Let’s see if our two debaters can get to the bottom of it…

In the Red Corner, known in the office as the great organiser but this time fighting for the laid back, chilled wedding feel, it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, renowned for his relaxed and laid-back approach to life so naturally battling for the highly organised wedding day sticking straight to schedule, it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

Structured and Scheduled Vs Free-flowing and Carefree

FIGHT!!!

Dom: Your wedding day is supposed to be a day of joy – the greatest day of your life. You don’t want to spend it worrying about what’s supposed to happen next and making sure you’re following every last detail to the letter, you should relax and enjoy it!

Matt: You put so much work into planning your wedding day and often have so many ideas of all those things you want to do on the day that without following a plan it’s incredibly difficult to fit it all in. Coming up with a schedule of events can help to make sure your wedding day is everything you wanted it to be.

Dom: However well you’ve planned weddings never go exactly to schedule. Things happen that you just can’t for-see and often they turn out to be the best bits of the day! If you’re always rushing off to the next planned event those little magic spontaneous moments can be lost.

Matt: There are certain parts of the day that fundamentally have to run to schedule, for example the ceremony and sitting down for the meal when the food is still fresh, and if you don’t plan the parts around it then everything can easily end up being too late.

Dom: A lot of venues like the bigger hotels have such a set way of doing things that it’s very difficult to break out of their structure and put your own stamp on the day. Your wedding should be an expression of you and your personalities – not restricted by what’s been done before.

Matt: Hotels and venues that have their own planner do tend to have a fairly structured way of doing things which for the majority of people who haven’t thought about every detail is really helpful and takes the pressure off in terms of making sure everything’s covered.

Dom: When you have people assigned to make sure things run to schedule and everything is so fixed it’s sometimes very difficult changing it if you suddenly decide you want more time for pictures or to chat to your guests or whatever activity you find yourself enjoying at that point in time. Schedules may be designed to avoid stress but they often end up causing far more of it than just having a relatively loose outline of the day.

Matt: Without a structure it’s very easy to get carried away and go with the flow too much and end up with everyone just waiting around. Whilst you don’t want to be stressed, having certain things firmly in place is actually very helpful for the guests and ensures no-one gets bored or ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time!

Dom: Planning a wedding, though stressful at times, is a really nice joint project for you and your partner and there’s an enormous enjoyment in that and a sense of achievement putting it together your way rather than sticking to regimented ideas and set structures imposed by others. You only share your wedding day once – don’t let someone else do it for you!

Matt: Planning your wedding day is hugely time consuming and, if you don’t have lots of prior knowledge about weddings, involves lots of research on every topic. Adopting a structure that’s been tried and tested by the pros saves a lot of time and unnecessary hard work whilst still allowing a little wiggle-room to put your own stamp on events!

So where do you stand? Is it better to have more of a pre-determined structure to your wedding or do you lean more towards going with the flow? Let us know by placing your vote below and don’t forget if you have any points you’d like to throw into the mix then let your voice be heard in the comments section!

The post Friday Fight-Out: Structured and Scheduled Vs Free-flowing and Care-free appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Time to battle it out…

In the Red Corner, charged this week with fighting the case for full coverage, she is after all a big fan of 24 where “events occur in real time”… in fact we’re watching series one again even as we write this so apologies if anything explodes whilst you’re reading this post… It’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, fighting this week for the cinematic highlight film (but then he has spent his entire day in the editing suite and after that shorter is definitely sounding sweeter right now!) It’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

Full Coverage Vs Cinematic Highlights

FIGHT!!

Dom: Every moment of your wedding ceremony is precious to you and it’s nice to have a full record of how everything happened to look back upon as the memories fade.

Matt: Shorter highlight films help to inspire your memories by showing you little glimpses of the day whilst being much more fast-flowing and entertaining to watch. Longer full-length videos rarely get watched whereas a shorter video can easily be watched regularly over and over.

