< PreviousLincolnshire Today Wedding Guide PHOTOGRAPHY 50 Absolutely the first thing to do when considering the photography for your wedding is to put out of your mind the idea anyone can do it. Yes, almost everyone now has a camera in their phone and they’ll doubtless be snapping away during the ceremony – but you’ll still need someone you can rely on to get all the important shots and to get them right. Even if you know one of your guests is pretty useful with a camera you’re well advised to get in a professional photographer. Your guest’s main role in the proceedings is to be a guest and you don’t want an important moment to be missed while they’re at the bar – and similarly it doesn’t seem very fair on a guest to ask them to work all day. Even if they don’t mind doing it, wedding photography is a totally different discipline to other aspects of photography and they may be totally unaware of what they’re expected to shoot and how to do it. Professional photographers have vast experience in shooting weddings so know exactly how to get the best shots with the minimum of fuss. The best have that fantastic skill of always being in exactly the right place at the right time, then disappearing when they’re not required. The chances of guests having their view obscured by a lighting rig, or having to keep a rictus grin up for about half an hour during a never-ending photo session, are greatly reduced. These days there are few limits on how many photos can be taken, and there’s no need to wait until the film’s developed to see the results, so the chances of duff photos ending up in your album are greatly reduced. The album is certainly no longer the only record of the event, but if the other option is a thousand similar photos on an easy-to-lose memory stick, the appeal of a definitive, lavishly produced document remains. Using a professional photographer doesn’t mean all your guests won’t have the opportunity to take their own shots and it’s certain some of them will be absolutely fantastic. Ensuring you have a dedicated professional on hand, though, means nothing is left to chance. Photographs are more important than ever in today’s online world, which is why it can be tempting – but not always a good idea – to leave it to a smartphone. Media me 50-51.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 09:56 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net PHOTOGRAPHY 51 © Shutterstock / Kostyazar 50-51.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 09:56 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide VIDEOGRAPHY 52 As with the photos, the wedding video is not something you should leave in the hands of one of the guests just because the technology’s available. Your brother-in-law may have got a few hits on YouTube but it certainly doesn’t make him the next Steven Spielberg! Similarly, while iPhone footage will suffice in the short term, there are some things a professional videographer is capable of, that any random person just isn’t. That is, unless they know all about composition, pacing, editing and lighting. Professional videographers now have the latest technology available which means they can create something extra special. They’ve also got the skill and experience to know where and when they should be filming, making sure they capture everything you want to record Movie magic! Why only have still memories saved forever when an entire show can be made of your special day? and nothing you don’t. There’s no danger of the ceremony being halted for retakes! Nowadays it’s also easy to edit it into something special. While you may be thrilled to watch the entire ceremony again and again, you could also create a director’s cut of assorted highlights which may be a bit more palatable for some of the guests. You can obviously divert wildly from the norm but don’t forget that some potential guests who weren’t able to attend may be looking forward to seeing the event and may be less impressed if the big moments are reduced to brief vignettes. There’s nothing to stop other guests making their own videos of the day, and it’s likely some of these alternative portraits will be highly entertaining viewing. But you’ll want to make sure you have an official record as well. 52-53.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 09:57 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net VIDEOGRAPHY 53 © Shutterstock / lapandr 52-53.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 09:57 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide 54 © Shutterstock / Victoria43 RSVP There’s a certain pleasure in the formalities, even the invitations, gifts and stationery available at the tables. It’s all part of the charm. STATIONERY 54-55.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 09:59 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net STATIONERY 55 With social media, mobile phones and emails, it’s easier than ever to get in touch your friends or arrange an event, which may lead to question as to whether it’s even necessary to send out formal invites anymore. Yet the joy of marriage lies in the formalities and the traditions, and the excitement of sending and receiving invitations remains a vital part of the build-up. The invitation isn’t only there to provide the bare facts, either. It’s the first physical manifestation of the day and it can give across the style and the theme of the celebrations. Usually the style you use for the invitations will also be repeated across the rest of the stationery – the seating plans, the menus, the guests’ place names, and so on – and the design you choose will subtly give across the feel of the event. Most of us now have the facilities at home to produce something that looks pretty decent but it’s still highly recommended that you make use of professional stationers. This doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to add your own personal stamp but it’s much more likely that mistakes will be avoided. Often it’s down to a fresh pair of eyes to spot any typos or any vital information you may have left out – you may have spent so long planning the event you know the address of the venue off by heart, but remember not all your guests will. In addition specialist design companies will be able to advise you on what should be included on the invitations, and what