Kickin it with Jesse Mast of Mast Wedding Films!

One of the things we pride ourselves on is finding the perfect vendors for our couples to work with. There are so many people in this industry, sometimes it can be hard to choose who is going to be the best option for you. We wanted to start doing vendor spotlights on some of our favorites in the industry, giving you a little glimpse into their personalities and their passion!

We kick this off with one of the most charming guys out there, Jesse Mast of Mast Wedding Films! Jesse is the kind of guy who literally lights up a room with his smile. His genuine love for what he does, comes through in his perfectly curated videos that he makes, showcasing the love and happiness his couples get to experience on their wedding day!

We dug deep to ask him some questions about his business, family, and some silly ones thrown in there as well! So If you are curious to know what Muppet Jesse relates to most… Just keep reading!

Starting off easy, what made you decide creating wedding films was the path you were going to take?

It'd been a combination of things. It's a rewarding job, but also a God-send to support my family. Sending the final product to clients, and seeing their reaction, knowing they'll cherish the wedding film for years to come is really special to me. 

Tell us about your family!

My wife is an incredible teacher, she subs part-time at our kids school. I have a highly creative 8 year old daughter, who enjoys selling custom “Picture stories” on the sidewalk in the Summer. My 7 year old son is the most extroverted kid there is, he doesn’t care what game you are playing, as long as you are playing with him!

Can you describe your approach to creating wedding films?

Photo by Unique Touch Photography

I'm a filmmaker. I look at the wedding day like I'm making a movie. I want to tell a great story about my heroes (the couple), and please the "fan base" (family & friends) who can't wait for the release date! My vision is to capture visually, what they are experiencing emotionally :)

Do you have anyone in the industry that influences your work, or work that you admire?

In this field, I've really enjoyed the work of Curtis Kennedy. He's been doing this for 6 years, and had lots of success. We met for coffee last winter, and he gave me lots of helpful, professional advice. 

As wedding vendors, we all have our struggles when it comes to booking our ideal clients, what do you think are some of the biggest struggles in the land of videographers?

Getting bookings is an uphill battle. It seems like most couples want videography, but it's not in their "Top Ten" list of wedding priorities, but I think that will change in the next 5 years. Most couples who don't get a wedding video often regret that decision.

Describe to us, your spirit animal?

A handsome, friendly brown horse named Julio.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of wedding days? 

FAVORITE: Getting "lovey-dovey" shots of the couple, along with the photographer. It's always a ton of fun, and the shots turn out great!

LEAST FAVORITE: Filming the "grand entrance," when the wedding party enters the reception area. It's hard to get good shots in the midst of all the chaos.

LEAST LEAST FAVORITE: When a wedding guest takes photos on their phone during the ceremony, especially when they're told NOT to. My motto is, "Guests enjoy the moment, tourists take photos. Don't be a tourist."

What are some of your dream wedding venues you want to work at? 

FAVORITE PLACES: The Calhoun Beach Club, The Blaisdell Mansion, The Varsity Theater, The JX Event Venue, Camrose Hill, Legacy Hill Farm, The Gardens of Castle Rock

PLACES I WANT TO FILM: Filming anywhere in Hawaii would be great, but in the Twin Cities, I would like to film at the Mill City Museum, Aria, and The NP Event Space

FIRST TIME 2020 VENUES: Pinewood, The Hutton House, The St Paul College Club

 What do you like doing in your free time?

Binge-watching Netflix, working out, and disc golf!

What Muppet would you say you most relate to? 

Kermit, especially when makes his scrunched face (when perturbed) 

What advice do you love giving to couples that are planning their wedding?

First, hiring Dos Goats (We’re blushing)

Second, having them instruct the officiant to "winsomely" tell the wedding guests to turn off their cell phones before the ceremony begins, and lastly, reminding them that during the wedding day, they can completely ignore, and just enjoy getting married. Again, my vision is to capture visually, what they are experiencing emotionally, so when they watch the wedding film over and over, they get to remember how it all felt!

www.mastweddingfilms.com

Instagram - @Mastweddingfilms

Photo by Tom Thornton Photography

Rain Rain Go Away... Today's My Effing Wedding Day! Tips for Getting Through Rainy Wedding Days.

