Monday, March 29, 2010

A Monday Morning Cup of Joe with Samantha McCulloch from Porridge Papers!


Your name (and title/position): Samantha McCulloch / Manager

Business Name: Porridge Papers, Inc.

Location: 1422 South Street, Lincoln NE 68502

Service or Product Offered: handmade, imported, and specialty papers, as well as custom invitation and letterpress services. Coming soon: DIY classes for letterpress, paper making, and bindery arts.

How long in business: Porridge Papers has been bustin’ out the awesome handmade papers since 1996! 16+ years!

How did you get started in the wedding industry? Did you always plan on someday helping couples achieve their “dream” wedding? Since the beginning, we’ve created custom and specialty papers for our clients, not long after, we picked up custom letterpress for printing options. Brides and Designers have actually been drawn to us for the flexibility and one-of-a-kind nature of what we do. The combination of handmade paper an letterpress printing makes for wedding stationery that is lush and tactile, it really can’t be compared to standard invites!

What is the one thing you would advise the couple to get a “jumpstart” on? As far as the invitations go, I would say the design process. Since everything we do is custom, our clients provide us with their designs and ideas, and it can be a lengthy process to get everything nailed down just right. Its common for a couple to be working on their design up until the due date, and they don’t realize that the papermaking and printing can take several weeks after the design is final.

What personality traits do you possess that allow you to effectively interact with the couple on their wedding day? We know our papers and we know our processes well. We work with our clients every step of the way to make sure they get the most impact out of their design and materials. We also have a wealth of past experience of working with well know designers and brides directly which allows us to help them incorporate components important to them while staying within their budget.

Even though this day is stereotypically all about the bride, we know that’s not true! Do you have any advice for the groom and his groomsmen? We think it’s important for the groom to be involved in the planning of the wedding, if for no other reason than to just take a bit of pressure off of the bride to get everything together. This makes for a much less stressful wedding planning, and a better celebration in the end.

Have couples and their wedding priorities changed since you first started in this industry? If so, how? Many more couples lately are concerned with being environmentally friendly so they come to us because our papers are 100% recycled. We also feature plantable papers that grow when planted and soy and water based inks for our printing services.

Are there any changes for your business in the near future you would like to share? We’re working on adding more of a selection to our retail area, as well as offering DIY letterpress, papermaking, and paper arts classes and workshops!

From your experience in working with brides and grooms, is there any piece of advice you would like to offer? Set a budget, and talk about what your priorities and wants are before you meet with your vendors.

What would you put in your “Wedding Day Survival Kit”? Patience. And time for yourself to take a breather and relax before the big moment!

If you could describe your company as ANY item (piece of cake, unity candle, etc.) at the wedding, what would it be and why? We would be the DJ booth and the turntables! Because we rock and know how to make an impression!

What is one popular wedding song you never get tired of hearing at weddings? “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin! .. or something by the Cure.

What is one common misconception about your profession that you usually have to educate your clients about? (Example: for photographers – the amount of time it takes to edit photos, for limo drivers – the amount of money it costs to fill up the tank in the LimoBus) For us it would be the amount of time and energy that goes into making custom invites. Many of our invitation packages feature paper that is made by hand, and each one is printed one by one – by hand – on a machine that’s over 100 years old. Many people are used to putting in an order and being able to pick it up the next day, with us it’s closer to 4-6 weeks before we’re finished with a package (though we can do it much sooner!)

Please provide a quick description of the services or products you offer and your contact information: We offer custom paper and letterpress printing for invitations and stationery. We’re also a source for great imported and specialty papers including plantable paper. Our website is www.porridgepapers.com or www.plantableseedpaper.com, we can be reached by phone at 402.742.5415, or you can come by our studio at 1422 South Street in Lincoln. Our hours are Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.




Monday, March 8, 2010

A Monday Morning Cup of Joe with Lori Miller from Lincoln Tent!





Your name (and title/position): Lori Miller, Advertising and Marketing

Business Name: Lincoln Tent Inc

Location: 3900 Cornhusker Hwy Lincoln NE 68504

Service or Product Offered: Tent rentals

How long in business: I've been here 3 years, the company began in 1971

How did you get started in the wedding industry? Did you always plan on someday helping couples achieve their “dream” wedding? We have always done weddings, but in the recent years they have become bigger and more extravgant. I just felt it was neceseary to be more involved in their day and know all the other vendors they're using. That way if I ever need anything I can call upon them!

What is the one thing you would advise the couple to get a “jumpstart” on? As they say “location, location, location!” Get your venue booked early. The hot spots, even tents, book up 12 to 18 months out.

What personality traits do you possess that allow you to effectively interact with the couple on their wedding day? I'm totally a perfectionist, but I also know how to pick my battles. If the tent will look better one way, but the mother is set on it another way, you just have to go with it and know its something that they'll remember was done perfectly.

Even though this day is stereotypically all about the bride, we know that’s not true! Do you have any advice for the groom and his groomsmen? Get in the back seat, buckle your seat belt and shut up. Honestly, its safer for you. The bride really does consider it her day, don't ruin that for her. If you do, theres a nasty crash ahead and you're not going to want to be a part of it.

