#MannersMonday: Addressing Wedding Invitation Envelopes

May09
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The series continues. Kudos to Kailyn Clay once again for doing the extra research to provide some useful information regarding your Big Day registry! Do you have a burning wedding etiquette question? Let us know over on Facebook!

#mannersmonday: Addressing Wedding Invitation Envelopes  |  by guest blogger: Kailyn Clay

It’s about 12 weeks before the wedding day, and Jamie Lynne Creative has supplied the final, assembled wedding invitations. They’re glossy and flawless; exactly what you wanted. Now all that’s left to do is get them in the mail, which means addressing every single one.

If you’re not up for addressing each envelope by hand, there is always the option of hiring a calligrapher or asking a friend or family member with impeccable penmanship to help you out.

Even with someone else handling that detail, it’s up to you and your fiancé to determine how each envelope should be addressed. And how each envelope should be addressed depends on a few factors about each person or persons that you’re inviting.

While addressing the envelope to a married couple is pretty self explanatory, there are other family situations which make the appropriate addressing less obvious. What if one of them is a doctor? What if you’re inviting a family where the parent is divorced but steadily dating someone new? How do you address the envelope for your aunt and uncle’s family when your cousin lives in Colorado during the school year and spends summers at home?

Here’s a short cheat sheet to get you started:

Unmarried woman:

“Ms.” should generally be used, as in “Ms. Jennifer Andrews,” for any single woman, unless she is very young, like 16 years old or younger.

An entire family:

Simply add “and family” to the “Mr. and Mrs.” address, as in “Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Smith and Family.

A single parent and children:

“Mr. Joshua Smith and Family.”

The officiant:

“The Reverend and Mrs. Joshua Smith”

One of the pair is a doctor:

“Dr. and Mrs. Joshua Smith” or “Dr. Amanda Smith and Mr. Joshua Smith.”

Of course, there are many more family situations you may find among your wedding guests. For other trustworthy sources for addressing envelopes, especially if you’re using a very traditional, outer and inner envelope system, check out these additional websites:

http://emilypost.com/advice/guide-to-addressing-correspondence/

https://www.theknot.com/content/addressing-wedding-invitations

And to ensure you have exceptional wedding invitations, ordering from Jamie Lynne Creative is the way to start. You’ll be given a beautiful blank canvas to address to your guests for your special day.

#MannersMonday: How Should You Ask Your Guests to RSVP?

May02
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The series continues. Kudos to Kailyn Clay once again for doing the extra research to provide some useful information regarding your Big Day registry! Do you have a burning wedding etiquette question? Let us know over on Facebook!

#mannersmonday: How Should You Ask Your Guests to RSVP?  |  by guest blogger: Kailyn Clay

When you’re planning your wedding invitations, there are lots of things to consider. Besides, color, design, and type of paper, you have to consider all the information that needs to be included with your invitation. For example, if you have lots of guests coming from out of town, do you include an enclosure card with hotel information? If your wedding is taking place on an estate or in a small town, do you include information about other activities for guests to do in the area?

Another question that is often raised by brides these days, due to the prevalence and accessibility of technology, is this: should you include an RSVP card or ask the guests RSVP online?

Both options have pros and cons, and depending on who you ask, traditional wedding etiquette may help you make your choice. Here are some pros, cons, and schools of thought to consider:

RSVP Card

One important pro of an RSVP card is that they’re generally accepted as the traditional way to respond to an invitation. Guests will expect to receive an enclosure that they can return via snail mail to tell the couple whether or not they will attend.

Another pro is that the RSVP enclosure card is very self-explanatory. Guests will know what to do with it without any further instructions. You can also easily include things like options for dinner on the enclosure card, making it work twice as hard for you.

Probably the one thing that deters some couples from including and RSVP card is the cost of postage to have them all returned. Traditional invitation etiquette says that the couple should pre-stamp all the RSVP cards so that guests don’t have to pay for postage to return them. On top of the cost to mail the invitations, this can seem like the straw that breaks your budget. One way around this is to include an RSVP postcard rather than an RSVP card and envelope. This will eliminate the envelope and the postage will cost a little bit less.

