Cindi Kinney and Lorenzo Bartone have been professional wedding photographers and film-makers for over a decade. They met at a wedding and discovered that their photographic styles are a perfect compliment to each other. It was obvious to everyone that they were destined to be to be together. Married at a friend's winery in Healdsburg, California in September of 2008, they began being known as Cin + Zo, aka: 'CinZo', producing stunningly beautiful wedding photography and videography. They are now widely considered to be the finest of wedding photographers, they're easily among the most published bridal photographers in the United States, known expecially for their beautiful Sacramento Wedding Photography.
For the best in photography, your wedding photographers Sacramento, call CinZo, Sacramento wedding photographers!
See what our clients have to say about wedding photography!
Choosing a wedding venue requires experience, and unfortunately, it's one of the few things that you'll only do once in your lifetime. Brides and their families look at the size, price and convenience of a wedding venue, while there are so many other factors that won't be considered until after the wedding's over. So, for your consideration:
First - it could rain. If your venue is outside and doesn't have a contingency plan for weather, you better be sure about the weather. We've photographed a number of weddings on dates that practically guaranteed it wouldn't rain - and it did. That's why we've invested in rain covers for our cameras - but there's no such thing for a bride. And truly, there's no such thing as a happy bride standing in a downpour. Sure, it's considered good luck, but really, isn't that a consolation prize? If bad weather can be accurately predicted several days in advance, often a tent might be arranged, but that's an expensive option, and one that limits the size and fun of your wedding.
Next, it might NOT rain - but it might be 110 degrees. See the above! We've actually seen guests pass out from sitting in direct sun during a long ceremony. It's unlikely that you'll be able to guess the tempretature on a given summer day, but you can insure that you and your guests are shaded. Providing shade is something you'll find most professional planners insist upon, and umbrellas simply are inadequate for that - especially for the bride and groom. If you're planning on shade trees, check the ceremony time and height of the sun on that date here and check with your wedding venue coordinator.
We've seen a bride reduced to tears, and a brides' mother actually sue a wedding venue for simply not providing what they said they would, or even what the contract calls for. There are a few (very few) venues out there run by unscrupulous people, but if you run across one, they can ruin your day - and the hard work of your vendors as well. You can find ratings for every wedding venue you're considering (Yelp.com is a good one) and take the advice of others to heart. Also, read between the lines and try to acertain whether the review was written by an actual bride or someone at the venue itself - think about what a bride would realistically say about a wedding venue. We see false, planted reviews from time to time.
Most venues will place restrictions on your choice of caterer, wine choices and other vendors. Be sure you're OK with their choices of 'approved' vendors'.
There are a number of areas that people flock to for weddings, and they're not all equal. Sonoma and Napa are two that people seem to vision as a magical place for weddings, but they can be quite warm in the summer. Napa County has all but outlawed weddings, with the exception of three wineries that have been doing weddings for a long time. The powers that be in Napa seem to think that wineries should stick to making wine, not adding to traffic (which is considerable on a summer weekend). North of San Francisco, you're much more likely to find happiness in Sonoma County. There are some terrific places to get married in Sonoma, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa and north, most of which are well outfitted and happy to oblige - for a price. Tahoe is fun, but the weather is changeable - we've even seen snow in Tahoe on several occasions even in May, but it's never been a problem - rather, a photographic opportunity.
Some areas stage huge events to draw crowds, so be sure to ask about any conflict of your wedding date and other local events - Some are so big that hotels are booked and traffic is impossible - be sure to ask about that.
We photograph many weddings in the foothills area and around Sacramento - El Dorado Hills, Folsom, downtown and such. Most are highly experienced and will handle your needs graciously; there are too many to name individually, but there was one that was operating without a permit (in an area not zoned for that use) that was shut down, leaving a number of brides scrambling for someplace to have their wedding. Most Sacramento wedding venues that we've seen are working hard to help your wedding go smoothly. They all offer an 'in-house' wedding planner, but you might consider your own wedding planner to help your day go completely stress free. And be sure the venue you choose is licensed and insured for weddings, and in fact, check this with all your vendors.
If your ceremony is at a church and the reception too far to walk, don't forget transportation for your guests!
Lastly, lately we've seen a number of great wedding venues spring up in the Lodi area. We're surprised by the quality, beauty, weather and accomodations in that area. You'll find rivers, lakes, vineyards and very accomodating wineries in Lodi - and some of the politest people we've run across at prices that are a bargain. Lodi is only about 30 minutes from Sacramento, so for some, it might be a very convenient locale as well.
Of course, if you'd like information about wedding venues (Sacramento wedding venues or elsewhere) - or anything related to weddings, please call anytime, whether you're using CinZo Wedding Photography or not. We're happy to help!