since they will be with you on the most important day of your life, it is critical that you feel completely comfortable with them so that you can be at ease in front of the camera.  I spend about an hour or two with my couples in an E-session, listening to them, laughing and having fun with them and getting to know them all while photographing them.  This helps me bring their personalities into their pictures on their wedding day as well. This session is a blast, you and your fiancé can be goofy, you can be serious, you can be romantic, and most importantly you can be yourself in front of the camera.  This session will capture you and your fiancé and your personalities, going beyond the boring and stiff poses and fake smiles.
Choose a location that is important or meaningful to you and your fiancé.  Maybe it’s the place you two got engaged, or somewhere you spend a lot of time, maybe by the water or in the mountains.  If you want to travel outside of Sacramento ask your photographer if that is an option; this way your images will be more meaningful to you as opposed to going to a park and snapping a few pictures.  Another great idea is to have your hair and makeup trial on the same day as your E-session, this way you can test the hair and makeup while looking exceptionally fabulous in the pictures!
Once you see your images from your E-session you will be even more excited about your wedding day and even more confident in yourself and your photographer.  Once you have the images you use them for your save-the-dates, include one in your wedding invitation, submit one to your local newspaper (with permission from your photographer) and choose your favorite to have displayed at your wedding and even create a custom guest book with all of your favorite images in it.  
Whatever your choice may be, I encourage you to get creative and go out and have fun with your photographer and you will get amazing pictures from it!  Creating relationships with your vendors, especially your Photographer is key to a successful wedding and will help keep you focused on the most important part of your day, the two of you.
 ~Jackie Willard
Jacqueline Photography

Our private, non-denominational Chapel is complete with bell tower and features a unique arched wooden ceiling in the sanctuary. Guests are welcomed at the vine covered arbor entrance, with ample, accessible parking. Following the exchange of rings and vows, the elegant Rose Garden Courtyard with its striking fountain completes the memorable setting for your wedding photographs.

The ultimate outdoor venue is the General's Garden, an historic home and landscape filled with colorful planters, blooming vines and illuminated trees. A custom-built cedar arbor provides the perfect focal point for the ceremony and celebration. Seating up to 250 guests, the country estate setting is a wedding dream come true!

Stay in one of our elegant suites or cottages before and after your special day and enjoy a romantic Sacramento getaway.

know them and their services a little better. 

Perform a search online for something such as ‘wedding flowers Sacramento’.  The phrase ‘wedding flowers Sacramento’ targets not only those who specialize in wedding flowers, but will also narrow down local designers in your area.  Another great resource is Sacramento Bride and Groom’s vendor directory online, which lists the best floral designers in the Greater Sacramento area. 

Whether you have received a recommendation or have seen someone’s work first hand, make sure you explore their website.  Does their work speak to you?  Do you like their designs and ideas?  Do they feature a portfolio which displays some of their current work? Other helpful information will also be on their website such as pricing, the services they offer, and maybe even a blog with helpful hints and past weddings. 

After narrowing down a few designers who appeal to your taste, schedule a
consultation.  Only schedule consultations with people who seem to be a good
fit for what you are looking for.  You don't want to invest your, as well as
their time and money into a dead-end vendor connection.  If it means that
you speak over the phone before meeting in person, any designer should be
more than willing to address any concerns you may have.

If you are planning on meeting with multiple floral designers, you must remember that flowers are priced based on many different variables which influence the cost.  The time of year, types of flowers, designs, and designers availability all reflect in the cost of your blooms.  Another item to keep in mind is that every designer may interpret what you are asking for in different ways, which influences the cost.  To give you an idea of different price points, have the designer show you photos of past work so that you can see the size and scale your dollar will get.  When comparing bids and making the final decision of who you will be working with consider who you connected with, who understood the look you were going for and offered ideas and suggestions to carry out your wishes.  Remember, you will be keeping in close contact with your designer throughout your engagement and up until your wedding. 

Hopefully, this article can help you through your floral planning journey! Many
brides don't know where or how to begin choosing a designer, so we wish you
all well!

Audrey Gardemeyer, Botanica Floral Designs

Your first & last name, the date and timeframe of your event, the locations of the ceremony and reception, your contact information such as the phone number to call back or the best e-mail address to reach you and possibly a good time to contact you.
If you are calling from a cell phone, be sure to leave your phone number twice. Cell phones often drop out and we only hear part of the phone number, or your name does not come through clearly.

Very often in both the phone messages and e-mail contacts- Information is incomplete or minimal. There are parts missing and it can make the difference for vendors to get back to you quickly and effectively.
In today’s technology based world with all the different means of communication, don’t forget the best way to get detailed information about your event from a vendor is to meet face-to-face, but the initial contact is also extremely important and should allow you and the vendor the best opportunity to give and receive information effectively.
Eric Leas
916-788-1690, www.acti-video.com

• Is their personality such that you would like to be with them throughout the entire day on one of the most important days of your life?
• Are they a member of any photography associations?  Associations such as Professional Photographers of the Sacramento Valley (PPSV), Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), etc. have codes of ethics that the member must sign.  In addition, they provide education that helps the photographer keep up with the latest in photography trends.
• Do they have liability insurance?  If someone trips over their camera bag, you want the photographers insurance to cover it!
• How long have they been photographing weddings and how many weddings have they photographed?  The inexperienced photographer may give you a great price, but do you want to take a risk at your wedding?
• Are they willing to work within my budget? No matter how good they are, you have to decide if you can afford their services.  It’s probably not worth it to start off your marriage knee deep in credit card bills. 

(Gail is Vice President of the PPSV and has been photographing weddings for the last seven years)

Gail Shoop-Lamy, www.qphotoart.com

are in the moment. Then let go of any worries or responsibilities you have at home. Find someone to walk your dog-or whatever it is you need taken care of so you won’t have to think about it for one moment. Then think about what you really want out of this trip. It is possible that you will have transportation delays or bad weather. The question is can you still have what you want out of the trip if those things happen. It's all about how you handle it that makes the difference. This is not an easy task, but such an important one that often gets missed. You have to continue to remind yourself of what is important, what to let go of and what you need to do to be in the moment. We don’t always find ourselves in the experiences that we saw for ourselves but the problem is that we tried to see it. If the memory is how happy you were to be spending time with your new spouse, then it was the perfect honeymoon. The weather or the traffic won’t even be a factor. If you can do this successfully, you will realize that you don’t even need a honeymoon to make this happen. You will be able to relax and take a break and have that romantic experience anywhere at any time throughout your entire marriage. Ahh a great marriage-even better than the perfect honeymoon.

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