We all know that while planning a wedding, some things are easier than others, and some parts are just more fun than others. Well, one of the fun parts (for Nicole and Chris anyway) was finding the band. These two are seriously into music. Chris works as a DJ, so he knows his stuff when it comes to the entertainment. We all just knew that this would be a big decision for them.

I sat down with Nicole and Chris recently to chat about what they were looking for in terms of music, and what their dream entertainment would be. Somewhat surprisingly, givin Chris’ DJ background, these two, as Chris told me, “always knew from day one that we wanted to have a band. That was important to us. And have a DJ in between. We just think that with live music, people get more involved, more excited.” I totally agree. While a good DJ can really keep a party going and play any song you could ever imagine, there’s something about a band (especially a really good band) that can bring your party to the next level.

As Nicole puts it: “The two biggest things for us have always been the music and the food. We just want people to enjoy themselves, have a good time! That’s our top priority just to see everyone having the best time. Whatever it takes to make that happen.”

Well. I can assure them, people will enjoy themselves. Everyone will have a good time. I love the decision they made on the band. They chose Night Shift!!

Let me tell you. These guys are seriously good. Like, OMG I can’t believe they play weddings kind of good. They are so charismatic and have such a good time doing what they do that it’s infectious and every single one of your guests will love them – from your grandmother to your best friend from college – everyone will be impressed. I love when clients work with Night Shift (for selfish reasons) because it just makes the night that much more fun…. even for me, and I’m at work during weddings!

So, excellent choice, Nicole and Chris. Now I’m REALLLLLY excited for your wedding!

Brides – check out Night Shift’s website for lots of photos, video of the band in action and more!

XO

The Blogging the Bride Team (so far):

Nicole, Chris and I sat down recently to talk decor. As it is for most people, this is always my favorite part. I mean, the decor for their wedding is really what girls dream about… colors, details, flowers, it’s all fun.

We talked a lot about colors, overall vibe of the day and key elements that are musts for the two of them when it comes to the design of their wedding day. We poured over lots of photos, talked about how to work with the design of their venue, The InterContinental Boston, and how to transform Nicole and Chris’ every day style into their wedding day style. This is what we ended up with:

Nicole and Chris are a traditional couple with a modern flair. They want drama, but nothing “too crazy”, rather, they aim for simple and classy. Their venue is modern, and they’d like to stick to that vibe without creating a room that is too streamlined and stark. They want a little bit of romance! They definitely want their dancefloor to be a highlight of the room, and would love to see a room filled with candles and a little bit of sparkle. The colors are still a bit up in the air, but platinum and silver will definitely be incorporated somehow.

My next step is to show them a few ideas, which is where you come in, dear readers! The way I see it, there are a few different ways we can tweak Nicole and Chris’ vision to create something spectacular, and I would adore your input!

Option One: We could create something modern and simple that is softened and warmed with natural accents. We will bring the outside into their ballroom using elements such as natural wood and feathers, but still keep everything a little glimmery and sparkly using lots of candlelight, crystals and pops of silver. The overall palette will read as silver and platinum, but mixed with hints of pale pink and soft purple:

Option Two: We could bring up the drama with lots of added sparkle, and a little more modern feel overall. This option is very chic and stylish, very dramatic. Lighting and other non-floral decor elements paly a huge role in this decor option. The vibe is a bit more streamlined, a bit less soft. The palette is heavier on the platinum tones, contrasted with bright whites. I’d love to see lots of lucite and mirror elements in this room.

Option Three: A halfway point between the first two options, this option would be very modern, but with traditional, romatic elements mixed in. We would still incorporate lots of sparkle, and soften it with lots of candle light, and other soft ambient lighting and natural elements for contrast. The floral arrangements would be a bit loose and natural in this look, but would be created using chic, modern options such as orchids and calla lillies.

What do you think? Vote below to help Nicole and Chris make their decision!!

Stay tuned for next week’s episode… Finding the Dress!

The Blogging the Bride team (so far):

Today, to kick things off, I thought we should get to know Nicole & Chris a little bit better. Instead of me telling you about them and their wedding plans we decided it would be better if they tell their story themselves! Click to watch below, as Nicole and Chris tell us about how they met, and their super cute engagement story:

Blogging The Bride: How They Met / How They Got Engaged from Boston Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Don’t you love that story? You can hear me in the background telling them that I sure do! Now that we’ve gotten to know the Bride and Groom a little bit, lets get down to business: The Wedding Plans.

