Free Wedding Photography Seminar for Couples-Local Photographers Offer Tips for the Ideal "Photo Finish"!

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierges' fabulous photographer friends, Artistic Imaging and Write Shot are hosting an informational seminar for couples to give you the 411 on what you need to know about making informed and confident decisions about your wedding photography.

See the Press Release Below...

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION A BRIDE FACES IS WHO TO MARRY.THE SECOND IS HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER TO DOCUMENT HER WEDDING

Experts offer free workshop educates brides about wedding photography 37/60 The Wedding Photography Workshop for Brides, offers 37 serious recommendations in 60 minutes, guaranteed to help brides:

• Save money
• Save time
• Maximize their wedding photography experience, regardless of their budget.

Las Vegas wedding photography studios Artistic Imaging and WriteShot have partnered to develop this educational workshop to all brides, many of whom feel overwhelmed by the myriad of wedding photography options available.

“There will be no sales pitch, at all. This is purely an opportunity for brides to learn and get answers to their questions, regardless of their budget,” says Adam Frasier, Artistic Imaging. According to Natasha Chornesky, millennium brides are smart and regardless of their budget, they’re looking to learn as much as they can about maximizing value before they commit to any particular wedding vendor, especially photographers.

Las Vegas has many talented wedding photographers. 37/60 is designed to benefit all brides, regardless of whom they eventually hire as their wedding photographer.

“We’re reaching out to empower brides with real information, so each one can make decisions that best suit her distinct needs,” says Chornesky, WriteShot.

The Saturday workshop is scheduled for August 28th, from 10‐11 am and is limited to 10 participants. Though it is free registration is required. Call (702) 465-5700
for more information on location and other details.

About Artistic Imaging and WriteShot
Artistic Imaging’s Owner/Photographer Adam Frasier has been a professional wedding photographer for over 7 years. Frazier is the Founding President of the Las Vegas chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding.

WriteShot’s Owner/Photographer Chris Cozzone has been a professional photojournalist and wedding photographer for over 20 years. Natasha Chornesky Owner/Photographer has been shooting professionally for four years. Chornesky is the Founding Vice‐President of Las Vegas' Wish Upon a Wedding.

The Jewish View of Marriage

Image found at www.Aish.com

For another, entirely personal reason, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge was browsing the website of Aish.com. Aish.com has become the world's largest Jewish content website. Their goal is to give every Jewish person the opportunity to discover their heritage in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect.

I happened to come across an article by a Rabbi Dan Silverman entitled "The Jewish View of Marriage".

As a Wedding Planner (and a Jewish one at that), this article spoke to me because it's not about the Jewish view of planning a wedding (although there are many books about that including a great one called "The New Jewish Wedding Wedding" by Anita Diamant).

To me, this article is about what marriage is about and how to try and live those ideals together with "your chosen one". It's about what the goals of marriage really are; sharing love, living and supporting your goals together and having a common destination. With that right person, even with ups and downs, Life together IS a beautiful journey and every year of marriage a noble destination.

Whether you are Jewish or not, I feel the lessons are very universal so I hope you take what inspires you from this article and some of the other posts you may find useful from this website on dating and love and marriage.

This is one excerpt that I particularly love (as I come upon 10 years of marriage).

"Which brings us to a shocker: True love comes after marriage. The Torah says that Isaac took Rebecca into his tent and he loved her (Genesis 24:67). Love should grow continuously as your appreciation of your spouse grows.

A friend of mine was sitting with his father and said to him, "Dad, after five years of marriage, I think I finally understand what love is."

The father said, "Wait till you're married 25 years, then you'll understand what love is."

The grandfather was also in the room and overheard this exchange. He told them: "Wait till you're married 50 years. Then you'll really understand what love is."

Celebrate Today and Every Day with Love, Life & Style (and with those you Love)!
Tracey

For Love or Money? Plan Properly to Opt for Former!

Image found at GetMarried.com

I don't care too much for money, 'cause money can't by me Love"-The Beatles!!

