Category Archives: Planning

From the Expert: What Happens In The Photo Booth…

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Alison in Featured, From The Yentas, Planning

Happy Foto Booth, a husband and wife team that promotes good ol’ fashioned fun via photos, is on board today to educate you all about photo booths and how they can add so much fun to your wedding, while also double dipping as a party favor! Need to know the questions to ask your photo booth vendor? Not sure what you should expect for set up and goods received? Keep on reading for the scoop on photo booths from the expert on photo booths! If you’re in the Southern California area, make sure to check out the very sweet deal at the end of the post from Happy Foto Booth!

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Planning a wedding and wondering what is the biggest splurge you may consider? Of course it has to be the photo booth! This is one of the ideas that started off as a niche, rare element and became a must-have, memory-making standard.

Your guests will jump into the photo booth at least once in the evening and they will get to take home their photo booth picture as favors from the wedding. They’ll end up taking many photos in different combinations of people, props, and poses. The photo booth makes for great breaks to cool off from the dance floor without keeping guests away too long. After a quick refresh in the photo booth, they’ll be ready to come back out and party!

There’s no denying that the photo booth keeps everyone in a festive mood! Don’t believe me?

Usually, it makes a great guestbook vehicle since the photo will make it into a scrapbook with the option for guests to leave messages or wishes for you to read later. Once you’re good and married, you will love going back to see the shenanigans that everyone enjoyed as they celebrated your wedding!

Happy Foto Booth supplies a scrapbook and necessary accessories to leave you with a complete compilation of all the photos from the night. Guests will have fun creating their pages and you will have fun reading them!

Don’t kid yourself. There’s nothing more fun than tossing on a feathery pink boa or top hat and accessorizing with giant sunglasses and mugging for the camera. Every photo booth is different, which is part of the fun as your guests hop on and off the wedding circuit during the season. So even if other couples hire a photo booth, it’s never the same experience. A Happy Foto Booth favorite has been Michael Jackson’s famous sparkly glove and pose with an inflatable microphone — people can’t get enough of celebrating the King of Pop!

According to Happy Foto Booth, an average-sized (150 or so) wedding will see about 45 people having fun in the Photo Booth in an hour! This number may help you decide how long you need the photo booth at your reception if you’re unsure about spending additional money. Think of it this way: if you’re having 100 guests, then two hours is plenty, but if you’re inviting your parents’ friends and in-laws’ friends and you’re way over 150, then you may want to add another hour or two so that everyone gets to enjoy.

Make sure your photo booth company knows the wedding events you’ll be including in your reception. Happy Foto Booth is always in tune with the parts of the reception that will not typically see any photo booth action. Events like dinner or toasts or special dances would not be favorable times to include for your photo booth schedule. Happy Foto Booth happens to be owned by a Jewish couple, so they also know the moments like dancing the Horah and blessing the challah that would be quiet for the booth. To make sure that your guests are enjoying these moments, Happy Foto Booth’s attendant will close the booth and suggests that your photo booth vendor does the same.

Happy Foto Booth wants to make sure you’re clued in before you hire a photo booth vendor. As a Los Angeles expert, Happy Foto Booth knows the tricks of the trade and wants to share some tips with you!

After choosing a photo booth vendor, you should make sure the booth is set up one hour before the booth will start.
Also, coordinate with your venue that power will be within 50 feet of the booth since the camera can’t snap away without plugging in somewhere!
It’s best to have the booth inside the reception room, but near the exit if the booth is going to sneak out before your event is over.The last thing you want to see is the photo booth and all of its equipment rolling out in front of your cake as you’re about to cut into it!

Happy Foto Booth’s package will always include unlimited color or black & white photos, a prop box, touch screen monitors, a scrapbook for preserving your memories and a DVD with all the pictures. You will also receive an online gallery, live slideshow and an onsite attendant(s) to make sure everything runs smoothly. Prices usually start at $600 and go up from there. If you’re not a Los Angeles couple and can’t hire Happy Foto Booth, keep this package in mind as you make your decision on your photo booth vendor.

Step into the booth, snap a picture and enjoy the memories! But don’t forget — what happens in the booth, stays on the Internet! It’s likely you might enjoy a drink or two (or four) before going into the photo booth and let’s be honest, it’s not a party until someone falls right out of the booth. Oh, it’s happened! It’s a good thing the camera is higher than the floor and that part won’t be captured on film. Let the ice pack* be a reminder of the events of the evening. Uh, oops!

If you’re in the Southern California area, you’re in luck! Happy Foto Booth provides you with superior service in Orange County, San Diego and the Los Angeles counties. You’re receive premium service and prices will not be beat! All Happy Foto photo booths contain touch screen monitors and exterior viewing 20″ LCDs for those waiting in line to enjoy and for your display throughout the event.

