THOUGHTS THURSDAY: 4 Reasons You Should Have a Photobooth

So first off before I start anything I need to just say thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the incredible vendors who were involved in our 1-YEAR Anniversary! We are so overwhelmed with gratitude for all the vendors who have supported us throughout our first year open and are so very grateful for all of them who we love to work with so much!!! First round of thank yous go to the vendors who provided entertainment at our Party ::

Dreamweaver Photobooth (the most fun you will ever have in your entire life.)
Sarah Tollerson (your voice sounds of angels + your duet with Chris Dooley was on point.)
Chris Dooley (the coolest violinist in the Savannah area who owns a really cool bird.)
Dollface by Jules (all the ladies at our party had the finest lipstick of all the land.)
Symmetry Nail Bar (fabulous nails and manicures for all the prettiest ladies.)
Zoe's Massage Place (the best deep massage you will ever feel that will relax you for days.)

And now huge thank you to all the vendors who donated prizes to all those wonderful brides and grooms out there ::

Advanced A/V Rentals // Alexis Sweet Photography // Beyond Beautiful by Heather // Claire Barrett Photography // Daniel John Eastwood Photography // Gigi's Cupcakes // Izzy Hudgins Photography // Michelle Royal Makeup Artistry & Hair Styling // Posh Hair by Lindsay // Rach Lea Photography // Savannah Makeup Professionals // Silver Lining Spa

And now to just say thank you thank you to all of our amazing friends. You guys are so wonderful and have made Savannah a home for both Adrienna & myself. We love every moment spent with all of you and we are so grateful that you all came out to support our adventure. Without you all we would be a little lost in life. You make us laugh, you make us smile, you make us seriously happy and the fact you guys support us enough to come party with us is the best thing ever to us. We love you all from the bottoms of our hearts. Now for the fun pictures... oh yeah, we have all these pictures in the big format. You might have thought you were just getting a snapshot in a photobooth but oh no... Anyway, if you want any of these in the large version feel free to e-mail us at ivoryandbeau@gmail.com!! Also, we will be posting them in an album on our Facebook page! And now... for my Thoughts Tuesday Thursday and my 4 reasons why every couple should have a photobooth at their wedding...

****Dreamweaver Photography has a few different styles of photobooths but this one in particular was a modern looking free-standing photobooth that can be used in front of whatever backdrop you want! It prints out 2 strips for guests to take. I absolutely am obsessed with it because of the fact you don't have to have a boring backdrop and if you know me you know we love getting creative!!!! To get more information about pricing and photobooth options contact Jamie at jamie@dreamweaverphotos.com!! Trust me this is going to be one of the most fun investment you could ever make... PROOF IS BELOW. And go...

1. They are more fun than awkward conversations and small talk. Let's be honest here... I'm sure the majority of us have been to a wedding where we barely knew anybody and the small talk was kind of hurting our heart a little. What better way to break the ice at cocktail hour than have a photobooth for guests to laugh and be awkward in a completely socially acceptable manner. 

2. We live in the age of selfies. And who doesn't love a good selfie. I mean even those people shaking their head and saying no they don't like selfies... I just am not buying it.  

3. It's like Halloween on steroids. You get to dress up and change your look more times in 10 minutes then you do the whole year. One minute you're a dinosaur, the next an owl, the next a ridiculously posh looking male with a fantastic mustache. It's like being a kid all over again and I love it. 

4. My top reason for having a photobooth is the fact that your photographer, no matter how good, will probably never capture every single guest at your wedding. Plus I mean it's not really like you want them to anyway... well maybe. But probably not. Who wants a bunch of portraits of every single guest hanging out with each other? I mean maybe you do but I'm just going to assume you don't. And from my experience looking through all the pictures that photographers send us after the wedding it is definitely not the norm for them to do that. That being said... with a photobooth your guests get the chance to get their picture taken. And then after the wedding you can share all those crazy pictures and embarrass the heck out of everyone in a really fun way. And your wedding guests will be talking about that wedding and how fun it was for forever. But that wedding where they danced awkwardly in the light that was never dimmed enough? Not going to remember it. Or maybe they will remember how awkward they were and they'll just try and pretend they don't remember. Or maybe that is just me? Awkward ginger syndrome or something. Not sure.