RSVP Online

For many couples, asking their guests to RSVP online simply comes down to convenience. You don’t have to worry about RSVP cards getting lost in the mail when the responses are coming right to your inbox. If you want, you can dedicate an inbox to your wedding so that RSVP and other important wedding correspondence doesn’t get mixed up in day-to-day email. And if for some reason you have to get in touch with all of your guests, you have an easy way to do that, as well.

For others, RSVPing online is a simple extension of another wedding practice that is becoming commonplace: the wedding website. Asking guests to RSVP online drives them to your website, where you can also share additional information such as the story of how you met and hotel booking information. Including all of this online will also help to save costs on mailing invitations.

One deterrent to using an online RSVP system is that some guests may not be comfortable with this. Especially for your older guest, it may seem like more work to send an email response rather than responding with the RSVP included in the invitation.

How to choose?

While some may go as far as to say that it is a breach of etiquette not to include an RSVP card, probably the greater consideration to make is the median age of your guest list and consider how many of them will naturally be comfortable with the technology you’re asking them to use.

You should also consider the tone that you’re trying to set for your wedding. Is this an elegant affair or a “no-shoes-cause-we’re-on-the-beach” kind of event? Online RSVPs are certainly a less formal method for receiving RSVP responses. If you’re going for an elegant or classic wedding atmosphere, including RSVP cards may be the best way to go. On the other hand, if you’re having a whirlwind wedding with twelve of your closest friends in Barbados, then why not let them RSVP via email?

Whatever you decide to do, keep in mind that budgeting for your wedding invitations is vitally important to the financial health of your wedding budget. Even if you’re going back and forth on whether you’ll include that RSVP card, it’s best to include it in the budget so that have wiggle room instead of a budget crunch when you make the final decision. Jamie Lynne Creative can help you stay within your wedding budget and achieve the beautifully designed wedding invitations of your dreams.

#MannersMonday: Sharing Where You’re Registered

Apr25
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Welcome back to another installment of #MannersMonday! Special thanks once again to Kailyn Clay for doing the extra research to provide some useful information regarding your Big Day registry! Do you have a burning wedding etiquette question? Let us know over on Facebook!

#MannersMonday: Sharing Where You’re Registered  |  by guest blogger: Kailyn Clay

As you walk out of the Weddings-R-Us super store, you breathe a sigh of relief. You’ve finally completed the massive undertaking of compiling a wedding registry. You and your fiancé

have come to a compromise on the china pattern; you’re confident the color you chose for the KitchenAid mixer will coordinate with your other appliances (should you have gone for the silver one instead?); and you found that happy medium between overpriced bed sheets and the thread count that makes you feel like you’re sleeping between layers of clouds.

It is done.

Now your wedding guests will know exactly what to purchase for you and your fiancé. Your home together will be comfortable and properly stocked with the latest kitchen gadgets (I mean, who doesn’t need a pair of onion goggles?). You make a mental note to add a line to your wedding invitation about “where the couple is registered.”

Actually, just because the friendly folks who helped you build the registry hand you that shiny stack of “The Couple Is Registered at Weddings-R-Us” cards to conveniently slip into your invitations doesn’t mean you should use them. In fact, this sly tactic of giving you little cards that so conveniently slip into your invitations is just a form of free advertising for them, when in fact, the small action of mailing those with your invitation could send your eighty-year-old Aunt Thelma into cardiac arrest.

Did you know it’s a wedding faux pas to include registry information with your formal wedding invitation? Here’s why.

  1. It alters the purpose of the invitation. Your invitations serve as a formal offer to join in a celebration, not a formal offer to spend money on gifts. The wedding invitation’s focus should be on the guests, not the gifts.
  2. It makes assumptions about your guests. Though it’s common knowledge that guests should bring wedding gifts, the gift itself is a sign of guests’ love and affection for the couple. It is in good form for a guest to bring one, but it should not be taken for granted.
  3. There are more appropriate places to share information about your wedding registry. Typically, this is done by word of mouth. Tell your mom, aunts, grandma, cousins, and anyone else who may ask where you’re registered. If you have a wedding website, it’s also appropriate to list the information there and direct guest to it via the invitation.