Dom: It’s nice for those people that weren’t there to have the chance to watch the ceremony in full and experience it as much as possible.

Matt: Highlights films can still be of quite a reasonable length and include lots of coverage so that you feel you’re seeing the whole day, but tend to be much more interesting to watch for your friends and can even be shared more easily online via Facebook etc to help everyone to see it.

Dom: Many videographers will include a highlights film along with full coverage of the speeches and ceremony in some of their packages. That way you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Matt: True, but these tend to be much more expensive packages as to achieve full coverage the videographer may need a lot of additional expensive equipment such as additional audio devices and static cameras that may not be as necessary for a highlights film.

Dom: During the ceremony in particular you tend to be carried on by the emotion and it can all end up a bit of a blur. Having full coverage allows you to look back on it and experience it in a whole new way and fully appreciate everything that happened.

Matt: Highlights films offer so much more creativity – they can be more like moving photographs and carefully edited together to create an exciting story of the day. They can be cut to music and the shorter clips allow the videographer to make many more artistic choices as opposed to having to keep the camera static to ensure that footage is continuous throughout. The result is a much more cinematic film.

Dom: If you’re one of the people giving a speech nerves tend to easily get the better of you and it’s very hard to really take in what the other speakers are saying in the build up to your own speech. Watching the video back allows you to actually sit back and enjoy the speeches without any of the stress!

Matt: The speeches and ceremony are of course incredibly important but they’re not the only thing the day is about. The highlight films focus on telling the story of the whole celebration rather than just one part and can reveal many more moments you may have missed over the course of the day.

So those are our arguments but which way would you go? You can register your vote and add your comments below!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Wedding Videos – Full Coverage Vs Cinematic Highlights appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

In the Red Corner, representing the more traditional top table, despite being an experienced wedding photographer at her own wedding she forgot it was customary for the guests to wait for the top table to be seated before sitting down themselves and went for a wander to look at the decorations leaving everyone unable to sit! It’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, fighting for the Sweetheart table although to be honest as a videographer his idea of a great table layout is one where all the people giving speeches are sat next to each other so can fit around one microphone, it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

Top Table Vs Sweetheart Table

FIGHT!!

Photo by Toast of Leeds

Dom: The top table is more sociable than a sweetheart table and gives a chance to talk about the day and everything that’s happened with those closest to you.

Matt: Most of your wedding day is spent being a good host and going around and talking to everyone, it’s nice to be able to enjoy a quiet dinner together, particularly as it’s your first as husband and wife.

Dom: Being on the top table has a certain status, a recognition for the wedding VIP’s which can be very meaningful for some.

Matt: The top table can sometimes feel quite imposing and discourage people from coming over to talk to the bride and groom, particularly when it’s raised and separated from the rest of the guests with just the VIP’s on it.

Dom: The same can be said for the sweetheart table – with just the two of you it’s quite intimate and people may not feel they can interrupt and come and talk to you whereas often a bigger table with more people chatting to each other can be easier to approach.

Matt: Choosing who should have the honour of being on the top table can be really tricky and the numbers don’t always work out. Do you have all your family members? If the best man and maid of honour is on the top table should their partners also be on the table even if you don’t really know them or do they have to sit on their own? Having your own table makes it much easier.

Dom: The top table gives a nice focal point for all the guests, particularly for the speeches where it’s handy to have one point to focus on rather than having to keep moving around the room to see each speaker.

Matt: The top table generally needs to be fairly long and facing all of the other guests and sometimes the venue just doesn’t allow room for a top table whereas a small sweetheart table is far easier to accommodate.

Dom: The top table often makes it easier to get candid photographs during the reception whereas sometimes sweetheart tables can lead to the VIP’s getting lost in the crowd. For the speeches as well a top table tends to mean the wedding party are facing the same way meaning you can get everyone’s expressions in the shot whereas with a sweetheart table they may all be facing each other so only one person’s face can be in the photo. Depending on the photographer’s style this may cause them problems.

