VENDOR OF THE WEEK: WATERTOWN FILMS

Jan 12th

by: Lauren

I’m so excited to introduce you all to this week’s Vendor of the Week, Watertown Films! Based in Portland, Oregon, this husband and wife cinematography duo travels all over the West Coast capturing couples’ wedding days flawlessly. Get to them a bit through their interview below, and then be sure to watch the video- it’s amazing!

Why do you see yourself as being Modern, Vintage, Classic, or Eclectic?

We find ourselves being any or all of these depending on the wedding we are filming. Our main goal is to capture your wedding as organically as possible, telling your story beyond just the details. Stories compel us. They move us. They create emotional attachment. Stories connect with the depth of our souls. As Muriel Rukeyser beautifully put it, “The Universe is made of stories, not Atoms.” You have a story, and it’s begging to be told, whether you know it or not. Your wedding day is about more than just stuff, it is a reflection of the two of you. It is the story that led up to this day and the story that will continue long after. Regardless of the style, we hope you will trust us to capture it perfectly.

What is your favorite wedding detail you’ve ever seen or created?

We have had the opportunity to work with some of the most authentic and generous couples we have ever known. These characteristics can always be seen down to the smallest details of a wedding. One of our amazing couples had old classic books as a part of the table decorations for each table at the reception. Inside those books they had written personal letters to every person at the table, recounting memories and thanking them for the role they had played in their lives. It was such a touching personal detail, and the guests couldn’t stop talking about it! This is by far one of our most memorable details. We are still good friends with this couple today and couldn’t be happier about it.

What is your favorite store or brand?

Craig: I first wanted to say REI, but I can’t in good conscience because I go in there and just window shop and pretend like I’m going to go climb MT. Everest. In reality, all I end up doing is wearing those really expensive hiking boots on a walk around the neighborhood park. So, with all that being said my favorite store is probably….the GAP.

Nicole: I love Pottery Barn! I love the colors, the textures, the design. If I could decorate my house with everything in there, I’d be a happy camper!

What is your favorite thing about weddings?

Craig: My favorite thing about a wedding is the couple themselves as well as all the friends and family that they have chosen to surround themselves with. To be more specific, my world gets rocked when that couple is so OPEN and honest about their struggles and feelings and all the emotions welling up inside that it overflows with beautiful acts of love. The hand written vows, a quick prayer before the ceremony, an emotionally tender first look.s..these are the things that I love being a part of.

Nicole: I love the relationship building aspect of weddings the most. We have made some amazing friends out of the clients we have filmed. Our goal is to connect with and get to know our couples as well as we can, because that makes the wedding day so much more fun and enjoyable for all of us. The intimate moments that we get to be a part of are so worth it!

What qualities do you possess that enable you to work well with brides and grooms?

We are easy going and love adventure. We are not going get frazzled on your wedding day if things don’t go exactly as planned, and we hope you won’t either! The goal at the end of the day is that you leave married…and our goal is to get it all on film.

What steps do you take to ensure that your clients will have amazing wedding days when working with you?

We get to KNOW you! Whether that’s having coffee, going out to dinner, or skyping a lot, we invest in every couple we work with. We feel like this is the most important thing we can do to make your wedding film amazing, because we will know you well enough to know how to tell your story. We also take the time to contact the other vendors before the wedding day, especially the DJ and Photographer, so that we can ensure we all work well together and make your wedding day a success!

That’s just the tip of the iceberg…let’s set up a time to talk, and we’d love to tell you more.

Watertown Films

contact: Craig Flood

email: hello@watertownfilms.com | phone: 503.974.6087

website: http://www.watertownfilms.com

twitter: Follow @WatertownFilms | facebook: “Like” Watertown Films!

location: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington | type: Cinematography | style: Classic, Eclectic, Modern, Vintage | price: $$, $

Exclusive ELD Vendors

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VENDOR OF THE WEEK: WATERTOWN FILMS
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A Nautical Navy and Green California Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 7 Comments

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Jan 10th

by: Sammantha

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I am so excited to share this gorgeous California wedding planned by Jove Meyer Events and photographed by Aroha Photography! With a subtle nautical theme, this lovely wedding day was filled with beaches, fields, and the prettiest flowers!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

Jove Meyer from Jove Meyer Events was a key piece in the wedding planning process before and on the day of the wedding. He flew out to California during the planning and for the wedding to coordinate the day of… It wouldn’t have been a magical day with out his contributions!

