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Father’s Day Tribuite

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Dad’s Day

This past Sunday was Father’s Day.  Father’s Day has always been tough on me as my own dad pasted away the week before Father’s Day, 1991.  Leeann, my wife, has always made me feel special and she knows how hard it is for me.  That got me thinking about all dad’s on their daughters wedding day.  My dad never got to meet my wife and never got to know Katie.  I’ve seen some very special and wonderful moments between dad’s and their daughters on wedding day.  Some of my favorite moments are when dad’s make a special toast to their daughters or have that special dance, I almost always get a little chocked up.  There is one moment that I love the most, it’s not a from a wedding I worked on but I wish I had.  Let me share it with you:

 

 

My only wish and I’m sure her biggest regret is that the dad or at least the groom would have had a microphone.  I’m sure you can hear some of it, but having to read the subtitles kinda takes away from the moment.

What will be your legacy?

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We all leave a legacy.

What is a legacy?  According to Websters Dictionary a legacy is “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past”. Something transmitted or received from an ancestor, things like pictures are the most common item we think of, but that is all our ancestor’s had.  All of us have a legacy, the only question is what will your legacy be?  What will you leave for your kids, your grand kids, and what will it tell them of your past?  I know it’s hard to think about what we are going to leave our kids, but everyday all of us are doing just that.  think of all the pictures you take of your fiends and family at special events. Events like birthday parties, concerts,  or just simple get togethers.  Those are all part of you legacy.  One of the biggest event of you life is your wedding day.

 

 

This is a film by Absolute Media Productions out of New Jersey and they are the first wedding video company that has truly relayed what I’ve been trying to say for years, “The most important things in life are the things you CAN’T buy. They are the experiences that are precious and irreplaceable.”  The question is not what do you want to remember of your wedding day but what do you never want to forget?

Fun Wedding Dances

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Thinking Outside The Box

I’ve been telling brides for years that traditional weddings are a thing of the past.  Today, a wedding is whatever you want it to be.  It can be as simple as a garden ceremony in your parents backyard or it be a hug blow out with hundreds of guest.  The choice is yours to make.  The thing that I love is seeing how brides define their dream wedding and how creative they get.  But every now and then, you get a groom that wants to add his own touch to the wedding day.  Here’s one example:

 

I think it’s safe to say, the bride was very surprised.  Here is a classic surprise wedding dance:

 

Now don’t think it’s just the guys who get creative, the girls can be just as creative:

 

And then, there’s really outside the box:

 

Did you notice the two things all of these dances had in common?  One, they all were having fun putting their own personal touch on their wedding and two, they all had it captured on video by a professional videographer.  Trust me when I say, traditional weddings are a thing of the past.  Why not put your own personal touch on your wedding?

 

Extreme Wedding Proposals

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Extreme Wedding Vidoegraphy Proposals

 

Every girl dreams about a special wedding day.  Many have the flowers picked out, the colors, some even go so far as having the venue picked out sometimes well in advance of a proposal.  Many times I’ve heard ladies say they have everything they need for the wedding except for the groom.  The proposal is the most important thing that the guys do.  Sometimes it’s the best chance we have to get creative.  The gals have the entire wedding to be as creative as they want.   The traditional wedding is long since gone.  So is the traditional proposal.  We’ve all see the Hollywood proposal; boy takes girl to romantic restaurant, orders a romantic meal, at the end of the meal the boy gets down on one knee and holds up a ring and says “Will you marry me?”.  Today it seems to be a challenge to guys to out do each other in the proposal area.

The proposal race started at sporting events.  The “Fan Cam” would scan across the crowd and focus in on a couple seemingly having a great time, just then the guy would hop down to one knee and pop the question right there in front of thousands.  Things grew from there and got crazier and crazier  Just like the wedding, the only limit on these proposals is the guys imagination. Here are some of my favorite from YouTube.com:

Those just touch the tip of the iceberg that has become extreme wedding proposals. Recently ABC News NightLine did a story on some REAL extreme wedding proposals, some that cost over $45,000. That’s $45,000 JUST for the proposal:

Guys are getting very creative and fun with proposals. As a guy, I think it’s great. I wish I had thought of some of these things when I proposed to my wife, Leeann. I had the ring in my pocket, it was my grandmothers ring. I had it all planned out, the perfect spot, the perfect moment was all set up. Just before we left we got into a little argument (I couldn’t tell you what it was about), and right in the middle of the back and forth, I pulled the ring out of my pocket and said; “Will you shut up and just marry me?”. Needless to say, she said yes and it was also the last time I’ve ever told her to shut up.

