Witness "LOVE...IN MOTION"! New Video Feature on LVWeddingConcierge.com

Kelly & Andy photographed by: Billy Johnson, Advanced Photography

I invite you to visit www.LVWeddingConcierge.com for the launch of the new video feature on my enhanced website...

"LOVE...IN MOTION".

And that is what this truly is and is intended to be; a showcase to highlight all the emotion and fun and memorable "live" moments on film of the weddings I have had the pleasure to be part of captured and produced by the most talented & creative artists of wedding videography & cinematograpy I have the distinct pleasure of collaborating with.

I can't stress enough how important it is to make room in your wedding budget for wedding videography in addition to photography. It is my hope and intention that this feature on my site will inspire you to consider including this important element on your wedding day!

To have this living documentation of your wedding day; to see and hear the sights and sounds that transport you back to that moment in time as only a creative video artist can bring to life is worth every dollar of the investment you will make when you work with a true professional.

Two wonderful people, Kelly & Andy, who were married at Cili Restaurant at Bali Hai Golf Club in 2006 are the couple whose incredibly memorable wedding I have chosen to launch "LOVE...IN MOTION". The wedding was filmed by the talented Christopher Justus of Document Event Videography.

Thank you for allowing me to share this exciting news with you and I look forward to bringing you many more moments of "LOVE...IN MOTION" in the near future.

Have a Stylish Day!

Imagine Seeing Your Wedding Video on This? WOW!

Get a load of this incredible Panasonic 150" full HD Plasma Television, would you? It is the largest High Defintion plasma display in the world!

I had the chance to see it up close and personal when I snagged a pass to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week.

Now, I know that if any grooms or guys are reading this, your tongues are hanging out too. I honestly think a lot of guys who were there or saw this in the news were thinking how to find a way to pay and renovate their home to fit this in. I can hear it now; "So we just remove the kitchen-we can order in & most of the bedrooms...just need a couple of recliners and big fridge!" Ok, maybe I'm generalizing a bit guys:)! Sorry about that.

But seriously, now just think about how incredible YOUR wedding video could look on a screen like that! WOW!! Every beautiful image, BIGGER THAN LIFE!

I realize most people won't ever be able to personally enjoy something like this, BUT a decent, good quality High Definition Plasma or LCD display is definately within most people's reach these days and in a size like 23-65", they are just made for enjoying your beautiful wedding memories in your home.

To take advantage of this, most professional videographers now offer coverage in High Definition, or "HD" format which truly takes your wedding video to a whole new level with Hollywood style production values and quality that will be something you will want to watch over and over! What truly talented videographers create on film now is absolutely extraordinary from vintage to over the top music video style.

To get just a sense of what I mean, please visit the newly launched site of wedding cinematographer extraordinare, Joshua Smith from Cinematic Bride. Joshua's work literally takes my breath away; it is absolutely gorgeous in every sense of the word. His full on "HD Theatre" gallery is "Coming Soon", but until then you can enjoy the movies in the "Theatre". I promise, you will be amazed & inspired.

Your wedding video is such an important part of your wedding budget!! It truly is the one element of your wedding that captures ALL of the imagery, sounds & emotion of your wedding celebration as a "living, breathing" document for yourselves, your parents, grandparents and your own future generations.

If you haven't hired your wedding videographer yet, what are you waiting for?!! You can find many talented, creative and professional videographers who can tell you all about HD Wedding Video and anything and everything else you need to know about getting the very best videography for your style and budget. Check out the websites of the Wedding & Event Videographer's Association (WEVA) and The 4Ever Group which are the leading international associations for professional wedding and event videographers.

So now depending on who is reading this, you have the perfect sales tool to convince your fiance on why you should buy that big screen HD TV (sports & weddings). You can tell them it was Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge's brilliant idea. I'm happy to help:)

Don't forget to stop at the TV store on your way back home from booking your wedding videographer and be prepared to sit back and enjoy YOUR show!

Have a Stylish Day!!

Mindy Weiss-Celebrity Party Planner Interview on Glam Network

I love the Glam Network! and the "Glam Flash" weekly newsletters they send me. They keep me up to date on everything that is stylish:).

This week, Glam Network interviewed Celebrity Wedding & Party Planner Mindy Weiss to get her advice on how to host a great party and wedding. You can check it out here!

That Mindy is a smart lady as she agrees with everything that I reccomend as well!! No seriously:) When asked what is the one thing couples should never skimp on for the wedding, Mindy replies "Good Photography". See, she agrees with me!! I would have also said a good wedding videographer within your budget as well. To me, the two go hand in hand as there are many moments that, as great as photography as, can never capture that emotional toast from your father or grandfather, the thrill of dancing your first dance which you spent endless weekends rehearsing or hearing yourselves saying "I Do" again:) with photography.

