Esquire Photography

Good afternoon from Esquire Photography HQ in Newport Beach everyone!

I’m one wedding photographer in Orange County who’s nearing the end of the packing & purging at EPHQ & am excited to share this week’s Wedding Tip Of The Week with you.

As I’m sure you’ve seen on Twitter & Facebook I love being able to help brides & grooms save time, money, and their sanity planning a wedding and I think today’s wedding tip from Perfect Wedding Guide will help you Make The Most Out Of Your Wedding Day AND have some much more creative ideas for planning your wedding.

So for today’s wedding tip, I have some great advice on how to save more money in your wedding budget with “Off Day Weddings.”  So instead of thinking you “have to” get married on a weekend day, you can explore the other days of the week to save some money.

How cool would it be to have more money for your honeymoon or even better yet – have more money in your budget to hire me for more time on your wedding day.  After the wedding day, all you’re going to have will be your memories, so having more time for a professional photographer is key to capturing those memories.

Check this out!

Traditionally, Saturday is the most popular day for weddings. But competition for sites and services is making so-called “off-day weddings” more attractive. Even if you don’t marry in June or October, traditionally the two most popular months, a Saturday wedding can be hard to arrange. Many wedding ceremony and reception sites are booked a year or more ahead of time.

To make matters worse, it’s even harder if there’s one particular site you’ve set your heart on with your wedding planning. If there’s a conflict, your only options are to postpone or switch dates. For many couples, an off-day wedding— perhaps a Friday or Sunday wedding ceremony—is more appealing than delaying the ceremony. This is especially true for if you don’t have a lot of time for wedding planning and preparation, or if a sudden job move or other unexpected event makes you advance your plans.

The anniversary factor can also have you setting up an off-day wedding. When a particular date (like the one-year anniversary of his proposal) is more important than a Saturday time frame, you should not let tradition stand in the way of significance.

Economic factors can be decisive, too. Lower airfare is often available for your out-of-town guests during the week. Also, many venues and services offer discounts for off-day weddings. Some hotels and restaurants require a lower minimum number of guests for off-day weddings. If you’re on a tight budget, such savings can make the difference.

An off-day wedding ceremony is also appealing because bridal professionals are more likely to be available when there are fewer demands on their time and attention. The fabulous caterer, who’s unavailable on Saturday, may serve your guests an unforgettable feast the night before.

Another reason for the growing popularity of off-day weddings is the chance to spend more time with your family and friends. Many couples plan weddings lasting several days, or longer, so they can pay more attention to those who traveled to be there. For example, the wedding ceremony could be held Friday morning, with activities planned through your honeymoon departure on Sunday.

Holiday weekends make for great choices, too. They allow your guests to have a longer stay. But there are potential problems, as well. For example, with a Labor or Memorial Day wedding, air travel may be expensive or impossible to obtain. Wedding services like caterers, cake bakers and florists are in great demand over many holidays. Highly popular venues, like hotels, restaurants and reception sites, can be booked years in advance for such weekends.

But even if an off-day wedding isn’t your first choice, it offers many social, economic and emotional advantages. If properly planned, off-day weddings aren’t cookie-cutter weddings, but instead, it can be the chance for you to make each moment of your celebration a memorable pleasure.

So there it is!

I hope that helped you out a bit and if you’d like to chat more because you’re thinking… Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Orange County wedding photographer for your wedding or event that loves music & fashion, photography and art, feel free to contact me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

I hope you’re having a great West Coast Wednesday and stay tuned for many other amazing events that I’m sharing.  From San Diego to Newport Beach, Ventura and all the way out to Paris, France, London, England and Berlin, Germany – I’ll have some fantastic Weddings and events that I’ve had the honour of photographing.

PS, Be sure to mark your calendars!  I have a MEGA announcement about Esquire Photography being released on August 9th that affects the my family’s photography business and little ole me personally.  :-)

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to show some love for today’s West Coast Wednesday Wedding Tip Of The Week!

Good morning from caffeinated HQ of Esquire Photography in Orange County everyone!

I’m one Orange County wedding photographer who’s starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as I’ve been packing & purging everything from old gear to furniture and old unnecessary files at EPHQ happy to take a break and share this week’s West Coast Wednesday Wedding Tip Of The Week with you.