Wedding Report

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Recently TheKnot.com came out with it’s yearly wedding report. This is based on a survey of brides done right after their ceremony asking them, among other things what they spent on each category for their wedding. I want to share a few fun facts from this report:

The average wedding: $28,427 (excluding the honeymoon)
Most expensive place to get married: Manhattan, $76,678
Least Expensive Place to Get Married: Alaska, $15,504
Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 31
Average Number of Guests: 139
Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4 to 5
Average Number of Groomsmen: 4 to 5
Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (16%)
Average Length of Engagement: 14 months
Most Popular Month to Get Married: June (17%)

I’m going to add some to this list based on the Knoxville area, most popular months are April, May, June, September & October. We have a much longer wedding season then most areas due to the climate and the beauty of our outdoor venues.
The average cost of a wedding in Knoxville is right at $26,500.

Here is the break down of what brides spent in each category:

2012 Average Wedding Budget Breakdown

Category                           2012 National Average Spend         2011 National Average Spend
Overall Wedding            $28,427                                                 $27,021
Venue                               $12,905                                                 $12,116
Photographer                    $2,379                                                    $2,299
Wedding Planner              $1,847                                                     $1,753
Reception Band                 $3,084                                                    $3,122
Reception DJ                         $988                                                       $929
Florist/Decor                      $1,997                                                     $1,894
Videographer                      $1,619                                                      $1,486
Wedding Dress                   $1,211                                                        $1,121
Groom’s Tuxedo                   $230                                                          $215
Wedding Cake                       $560                                                          $535
Ceremony Site                     $1,711                                                        $1,599
Ceremony Musicians           $554                                                           $536
Invitations                             $453                                                           $440
Limousine                              $708                                                           $669
Favors                                     $289                                                           $285
Rehearsal Dinner                $1,135                                                        $1,078
Engagement Ring               $5,431                                                        $5,130
Catering (price per person)    $63                                                             $61
Figures based on respondents who hired a professional vendor for the service.

Now I highlighted two categories I want to bring to your attention, photography and videography.  The reason is very simple, every category on this is a one time cost item.  In other words, at the end of the night those items are gone or thrown away.  The only thing you have left at the end of the day are memories and the only way to capture those memories is with photography & videography.  What’s more important to you, the flowers that die the next day or the memories from your wedding day?

Busiest Wedding Weekend of the Year

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Living in Knoxville is wonderful.  It’s a friendly, welcoming place and a place I’m proud of have settled into.  But, there is one thing you have to be aware of when you live her, University of Tennessee Football.  Around here the season starts about mid July when everyone gets ramped up for the fall football season.  What’s most amazing about UT football is how brides will schedule their weddings around the football schedule.  Which leads me to this blog today.

Every year when the schedule comes out for UT football there is almost always an open weekend, or open date.  That’s great for football, but rough on wedding vendors.  You see, every bride who wants to have a fall wedding will want to have it this one weekend because she knows most of her guest will come and it’s easier to find hotel rooms for out of town guest.  This past football season I worked not one, but two weddings. One Saturday and one Sunday.  Now I’ve done back to back wedding weekends before, but this one was a lot of fun.  Let me show you:

First up was Ashley and Eli.  Ashley is the wedding and event coordinator at the Knoxville Zoo.  Which by the way, if your looking for a great venue for your wedding you should really check them out.  Anyway, Ashley has become a very good friend of mine and her one and only, Eli, is a great guy that I have enjoyed getting to know.  Their wedding was at Twin Cedar Farms in Rockford, TN (she didn’t have it at zoo because would you have your wedding at the same place you work at? Didn’t think so).  Bonus points for this one because I got to work with one of my favorite vendors, Brenda Johnson and her staff at One Enchanted Evening.  Enjoy.

