The Smart Bride Wedding Planning Workshop
February 22, 2012 Congratulations! You're engaged! This is an exciting time for you. It can also be confusing; there are so many decisions to be made while planning your dream wedding. This is the first time you've had to do this - you've never planned a wedding before so you don't really have any experience to fall back on to help you make all the decisions that will determine what your wedding day will be like.
Check this out! The Smart Bride is a wedding planning workshop designed to give brides and grooms the education they need to effectively plan the wedding of their dreams and avoid common pitfalls. It's a once-a-year opportunity to get insight from recent brides, wedding pros and Ashley (love her!!!) of Ashley's Bride Guide.
I was one of the panel members at the workshop last year. I have posted an edited/abbreviated clip of the photographer & videographer session held on the last day of the workshop.
Left to right: Noel of McCoy Made, Donald of Donald Yeager Photography, me, & Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide
The clip above represents only a small part of the three day workshop (scheduled over a period of three weeks). This workshop covers every aspect of wedding planning, and I feel confident that last year's attendees left with a new perspective on the process and felt much more confident about the decisions they would make to shape the day of their dreams.
Dates for this year's workshop are March 13, 20 and 27. I think its beneficial to attend all of the sessions, but it's not required. Click here to register.
Tuesday, March 13 Location: Noah Liff Opera Center
BEFORE YOU HIRE ANYONE, SET YOUR VISION, PRIORITY AND BUDGET
Tuesday, March 20 Location: Nashville City Club
HOW TO HIRE YOUR VENDORS - PART 1 - THE "MUST HAVES" FOR YOUR DAY
Tuesday, March 27 Location: Houston Station
HOW TO HIRE YOUR VENDORS - PART 2 - WHO YOU NEED, WHAT TO ASK, HOW TO DECIDE
Happy Valentine's Day!
February 14, 2012 This is my yummy breakfast for Valentine's Day. My husband knows me soooo well! :)
Wishing you a great Valentine's Day too!
Unplugged Weddings
January 23, 2012 More and more I am astounded by the number of wedding guests that feel the necessity to capture the wedding day for the bride and groom. I can almost guarantee that if you talk to your photographer and videographer about the subject, you will hear many tales of how shots were ruined by over anxious guests. This is not just a problem for your vendors; I can't help but wonder how much of the ceremony your guests actually enjoy. How can they possibly be tuned in to what is occurring before them when they are concentrating on their lcd screen?
It used to mostly be guests using a small handheld camera, but it has recently escalated to full DSLRs (with zoom lenses), iphones, and ipads. Yes . . . ipads. I actually had to ask a guest once to remove his tripod with a video camera on it. He reluctantly agreed to do so, but it was still a problem since he seated himself in an aisle seat and proceeded to shoot the entire wedding handheld. (We refer to these guest-videographers as "Uncle Charlie".)
Last summer, The Offbeat Bride focused on this subject with a couple of posts instructing brides how to have an "unplugged wedding". If you are planning a wedding, you need to read these posts! Your photographer will thank you. Your videographer will thank you. And, your guests will have a more enjoyable experience too.
I have not posted any example pics because I don't want to embarrass any of our past clients or their guests, but there are several "Uncle Bobs" that I will never forget. Picture this: The bride and groom are at the alter saying their vows. Its emotional. There are tears. I'm in the front (shooting towards the guests) with a closeup on the faces of the wedding couple - when slowly another face creeps into the screen - centered perfectly between the bride and groom. Oh look! He has a camera too! This guest just ruined the video of the vows for this couple. If he were to ever see the clip, I know he would be mortified, but the bride and groom will see it each and everytime they watch their movie.
I have many video clips of bride and grooms during the recessional where our camera is blocked by guests stepping out into the aisle in order to get a better shot. The result: our shot is ruined - what we have on film is the back of the guest holding a camera in front of you. And when that guest steps back into his seat, another guest takes their place. We don't actually get the happy faces of the bride and groom until they are at the end of the aisle.
A solution to this is to have an UnPlugged Wedding. It can be done! And it can be done without hurting anyone's feelings. One of our past couples handled it by making this request on their website and printing it in their program.