Contact Happy Foto Booth to book and mention Wedding Yentas to receive $100 off your photo booth package! info@happyfotobooth.com and 323-387-0321

*Event based on a true story. Yes.

Changing Your Name from Miss to Mrs.

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Alison in Inside Scoop, Planning

It’s not that scary. And unfortunately, going to the Edit box and typing it in on your Facebook profile doesn’t make it a done-deal across the board of all your other important credentials (what?! Facebook doesn’t hold the reigns of official information?!). But still, a lot of women get overwhelmed with the idea of going through the change. The name change. If you’re planning on taking on your new spouse’s last name, just know that it’s not so difficult after all, and The Wedding Yentas makes it easy for you with a how-to, step-by-step name change guide!

You can always access this helpful tool on the Planning Tools tab of the web site. But, in case you haven’t seen it, here it is in blog form:

Dealing with bureaucratic agencies to change your name after the wedding sounds about as fun as shoving bamboo shoots up your finger nails. And while it’s not exactly as pleasurable as inhaling a hot fudge sundae, it’s really not as difficult as you may think.

Here we’ll walk you through the steps of what you need to go from a Miss to a Mrs.

1. Order at least 4 copies of your marriage certificate from the county clerk’s office.

2. Download the form from the Social Security office and fill out the form before you go to the office in person. Bring the completed form, your identification, and an original copy of your marriage certificate to the Social Security office near you.

3. Next you’ll change your name on your driver license. Another official copy of your marriage certificate should help you in this process when you arrive at the DMV. You’ll also need to bring a form of identification like your driver license, passport, or birth certificate. Sometimes, certain DMVs in certain states also require you bring your new Social Security card, which means you may have to wait until it arrives. Check with your local DMV first. Also, make an appointment in advance if your DMV offers this convenient feature!

4. Don’t forget to change your name on your credit cards, insurance companies, your employer, banks, 401k and retirement plans, doctors, frequent flyer memberships, utilities companies (gas, phone, electricity, garbage, HOA, etc.). Usually, a simple phone call will do the trick or a quick log-in to their online portals.

5. Go buy new monogrammed towels to celebrate! Mazel tov!

Chairish Your Day & Love Your Chairs!

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Inside Scoop, Inspiration Boards, Planning

When it comes to where your guests sit their tushies on your wedding day, why should you bench your ideas? Believe it or not, the chairs you use in your reception can spice up your party or extend your style!

I absolutely adore this styled shoot from photographer, Gretchen Moore, that was styled by Eclectic Hive and Chairished Vintage Chair Rentals at Lazy J Ranch in Vail, Colorado.

The theme is clearly rustic, sticks to a smart and snappy color palette of turquoise and buttery gold, and is furnished with damask details and crystal accessories. It’s almost like we could all pack our bags and go glamping together. (Really, dear Yentas, is there any other kind of camping? Oy vey.) (Confession of the day: I’ve never been camping — surprise surprise. I don’t go anywhere where I can’t plug in my flat iron. Ya hear?).

OK, so back to the chairs. Here’s what I love: because there is a clear style, it’s completely okay — and flippin’ adorable! — to have mismatched chairs. Are they really mismatched? Well, they’re all different styles, so it appears that the answer would be yes, but upon further inspection, they all come from the same family. They are white. They are wooden. They are laced with ornate detail. So while they are each different, they are like cousins. And cousins are family. So consider the chairs at this styled shoot to be co-mingling at the 2012 Glamping Family Reunion.

Moral of the story: lace a theme throughout your mismatched chairs and overall wedding style. It’s okay to spice up the party with some texture and make the chairs fraternal instead of identical. If you’re planning this ever-popular-for-good-reason rustic/chic/vintage/glam wedding reception, then this is how you do it.

chairished-vintage-chair-rentals-by-gretchen-moore-photography

Should I Invite Kids To My Wedding?

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Alison in Inside Scoop, Planning

It can be a touchy subject: do you or do you not choose to have kids at your wedding?

Some brides and grooms feel they have to in order to satisfy their guests’ needs. Other couples say “absolutely not.” And then there are those who are open to hosting children and welcome them whole heartedly. There’s no right or wrong answer. It just depends on your venue, your guests, and your personal vision for your wedding.

But still, the subject may come up and you might find yourself in an awkward situation, asking your best friend to get a sitter for her wee ones. Many couples believe that weddings are too formal and should be kept an adults-only occasion. If a guest asks to bring her children, you can simply state that you don’t believe it’s appropriate for them to be there. You don’t have to defend yourself or keep yourself up at night worrying about pleasing people against what’s best for you on your wedding day. Hopefully, your adult guests will understand and respect your wishes. Some guests may indicate that either the kids come, too, or the whole family doesn’t come at all. Well, that’s unfortunate, but everyone has their priorities. So, this would be one of those cases you agree to disagree and continue to enjoy your bridal experience.

