I’ve known Victoria Canada for nearly 9 years and in that time I’ve seen her grow into one of Arizona’s most sought
after wedding coordinators. We’ve shared a lot of personal experiences along the way, from helping host bridal
bootcamps, wine tasting in Sonoma after one of our joint weddings, and documenting her family through my lens
for the holidays, but the majority of our meet ups are at the weddings she coordinates. I usually find her hiding
behind the scenes with her hands-free walkie talkie looking like a secret service agent for the bride. Which in a lot
of ways, she is….protecting her couples from unnecessary drama.

9 years and 200+ weddings after my first encounter with Vic, I’ve learned quite a bit about the coordinator’s role in
weddings. One of the biggest and most surprising lessons is that the success of my photographs is directly linked
to the quality of the team behind the scenes. I used to think of myself as a solo artist, showing up to document the
day and all that comes with it. But my images are best when there is a solid timeline and the coordination runs
smoothly. If my bride is worried about the details and the drama, then she’s not smiling. And if she’s not smiling,
then she won’t want to remember her day, no matter how fabulous the photos turn out. When I know a wedding is
going to be coordinated by someone who is qualified and experienced, I know it’s going to be a good day for my
couple and my photos are going to benefit from that.

It’s important to note that not all coordinators are good. Some are great and some are not so hot. Most often, you
get what you pay for, and if you’re working with someone who is experienced you’re more than likely in good
hands. I have had the pleasure of working with a few GREAT coordinators, and Victoria is at the top of the list.

I am always so excited for the opportunity to work with her. Not only does she help the bride’s day run seamlessly,
but she helps mine as well. My job is so dependent on ensuring my couples are happy and their day runs on time so
it’s always a godsend when Victoria or one of her associates are on board helping move the day along and picking
up any stray pieces.

Victoria and I took some much needed time to catch up the other day and she helped answer some questions I
thought may be beneficial to some of my couples who are debating on hiring a coordinator. Her answers are
refreshingly candid and, not-surprisingly, hilarious!

Victoria as the secret service agent.

What are 5 of the biggest red flags you see before a wedding?

#1: Knowing the role of the Catering Manager: The Catering Manager is NOT a wedding planner – he or she
manages the food and beverage. So if a bride is wanting a wedding with a TON of set up (and we do those all the
time) know that the catering manager cannot, and should not, do that. If you envision
a wedding that you saw in Style Me Pretty, know that there were many hands involved to
get it to that level.

#2: Price haggling. Negotiating is fine to a certain extent. Many vendors run on slim margins when it comes to
running their business, so a little haggle is ok. However, if you love a certain vendor, and you are looking to book a
prime date, you need to know that they will book that date to someone who understands that the price is firm.

#3: Not getting a guest list done first. That is the foundation for your event and will dictate your budget, location,
and many other factors.

#4: Leaving the last minute details to the very end. If you do not have time to pull all the little details together you
have some choices: become a raging bridezilla and have the bridal party fear you, abandon them (what wedding
guest really needs cupcake mix in a jar?), or pay someone to complete the tasks for you realizing you want those
items and you know what your time is worth.

#5: Knowing your audience. A big problem is that many brides want their fiancé to be as excited about the wedding
as they are. Ladies, just because your man is not mulling over the linen selections or floral does not mean he is
excited. A good rule of thumb is guys want to be involved in Food, Booze, and Music.

What advice would you give a bride who has her mother, friend or another family member planning the
wedding?

As wonderful as it is to think that you are going to have a friend or family member help “plan” your wedding- think
about the wedding day itself.

Your Mom- do you want her hanging out with you and enjoying your wedding day, or do you want her putting out
place cards, checking that the band is here, finding the iPod that the best man has that the groom gave him with the
first dance. The list could go on and on.

Friends planning weddings- I love going to a friend’s wedding as a guest. But it is really hard to relax and enjoy
as a guest and be responsible for planning it. So If you have a friend who wants to assist you, be prepared to lower
your expectations. Your friend is probably fabulous, but is not a wedding planner. I had a person tell me one time
her friend is really organized and would help her with her wedding because she planned events…. golf events. Not
to discount what her friend does- I personally do like to attempt to plan golf events- you can catch me with a beer
riding around in the cart. The reason? It is a whole different animal! On Top Chef all the Chefs FREAK out if they
have to bake or do pastry- why? It should be simple- you are making food for people right? Well my lovelies, it
is because baking and cooking although similar are quite different. The same with event planners- so know the
strengths of your parent, planner, friend and at least you will have a realistic outlook on how the day may run.

