Most couples want nothing more than flawless wedding photos that perfectly capture a magical moment, blockbuster arrival or spectacular view. Bonus points if the photos gain traction on social media.
What they probably don’t understand is the months, or longer, of meticulous planning — not to mention hefty budgets — that are often needed to bring these awe-inspiring visuals to life. The 200-person mid-Atlantic wedding that Lindsey Shaktman, the director of planning for Mavinhouse Events in Ipswich, Mass., pulled off last year is one example.
“We lost the groom for several moments because he was on the wrong channel” of the long-range walkie-talkies, she said, “and a major storm happened off the coast of Maine 24 hours before.”
“In water, you can’t will five anchored boats to be still — everything constantly moves,” she added.
But here’s the magic: None of that turbulence was evident in the photos.
“That’s the beauty of photos,” Ms. Shaktman said. “It can show perfection in otherwise imperfect scenarios, which couples never see. They have no idea how hard that photo was to capture or what went into making their request possible.”
Other wedding specialists with similar experiences feel the same way. They share the behind-the-scenes efforts needed to create visually compelling moments.
Entrances
“This is usually a wedding’s first impression,” said Scott Warfel, the creative and operations director for Putnam Designs in Manhattan. “It needs a wow factor because it sets the tone and expectations.”
This is often achieved through flowers.
Floral arrangements have migrated from the table to enormous backdrops or ceiling coverings at wedding venues. These nonpermanent configurations are painstakingly assembled and can be quite pricey.
“They need to be substantial, sound, interactive, and have lasting power for a high-intensive experience,” said Mr. Warfel, whose company creates 15 to 20 mega flower arrangements per year. Each requires 12 to 18 people to be put together, from florists and designers to logistics specialists and builders. Then there are the installers and dismantlers, along with “an electrical team and a power source” to consider, Mr. Warfel said.
“If you’re in an open field, electricity may not exist,” he noted. “The more elaborate — sconces, lighting, paint, wallpaper, molding — the more expensive these become.” Depending on size (the average is 12 by 15 feet), complexity, design and number of flowers, these installations can run $15,000 to $30,000, according to Mr. Warfel.
Big Arrivals
“Memorable arrivals are more about everyone’s safety than costs,” said Loni Peterson, the owner of LP Creative Events in Arvada, Colo. In 2022, she organized a 700-person wedding on the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Colorado. The groom arrived via helicopter, and the bride in a horse-drawn carriage.
Finding a large-scale location that could hide both means of transportation and provide enough space for the helicopter to take off and land safely was the biggest challenge, Ms. Peterson said.
Additional logistics involved finding and renting a certified helicopter and hiring a pilot. Flight patterns needed to be secured; other tasks included providing floor plans and site maps, obtaining permits and safety approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities, and getting permission from the closest airport. There also had to be a Plan B in case, for example, the pilot got sick.
“It took five months of planning for a 10-minute spectacular arrival and red carpet walk to the officiant,” Ms. Peterson said. She noted that there were several dedicated workers; among them were three people on walkie-talkies, a second team for radio communication for takeoff and landing, seven internal team members for crowd management and an undercover sheriff. The cost incurred was about $8,000, as well as another $1,500 for the bride.
Special Effects
“Fireworks are having a moment right now,” said Neely Shell, the director of production at Stefanie Cove & Company, an event planner in Los Angeles.
She has orchestrated several displays, but notes that planning can be labor-intensive. “People think you press a button and it’s done,” Ms. Shell said.
The main challenge is finding and securing a location that is large and safe enough. “Fireworks are often a surprise for the guests, so they need to be hidden in bushes, and no trees or buildings can obstruct the show,” Ms. Shell said.
There are many other factors to consider, such as safety regulations; securing the necessary permits, which vary by state; choosing from the different types of fireworks, each needing its own console; and having a professionally edited music track choreographed to the fireworks. Many people, including an electrician and lighting team and sound specialists, need to be hired to pull it all off. Then there’s the actual fireworks crew, as well as fire marshals and crowd controllers.
A colorful, three-minute display, typically with 75-plus fireworks, can take two months of planning and cost $30,000 to $50,000, Ms. Shell said. Praying it doesn’t rain is free, yet priceless.
A Natural Setting
Having a wedding in the great outdoors will undoubtedly provide unforgettable moments and visuals. But these settings are also controlled by the weather.
Ms. Shaktman recalled that having the 200 mid-Atlantic guests experience in the exact spot where the couple first met — on a boat ride in the ocean, off the north shore of Massachusetts — she needed to rent and coordinate five different boats and whale-watching vessels more than a year in advance.
The project involved securing a tide schedule; visiting the harbor docks; and contacting the U.S. Coast Guard, which had to close down the harbor so other private boats couldn’t enter at the same time. Marine-grade walkie-talkies had to be rented, and Ms. Shaktman needed to hire sound technicians so guests on the boats could hear the ceremony.
“There were so many details to take into consideration,” she said, including confirming that all the boats were in the correct location. Her 30-person team included boat captains and their staff, audio and visual technicians on land and sea, and a photo and video team.
The three-hour ceremony and round trip, paired with a drone photo, cost $50,000.
Building From Scratch
“Last year a couple wanted to host their wedding weekend entirely on a remote, undeveloped part of a private ranch near Aspen, Colo., with sweeping mountain views, but no infrastructure,” said Emily Campbell, a founder of GoBella Design & Planning in Breckenridge, Colo. “There was no running water, power, bathrooms or roads. Over eight days, and with the help of 50 people, we essentially built a temporary wedding venue from scratch.”
This meant coordinating water, trucks and the rental of three industrial generators and luxury restroom trailers with climate control. Flooring was constructed over uneven terrain and extended across multiple structures, including a custom-built, covered platform for the ceremony that sat 15 feet above ground overlooking a valley.
The catering kitchen needed its own covered structure with water access and power. “We also created getting-ready suites and a ceremony rain backup, each requiring additional coverage, including heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, and aesthetic considerations,” Ms. Campbell said.
Another issue was transportation. Steep, unpaved roads meant securing several coordinated shuttle transfers timed to the sunset and the ceremony. The tents needed permits, and local officials had to sign off on the construction.
“The vision was stunning, guests were transported — emotionally and physically — into a completely different world for the weekend,” Ms. Campbell said of the final result, a yearlong endeavor with a $1 million-plus cost.
“But pulling it off required meticulous preplanning, a seasoned team of vendors and a significant investment in temporary systems that would never be seen in the photos.”
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