Wedding Videography Blog
Wedding Tips: Front Desk Confusion
July 27th, 2009
We obviously attend a lot of weddings. As a new feature on the blog we are going to discuss some of the "I never thought about that" kind of details. These are not meant to be a rant but rather to make your day easier by sharing with you our experience of over 150 weddings (and counting).
If you are one of our past clients or another professional, please comment about your experiences.
So... Tip #1: Let the front desk know that it is OK for the photographer and videographer to come up to your hotel room while you are getting ready.
I understand the reasoning of the hotel behind their security policies. On the other hand not allowing your photographer or videographer to get passed "the front gate" can lead to them missing some important moments or your losing money while the professional waits in the lobby for someone to give the OK.
This happened to us a few weeks ago on at two consecutive weddings. In the first instance, the front desk had to call the room to make sure it was OK for us to get the room number. When she was given the go ahead, we were given the number only to find that we could not use the elevator because you needed a key to get to any floor. We tried to call up to the room but in the hustle and bustle, no one answered. I finally got in touch with the bride's mom on her cell phone but by that time 30 minutes had passed and the bride and her bride's maid were packing up to get on the limo. In the second instance the hotel had provided a "special room" for the bride to get ready in. The front desk repeatedly called to the hotel room, which no one was in, and told us, "Sorry". We thankfully knew someone in the bridal party who answered her cell phone and told us the whereabouts of the bride. We arrived just in time to get some shots of the dress being zipped up. Not all hotels are like this and if you are getting ready at your house or your parents house you won't have to worry about this details.
In conclusion: Ask your hotel what their policy is, tell them it is OK to give out your room number, and tell them to give the professional a key to the room if it is needed to access the elevator.
Eric & Julie's Same Day Edit
July 19th, 2009
Susy and I say that the main ingredient to a great wedding video is a couple that is truly in love. Eric & Julie are going to have an awesome video! You could tell when they opened their gifts and realized they had bought the same card for each other. You could tell when they looked at each other and the little smiles they exchanged. You could tell in the way they would joke and laugh. You could tell when they said their vows.
We were both excited when we arrived at LaCentre to find that Vincent Lighting Systems was making the place look amazing. I will definitely be posting a few clips of the reception so you can see the difference have a pro lighting crew makes.
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
A big thanks to the Marino Brothers for the audio hookup at the reception.
New! New! New!
July 8th, 2009
Notice anything different? If you are a regular to the website & blog than the answer is probably a resounding, "YES!"
I have had my nose buried in the keyboard for about two weeks rebuilding and redesigning the website. There were a number of reasons for this:
- The design needed a refresh. While our old design served us well, it had been 6 years since we made any major changes to the look and functionality of the site.
- Better technologies have emerged. Technology is constantly changing and I found a bunch of new tools that I think will make the experience of the website a lot more user friendly
- Back-end overhaul. No, not the kind you get at the plastic surgeon. **Geek alert** As the site and our company developed, we started tacking things on to the site. First was the blog for which we used the WordPress software. Then we started posting full weddings. For that we used a content management system called modXcms. The static pages were hand coded with a sprinkling of php. It is all starting to get a little unruly. Now everything is being handled by an awesome content management system named Drupal that I have been learning for about two years. **Geek alert over**
Besides what is mentioned above, the one BIG thing you will notice is that the video is BIG! I keep a close eye on our web stats and one thing is apparent... most people coming to the site have fast internet connections. Since video is what we do, we decided to go big!
Another thing that excites me, now that we are using an robust and flexible content management system, is that I can easily add new features and functionality on a regular basis. I have also made it super easy to add new videos to the home page (which is our new "Sample Videos" page). BTW... even though there are only four video shown, if you refresh you will see different ones. Cool, right?
In the past we have offered hosting our clients' final video on our site. This will now be included as part of our packages. This will allow us to build up a huge database of video that we will be able to show to potential clients. (The days of sending out sample videos are numbered.)
We have some other exciting news to announce very soon so be sure to check back.
So beta test for us. What do you think of the new site? Let us know if you find any bugs. How does the video play for you?
Kevin & Jillian's Same Day Edit
June 7th, 2009
Even though the day got off to a late and hectic start, everything worked out perfectly for an awesome surprise Same Day Edit.
Kevin & Jillian were a very sweet couple. Kevin knew just the right thing to say to make Jillian relax. Each week we try to capture the details that make a couple unique. Kevin & Jillian made our job easy from the deep breaths to the pinky hold. At one point during the SDE Kevin turned to me and gave me the head nod (guy language for 'nicely done sir' or 'nice car' depending on the context). We knew we had done well.
The first question people always ask after we show a SDE is, "How did you do that?" I usually joke like it was no big deal but the real answer is "Through a lot of HARD work!"
You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
- Ceremony: Our Lady of Angels - Cleveland
- Reception: Springvale Ballroom
- Photography: Corey Ann Photography
- Coordinator: Heidi from Heidzillas
- DJs: DJ Crew - Thanks for the audio hookup guys!
11 Year Anniversary
May 30th, 2009
Today is our 11 year anniversary. I really can't believe it has been that long. It seems like just yesterday we were saying 'I Do' and yet it feels like there was never a time that we have been apart. I can't imagine (nor do I want to imagine) my life without Susy. She knows all my faults and loves me still. She knows all my good qualities and makes them better.
She is the best cook, gardener, and accountant I know. If it weren't for her I would be broke and probably living in a box. Because of her, I have a house, 2 cars, 3 cats, a dog, and the best life I could have ever hoped for or dreamed of.
I have put her through a lot of things and she has stood by me. When I decided to go full time with 2nd Mile Productions she was completely supportive even though we had only 5 weddings booked for the next 12 months. Now we spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week together and we love it. When she runs to the post office or the bank, I miss her.
Every week when looking through the viewfinder at the bride and groom I think, "I hope they find the happiness that Susy and I stumbled upon.
I love you Suz! I look forward to getting old with you!
