Top 10 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Photographer

There are a lot of things that need to be lined out in advance, for your big day. From the venue to entertainment to photography, many of these professions book up quickly. Whether you have a certain photographer in mind or are working with a company for the first time, you may want to ask some specific questions before you book. We can help provide a breathtaking wedding venue near Colorado Springs, making the perfect place for your wedding photos! Take a look below for questions you should ask your wedding photographer.

Photo Credit: Shayla Velazquez Photography

1) What percent of your business is spent shooting weddings?

It is great to find a photographer who specializes in event photography. If that is not your photographer's sole responsibility, inquire about how much time they actually spend doing events or weddings. This can help you narrow down which company you want to go with.

2) Have you worked at the venue we chose?

While this should not be a make or break your decision, it would be nice to know if they are familiar with your venue. From great photography shots to ideal backgrounds - they have likely figured out the sweet spots on the property for great shots. This can help give you more time with the photographer, versus them finding the right location for a shoot.

3) Will you be photographing our wedding? Do you have a backup if needed?

Many photography companies have more than one photographer. It's best to meet with the individual who will be shooting your big day. Also inquire about emergency fill ins, if needed. Whether there is a family emergency or an illness, it's nice to know that someone will be there to fill in, during your big day.

4) Can we look at your recent work?

It's always a good idea to look at a photographers work, before booking. This can help give you a good idea of their style and see if it matches up to what you are looking for on your wedding day. After all, these images will be looked back upon for a lifetime.

5) Will you follow a shot list, if we provide one?

Most wedding photographers will follow a shot list, if requested. It's best to double check and see if that setup works for the both of you. You can ask how detailed of a list you want. Whether it's a list for family & bridal party photos or they want shots described for the entire event, it's best to be upfront about your expectations.

6) How do you describe your photography style?

By asking the photographer this question and looking through their previous work, you can get a good feel for what they like to capture in photos. It's best to know your styles match up, before you get locked in.

7) What are your photography package options?

Many photography companies offer a wide range of packages and/or custom options for your big day. Be sure to ask about these options up front. It's best to know what you are getting into so you are both on the same page as far as expectations. Also inquire about the pricing options that go along with these packages.

Photo Credit: Shebli Nikkole Photography

8) Do you provide prints or digital copies?

This question can help you narrow down a photographer, as well. Whether you're looking for a photographer who provides prints versus digital images may help you make your decision. If you have a specific expectation, it's important to inquire about it first.

9) How many hours of photography coverage do you offer?

While the various packages may lend to this answer, it's best to double check and inquire about the time commitment you are expecting. It's important to allow adequate time to capture the moments you want. Whether you want shots of the bridal party getting ready at the beginning or plenty of reception images of your family and friends enjoying the party, or both - be sure to ask about this ahead of time.

10) When can we expect to see the photos from our big day?

This is an important question to ask. It's good to have upfront knowledge about the expected time of completion, when it comes to your wedding photographs. This can help give you an idea of when the images will be ready and help your photographer avoid a daily phone call asking if they are complete yet.

Now that you have seen some of the things to inquire about when meeting with a potential photographer, you're ready to start your search. If you haven't locked down your venue for your big day, The Historic Pinecrest can help! Our beautiful wedding venue in Colorado offers spectacular mountain views outside and a breathtaking space inside. If you want to schedule a private tour of our venue, give us a call or text 719-357-8613 today!

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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Eco-Friendly Wedding Decor Ideas

If you and your soon-to-be spouse live an eco-friendly life, why not incorporate that into your wedding decor? From repurposing items to using natural products, you can help incorporate your lifestyle into your big day, in a number of ways. Our Colorado Springs wedding venue offers the perfect backdrop for your eco-friendly decor. For a rustic and natural twist for your wedding, The Historic Pinecrest offers a breathtaking place for your big day to take place!

Natural Floral Arrangements

Flowers are a major accent piece at weddings. From bouquets to floral arrangements on tables, it's a great eco-friendly idea to use natural flowers. Find flowers naturally found in your area to save money on your wedding floral designs, as well.

Farm-To-Table Catering

With the earth-friendly food craze, it's becoming more and more common to find natural food options. While organic foods can cost a bit more, keep in mind you can request your caterer to use locally grown food items to cut down on costs. Catering is a great place to focus your earth-friendly mindset to ensure you and all of your guests are eating organic and/or locally grown food items.

Up-Cycle Decor

Whether you're going for a simplistic look or have an extravagant decor planned out, you can up-cycle your decor. From using old wine bottles wrapped in twine or to re-purposing tin cans for your centerpieces to fill with flowers, there are a TON of ways to up-cycle your wedding decor. Burlap is another fun way to cover and/or accent your reception tables.