But money does make your celebration of Love and Marriage possible so it is important to make sure your budget is in shape (from the very beginning) and all your money matters pertaining to the wedding day BEFORE the wedding day. Your wedding day is the time to be indulging in the love of your friends, family, enjoying being pampered as you look forward to that very special moment of saying your vows with your future husband and then basking in LOVE, LIFE and FUN and having a great time.
Your wedding day is not the day to be worrying about whether your florist or DJ or venue or caterer is paid. On top of that, it is perfectly acceptable and appreciated for you to show your sincere appreciation for your wedding professionals who put their LOVE of their craft into your wedding day and offer them a gratuity or (tip) for service that you feel went above and beyond.

Please note that "gratuity" is not considered the same as "service charge" (which is a percentage, generally anywhere from 19%-23% in Las Vegas, of the catering bill for food, beverage and labor like additional bartenders or personal chef attendants at food stations). But do you really need to be flaunting money or bills (or even be concerned about it) on your wedding day? Do you need to be concerned that your beautiful bridal clutch is full of envelopes or your new husband's tuxedo's pocket is bulging from a wallet stuffed with bills. Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge thinks not. That is neither attractive or secure.
My wedding photographer/wedding journalist friends and colleagues from Write Shot blogged about this exact topic recently and they were kind enough to include some of my tips (pun intended) about tipping wedding professionals on your wedding day.

• Recommendation 1: Pre-pay all your vendors fully at least 15 days prior the wedding. That way, checks and credit card payments can clear their accounts prior to your wedding.

• Recommendation 2: Calculate and distribute cash tips ahead of time for creative partners. Place cash tips in sealed envelopes with each recipient’s name clearly printed on the front. Give these envelopes to your planner or your maid of honor to distribute on your wedding day.

*I love these luxury, customized thank-you gratuity notes created by Mimio Papers with wedding planner Mary Dann. Presenting your wedding pros in this way truly shows graciousness and appreciation with STYLE!

• Recommendation 3: Confused about tipping? Creative partners (these are professionals, not "vendors") who own the business do not necessarily have to be tipped on the wedding day. Their assistants and associates should be. If you would like to tip a creative partner who owns the business, send a gift and thank you note, post-wedding. Always include a personal testimonial sharing how much you appreciate what that person did for you.

Also, please do ask your wedding planner (or your caterer or venue) about the accepted amount to tip wedding creative partners whether your wedding is in your home town or ESPECIALLY if you are planning a destination wedding celebration. Every city and every country has different tipping customs and expectations.

Finally, don't forget to allow to budget for the extra tips for those valets, the bell men/women who help you with your bags, your gown, all your favors and wedding personal items and get them up to your room and to your venue safely. Here is a general tipping guide from Vegas.com while you are visiting us be it for your wedding, a friends or just because it's VEGAS!

You can read the entire blog post here. Thank you Natasha & Chris!!
Do you have any questions about tipping, gratuities regarding a Las Vegas wedding? Feel free to comment and ask your question right here on the blog.

The "OG's"-Beautiful Example of Celebrating a Lifetime of Love

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Yesterday, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge was watching the Today Show and caught this segment about Barbara and Harry Cooper, also known as "The OG's (Original Grandparents)."

Barbara (93) and Harry Cooper (98) have been sweethearts since their eyes met on an LA tennis court in 1937 and have been married for 72 years. They are still "Crazy in Love" with one another!

They still kiss (all the time), go out for chocolate sundae dates, to the movies and they have their own website that they began as a way to entertain and educate their grandchildren. Sure enough, that took off to where they are now internet stars being documented by their grand-daughters and they have their own song.

This story, and when I reflect back on my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary a few years ago, it brings home the true meaning of the wedding vows that I am honored to be a part of hearing at my clients' weddings. They are important words, they mean something. They represent the beginning of sharing a lifetime with another human being built on love, mutual respect for one another (and their loved ones).

The vows you say to one another on your wedding day may seem to come quite easily surrounded by pretty flowers and a great party. But I do encourage you (as your clergy will in your ceremony) to really grasp the meaning of the words you speak to each other as you say them.

Living those vows, through the days, the years and the decades; "through thick and thin, in sickness and in health" and all the other things life throws our way is not easy.