Her answer to best planning tip?..."Figure out cost of food and beverage first". Right answer Mindy:) Since your food and beverage costs (plus service charge and tax calculated on both) is 50% of your wedding budget, ensure that your budget covers for the number of guests you plan to invite and not the number you HOPE will show up. If you plan to invite 100 guests, you should budget for 100 guests up front and continue planning the rest of your budget from there. Great News-If you wind up having less guests, then you can use that extra money to upgrade certain elements later (or pocket it for your honeymoon!)

And finally, they asked Mindy what is the number 1 thing couples should remember when planning their wedding? Mindy said "compromise".

I agree with Mindy to a certain extent-Yes, understand that you and your groom, your families and his all have expectations and, as much as this is "your day", it is a day that is a celebration of the two of you and a day of pride for your families too. If some portion of the wedding day is paid for by family, there will be compromise. It's a good exercise to practice now during the engagement period for the rest of your marriage, believe me!!!:) "Pick your battles" as they say and learn to recognize what is most important to you and what you are and are not willing to compromise on when it comes to dealing with family and with your wedding professionals.

And my best piece of wedding advice that I'm sure any planner, celebrity or otherwise would agree...ENJOY the experience. Yes, it's a whirlwind of activity and decisions, etc. but it does go by so fast. Hire a great and responsible planner who meets your budget, expectations and who you feel you can trust to plan and direct your wedding day according to your vision and make you feel comfortable, and then enjoy the ride:)!!

Have a Stylish Day!

p.s. My new favorite thing-Sugar Lemon Body Lotion and the whole Sugar Line of body products) from FRESH!

Some friends of mine gave me this "Fresh" gift, along with the "Sugar Lemon Soap" as a gift for helping them with arranging their recent trip to Las Vegas.

This product smells so yummy and feels delicious on the skin.

Check it out at their stores across the country or online at www.fresh.com

Love Your Wedding Vendors? Please Feed Them!-Long!

I get asked this question by every client when discussing the food and beverage and budget during the reception planning meeting...

"Tracey, what is your advise when it comes to providing meals for the vendors?"

And my answer every time is 110% "Yes, please allow room in your food and beverage budget to feed your vendors and your humble consultant too! Please know that this request is made for the benefit of all.

First of all let me specify those vendors that should be receiving a vendor meal is anyone who will be on site working at your event for 5 or more hours (including set up and breakdown). Generally the people this usually applies to is your consultant and assistant(s) if they are on site for 6+ hours, your photographer(s), videographer(s) if applicable and yes, your DJ or entertainment (band) if they are there more than 6 hours.

Why should I pay to feed all of you you may ask? Well, over the course of a long day of setup and service (especially photographer and videographers) for a 4-5 hour event, we need to get sustenance so we can be at our very best for your event!

2nd point is that we are there to coordinate, photograph, videotape and entertain at your wedding and need to be on site to do so. It would be to your advantage for us to remain on site at the event. Even while we may be eating our meals (after you and your guests have been served of course) we are still there for you and your event and will return to work feeling satisfied and ready to go:)

If you need something from me, I am on site (not in some long drive through line waiting for food), if a priceless spontaneous photo/video opportunity happens, the photographer and videographer can jump out of their seats (they have camera lenses in the back of their head I think) to capture it and your DJ can monitor the vibe of the event or have their assistant change dinner music if needed.

I also highly reccomend that you ensure to confirm with your catering manager (especially at hotels/country clubs) that YOU want/demand (whatever it takes) that all vendors taking vendor meals be seated either at a table placed discreetly at back of the reception ballroom or in an area as close as possible with good sight lines. Again, I refer to the paragraph above and reiterate that we need to be close to you and your event for your benefit and to ensure your wedding runs smoothly. It's very hard to do that when we are down the hall or upstairs or unaccessable.

Now, it is not necessary that you feed us lobster and filet mignon or whatever you and your guests will be dining on. A less expensive plated meal or small station of sandwiches, etc. is perfectly acceptable. Many hotels and venues offer a vendor meal at around $15-25 that includes bottled water and soft drinks. It is well worth the price to know that your vendors are watching out for you and on the ball.

I know you love your photographer, videographer, DJ/entertainers and your humble consultant:) That is why you hired us. I love them too and I love my staff so I will make sure that I take good care of them so they (and I) can take extra special care of the two of you!

If you have any questions or comments about this topic, please feel free to to do so here on my blog.

Have a Stylish Day!!