Think Eco-Friendly Favors

While many people take wedding favors and throw them away at home, eco-friendly favors are a fun way to help ensure the favors get used. You can gift all of your wedding guests with a seedling or packet of seeds to start their own garden or plant. Another fun way to "give back", is to choose charities in which your guests can make donations, versus spending money on favors.

Re-use Your Wedding Gown

Whether you wish to wear your mother's gown or you've found a dress to re-purpose, this is a great way to avoid spending a lot of money and wasting new fabric. You can also borrow a gown from another family member or friend. In addition to your wedding dress, you can encourage your bridal party to use dresses they already own or shop for gowns at an eco-conscious company.

Hopefully you've learned some new and unique ways to incorporate your green lifestyle into one of the most memorable days of your life. Our beautiful wedding venue near Colorado Springs offers a wide range of options for your big day. From our chapel to reception hall to housing options, you're sure to be pleased with our venue for your Colorado Springs wedding. If you'd like to see our venue, give us a call or text to set up a private tour today!

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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Red, White, & Something Blue - Tips for Gathering Your Traditional Wedding Items

If you're a bride-to-be, many people may have already asked you what your old, new, borrowed, and blue items are. While this is a traditional wedding custom in England, many brides all over the world participate in this tradition. If you are looking for some unique ways to gather these pieces, our Colorado Springs wedding venue is here to help! Once you get your traditional items together, you're ready to book your wedding at The Historic Pinecrest.

Something Old

This tradition stands for continuity. An older object being passed on to a bride on her big day is a way to show support and hope for the future, from something that has stood the test of time. A grandmother's ring, grandfather's handkerchief, or other family heirlooms are great ways to incorporate this into your big day.

Something New

A new item represents optimism for the future. Investing in an item for your big day shows that you believe in the marriage you are about to enter into and shows you are willing to invest in your future as a happy couple, together. Many brides will choose their wedding dress, shoe, a piece of jewelry, or other item to represent their "new" piece.

Something Borrowed

Borrowed happiness is what something borrowed stands for. This is one of the biggest days of your life and you should be happy. A borrowed item can come from someone who believes in your future with your new spouse. You can borrow a number of items from friends and family to accessorize with on your big day. Whether it's a friend's necklace or mother's shoes, this is a fun way to honor someone you care deeply about, during your big day.

Something Blue

A blue item represents purity, love, and fidelity. This is a great way to show that you stand behind the matrimony you are getting ready to enter into. If blue is one of your wedding colors, you can easily incorporate this color into your attire the day of. Whether you have a blue pin in your hair, blue shoes, or garter in a blue tone, you can either conceal of show off your blue item!

Tips for Gathering These Items

Recruit your friends and family to get all of your traditional items gathered. Many of them will offer to provide a certain piece for your big day. It is an honor to incorporate family members and close friends into your something old, new, borrowed, and blue pieces. If you get near your wedding day and still need to collect an item (or all 4), ask around! Friends and family will be more than happy to pitch in and ensure your big day goes off without a hitch - traditional items included!

Now that you know all about the old, new, borrowed, and blue traditional items and how to gather them, you can get started. After you get your items together, it's time to select a wedding venue near Colorado Springs. Give us a call or text 719-357-8613 to schedule a private tour of our beautiful venue for your Colorado Springs wedding. No matter if you're planning an elopement or an event for 225, we have the ideal location for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Invites

Planning for your big day may seem to come with many guidelines... don't be overwhelmed, our wedding venue near Colorado Springs is here to help. While there are some suggestions for wedding invitations, don't focus too much on these. This is you AND your future spouse's big day, your invitations should fit your style and personality. Even though picking invitations may seem a bit intimidating, we'd love to help by providing a beautiful wedding venue for your special day. Here at The Historic Pinecrest, our focus is to make your Colorado Springs wedding EXACTLY what you've always imagined.

Narrow Down Style

While there are a TON of wedding invitation options, it's important to start narrowing down your selections early. This can help keep you and your significant other from being too overwhelmed with your options. Whether you want an image of you two love birds or a simple design, start to think about the style of your wedding invitations early on in the process.

Incorporate Colors

After you select your wedding colors, try to incorporate these colors into your wedding invites. This is a great way to create a seamless look throughout your entire wedding experience. It's also a great way to hint to potential guests what colors your wedding will be. They may aim to stay away from these colors in the attire they choose for your big day - to keep from matching the bridal party.