Matt: The top table is quite a formal idea whereas the sweetheart table perhaps helps to create a more relaxed atmosphere, particularly as it can be placed right in the middle of the room amongst the guests rather than being a little separated at one end of the room.

Photo by York Place Studios

So those are our arguments but we’d love for you to join the debate! You can leave your comments below and register your opinion via our voting system!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Top Table Vs Sweetheart Table appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Wedding Traditions – Something Old Vs Something New

In the Red Corner, recommending boldly going where no bride has gone before (yes we did watch the new Star Trek movie this week!), throwing aside tradition in favour of something new it’s Dom “The Tog Bride.”

In the Blue Corner, all in favour of sticking to tradition and particularly looking to revive his old family tradition of having Fish & Chips every Wednesday… man I miss those fish & chips! It’s Matt “The Gormless Groom.”

FIGHT!!

Dom: Traditions can be great, but it’s your wedding day and I think putting as much of a personal stamp on it as possible is important. If you don’t want to have a cake to cut why should you? If you want to say your own vows I think that’s lovely, don’t let tradition stand in the way of having the wedding you really dreamed of!

Matt: Traditions have stuck around so long because they work: they form a structure and a method to the wedding that genuinely works. It’s a tried and tested formula, with each traditional part of the day such as the speeches, the cutting of the cake, the first dance heralding the next stage of the day and acting as a fixed point of entertainment for the guests.

Dom: Most of the traditions associated with weddings come from a spiritual background and many have religious connotations. The idea of something old, new, borrowed and blue for example was originally meant to ward off evil spirits. For those that don’t hold religious beliefs some of these traditions may feel inappropriate.

Matt: But whatever their origin traditions take on new meaning over time – the father giving away the bride is a beautiful moment, but he’s no longer passing on ‘ownership’ of the bride, it’s simply an acceptance into the family by the father to his soon-to-be son-in-law.

Dom: First looks are far from traditional and break probably the number one rule of the traditional wedding: the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding, but they can be absolutely magical. Having that moment in private and defying the tradition actually helps make more of the moment and make it even more special.

Matt: First looks can be magical, but I also think that seeing the bride for the first time as she walks up the aisle to marry you is pretty darn special too!

Dom: You want your wedding to be unique, to be memorable and different from all the other weddings you’ve been to. Traditions create a very rigid structure and it’s hard to be original whilst adhering to them, sometimes it’s better just to break free completely.

Matt: Traditions can be particularly important to older generations and it may be upsetting for them if you break away from wedding traditions completely. Doing it your way doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning tradition, perhaps just updating it!

Dom: It’s your wedding and you should have it however you want it even if you might run the risk of upsetting someone. Once they get used to the idea people will generally come on board and embrace your new ideas!

Matt: Carrying out those traditions you’re taking part in something that your parents, and their parents before them along with all of your ancestors have all done on their wedding day and that’s a really nice feeling. It’s great looking back at all the photos of your parents and grandparents cutting the cake and comparing them to your own!

So those are our points but we’d love for you all to add your points to the fold! Leave a comment below, but not before you’ve placed your vote on which side you agree with!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Wedding Traditions – Something Old Vs Something New appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Time to step into the ring and find out!

Catering for Suppliers Vs Supplier Self Catering

In the Red Corner, battling it out for the wedding suppliers dinners, she was so determined to look after the photographer for her own wedding that she not only provided him with dinner but invited along his whole family… and for the BBQ the night before as well! It’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, fighting the cause for suppliers catering for themselves, well… he does make a mean sandwich after all! It’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”

FIGHT!!

Photo by York Place Studios

Dom: By the time the wedding breakfast comes around suppliers like your photographer, videographer and planner may have been working for 8 hours or more, constantly on their feet and often without eating anything at all. By that point a hot meal is always much appreciated!

