Head on over to Utah Bride Blog to check out Jane and Dane's beautiful art gallery wedding.

Your Wedding Day Schedule Part Two

by Chauntelle Janzer

Today I met with a bride that is having her wedding in June.  She didn't know what time her ceremony was going to start but did tell me that she has the venue from 3:30pm to 10:30pm.  Most brides assume the venue coordinator will help with the wedding day schedule but I've found that isn't the case. You need to hire an independent utah wedding planner to help with schedule, day of coordinator, and decor.  I've found it's best to give yourself one full hour to get ready before the ceremony at the venue.  This is assuming that your hair and makeup are already done and your putting your dress on at the venue.  So we decided that 4:30pm would be the ceremony time.  Most ceremonies are about 30 minutes long so you can building the rest of your wedding day schedule based off of the ceremony time.  After the ceremony is picture time and cocktail hour.  I like to start with the largest family group photos and go from there until it's just the bride and groom.

 Here is the sample schedule we put together today:

Wedding Day Schedule 6-7 hours

3:30pm Getting Ready

4:30pm Ceremony

5:00pm Group Pictures and Open Buffet

6:00pm Bride and Groom Eat

7:00pm Open House Reception with Receiving Line

8:00pm Toasts and Cut Cake

8:30pm 1^st Dance and Open Dancing

9:00pm Bouquet and Garter Toss

9:30pm Send Off

This is the wedding package that we found is the best one for the above wedding:

Collection Two

• 7 Hours Coverage

• 2^nd Photographer OR Bridal Session

• Engagement Session

• 10x10 Leather Album – 20 Page Credit

• High Resolution Negatives

Should you see each other before the ceremony?

THE FIRST LOOK:  It's a new age, so it's no longer considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. What's more, there are actually some pretty big advantages to a first-look session prior to the wedding. Not only are the bride, groom, bridal party and family in top form, the bride and bridesmaids' hair and makeup are fresh, and the groom and groomsmen are still comfortable in their tuxes.

If you do decide to go with a pre-ceremony formal portrait approach, be sure to set aside 15 minutes of private time for just the two of you. These private moments, before you start taking more formal, posed portraits, are often the most special for the bride and groom. You are able to hold each other or exchange gifts, relax and think about the moments to come. This time together also serves as a break to calm your nerves. This pre-ceremony atmosphere creates a smooth, steady flow through your day's events. Getting this step out of the way early in the day frees up the rest of your time to spend with your guests.

On time and terrific: Because I prefer to shoot these group shots when everyone is ready and fresh, right before the ceremony, meeting at the designated spot 15 minutes before formals ensures an on-time arrival. Since our most important goal is getting you to your wedding on time, please set aside 60-90 minutes for group pictures to ensure maximum results.

Adorned and fabulous : Make sure all flowers and boutonnieres are delivered on time and affixed to family members and to the wedding party 30 minutes before scheduled group pictures. Have hair and makeup teams arrive extra early since those tend to cause a delay more than anything else.

Formal then fun:  Because I prefer to keep the number of groups to 20 or less for more intimate group shots, we always start with the largest groups of family and break it down after that to allow for mingling. As time permits, I love to include a picture of the bride with each of her bridesmaids and the groom with each of his groomsmen.

If you have ideas for any can't-miss portrait groupings you would like to see photographed during this time, make sure to include them on your group shot list and give me that list 2 weeks prior to the wedding. I'm happy to work with you to capture all of your special moments!

by Chauntelle Janzer

Jane + Dane
April 6, 2013
15th Street Art Gallery

I photographed Emily and John's Engagement photos at The Great Salt Lake.  The first part of the session we shot a more casual outfit next to the boats and rocks for more cool toned photos.  Then Emily wore a orange-red dress and we shot with romantic back light in the yellow grass.  These two had their wedding in Florida and a reception in Salt Lake City at the Utah Museum of Natural History.

by Opie Janzer

Emily and John had their wedding in Florida and a reception at the brand new Utah Museum of Natural History. This is the cover of the album they ordered for the Salt Lake City reception.  It's a beautiful Coffee Table style album with a modern gray textured cover. 