So far, Nicole & Chris have made a couple of big decisions:

1. The wedding date – Friday, September 17 – yes, it’s going to be on a Friday, people! And it’s going to be fabulous! Not only will they be able to spend the entire weekend celebrating with their friends and family, but they will likely be able to negotiate fantastic deals with their venue and some of their vendors. Doesn’t get better than that!

2. Their cinematographers – yes, that little masterpiece above was put together by none other than Our Favorite, Boston Wedding Films! We will be working with Jason and Jim the entire way through the planning process, capturing all the key moments on film.

3. Their photographers – Our Favorite, Person + Killian!!!! Lauren and Jill will be following along with us as well! Love.

4. Their venue – but I’m not telling yet! You’ll have to tune in in a few weeks for the big reveal.

I’m so excited by all the choices that these two have made so far – love Friday weddings (I mean, seriously love, so much that my own wedding will be on a Friday. Let’s start a Friday wedding revolution people!), and couldn’t possibly love their vendor choices any more.

At this point, you’re probably wondering how this all came together – how did these two decide to have their wedding planning process blogged about for the world to see? Well, lets be honest, I kinda talked them into it. When Nicole and Chris were first engaged, Nicole found my blog, and contacted me for some advice on hiring their vendors (which I LOVED… everyone should do that! I love to promote the vendors I work with!). Once we got to chatting, this idea formed to share how a regular Boston bride plans her wedding! I mean, it’s nice to have someone to commiserate with, right? Always! There are so many emotions that pop up throughout the planning process… emotions that non-brides just can’t relate to. Well, Nicole and Chris are going through it, just like you.

I just can’t tell you enough how excited I am for this project, and I hope you are too! Let’s hear it brides – where are you in the planning process? Are you just at the beginning of your plans like Nicole and Chris? Do you have advice for these two?

Before we sign off for today, here’s a little peek behind the scenes of our video shoot:

Be sure to tune in next week when we talk budget. We’ll have lots of great insight on how to go about setting your own budget, and even some helpful worksheets from my ladies at Tangorra Wedding Planning!

XO

BTB Team (so far):

Nancy & Anand May 9th 2009 Cambridge MA from Boston Wedding Films on Vimeo.

LOVE!

XO

Their wonderful photographer, Amanda Ambrose was there to capture every moment, while our Megan from Tangorra Wedding Planning was on hand to make sure BOTH ceremonies went off without a hitch!

Come back in just a bit to see their amazing wedding film by none other than Our Favorite, Boston Wedding Films!

XO

Elina & Alex-New Rochelle NY from Boston Wedding Films on Vimeo.

The thing I really like about this film is it really exemplifies the idea that the soundtrack that you or your cinematographer choose for your review can set the tone for the film, and aid in the editing and final outcome.

Jason and his team are just so talented, not only when it comes to the fiming, and participating in wedding day, but also in the editing which is so important. I was at a wedding once with Jason and overheard him having a quick chat with the bride. He said that he was so excited about the song that they chose for the film, he had been listening to it the whole morning of wedding day – he was actually editing the film in his mind to fit with their song as he was filming the day. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

XO

The key to pulling off this gorgeous event was a team of truly talented vendors, I mean, the best of the best. Many of Our Favorite Vendors were involved in this wedding – Eric Barry Photography, Boston Wedding Films, Spruce Floral, Tangorra Wedding Planning - the entire vendor list is below, it’s a good one!

XO

Photography: Eric Barry Photography
Ceremony: South Church
Reception Venue: Wentworth by the Sea Resort
Flowers: Spruce Floral
Planner: Tangorra Wedding Planning
Cinematography: Boston Wedding Films
Lighting: Suzanne B. Lowell Lighting Design
Entertainment: Peter Diozzi for Groove Entertainment
Linens: Table Toppers
Stationary: Invitations & Company
Hair & Makeup: Luz Beauty
Favors: Maine-ly New Hampshire
Transportation: MBT Worldwide

Boston Hearts Weddings: What are important things you want brides to know about you & your company?
Boston Wedding Films: First of all that your wedding matters to us. We treat it as if it was ours. Seems so basic but not enough people stop to recognize that it is an incredible privilege and honor to play a role in something as wonderful as a wedding. Every wedding we film is a reminder of what is important in life-a sort of renewal/ recommitment to the values that sometimes get lost in the day to day moments of life (to really understand the heart of our company checkout our first blog post to see how this all began). Our expectations for what we do are high and should be. We want you to relive your wedding every time you sit down to enjoy it. Our philosophy is simple – the fit is everything – the work is secondary. I always find it interesting that many of our clients come to our studio expecting to see more of our work before we can even take their coats for them. When I ask why the typical response is, “that is what we thought we were here to do.” First we actually spend a good hour just getting to know each other and making sure we understand them and what is important to them. It is all about our clients. After questions have been answered we then share more of our portfolio. Oddly enough that is usually no more than 10 minutes of our meeting. We believe it is all the time vested in our relationships that enables us to tell our client’s stories with the same compassion they have for their wedding day. Our clients need to leave our studio loving their experience-feeling like they can’t imagine hiring anyone else. If not, we want them to keep looking and will help them in anyway we can.