"Cutie & Pop Pop" as Barbara and Harry are called, Ben and Sylvia Weinstock who I had the pleasure to see spin on the dance floor at Engage '09 Encore, my parents and some of the 29 couples I had the honor of coordinating the renewal of their vows at the Beth Sholom Wedding Gala last month (that event to be blogged soon) know their meaning.

Whether you are celebrating your wedding this week, this year or celebrating your first, 10th, 25th, 50th or 72nd, wedding anniversary, I wish for all of you a lifetime together that is as wonderful and filled with the same passion and love and spirit as this special couple exemplifies.

(And yes, I cried when I watched this).

May you celebrate today and every day with Love, Life & Style!!
Tracey

A few more links for Barbara and Harry: Read a fun interview with them at SHALOM LIFE.com and you can follow them on Facebook too!

Do you have any stories about your parents or grandparents and a long lasting marriage that are inspiring your wedding vows? I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment and say hello.

"Dream Big" & Sign up for Colin Cowie's New "Wedding Chic" Newsletter

Colin Cowie, truly a wedding and lifestyle style setting hero of Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, is launching his revamped "Wedding Chic" newsletter this summer.

Whether you are a bride, groom, industry professional or "wedding junkie" (put me down for the last 2), I am sure this newsletter is going to be fun, educational and always inspiring to read.

You can sign up for Colin's Newsletter here. I just did and then we can look forward to getting "Wedding Chic" together!

Celebrate your Day with Love, Life & Style!

*Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge receives no monetary compensation for this recommendation or limited time banner on this blog.

Some "Wedding Wisdom" for Us All

Jacket Cover Image of “Wedding Wisdom” book

Including image by photographer Jasmine Star

SOME "WEDDING WISDOM" FOR US ALL

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge highly recommends to you, my readers this new book authored by well known professional Los Angeles based Wedding Planner, TV personality & author, Mary Dann-McNamee, and created with Leila Khalil, wedding publicist and owner of her PR firm, Be InspiredPR, also in L.A.

The book is called “Wedding Wisdom: An Insightful Approach to Wedding Planning and Life”

Whether you are a newly engaged couple just beginning your wedding planning adventure, in the throes of planning an upcoming celebration or a wedding professional (but planners are the focus), this book is for YOU.

Mary offers, with an easy writing style and personal antidotes, her wealth of life and wedding/event planning experience & wisdom to help you properly prepare (practically, mentally, physically and spiritually) for the planning ahead (be it your wedding & marriage or your wedding business) so that you can completely enjoy the exciting journey you are about to immerse yourself in over the course of the next year and years ahead.

It’s an easy and fun read with many life lessons that can’t be repeated often enough or translated often enough, as Mary so aptly does, especially when it comes to planning such an important life event as a wedding.

Advice on how we should express “Thank You” as often as possible (in person, by phone, by card) and being grateful to all those that give you their time, their talents, their passion and their love, up to and including the wedding day & every day in business and in life a habit that will pay you back & forwards in dividends.

And Mary’s advice (and I will agree 100% with her on this) not to forget to thank yourself by taking care of you, being fair to yourself, expecting great things but accepting life’s way of adding its own special touches to your plans and loving the results anyway.

The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge.-Bertrand Russell

I don’t think this quote could be more perfect to describe what “Wedding Wisdom” is about and I am sure Mary & Leila would agree. It was inspired and created by their love, passion and desire for this great wedding business and to share and pass on to you, those values and their wisdom to help inspire you to create a successful business, a beautiful wedding and a beautiful life worth celebrating every day!

Thank you again for the gift of this book Mary and for the wonderful inscription.

You can purchase the book "Wedding Wisdom" right here. Enjoy it and...

Celebrate today with LOVE, LIFE & STYLE!

Are You Really Enjoying Your Las Vegas Wedding?

Grooms @MGM Grand on their way to their double wedding!

Image taken by Tracey Kumer-Moore

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge met these these two "dapper" blokes (and a whole bunch of their mates) from England earlier this week while at the MGM Grand! They were on their way to meet their brides and celebrate their weddings in a double wedding at one of the chapels on the strip (didn't mention which one).