It worked; guests honored their request. The couple confided to me prior to the wedding date that they were also speaking to some people personally, but I really don't think that would be necessary if you use some of the suggestions made on The Offbeat Bride site.
Kelly Plans A Wedding
January 13, 2012 
This cute couple is Kelly and Drew. They're getting married this summer, and we're excited about being their videographer. Kelly is the Studio Manager at StudioWed-Nashville; she also works as an Assistant for A Delightful Day. When it comes to weddings, Kelly knows her stuff!!
Kelly is currently writing a series of posts for the StudioWed-Nashville blog where she shares her thoughts as she plans her upcoming wedding. If you are engaged and making wedding plans, its a "must-read".
I have enjoyed reading all the posts of this series (its always enlightening to hear some of the thoughts that go through a bride's head), but I particularly enjoyed her most recent post as it is about videography. If you are questioning whether you need to budget to have a videographer capture your wedding day, you owe it to yourself to read it. And I bet that afterwards, you'll probably want to go back and read all of the earlier ones. This link will help you catch up from the beginning. It's good stuff!
Thank you, Kelly, for choosing us to be with you on your wedding day. We're looking forward to it!
Welcome 2012!
January 2, 2012
Congrats! AMY & STEPHEN
December 8, 2011
YAY!!! Amy and Stephen are married! And their wedding day was the perfect way for TEAM MCNEAL to close out 2011! Not just because it was a beautiful wedding, but because we love them both and truly felt honored that they trusted us to capture this special day for them.
Visit their page for all the details of their perfect wedding day.
Montage - Amy & Stephen
December 2, 2011 It was so much fun creating a photo montage for Amy and Stephen to show at their rehearsal dinner! The end segment of the finished product is posted below. It includes clips of the proposal (thank you, Stephen, for inviting me to be there!) and their engagement shoot (by the amazing Kristyn Hogan), as well as photos of one of the cutest couples ever.
We covered their wedding last weekend (our last one of the year!). Here are some of the stills I have pulled from video footage.
I will make a full post about the wedding soon - I've really gotten carried away with all the gorgeousness and pulled waaaayyyyy too many stills so its taking me longer than normal to sort through them all and figure out what I want to share. In the meantime, I hope you will enjoy these pics and the montage segment posted above.
Today we say "goodbye"
November 23, 2011 Today I will attend my aunt Sandra's funeral. Many thanks to everyone who said prayers and sent encouraging words. The entire family appreciates the outpouring of love and prayers from soooo many people. Sandra had alot of friends - and she was truly loved.
Let me tell you about how awesome she was. She was the last born of 12 children. She was vibrant and funny. She had a strong relationship with God. She was kinda "out there" sometimes, but that was one of her endearing qualities. She loved to laugh. She was the mother of two. She loved Christopher, Laura, and her grandchildren more than anything in the world. She was one of the sweetest, most generous people you could ever meet. If you knew Sandra, you loved her. Period.
As I grew up, Sandra was a role model for me. She was 4 years older than I am - but she never made me feel like a bother. (How many 16 year old girls do you know that willingly spend time with a 12 year old??) I spent many nights with her and was perfectly content to chat while watching her put on makeup and roll her hair. She introduced me to rock and roll music. She painted my nails. She popped popcorn for us to eat while we watched tv. She talked to me about boys. She taught me how to style my hair and shave my legs. I still to this day eat my eggs the same way she ate hers. During my teenage years, she would sometimes pick me up on a Saturday afternoon (her hair in curlers and my hair in curlers) we'd get a Slurpie and cruise the streets of Greenbrier. She was cool. Guys loved her. Girls loved her. And I loved her. And I wish I'd told her more often.
For those who don't know, Sandra was living her very active, normal life Friday before last -- She went to the flea market and saw a movie that day. Around 4pm, she saw a doctor after experiencing movement problems with the left side of her body. By the end of the day, she was in the hospital diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. She was transferred to St. Thomas; they performed a biopsy that confirmed a stage 4 Glioblastoma. This is a very aggressive and malignant form of cancer. There were 3 tumors in her brain.