Matt: Wedding breakfast meals may be costing you upwards of £35 per head. When you’re already paying a lot of money for your suppliers adding that extra cost can seem like rather a lot, particularly when there are numerous suppliers to cater for.

Dom: Particularly with your photographer and/or videographer you’re paying so much presumably because you want amazing images and their creative ideas. It’s very difficult to be at your best when you’re hungry and lacking in energy, and the meal is often just what you need to recharge.

Matt: It’s generally perfectly possible for suppliers to bring a packed lunch for themselves and eat that whilst the breakfast is being served.

Dom: Inviting your suppliers to join your guests for the meal helps to make them feel more welcome and part of the wedding day which in turn helps to put them at ease and do their best work!

Matt: Photographers and videographers often use the dinner period away from the guests to check what images they’ve got, back up cards, talk through the rest of the day with their second shooters. That’s often impossible when eating with the guests.

Dom: Sharing a meal with the guests gives your photographer/videographer a chance to talk to the guests a little, get to know them and help to put them at their ease rather than just coming across as some sort of paparazzi photographing them all day!

Matt: Suppliers can sometimes feel awkward being seated for a meal with the guests – they’re there to do a job and some prefer to keep some degree of separation between themselves and the guests.

Dom: The suppliers don’t necessarily have to sit with the guests to enjoy their meal. Suppliers are normally more than happy to eat their meals separately but appreciate the gesture of being provided with a good hot meal.

Matt: When eating separately the caterers tend to understandably prioritise the guests dinners over the suppliers, meaning that often the suppliers won’t be fed until the end of the guests meals, by which point they generally need to return to work. When eating their own packed lunch they have the freedom to choose when to eat and make sure the timings work!.

So those are our arguments but which side of the debate are you on? Place your votes below or add to the debate in the comments section!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Catering for Suppliers Vs Supplier Self-Catering appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Let’s find out as we step into the ring for this week’s battle:

Guest Photography Vs Pro Only

In the Red Corner, she’s a pro wedding photographer herself so we thought we’d controversially ask her to fight on behalf of the guests for a change, at her own wedding she actually provided the guests with a series of old film cameras with specific instructions TO take pictures, it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, often seen fighting his way through a crowd of photographers to get his video camera ready for the shot (although also occasionally spotted filming people taking photos), this week fighting for a guest photo ban, it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”

FIGHT!!

Photo by Ed Peers

Dom: Guest photos are good fun to look at! Your pro will be looking for particular types of shots and will probably be looking for something fairly serious, whereas the guests are free to take whatever they want which can become increasingly comical as the night wears on!

Matt: Flashes and camera noises going off all the time can be extremely distracting, particularly during the ceremony, and in a lot of the lighting conditions you’re likely to find yourself dealing with over the course of a wedding day the guest’s cameras won’t be able to cope anyway and many of those shots just won’t be usable.

Dom: It always takes a little while for the pro photographer to process the images and get them to the couple. Guest shots can effectively fill the void between the wedding day and the arrival of the pro photos and help to build up the anticipation!

Matt: Sometimes guests can become a little over-zealous with their photography and take the position that the pro-photographer needs to get the best shot. As a photographer it can be very difficult to ask guests to move out of the way, and if they’re using direct flash they might ruin the pro shot as they will have carefully balanced the lighting conditions.

Dom: The guests are all your friends and family and they want their own record of your day to look back on. The pro photos aren’t always shared on Facebook etc. and people like to share the guest photos and comment on them. The pro photos are really for the couple, whereas the guest pics are for the guests.

Matt: Sometimes the guest cameras (which are often mistaken for the pro’s camera) are so distracting during the ceremony that certain venues have banned photography of any sort during the ceremony. This means you won’t get a record of the event at all. However if you can guarantee that only one photographer will be taking any pictures and that they will use those stealthy photographer skills to remain discreet you may be able to convince the venue/registrar.

Dom: Guests will sometimes do things in front of their friends cameras that they wouldn’t do with a professional that they don’t know. It can lead to some brilliant photos and even if the quality isn’t as good sometimes the pro spots the moment and can sneakily get the same shot without trying to orchestrate it themselves!

