are customized to specific needs. They start at $750.00 and go up. KAP: What is most challenging about what you do? BB: Getting all the vendors and clients on the same page communication wise. KAP: Is there something that brides think you should do but it's not actually in your job title? BB: They think we should do it all, including being security. While I'll do a lot, I won't be a bouncer. KAP: What is a common misconception people have about what you do? BB: That we can just come in the day of with no prior prep and coordinate their wedding (day of coordination). KAP: Do you work with any other wedding vendors(as in package deals)? BB: I have pass through pricing that is sold by some venues under their name and they pay me directly versus the client. KAP: What is the most amount of money a couple has paid for their wedding? BB: Just under $80K. KAP: What is the largest number of guests a couple has invited? BB: 300 KAP: Have you ever kept a secret from the bride or groom on the day of the wedding? BB: Yes, almost every wedding has some secret that they don't know about that day. KAP: How can you tell when the couple is going to be difficult to work with and/or please? BB: In their initial communication. If they are either completely disinterested in communicating any details or if they have way to many details and their date is 12 months away they are probably not a great couple for me. KAP: What is one thing you wish people knew about you and your job? BB: That is isn't easy, that not everyone can do it and that just because you (or your friend, mom, aunt, etc) plan amazing parties, you probably still need a coordinator so you don't have to work on your wedding day. KAP: What is the worst experience you have had while doing your job(something going wrong, bride or couple walking out, a complete bridezilla, etc)? BB: I had a backyard wedding a few years ago. The weather indicated that it was more likely than not going to rain at some point during the wedding. It was like pulling teeth to get the couple to agree to a tent (and it ended up being dad making the call, couple was convinced it would be fine). Because it was a last minute addition, the entire wedding reception set up had to be adjusted on the fly. And the bride was unable to say no to anyone, so I had many "helpers" that really weren't helping. At one point one of the helpers moved some extremely expensive rental furniture to the very edge of the pool, after I had moved it away. We had some words, and there was a level of verbal abuse happening that caused me to go to the FOG and tell him my team and I would be leaving if it continued. He removed the "helpers" and my team and I managed to complete set up (redoing many many things) in the nick of time. Ceremony went off with only a few small hiccups. Cocktail hour was great. The reception started and so, so many people were complaining about their inability to see the couple. See the emergency weather and tent reset caused an "L" shaped reception space versus a rectangle. So half the guests couldn't see anything that was going on. Just as the first dance began, the sky's opened up and the rain came pouring down. My team and I are scattering trying to save all the rental furniture. The wind kicks up and because the tents were a last minute add, the gutters and sides weren't added (too much of an expense), so we are pulling tables and chairs out of the wind and water swept area and forcing people up under the very small covered patio. I'm squeezing water off the dance floor so people don't slip and fall. The DJ was in an area that needed to be pumped out and my extremely drunk guests were using the trash can the pump was in as an actual trash can, clogging the pump. So in my formal business clothes, my hair plastered to my head, my makeup running down my face I am grabbing handfuls of trash out of the can to unblock the pump so the DJ doesn't get electrocuted. The dad was amazed, the mom was mad that I didn't stay until everyone left (they refused to establish an actual end time, so I contracted until midnight). The bride and her mom actually trashed me to the DJ claiming that I was the worst money they had ever spent. This one wedding added so many clauses to my contract and caused me to raise my pricing for backyard weddings. Sweet I Do's is a wedding planning company located in Surprise, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix). They specialize in wedding day management (also known as day of coordination). They help you create an amazing, unique and totally "you" wedding that allows you to be in the moments making the memories, not worrying about the details. From contract review and timeline creation to day of management, set up and tear down, they are focused on ensuring their couples, their families and friends experience a stress and worry free night to remember.
Be sure to follow Brandy on her social media accounts!
Thank you Brandy for taking the time to answer my questions! I know I learned a little more about just what it is you do and that it's not always as fun as it may seem. Props to you for doing what you do!
As you can see this blog post is titled with, "Part 1" and now here is Part 2! If you haven't gotten a chance to read Part 1 of this blog post you can find it here: The Symbolism of Wedding Flowers Part 1.
Larkspur
Magnolia
Orchid
Peony
Rose
Ranunculus
Sunflower
Tulip
Zinnia
Hopefully you can use this blog post and part 1 to help choose your flowers based on the meaning.