To avoid these conversations, you can cover your bases by indicating that your wedding day is an adults-only event on your wedding web site or save the date. You can spread the word via your friends and family, too. Being proactive will help limit these kinds of discussions with guests. It’s always important to let them know that it’s nothing personal; you love their children and you’re not intending to exclude only them. There really shouldn’t be any arguing, but if there is, just apologize and be as graceful as possible.

If you are completely happy to have kids at your wedding then you might want to consider keeping them occupied. Some parents who know their kids might get too wired or conk out early will (hopefully) (usually) leave the kids at home anyway. However, for those who still bring them per their invitation, it might be helpful to spend a few extra bucks at the dollar store to supply a “safe” kids area. Coloring books and crayons, some picture books, and maybe even disposable cameras will help to keep the children happy and occupied while their parents enjoy a nice night out at your wedding. This also helps the kids stay busy with appropriate activities. As much as you may not mind them dancing their tushies off on the dance floor, you don’t want to discover that they’ve made mummies of themselves with toilet paper in the restroom or that they’ve experimented with cocktail napkins inside lit votive candles.

You may also consider providing a kids menu for their meals. This should be at a lower cost than your regular adult dinners, and satisfy the kids’ bellies. Win-win! No kid would say no to pasta or chicken fingers. Actually, there are probably some adults who would enjoy that meal, too!

It’s your wedding day and it’s up to you to make these decisions. Never feel obligated to change your rules because of resistance from guests. Those who love you and respect you will understand and attend your wedding with smiles plastered on their faces like kids in a candy store.

Modern Sparkly Table Shoot by Yasmin Khajavi Photography

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Alison in Featured, Inside Scoop, Inspiration Boards, Planning

There’s nothing I swoon over more than a photo shoot of a tablescape. Sure, the subjects don’t pose and smile, but boy do they inspire! Absolutely loving this blush, cream, and champagne color palette that is both romantic and warm with just the right sprinkle of feminine. The textured and fluffy floral arrangements suggest playful elegance while details like ghost chairs and lucite labels for drinks and table numbers bring a modern and sophisticated vibe to the mix.

This tablescape could definitely work for any event location whether it’s a country club, urban space, or rustic venue. And it doesn’t only work for weddings! The style can be woven into showers for both baby and bridal, anniversary shin digs, and birthday festivities. Nothing is too wedding-ish that it can’t work for other celebrations that are worth showcasing beautiful and carefully designed details! So get party planning!

modern-tables-inspiration-by-yasmin-khajavi-photography

From Yasmin Khajavi Photography: When Hailey Bernstein and Astrid Mueller, both contemporary creatives with a shared love of fashion and modern design, put their heads together, amazing things were bound to happen. For this styled shoot, they envisioned a fashion-forward, style-savvy couple planning the ultimate modern loft celebration. The look is clean-chic but full of warmth with soft, feminine sparkle. Hailey and Astrid decided on a light, neutral palette — tans, champagnes and mixed metallics with hints of blush and ivory. The light, breezy colors soften and brighten the raw loft space, offering a neutral canvas for some fun, fashionable and uber-chic details.

Sequin linens added unexpected glamour and sparkle, emphasizing the clean table lines yet luxurious texture. We alternated between tan sequin linens for tables, and tan and white chevron sequin linens for standing bistros, which brought extra variety and interest to the space. We designed a laid-back, yet luxurious tablescape with an abundance of soft and fluttery peonies, mixed metallic mercury glass votive holders, mirrored vases and tons of floating candles for ambiance. For the menus, table number and design pieces, illustrator Astrid Mueller, normally known for her delicate, fashion-inspired illustrations, took an abstract design approach and worked with minimalistic, circular design elements, inspired by architecture and the round shape of peonies. She devised a new, unique idea for this celebration design by introducing personalized, laser-engraved, perspex drink disks for the seating and cocktails. She also chose to create cool, urban-inspired but lavishly-printed stationery, lush and soft to the touch. The menus were artisan-printed and hand-debossed by Digby & Rose, creating a beautiful architectural effect. All details and were beautifully captured by the contemporary, Portland-based photographer Yasmin Khajavi.

Photography: Yasmin Khajavi Photography
Photo Shoot Venue: Castaway Portland in Portland, Oregon
Styling, Tablescape, Floral + Event Design: Zest Floral and Event Design
Invitation Design + Engraved Perspex Design Details: Astrid Mueller
Stationery Printing: Digby & Rose
Linens: La Tavola
Ghost Chairs, Table Settings + Glassware Rentals: West Coast Event Production