Matt: The guests are there to enjoy themselves, not be busy taking pictures! That’s what you’ve hired the professional for in the first place!

Dom: Your photographer, much as they might try, can’t be everywhere at once! Sometimes the guests capture moments that the pro misses, and the more photos of your wedding day the better! Some amateur photographers are genuinely pretty good so you might get a few great extra bonus shots!

Matt: Professional wedding photographers are trained to get the most flattering shots and carefully select their images to make sure the bride and groom look their absolute best at all times. Amateur photos often capture unflattering angles and make the happy couple look rather less than perfect.

Photo by Ed Peers

So those are our arguments but which way will you go? You can place your vote below or add to the debate by leaving a comment or catching us on Facebook or Twitter

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Guest Photography Vs Pro Only appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Maiden Name Vs Change Your Surname

In the Red Corner, presenting the arguments for keeping your maiden name, she holds a dual name status known professionally as Dominique Shaw and privately as Mrs Thompson, it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, putting forward the points for changing your surname, although he himself tends to be known more as “Mr T” than his own full surname (please don’t pity the fool), it’s Matt “the Gormless Groom”

FIGHT!

Dom: Getting married is in itself a monumental commitment and in the modern day it’s not really necessary to change your name as well. Changing your name comes from old traditions and it’s now much more acceptable to keep your own name,

Matt: Changing your name helps to make you feel like a family. If you have kids you’ll all share the same name, it helps others to recognise that together you are a unit.

Dom: In business your name is synonymous with your reputation and for a lot of people your name is actually your business name. In an age of social media your name tends to be spread much wider and you may have invested a lot of time and money into getting that name out there on the internet. Changing it can have a very negative effect on your business.

Matt: But that’s only generally when running your own business or if you are, for example, an actress. It’s quite possible to keep your name for professional purposes but change it privately and experience the best of both worlds!

Dom: Changing your name isn’t necessarily a simple process. There’s all kinds of forms you need to change and people to notify and it can become quite expensive with administration fees, new passports, driving license etc.

Matt: Some people just don’t like their surname and this is your chance to change it! You might also have personal reasons for wanting to change your name.

Dom: The fact that it’s still generally the woman that changes her name is surely a sign of inequality. Why should women have to take on a man’s identity? Surely if a name change is to take place it should be through mutual agreement rather than due to a tradition of male superiority!

Matt: If you change your name you become a Mrs. which some people perhaps, rightly or wrongly, attach more respectability and seniority to.

Dom: If you’re an only daughter and change your name there’s a chance your family name could eventually die out. You may want to ensure that family lineage continues.

Matt: Sharing a name is an important symbol of the journey you’re taking together and that you are truly joined in all things.

So those are our arguments but which side are you on? Place your votes below or add to the debate by leaving your comments!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Maiden Name Vs Change Your Surname appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Legalities on the Wedding Day Vs Separate Legal Ceremony

In the Red Corner, fighting for the separate ceremony, she loved having the chance to wear a wedding dress more than once for her own separate ceremonies so much that she would probably have had even more weddings if she could! It’s Dom “The Tog Bride”.

In the Blue Corner, fighting for the more traditional single legally binding ceremony, he and his wallet almost had a heart-attack when a second UK reception was also suggested as well as two wedding ceremonies for his own wedding, it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

FIGHT!

P.S. Remember the sides of the arguments we take are assigned to us and don’t necessarily represent our own opinions. I say this mostly to remind Dom before she tries to kill me for arguing against the way we ourselves got married…

OH GET ON WITH IT!!

Image by York Place Studios

Dom: The legalities of getting married, particularly in the UK, can be really quite restrictive. You can’t get married outside in England, you can only marry in certain places and the wording of the ceremony has to follow a strict script. Getting the legalities out of the way perhaps the day before the actual wedding means you can have whatever ceremony your heart desires!