Image: Charise Weber Photography

It’s like raaaiiiiinnnnn on your wedding day… We all know the song and dance, people telling you its good luck, making sure you are happy and content, but deep down, we know that you are upset and that is ok. I would say everyone wishes for 72 and sunny, or if you are a photographer, partly cloudy. But no one is like “Oh boy I hope it rains on Saturday!”

We get it, as wedding planners, bad weather is our nightmare because its the very one thing we have no control over. We live in Minnesota, where the wedding season is also storm season. (Also where we can basically see all 4 seasons in a single week.) So I always tell my couples, if you are getting married between May and September, always prepare for rain. We recently had a wedding where there was a 1% chance or rain, out of nowhere, it was a Tsunami outside! Today, we are going to give you some tips for surviving rain or any unexpected weather on your wedding day!

Image: cordelia photo

1. No matter what, remember what the day is all about. You are marrying your best friend!

   I can’t lie, I hate saying that because it sounds so dumb, but it is true, you have to remember why you are there. Your family and friends love you so much, and they will put up with a little rain to celebrate with you!

2. Have a plan B!

   This one might sound obvious, but seriously, having a plan b is crucial because in the chance of some serious weather, we want to know that things can easily be moved into another space. We will once in a while get couples that say they don’t have a plan b because its going to be amazing, and we will straight up tell them, it’s a non negotiable. To plan in advance, makes the day so much more relaxing.

   Your venue should always have some plan b in place for you, so make sure to ask them what works best in that space. In the past we have done some of the following:

Image: Charise Weber Photography

• Have a tent large enough to have everything covered. Most tents now a days can withstand 75 mile an hour winds!

• Have the ceremony in the same spot as the reception, create an aisle with the tables, have guests sit at their tables and create a focal point for you two to stand at.

• Push tables back and have the ceremony on the dance floor.

  3. Have faith in your vendors, and trust their advice.

  You hired professionals who have probably had to deal with weather changes quite often, make sure you are communicating your desires with them through out the day and they will work with you to make something happen.

• As your wedding planner, we are there to make you happy. So we will wait till the very last minute to move a ceremony. But if we do have to move it, we will make that plan B look spectacular and have you forgetting all about being outside!

• If the radar is spotty weather and you have a DJ setting up equipment outside, be mindful that their equipment is expensive and it is sometimes just not possible to throw them out there.

  4. Push back the ceremony start time.

• This is not ideal, but if your venue allows it and you can see that the weather is going to clear up soon, you can think about opening up the bar a bit early and having guests come get some drinks and mingle, giving the staff time to wipe chairs down and make sure things are ready to go!

  5. Always have umbrellas!

• We have had weddings where rain pops up out of no where and it has taught us to always have at least 1 umbrella (for the bride.) We have noticed that people always tend to keep a few umbrellas in their car so hopefully you will be prepared enough. If you see that the weather is going to be crap, ask relatives to bring any umbrellas they have.

• Buy some cute shawls or sweaters for you and your bridesmaids to wear through out the day so that everyone can keep a little warm!

Image: Cordelia Haugen Photography

Image: America Roe Photography

• 6. Remember, rain makes for some killer photos! Rainbows, crazy clouds, fog and more, can really make for some stunning photos.

  Sometimes its not only rain that can eff up an outdoor ceremony. Winds make it hard for people to hear, if it is insanely hot out, that can affect sound equipment. If it snows… Well, then it is just cold and crappy. Always keep in mind, the weather can change in an instant and that is no reason to let it ruin the most amazing day ever!

  So I would like to close this blog out by saying, rain & unforeseeable weather doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Keep a positive mindset and enjoy the greatest day ever!

  Nameste

Photo Jes Clewell

Wedding Food - Working Through the Different Styles of Food Service.