So while you pat yourself on the back for a job well done at the Wedding Emporium, start your mental list of the family and friends who should know where you’re registered. This is a time when you can be grateful for your girlfriends’ gift of gab.

The importance of invitation etiquette cannot be understated. Feeling anxious about it? Let Jamie of Jamie Lynne Creative take care of the details as she designs your one-of-a-kind wedding invitations.

#MannersMonday: The Right Wording for Your Wedding Invitation

Apr18
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The rules of wedding etiquette are constantly changing, making it difficult for modern brides and grooms to stay on top of wedding do’s and no-nos. I constantly stress to couples when meeting for our initial consult, it’s my job to help make their lives easier when it comes to wedding planning. I understand the wedding stationery process. I was a bride myself, and with 5+ years under my belt I’ve learned how to properly approach subjects when it comes to your wedding. Enter #mannersmonday. Each Monday, I’ll cover a new wedding etiquette topic, with the help of my trusty guest blogger, Kailyn Clay! She’s an incredibly talented mommy-to-be that has a special way with words (you can tell where my writing stops and hers begins…bear with me). Kailyn and I have worked together to make it possible to provide you some helpful, and entertaining blog posts! Are you in the midst of a Big Day dilemma? Send me your etiquette-related question(s) via Facebook with the hashtag #MannersMonday and we’ll get you some answers. Check out this week’s topic below!

#MannersMonday: The Right Wording for Your Wedding Invitation  |  by guest blogger: Kailyn Clay

One of the most challenging aspects of constructing the perfect wedding invitation isn’t necessarily the colors or the design, it’s the words on the page. The language you use on your invitations speaks volumes about the wedding. When considering how to word your invitations, ask yourself a few questions:

  1. Who is hosting the wedding?

In other words, who’s paying? Traditionally, the one funding the big day gets the honor of their name (or names) first on the invitation. If you and your fiancé have saved up to throw your own wedding bash, then start off the invitation with your names and something like “Together with their families, Kimberly Fields and Zachary Amos invite you…” However, if your parents are doling out the big bucks to make your wedding a success, you should start with something closer to, “Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Fields request the honor of your presence…”

  1. Are the parents of the bride and groom married, single, or divorced?

This question is probably what confuses and frustrates people the most. What language should you use if you’ve been raise by a single parent or if your parents are no longer together? Never fear, because there are a few correct ways to signify familial relations for all sorts of family styles. Here are just a few:  

Divorced parents hosting: Mrs. Emily Richardson and Mr. Daniel Richardson request the honour of your presence..

The hosting parents are remarried: Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson request the honour of your presence at the marriage of his daughter…

A single parent is hosting: Ms. Emily Richardson requests the honour of your presence at the marriage of her daughter…

One of the couple (or both) have children: Kimberly Fields name and Zachary Amos, along with their children, invite you to celebrate…

  1. What are you asking for from your guest?

This part of the invitation can range from very traditional to phrases that are completely your own. So explore a few phrases that might fit the tone and style of your wedding, from very formal to “let’s just party.” Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

“Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson request the honour of your presence…”

“Please join Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson in celebrating…”

“John Michael Smith and Kelly Louise Anderson joyfully invite you…”

“Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson request the pleasure of your company…”

“John Michael Smith and Kelly Louise Anderson have chosen the first day of their new life together as May 21, 2016. You are invited…”

“You are joyfully invited to witness and celebrate the marriage of…”

Also keep in mind that this part of the wording typically gives a hint to the guests whether or not the wedding will take place in a house of worship. Traditionally, if the ceremony will take place in a church or other religious location, “request the honour of your presence” is used. If the wedding will take place outside, at a banquet hall, or somewhere else, then the wording can be less formal.