Her surgery, on Tuesday, went well and she was transferred from St. Thomas to SkyLine on Friday to begin physical therapy. Chemo and radiation were to begin in a few weeks. On Sunday morning, while walking down the hall with her therapist, she collapsed and was gone. All this happened in a span of 9 days. It seems so surreal - While her death would be difficult for us under any circumstance, the fact that it was so unexpected makes it more so.
While we will miss her tremendously, it is a consolation to know that she is rejoicing in heaven, and that she's with all the other family members that have gone before her. For me . . . I feel as though someone has grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me hard (was that you, Sandra?) -- it has served as a reminder of what is really important in life. And while I probably already "knew" it, I wasn't living it. I feel like I'm awake now and I plan to make some changes that will allow me to spend more time with people that are important to me. 'Cause once they're gone -- they're gone. And then its too late.
So today we say "goodbye". And it's gonna be a tough day.
Congrats! ASHLEY & JARVIS
October 20, 2011 Ashley and Jarvis were married last weekend, October 15, in a beautiful ceremony held at Born Again Church.
We're always excited when we head out to cover a wedding, but there's always a little extra pep in our step when we head out to Born Again Church. While we may not know everyone's name, the smiling faces are familiar to us, and they always make us feel welcome.
Everything about the wedding day was happy and lovely. Check out Ashley and Jarvis' page for more details.
SOMETIMES ONLY VIDEO WILL DO - Sing Off
October 19, 2011 It amazes me that some brides still think that photos will capture everything they need on their wedding day.
In an effort to show how important it is to budget for a videographer as well as a photographer, I occasionally post raw footage clips that show examples of wedding day moments when clearly "only video will do". It's been awhile since I've posted one of these, but this is such a cute example, I just have to share.
I hope you'll enjoy this fun few minutes of Ashley and Jarvis' reception. More information about their wedding day will be posted very soon!
Congrats TALIA & KEVIN!
October 13, 2011 
Talia and Kevin were married on October 8, 2011. As you can see from their inspiration board, everything was beautiful! Click here for all the details.
PINK PUMPKINS!!!
October 6, 2011 I am continually surprised at how many people land on my blog by googling the words "pink pumpkins". Its been a regular search word in my stats since we blogged about Brooke and Jake's wedding last year.
I asked the Mother of the Bride (the crafty person responsible for all the pinkness) if she'd mind writing something for me describing how she created the pink beauties that were scattered all around at the wedding and reception venue. She was more than happy to share the details with any other brides out there that may want to do the same thing.
The Inspiration for Pink Pumpkins came when Brooke was about 6 years old on one of our annual trips to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. At one of the Holiday gift shops at Downtown Disney a room was decorated for all the princesses of the Magic Kingdom and I have never seen Brooke so enchanted as when we walked up on a room display of nothing but pink pumpkins in large and small shapes, some tied with lace and ribbons it was hard to pull her away from there! I had never seen pumpkins painted before or since in this fashion. Brooke did not want to do anything else that day but return over and over to see those pink pumpkins! The vision of those pumpkins was burned in both of our hearts and minds forever after that!
When Brooke and Jake got engaged and chose October as their wedding month there was NO doubt as to what the theme would be - Cinderella fall fantasy and PINK PUMPKINS! Pumpkins come in many shapes and sizes but I learned a few years ago that there are actually different varieties of pumpkins and that there are two pumpkins actually called a Cinderella pumpkin and a Fairytale Pumpkin. The Cinderella pumpkin is as it sounds, usually a larger, taller, more vertical orange pumpkin that you visualize could be turned into a pumpkin coach. The Fairytale pumpkin, ahhhhh a thing of beauty! it is wider, more full, has a muted vintage color of orange, and it has seams that are almost quilted or tufted in nature. When I laid my eyes on this pumpkin a few years ago even prior to knowledge of the future pending wedding of my daughter, I fell madly in love with this Fairytale pumpkin. It can be a centerpiece for any fall occasion just by simply spraying it with a light glaze and donning it as a centerpiece with it's beautiful old world orange color. I usually would tie raffia around the stem and sometimes some old vintage lace. I used them in the center of dining table, around my fireplace with fall leaves and also by my front door.
