A Picture's worth Part...........Part 2

Time flies so fast when you are busy, its something I here people say and its so true so much time has flown since I wrote the last article and missed my Monday deadline for which I am sorry. To get back to my last

article, photography is quite an important part of weddings. Are there any fast rules to go by when it comes to where to have your wedding photo shoots.

Most couples have always preferred having them at beautiful gardens, hotel grounds, parks and even photo studios. What makes a choice attractive ranges from a variety of reasons but a common choice would be that this grounds provide a beautiful scenery that one wants to capture and remember forever. When you combine a happy couple and lovely scene its such a beauty to behold. Most gardens in Nairobi  hotels, individual homes and parks have hired the services of land scarpers and the grounds are attractive places for photo shoots.

Sometime couples however, choose to go against the current and settled for unexpected grounds and venues for their photo shoots this could include in railway stations, garage, at airports and wherever we would least expect a shoot to be taken. Wherever a couple choose for their shoot, its important that they have fun and this be evident from the picture that they did this. So have a lovely shoot irrespective of your choice.

A picture's worth........

Its a slow weekend here with no functions for me. One to reflect on the activities of the first half of the year and consider what worked and didn't and see how to make things better. As a blogger I have from time to time suffered from writer's block (if it applies to a blogger also) and haven't had a chance to have as many articles as I would want published regularly but its one of the things I hope to make better in the months ahead.

I would like to explore photography from a Kenyan perspective especially the Kenyan bride. Every time I meet a potential client and have a chat with him or her one main thing that crosses their mind is

Do you have photos of work you have done?

. Its a question that doesn't escape many here in Nairobi even when you meet them at Wedding Expos. Why the question? Pictures attract and capture the eye. What we see attracts us to what we want. Its generally agreed that first impressions count and that's why some fall in love at first. What do we see in a wedding picture: the quality of photography,a loving couple, a well arranged reception and decor set up, happy friend and relatives and the list is endless. I am an avid reader of a Kenyan magazine called true love, one of the reasons that makes me purchase it is the attractive photos I like looking at-besides the fact that the quality of articles written is exceptional for local content. Glossy magazines, advertisements appeal to many because of the quality of photography conveys a message.
Which brings me to why I thought about today's article: wedding photos can tell a lovely story of the day. Its common practice in Kenya for a couple to select a venue for their photo shoot right after saying I do. How they go about selecting a venue is a topic I would like to pursue in a second part of this article this coming Monday.

Eyes of the Beholder

I can't say enough of this but its wedding season again (at least here in Kenya). In this half of the year more people get married than in any other season. It reminds me of the famous saying, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". The thought comes to mind as at the reception there are those famous for asking "what was he/she thinking?". There are always those who think another man/woman would have been better for the bride/groom. Whats sad the negative talker in most instances was ditched by the bride/groom. Which begs the question : should you attend the wedding of an ex if they left you at the alter?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder means that you can't quite explain why someone choose a particular individual for a mate if you don't see the same qualities that the individual does. As weddings seasons progress....many couples choose vendors for completely different reasons: referrals, bridal shows, online search and also based on the good work they have done before. I like watching on DSTV the show Whose wedding is it anyway? several brides watched previous shows and they loved what they saw especially how well organised a planner is, how they came to the aid of the couple who are their clients at their time of need and also how they put value for money and quality work before anything else what ever makes you select a vendor one thing is for sure we like working with vendors whose work is known and has worked with those in our own circles. Take this past weekend as an example Vera Wang had the opportunity for two of her gowns to be worn on Saturday by A list celebrities: Alicia Keys and Chelsea Clinton. What do you think that does for her sales this wedding season......

As a bride how well know is your vendor do you just use their referral list or have you attended some of their events and had they done events for friends with weddings or functions before you or is price the only reason that leads you to a vendor? Why is beauty again in the hands of the beholder? Whatever your reasons for selecting a wedding vendor I hope your choices don't lead to disappointment. One things is for sure you can hardly go wrong with a well known vendor online, on TV or in your locality.

All That I Have

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-life-that-i-have/

This is a lovely poem i thought I share it with all it was recited by a friend of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky at the couple's wedding in Rhinebeck, New York July 31, 2010. The wedding was well organized and so far so good no bad press attached to it. The words by Leo Mark in his poem, THE LIFE THAT I HAVE are quite captivating. Especially are they applicable in a future couple who are about to share their life together. They promise to share the life that they have and all that they have. Its a beautiful start to most couples and this words they vow to live by. Its a fitting poem to a couple as they promise to share the love that they have and only death should do them apart....

After the break from writing that I have had, I will take time to continue with my articles on how a bride can make her day successful. So for those who have upcoming weddings this august, I wish them the best in planning successful weddings and an enjoyable weather at that.

Memories are made of this.......

I love photography. I appreciate good image as an amateur I sometimes get critical of photos. I have in the past selected photographers after seeing their work some are attentive to detail and the angles they take: I wouldn't have thought it myself. There have been photo exhibitions in the past few months but the one that has stood out for me is Nation Media Group's "A piece of history" theme photo expo which has been on from 17th May to 15th June 2010.If you check them out in www.nationmedia.com you probably might fill the same or different depending on whether you let photos speak to you. Back to my point before I get carried away....

One thing about photos is the memories can be kept for years later. The bride gets to know who attended, the funny moments and guests who didn't make it get to appreciate the photos and relive the day. Many times by looking at photos you can tell a happy bride, sad one, lovely make up and the list continues. The thing about wedding photography they capture never to be repeated moments at least for that wedding.