Matt: Once the legalities are completed you are, to all intents and purposes, married. Although you may consider the main ceremony to be your actual wedding it might not feel as special if you’re actually already married and you’re effectively ‘faking’ your wedding for your friends and family.

Dom: But if you complete the legalities at a registry office you don’t have to do every part of the ceremony. At our legal ceremony, for example, we didn’t exchange rings, and until we did I don’t think either of us really felt married. It can be more of just an extension of the wedding; don’t forget in some cultures wedding ceremonies last several days before you can truly consider yourselves married!

Matt: Having more than one ceremony adds extra expense, particularly as most people do want to mark the occasion in some way. One wedding is expensive enough without having a second one to worry about!

Dom: Having two ceremonies allows you to have your wedding in two completely different ways and experience both. Many people choose for the legal ceremony to be very small and intimate, often with only family present whilst having a much more lavish wedding celebration afterwards with everyone they know. It can be really nice to share such a momentous event with just those people closest to you whilst still having the chance to share it with everyone else later on.

Matt: If you’re having a destination wedding but completing the legalities at home first then any guests may only want to come to the legal ceremony rather than go through all the expense and effort of travelling abroad for a wedding that doesn’t actually declare you legally married.

Dom: Sometimes having two ceremonies is really the only option! When getting married abroad it can often be incredibly complicated to arrange a legally binding wedding, particularly when the words that must legally be spoken are in a different language. Completing the legalities before you travel means you don’t need to worry about it and can save yourself months of stress trying to sort it out.

Matt: If you’re looking to make the legal ceremony feel like part of the overall wedding then the bride may want to wear her wedding dress. This can take away some of the impact on the main wedding day as the groom has already seen the bride in her dress.

Dom: Having a ceremony where you don’t need to worry about the legalities means you can have a service that’s completely unique and custom tailored to be 100% relevant to the couple. I’ve photographed humanist ceremonies where the officiant has worked with the couple to create a ceremony all about their lives together rather than speaking in general terms about marriage and it’s been incredibly touching, emotional and at times hilarious!

Matt: There are traditions of a wedding ceremony that centre around the legalities and are really lovely but may not be possible or lose a lot of their meaning if you’ve already actually completed the legal side of things.

Photo by Ed Peers

So those are our arguments but which side will win? You can vote for which side you’re on below and/or leave your comments to add to the debate!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Legalities on the Day Vs Separate Legal Ceremony appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Time to find out!

Outdoor Vs Indoor

In the Red Corner, fighting for the outdoor ceremony, she’s a documentary photographer who uses only natural or available light and it don’t get much more natural than direct sunlight, it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, fighting to keep it indoors (well he has spent many years working in theatres where daylight was rarely glimpsed) it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

FIGHT!!

Dom: The first thing most people do to make their wedding ceremony venue look really beautiful is to bring in natural elements – flowers, garlands, sometimes even trees! Why not save yourself all that effort (and money) and get married surrounded by the full beauty of nature?

Matt: **WARNING: UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR ABOUT TO BE MADE**

The weather in the UK is a little unpredictable. Getting married in driving wind, rain and (based on this year at least) snow isn’t all that appealing. You can’t really plan ahead for what the weather is going to be like on your day and so going for an outdoor wedding is a very risky plan.

Dom: I think the key is to have a backup plan. Choose a venue that has facilities for both an outdoor or indoor ceremony so that if the weather’s bad you can move indoors. That way you’re safe either way.

Matt: It’s not just the weather actually on the day that can be a problem – if your guests are sitting out on the grass and it’s rained in the last few days it might get muddy or the ground might be too soft for all the ladies dressed up in their high heels.

Dom: Again there are ways around this – if it is taking place on grass you can still lay an outdoor carpet down the aisle to make it easy for the guests (and the bride) to get to their seats. Practical and pretty!