What are some of the things you do behind the scenes that the couple or family never know about both during the day and before the day?

* Sewing a bride into a dress

*Sewing a bridesmaid into a dress

*Catching dogs that are in the wedding as they run away

*Asking the drunk groomsmen to slow down on drinks because he will be toasting soon

* Finding the iPod that was given to the Dad, then to the Groom, then back to the Dad who have it to the Best Man
and now it is in an unknown hotel room without a key

* Moving the bride and groom’s items from their hotel room to the bridal suite

*Calling room service to pick up the hotel room or cleaning it up ourselves before the bride and groom arrive

*Bringing gifts from the ceremony to a hotel room or a parent’s car- a LOT of gifts

*Giving the bride foot pads so she can keep dancing in her 5 inch heels

*Giving mints to the bridal party before they walk down the aisle

*Holding the bouquet, purse, lip gloss, shoes, mom’s purse and veil while photos are being taken

*Having to break it to a parent that their child does not want them to do a toast at the wedding- heartbreaking and
awkward on our end

*Having to the threaten the DJ (*who we did not hire) within an inch of his life that if he does not play what the
couple asks him to play, it will not be pretty

*Holding the hair of a guest who drank too much while her friends abandoned her to go dance and party

*Picking up shoes from the Tux Shop for a gentlemen who did not try them on and they ended up being too small

*Fielded calls at 6:30 AM from bridesmaids who have now decided they wanted to switch all of their hair and
make-up appts. around

*Carried away a crazy ex-girlfriend that the bride was afraid would show up before she made a scene- we are
planners and security!

*Driving 3 groomsmen to The Coach House after the wedding so I could finally go home at 1 AM! That was a good
one- one of the groomsmen remembered me and hired me for his wedding because he thought that was so nice!

I feel like a lot of brides try to do their own timeline and it ends up being a simple half page list of times and events. I know that you spend quite a bit of time working your timelines which are incredibly extensive and detailed. Why are the details in the timeline so important?

Timelines are so important because it gives you an overview of the day. If you think your wedding ceremony is
going to be 30 minutes and it ends up being 15, will the staff be ready for your cocktail hour? If photography is
important to you, you need to give it more time. We even factor in the location- is it large and will take everyone

awhile to get around? Do you have a pregnant bridesmaid who is going to need more consideration and time to rest?

This comprehensive view is what allows us to have a smooth day. I am not going to say every day is perfect, but if
you plan a tight timeline and anyone is late, the stress factor can amp up quickly.

I think the biggest fear for brides is that they can’t afford a coordinator, or it may be a waste of money if they want to “coordinate” their own day. Is there any danger in this thinking and can a bride save money by hiring a coordinator?

We get this a lot. Think if it this way: Many weddings cost more than a really nice new car. Would you drive that
car off the lot without insurance? That is what we are to you – ensuring that you have a smooth day. We have
relationships with many vendors that will allow us to get the best pricing or at least make choices that will gain you
value in the end. Of course this is what I do so I understand our value. Think about it – the “average” wedding takes
over 250 hours to plan. That is a lot of time. I am assuming if you are reading Hollye’s blog, you do not want your
wedding to just be average.

What are some of the wedding trends you are seeing right now with the detailing and styling of weddings?

Personalization is so big right now. I am seeing a bit of the vintage vibe slowing down a bit. Purple is back! Bright
pops of color are popular. We are seeing all white or tone on tone weddings with tons of sparkle making their way
into the receptions again. Family style meals are huge. One of our couples is doing a Micro-brew bar. Love it!

Who are your favorite couples to work with?

I love couples that understand that we are working HARD for their best interests. I wake up in the middle of the
night with a great idea for a client’s wedding so I love when a client can trust that this is what we do for a living. We
love confident decision makers. That does not mean you have to make a decision right away. You can mull it over,
but when you make the decision, stick with it. We love couples who are trying to make the wedding their own. They
are not trying to please everyone or keep up with the Joneses. Couples who understand that, although this is their big
day, many people involved have a stake in this day and there has to be some flexibility on all their parts.

