Jimmy & Jolene

We were asked to be the event videographer for Jimmy & Jolene's wedding at the wonderful Brahma Ridge located in Asheville NC. This was our first time to video a wedding there. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the location and the service of the staff working to make everything perfect. It also just so happened to be the hottest day of the year peaking out at 115 degrees. Needles to say it was remember-able for many reasons. But I didn't melt and we were able to provide some wonderful wedding videos for them and their families to remember the day by.

Here's the wedding trailer we created for them.

Jimmy & Jolene Wedding Trailer from Better Tie Productions on Vimeo.

Let me know if you would like us to capturing your event.

As always leave some love and let us know what you think.

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

Lighting for Lancia + Westbrook Wedding

Hey Guys!  We have been staying busy but I'm trying to catch up some on our blogs. I'm so excited to tell you about this amazing project that we have been working on. Christine with Faust Events came to me about an exciting wedding and we loved working with her to create a lighting system that worked with a clear tent.

So on Saturday October 20th we had the pleasure of uplighting the Reception of Lancia + Westbrook in downtown Greenville at the new Marriott Courtyard. It was our first time lighting up this location, and the staff was great to work with.

This was a unique job as the bride had colors picked out for the event but when the reception went into full swing she wanted the whole tent to change colors through out the night corresponding with the mood of the music. The tent came alive once the sun set and the lights transformed the ordinary tent into a wash of colors, dancing into the night. We provided both the uplighting for the walls, white over head lights, and lights for the dance floor. Here are a few of the images from the special day.

Lina & Qiao Video Wedding

Lina was in need of a wedding videographer for her romantic mountain wedding. This was the first time we had ever created wedding videos at The Lodge at Table Park, State Park.  It was a beautiful day, and we were able to capture some wonderful mountain shots.  We enjoyed spending the day with them and capturing both their traditional Chinese culture and American cultured wedding. Take a look at their wedding trailer, and leave some love for this couple.

Lina + Qiao Trailer from Better Tie Productions on Vimeo.

We hope you enjoyed this small sample from their wedding. Leave us comments we love to hear form you.

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

The cake. How to choose one.

Ok, so I have to admit as much as I try to stay away from it, I just love to sneak a piece of cake at the end of the night when most of the guest are leaving. As photographers and videographers working at the wedding you can't help but be drawn to that sweet treat. Sometimes we are looking for another slice and sometimes we are trying to figure out why it doesn't taste as good as it looks. I thought it would be good to put up a link of what to look for. Since I know nothing about cakes (other than eating them, not sure that counts) I thought I would let the experts from She Knows Wedding tell you.  

1- Choose a reputable bakery

"Brides-to-be should absolutely begin their research online. Visit general wedding sites to obtain real customer feedback from other couples. Then visit the bakery's website to view images of their work. If the photos aren't up-to-date, their work isn't either. You want to work with a bakery with positive feedback from married couples and a wide range of cake offerings."

"Next, you should visit the bakery in person and meet with the staff. It's important to walk out of the bakery with an image of the cake — either drawn or rendered via computer — so that there aren't any surprises. If you don't feel comfortable with the bakery staff, you won't be happy with your cake. Most cake specialists have a dedicated staffer and a separate area in which to sit down and review wedding cake design. If the sales associate rushes you or fails to answer basic questions, you should consider going somewhere else."

 2 - Give yourself adequate time to pick a wedding cake

"Three to six months is enough time to plan the cake. Once a bride knows her color scheme and the wedding venue, it's good to get the cake designed and ordered before she enters the 'crunch period,' which is usually the last two months."

3 - Make sure you love how the cake tastes

"I can't stress this enough: Arrange for a cake tasting before the cake is ordered. If the cake has multiple flavors, taste all of them. Basic flavors like chocolate, strawberry and vanilla will vary depending on how the cake is made, its formulation, its frosting and more. Don't assume — taste!"