Jim & Kelley August 22nd 2009-A Boston Wedding Films Review from Boston Wedding Films on Vimeo.

BHW: How would you describe your style?
BWF:Artistically & Emotionally Creative-So what does that mean… in simple words something that you will want to watch over and over again. We capture the emotional sprit of your day by making sure that everyone around us is comfortable. We do this by understanding your expectations, with an awareness of the story unfolding during your wedding day. There is an art to making a great film, but there is also the personality and compassion your filmmaker brings to their art.

BHW: What is your favorite venue to work at? Why?
BWF: Now you are going to get us in trouble. We have had the pleasure of filming at some wonderful locations in the city including: The Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston Public Library, The Fairmont Copley Plaza, The Four Seasons, The Intercontinental, TAJ & Ritz and tents on the water. What makes a venue amazing to film comes back to the couple and the heart soul, and sprit of their wedding not the walls that surround them.

BHW: Do you have any tips for brides who are currently researching/ working on hiring a vendor in your field? Things you wish brides knew before coming to meet with you?
BWF: Take choosing your film studio seriously-treat it as if it is equally as important as the highest priority item on your list. When the votives melt and the flowers turn a wedding film is the greatest investment you can make to preserve your wedding. For many brides-video is a nice to have but not as important as the flowers, photographer, dress, band or even cake. Our feeling is just the opposite. It is a must have and not because it is what we offer-we offer it because it is what we believe.

BHW: When do clients usually come to you in the planning process?
BWF: Our clients either book us first or last but rarely in the middle.
BHW: Why do you think that is the case?
BWF: The ones who book us a year to two in advance are typically a relative, good friend of a former client or though our wedding planners. As for the ones who book later it isn’t because money magically appeared in their budget-it is because someone or something changed the value they placed on video. Your wedding will be a blur. A great film will give you the opportunity to see it for the first time and relive your wedding and again and again. We let our clients know that while it is all about you it isn’t just for you. It is for future generations as well. If I could only get my hands on my parent’s or grandparent’s wedding film it would be priceless.

BHW: What do you love most about your job/working in the wedding industry?
BWF: We get to work with passionate and creative people who love what they do.

BHW: What is your favorite part of a wedding day?
BWF: Looking into our groom’s eyes watching the anticipation just before and when he finally sees his bride for the first time (it gets them every time-no matter how strong some of these guys think they are).

BHW: Any stories to share about your job?
BWF: Wow there are so many… I think we will just leave them for the “Out Take Chapters on our DVDs….

Thank you Jason!! To see many more examples of the gorgeous work Jason and his team at Boston Wedding Films does, visit their website and blog.

XO

We’re headed out early this week to spend time with the family! Before we go, I just had to share a few little snippets of winter wedding inspiration from around the web…

Chic winter decor from a group of fabulous designers on Snippet & Ink

LOVING this bride’s winter style!

Of course, there was this winter wedding at the Four Seasons that we posted a few weeks ago.

Sparkly, wintry wedding inspiration on the Elizabeth Anne Designs blog!

And last, but surely not least, not one, not two, but THREE of Our Favorite Vendors were featured on Style Me Pretty yesterday in this A-mazing video from none other than Boston Wedding Films! This wedding, though it took place in August, has lots of deep, rich, opulent tones, perfect for winter weddings! Vist the feature on Style Me Pretty for all the behind the scenes detail and to see who was involved in pulling off this gorgeous wedding, or watch the video right here!

Jim & Kelley August 22nd 2009-A Boston Wedding Film Review from Jason Falchuk on Vimeo.

For even more winter wedding & decor inspiration, be sure to visit the Style Me Pretty main page today! Tons of gorgeousness!!!

Okay, and now we’re off!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

XOBHW

I have watched this film by Our Favorite Vendor Jason at Boston Wedding Films probably twenty times now, and every time I get a little teary, which is saying a lot since I watch a TON of wedding films. Jin and Peter are just the perfect match for eachother and I think Jason captured that feeling perfectly.

Jin & Peter-A Boston Wedding Film Review from Jason Falchuk on Vimeo.

You can see another one of Jason’s perfectly amazing wedding films here or visit his website for lots and lots of eye candy!

XOBHW