Though it’s great to follow tradition and keep to wedding etiquette, ultimately, the purpose of an invitation is to fill the seats at your wedding with the ones you love. Keep this in mind as you mine endless samples of wedding invitation wording looking for the perfect turn of phrase for you and your fiancé. Hopefully, the information here will be useful as a launching pad toward wedding invitation success. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Jamie Lynne Creative has the industry experience and technical know-how to make the wording—and design—of your wedding invitations exquisite.

Presenting the Professionals · Ryke’s Bakery . Catering . Cafe

Nov18
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Those of you that know me (and if you don’t…here’s a little tidbit about myself)…I have one heck of a sweet tooth! I’m not a huge chocolate fan, but if something has frosting on it (especiallly a sugar cookie) or is covered in coconut (like a donut or white cake) I am so there! Ryke’s Bakery ALWAYS comes through when I need a sugar fix! Whether I’m participating in one of their cookie polls (their frosted sugar cookies are out of this world!), loading up on a dozen Caramel Apple Donuts (pass the cider!) or raiding their cooler for the latest cake parfait flavors, Ryke’s really has it all!

The woman behind the scenes? Renee Rouwhorst! This woman is a ROCKSTAR. Every time I’m fortunate enough to talk to her, I leave so inspired and excited about my business and the professionals in our West Michigan community. Renee has such compassion for what she does as well as making an impact in her community.

I recently got a chance to sit down with Renee (and Devon!) to learn more about the bakery (and cafe!), and where they see the business going! 526343_10151902066082518_1303899924_n Here’s what Renee had to share about Ryke’s:

|JLC| Tell me about Ryke’s Bakery and Cafe and how you got started.

{Renee | Ryke’s} LONG STORY!!! Abbreviated version…. Butch is a chef—needed a kitchen—heard that Ryke’s had a kitchen he could lease…. 7 months later he had formed a partnership with a baker who would run the bakery and we purchased the building. Baker didn’t work out—I left my training and consulting job to come and run the bakery. I am personally domestically challenged…. I don’t cook, or bake, or do crafts….no idea how this all happened!!

|JLC| What is your favorite part of your job?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Bridal Consults—I just wish that’s all I had on my plate!

971599_10151869707002518_618683202_n|JLC| What attracts brides (and grooms) to Ryke’s?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Butter Cream on steroids!!! It’s laced, but don’t tell anyone! (J/K!)

|JLC| What is one piece of advice you always share with brides?

{Renee | Ryke’s } If it’s important to you….. DO IT – if it’s not — no matter what everyone is telling you….just let it go. Don’t spend the money on stuff that’s not close to your heart.

|JLC| What additional services/products do you offer?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Full service catering, cakes, cupcakes, donuts, cookies, pies, pastries, parfaits and more!  Oh…. and don’t forget the cafe and our now-famous asiago cheese spread…. YUM!

|JLC| What’s been one of the craziest requests you’ve received for a cake?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Most of the crazy things come from our occasion cake business…. they see things on TV and well…. you know…..

1397722_10152018986987518_1133733377_o

Okay, if those questions weren’t enough…time to get personal!

|JLC| Driving with the windows down, or the air conditioner cranked up?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Definitely windows down!!

|JLC| Where’s your favorite vacation destination?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Everywhere!!! Love vacations

|JLC| Would you rather read a book or watch a movie?

{Renee | Ryke’s} Totally depends on how tired I am

|JLC| What TV show is your guilty pleasure?

{Renee | Ryke’s} The Good Wife

1381968_10152019805612518_1719987956_nThanks so much Renee for sharing some details about Ryke’s! The Cafe is open for lunch daily! Make sure to visit them online: rykes.com for hours weekly specials! You can also find them on facebook, where Renee posts photos daily of cake deliveries and other sweet displays they work on!

Presenting the Professionals · Modern Entertainment

Aug18
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As I kick start my Sunday, I think back to what an enjoyable evening I had last night at a friend’s wedding in Grand Haven!