Check out the cover that Emily and John selected for their wedding in Florida.  For the main leather they went with "50 shades" and for the spine they went with a gray and white damask pattern called "Smoldering".  In the bottom right hand corner of the album will be embossed their names and wedding date.  This is one of the most popular styles of wedding albums I offer.  It's a 10x10 Leather flush mount album with a photo cut out and 2 types of leather.  Stunning!

So far this year I've shot all the engagement sessions in some kind of freezing cold weather.  Crystal and Mason decided to do their engagement pictures in the industrial Salt Lake City area for a variety of bright colors.  These two are having their wedding on April 27th at Millennial Falls.

by Chauntelle Janzer

Kaycee and Joe got married this past weekend on March 9, 2013 at the Eagles Nest in Tooele.  I've been keeping Kaycee's bridal pictures secret until after the wedding.  I can now share them with everyone on the blog.

by Chauntelle Janzer

I shot Kaycee and Joe's engagement pictures in the freezing cold.  We started the shoot at Peace Gardens and then hit up some spots in the industrial Salt Lake area.  Kaycee and Joe had there wedding at the Eagles Nest this past weekend.  Congrats guys!

by Chauntelle Janzer

I shot Becky and Curry's engagement pictures last week in Park City on main street.  The best part about main street is there are so many different backgrounds we can use with different textures and colors.  These two are having their wedding in May and I'll be there to photograph the entire event. :)

by Opie Janzer

I shot Molly and Ryan's engagement session in the middle of a blizzard.  We decided to do most of the shoot inside at the Utah State Capitol but my favorites were the ones we shot outside in the snow.

by Chauntelle Janzer

I shot Lindsey and Jared's engagement pictures in the industrial part of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lindsey's bridal pictures shot at Red Butte Gardens after the wedding.

by Opie Janzer
OpieFoto

Lina + Gideon
August 17, 2012
Salt Lake City LDS Temple
McCune Mansion

BEFORE THE WEDDING 
Where do you live? Groom is from Laie, HI lived in Provo, UT. Bride has grown up and lived in the beautiful city of Draper, UT.
Occupations: Groom is a BYU student. Bride: Corporate Communications department manager
How the couple met: We met while living in Sacramento, CA, in 2010. We were both serving as full-time missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He totally contacted me first. (Love you babe!)
What attracted her to him: his sense of humor, his Spanish and love for Hispanic culture, his talents in the kitchen and on the Piano!
What attracted him to her: beauty, intellect, hard worker, good with kids, loving big sister
How he proposed: Groom: “I realized that to coax her to say yes, I would need to appeal to every major sense that she had. I told her that we were just going to go on a date. I started with the most important senses: taste and smell. I prepared an aromatic dessert platter of strawberry crème and banana nutella crepes, coconut macaroons, fudge brownies, and macadamia nut chocolates. A single sunflower in a cup was the only decoration for our dessert picnic. Next, sight and touch: we toured a local art exhibit. We held hands and kissed while admiring the beauty of the art and each other. Finally, sound: I took her with me to a private piano studio and played to her my favorite classical compositions. I finished by singing songs from some of her favorite artists, and I ended my singing with “Marry Me” by Train. Immediately finishing the last song, I pulled out the ring and got on one knee.” By that point I was an emotional mess. I was crying and of course my answer was YES, but it just took me a while to get that word out. It was so romantic! Afterwards we celebrated with some sparkling apple cider...but that’s a whole different story!
Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: I had two bridal showers, one at work and one at my house, both hosted by the maid of honor. For our Bachelorette/Bachelor parties we decided to try something new and fun: a JOINT celebration at...
Bachelor party: Boondocks!

WEDDING
Ceremony Place: Salt Lake Temple
Date: August 17th, 2012
Number of guests: at the wedding ceremony  40 /the reception 225
The bride's wardrobe details: Crystal Taffeta fitted gown in Diamond White with beautiful beaded and embroidered applique that accents the bust and hip area.
The groom's wardrobe details: Three-piece light grey with white pinstripe suit . Calvin Klein Coral/Grey tie. Don’t forget the polka-dotted Coral dress socks!