information should be given across. Although you don’t have to follow this to the letter there are traditional forms of wording most couples adhere to. They’ll also be able to tell you where and how to feature any other information such as the dress code and details of the menu, to avoid confusion on the day itself. However many still feel that sending the wedding list with the invitation is a step too far and can be read as almost requiring a gift. In this case, simply suggesting a list is available is a safe bet. When should you send the invitations? If you send them too close to the event, people may already have made plans, while too far in advance and people may even – shock! – forget. Around two or three months before is about right, though if you’re getting married at the height of summer or on a weekday, you may want to send out “save the date” cards to give your guests extra notice to ensure they’re available. It’s certainly worthwhile getting more invites than there are planned guests, so if more space becomes available through people being unable to attend, you can invite those you didn’t previously have room for, while it’s also worth sending a few invites to those you know probably can’t attend – maybe through illness or if they live a huge distance away – to make them feel part of the event and let them know you’re thinking of them. The invitations can help get the wedding celebrations off to a fantastic start, and sending them can be as much fun as the day itself – so make the most of this special moment. 9 Clifton Street, Stonefield Park Industrial Estate, Lincoln, LN5 8LQ tel: 01522 546118 email: sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk TABLE PLANS / INVITATIONS / RSVP CARDS SAVE THE DATE CARDS / ORDER OF SERVICE TABLE NAME CARDS / PLACE NAME CARDS LOGOS AND BRANDING / STATIONARY BUSINESS CARDS / NEWSLETTERS LEAFLETS / FLYERS / BROCHURES POSTCARDS / ROLLER BANNERS VINYL BANNERS / POSTERS / PLAN PRINTING Printing / Copying Graphic Design Celebrating 40 years in business 54-55.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 09:59 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide ACCOMMODATION 56 Rest for the weary We all know what a fantastic venue Lincolnshire is, but for those unfortunate enough not to live in the county, you may need some extra persuasion to ensure all those who you’d like to attend make the journey. Offering up a few pointers to your guests about potential places to stay can help them make more of a special occasion of the event and also perhaps help convince them to attend. The idea is not to turn the wedding into a sideshow, shoehorned into a bustling itinerary, but to appreciate that for many it can be a long journey to the venue and – as magical as the ceremony will undoubtedly be – that can sometimes prove too great an expense. If a lot of your guests are coming from further afield it may well be worth contacting accommodation providers to see if they’re able to offer discounts or special deals for large groups. It’s obviously up to your guests as to whether they want to follow your suggestions but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to offer some advice if they’re unfamiliar with the area and don’t fancy searching for accommodation themselves. Considering how far people may have to travel nowadays, having accommodation close by for friends and family can help save time and stress. 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 10:00 Page 1www.lincolnshiretoday.net ACCOMMODATION 57 © Shutterstock / Oleksandr Yakoniuk A growing number of couples are also looking to make their weddings as sustainable as possible and choosing the accommodation is a valuable way to ensure you meet any targets you may have set. Choosing venues that have been commended by the Green Tourism Business Scheme, the leading sustainable tourism certification scheme in the UK, will mean that they meet the very highest standards. Of course, while you’re using local venues you’re also doing your bit to stimulate the local economy. In recent years there has been a massive improvement of the overall quality of accommodation on offer, and the standards you’d once have expected only in the very finest and most expensive of establishments is commonplace. Of course, we’re spoilt in Lincolnshire with a host of fabulous attractions and you could certainly tell your guests about some of the other places they could visit too if they’re intending to make a weekend of it. Wherever they stay in the county, however, they certainly won’t be disappointed by what’s on offer. 56-57.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 10:00 Page 2Lincolnshire Today Wedding Guide LEGALITIES 58 Dotting the i’s It’s possibly the least exciting part of a wedding, but still the most important. Don’t take anything for granted when it comes to ensuring everything goes off without a hitch. 58-59.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 10:01 Page 1© Shutterstock / Maria Avvakumova www.lincolnshiretoday.net LEGALITIES 59 Amid all the romance of the wedding, you can sometimes forget that the main purpose of the event is a legal ceremony. What goes on a piece of paper won’t make any difference to your relationship, but making sure you keep on top of everything will ensure the first few days of married life will run as smoothly as possible. A bride taking their husband’s name is an age-old tradition and once you’ve signed the marriage certificate, it will be assumed that’ll be the case. You can show your certificate to all the official bodies and your records will be updated. The one exception is the passport office. As you’re likely to be travelling immediately after the wedding, you’re able to apply for a passport up to three months before you get married. The new passport will be post-dated – so you can’t use it before the ceremony – but it will certainly save a lot of hassle if all your travel documents feature the same name. If you’re using a new double-barrelled name it’s a bit more complicated because it’s treated the same as any formal name change and you’ll have to apply for a deed poll. Despite what the groom may fear, the bride remains the same person after the wedding – but it’s important to make sure everything’s above board in the eyes of the law. 58-59.qxp_Layout 1 27/01/2020 10:01 Page 2Next >