The decorations were so unique, appetizers and dinner by Anthony’s Kicked Up Catering was awesome, and Ryke’s once again outdid themselves with the cupcakes and dessert bar.  We have so many talented event professionals in the West Michigan area; it’s always fun to see each of them hard at work.

While I’ve heard great things about Modern Entertainment and experienced it first hand during conversations with both Nick and Tim, I’ve never had a chance to see them in their element. When Chuck and Carissa were in the market for a DJ for their wedding, I recommended ME to them but I had no idea just how enjoyable ME would make the night! Great music, seamless MCing, and unique ways to get guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor…Nick did an AMAZING job and I can’t wait to attend another wedding where the microphone is in ME’s hands.

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to learn more about this dynamic duo. Here’s what Nick had to say:

|JLC| Tell me about Modern Entertainment and how you got started.

{Nick | ME} Tim and I met in high school when we joined a garage band together, so we’ve had a lot of years in the musical/performance background. Eventually we got tired of that scene and started looking for other opportunities. That’s when we started DJing side gigs. We already had the equipment and music, so why not? Once the word started to get out and we started booking more and more, we thought about doing it more seriously. Then we decided to form a company, get a website, start attending bridal shows, etc. We figured we were already booking up pretty good as is, so what could it hurt? Sure enough in our first year as a company our bookings tripled, then they tripled again the second year! We figured we made the right choice.

|JLC| What is your favorite part of your job?

{Nick | ME} I think my favorite part is knowing we have everything covered. We tell our clients all the time that you can plan for months and months and try to cover every detail for your reception, but once you get there it’s in our hands. You want someone in that position that can handle curve balls and make sure everything runs smoothly. We do everything in our power to make sure things are done in a timely manner and everyone (hall staff, photographers, caterers, etc) is in the loop.

|JLC| What attracts brides (and grooms) to ME?

{Nick | ME} Professionalism. Our brides know that they have nothing to worry about when they book us. I think a lot of it is what I spoke of in question #2. We hear horror stories all the time about how people will book their DJ and then never hear from him again. Or how while the photographers were in the other room taking pictures of the cake, the DJ goes into the first dance (so now the bride and groom have no pictures of the first dance). That one’s my favorite. A lot of people would blame the photographer in that situation, but they should blame the DJ.

|JLC| What is one piece of advice you always share with brides?

{Nick | ME} You get what you pay for. Have you ever heard, “My aunt’s cousin’s daughter is getting into photography, so she said she’d do our pictures for free!” or “My brother DJ’s at the club once in a while, so he’s doing our wedding.”? YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! haha. Do you really want to risk missing all the important shots of you big day just to save a few bucks on the photographer? Do you want someone that is going to (possibly) show up to the wedding, and plays music off his iPod and just sits there all night? I actually just took a client in about a week ago that said “so and so was supposed to do it, but now he’s out of town and won’t answer the phone”

|JLC| What additional services/products do you offer?

{Nick | ME} As far as wedding and event related business goes, we own the DJ and Photobooth company (Shots Picture Booth), and we offer discounts if bundled together, or bundled with some of our other preferred vendors such as Fly Photography and Vantage Paintball(Bachelor parties, etc).

|JLC| Please share your most memorable experience with a bride and/or groom!

{Nick | ME} That’s a tough one, there’s so many! I would have to say one of them was a couple years ago when we did the ceremony music for this younger couple and their outdoor wedding. They did everything right. It was gorgeous outside, beautifully decorated, and just overall classy. Well, they told us prior that once they get announced (“I give you Mr. & Mrs. so and so”) that they wanted us to play DJ Unk’s “Walk it Out.” Needless to say I was very skeptical, because I figured everyone would turn to us like we were crazy. However we hit it and they went nuts! The whole wedding party danced their way back up the aisle. It was awesome. The reception was really fun too.

|JLC| What’s been one of your favorite venues to DJ?

{Nick | ME} Locally, I’d have to say Watermark 920. The staff is great, the place looks great and very original, and it’s always a good time there. Not locally, there’s a place in St. Joe, MI called The Veranda at The Whitcomb, we did a beautiful wedding there a while back and the place is spectacular. Two corners of the building are exposed so you can see the lake across the venue; it’s a great view.

