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When all is done, the flowers have wilted, the fairy lights switched off and the venue cleared… when the honeymoon is over and normal life resumes, the only reminder you have of your amazing day, what it looked like and how you felt, is your photographs. I literally want to cry when I hear brides who want “cheap” photographers for their wedding. After all is said and done, your photographs are your only visual memento of your special day. Make sure your photographer knows what they are doing and that he/she can capture the essence of your day. Here are some tips on how to secure the best photographer possible.

Do your research
When searching for a photographer, make sure you do your research before booking and paying the deposit. Check their social media pages, websites and testimonials. Arrange a meeting with the photographer and ask to see their portfolio (any decent photographer will have one). Have a look and see if the photographer has been used for styled shoots or has been mentioned on social media posts. This way you can get an authentic feel for their work ethic.

Arrange a meeting
ALWAYS meet with your photographer before booking them. You can never be sure if you are going to “click”. Although the photographer may be amazing, if their is no easy vibe between you, your shoot will feel staged and uneasy. You want your photographer to “get” you as a couple and understand what you are hoping to achieve with your private shoot. At the end of the meeting, if you are not excited, then the photographer is not for you.

When looking at their portfolio look for the following:

Depth of field
Ensure there are a number of images within the portfolio that reflects good depth of field. This is when elements of the photograph are out of focus making the subject of the photo the focal point. 

Candid group shots
Make sure that your photographer has some candid group images of various wedding guests within their portfolio. While you are swept away in the moment, you will miss the reaction of your guests throughout the day, you will want your photographer to capture those sweet, funny or emotional moments for you.

Bad lighting
Taking photos in bad light is extremely tricky and it takes a real professional to get the right balance of light to make the image beautiful. When looking at the portfolio, make sure your photographer knows how to take amazing shots in the dark. You will want to see beautiful images with interesting characteristics and light. 

Their style and “colour”
Make sure their style of photography are matched with the effect you are trying to achieve. Are they minimalist and clean with a fresh look and feel? Or are they moody, with an interestingly darker characteristic to the lighting they use making your photos feel mystical? Or perhaps their style is more traditional with great uses of light and reflections? Each photographer has a particular style that appeals to them and a great way to see the style of images you can expect to receive, is to find their Instagram account and look at their grid. 

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Your wedding day will be one of the most special days of your life. You will want to capture the beautiful, special moments with flare so be sure that the photographer you choose has your best interests at heart! I hope you have found these tips insightful. If you have any other hints or tips on how to pick your perfect photographer, please do leave a comment below! I would love to hear!

Happy searching!

Candace
X

 

Are you planning a winter wedding this year? Mkono has a few ideas for you to make sure your guests stay cosy throughout your special day. Depending on your location, it can get really chilly during the winter months and it is vital to make sure your guests are well looked after.

Hot chocolate bar

With Booze of course! Offering your guests a delicious warming drink during your reception is a wonderful way to not only thaw those cold aching muscles but also leave your guests feeling like you have thought of every small detail, putting them and their experience at the forefront of your planning! Create a beautiful space for your guests to create a warm chocolaty drink to their exact specifications. A few delicious boozy additions to your chocolate drink would not go amiss either. suggestions would be Amarula, port, brandy, chocolate liqueur, mint liqueur or Cointreau because chocolate and orange were made for each other! Add a few extra bits for toppings such a whipped cream, marshmallows, shaved chocolate or even broken bits if chocolate bars to melt in at the bottom of the cup! OK… I’m done! I am off to make a hot chocolate right now!!!

Provide beautiful, soft blankets for your guests to wrap up

The church can be a cold place guys! and while you are viewing your dream church or venue in the middle of the summer heat, take note of how cold it could get on the actual day of your wedding! It may not seem like it while you are melting as you walk around and talk about where you want your mom to sit… but giving a bit of extra thought will certainly go a long way. I attended my nephews christening in an ice cold church in the Wine Valley of the Western Cape. It got so cold, I went outside to thaw! yes!! OUTSIDE! If you planning a winter wedding, have a few pretty blankets scattered around your ceremony venue to help your guests stay warm and focus on the most important part of the ceremony… YOU!! You can even take the opportunity and personalise the blankets for people to take home as a memento of your day!

Pick your reception venue carefully

You are overwhelmed with all the planning of the day and the small details sometimes get over looked (this is where we can help!) However, when you are searching for a winter reception venue, be sure to think about what amenities the venue has to keep your guests warm. Is it carpeted? Do they have an internal heating system or perhaps they have a gorgeous fireplace that you can use? If they do have a fireplace be sure to double check it is open and usable and not just there to look pretty!