 

Sunday morning comes and I find my self driving out the the Wears Valley area that borders the Great Smokey Mountains to a beautiful venue called Trillium Springs.  Hidden in the trees on the side of a mountain, this venue offers both beauty and a private location that has amazing views and backdrops.  The only problem this day was it was a misty, rainy day.  Our bride, Leah, didn’t let it get her down.  The really big change was we had have the ceremony in the pavilion instead of the garden area.  But you know what, it was still beautiful and they had a great day.  Again, I got to work with Brenda and One Enchanted Evening and 2911 Event Planning Studio, but I also got to work with one of the best DJ’s in the area. Corey Goin of Music in Motion.  The man can rock a reception and keep it moving and fun. Check it out:

 

Very busy weekend, but a couple of beautiful brides who both had amazing weddings.  Congrats to both couples.  Man, I REALLY love my job.

7 Minute Movie

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My wife and daughter are really excited about the new “Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 2″ moving coming out this weekend.  It’s all they have talked about for weeks.  I think they have seen the trailer online about a dozen times or more the past few weeks.  I, myself, am not a fan of the Twilight movies and will send them off for a “girls night out” fun that mothers and daughters love to share.  I’m sure most of you reading this blog are planning to see it as well.  Think about this as you are going to the movies this weekend.

You stand in line to get your tickets (if you haven’t purchased them online already) that cost you in the area of $9.00 each.  More if you see the IMAX version of a movie.  Then you have to have some popcorn, a cold drink and maybe even a little candy.  When all is said and done, you’ve spend close to $20 and you haven’t even seen the first frame of film yet.  As you sit down in the theater and wait for the movie to start you are so excited and just can’t wait for the movie to begin.  I mean, you’ve only waited almost a year or more for this final chapter of the Twilight Saga.  Then the lights dim and the music starts.  After what seems like 30 minutes of movie trailers and commercials, which I still don’t get, the feature presentation starts.

7 minutes later, it’s over.  That’s right, 7 minutes.  That’s the whole thing, the entire movie; 7 minutes.  You waited months, spend $20 to see a seven minute movie?   How mad would you be?  How upset do you think the others in the theater would be?  I know if I spend $20 or more for a movie, it better be more then 7 minutes long.  But, that’s what brides are paying for today and some of them may not even know it until it too late.

The latest, greatest thing for wedding films is called the short form video.  It’s about 7 to 8 minutes long and only gives you the best parts of your wedding day condensed down to fit into that time frame.  Most Catholic wedding ceremony’s  can be an hour or longer.  Hindu weddings are upwards of 3 hours long.  How do you fit a wedding day into 8 minutes?  My typical wedding day is in the area of 9 to 11 hours long.  I capture in the area of 7 to 9 hours of footage from the wedding day and that’s if I do nothing more then just the ceremony and reception only.  I can’t fathom the work that would be involved in just shrinking 9 hours of footage to just 8 minutes.

The craziest part of all this is the wedding videographer is charging you the same price for an 8 minute video that I charge for a full wedding film that can last on average 90 minutes or more. I don’t understand how they can do that.  I look at it this way, they are charging the same price for a 10th of the work.

Midnight Magic Studios offers brides a full length film of their wedding day.  They get the entire day, from hair and make up to the grand getaway at the end of the night.  No shortcuts, no short form video, nothing but the entire day given to you, the bride.  You didn’t plan an 8 minute wedding day, why try to relive only 8 minutes of it?

Video or Film: What’s The Difference?

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Video or Film: What’s The Difference?

I was asked a very good question by someone last night.  I was asked by a lady at the table next to us last night “What’s the difference between a wedding video and a wedding film?”.   I was having dinner last night with my wife and some friends and I guess the lady overheard me talking about a wedding film I’m working on.  Seems her daughter is getting married next year and she was thinking about getting a video done, but really wanted to know why I was calling it a film.  I know on my blog I have talked about wedding films and how important they are in capturing your magical day, but do you know the difference between a wedding film and a wedding video?

Let me explain it this way; I can give anyone a video camera and say “Go video that wedding over there.”.  I can even give a 4 year old a camera and tell them to push the button and video something.  The question is, would you want to watch that video?  Most of you would say “No”, unless the 4 year old was your child or somehow related.  Even then you would watch it maybe once and that would be it.  But, in the same way if I said to Steven Spielberg “Go shoot that wedding over there.” first off he would look at me like “Any you are…?”.  But for argument sake, lets say I could do that.  That would be something you would watch, a Steven Spielberg wedding film.  That’s the difference.

Anyone can hold a video camera, point it in the right direction and push the button.  You can even record HD video on your smart phones now.  But, there’s no work involved in that, no way to tell a story or to really capture the feelings and emotions of that day.  Think about all the “videos” your family has stored in a closet someplace.  There are birthday parties, vacations, special occasions on those tapes, some of your families most memorable moments.  But when was the last time you pulled that box down and watched one of those videos?  My guess would be “never” or “hardly ever”.