Have couples and their wedding priorities changed since you first started in this industry? If so, how? No, just gotten bigger. With so many options out there to make your wedding “different” they spare no expense at wowing their guests.

From your experience in working with brides and grooms, is there any piece of advice you would like to offer? Remember that your planning a marriage too. A life together, not just a wedding.

What would you put in your “Wedding Day Survival Kit”? Bobby pins, tape, safety pins, headache medicine.

If you could describe your company as ANY item (piece of cake, unity candle, etc.) at the wedding, what would it be and why? The here comes the bride moment. The tent is really the whoa moment when you walk into a reception and realize this outdoor wedding stuff is amazing and have never seen in more beautiful.

What is one popular wedding song you never get tired of hearing at weddings? At Last by Etta James. So timeless.

What is one common misconception about your profession that you usually have to educate your clients about? (Example: for photographers – the amount of time it takes to edit photos, for limo drivers – the amount of money it costs to fill up the tank in the LimoBus) Tents, like anything else, aren't cheap. Since we manufacture our own products. We have the vinyl, steel, cost of sewing it together, cost of transporting it, set up, take down and cleaning it in between sets. A tent from start to finish probably takes 5-7 full business days to manufacture, thats a lot of man hours in just making it, let alone setting it.

Please provide a quick description of the services or products you offer and your contact information: We offer tents, tent liners, lighting, dance floor, staging, carpet and décor.

Lori Miller

lmiller@lincolntent.com

www.lincolntent.com

402-580-8562

Monday, March 1, 2010

A Monday Morning Cup of Joe with Sarah Pfeiffer from Sarah Pfeiffer Photography!



Your name (and title/position): Sarah Pfeiffer

Business Name: Sarah Pfeiffer Photography

Location: Lincoln, NE

Service or Product Offered: Wedding and Portrait Photography


How long in business: 5 years

How did you get started in the wedding industry? Did you always plan on someday helping couples achieve their “dream” wedding? I photographed my first wedding in rural Iowa, and display their album to this day because I think it’s important to remember where you started and never take it for granted. This wedding was the first of several my first year and I simply fell in love with being able to capture the raw emotion on such an important day.

What is the one thing you would advise the couple to get a “jumpstart” on? Never underestimate the power of booking vendors early. The more time you have to get to work with them, the better you will know them and the more excited they will get about your big day too. Choose your top vendor and make sure they have your date available before putting down other deposits. We always hear brides saying they wished they would have booked with us sooner if we’re not available because photography is one of the top three vendors who will make your wedding day extra special!

What personality traits do you possess that allow you to effectively interact with the couple on their wedding day? As photographers, we understand that the day is about the bride and groom, not about us. We try to stay unobtrusive and photograph the day as it unfolds. At the same time, some couples like more direction. We are more than happy to help keep the day as scheduled so they don’t feel flustered or in a rush. Either way, the images are what you have in the end and we want ours to tell a story.

Even though this day is stereotypically all about the bride, we know that’s not true! Do you have any advice for the groom and his groomsmen? Of course! We love working with the guys! If they keep a positive attitude and stay patient during photos, we will all have a blast. If you have ideas for images, tell us! We want you to remember that this day was all about fun!

Have couples and their wedding priorities changed since you first started in this industry? If so, how? I have seen a change in the way couples plan their weddings. The grooms are more involved these days. They want to have more say in the types of images they see in the end. And that’s wonderful! The more involved both parties are, the better the images and the more fun we all have!

Are there any changes for your business in the near future you would like to share? We are upgrading our albums to have more modern and contemporary designs. For example, we have an album today that is 8x20 in size, our “long skinny.” These album choices let the couple choose the album that best fits their personalities and their home décor.

From your experience in working with brides and grooms, is there any piece of advice you would like to offer? As you plan your wedding, remember, this is YOUR day. Don’t plan it for anyone else!

What would you put in your “Wedding Day Survival Kit”? A digital camera of course! It would be so much fun to see the wedding through the brides eyes…because half of what happens on this day you might not remember. The photographer will capture all the important pieces of your day but a quirky smile from a bridesmaid or a picture of a groomsmen’s white socks would have me laughing out loud as I looked back through my images.

If you could describe your company as ANY item (piece of cake, unity candle, etc.) at the wedding, what would it be and why? Lip gloss! We want to make you look your absolute best on your wedding day. We make you feel a sexy and confident.

What is one popular wedding song you never get tired of hearing at weddings? “Celebration.” It always gets people moving on the dance floor and never gets old!

What is one common misconception about your profession that you usually have to educate your clients about? (Example: for photographers – the amount of time it takes to edit photos, for limo drivers – the amount of money it costs to fill up the tank in the LimoBus) The amount of time you will spend with us. We are the vendor you will spend the most time with…before, during, and after your wedding. Make sure you click with your photographer and feel comfortable with them. Take a good look at their albums and make sure the quality is to your standards. This is your new bible. You will have this wedding album to pass on for generations.

Please provide a quick description of the services or products you offer and your contact information:

We photograph pure emotions with real photography.

Sarah Pfeiffer Photography

www.pfeifferphotography.com

402.792.2323