A lot of brides plan some of their wedding details to make it personal, such as choosing songs that are special to the couple instead of playing the traditional songs, or wearing the veil that the brides Mother or Grandmother wore.
Another way to make your wedding personal is by choosing your wedding flowers and other flowers that you incorporate into your wedding based on what each flower means. Not everyone will know what the symbolism for the flowers mean but it might be a cool idea to put the information on the program.
Amaryllis
Anemone
Baby's Breath
Calla Lily
Carnation
Chrysanthemum
Gardenia
Daisy
Dahlia
Freesia
Iris
I will be doing a second part to this as there are so many flowers!!
Have a great day!
I personally have always loved quotes. It all started with MySpace. You could design your profile wall and put up what I believe they called stickers back in the MySpace days. These stickers said different things such as quotes or sayings. Now you see quotes and sayings all over Facebook. There are fan pages solely dedicated to quotes and sayings. They are wrote on some type of designed post. I titled this "My Fav Photography Quotes/Sayings" adding the slash(/) then the word sayings because they are technically two different things. Quotes are defined as something that is repeated such as a passage, phrase, etc. from a book, speech, or the like, as by way of authority, illustration, etc. Which in turn means it was said, wrote, etc. by someone with some type of authority, someone influential, or an expert in their field. A "saying" is defined as something said, especially a proverb or apothegm. And that pretty much means a popular phrase or remark.
So now that we've been over a small English lesson. And I totally apologize for that because I didn't mean for it to turn in to that but I wanted to clarify for everyone. Now on to some of my favorite quotes and sayings! There are some that are funny, inspirational, and some sayings that are down right smart ass remarks! Most of my favorite ones are the funny or satire ones. Mainly because I get a kick out of them and I can totally relate to a lot of them. You can find a lot of the humorous ones on a poster on a website call The Shoppe Designs. They also have presets, actions, templates, and lots more!
It's true! I don't know how many different families pictures I have! Sadly they surpass the amount of photos I have of my own family...but it's close!
I love this because it is so true! It is easier to convey a message through a picture versus words.
Umm.....no is right because simply put, it's illegal. There is a reason that photos on Facebook and contracts state, "do not alter image in anyway".
I wouldn't ask you to do your job and not get paid, right? Well then don't ask me. ?
I have done this about a handful of times and the reason being my screen seems to always be dirty no matter how much I clean it!
Again, so true! It's crazy how much life is like a camera! It's something to definitely live by.
The only reason I eat first which is when the bride and groom eat is so that I can be done eating and have that out of the way by the time they are done and back up mingling with guests or moving on to the cake.
There are no two photographers the exact same. You can only compare your photography to what you have previously done because you should always be striving to better yourself.
This is why I highly recommend getting family photos taken often. No matter how much someone may change, the picture of them never will.
This is at the top of my, "That is the worst!" list. If you add bridesmaids and family members that are part of the wedding it gets really bad!
I see too much of this out in public let alone at a senior session. If you are junior or senior in high school there is NO reason you should be dressing like a 21 year old!
I had to end the blog with this one! ? People! Leave your phones and tablets in your pocket or your purse or we may be talking about YOU or better yet you may find your picture online as an example of a guest no photographer likes! ?
I usually blog about photography related topics or sessions I have done, but I had to blog about our family vacation to St. Louis since it was our first real vacation as a family! And of course I had my camera with me so I had to post some pictures from the trip! So I guess this is photography related, ? .
So as I said earlier, we had our first official family vacation over the weekend! My fiance, Josh and our 12 year old son, Ian all had a great weekend! We went to St. Louis, Missouri. We left for St. Louis at about 10 on Saturday morning. Our first stop of all places was Wal-Mart. I know, I know...we started our trip out with a BANG! I personally HAVE to have Mt. Dew! The other two drink it too so there's that...?. Our first official vacation stop was the St. Louis Zoo. Neither myself, nor my son has ever been to the zoo. Heck, I've never been to St. Louis at all! He is 12 and I'm 32 so yes I know it's kind of sad! Unfortunately the goats weren't available and they have become one of my favorite animals. I think it's because of all the adorable goat videos on Facebook!
You know you are in the right place when you see this!
This huge polar bear had his own snow!
A beautiful underwater view.
I think they were sleeping...maybe even hiding.
Loved the giraffe's!
Seeing a rhino in person...wow!!
