Bride's Guide: Bridal Bargains

Where Was This When I Was Getting Married?

As a recent Bride myself, I know what it is like to afford a wedding. We are always looking for a good deal to save ourselves some money. When shopping for your wedding it never fails that when you go into some of these bridal stores or any store that has the word "bridal" attached to it, the price is mysteriously higher!

Michael and I were recently in Red Bank, NJ doing some Christmas shopping when I found a beautiful little jewelry shop. The front of the shop has a lot of "fun" jewelry but in the back of the store, they have a large selection of Bridal Jewelry and other Bridal accessories! From veils to shoes to jewelry, that had a very large selection. The prices are very reasonable too. I bought a great bracelet as a gift for $14 and later that day saw something very similar in Macy's for $23.00. I love a good deal!

I wish I had been here before my wedding. I definitely would have bought a bunch of jewelry for my own wedding since the prices are so reasonable. I could go even as far as saying "what a deal!" I love it when I find good deals since I am definitely a bargain shopper. For those ladies out there who love deals, you understand what I am saying!

The name of the store is: Sunshine Daydreams
They have two locations:

513 Bay Aveue
Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
P: 732-701-9400

80 Broad Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
P: 732-741-0060

website: www.sunshine-daydream.com
email: sales@sunshine-daydream.com

This store is just so adorable. I bought my bridesmaids jewelry as a gift in New York City but could easily have got better deals here. In the very least, if you are in the Red Bank area, it might help to give you more ideas too.

I will keep my eyes open for any other "great deals" I can find for all of you brides out there. To all good shopping and good hunting!

Michelle DiChiaro
Videographer

ADVICE: Bride's Guide

You spent the last 6, 12, 18 or even 24+ months planning and preparing for your wedding day and it's almost here! Congratulations on surviving the planning of your wedding. It's no small task!

The Brides Guide is designed to help you understand what to expect on the day of your wedding while trying to save you money at the same time. Included in every wedding is our beautiful Bridal Elegance Film. We film you, your family and your friends preparing for the wedding day. When you are getting ready in the morning, everything will feel as if it is flying by. Anything you can do to make the day go smoother will help. One of our favorite bits of advice is handing your cellphone to your maid/matron of honor and have them answer any questions that come up or be your secretary for the day! It helps!!

To help you prepare for your big day, we suggest you have the following items out and available when we arrive. Your photographer and videographer will thank you for having these items available to them early so they don't have to ask you while you are busy.

Things You Should Have Available Are:

- The Bride's Dress (Hung Up on Display)
- Your Wedding Invitation
- Wedding Jewelry
- Bridal Shoes
- Bridal Veil
- Any Special Memorable Items
- Family Heirloom's

Don't forget your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue too!

This is your wedding day and these are your memories that you will have for a lifetime. Your photographer and videographer are there to capture and preserve every detail possible. I hope you enjoyed the suggestions. Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Michelle DiChiaro

How to Choose a Wedding Videographer

There are many things to look for in a wedding videographer but the critical factor is experience. Wedding videos are a specialist product and you need someone who understands the genre inside and out.

Here is an important point: It is quite common for people starting out in the video production business to begin by making wedding videos because they mistakenly see weddings as an easy way to get started. To make matters worse, once videographers become competent they often realize they can make more money doing other work. The result is that in some areas wedding videography is disproportionately serviced by inexperienced people.

However this just means you need to be careful — there are still plenty of excellent videographers who do weddings for genuine reasons. The key is to find out about their experience.

Ask For Demos

You must ask to see a demonstration tape of the videographer's previous work. There is no reason for them not to supply a demo — if they say they can't for privacy or other reasons, cross them off your list.

Ideally you should see a range of work from them, but also make sure you watch an entire video from start to finish. You want to know that they can cover the whole event well, not just get a few nice shots here and there. You might also like to ask for references from previous customers.

Communication Skills

The videographer should be able to get on with people and communicate well. Effective communication is important to make the day run smoothly, as well as making sure that everyone knows what to do and what to expect in relation to the video.

Videographers need to work with both guests and other professionals. If there is a dispute between them and the celebrant or photographer, the quality of the video could be affected.

Style

Different videographers have different styles and you should choose one which you are comfortable with. Common styles include:

• Fly-on-the-wall, reality-TV style
• Documentary, including interviews, voice-overs, etc
• Arty, cinematic styles

Price

Making good wedding videos is an expensive business and professionals need to charge a lot of money to turn a fair profit. You should regard cheap quotes with suspicion.

Professional videography is usually at least as expensive as professional photography. Remembering that most videos require several days of skilled labor with expensive equipment, you can see why good video production costs a lot.

Cameras & Equipment

You might like to ask what type of video camera and other equipment will be used. If you are familiar with video equipment this information might be useful but it's probably not necessary. An average camera in the hands of an expert is better than the most expensive camera operated by an average videographer.

It is definitely worth asking how many cameras will be used. A single camera is not really capable of capturing everything properly and safely. Two cameras will allow for much better shots and significantly reduce the chance of missing something important. A third camera, usually left on a static wide shot, provides even more safety and creative options.

Editing & Final Versions

Editing is very important. Good quality editing will make a huge difference. Ask these questions:

• How long will the final product be?
• Can you have more than one version, e.g. a full version and 15-minute highlights package?
• Do you Have Extras like Bloopers, Bridal and Groom Prep, etc?
  
• What titles, captions, etc will be included?
• Will the DVD have a title menu?
• What music be added?
  

Copyright and Extra Copies

Many videographers retain copyright of the finished product, usually so they can charge extra for additional copies. We feel that this is unjustified but you might have no choice. In any case it's important to clarify the situation. Creative Video Editing lets you retain your own copyright and therefore you can make as many copies of your video as you like. We will make copies of the DVD for you at a minimal cost to cover materials.

Last Word

Choose the best videographer you can afford. If necessary, make compromises on expenses for things which won't live as long as the video. It's a decision you won't regret.

Nominated for Best Videographer in South Jersey

We are proud to announce that Creative Video Editing has been nominated by MyFoxPhilly's HOTLIST Jersey Shore Edition for Best Videographer in South Jersey! We hope you will take the time to make a comment and vote for us! But please hurry, voting ends on May 11th!

VOTE NOW!

One of our favorite places in New Jersey to film weddings is on the Jersey Shore and all the way south to Cape May. So many beautiful weddings take place around our fabulous beaches and at places like Congress Hall in Cape May. We also do not charge any extra travel fees for any event within the tri-state area!

Creative Video Editing consistently delivers high quality films and an unmatched level of service. Our clients routinely rave about our films and professionalism. It's great to be recognized by the HOTLIST!