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

I needed vendors who could help lead me through the creative process with their expertise. I also wanted to work with vendors that were nice and had personalities that were pleasant and upbeat. All of my vendors worked well together which allowed for smooth transitions and amazing environments.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

We wanted a whimsical beach theme to share with our guests.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Work with people you like- people you could see being friends with.

Wasn’t that just fabulous?! And I love that they brought their wedding back to the place they fell in love!

Does your venue or location have a special meaning to the two of you?

Can’t wait to hear!
Cheers,
Samm

Vendors who made it all happen…

Wedding Planning, Design, & Florals: Jove Meyer Events / Catering: Barbara and Co. / Cake Baker: The Buttery / Cupcakes: Kara cupcakes / Flowers & Decor: Arlene Boyle of Violetta Flowers / Photographer: Gail Pomare of Aroha Photography / DJ: DJ Mix and Spin - John Upshaw / Reception Venue: Seymour Marine Center

5 Tips To Help You Tackle Your Guest List

Category: WEDDING PLANNING 1 Comments

Jan 9th

by: Erica

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Establishing a guest list is one of the first things that you have to do when you start planning your wedding, since you have to know how many people to budget for and what size venue you need, among many other things. And as we’ve discussed before, the BIGGEST budget determinant when it comes to a wedding is your guest list. But that also means that your guest list can be the biggest source of conflict, and it can be a bit hard to tackle!

There are lots of moving parts that go into determining a guest list, and it’s not always incredibly “cut and dry” since there are various things that have to be taken into consideration. I’ve put together a few tips that will help you tackle your guest list and future RSVP situations. Take all these points with a grain of salt and determine if they’re applicable to you, your FH (future husband) and both of your families.

Start with family and close friends.

The first thing you’re going to do is start listing out everyone who you *must* have at your wedding. Before you start thinking of whether or not to invite that new friend from work, make sure you have all of your family members and close friends on your list. Think of it as who you would be upset to not have present on your wedding day. This will start to give you an idea of your lowest number of guests- the “must haves” as I like to call them.

Who is contributing to your wedding budget?

Whether your parents are paying for the wedding, his parents are paying for the wedding, or you are paying for the wedding- or a combination of all of you- the guidelines will fluctuate. Yes, the day is about you and your FH getting married – but if your parents are paying, then they should have a say. Consider that they’re proud of you, want to show you off and want to surround themselves with the people that mean the most to them. In this case, since it’s their wallet that will be affected, give them a certain amount of “ownership” (within reason) over the guest list and who they are inviting. The same concept applies if both of your families are sharing the financial responsibility. Base the number of guests each contributor will have on the amount being contributed. On the flip side, if you and your honey are the sole backers to your budget, you’re at a little more liberty to have a say. This was the case when I married my husband this summer. We were paying for the wedding and we chose to invite our friends and family that were most important first, and then told our parents how many guests they could invite after that to cap us off at our budget limit.

Have an A and B List.

If your parents push back, tell them to create an A List and a B List. When RSVP’s come back as “no” from your A List, then send out another invite to a person on their B list. This is a good concept in general for you too.

Use your venue. Or your planner.

Have you already booked your venue and does it have a maximum number of guests? Use this as your buffer to argue against adding additional guest (whether you have to inflate that truth or not, who could/would actually argue?). Don’t be afraid to enlist the help of your planner either. She can be that neutral 3rd party and voice of reason between you two and your families. These reasonings can also apply to any acquaintances that invite themselves to your wedding and “assume” they’re invited. Don’t let them impose on you and guilt you into including them on your special day. (And remember that the more guests you have, the more you have to spend!)

Unwanted RSVPs.

Ah, the dreaded RSVP addition situation! Prevent unwanted RSVP guest additions by adding a phrase along the lines of “We have reserved [insert number of] seats in your honor” to your RSVP card. This will tell your invitee they only have 1 or 2 (or however many) seats, and adding people will not be an issue (hopefully). If you’re seeking an all adult reception, add a phrase on your invite similar to “We are planning on a child free celebration” or “Adult only reception” to make it understood you aren’t including children in your celebration. [Also, keep in mind that RSVP cards can be designed in whatever way you want if you’re using a designer, so if you’re concerned about people giving themselves seats with the “traditional” RSVP card, make so they can’t!]

Hopefully these tips will make any of your guest list woes a little less “whoa”… and leave time for a lot more fun!

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Any other questions about your guest list? Comment here and we’ll try to help you out!