"Also, with regard to taste, avoid the exotic. A good bakery can make vanilla taste amazing. Exotic flavors sometimes alienate guests who don't recognize the flavor."

4 - Get creative with the design

"The age of the cookie-cutter tiered white wedding cake with a plastic figurine at the top is long gone and, personally, I'm happy to see it go. Many brides bring their color scheme (wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses) into the shop for color coordination. Others are coordinating the jewels they wear on their special day with cake adornments — pearls, diamonds and rubies, for example. If a bride is wearing them, we can replicate the look on a cake."

"Also, themed weddings need a themed cake. From outdoor spring weddings to religious ceremonies, any type of wedding can be accommodated with a custom cake."

5 - Need inspiration? Try a cake trend

"Matching the bride's dress to the cake is a big trend this season. We've matched the ruffle on a bride's dress to the cake. We've also matched specific pieces of heirloom jewelry on the bride to the wedding cake."

"We're also seeing a return to classic buttercream frosting — the original style of frosting that looks more realistic and has a richer flavor than modern frostings. As for shapes, ovals are really this season's hottest shift. Round is traditional, square can be a lot of fun, but an oval-shaped cake draws a lot of attention and allows us more room upon which to create."

6 - Don't make these cake mistakes

"There are two cardinal sins of planning a custom wedding cake: The first is waiting until the last minute to design and order a cake. Most bakeries have their custom cakes calendared out weeks in advance. Special ingredients and decorations sometimes need to be ordered and, in some cases, created from scratch, which takes considerable experimentation."

"The second mistake is to have too many people providing input. I've seen many brides driven crazy because they involved both sets of parents, friends, cousins, the entire bridesmaid party, etc. When you come to the bakery, keep your entourage down to one or two people at the most. Choosing a cake is about what feels good to you as the bride."

Why am I hungry for cake now?.. Okay so get out there a taste some cake and let me know who is your favorites and maybe will post the top 10 for everyone to see.

As always I hope you have a great wedding, and if I'm there be sure to save me a piece of cake. :)

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

 

 

Here's the link to view more: http://www.sheknows.com/love-and-sex/articles/843941/6-tips-for-choosing-your-wedding-cake

How to pick a wedding photographer

Hey Guys, I really think it is important to pick the photographer that's best for you. I know we are not a fit for everyone, but PLEASE do not let price dictate who you use. If you feel like someone else is better for you then don't use me. But if you love what we can offer you then please don't go somewhere else just because they're a couple hundred dollars cheaper - you will not be happy and it's not worth the savings.

Here's a great article I found from A&A Studio that I thought had some great points.

How to pick a wedding photographer – 10 top things to think about

Here are some things we believe you should consider when picking a photographer!

A few things to keep in mind:  You will only get to make this important decision once,  when the wedding is over there are only a few things you will have left (the ring, the dress, the wife/husband and the photography)  The photography is there to remind you of all of your hard work, the intricate details you planned and the fond memories of the day.

Top 10 things to consider when hiring a wedding photographer.

1. Talk with them on the phone if you can and don’t just email them. With email it can be hard to understand tone and context. Get to know them,  ask questions that get you closer to who they are and what makes them tick.

2. If you are in the same state make sure to meet with them. Make sure this person is someone you would like at your wedding. You may spend more time with them than family and friends on your wedding day. You want to be on the same page and click with them!

3. If you have a chance look at a full wedding. Don’t get fooled into looking just at one gallery of favorites. Make sure they are capable of creating what you expect at each and every wedding.

4. Make sure you like there style. Some photographers shoot every wedding the same hence a style emerges. Others shoot freestyle and create different looks for each client. Make sure you trust them enough to create something special for you. Another thing to think about is just because you like there style make sure it fits who you are. In other words it may look great for the last bride but not you.

5. Ask your photographer if they have a backup plan. Digital photographers rely on hard drives to archive your images. Anyone with a computer will know that computers frequently have problems. If they give you a blank stare or can’t explain what they do then you know they are unprepared. Your photographer should have your images backed up in multiple places and perhaps a copy off site. These things cost money so be prepared that photographers with good back up plans will cost more.