So yes, these two maybe be propagating the stereotypical good bad & ugly and wacky, tacky "Vegas Wedding", but I've got to tell ya, I could not have been more happy to see these two fellas having the time of their lives (at the best time of their lives) and really enjoying and embracing what Las Vegas Weddings are all about!

FUN...YES, they are about FUN!

Whether plain and simple, extravagant and elegant, sexy and sophisticated or just plain slap-happy, silly in love, Las Vegas weddings are about setting yourself free from the conventional and just embracing the romance of your love and celebrating it with your friends in Style. Here are three tips for you...

• Plan a great wedding to start (regardless of what your budget is; there is something for everyone here) by finding solid & talented wedding professionals (Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge can assist you with this from consults to full planning & production of course)!

• Embrace your imagination and be bold; try something interesting on (maybe not the gold suit), but be open to ideas to take your vision and your party (no matter the size) to where it will be memorable-the fashion, entertainment, food, whatever!

• Trust your instincts, trust your wedding professionals, enjoy yourselves & HAVE A BLAST!

I wonder how the brides were dressed?:)!!

Did you enjoy YOUR Las Vegas Wedding? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment & let me know something special about how you celebrated your fabulous day?

Beautiful Wedding in Gold & Red at Four Seasons, Las Vegas 4.17.09

Wedding was held at the beautiful Four Seasons, Las Vegas Resort

Bouquet of deep red roses, flame cala lilly wrapped in bronze & accented with some sparkle!

Decor was inspired by Bride's bronze gown & wedding song "Lady in Red"

The beautiful ceremony site also featured a red high gloss dance floor for the aisle

Stunning Custom Staircase Decor for some fabulous photo ops

Gorgeous Belly Dancers in the wedding colors were just 1 part of the amazing entertainment

All images provided by Ray Iavasile, Ray Anthony Photography

To see more "Sneak Peek Images of this event, visit Ray's Blog

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge had the pleasure of planning this gorgeous wedding celebration that took place at one of my favorite venues, The Four Seasons, Las Vegas Resort, on April 17, 2009 in 28 days! Yes, JUST 4 WEEKS! 

That was the first time, believe it or not, I had the opportunity to squeeze about 6-12 months of planning into less than a month and I must say for the record that it was a very busy 30 days and one of the most unexpected pleasurable planning experiences I have had to date. 

From the time I met the Bride & Groom (due to a privacy contract I signed with the couple, I am not at liberty to reveal their names or any images of them or guests), I quickly discovered this was going to be a fantastic and very memorable party for them and their guests. 

With the assistance of Asst. Catering Director Dennis Silknitter of the Four Seasons that served a sumptuous 6 course wedding meal, I began assembling a team of some of Las Vegas' top (and my favorite) wedding professionals to create this gorgeous, warm ambience set in tones of bronze, golds, reds and oranges to compliment the bride's gown & love of beautiful, bright and warm colors. 

The wedding party walked down a petal lined, high gloss red aisle to a collection of red & orange florals on pedestals. Guests dined under a fabric canopy accented with crystals and flowers, lounged on European style gold sofas & ottomans, at antique gold mirrored tables and a monogrammed bar. 

The beautiful decor was created by Andrea Sage, Marian Menezes and Nina Sauter of Destinations by Design.

The bride wanted to treat their guests to an after-dinner show and boy, DID WE PUT ON A SHOW. Thanks to Bruce Sampson of Steve Beyer Productions, we assembled a parade of entertainment to dazzle guests including belly dancers, a magician, "Cirque" performers, ballroom dancers and a magician, all orchestrated by a DJ & and "All Night Mike", a great MC who kept everyone happy, laughing and dancing on the red dance floor all night long (when they weren't enjoying the hot wedding trend Cold Stone Ice Cream and Hot Doughnut Stations)!!

The bride looked gorgeous thanks to my ace makeup artist Barbara Jo Batterman (THE BEST) and all the incredible images here were taken by the uber-talented Ray Iavasile of Ray Anthony Photography. I picked Ray to work with this couple as I knew this wedding was a great match for his style and I'm sure you will agree, I was right on!