Now think about the DVD’s you have around your house.  I’m a movie lover so we have TONS of DVD’s in our house.  I have two huge bookcases just for those DVD’s.  But, look around at the ones you have and my guess is that one or more of those DVD’s has your favorite movie on it.  For me it’s the Star Wars Saga.  I bet you I have seen those movies a million times, but I will still put in one of those movies from time to time when we are just relaxing or with friends.  I have no doubt you do the same thing.  Those movies tell a story, are full of emotions, and special moments.  Those are films, works of art, someone’s labor of love.

That’s what a wedding film is, a work of art.  A film is something someone will spend hours and hours working on making sure every part of it is just right.  The lighting is perfect, the sound is good and the music is in the right place.  Do you think Uncle Bob is going to spend that much time on your wedding film?  Unless he is a professional editor, my answer would be “No”.   I create wedding films, a living history of your wedding day.  One of the most important days in your life, a milestone moment, the beginning of a new chapter in your life.   I, and my team, work very hard to make sure we get all those special moments that you will never see and all the moments you do see but will have a hard time remembering years from now. Did you know you will never see yourself walk up that aisle in the perfect wedding dress?  You will never see the look on his when he sees you for the first time in that dress.  And years from now, on that day you’re missing your dad the most, you will never get to see that dance you had with him.  I create a work of art that you will WANT to watch.  Something you will want to share with your family and friends.  Something you will put right beside your favorite movies.  In most cases, this work of art, my labor of love, will become your new favorite movie of all time.

Ask your self, as you’re planning the wedding of a lifetime, do you want a simple video that will never see the light of day or do you want a piece of art, something that will tell the story of your wedding day?  Something you will watch now and something you will share with your family in the years to come.  Picture your self watching your wedding film with your daughter as she gets ready for her wedding day.  It will happen sooner then you think.

What does the average wedding cost?

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What does the average wedding cost?

OK, you’ve gotten engaged, you’ve picked the date now it’s on to planning the big day. However, before you do anything you need to know what kind of budget you’ll be working with to plan your day. So just what a wedding cost?

The cost of a wedding really depends on you, the bride. Every bride has things that are really important to them, some brides put a huge importance on photography, some put it on flowers, some put it on the reception site. So, it really all depends on what you feel is most important to you. With that said, TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, two of the biggest wedding web sites out there today, have come up with a list of the average cost of each wedding segment. Here it is:

Remember, these are AVERAGES for the nation.  This doesn’t mean you’re going to spend this amount but it gives you a great jumping off point.  The funny thing is the number for the Knoxville area are not that far from the national average, although I think the average for Videography is a bit high but, it does give you a good idea of what your going to spend for your wedding day.

Is The Wedding Film Really Worth It?

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Is The Wedding Film Really Worth It?

This has to be one of the most popular questions I hear when brides talk to me about wedding films.  Is it really worth it?  I can’t answer that for you.  That sounds strange, doesn’t it?  I’m a wedding filmmaker and I can’t tell you if a wedding film is worth it or not.  Wasn’t the answer you were looking for, right?

Well there is a reason why I can’t answer that question and the reason is simple; I’m not YOU.  I have found over the years that every bride has something that’s really important to her, something that is key to her.  Some brides put the major importance on flowers and decorations.  Other maybe feel food is more important or the reception.  Every bride is different and everyone of them look at things differently.  So, for me to tell you that a wedding film is really worth it is not my place.  I can tell you that I have worked with brides who thought that the wedding film was the most important part of their wedding and I’ve worked with one bride who was on the fence about the wedding film altogether.  I’ll tell you about her later.

I do, however, think it would be best to hear from brides like you who are thinking about wedding films.  I found a web site not too long ago called WeddingBee.com. This is really just a message board where brides like you can post questions about any part of their wedding; should I invite kids to the wedding?  What kind of music should I play?  Any suggestions on a first dance song?  The list just goes on and on with questions that brides like you have.  Don’t be surprised if you find that question that’s been bugging you for weeks is on the board someplace.