{Photobooth Credit} Dreamweaver Photography

SIMPLY INSPIRATION: Ceremony, Photobooth + Dessert Backdrops AND a 10% Discount!

Boy do I got a treat for ya'll today! The LA Shop contacted me a few weeks ago about doing a review on one of their products, which also comes along with a great discount for products from their online store (more on that later in the post)!!! So anyway, of course I said yes because they have some awesome stuff!! A few days ago I received the product in the mail + so now for my review... but first... here is what I received...

Now if you know me at all you know one of my absolute favorite things ever is hanging things. Anything. Really doesn't matter what I'm hanging: could be paper flowers, tissue poms, garlands, fabric, real flowers, gold dipped feathers, antlers, toy dinosaurs... I mean seriously. Anything. I will gladly hang it. So when they wanted me to do a review on this I was beyond excited because now I have this thing and I can hang stuff from it all day. Anyday. Everyday. Anything. It's the perfect piece to have to use for backdrops for ceremony backdrops, dessert tables, photo booths... you name it. I mean I could seriously have some fun with this thing at our wedding in Palm Springs. Hmm... wonder how much extra the airplanes charge for bringing aboard something like this?? Do you see where I'm going with this!? It is seriously perfect for weddings. Keep reading for some awesome inspiration.

So... begin my review here. I opened the box... well no rewind a little... Tigger, our cat, tried to open the box. No literally... he chewed and chewed and there were scraps of cardboard all over our entryway where he had tried to open the box. He seriously chewed open one entire side of the box. So, back to the review, we opened the box. I pulled out the bag which looks exactly as seen above. Inside are all the pieces wrapped up in different compartments of the bag, which is nice that they're not all just squished in there together. That would obviously lead to some seriously metal clanking while carrying it around. In total there were 6 parts. Now, before I describe my one and only criticism with this product I feel the need to note that there is disclaimer below. So I pulled out the 6 parts. I easily put together the 2 side parts that are the stands. Then I looked at the other 4 pieces, which are 4 poles, and I tried really hard to figure out how in the world I get them to be the top part of this stand. And I looked some more... and I tried attaching Pole A to Pole B, etc. And well, I could not figure it out. I looked in the bag but there were no instructions. I gave up. [Disclaimer: My fiance came home + I said "figure that thing out?" and he figured it out in less than 30 seconds.] So... my one criticism I would say may or may not be valid... and is pretty much dependent on whether or not you are good at figuring stuff out or not without instructions. I obviously am not.

Once he put it together the ideas began streaming through my head, the countless possibilities. Play day anyone? So here are 3 ways I think this portable arch could be utilized at a wedding. 

#1: A ceremony arch!? These are my favorite. I know a lot of people say being outdoors you just don't need a backdrop or anything because it's so pretty and the nature is the pretty part, but I personally am a sucker for a.) anything hanging; b.) decor that is part of your wedding theme/personality/experience! It makes your wedding more unique and more you. Plus then your wedding is different from other couples who got married in that same spot, because how many people can say they had dead animal skulls for their ceremony backdrop??? Just saying. Here are some examples of ceremony backdrops that could easily be put together using this photography backdrop arch! 

#2: Makeshift photo booths with funky backdrops are probably one of my other favorite things we've been seeing at weddings these days! Not that I don't love the traditional photo booths... but the ones with the tripod and the bright crazy backdrops are so fun too! Here is some of my favorite inspiration:

#3: Or how about a dessert table backdrop??? Ehhhh!? Who doesn't love a beautifully styled dessert table? And then add an amazing backdrop and ta da! Amazing treats surrounded by amazingness that will surely wow your guests in more ways than one. And again... here is a way to make your wedding an experience and not just an ordinary event. 

Now any of the seen-above pictures of ceremony backdrops could easily be made on this photography stand... The stand is sturdy and also adjustable. There are 4 pieces that can be put in the middle to create a very long stand or you can use as little as one for a shorter length. The only problem I see for using this at weddings would be the tripod feet; however, I don't think this is necessarily a huge problem since they could easily be covered using fabric or large flower arrangements. Just have to get creative! 