If you have some questions for Victoria yourself, you can find her or one of her fabulous associates here.  Happy planning!

image by Patrick

Ceremony and Reception Location: Desert Botanical Gardens

Coordinator: Victoria Canada Weddings and Events

Florist: Petal Pushers

Videography: Bright Bokeh

Gown: Ultimate Bride

Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid

Makeup: Corinna Cooke

Hair: Meaghan Gingrich

Catering: Santa Barbara Catering

Ceremony Musicians: String Serenade and Jennifer DeWitt

Cake: Honey Moon Sweets

Band: The Walkens

Photobooth: The Live Photobooth

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Photography: Hollye Schumacher Photography

Meegan and Justin

Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe

Coordination: Merrily Wed

Florist: Bellissima Floral

image by Courtney

Meegan’s father is wiping a tear from her eye before she walks down the aisle.  This image was expertly caught by my second shooter Courtney

I was thrilled when my friend Teresa, owner of  Camelback Flower Shop, called to have me photograph

her new beautiful baby boy.

Teresa has an amazing gift for design and decor which permeates every aspect of her life

from her bridal bouquets to her baby’s room.

I used vignettes from around her home and nearby furniture for props to make this a truly unique session.

We photographed these images at her artfully decorated home in Phoenix…enjoy.  xo

The image is printed on metallic paper which gives the black tones an extra depth and shine.  It’s mounted on sustainably harvested bamboo for a modern feel.  If you’re looking to mount an image without the added cost of a frame and glass and you want some extra good karma points for sustainability, this is the mounting choice for you.

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See how Nigel flies!

These images are all straight out of camera…meaning, nothing is Photoshopped.  All of the lighting and coloring was done by me with flashlights and glow sticks with the camera on a tripod and timer.  I chose to photograph on the edge of a negative edge pool to bring more light into the image.  Plus I wanted a visual metaphor for yoga and meditation.  The waters may be calm, but never entirely still.

Each image is about 30 seconds to a minute long, which meant Harmony had to be incredibly still for the time the shutter was open.  We also had to do about 5 to 6 takes before we got it right so she was holding the poses for up to 5-10 minutes.  I loved this session because I felt like I was painting with light and physically creating my image.  My movements were all tracked by the camera and I had to be as conscious of my body as harmony was with hers.  Wearing all black and moving quickly allowed me to be invisible in the background.  It was an amazing practice in patience and awareness which is, in essence, the heart of yoga itself.

I rarely post my personal images but a little bird told me they wanted to see more images on-line from a photo outing I took a couple years ago in Minneapolis.  So here goes…
I chose these two images for a number of reasons but mainly because they go extremely well paired with each other.  The similarities are fairly obvious.  Both are portraits of men holding canes.  They share balancing colors that compliment the clothing (a serendipitous accident I noticed while I was making the images).  And there is a theme of vertical lines mixed with the organic natural elements.   I wanted to be sure to keep the compositional elements balanced and the background simple to allow the subjects to be the real focus of the shot.

That said, I hope that little bird enjoys this post.  Thanks for putting the fire under me to revisit these images!!

Anyhoo, her website should be on-line soon…once it’s posts, I’ll be sure to add a link.

Jen Swink

We reminisce about the time where I used to work out of my tiny apartment and make-shift studio where I would make potential clients take their shoes off before coming in and be forced to pet my very docile 80lb rescued pit bull, Booda.  Oh, those were the days.

Their wedding was the start of a huge new venture for them as a couple and for me as an independent wedding photographer trying to bridge the gap between being a creative artist and running a studio that paid the bills.

(here are a couple shots from their wedding in 2004)

So here we are…now alomst 8 years later and they are pregnant with twins!  It’s as if everything has come full circle for me.

I’m so proud to be able to feature their shots on my blog and I am overwhelmingly convinced that these guys are going to be amazing parents.  They are both gentle souls with the patience of a saint.  I saw that Sara posted on facebook the other day that her new twins (born just a week ago) have “turned their lives right-side up”.  It was a simple sentiment that brought tears to my eyes.

Congrats on your newest additions and thank you for trusting that the fresh-faced photographer from so many years ago would be able to document so much of your milestones and joy!

After scouting the Lagua beaches for 4 hours last week, I found this tasty location.  I was immediately attracted to the tide pools and loved the angle of the sunset.   It turned out to be a  magical combination.  I was initially going to try and hide Dan’s bare feet but realized that it added an interesting twist that nicely contrasts their attire and posing.