6. Does your wedding photographer have liability insurance. This is important because many venues will require they have insurance before they are able to provide services. It’s also good to be covered when accidents happen!

7. Ask about backup equipment. Again if you get a blank stare you know they are not prepared to shoot your wedding. They should have a at least 2 bodies for each photographer and multiple lenses and flashes. This sounds trivial but digital cameras do fail. We have had 2 cameras and two flashes stop working at a wedding before. If we were unprepared and only had two cameras we would be unable to take more photo’s. There are many photographers who do not have enough gear to shoot at weddings, so make sure to ask.

8. If they get sick what happens. If they can’t talk about it then they haven’t thought about it. The answer you want to here is that they are in professional organizations (ppa, wppi) or have other photographer friends who they have made a deal with. Make sure they will replace themselves with someone of a similar style and price point.

9. Pricing- make sure you understand what you are getting up front and their pricing practices are up front and understandable. Many photographers have introductory pricing that is back end loaded. They know that they can upsell you after the wedding.

10. Do a search on the internet to find out all you can about your photographers. Search items like there names, phone number, and business name. It is amazing what you what you can find out these days. You can find complaints, praises that they may not want you to find. The internet and information are on your side.

I hope that you got some great tips from this article and that it helped you.

Let me know if you have any questions or if we can help you.

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

Lighting the reception for Chris & Tracey

Lighting is a big passion of mine. So when I receive a call or email saying, how can you make this reception site more "us", I get really excited.  And when you take an already beautiful location like The Cliffs Club house, and expound in it. The outcome is amazing. With years of doing off-Broadway lighting, I was able to learn what effects peoples moods and how lighting can transform you from a church gym to a rain-forest feeling, just with lighting. So we were able to work with The Cliffs Club house feeling and make the mood more unique to the bride and groom. -Daniel Yopp

"In preparation for our wedding reception my husband and I perused many wedding magazines- what stood out to us was that the most interesting and warm looking receptions came alive by the addition of professional lighting. Our wedding planner recommended Better Tie Productions in Greenville, South Carolina. It was one of the best recommendations we could of received during our wedding planning. Daniel Yopp made our reception memorable to all that attended with uplighting, wall monogram, highlighting our cake and dance floor. The reception venue said they had never seen the room look better!. Thank you Better Tie Productions... you have our highest praises!"  Tracey Pine (Bride)

(Note: These pictures were take in May at 3pm with no clouds, all  shades open for full room shots. We use high powered LED lights - NOT dj lighting which means even in daylight you can still see the effect.)

Why Should Someone Hire a Coordinator/Planner?

Alright so we love working with wedding planners. This doesn't mean we will not work with you if you don't have a wedding planner, it just makes things easier for you (the bride and groom) and us (the vendors). So this week I decided to interview one of my favorite wedding vendors and get a Wedding Planners view on this subject.  We have worked together on numerous weddings. She is a wedding planner with over 7 years in the wedding business as a planner and nearly 20 before that doing corporate events and meetings.  She is Susan Sanford of Willrich Bridal and Special Events.  www.willrichbridal.com

Why should someone hire a coordinator or events planner? There are so many reasons.  First and foremost, the planner will enable the couple to enjoy their wedding experience and with less pre-wedding stress.   A planner will know the renowned  vendors in town.  They will know what vendors fit the brides price range and are enjoyable to work with.  They have a relationship with these vendors because they are repeat customers, where a bride on her own is a one-time customer.  Many brides think planners will get large discounts from vendors, but that is not necessarily true. The bride will save money by not wasting time and the energy searching for vendors that turn out to be unavailable or out of their price range.  A planner helps a bride know where the important places to spend money are and where it is better to save money. They can help with color choices, themes, and all of the design questions.  They are always available to answer etiquette questions, as well.

