Renee Aaron Tips: Wedding Photographer’s Mistake Educate Others

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Image Provided By:Video Editing Made Easy

 

When one hears the compliments, “You do amazing work” or “I have seen your work and I would like to hire for my next event”, are always good signs of what one would think will be the start of a great working relationship. So now you have met with the client and have discussed what the particulars will be. The date is set and you are ready.  The time is now here for the event to take place and you commence to work. No one ever told you that what lies ahead will make a turn for the worse.

As a wedding an event planner I take it very seriously to educate myself of things that have happened to other vendors in the industry. While researching, I came across a video that was posted by Gary Fong. A wedding photographer reached to him, “who found himself in a pickle: after doing a “great job” (in Fong’s opinion) in shooting a wedding, he received a menacing letter from the couple threatening him with a $300,000 lawsuit”, as taken from the website Peta Pixel.

This photographer is experiencing a case of the Libel life. The lawyer (who is also an attorney) started the letter with, “This is the only demand you will receive before you get sued, and you ruined our wedding. Verbal contract aren’t forcible in Washington State.”

The video continues with Fong reading this letter. He speaks about the errors in the photographers: always have a contract, always edit out the photos that were not going to be used, and be careful.

I spoke with Doria Barnes of D’Arne Productions a multimedia company and had her review this video. I asked her a few questions and this was her response:

What are your thoughts of the video and the issue at hand?

I think the client does have a right to not be satisfied with the photography work. However, the lawyer intimidation and the $300,000 they are requesting is ridiculous. There should always be an initial meeting with the client and photographer, covering all bases ensuring the client and photographer click and work well together. In this situation the photographer failed to have that initial meeting and a follow up meeting presenting the contract spelling out everything the client(s) want and a media release form. These forms are to make certain, the photographer will capture everything the client wants documented. Videography is a little bit different, I record the entire event from 2 different angles and I am able to cut and paste to create exactly what the client wants.

As a professional how do you combat issues like this with a client?

Having meetings after meetings with the client making sure we are all on the same page.

How important is that you cover your bases?

It’s very important that as a company, we cover all bases because the client we are working are presently work with can refer your services to new clients.

Do you have any libel or defamation clauses in your contracts?

I do not have those clauses; however, I will definitely make sure I do so, a.s.a.p.

So in the end we need to cover our bases. We have to have documentation no matter how well you know a person or not. In the end it’s all still business.

To find more information about D‘Arne’ Productions check out their website darneproductions.blogspot.com.

Image Provided by D’Arne Productions

 

 

 

Renee Aaron Events Presents: Ooh So Fabulous Weddings and Events

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Photo Provided By: Ooh So Fab Events

On a Friday evening, I sat down with co-founder of Ooh So Fabulous Wedding and Events, Tamesha Moore-Rouse. We talked about the start of the wedding business and what the future holds with the fabulous event planner.

As noted on the company’s website in their “about us” tab, Moore-Rouse states exactly how the company was started by accident. “A friend of ours from the University of Michigan was getting married and a week before her wedding she fired her wedding planner and hired us,” Moore-Rouse speaking of herself and her business partner Kalisha Gaines.

Born and raised in the city of Detroit, Moore-Rouse’s background is in Education. She holds a Master’s in the Arts of teaching. Bachelor’s in Education, Elementary Education, Children’s literature with Drama and Theater for the young. Teaching runs in her family. Interestingly, her father is a retired teacher and always asks when will she get a real job? She laughs as she speaks about him because she states, that he doesn’t realize this is a real job.

Every business owner will have their share of ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. When asked what the ups were she says, “This is my baby, I get to mold it and shape it into whatever I want it to be, its mine.” In that same breathe she clearly lays out what are downs, “But at the same time the downs is, its my baby and if something goes wrong, it’s me that their calling. It’s my partner their calling. It’s all on me now. I’m in charge and I have to make the right decision.”

Photo Provided By: Ooh So Fab Events

Photo Provided By: Ooh So Fab Events. Taken By: Marco Antonio Photography

Every client brings their own unique flavor and trait. When asked what types of clients has she encountered thus far, she had this to say, “We have clients recently that haven’t had that beauty, they’ve said their not pretty enough, or they can’t want for their wedding, so they can be pretty”. Their goal is to provide that client with the Ooh So Fabulous experience by letting them know they are beautiful. Their event is important but they want the client to experience and feel that within. When she finished, the question was asked would you consider this your mission statement.  She quickly replied, yes.

I asked Moore-Rouse about the future of Ooh So Fab Weddings. She was excited to share that recently in September of 2012; they have expanded to a full service called “Ooh So baby”, for the moms, dads and babies. They are also event producers for big trade shows as well.

