Since moving from the midwest a little over a year ago I have yet to get my weddings kicking full speed here in Seattle. Picking up many new habits and projects along with living in this incredible new place could be the main reason for that but lately I have been getting back into it full steam and looking for awesome vendors to work with here in Seattle. That is not what this post is about though. This post is for all of the rocking people who have helped me along the way or who I just think do a kick ass job at what they do! A shout out back to my roots in the midwest. Weddings are the biggest day of your life and the only way to make it the perfect day is to hire the right people. Here is my list of rocking wedding vendors in my home state of Illinois.
photography
Pam Cooley. (If this was a national TV commercial I would just say, “The name says it all”) Since it’s not I will give you a quick run down on why Pam, in my mind, is the greatest photographer anyone could have for their special day. Anyone can go to her website and discover how talented she is with her art but in my mind great photography has another dimension that is often overlooked. The art of comfort, compassion, and spontaneity. You see, the best pictures are not only caught by the photographer rather they are created. She has the incredible skill of breaking down walls and barriers and allowing the true love and passion to come out in all of her photos. It is the art of creating the moment and then capturing it. Remember that the next time someone says “CHEEEZ” and everyone does a fake little smile and appreciate the true art that an incredible wedding photographer like Pam brings to the aisle (like that plug, aisle, table, get it?). A true pleasure to work with (even though we haven’t worked a wedding together, yet, we have done other projects) and an even better mentor, Pam goes down in my book as my #1 Wedding Photographer. Her website is http://pamcooleyphotos.com/
wedding planner
To be honest with you, when I started playing weddings a few years ago I didn’t know why people would spend money on a Wedding planner. Wow, was I ignorant. A wedding without a wedding planner is like have a wedding without a cake. It just doesn’t make sense. The difference that it makes is a blessing for any bride who wants to be certain that their big day runs smoothly. You can find out more about “why you need a wedding planner” on Lisa’s site but now onto my rant. I had the pleasure of playing a ceremony and reception a year ago yesterday with Lisa of Happily Ever After as the Wedding Planner. This was the 2nd time I had played a wedding with someone to boss me around all day (just kidding), and let me say that I have never been to a wedding that was so thought out, planned, organized, and a pleasure to be at than this one was. Lisa is a pure charm to work with and can bring a light to any situation even though their wasn’t a bad situation all day because that is what good planners to. In my business classes they used to call it risk-management I think. I didn’t get to see all of the pre-planning that goes on beforehand but I heard from the Bride that there was nothing to worry about there either. I wouldn’t expect anything less after what I saw on the day of the wedding. It was one of those weddings where I played the ceremony and the reception so anyone who can keep me in line for almost 12 hours has to be awesome at what they do. To that I say, Lisa with Happily Ever After is a must have for any wedding. Keep rocking Lisa! Her website is http://www.h-e-a.biz
video
Video. In my mind video is just as important as pictures. It is the only true way to capture all of the moments that can slip through the cracks of a photograph. It is especially important if you have those inspirational moments throughout the night when everyone is singing along to all of your favorite songs and would definately put a smile on your face watching it for years to come. (That was a little plug to my show which Ingrid of White Lily Productions did an amazing job filming last year.) I had the pleasure of working with Ingrid a year ago at the same wedding that Lisa was at. She blew me away, seriously. Ingrid was everywhere, capturing everything. She didn’t miss a beat all night and really kept the night fun and enjoyable for all of us. Add in a super person to work with along with her incredible video of your entire wedding day, I think you have to put her on the “must-have” list as well. White Lily’s website is http://www.whitelilypro.com.
Let’s see, I just mentioned the best vendors I know for photography, video, and wedding planning. Looks like you should have your next event all covered!
Visit each vendors website below
Pam Cooley at http://www.pamcooleyphotos.com