After spending a few hours at the zoo we went and checked into our hotel room. Our 12 year old son wanted to rest at the hotel but that didn't last long because well...he's 12, he doesn't need to rest, ?! And we had stuff to do! Our next stop was the Gateway Arch or rather what most people call it, The Arch. We didn't go up in the Arch due to not having enough time. Again, my son and I had never been so just going and seeing it was really cool. Next time we go to the Arch, we plan to go up in it. It was about time for supper at this point and The Old Spaghetti Factory was pretty close so we ate there. You guys are going to think I never go anywhere or do anything but I have never been to The Old Spaghetti Factory either. I did actually live a pretty sheltered life, lol. It was probably the best spaghetti I've ever had! That restaurant was absolutely beautiful! I wish I would have taken my camera in with me but the place was packed so it probably would have been a little rude to be taking pictures while people were eating, but it definitely crossed my mind!
Me and my son in front of the Arch.
Me and my fiance at the bottom of the Arch.
My son in front of the Gateway Arch.
After eating supper it was time to go back to the hotel for the night. Bedtime came pretty quick! The trip is a 2 hour and 45 minute drive, then we walked around the zoo for a good part of the day, then went to the Arch so we were pretty wore out.
The next morning we got up at about 8am, went to the hotel lobby and ate breakfast. After we had breakfast we packed up our stuff, then packed it in the car and we were off again! The day would be spent at the St. Louis City Museum. My fiance and I had heard a lot of good things about the museum so we were excited even as adults! Of course the night before our son looked it up on YouTube so he knew what to look forward to. He was pretty excited after seeing what it was all about. We got to the museum 45 minutes early which was fine because there was so much to see outside. And of course, one of my favorite things to do, take LOTS of pictures. Keep in mind that this was even before going in. I probably took the most pictures at the museum and could have taken more! I do have to say I am glad I took my camera but it was really hard to do everything there is to do with a DSLR camera around your neck. I made the mistake of wearing flip flops. You definitely need to wear tennis shoes to do everything at the museum. The bad part is I read you should wear tennis shoes and it totally skipped my mind. Regardless we all still had lots of fun and all agreed that we want to go back. The only thing that I was disappointed about was that the roof of the museum was closed.
Very cool view of part of the outside of the City Museum in St. Louis.
One of the castles you can go into and climb to the top.
The bus that "hangs" off the edge of the building roof. And yes, you can get in it!
One of the planes you can play and explore in.
MonstroCity, a interactive sculpture and playground.
Awesome staircase leading up to the 2nd floor.
MonstroCity, where there are two planes suspended in the air that you crawl through wrought-iron slinky tunnels and visit the cockpits or stand on the wing!
The ceiling of one of the "Enchanted Caves".
The tiny train table.
Beautiful area on the first floor. There is continuous mosaic piece covering the floor and making their way up the columns.
Another cool place to explore.
Inside the endless "Enchanted Caves" you can explore.
A small section of the many spindles painted by kids along the staircase.
Fiberglass hanging from the ceiling that was donated by Boeing. It's the same stuff you wrap around the outside of an airplane.
Have you been to St. Louis? Are there any places that we need to go to next time we go to St. Louis? Or have you been to the places I mentioned? If so, what did you love and not so much love?
Below are the links for the places we went to in case you want to plan your own trip! Facebook Pages: St. Louis City Museum St. Louis Zoo Gateway Arch Websites: St. Louis Zoo Gateway Arch St. Louis City Museum
Have you ever had a client that was just fine talking to them a few minutes before their photography session and then when it is time to take pictures they tense up and their smile is not genuine? There are some people that are just naturally awkward in front of the camera and don't know what to do. Unless they are a professional model they aren't going to know what to do. There are ways to help your clients feel more comfortable and at ease when it comes time for them to get in front of the camera. Helping them feel at ease and comfortable starts before you meet for their session. I'll go over some tips to help your clients. I'll even go over some tips to help us as photographers.
Before The Session
After they have booked a session I will talk with them a bit. A few weeks before their session communicate with them through email. If you want to be more personal text them or message them on Facebook messenger. Ask them which they prefer or try a way you prefer to communicate and see which way they go with. I personally will communicate with them through Facebook messenger. I will talk to them about what they are wanting or what they are envisioning. Not only will I talk to them about things that are related to their session but I will talk to them about what they do for work, their kids, just normal everyday things that friends would talk about. I want to be personable with them. I will also typically send them a questionnaire with questions that help me get to know them better. It also has questions related to their session.
|
AuthorMom, Fiancee', & Photographer. Archives
September 2018
Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved
|