A. Outdoor weddings, in South Bend, can be beautiful, but always have a backup plan in case of inclement weather. High heels and muddy ground do not mix. If a tent isn’t in your budget, find a facility that can offer both indoor and outdoor settings. But be aware this may cost you extra, quite often the facility will book two events, one outdoor and one in if they have the room. I have seen one event on the island at Century Center and one in the Great Hall at the same time. Another idea would be to find a facility with an outdoor pavilion with a permanent roof erected, but in the local market I do not know of any such facilities except the Morris Inn, on the Notre Dame campus, which erects their tent for the summer every year.

An old saying that applies to South Bend and the surrounding area’s weather is “wait 5 minutes and it will change”. Exaggerated yes, but if you are planning to have a wedding outdoors in Michiana we strongly suggest having a tent erected in case of rain. With all the costs involved in a wedding even outdoors, tables, cloths, napkins, centerpieces etc even if your budget is tight, not having the tent could cost you even more money if you suffer a rain out.

Putting together a great video montage requires some preparation. You should begin working on this several months before the party.

The production studio that will do the final assembly should recieve pictures and music selection 2 months out.

t the following guidelines will help you prepare your materials:

1. Think of a theme : A good theme can guide the rest of your choices in the montage. It can help you think of an appropriate title and the sections you’ll need.
2. Think of the sections you want : Think of ways to divide up the video into sections.
3. Organize your photos : Divide up the photos into these sections. Use only the very best for each section. In video montages, less is definitely more.
4. Organize your video segments : If you want to include video segments, search through your video at home first. When you find the sections you want, cue the tapes up the the exact spot where the clip begins. Remember to keep these short and only use the very best clips. Audio from home video cameras often doesn’t turn out very well. Usually it’s best to run music over these clips.
5. Choose music : Music should complement the theme of each section. Try to find music to fit the mood of each section. It can help to find lyrics that fit the images. Other times the type of music is more important.

Following these steps can save you lots of time. Your video will be much more personal and original. And you’ll find that putting all these creative elements together can be a lot of fun.

A: Susan, this is a tough decision. We love bands and orchestras! Nothing can beat the energy, excitement or fun that a good band brings to a wedding reception. No DJ can beat a good to excellent band in crowd response or energy level, there is something about live music that will always be best. However a bad band will have your guests headed to the doors as fast as a bad DJ will.
What you have will depend on your budget. A good disc jockey in the South Bend region will cost between $1000 to $1500+. To find a good band you are going to have to go outside the area to Chicago or Indy and that is going to cost you starting around $8000. An orchestra has enough members that they don’t need to stop the music and take breaks every 30 minutes will cost you $10,000+. We really recommend finding an orchestra over a band. An orchestra will have enough members that they will be able to rotate out singers and players to take breaks but keep the music playing and the guests energized. When a band takes a break, many guests look at this as an opportunity to leave, so the more the music is going the better.
So it all depends on your budget. Do you have enough room to spend the thousands a good orchestra requires? If not then we recommend you check out the DJs listed in the wedding essentials area of the site. The good ones like the Music Machine, River City Music and the Hitman will keep the party going and approach the energy a band and not take breaks.

1. Stick to matte shadow and blush, nothing shimmery.

2. Opt for Mohogany, charcoal or navy eye liner rather than black or dark brown which may look too harsh on camera.

3. Apply at least 2 coats of waterproof mascara using an eyelash curler in between.

For Radiant Skin

1. Get a good nights sleep.

2. use a ligth dusting of bronzing powder on face and neck for a warm glow.

3. Blend cream or powder blush in a rosey hue on the apples of cheeks.

For Luminous Lips

1. Choose lip color that is a bit bright. Nude shades can make you look washed out on camera.

2. If you use lip liner, make sure it matches the shade of your lipstick exactly, even a slight shade difference will be more pronounced on video.

For a Flawless Finish

1. Don’t tweeze brows the day of your weddings to prevent redness and swelling.

2. Use a primer as a base beneath your foundation to even out skin tone.

3. Apply concealer to any blemishes with fingertip & dust with a translucent powder.

4. Blend, blend, and blend again. Any make up lines will be more noticeable on film.