Ester Knowlen Photography

As wedding planners who love food, our goal is to guide you through the process of catering, so that when it comes time, you don’t have to go in as a newbie, you can go in with confidence! In today’s blog, we want to break down the different types of meal service options that are out there, plus give you pros and cons to each of them. Now-A-Days, there are a TON of options when it comes to how and what you can serve for wedding food. You have appetizers, plated meals, and buffets, but have you thought about others like food trucks or interactive stations?

 There are some factors that play a roll into the type of meal service you can have at your wedding, when you book with your venue, you will be told what the catering options are. Once you know what those are, you can start thinking about what kind of meal service you want to have. One of our earlier blogs talks all about the different types of catering venues offer, you can read more about catering options by clicking (Here).

We want to mention that not every caterer will offer all these options, most of the time (not all the time) you will have a food and beverage minimum to meet. (you can read all about food and beverage minimums in our last catering blog by clicking (Here)). So, work with the caterer that you have and let them guide you in the direction that works best for you.

Plated Meals

Photo | Narratore Photography

The most popular of the bunch, having a plated meal is classic, timeless and elegant. You and your guests get to feel fancy while people serve your food to you.

 Most of the time, wedding meals come in three courses. Salad, entree, & dessert. Sometimes a couple might decide to not have cake served and opted for a dessert station in which guests would then help themselves. That is something that you can discuss with the caterer or your planner (Hi)

If you want to give your guests choices, plated meals are a great option. I would say most of the time, a caterer will let you have a Chicken, Beef, Fish or Vegetarian option as well as accommodate any food allergies.

Plated meals require extra effort in that you must have the meal options on the RSVP cards so that guests choose ahead of time what meals they will have.

You also will have to provide place cards with the guest’s name on it and meal option. When making the place cards, make sure you have the food choice be clear as day on the card. This will help catering staff see it while they are serving food. Something to remember, the lights usually dim for dinner so it can be hard for the staff to always see the options.

You can get creative with this or keep it simple by just writing “Chicken or C” “Beef or B” (You get it). Just don’t be silly and do gemstones that are similar colors... (Like black and navy) or something so silly that it slows down food service. I once had a wedding that did origami animals that indicated what they were eating and, when my staff went to serve dinner, no one had their origami still intact nor could they even tell what was what.

Pro Tip: Print out a list of each table with the guests’ name and their meal choice that matches the place cards. Your catering staff will love you for being so organized and dinner service will be more efficient.

Things to consider. Do the caterers keep the food in a hot box until its ready to be plated? Or will they plate the food as they serve?

Think about the layout of your venue. Do they offer a full kitchen or is only a small prep space that they must work with? Your planner and caterer can help you determine if plated is the best option for you considering your venue space.

Pro Tip: If the kitchen space is not convenient to where the meals are being served, skip the plated meal!

Food Stations:

I love food stations! My most successful event to date was for BMW and we had a mix of interactive food stations as well as butler passed and stationed food stations. This event was very focused around food and it was a huge success. Guests LOVE Food stations, they love watching chefs out there toasting things with blow torches! They love the idea of having a huge variety of foods and its usually super fresh and made to order give you some flexibility to get super creative and give your guests more of an experience with their food! When I worked in catering, food stations were my favorite and it also was a way to save money as well. (This was just in my case, might not be the same for every caterer)

Maybe you want to combine your heritages and have a mix of both cultures’ foods?

Pro Tip: Have the catering staff set the tables, and have salads served to them, this way, everyone has a minute to gather. You will be able to do the welcome speech or blessing and explain the different stations that are around the area. That way, guests don’t all flock to the same station at once and leave others.  

Pro Tip #2: Don’t overwhelm your guests with too many options, we suggest 3-4 stations depending on if you have a plated salad or a salad station.

Buffet Style

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Eileen K Photography

A lovely buffet dinner

Some people have a real hard time with buffet dinners. We personally don’t get it… We understand that buffets are a more casual style of dining, but sometimes it just makes more sense and depending on the caterer, it could be more cost effective.

Your guests get to serve themselves portions so if they don’t really want a ton of meat but love mashed potatoes, they can take what they are going to eat.