Destination weddings are lovely and more brides are opting for them from Nairobi to lovely areas in the Rift Valley and Mombasa. What this often means is identifying your vendors way in advance and going with them to your preferred destination. It cost more but you have reliable people. Last year though a bride had more than one wedding moment in different days. What happened? She had a wedding planned for Kisumu, bought her dress in Nairobi and flew to Kisumu. Apparently to cut costs she opted for a local photographer who was affordable are way cheaper than Nairobi. For some reasons best known to him the photos and video were damaged and she only learned this after her honeymoon. This meant after 3 weeks of her marriage posing in a studio with the groom to capture his/her wedding garment. The rest of the team had moved on and couldn't be traced for the shoot.....

What of cases where a family member or friend of the bride/groom who wants to start business sees your event as a launch pad! well some have lived to regret it. I could go on and on but its too depressing to dwell on negatives from the wedding industry our next article will consider the lessons learnt and why bride(groom) are getting better and wiser in Nairobi.

When the perfect day goes wrong

Lou Reed had a song that was titled perfect day. The song has interesting lyrics: description of the day meant drinking in the park, feed the animals, watch a movie then go home, problems are left alone that day. The day is gladly spend with someone special who makes them feel that he's someone good as he forgets about himself that day.Such is his description of a perfect day. It kind of reminds me about weddings-they are viewed as a perfect day in an individuals life everything from the start to the end should be perfect without a problem and when most people hire planners this is their biggest expectation.

So when the things take a twist for the worse it can be a disaster to this day which wouldn't have been for another day. I would like to consider some five disasters that have been in Nairobi last year at some weddings that I knew about:

Brides love cakes in most weddings around the world and Nairobi isn't any different, so when a bride whose 5 tier cake was turned to 4! The problem the baker comes really late by 2 hours to set up his cakes he is so drunk and doesn't carry cutlery with him neither does he supply cake stands but opts to improvise stands which makes one of the cakes collapse on the ground and the planner has to rush to the hotel as the reception is in their grounds to get cutlery and save the day. The wedding started its church service two hours late and most guests have left for the day, the cakes left are more than enough to feed the guests and the bride doesn't get to worry much so what went wrong....the bride selects her own baker and doesn't introduce him to the planner

Most people in Nairobi look forward to receptions because of the food besides the cake that they eat. Most couples during the planning stages are given a list of vendors with their friends in the wedding committee and so they settle for the cheapest vendor in terms of price. Scenario 2. Everything about the wedding is planned and the caterer has been selected the only problem is she is paid her money too late after she has waited in vain for it and her balance? well, she has to bring food first before she can get it. She decides to do a no show for the event- what then happens the committee representatives have to rush to coca-cola depot that stores sodas to buy sodas and a shop to buy loaves of bread to feed guests who are about 700 talk about a day gone wrong and this time no planner is available to rescue the situation.

Karen area in Nairobi is a lovely place to have a reception a bit pricey than town venues but definitely a breath taking view. Picture this when you fly from abroad and have a good job and come home to marry you really want the perfect day to ring out loud. But what happens if your vendor for tents and chairs has already charged and supplied you with the required items, you're fully paid and they have delivered early. The perfect day is going on well but the imperfect thing comes in where she gets a good corporate deal on the same day and decides that may the best person win and definitely by Nairobi standards weddings hardly competes firms that are launching big events as far budget goes so the bride and her high profile guest are left in the lurch and a friend to the mother of the bride comes to the rescue to supply a few tents and chairs to the guests as the reception progresses they are pitching tents and arranging seats the theme lost and most guests seat on kindergarten seats the good thing the vendor refunds the money. Mother of the bride cries and its not because her daughter just said I DO

Does the Nairobi Bride still need a planner? Well, its still her decision. Next time we will look at the two other scenarios and a way out of the maze that might prove useful but to end with Lou Reed's song "You are going to reap just what you saw". The beats might not impress you but the words ring true as far as weddings go.




Lyrics | Lou Reed - Perfect Day lyrics

Does she need a planner?

Wow! I still can't believe its taken me 3 and a half months since I wrote my first blog its not a good rate and excusing the fact that I'm not a journalist neither a good writer doesn't work but I'll try to enjoy my writing just like I do my work. Its been busy time analyzing what works or doesn't and the changes to be made for my company. Now that its in the past, I will get back to my question does she need a planner?

I especially admire the work done by Samantha Bridal Exhibition and The Wedding show on Citizen Television in Nairobi-why? I have seen brides I've mentioned to try certain colors or trends in their wedding but its been a firm NO so I had to deal with what they know its tried and tested from other brides but the more the brides have seen how creative other brides are getting they are willing to try out new things too. One show that really touched me was the last show that featured a couple whose reception was at the railways station in Nairobi that was amazing to see a reception done in a place I associate with the so many problems its had in the past I was glad to see it as a reception ground.

Back to my article. A majority of the Kenyan brides prefer committee planned weddings where a group of friends gather to help the future couple (bride and groom) raise money for their wedding. Most don't earn enough to finance their weddings and even for those who do prefer to still work with a committee its easier to work with trusted friends than complete strangers (read planner), the case being they're considered expensive and out to extort the bride and groom. But is this true? Well... I will leave it to an individual to decide whether they can trust a planner or not besides many articles have been published on the importance of a planner.

I do however want to look at a planners work from the angle of blunders that occur during a wedding and why a planner comes in handy. The next article will address the issue.