Ensure Legibility

One of the most important aspects of your wedding invites is the ability for them to be easily read. This can help eliminate confusion or mistakes on location, date, time or any other information you may include. If you select a dark background, ensure your type color is light enough to be read with ease. Also try to select a font that fits your style and is legible.

Keep it Simple

Try to avoid overcrowding your wedding invitations. With a bunch of information squished together, it can be hard for your guests to distinguish the imperative pieces. Consider holding the invitation at arm's reach and ensure it's simple enough that important information is easily read.

Think Households

When ordering invitations, you don't need to order one for every person you are inviting - think households. Only one invite per home needs to be ordered. This can help keep you invitation budget at bay. Also, don't forget to order extra invites. They will come in hand if a mistake is made addressing or when you have last minute guests you want to invite.

Proofread A LOT

Before ordering your wedding invitations, it's imperative that you proofread them over and over. It's not a bad idea to have a few of your trusted friends and family members lay eyes on it as well. This can help to prevent an embarrassing typo or even worse - wrong information being dispersed about your big day.

Now that you've read up on these tips to help make selecting wedding invitations a breeze, you're ready to get started. BUT FIRST, it's important you narrow down the right venue for your special day. We'd love to show you around our beautiful Colorado Springs wedding venue! Give us a call to schedule a private showing and see what all the hype is about. We look forward to being apart of your wedding day!

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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9 Easy DIY Centerpieces for Your Wedding Reception

No matter if your big day is right around the corner or you're planning ahead, it's important to get an idea of the centerpieces you'd like to utilize at your wedding reception. Whether you're going for a rustic theme or a traditional look, there are a TON of do-it-yourself centerpieces to help you save money on your decorating budget. Our Colorado Springs wedding venue knows how important it is to save money where you can - that's why we've provided these tips for creating beautiful centerpieces for your big day.

1) Floral Vases

While a florist can be create beautiful displays for your tables, you can do this same work on your own. Gather vases from a thrift store or around your friends and families' homes to save a little money. Fill the vases with fresh flowers and a splash of water - you're ready for a beautiful floral display for your guests to enjoy at the table.

2) Rustic Display

Twine and lace can be wrapped around any vase, wine bottle, or can to give a rustic touch for your big day. Also mason jars filled with baby's breath flowers are a simple way to decorate your tables, without spending a ton of money!

3) Serve Wedding Favors

A cake or serving tray can be placed on each table, filled with favors for your guests to take home. Consider spray painting serving trays to match your wedding color or theme, for a uniform look! This is a great way to encourage your guests to take their goodies, when they leave your reception.

4) Colorful Candlesticks

Find candlesticks at a local thrift store or around your home and paint them a fun color. This is a great way to incorporate color into your table displays to match your wedding decor. You big day should be fun - showcase some fun colors via candlesticks as your centerpieces!

5) Potted Plants

Gather some of your favorite pots and plant flowers for an easy and quick centerpiece. Consider painting your flower pots to match your wedding decor. This is another great opportunity to add some beautiful pops of color to your reception.

6) Re-purposed Wine Bottles

With all those empty wine bottles hanging around, utilize them for your decor. Wrap the bottles in fabric, lace, twine, or a number of other material to match your wedding theme. This is an easy way to reuse your empty bottles and adds a personal touch to your reception.

7) Tree Stump Stand

Trying to add a natural look to your big day? Consider cutting slices of tree to place on the center of your tables. Then you can stack pretty candles, flowers, or filled vases on top of this tree stump.

8) Painted Soup Can

Similar to wine bottles, you can paint cans or decorate them as you see fit, for your big day. This is an inexpensive way to add flowers to your tables. It can be a unique way to decorate your reception, as well.

9) Filled Vases

While flowers are a popular item to place in vases, consider adding glass beads or any other decor item to your vases. A classic look may feature a bead filled vase and candles set on top of a mirror in the center of the tables at the reception.

Now that your creative juices are flowing, it's time to gather your helpers and knock some of your wedding centerpieces out! No matter what your wedding theme is, there are some great ideas for centerpiece decorations available on Pinterest. If you are dreaming of your perfect centerpiece display and realize you haven't found the right wedding venue near Colorado Springs yet, we've got the place for you. The Historic Pinecrest offers the ideal backdrop for your special day! Give us a call to set up a private tour of our venue to take a look for yourself!

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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Key Tips for Planning Your Big Day

Planning a wedding can be a little overwhelming for some brides. Here at The Historic Pinecrest, we want to help make the planning process as easy as possible! One of the first steps in the planning process is to choose a venue. Our beautiful wedding venue near Colorado Springs offers the ideal backdrop for your wedding day. If you've already booked your big day with us, take a look at the tips provided below to make your wedding planning experience a little less hectic!