As we ended the interview, I was given the tour of her great office held in the Metro Work Space facility, in Livonia, MI. They are also expanding out of state as well in Atlanta, Orlando and Chicago. If you would like to watch the interview of Tamesha Moore-Rouse of Ooh So Fabulous Wedding and Events, click on the video and learn more about the great event planner. 

For more information about Ooh So Fab Weddings and Events check out their Facebook page.

 

Bride and Groom Average Five Figures to Plan the Perfect Wedding

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As a young bride in 2005, I knew the importance of budgeting and preparing for a wedding. However, as time went on no one gave me a full explanation of how much a wedding would cost. Traditionally the bride’s parent’s pays for the wedding and the grooms parent’s pays for the rehearsal dinner. In today’s society more couples are paying for the brunt of the wedding.

In April of 2011, the royal family had a wedding that cost $48 million paid on the taxpayer’s dime, as stated from theknot.com. According to the The Knot the average American weddings cost $26,984 excluding the honeymoon. Editor and chief Carley Roney stated, “Brides remain committed to planning a luxioruis, memorable event and are willing to spend despite the state of the economy”. With sites like the “The Knot”, The Wedding Wire, and Brides a bride and groom will find the tools needed to ensure they are budgeting and using their money wisely.

While planning my wedding I knew that I wanted the biggest bang for my buck. I made myself aware, that this day is just for a couple of hours and our biggest ticket item would be our photographer. A photographer plays a big factor on how the wedding day will be portrayed for years to come.  Stated on this graph the average amount for a photographer is $2,320. For my husband and I, we wanted those pictures to tell a story where a caption isn’t needed, the images speaks for it self. The average reception site cost #12,124 and the average amount spent on each guest is $194. Again, newly engaged couples know their wedding will cost but you never really get grasp until all the ideas and thoughts one dreamed of having has a price tag with it.

           There are many ways to become cost effective while planning one of the most important days of your life. New ways to cut down on cost would be avoiding the peak season of June-September as stated in the graph. Instead of finding a business to do desserts or centerpieces find a family or friend who is skilled in that area and have them create them for you, cutting your cost drastically.

If I could do my day all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved every color, venue and item chosen for our wedding. We did kind of miss out on the huge party reception after our ceremony. However, in three years we will celebrate 10yrs of marriage. So the planning has begun and the venue has been chosen. We have prepared our family and friends for an all-night party until you drop celebration, because no one said to throw a fabulous event you need to have the money; maybe not 48 million, but somewhere closer to that 27K range to make it memorable. Happy budgeting!

Harvest Fest Gives Alternative to Halloween’s Trick or Treating

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Halloween is the holiday that is celebrated by many in the United States.  Many people are concerned with finding the right costume, purchasing multiple bags of candy, decorating your house and conquering yet another haunted house.

For faith-based church Word of Faith International Christian Center, in Southfield, Michigan, they have the alternative to Halloween and that’s Harvest Fest. Harvest Fest is an accumulation of carnival like games, a concert, a dramatic play and most importantly winning souls to Christ. The first Harvest Fest debuted in October of 1999 under then youth Pastor Joel E. Gregory.

On Wednesday, Oct. 31, doors opened at 6 p.m. for the public to grab a seat in the sanctuary for the 7 p.m. showing of the debut play “Bully” written by playwright and director, Rena Marion.

Marion, a youth leader, has been with the pre-teen auxiliary Glory Phi God since 1987-88. “I believe the drama ministry started not long afterwards. The original crew was Terry Lyons(head), Bonnie McWilliams, Seneta Pope, Vernita Journey and me,” says Marion. She also states that, “Co-director, Seneta Pope, has contributed to the writing as well.”

When asked what is the goal of Harvest Fest, Marion clearly states three objectives: “First to support the Youth Pastor by following the direction of the Holy Spirit to minister the word of God through the arts, touch the lives of the people so they have a desire to live Christ-centered lives. Second, to grow the young actors, to give them an outlet for their gifts, to build their confidence in themselves and in God’s ability to work through them. Thirdly, to have a good time building relationships with the youth; letting them know that being a Christian is not boring, but exciting and rewarding.”

In short, with BULLY, “I want to depict a real-life scenario of what our young people are dealing with on a daily basis, that as believers they can overcome circumstances (bullying, abuse in home, low self-esteem) and WIN. With Jesus, they WIN, says Marion.

As the play ends, youth Pastor Sean McDowell comes center stage and invite those who would like to come up for prayer and or salvation. Before leaving he introduces musical hip-hop gospel group Rhema Soul to the stage. Harvest Fest has now made Halloween about soul winning and being a light to those in darkness.