Think about potential rentals

So the venue doesn’t have a fire place or carpets….well, you may have to consider hiring heaters for your venue. I know that this may seem like a silly addition to your budget but I promise you, it is worth it! Think about your venue and the type of heating that is required. You may not need massive mushroom heaters and there are many varieties out there so do a bit of digging to find the solution that suits you!

Adorn your bridal party!

Yes!!! No bride wants photos of her bridal party wearing miss matched coats or worse, no warm clothes with a grimace on their face! Why not allocate some gorgeous faux fur shoulder wraps to keep them warm but looking just gorgeous at the same time! I just love this idea and it gives a sense of luxury and unity to your tribe and your day!

So, with these items ticked off, your winter wedding will be a huge hit! and your guests will thank you, I promise!

Do get in touch of you are looking for more ideas or help with planning your special day because, at the end of the day, your day is our passion!

Love

Candace x

*photo credit – Pinterest

Really, why? Surely I can get my goods and services much cheaper from larger companies? They sell goods in bulk and therefore are able to hand a reduction on price to their customers. It is a win-win, surely?!

Well in my opinion, no. Do I look for a great deal? Of course! We all do however, there are many fabulous deals to be had with local, smaller businesses too. 

According to this article from entrepreneur.com these are some of the advantages to supporting local businesses. The reasoning behind supporting local is a valid one. Particularly for a country like South Africa. Our economy is driven by the small guy and without the local entrepreneur, our economy would crash! According to Business Tech, 98.5% of the country’s economy is supported by SME’s! Guys!!! 98.5% that is insane! However, SME’s are only contributing to 28% of jobs for the economy! That is staggeringly low! There are many factors contributing to this and I encourage you to read the article but for me, I believe it is due to the fact the these SME’s do not have the adequate support to GROW! And I am not only referring to investment and mentorship of these individuals but also the local support where people engage with these companies and buy their goods and services. 

But why?? Why are people purchasing goods and services from other companies rather than supporting the local guy? Well, I don’t have the answer exactly but I believe it may have something to do with these 2 factors, education and quality. People need to know about you in order to buy from you! This requires a rigorous advertising campaign, investment and mentorship. However, quality also play a big role. I get the impression that people are worried about using the local guy because they believe they will get better quality somewhere else. Sadly, in some cases this is true and local companies have let their customers down but with a little bit or research from the customers point of view, it will very quickly reveal the companies you do and do not want to do business with. The media online talks about quality and changing the narrative. Now more than ever, people want quality so if you are an SME, always have your customer experience and quality at the forefront of what you do! 

From Mkono’s point of view, we know and understand the challenges of getting yourself out there and generating the support to drive business! I get it! I really do! So, if you want to support local, really support local, use us for your next event! Book a place at a workshop and when you do and you experience the quality that Mkono has to offer, talk about us, refer us, support us! If you are a SME that is struggling to get yourself out there, get in touch! Working together, collaborating and encouraging each other is not only good business, it is essential for the heart and soul of our companies and our country. Because at the end of the day, Local truly is lekker!

Candace

 

 

 

 

 

Mamas and their daughters spent a joyful morning at Mkono HQ for a wonderful time filled with flowers and love! Welcomed with a hot cup of coffee and some treats, everyone quickly got their heads into the game! We started on the children’s crowns first and Camilla quickly showed us how to create the base of the crown with wire and tape as well as securing a loop for the back. The children quickly got the hang of twisting the tape around the wire and despite it being a rather tricky task, all the children grasped it very quickly.

Once this was complete, the joyful task of decorating the crown with flowers was next on the agenda which, might I add, is certainly the best part! Each participant go to create their very own version of a flower crown with all the flowers at hand. Each child had a say as to how the flowers were placed on their crowns and in what order.

It didn’t take long and the crowns started to take shape and the children began to get excited as they started to see their creations taking shape. Once the children’s crowns were complete, the children were treated to treats, popcorn, music, colouring in and other activities leaving the moms free to create their own crowns. The time was spent drinking tea and chatting while the larger and more intricate crowns bloomed one by one in each of the moms hands!

Once the crowns were all finished, it was photo time! This was a special moment for each mama and child and all images were sent to each parent for them to keep and frame.

Thank you to Camilla for all her expertise on the day, for also being amazing with the children. thank you also to Jacqueline for taking the beautiful images on the day and a big thank you to all the participants, big and small for enthusiastically taking part in the workshop!