Now…what we really want to know…

|JLC| Driving with the windows down, or the air conditioner cranked up?

{Nick | ME} Depends on how hot it is, but usually windows down unless I’m on the highway.

|JLC| What celebrity wedding would you LOVE to DJ?

{Nick | ME} It’d have to be a comedy actor like Seth Rogen or Paul Rudd

|JLC| Ya’ll have your hands in quite a few projects. What’s next?

{Nick | ME} Well for me, I have my own wedding to plan! haha. As for the company, right now I think we are staying focused on what we have with the DJ, Paintball, and Photo Booth. We dabbled in the party bus concept for a while, and I’d like to revisit that when we have more time to dedicate to it. We still plan to open up a bar/arcade in downtown Muskegon, but I think we are a few years away from that.

|JLC| What song is constantly requested that you might rather not play?

{Nick | ME} Pretty much any Pink song. I’m not a big fan and most people just want to sing along with her rather than dance, so she kind of works against us.

Thanks so much Nick for taking the time to let us know more about Modern Entertainment! With the 2013 wedding season starting to die down, I know ME’s 2014 season is quickly filling up so make sure to contact either Nick or Tim for your special day! Find them on Facebook or check them out here! You can also learn more about all the other projects they have going:

Shots Picture Booth

Fly Photography

Vantage Paintball

 

WEDDING INVITATION MISTAKES (+How to Avoid Them)

Jul23
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If you’ve been itching to cross one huge to-do off of your list, consider it done! Selecting your wedding invitation is a big step in the planning process, and I want you to cross it off your list with confidence. Today I’m bringing you six of the most common wedding invitation mistakes to avoid so as to avoid a disaster. From selecting an invitation to deciding your budget—even assembly and postage. You may even save some money in the process!

Wedding Invitation Mistakes

Mistake #1: Absence of a theme.
You know who cares about a theme? Guests! Give your guests something to get excited about, whether it is a traditional ballroom dinner, a cocktail soirée, or a rustic-vintage inspired wedding, complete with barn reception. Your save the date or wedding invitation is an excellent first impression for your guests. Set the tone for the day, establish the mood for the evening. Use your invitation to your advantage…let it showcase your selected theme, then extend those details throughout other areas of your day to tie it all together.

Mistake #2: Not setting a budget.
Wedding invitations are a custom product, which means if you’re hiring Jamie Lynne Creative, anticipate spending 3-5% of your wedding budget on your stationery. I offer plenty of fresh, stylish designs in a variety of budgets to suit your needs. A small budget can mean a stylish invite—with a little creative cost-cutting. For example, instead of a reply card with, consider a response postcard instead. It will cut costs a bit and save money on postage (since a postcard stamp costs less than a standard envelope).

Mistake #3: Waiting too long to place an order.
Because wedding invitations are a custom product, you should anticipate the process taking 2-3 months. Once you’ve your budget and requirements for your stationery package, put down that deposit. I’ll with you to establish a timeline that works with your schedule as well as my own, leaving a little leeway just in case for assembly, addressing, and delivery to the post office.

Mistake #4: Incorrect postage. (This one’s a doozy.)
Mother knows best. When we were preparing my sister’s stationery in 2011, she asked her friendly graphic designer (me!) if postage would cost more because we were mailing pocketfold invitations. I took one of the wedding invitations to the post office, fully assembled, to find out the amount of postage. We were in the clear, but the post office lady informed me that if I hadn’t brought in a sample, every invitation would have been marked ‘insufficient postage’ with an ugly red stamp and returned to my parents address days later. Every. Last. One. What a nightmare! Disaster averted—and if you have concerns with your own invites, I’ll be happy to make a pit stop to the post office before completing your job to verify your postage rate.

