My Wedding Dream Team~Annmarie Young Photography's preferred vendors.
So you are probably wondering, what does a kids portrait photographer know about weddings? It just so happens, plenty. I was a second shooter for many, many years at a South Jersey wedding and portrait photography studio. Over the years, I've worked with some great vendors, and I've worked with some vendors that were...let's just say a challenge to work with. I've seen wedding cakes nearly collapse; flowers fall apart; DJ's who think that they are guests at a wedding and try to get into every photo they can; DJ's who announce the cake cutting while the photographers are trying to eat a quick dinner five rooms away; and makeup artists & hairdressers who have no concept of time and set the wedding itinerary off schedule an hour. Since all of the vendors you hire for your wedding day become a "team", I thought I'd share with you what I consider to be the best in the biz. Not only are the following people and companies established as the best at what they do, they are professional, classy and easy to work with.Check out my list, and don't forget to tell anyone you contact that I sent you!
Best of luck to you as you plan your wedding!
Annmarie
DJ's
Tony Q DJ's & Entertainment--http://www.tonyqdj.com
If you want a classy DJ with over 20 years of experience who will give you personalized service and impeccable wedding day DJ coverage, then give Tony a call. He knows how to create the perfect playlist specific to your tastes, one that will appeal to every generation of guest at your reception. He's incredibly easy to work with, a walking encyclopedia of musical knowledge, very professional, and a nice guy to boot. When I'd arrive at a wedding venue to shoot, I'd always breathe a sigh of relief when I saw Tony! I've never worked with a couple who didn't love Tony, and I've never worked a party with him where the whole room wasn't dancing.
Bob Marsdale http://www.marsdaleproductions.com
Bad DJ's come and go in this biz, while Bob and his crew continue to be one of the best, year after year. If you really want to get a sense of how good Marsdale Productions is, check out the testimonial page on their website. I've been to many weddings where the music was so loud and "clubby" that guests couldn't hear each other talk. Bob knows how to weave a great mix of music that will really make your party special. He knows how to appeal to every generation at your reception, and he knows how to get a party started. He is also a professional comedian and voice-over artist! Ask him to do his Frank Sinatra impression. It's amazing. :)
Florist
Leigh Florist-- www.leighflorist.biz
Quite simply, Leigh Florist creates the most beautiful flower arrangements you have ever seen. Their lovely shop is located in a quaint Audubon, NJ neighborhood. They were the flower vendors at my own wedding. Denise at Leigh is just the coolest, friendliest most professional person you could ever ask for. Not only does she know her craft, she is an artist who intuitively knows how to make the most beautiful arrangements and bouquets for your budget. Seriously, I'm not even a flower person, but I once I saw what she did for my wedding, I was in love. When you sit down with Denise, you feel like you are sitting down with a good friend. She rocks.
Wedding & Event Planners
POSH Events http://www.posheventsllc.com
Wedding planning is stressful. There is no way around it. If you are looking for someone to help you make sense of the chaos that is wedding planning, then you should really check out POSH Events. They offer services for every budget, and their team is so friendly and professional that you will feel like you are working with friends.
Bridal Makeup
Catrina Wilson-Makeup by Catrina https://www.facebook.com/CatrinaWilsonMakeupArtistEsthetician
Catrina is a licensed esthetician & makeup artist serving all of NJ & PA. Whether you need a makeup trial for your wedding, bridal makeup, lash extensions, waxing, etc. she can do it. You will love Catrina's relaxed, friendly manner and incredible talent. She can even make your bridal party beautiful! Give her a call!
Cakes
Di Bartolo Bakery
http://www.dibartolobakery.com
I won't lie, I had a hard time finding a good cake company for my wedding a year and a half ago. The cakes that looked good, tasted awful, and some bakeries had awful customer service skills. One bakery, who shall remain nameless, kept me waiting 45 minutes when I arrived for my appointment. When I asked what was up, I was told, "We are decorating a cake right now, you will have to wait.". Oh really? I will have to wait to give you a truckload of money for your lousy cake? I don't think so. I ended up going with DiBartolo Bakery in Collingswood NJ and I loved my cake. I brought a photo of an ocean themed cake because I was getting married at the Camden Aquarium and they replicated it beautifully. It was delicious as well. The staff is no nonsense and they were able to fit me into their schedule last minute. They were wonderful.
Hair & Haircolor
Suede Salon Marlton, NJ http://suedesalonspa.com
Haircuts: Michael Sparks -The only person who I allow to touch my hair. I've recommended a hundred people to him, and every last one of them loves him.
Color: Donelle Butcher- She is not only talented, sweet, and friendly, she does beautiful work.
Wedding Invitations
Tiny Prints/Wedding Paper Divas http://www.tinyprints.com/storefront/annmarieyoungphotography
I have been a fan of Tiny Prints & Wedding Paper Divas for years. When I got the opportunity to partner with Tiny Prints as the preferred card vendor for my photography, I was thrilled. If you really appreciate fine paper stock, beautiful designs and modern layouts, then please, check out Tiny Prints. I won't even get into the fonts featured on the invitations. I was an Art Major in college. Beautiful fonts make me very happy (geeky, I know!) Just click my storefront link above, and start shopping! (Wedding Paper Divas can be reached by clicking the tab up top to the right).
Oh, and Tiny Prints offers free wedding websites (see below). You can match your wedding website, your Save the Date Cards, your Invitations, etc. Check out the details below.
Do you need a wedding website? Would you like one that matches your Save the Date cards, invitations, etc.? How about getting one for free?
Wedding Paper Divas has what you need! A free wedding website to go along with over 40 of their most popular wedding invitations. This means that you can now easily create an ad-free personal wedding website complete with online RSVP capabilities and more—and keep it FREE for one year!
Some of the features of the free wedding website include:
- Match your site to over 40 of Wedding Paper Divas bestselling invitation designs.
- Easy to design. You don’t need to be a programmer to do this! Just point and click at anything on the site to customize.
- Custom Domains. You can truly customize your site with a domain that is just for you like ourwedding.com.
- Unlimited Photos.
- Guest comments
- Music and Video
- Online RSVP, Blog, Password protection, guest list manager, and much more.