As I’m sure you’ve seen on Twitter & Facebook I love being able to help brides & grooms save time, money, and their sanity planning a wedding and I think today’s wedding tip from from the staff at K.I.S.S Wedding will help you Make The Most Out Of Your Wedding Day with 5 Amazing FREE and Almost Free Backyard Wedding Reception ideas.

Check this out!

When you decided to celebrate your marriage at home the decision was probably driven by your desire to keep it simple, save money, and have a casual, fun backyard wedding reception.

Even laid back and relaxed receptions can get out of hand though. There are easily hundreds of fabulous articles and blog posts you can draw inspiration from. Martha Stewart alone has about a jillion.

The focus of this page is to share 5 of the funnest and unique ideas that I’ve encountered with the K.i.s.s Brides I’ve featured on the blog. These stand out as being really special! They are truly inspirational gems if you’re on the lookout for really simple, entertaining, and clever ideas that won’t put a dent into your budget.

1) A Bonfore Is An Inexpensive But Super Fun Activity For A Backyard Reception
I’m a real fan of fun reception activites. It a fun time-filler and will keep people entertained. This idea is one of the many benefits to being a backyard bride. It also happens to be my all-time-favorite reception activity! If you have the space for a bonfire (or smaller fire) then go for it. It’s cheap (practically free) and provides good entertainment for your guests who aren’t into dancing.

2) Barnyard Table Seating For Backyard Receptions Is A Simple Alternative With No Extra Cost
Are you looking for super simple planning tips and decorations for a fun backyard reception and ceremony? Here’s another one of my favorites! Since you need seating anyways why not give it real Tuscan-flair with barnyard table reception seating. There’s something about this kind of set up that’s very celebratory. If you’ve ever seen ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ that’s exactly the feeling this kind of seating will give your backyard reception.

3) Roasted Marshmallows Are An Almost Free, Fun and Yummy Activity For Backyard Receptions
If you’re not into silly reception games but want to find a fun way to entertain your guests say hello to this new and fabulous trend – the roasted marshmallow station. Isn’t it perfect for casual receptions in your backyard!

4) DIY Wine Station Will Let You Save On Servers At Your Backyard Reception
With the cost of servers and your reception menu being so high, this tip will help you save alot on your beverage costs, especially since you’ll probably be picking up your wine at the liquor store yourself (HUGE saving tip btw!). I love how the bride and groom actually have labels telling people about each wine. If you wanted you could go even further by putting the signs in frames.

5) Use Potted Plants You’d Get Anyways To Decorate Your Backyard Ceremony And Reception
While we’re on the topic of practical, pretty, and cheap decor here’s a good one – potted plants! Every backyard needs some pretty potted plants all season long. Why not think ahead and make/buy potted plants that will fit the color and theme of your reception and ceremony. If you make them yourself you’ll save even more money while being creative.

What it comes down to is this – if you’re looking for backyard reception ideas ANYTHING goes. You’re lucky to be able to plan your big day in a more relaxed environment which adds the potential for savings in a lot of different places. BUT, at the same time, make sure you remember to prepare for things like rain, extra cold, or even super hot weather.

So there it is!

I hope that helped you out a bit and if you’d like to chat more because you’re thinking… Hey – I’d really like to get to know this Orange County wedding photographer for your wedding or event that loves music & fashion, photography and art, feel free to contact me anytime.

I’m available just about 24/7 via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, the form on my contact page, or the old fashioned phone as well at 888.ESQ.PHTO (888.377.7486) or 562.225.5915.

I hope you’re having a great week and stay tuned for many other amazing events that I’m sharing.  From San Diego to Newport Beach, Ventura and all the way out to Paris, France, London, England and Berlin, Germany – I’ll have some fantastic Weddings and events that I’ve had the honour of photographing.

PS, MARK YOUR CALENDARS and be sure to keep in touch as there are currently two VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS happening in the next four weeks.  One of which is being announced on August 9th which is by far the biggest thing I’ve done with the family business in more than 29 years, affecting both Esquire Photography and me – personally.

Sharing is Sexy!  Click the Google+, Facebook Like or Twitter buttons below
to show some love for the NEW West Coast Wednesday Wedding Tip Of The Week!