A con to buffets is that you might have to provide your own china, glassware & flatware. Always check these costs because some caterers might charge $6.50 per place setting, whereas a rental company might charge $3.50. That is a huge cost difference.

Also note, if you rent place settings, ask your caterer if their staff will set the tables or if you will need someone else to do it.

Pro Tip: Confirm with your caterer that flatware and goblets will not just be rolled at the buffet. Ask your caterer to still set the table with silverware and add chargers to glam it up! That way the tables are still set nicely and will look great in photos!

Family Style:

Family style meal service is not my favorite if I am being completely honest. We will never discourage you from doing something that you are set on doing, but we will explain why we don’t like it.

Family style takes up WAY TOO MUCH space on your table. If you want extravagant centerpieces, you add 4 platters of food to each of those tables, it’s going to get tight.

Yes you can get two meat options so that if someone wants a little chicken and a little beef, they can do that, but also some people can take more than a healthy serving and leaves some of the rest of the table with not a lot of a serving.

Make sure that your caterer will have extra food, this might increase the food costs, but that is better than running out of food.

 The guests must serve themselves, so they have to grab the platters and pass them around. I have seen spoons being flung through the air and whole platters fall into laps. It stresses me out just typing it!

Heavy Apps

Depending on the caterer, they might have different options when it comes to how appetizers are served. Butler Passed and stationed apps are what we are familiar with. When apps are butler passed, a server will walk around with a tray and asks guests if they would like to try xyz… This is awesome because they are well versed in what they are serving and so the guests can ask questions. Stationed apps are where they are set up on tables (just like stations) and you can pick and choose what you want. You can do a mix of butler and stationed apps as well, which can help you save money and its fun for the guests.

If you are having a smaller wedding, you have a unique venue that doesn’t allow all guests to be seated in the same room, or you are having a later in the evening reception, heavy apps are a great option.

If your wedding day starts at 2 and ends at midnight, we suggest giving them more meals throughout the day.

Pro Tip: Do a mix of interactive food stations and apps. Like salad shooters, build your own pasta station, mini gourmet burger display & French fry bar, along with some butler passed apps. 

Food Trucks

Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about food trucks! Food trucks are all the rage and for good reason! You want to show your style, investigate food trucks! There are so many of them out there, it might be hard to choose which one you want, our option is ask a professional for their thoughts (raising our hands) get a list of them and start asking questions! You might want to do a couple so that you can give your guests options, or you might want to keep it simple. Just make sure it is one that will be able to handle your guest count and they have a reputation for working weddings.

If your venue doesn’t allow food trucks, ask them if having one as a late-night snack could be an option? You could do late night tacos, mini donuts, or so much more!

A pro to food trucks is that it can cut down on food waste because it is usually made to order.

Another positive to food trucks is the options are endless

The downside to some food trucks is they might not have a serving staff. You will need people there to make sure trash and food is thrown away.

Catering is going to be one of the biggest expenses of your wedding. Don’t skimp, don’t just go with the basic, cheapest option. Let your dinner service mirror your personality, don’t be afraid to get creative and never hesitate to reach out to us if you need some ideas! We love food and we love discussing food!

Cheers!

Christina + Adam

REAL Wedding Budgeting Tips & Tricks

We like to create our blogs to give you advice in the places where it is sometimes needed most. Budgets are one of those things that some people are rock-stars at, and others, need a little help. So lets talk about the subject that makes everyone want to hide under a rock when it comes to wedding planning, drum-roll… Lets talk budget!

There are the basic questions that we ask our couples to help them layout their budget as well as their payment schedules. Who is paying for this, who is paying for that? How are you keeping track of your budget? Do you have money now to start making deposits, or are you saving up? (this will determine when you should start booking your vendors, because all vendors will require a deposit to secure their services for your big day.)

1. As a couple, come up with 3 of your TOP priorities and 3 of your least important priorities. Some people want to spend money on a really high end photographer, some want floral and decor, others could care less about flowers, but they really want a band or a really awesome DJ. We try to get couples to pick 3 or 4 things that are at the top of the priority list for them, this will help when we allocate funds to certain vendors.