Matt: It’s not just the weather that can cause problems, a solitary bee can cause chaos at a wedding! Imagine saying “I do” whilst half your guests are looking in the air and cowering from a winged terror! Or what if the guests have hay fever? Those tissues might be needed for more reasons than just the emotion of the ceremony!

Dom: Although you can’t get married completely outside in England you can in the beautiful landscape of Scotland or indeed for many destination weddings. You also have the option to complete the legalities in a separate smaller ceremony which means you can have the main ceremony completely outside however your want it.

Matt: Your wedding is a massively private event and it’s much easier to keep it that way if you’re holding the ceremony inside. Unless it’s in a private garden then people may well be looking on or even coming and almost joining the guests in watching proceedings and you can end up feeling very self conscious.

Dom: Getting married outside opens up so many opportunities that are just so different from traditional weddings! Imagine getting married on the beach at sunset (the rules on timings do now allow a sunset wedding) or getting married in a forest. Being outside in beautiful natural light can just be amazing (and lead to some EPIC wedding photos!)

So those are our points but which side do you fall on? Outdoor or Indoor? You can register your opinion by voting below or leaving a comment!

images by York Place Studios

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Outdoor Vs Indoor Ceremony appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.

Same Day Edit Vs Wait and See

In the Red Corner, as a Documentary Wedding Photographer the idea of trying to stop and edit on the day instead of continue taking pictures is somewhat alien to her, and so fighting to wait until they’ve been carefully edited and processed before seeing the pictures  it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”

In the Blue Corner, he doesn’t offer same day edits himself (not least because his poor mistreated laptop would probably still be desperately trying to import the video files into the editing suite long after the wedding had finished), but charged with fighting the cause of the same day edit it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

FIGHT!!

Image by York Place Studios

Dom: The timescale involved in getting together a same day edit for either the photos or video is so tight that you’re just not going to get it looking anywhere near as good as it would look with a bit of time spent on it. You don’t have time to go through and painstakingly select the best shots, process and perfect them over a short dinner break and so the first time you see your photos or video they’re not going to be looking their best.

Matt: The idea of the same day edit is to be able to show the first part of the day to the guests after dinner on a big screen. It can be a great part of the day and a real event, normally you don’t get to see the video or photos for the first time with a full audience after all!

Dom: It’s a logistical nightmare completing a same day edit – you’d need to carry extra equipment, find a way to ensure enough time to get something together and you’d probably have to take fewer photos during the day to ensure you could get through them all fast enough. It may be nice to show them to the guests but you’re likely to compromise the quality of the photos to accommodate it.

Matt: Seeing a little preview of your photos or video can really raise the excitement and anticipation for seeing the final cut later, particularly when you’re seeing it just hours after it happened.

Dom: Photographers use the editing process to remove all those little imperfections and make you look your absolute best in the photos. They don’t have time to do that with a same day edit, so you will be showing photos and video to a large group whilst not looking the best you can.

Matt: Your guests don’t necessarily get to see your wedding video or photos in normal circumstances – this is a great way to make sure everyone sees it!

Dom: The first image you see from your wedding always stays with you and shapes the way you think about the rest of the images. If it doesn’t look perfect you might have negative thoughts about the rest of the imagery too that will stay with you.

Matt: If you have the photos ready they can potentially be incorporated into the speeches as amazing visual aids for the speakers and hopefully provide a few additional jokes.

Dom: In order to remain fully creative it’s important for the photographer or videographer to actually take a break and get some food over dinner. If they’re editing away for you they won’t have time to stop and take a break all day.

Matt: The same day edit isn’t necessarily the final cut, it really is just a preview and doesn’t have to be perfect, but the photos and videos are designed to evoke emotion, and seeing that first cut with a live audience can be really magical.

Image by York Place Studios

So those are the arguments but which side will you choose? Same day Vs Wait and See, you can place your vote below and also join the debate in our comments section!

The post The Friday Fight-Out: Same Day Edit Vs Wait and See appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.