Serving Maui, the Hawaiian Islands, Oregon, and beyond.Throwback Thursday: A Tribute to My Brides, Part One!
Posted on August 14, 2014
Styles change, trends change, but your wedding is a reflection of you and your fiance and that time in your life when you wanted to say “I do” to one another. You may cringe at your choice of bridesmaid’s gifts, or wearing a bright blue headband that you thought looked soo good with your dress, but the fact is that even those memories you wouldn’t trade for anything. The love and support that surrounds you on your wedding day, and the fond memories you will always have, are also captured in your photos. Cherish what made your day unique!
Ardolino Photography & Maui Weddings!
Posted on August 12, 2014
I am really excited to announce that Ardolino Photography is now serving the Hawaiian Island Maui!
We moved to The Valley Isle at the beginning of last summer and I started learning the wedding industry ins and outs right away as an assistant wedding planner. Meanwhile, I made sure all of my Oregon brides were happy by flying back throughout the summer. After taking somewhat of a sabbatical to learn the local wedding industry, rewrite my business plan, secure new insurance and local permits, practice photography (of course!) and redesign my website (thank you to Rae Rei Design) Ardolino Photography is in full-swing!
I still have a couple of dates available for 2014 weddings, and I am also booking portrait sessions for personal and business, and for 2015. Contact me today and let’s chat!
A Few Tips for the Destination Bride
Posted on July 25, 2014
A Few Tips for the Destination Bride
You have decided to have a destination wedding, now what?! Here are a few tips for destination brides to help you have a successful wedding, wherever you go!
1. Find a coordinator.
If you have never been to your destination before, a local coordinator is a must. A coordinator will know if you need to pull a permit for your dream beach wedding, or how to obtain a wedding license and a local officiant. They can help you nail down all the details, from big to small, like what is the best restaurant to host a rehearsal dinner, or where can you get your dress steamed before your wedding.
And you can choose the level of service you want. Have a big soiree in mind? You might want to get a full-service coordinator. Heading to Maui with your fiance and five closest friends? A same-day coordinator is a cost-effective way to make sure the day goes smoothly.
For very intimate, laid-back gatherings, you may be able to get an all-inclusive package from a coordinator, or hire the few vendors you want on your own, i.e. a photographer and an officiant.
2. Plan to arrive more than one day early.
Many destination brides choose to combine the wedding and the honeymoon, so they tend to save all their vacation days for after the wedding day. Make sure you leave enough time, however, to finalize all the little details, and solve any last-minute issues. The bigger the wedding, the more days you will want to arrive ahead. Some details include: Meeting with your vendors, obtaining your marriage license, steaming or buying your clothing, dress rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, picking up any last-minute items such as gifts, flowers, decor, food or libations prior to the event.
If you are having a small wedding, arriving on a Tuesday afternoon for your Thursday wedding is perfect. For a larger one, consider 2-3 full days before for a stress-free experience.
3. Ask for advice.
Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors or coordinator for advice. We know your destination well, and we are more than happy to offer our expertise or suggestions on the best-of-the-best to you!
4. Do what YOU want!
The majority of destination couples are paying for their wedding themselves, so remember to hold true to what you want. Sit down with your fiance and separately write out a list of the things you want, and don’t want, at your wedding. Then compare notes. Keep those notes to read any time a guest, family member, or even vendor is trying to talk you into something you don’t remember wanting. $500 for a cutout of Elvis? You would rather splurge on that trash-the-dress session during your honeymoon!
5. Have fun!
You are already in the process if you are planning a destination wedding 🙂 Remember to have fun with it and enjoy marrying the person of your dreams!
Ardolino Photography wins WeddingWire Award!
Posted on January 26, 2013
Ardolino Photography wins WeddingWire Award!
January 25, 2013 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Ardolino Photography has been selected as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 for Wedding Photography in Eugene, Oregon!
The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.
Ardolino Photography’s selection as a Bride’s Choice Award 2013 winner was selected based on the positive
experiences expressed by past clients on WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one
million reviews. While many industry awards are given by the host organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Ardolino Photography.
The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on professional achievements from the previous year. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. As a Bride’s Choice Awards winner, Ardolino Photography is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.
“Each year, WeddingWire looks forward to celebrating the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Now in its fifth year, the Bride’s Choice Awards® program continues to recognize the elite wedding professionals who exemplify a commitment to
quality, service and professionalism. These businesses were chosen by our bridal community for their responsiveness and dedication to their clients over the past year. We are honored to recognize Ardolino Photography for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”
Ardolino Photography is thrilled to be one of the top Wedding Photography in Eugene, Oregon in the WeddingWire Network of sites, which include leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® for 2013.
For more information about Ardolino Photography, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/ardolino-photography-eugene/617faa58b61fc093.html.
To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards®, please visit www.WeddingWire.com/brides-choice-awards.
About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire®, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding
vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge.
For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.