Estimate Guest Count

Before you can even book a venue, it's important to get a good idea of the number of guests you plan to invite. This number can actually help you narrow down which wedding venue is going to work for your big day. While there is no guarantee, about 30% of the guests you invite will not be able to make it to help you celebrate.

Create a Wedding Binder

A notebook or binder filled with everything wedding can help keep all of your plans and ideas in one place. From to-do lists to service provider contracts, it's important to have all of this documentation handy, for planning your big day.

Book Blackout Dates Early

If you plan to get married on a highly sought after date, book your wedding as far out as possible. This can help you ensure you get the venue and service providers you wish for. It's important to get your major wedding providers lined out, to ensure they are available for your date.

Block Off Hotel Rooms

As soon as you set your wedding date and get a venue locked down, try to reserve a block of hotel rooms at a nearby hotel. This can help give your out-of-town guests a good idea of where to stay, especially if they are not familiar with the area. Try to keep price in mind when blocking off rooms - take the budget of your wedding guests into consideration, when selecting a hotel.

Allow Time to Set Up

Plan ahead for set-up time prior to your wedding. Whether it's the day before or the morning of your big day, make sure you have plenty of help to decorate your wedding ceremony and reception space for your big day!

Enlist the Troops

Be sure you have plenty of friends and family members on hand to help with your entire wedding process. Whether your bridesmaids want to help create decorations for your big day or your family members want to help you decorate and set up at your wedding venue, ensure you have plenty of hands on deck to allow your wedding to go off without a hitch!

Now that you know all these ways to make the process of planning a wedding a bit easier, you're ready to get started! When you book your wedding with The Historic Pinecrest, you can rest assured that our venue will provide a breathtaking backdrop for your ceremony, reception, and everything in between. We look forward to helping you make your big day just how you've always imagined!

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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Top Trends for Summer Weddings

With the change of the season comes change in the current wedding trends. If you're planning summer nuptials, you may be looking into different themes or last-minute touches to add to your big day. If are working on wedding plans for next summer, our Colorado Springs wedding venue is the perfect place for you to say "I do". Whether you are finishing up the ceremony decor or planning out the reception, the summer trends provided below, by The Historic Pinecrest, can help!

Whether you have a wedding right around the corner or are planning your big day for next summer, these top trends can help make your wedding day special, just like you always imagined it!

Bright Colors

Summer is the ideal time for bright and cheery colors - why not incorporate these colors into your big day? Whether you want to feature bold colors for your bridal party wear or add brightly colored table cloths to your reception, there are a number of ways to showcase these fun, summer colors in your big day.

Fun Invitations

While traditional wedding invitations are nice, it can be fun to spice it up a bit. Consider sending post cards with a fun picture of you and your spouse-to-be. This is another place you can incorporate bold colors! Whether you want the background of your invitations to be a bright color or use a fun and colorful image, you can bring some summer inspiration into your invites.

Natural Items

Consider adding natural elements, found in the summer months, to your wedding decor. Whether it's natural wild flowers in a jar for a rustic or wooden vase with moss as your table centerpiece, it's easy and inexpensive to add items found in nature to your summer wedding decor.

Flavorful Treats

While a white wedding care is a traditional part of your big day, it can be fun to change it up a bit. Many couples are incorporating a variety of cupcake flavors instead of a wedding cake. Consider adding summer inspired flavors - key lime pie, orange, or strawberry options for your big day. Another popular treat couples have at their reception is wine slushies. Cool down with this tasty treat at your summer reception!

Live Musicians

For a simple and entertaining lineup for your big day, consider adding live music to your wedding. Whether you have a friend sing during your ceremony or hire a band to provide entertainment, live music can add a special touch to your big day, in addition to being a summer favorite!

Now that you know some of the trends that will be popular for summer weddings, you can start finalizing your plans. No matter if you still have a few finishing touches to work on or need to decide on an entire decor theme, the trends listed above can help inspire you for your big day. While these trends are fun, remember to incorporate themes into your wedding that fit you and your soon-to-be spouse. Your wedding day is one of the best days of your life and you want everything to be perfect. From the decor to the venue, our wedding venue near Colorado Springs is here for all of your wedding needs. We offer options for your big day and have the ideal space for any sized wedding! If you're interested in touring our property, we'd love to show you around!

A Beautiful Wedding Awaits...

106 Pinecrest Way

Palmer Lake, CO 80133

www.PinecrestEventCenter.com

Call or text for a private tour!

719-357-8613

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