Now for the discount code for The LA Shop. No wait... first here are some things on my wish list from The LA Shop!!

[1] Floor Stand Pop-up Projector Screen for a secret surprise video during the reception!?

[2] Disco balls for the dance floor?? yes please. 

[3] Twinkly lights for perimeter lighting makes spaces romantic!

[4] Why not bring your cat to the wedding?! Oh.. your cat is an indoor cat? No worries... you can get a metal crate for your cat when you don't want to walk it on a leash! ;) Chris + I would love to bring Tigger the monster to our wedding... may not be a bad idea... I could seriously see Tigs loving that hammock.

Okay okay... so The LA Shop specializes more in business supplies, so for those of you out there who might need some equipment for a trade show or industry event, photographers in need of new flashes, lighting equipment, and backdrops, or salon and makeup artists in need of new airbrush equipment... then this is the right website for you to check out. Or if you're like me and really want your cat to be at your wedding and be able to simultaneously relax in a hammock... then it's also the place to shop. 

Get your 10% off discount with the code: "BLOGGERS" 

Shop away ya'll!

Thank you to The LA Shop for choosing me to do a review! 

Xoxo, Nicole Rene

{Shopping Credits} Portable Photography Backdrop Stand // Floor Stand Pop-up Projector Screen // Christmas Lighting LED Rope Light 150ft // Cat Crate {Photo Credits} [Ceremony Arch] Couple Kissing via Ruffled, photography by Sunday Romance // Striped Fabric Arch via Ruffled, photography by Danielle Capito // Greenery Arch via Georgeous AU, photography by Sarah Wood // Skull Arch via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Alec Vanderboom // Tinsel Garland Backdrop via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Sloan Photographers [Photo Booth Backdrop] Fringe backdrop via Ruffled // Photo Booth with Tripod via Style Me Pretty, photography by Drew & Megan // Wallpaper backdrop with Vintage Chair via CAMP, photography by Elizabeth Messina // Bride and Groom via Style Me Pretty, photography by Jess + Nate Studios // Guy via Smile Booth // Colorful backdrop via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Studio Castillero [Dessert Tables] Ruffled Ombre Fabric backdrop via Style Me Pretty, photography by One Love // Ribbon Streamer backdrop via Ruffled, photography by Stacey Hedman // Pink & Orange Streamer backdrop via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by N Barrett // Fabric backdrop with Heart Light via Style Me Pretty, photography by Jose Villa // Pinwheel backdrop via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Brooke Aliceon // Streamers and Chevron backdrop via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Sarah Culver // 

SIMPLY INSPIRATION: Wes Anderson

Being a wedding planner I swear I learn something new everyday. I don't know if it will always be like that? I mean maybe if I do this another 40 years there won't be anything else to learn. But lately it seems that everyday is something completely different. And I think that's why I love what I do so much. It's never the same thing + it keeps things interesting. That being said, the other day I got an e-mail in my inbox from a potential client who said if they could sum their wedding in 3 words it would be "Wes.... Anderson... Wedding..." I am not going to lie, I was beyond confused? Who is this Wes Anderson character? Well, let me tell you after googling 'Wes Anderson Wedding' I was instantly intrigued. I loved everything. I soaked it all up + was super excited about this theme. It is quirky, fun, unique, different. And some of my favorite things popped up... like the Ace Hotel, antlers, chalkboards, animals, animals + more animals... Love it. So I obviously had to make an inspiration board... enjoy!

{Photo Credits} Bunnies via Style Me Pretty, photography by Valeria Duque // Bride + Groom via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Max Wanger // Just Married Tent via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Meghan Christine // Save the Dates via Elizabeth Anne Designs // Photobooth via Style Me Pretty, photography by Abi Q // Cake via Style Me Pretty, photography by Abi Q // Mismatched Chairs via Ruffled, photography by Jen Huang // Deer Topiary via Style Me Pretty, photography by Abi Q // Props via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Delbarr Moradi // Map Invitations via Ruffled, photography by Love Me Do // Bride @ Ace Hotel via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Hollin Brodeur // Rings via Style Me Pretty, photography by Valeria Duque