RECEPTION
Reception Place: McCune Mansion in Salt Lake City, UT
Wedding music: Squakbox Sound
First Dance Song: Promise by Romeo Santos ft. Usher
Cake: 4 tiered cake of Almond/Strawberry and Coconut/Piña Colada cake/frosting combinations...Not only did it taste great, but it was beautiful on the outside too!  It was Tiffany blue with white lace designs. It the lace pattern had a cascading effect it went from really heavy to really light. On the bottom tier was our monogram and on the tip-top of the cake was a beautiful sugar peony flower in coral...so pretty!
Colors: Coral and Tiffany Blue
Theme: Gatsby...not the roaring 1920’s part, but the East Egg elegance.
Flowers: Gold goblets and urns filled with tweedia, garden roses, hydrangea, lisianthus, roses, spray roses, dahlias, delphinium, celiosa, pieris and clematis. All flowers had all shades of coral, peach, and creams.
Favors: Candy Bar and photo booth photo souvenir.

The day in three words: Frantic, Fun, Fantastic.
What was the weather like on your wedding day? Gorgeous! Bright, sunny, and warm.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding? Groom: Realizing that I’ll get to spend forever with my best friend, while being surrounded by all of our family and friends.
What is the best advice you can give to a couple that is planning? Bride: Remember why it is that you are doing all of the fittings, tastings, and shopping. The stress of getting married will melt away if you just realize what an exciting thing you’ll be doing: getting married!
What was the biggest surprise about your wedding day? Bride: Well, I tried to surprise my husband with a hula! I didn’t tell him anything about it and I had NEVER done anything like that in my life, but it was fun. Also, I think we really surprised everyone with our fist dance...yeah, it was awesome, we started off with the typical “penguin” step, side to side, and then, pulled out the Bachata! Best part? Well, we didn’t practice, we just winged it!
What was your favorite photo moment? Groom: I can’t nail down just one moment because the same type of moment happened all the time. Opie would have us take kissing pictures and would instruct us when to start. But I, of course, had to take advantage of the opportunity to kiss more, and so she would need to yell at us to stop kissing all the time.
What did you like the most about working with OpieFoto? Groom: Opie connected with us in ways that I doubt any other photographer could. We posed, we laughed, we cried. Opie is an experienced professional that produces high quality work, yet we saw her as a friend who was helping us document one of the most important days of our lives. Bride: We got the best of both worlds: fantastic photographs with the comfort of a close friend.
How did you tame those wedding day nerves? Groom: “Looking at my future wife was all that was needed to calm any kind of nerves because it reminded me why we were going through all of the stress.” Bride: I love this guy! It was kinda the same thing for me too. As soon as I saw him, right before we went out for the ceremony, I just was so excited and calm all of a sudden. He took all the stress away. It was great!
Where did you have your honeymoon? Kona, Hawaii
What was the most memorable moment of your honeymoon? Bride: Everything. It was all beautiful! I loved every second of it. Maybe my favorite moment was when we just took a nap on the beach. It was a perfect moment. All I needed was him by my side and I was happy, so happy!

Jamie and John did their engagement session in the summer at Wheeler Farm.

by Opie Janzer

Stunning bridal pictures of Kailani at La Caille in Salt Lake City.  Kailani's bridal style was Etsy inspired vintage.  She had a giant train on her dress and so many layers!

by Opie Janzer
OpieFoto

I shot Lina's stunning bridal pictures at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and surrounding areas outside.  Lina's wedding colors were Tiffany blue and coral.

by Opie Janzer

Miriam and Colin decided to do their engagement session at Wadley Historic Farm.  They are originally from Las Vegas and had a destination wedding in Park City in October.  Colin said they wanted to do their shoot at the farm because of the beautiful wooden doors and natural elements.