Planners will coordinate all the logistics of a wedding; layout, timelines, processionals, recessionals, clean-up and make sure that the vendors are kept informed of all plans.  This is a huge stress removed from the wedding couple.  On the day of the wedding, planners are there with their teams to ensure that the bride and her family is able to spend time relaxing and getting ready rather than rushing around and trying to set up and handle last minute preparations. Basically, we are there to make the wedding as stress-free for the couple, and their family, as possible.

Tell me what makes your company special:  We love creating beautiful traditional and unique events with special personalized touches for our brides.  We are a little different than most planners in that we have a team that will come in on the wedding day.  Some to stay with the bride and groom to make sure they are taken care of.  We have someone available to steam dresses, sew on buttons and help out in most any way needed.  Several more people are at the ceremony site setting it up and several more at the reception site getting it ready for guests to arrive.

How did you get started in the business?  I had been doing corporate events for years in my past position, and private events on my own.  When the economy went bad and I (like so many others) was laid off, I decided to open my own business and have never looked back.

What do you like best about your job?  My favorite part is watching the ceremony.   It is so full of tradition and beauty.  It’s like watching a great ballet come together after months and months of work.  I also enjoy getting to know the couples and their families.  I have met a lot of great people.

Tell us about your favorite wedding or event:  That’s a tough one because there have been so many great ones.  I guess I would have to say either the casino reception (so much fun) we did or the wedding on the Arabian horse farm, where the bride’s horse performed after the ceremony.  It was like something out of a movie.

What are the questions a bride should ask when choosing a vendor in your field? Ask about experience. Ask to see pictures of the events that they have handled and always ask for references.  Find out if you “click” with them, since you will be spending a lot of time together.  Find out how many people will be working your event.  Make sure you know exactly what they will be handling and not handling on the wedding day.

What’s the hardest thing about your job?  Oh, that is easy, the hours on my feet on the day of the wedding.  We will usually begin around 10:00 am on the morning of the wedding and not sit down until after 1:00 am the next morning.  I am always on the lookout for comfortable shoes.

Anything else we should know?  I would love for your readers to check out our website www.willrichbridal.com to learn more about what we offer.  Also, be sure to read our blogs for pictures of events, helpful tips, information on venues and loads of idea

Well I hope that you were able to learn a little bit about what a wedding planner does and some of the ways it can help you.

We  love to give you as much help as you need so if you have questions or a topic you would like us to talk about just shoot us an email.

As always leave some love and tell us what you think or maybe other ways a planner has helped you on your wedding day.

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

www.bettertieproductions.com

Brian "Head" Welch Concert

Our love of photography doesn't just stop at weddings and portraits. We love all aspects of photography, especially things that keep our creativity flowing. Nothing get's you going like a ROCK concert! The lights, haze, music loud enough to make you go deaf, the energy from the band, being in the crowd of screaming fans singing along to every song. Each thing complementing the other perfectly in controlled chaos. I just love it! These images are from a concert we just recently shot, for our good friends at The Channel. (Bands: The Wedding, Decyfer Down, The Letter Black, and Brian "Head" Welch)

Let us know what you think, and show us some love with your comments.

 

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

 

Jolyane & VJ Wedding Part 2

So I told you we would put up some of this wonderful couples photos from their wedding day. I just have to say we are so blessed at what we get to do. Yes it's a lot of work and we put in some long hours but when you get to work with great couples and their families it just makes it all worth it.

Enjoy the pictures and as always, leave us some love and let us know what your favorites are.

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions

 

Jolyane + VJ Wedding Trailer

We had the pleasure of working with Jolyane and VJ for both their photography and videography. They were so funny to work with VJ kept us laughing through both their engagement shoot and the wedding day. I'll put up some pictures next week. We filmed the wedding and reception at the beautiful Huguenot Loft located downtown Greenville SC. Here's a look at their wedding trailer.

Leave some love with your comments.

Daniel Yopp

Better Tie Productions