2.      Who is contributing – Gone are the days of tradition where the brides parents pay for everything. I hate using terms like “Average cost of wedding” because the average can vary depending on the location, and the time of year, and we have seen costs of vendors going up lately, so what may have been average a year or two ago, is not. One thing is for sure, couples are getting creative when it comes to paying for there wedding. Older couples might be paying for a majority of it themselves, While some have parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that pitch in. Sometimes, the groom’s parents are more financially stable, and they pitch in more. So first thing first, once you are engaged, start talking to your family and see who is going to contribute.

3. Being intentional with your guests count!

Your guest count will be the biggest impact on your budget. 8 guests can be an extra $1000 dollars if factor in everything that goes into having those 8 guests there.

8 people is 1 more table, which is 1 more linen, 8 place settings, 8 dinners, drinks, desserts, that can add up quickly!

4.  Getting advice from people who have been there! Asking friends, siblings, and co-workers for their advice, how they came up with their budget. Ask them what things WISH they had spent money on, and what they REGRET spending money on. Asking people who have been through this before will give you a great perspective on what you need to prioritize when it comes to determining your budget.

5.     Hiring a planner – Yes, I know, hiring a planner when we are talking budgets? Wedding planners offer a wide variety of packages, each of them offer a little more service then the other, so while you might not be able to afford a full blown wedding planner, there is also partial planning and wedding management that you could look in to, the most important part of a planner, they run your wedding on your day so that you don’t have to!

Some other perks of wedding planners, they often come with a vendor recommendation, they are super organized and can make a very detailed timeline for you, they are professionals and they can help when shit might hit the fan!

Pixel Dust Photography | Muse Event Center | Crave Catering

6.  Researching your venues: Venue & Catering will take up a ridiculous percentage of your budget. We always suggest looking at the catering list before booking with that venue. We all have those dream venues in mind, and I know that the venue to some is the most important part of planning, but we would argue that the most important part is being happy that you get to marry your best friend and spend the day with your friends and family. Sometimes choosing a less expensive venue, can leave more room in your budget for decor, and any venue can be gussied up with some nice decor!

Food is a huge portion of your budget and if you have a strict one to keep, you might not be able to get that dream venue you desire unless you up your budget. We never discourage our couples from touring these venues and getting to know the catering list, but we do like to be somewhat realistic when the budget is in play.

7.     Have a timeline of when payments are due. This is where an organized spreadsheet comes in hand. You will know what payments are due when. Keeping track of when the big payments are due. Always ask if you get a discount for paying in full. Again, hiring a planner will help you keep this all organized!

8.      Liquor Budgets!!! This can sometimes be such a touchy subject that it requires some booze at the meetings just to talk about it. No lie, I have had parents get in full blown arguments over if the alcohol was going to be hosted or cash. As a planner, we always want our couples to be happy, but if you are the ones that are going to end up paying for all of this, we also don’t want you to have to take out a credit card just for liquor bill at your wedding. Things to keep in mind when you are putting together your liquor budget

a.      Does your venue have a beverage minimum? In our last blog (click here) you can read all about food and beverage minimums.

b.      Pricing out kegs and bottles of wine vs. hosting per hour

c.      Consider your crowd. You know your guests best… Are they beer and wind drinkers? Or are they vodka & whiskey drinkers? Would you benefit from hosting beer and wine while having your guests pay for liquor or is your guest list small enough that hosting the whole thing won’t break the bank.

Photo by Alyssa Pearl

9.     Lastly, Pro Tip: Don’t just go with the flow and think that you will just come up with the money as time goes by. Figuring out a clear and accurate budget, prior to starting your wedding planning will save you heartbreak and stress!

Hopefully this gives you some starting points when it comes to coming up with your budget. As always, we are available for consultations and advice anytime! Click here to read more of our blogs and stay tuned for next week when we are back with the third installment of our catering series!

Namaste!