by Opie Janzer
OpieFoto

Taylor + James
December 3, 2012
The 15th Street Gallery

BEFORE THE WEDDING
Where do you live?
We currently live in Daybreak (South Jordan) Utah. But throughout our relationship, we've lived in Salt Lake City, Los Angeles California and St George Utah.
Occupations:
She is the lead wedding planner and owner of Taylor Made Weddings and Event as well as a full time writer and he is a full time distiller and local brewery owner of Wasatch Distillery.
How the couple met:
We met on the first day of our senior and sophomore years at Granite High School and dated for a year until breaking up. It wasn't until 5 years later that we reconnected and we've been together ever since.
What attracted her to him:
Originally in high school it was his bad boy attitude and then the second time it was/is his generous, loyal and loving nature.
What attracted him to her:
Her determination and drive for what she believed in and ability to always have good things in her life, the same for the second time we got together.
How he proposed: 
We actually prefer to keep that story private because it is so special and personal to us.
Bridal shower/Bachelorette party:
 I had two bachelorette parties, one with my friends where we went and had a nice dinner and just hung out and one with the girls in my family (sisters, mom and niece) where we went to dinner and then played board games as a family. Both were wonderful times with loved ones before the big day.
Bachelor party:
He had an all-day poker and barbeque party that was rounded out with the boys going and taking a hot wing challenge. Only one survived the challenge and it wasn't the groom!
WEDDING
Ceremony Place: The 15th Street Gallery in Salt Lake City Utah
Date: Monday, December 3rd, 2012
Number of guests: 36
The bride's wardrobe details: Ivory Dress from the Vera Wang White Collection, an Organza Fit and Flare Gown with Bias Flange Skirt with rose gold shoes and a hand selected chunky necklace and earrings found in St George 2 years before the wedding at a shop called JK Jewelers.
The groom's wardrobe details: A custom tailored Hugo Boss suit called The James with Hugo Boss Cufflinks and Prada Shoes.  RECEPTION
Reception Place:
The 15th Street Gallery in Salt Lake City Utah
Wedding music: 
The ceremony music was two songs from our favorite movie, Definitely Maybe. The parents and bridal party walked to a song called April's Story by Clint Mansell and the bride's processional song was The Happy Ending is You by Clint Mansell. The recessional song was also The Happy Ending is You by Clint Mansell.
First Dance Song:
The first dance song was a song from our second favorite movie, Moulin Rouge and is called Come What May sung by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
Menu:
The catering was provided by Culinary Crafts and featured a hot chocolate bar with Milk Chocolate and Fresh Whipped Cream and Cinnamon, served in a Irish coffee Mug. That was followed by a formal plated dinner with house made artisan breads and rolls with butter blossoms.
The first course of the meal was a delicious endive and radicchio salad with Kumquats, Pomegranate Seeds, Feta, and Red Wine and Honey Vinaigrette.
The second course followed with Utah Red Trout served with Moroccan Tomato Jam, local Free Range herb crusted Chicken breast served with Lemon Herb Compound Butter, Red gold and purple fingerling potatoes roasted with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rosemary and Dill and roasted winter vegetables such as Parsnips, Turnips, Squash, Carrots and Artichokes with Maple Ginger Glaze
The grand finale was a flaming doughnut station where the Chef poached Krispy Kreme Donuts in House-made Buttermilk Caramel Flambés and then topped the doughnut with Italian Gelato flavors of Eggnog, Pumpkin and Salted Caramel.
Cake:
The cake was done by Cake-a-lious and featured a white modern stair styled design with fondant rope trim. The flavor of the cake was sour cream with raspberry lemonade filling
Colors and Theme:
The wedding colors were designed to be a monochromatic winter metallic theme with silver, gold, taupe and rose gold. Set in an art gallery, we also wanted the centerpieces to capture a natural but artistic atmosphere.
Flowers:
The flowers were designed by Honey of a Thousand Flowers and featured an array of floral accents. The flowers throughout the wedding décor and bouquets included Astilbe, Anemone, Hydrangea, Amaryllis and Ranunculus. The greenery for the floral arrangements included tuberose, agapanthus, maiden hair fern, sword fern, and parrot tulips. There were ceremony accent pieces, end table vases, a head and cake table centerpiece and several low and taller guest table arrangements that featured grapewood.