When we began our project for Brooke's Pink pumpkin wedding, I bought many of the Fairytale pumpkins in various sizes. I washed them, primed them with a coat of spray paint primer and then chose the color "ballet slipper" for the perfect shade of pink for her special day. Note, the Fairytale pumpkin is not carvable and does not need to be, it is exquisite quite all on it's on! After priming the pumpkins I then sprayed several coats of ballet slipper spray paint letting each coat dry. You can choose matte or semi-gloss paint to create whatever effect you desire. I actually used both and had two different looks, I also sprayed a shimmer or glitter paint on some of the pumpkins near the stem to add extra sheen. You may tie anything you wish around the stem. We chose strings of pearls, champagne colored tulle and vintage lace. I think Tulle is perfect for tying because it's opagueness gives a dreamy effect. You can tie it in bow form or just tie a knot at the stem and leave a long flowing streamer . I have found that tulle is a perfect affordable accent and a perfect way to glamorize many objects. It comes in many colors and thicknesses and It is sheer enough to create a halo, yet colorful enough to add depth. We also purchased 100 mini pumpkins that I also painted...whew! I paced myself to get them done.
Another good thing about these uncarvable pumpkins: they will last and last and last. Even though we had guests take the mini pink pumpkins as souvenirs, the larger pumpkins were brought home to enjoy, and they lasted until at least January when I finally sadly discarded them!
It is now October, almost the one year anniversary date of Brooke and Jake's Fairytale wedding... My local roadside market in Hermitage, Tennessee just got in and have on display, their Fairytale pumpkins! I will be choosing my pumpkins today and will also be painting at least one of those pumpkins " ballet slipper pink" in honor of Brooke and Jake's pink pumpkin wedding day! Just thinking about it makes me smile. There is just something about fall and pumpkins! Go out there and color your Happy fall occasion whether it be a wedding or birthday or anniversary with any color of pumpkin you desire. * note - many pumpkins patches do not have varieties of pumpkins so call your local Farmers Market and ask if they may have them for you.
Saundra Taylor - Mother of the Bride
Thank you, Saundra for taking time to share this -- I am sure there are many future brides out there that will appreciate the information!
Retweets - GOOD ADVICE
October 5, 2011 I would like to share a couple more tweets that hit close to home for me. I always tell brides that its important to budget for a videographer when making wedding plans. Being a wedding videographer, its only natural for me to think that way. But I'm not the only one . . .
If you would like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me here. 
Lynette | | tagged Sasha Souza, Sparkliatti, WeddingBee, budget, budgeting, tweets, twitter Share Article Email Article Post a Comment WEDDING MOVIE - Brooke & Jake
October 1, 2011 Brooke and Jake's wedding movie is now posted on their page. I recently posted their movie preview which focused mainly on the father/daughter dance (This One's for Harry). Now I'm happy to share their dance montage so you can see some of the fun that happened afterwards. If for no other reason, brides should hire a videographer to cover the "party" at their reception. Photos just can't capture all the action that takes place on the dancefloor!
THIS ONE'S FOR HARRY
September 18, 2011 Like I said in my last post, one of the best things about doing this job is getting to meet wonderful families and share a super important day with them. And even better than that is when we get to work for people who are already our friends. And while we take seriously every wedding that we shoot, there is something extra special about being there for people that already hold a special place in our hearts. Such was the case when we shot Brooke and Jake's wedding -- my husband and I have been friends with Saundra and Harry (parents of the bride) for many years; it was so much fun to watch them through the camera's eye as they celebrated the wedding day.
One of the most touching moments of almost every wedding we shoot is the father's dance with the bride. And Harry's dance with his daughter, Brooke, did not disappoint. I was one of many people there that had to wipe tears from their eyes during the dance -- the dance that started with father and daughter and ended up being a family affair. Here's the highlight clip - this one's for Harry.