Mistake #5: Proofread? Oops.
PROOFREAD. Proofread like there’s no tomorrow. Read it over in the morning, post-coffee; read it over on the train; read it over when you’re trying to fall asleep. Ask your honey to read it over. Your mother. Your best friend. Your boss. Get everyone to read it over before you send your little check mark approval back to me. I majored in graphic design. While I credit myself for my grammar skills, I’m by no means an expert, nor am I familiar with the names and details of your big day. Nothing would be a bigger bummer than a misspelling, an incorrect address, wrong time, date, or names.

What to Do If It’s Too Late

Mistakes happen! If you notice an error with your invitation, assess the situation. Is it a small, almost-non-existent error, such as a misspelling? Let it go. If the mistake is essential to the event—such as the location, date, or time—you could send stylish postcard notices to fix the error. If you have a wedding website (or Facebook), update it with the correct information. However, don’t rely on your website to share the news, as you may not reach all guests. Finally, don’t freak out: at the end of the day, you’re still marrying the one you love…the wedding will still go on!

Mistake #6: Who needs a sample, anyway?
If you walk away with one nugget of wisdom from today’s post, let it be this: always request a sample. It might add an additional fee (if minor) to your total but if you’re anything like me, visualizing is one thing, but holding your ‘invite’ helps make that final decision, and gives you a feel for the quality of the invitations. A few dollars spent will be worth it in the long run, especially if you receive the invitation and decide to go with something else (which would cost more than a cup of coffee).

Happy Planning!

♥J

Presenting the Professionals · Summer Jean Photography

Jul21
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Summer Jean Photography specializes in romantic and timeless wedding and engagement photography in Grand Rapids, Northern Michigan and along the lakeshore. I met Summer at the 2011 Grand Haven Wedding Walk. It was there that I learned we were already connected! Summer had photographed my husband’s brother & sister-in-law’s wedding a few years back AND she had also worked with my mother-in-law before she began photographing full time! I felt an instant connection with Summer, but it wasn’t until April 2012 that I was able to work with her on a project. Cassie Celestin from White Dress Events connected the two of us (along with some amazing other West Michigan Wedding Professionals!) for a styled photo shoot along the shores of Lake Michigan at Holland State Park. Leading up to that shoot, I had seen Summer’s work, but to witness her first hand in her element, I was enthralled! Her compositions are breath-taking and she captures the true beauty of each couple she works with. Read on to learn more about Summer Jean Photography!

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 |JLC| Tell me about Summer Jean Photography and how you got started.

{SJP} Summer Jean Photography specializes in wedding and engagement photography throughout Michigan but specifically in the lakeshore communities and Northern Michigan. We are entering our seventh year of shooting full time but our 15th year of shooting weddings! Our team consists of me, Summer Osborn and associate photographer, Katie DeWinter.

|JLC| What is your favorite part of your job?

{SJP} My favorite part of my job is the relationships that I get to build with brides and grooms, creating a fun and relaxed environment despite the stress level on a wedding day, and obviously creating beautiful images of it all!

|JLC| What attracts brides (and grooms) to SJP?

{SJP} I would hope that my brides and grooms are attracted to Summer Jean Photography because of the timeless and romantic feel of my photos and because they feel we would work well together. :) I really attract some AWESOME clients!

|JLC| What is one piece of advice you always share with brides?

{SJP} One piece of advice I always share with my brides is to enjoy their day. It happens so fast and there will always be something that doesn’t go exactly as planned but to embrace it, and have fun!

|JLC| What additional services/products do you offer?

{SJP} All of our packages include an engagement session, a disc of enhanced images, a print and on-line gallery. Additional products like albums, prints, and specialty products are also available!

|JLC| Please share your most memorable experience with a bride and/or groom!

{SJP} Oh boy, that’s hard to narrow it down! Last summer I had a bride that had to have surgery on her achilles tendon 2 days before her wedding. Poor girl! She had the best attitude though and was a blast to work with. Or, the time I had all of the groomsmen stand on a dock in a channel in Pentwater and they ALMOST fell in. yikes. I’m scared of docks now and would never suggest that they stand on one! Most of my couples are just really in love and I love witnessing their marriage!

|JLC| What’s been one of your favorite venues to photograph?