The rest of the week long celebration included golf at Shadow Creek Golf Course, a Maverick Helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, a family dinner at Charlie Palmer Steak and welcome in-suite receptions & brunches.

The event was a fabulous success which proved to me that when the stars align and you get  amazing clients and wedding professionals to work with, planning a fabulous Las Vegas Wedding with great Style like this one in 28 days is a pleasure! THANK YOU!

 

Daylight Savings Time PSA: Spring Your Clocks Forward 1 Hour Sunday March 8!

Set Your Clocks Forward 1 Hour Saturday night March 7th.

 © Judith Wagner/zefa/Corbis

One of the signs that spring is happily just around the corner is when Daylight Savings Time 

kicks in and we set our clocks to "spring forward" 1 hour. We lose an hour of sleep but we get

an extra hour of sunshine!

Daylight Savings time begins at 12:00 am March 8, so Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge 

would like to offer this Public Service Announcement:

Please make sure to set ALL your clocks and watches 1 hour ahead before going to bed Saturday night. 

And when I say make sure you set ALL your clocks and watches, I am 

calling out to all you Sunday March 8th brides!

If you are working with a professional Wedding Consultant, they will most certainly be 

reminding you, your wedding party, your venue and all event professionals when 

confirming timelines of the time change so everyone will get to the chapel on time!

If you are not working with a wedding consultant, please make sure that you remind 

EVERYONE (your groom, parents, wedding party, guests and your wedding professionals)

to ensure your wedding day springs into action as planned and the events flow smoothly so you can avoid

being the bride waiting at the chapel like in the picture above!!

Once you do, you can relax and bask in the extra hour of sunshine on your wedding 

day this weekend.

Qualified & Quality Wedding Consultants Don't Come CHEAP

My friend Andy Ebon of The Wedding Marketing Blog, one of my must-reads on my blog list, posted an entry recently about a "Simple Defense Against Price Cutters".

It's a great article but it was this part that made the most impact on me. Andy writes...

"My friend, Robbie Schlosser (Magnolia Jazz Band) reminded me of an old strategy used by barbershops against their price slashing competition. 

Robbie recalled a barbershop sign-“Haircut $5″, and next door another shop advertised “We fix $5 haircuts”.  

And then, "With haircuts, one gets a second chance. With weddings, there is no ‘do-over.’ And with some categories of wedding services, the risk of failure is simply not worth the money ’saved."

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge can tell you right here, right now, that Wedding Consultants fall into this category! The risk you take when working with a cheap price-cutter IS going to prove to be a "penny wise, pound foolish" experience. 

Generally, someone who is "cheap", not "inexpensive" or "affordable" but CHEAP is for a reason. And whether it's because they are sacrificing on either quality of product or service, do you really want to take the chance that it will be your wedding that is sacrificed. No? I didn't think so!

A Wedding Consultant wih a quality business is one that, at minimum, has (or works for one that has) a valid business license and liability insurance. They posses and maintain an inventory of the proper tools to plan and direct a wedding (like keeping a stocked wedding emergency kit). In addition to skills in budget planning, logistics, etc., they took some education program to learn and comprehend the procedures and nuances of event planning and current trends and administer that advice to you to help you plan a successful event. They also understand how to direct a smoothly run wedding and handle things calmly and graciously under fire. 

All these things require some investment in time and money. And yes, you will pay more for it!

I can't tell you how many times I have read horror stories of brides on various blogs that were the sorry result of choosing a cheap, newly married and sudden "Expert Day of Coordinator" they just "totally bonded with" on the "insert wedding website message board name here." So much money wasted by going for the CHEAP "buddy". Where was that buddy for you when you really needed them? It is heartbreaking to read these and worse, to hear them trying to rationalize their hurt.

If they had researched just a bit more to find the most highly qualified planner in a price range they could afford (even a well trained associate that works for a much more experienced planner) they would have learned ways to get even better value and style in their wedding for their budget, piece of mind that a professional is handling their event and a quality of service experience and you can' get that CHEAP my friends. 

Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish". In this economy, your dollars are more precious than ever so ensure that you spend them WISELY with a professional who will get it right the first time!