There were five bouts, three mother's corsages, one bridesmaid bouquet and one bride's bouquet. The Bouts and corsages featured simple designs in whites with an accent of greenery while the bride bouquet was full and textural with a shape that was not completely round or symmetrical and made of white flowers with some accents of greenery, wrapped in a dupioni ribbon and silver wire.
Favors:
We hand-selected the favors from my favorite store, Crate & Barrel, to fit the monochromatic winter metallic theme with rose gold coloring. The favors were modern designed ornamental stars that were placed at each place setting with a card saying 'Thank you. Please take this special star as a token of our gratitude and love. Our hope is that whether hung on a tree, or placed on a desk, when you see it sparkling you remember our gratitude for your part in our lives.'  When we had our grand entrance, James asked that our guests send us a photo of where they had chosen to hand or place their stars.
Décor elements:
The décor elements of the wedding featured golden vases, modern rose gold favors, silver metal table numbers, grapewood branches, white flowers, metallic ornaments, unique and modern artwork and paper designs through menus, favor cards, seating charts, a sign-in and food signage.
Unique details:
I'd like to think all of the details are unique but my favorite and the MOST 'us' part of the wedding was the engagement video display at the sign-in table.
Special Touch:
One of the most special things about our wedding day was that James surprised me with a guest appearance from a dear friend and famous singer, LocLion. After our grand entrance, he introduced LocLion and then LocLion preformed a few songs for us and our guests. It was incredible that he was able to come all the way from Los Angeles to the wedding and that he sang his original song, Stay With Me, for James and I.  We hadn't been able to see him since we'd moved from LA (where we all were roommates,) so it truly was a surprise, an honor and a special part of our wedding. VENDORS
Rings:
His: TeNo
Hers: Custom designed through Mac & Sons Jewelers.
Invitations:
Kortney Eggertz Custom Invitations and Design Work
Guest book:
The guest book was from Paper Source and the sign-in cards were inspired by the bride, designed by Kortney Eggertz Custom Invitations and Design Work
Photography: Opie Foto
Videography: MJ Films
Bridal Gown: Vera Wang
Shoes, Veil, Jewelry: N/A, N/A and jewelry other than rings: JK Jewelers
Hair and Makeup:Versa Artisty
Bridesmaids' dresses: Calvin Klein
Groom's Tux/Suit: Hugo Boss
Flowers: Honey of a Thousand Flowers
Decorations and rentals: Taylor Made Weddings and Events
Catering:Culinary Crafts
Cake: Cake-a-lious
Venue: 15th Street Gallery
Entertainment/Music: LocLion (Recording Artist) and Salt Lake Wedding DJ
Wedding favors: Crate & Barrel
Wedding planner: N/A
Officiant:Judge Baxter
Transportation: N/A or our 350 Z
Guest lodging:N/A
Wedding Registry:We had recently bought a house and had lived together 4 years previous to that so we did not register anywhere because we had all we needed.
The day in three words:
Joyous, intimate and Yippee!
What was the weather like on your wedding day?
Cold but clear
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Saying 'I do' to each other.
What is the best advice you can give to a couple that is planning?
Hire a planner
What was the biggest surprise about your wedding day?
When my husband announced he had a special guest for us and then surprised me with our dear friend, LocLion, who then sang for us and our guests.
What did you like the most about working with OpieFoto?
Her fun personality, her professionalism and her awesome photos!
How did you tame those wedding day nerves?
I actually didn't really have any. I had waited almost 9 years to be married to James so I knew I had nothing to worry about.
Where did you have your honeymoon?
Seattle Washington
What was the most memorable moment of your honeymoon?
The first night of our honeymoon, James reserved a private room in Seattle's finest restaurant, Canlis. The room only had our table with seating for two, two pieces of modern art on two of the walls, a lounging couch and the rest of the room was windows overlooking the Seattle bay and city lights. It was the best food and the most romantic setting and even after 9 courses, wine pairings and being there for hours, it still was so peaceful, beautiful and perfect.