{SJP} I love all outdoor weddings. :) They are by far my favorite! One very unique venue I’ve shot at is the Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles, Mi.

Okay, enough business talk! Time for some fun questions!

|JLC| Driving with the windows down, or the air conditioner cranked up?

{SJP} Windows down as long as I’m not heading someplace that I need to look presentable. :)

|JLC| Where’s your favorite vacation destination?

{SJP} My favorite vacation destination would be anywhere that there is water or mountains. I love camping and being outdoors!

|JLC| Would you rather read a book or watch a movie?

{SJP} I would rather read a book but I probably watch movies more often.

|JLC| So, what was the last book you read?

{SJP} Breaking Light by Liz Murray

|JLC| What TV shows are your guilty pleasure?

{SJP} My favorite TV shows are The Bachelor(ette), Deadliest Catch, and anything HGTV.

Thanks so much Summer for taking the time to share more about Summer Jean Photography! For more information about Summer Jean Photography, please click HERE and make sure to like them on Facebook!

DOES YOUR TO-DO LIST CONTINUE TO GROW?

May04
, , No Comments

A good friend of mine who is wise beyond her years gave me some VERY helpful advice a few months ago. We all make ‘to-do’ lists, and they seem to get longer rather than shorter. While confiding in her regarding my current tasks at hand she said, “Give your 3 most important tasks the most of your attention and your least important the least amount of your attention. The big projects deserve your fresh mind + focus instead of crossing off a bunch of little things on the to-do list and then think you’ll tackle the big project(s) later…do the opposite. Big first, little later.”

 

So true, right?! To help, I’ve design a to-do…yours for the taking! Save the jpeg to your computer, print…and VOILA! Two copies waiting to be used! Enjoy…but remember, tackle those big, important tasks FIRST!

Bonus Post: WHAT’S YOUR BUDGET?

Feb21
, No Comments

Tuesday is typically blog day, but I couldn’t resist making this information available to my beautiful Jamie Lynne Creative brides as well as all the recently engaged couples who are working on setting the date and determining their wedding budget. I cannot wait to begin working with you to design the wedding stationery of your dreams…within your budget! Your day. Your style. Your budget.

Wedding Budget Worksheet

A wedding budget may {sound} like a lot of money until the costs begin to accumulate. It’s then that you realize what seem to be small expenditures add up quickly. Smart brides take steps to manage the money before costs get out of hand.

1. Choose either quantity or quality

A huge wedding with a lot of guests or a small event with only closest family and friends? A low budget for the former will require a creative venue choice and buffet or other value-priced choice of catering. Go the latter route and you can spend more per guest and still stay within a limited budget.

2. Take time for a reality check

It’s too easy to get caught up in the glamour of possibilities and begin to want, Want, WANT!! When the “gotta have it” mode kicks in, take a step back and remember what counts is the relationship and what it means, not the material things. Then take a deep breath and make meaningful choices without breaking the bank.

3. Evaluate creative talents for DIY

You, your family, and other volunteers can choose to do pieces of the wedding yourself. Centerpieces, favors, food station, the card box, photo booths, and other decorations are candidates.

4. Arrange for professional services as gifts if possible

Even the tightest budget weddings require professional services. Coordinators, photographers & planners, florists, caterers, DJ’s, officiates, and bakers all add value to wedding memories. If you are lucky enough to have any of these in your family or as friends, they may want to offer their services as gifts. Or, someone may offer to pay for one or more wedding professionals.

5. Split the costs

While more couples are footing the entire wedding bill themselves these days, splitting the bills is still an option. Parents, other relatives, friends, and others contribute to wedding costs as well.

6. Keep track of expenses all in one place and 7. earn a return on the money you spend

By charging everything to a cash back or other rewards credit card (then paying it off when the bill comes in). An example of this type of card is Discover, which gives you at least 1% back–with 5% back on specific categories each quarter–on everything you charge to the card. Just make sure you PAY IT OFF WHEN THE BILL COMES IN! 😉

Love Don't Cost a Thing

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