I shot these stunning bridal pictures in the summer up Millcreek Canyon of Jessica.  When we were planning her bridal session she said that she wanted her bridal pictures to be classic and timeless.  I just lover her cathedral length veil and sweetheart wedding dress.  Hair and makeup was done by Kristen Packard.

by Opie Janzer
OpieFoto

SnakeAlbum 0001 from Chauntelle Janzer on Vimeo.This album is a 20x8 inch Flipbook style album with a green snake leather cover.  The album is considered a flush mount leather album.

Congrats Emily and John - 10.27.12 - Utah Museum of Natural History

Amber and Hunter
August 13, 2011

BEFORE THE WEDDING
Occupations: Cable News Producers/Writers in New York City
How the couple met: We worked together (technically Hunter was Amber's
Boss for a short time)
How he proposed: Surprised her on the deck of Stein Eriksen in Park
City (she had once mentioned how she would like to get married there,
so in February 2010 Hunter got her to take an 'impromptu' tour of
wedding areas at Stein... but he had set it up beforehand... and had a
photographer hidden to capture the moment.

WEDDING
Ceremony Place: The Bridge at the Town Lift, Park City, Utah
Date: 8/13/11
The bride wore: Lace dress with lace jacket
The groom wore: Classic black tux, ivory tie, ivory vest

RECEPTION
Reception Place: The High West Distillery!
Wedding music: ceremony and cocktail hour played by Lash Larue, the
High West house band. Then switched to DJ for dancing
Menu: Artisan comfort food, including grilled cheese sandwiches
served in shots of tomato soup, tri-tip and a mashed potato bar
Cake: No cake! Smores!
Colors: bridesmaids wore a deep purple, went perfectly with the
natural colors outside, the intense green of the evergreens and blue
blue sky
Theme: cowboy cool
Flowers: wildflowers
Décor elements: mason jars with candles, white lights, wildflowers...
and the overall awesomeness of the High West
Unique details: Dude, it was in the world's only ski-in, ski-out
Whiskey Distillery!

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
Groom's answer: One of my favorites was while dancing I
looked up to see all of my bride's friends dancing with my sister,
cousins, friends... and my fraternity brother/officiant talking to one
of my childhood friends... and thinking this is exactly what we wanted
for this party.

HONEYMOON
Place: Cabo San Lucas Mexico
A memorable moment of the honeymoon: Just relaxing, relaxing and
relaxing. And lots of good food.

WEDDING ADVICE
Have the wedding YOU want, and don't let anyone steer you away from
your vision. A lot of people will try to tell you to do things the
'traditional' way. If they persist ask them what the tradition
represents and why we do it... if they come up with a good answer then
maybe consider it, but it's YOUR wedding do it YOUR way.
Work together as a couple... and get a wedding planner! Most will try
to highball you with a big price, have a budget and stick to it and
the right planner will help you stay on budget. We could not have
done it without our planner.

VENDORS
Rings: Alan Cohen Diamond, New York City
Invitations: Minted.com
Rehearsal dinner: Amber's Aunt Alicia's cabin, Oakley Utah
Guest book: posterboard, with a copy of the program (made by the
groom's parents) people signed around it, to be framed later.
Photography: OpieFoto!
Videography: Giuseppe Malpasso
Bridal gown: Romona Kaveza
Hair and Makeup: Nancy McNamara, professional hair & makeup artist
Groom's Tux/Suit: Jim's formal wear
Flowers: Meredith Parsons, Bluebird Event Destination Management
Decorations and rentals: Meredith Parsons, Bluebird Event Destination Management
Catering: High West
Cake: Smores: High West
Venue: High West
Entertainment/Music: Lash Larue, & DJ Craig Chambers
Wedding favors: Water bottles with 'I stayed hydrated at Amber &
Hunter's Wedding' written on them (it is very dry in Park City, UT)
Wedding planner: Meredith Parsons, Bluebird Event Destination Management
Officiant: Reverend Patrick Day, Northminster Presbyterian Church
(Groom's Fraternity Brother)
Guest lodging: Park city hotels, and condos