I, of course, go to the video board all the time to see what is being said and today I found this: “How often do you watch your wedding video? Was it worth the cost?“  That one question hits the nail on the head for so many brides like you.  You want to know if this is something your going to watch ever again and is it worth it?  Instead of me giving you the answer, her are some of answers posted on this and other boards with the same question:

“I was one of those people who was very against a video. I thought it was a waste of money and we had splurged so much on our photos. I thought that was enough. My in-laws insisted and insisted. I found one of the least expensive people in my area. Let me tell you, and I would never admit this to (groom) or his family, I am SO SO SO glad they insisted. Our video is AMAZING!! I watch it all the time and it captured moments the photographer couldn’t. I don’t regret it at all and we didn’t go nuts on the cost. Here is our preview cause I love showing it off, but seriously I am am so happy we have it and you don’t have to break the bank on.”

“I did not get a videographer.  That is the only regret of my wedding.  I had an AMAZING photographer and my photos could not have captured everything better, but I still wish I had a video.  That’s the one thing I would change if I could go back.  I say do it:)”

“YES, get one. I can’t tell you how much we love our video and how happy we are that we got one. We booked it super close to the wedding–like 3 weeks before–because we were unsure, but we were SO happy that we did. Hearing our vows over again, getting to see everyone dancing, it was just wonderful. So I would highly highly recommend it!!”

“YES, get one. I can’t tell you how much we love our video and how happy we are that we got one. We booked it super close to the wedding–like 3 weeks before–because we were unsure, but we were SO happy that we did. Hearing our vows over again, getting to see everyone dancing, it was just wonderful. So I would highly highly recommend it!!”

This one is my favorite:   “The main reason people who got a video don’t watch it is poor quality.  If you have a video professioanlly done, you’ll watch it more often.  We did DIY video for our wedding and my sister had a pro.  I watch her video more than I watch mine because you can hear everything clearly and the picture isn’t all shaky, discolored and grainy. Hers is also like a movie and mine is just random shots.  Sure, you can put the camera on a tripod and make it steady, but you can’t make that tripod move around the room by itself.  That reminds me of my aunt’s wedding video from the 80′s.  The camera guy hardly ever moved. He may as well have been a  tripod. REALLY BORING!  Part of the reason I didn’t want a pro, but with my sister’s video, I learned that things are different now.”

This is my favorite for a number of reasons, but the main reason being that she covers it all.  Brides who say they got a video but never watch it because it’s so bad or hard to watch.  When you hear this, ask them who shot their wedding.  Most likely it was a family member or a friend.  But what gets me the most is that she watches her sisters wedding film more then she watches her own.  Now, there are those on the board who say they have no regret about not having a wedding film made and you may very well be one of those brides, but let me tell you about Ashley:

Ashely contacted me about 6 months before her wedding.  Her friend got married and I had done her wedding film and she wasn’t sure if she wanted one or not.  She told me up front she was on the fence about the whole thing.  Ashley told me she loved the film I had done for her friend and all but she just didn’t think it was something she would watch ever again.  We talked some that evening and at the end of the night, she signed the contract and we shot her wedding in November of 2010.  As I got to know Ashley more over time I found out she had a very close relationship with her grandmother.  A relationship that was very important to her.

As Ashley’s wedding day approached I found out that the chance of her grandmother making it to the wedding was very slim.  Seems her grandmother was not doing well and was in the hospital.  Well, the wedding day arrived and Ashley told me her grandmother would not be able to come. You could tell she was very sad and hurt, but she was going to go through with the wedding with a smile on her face.  As she was getting ready for her wedding, I was outside getting some shots of the church when out of the blue, here comes her grandmother in a wheelchair, with her hospital bracelet still on.  Well, before she saw Ashley, I went over to her and asked if she would want to say a few things to Ashley on her wedding day.  She got teared up and talked to Ashley through the camera for a couple of minutes and went on into the church.

The rest of the day went well and at the reception Ashley got to spend a few minutes with her grandmother.  Just before she took off for her Honeymoon, Ashley gave her grandmother one last hug and off she went on a week long honeymoon.  When she returned late the following Sunday night she was just too tired to go see her grandmother, so she planned to go the next afternoon.  Ashley’s grandmother passed away that Monday morning quietly in her sleep.

When it came time for me to deliver her finished wedding film, Ashley had no idea I had done that little interview with her grandmother.  As I sat and watched the film with them, when her grandmother came up on the screen and talked to Ashley, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.  Ashley came to me after that and told me that this was the most wonderful thing she ever got.  She has her grandmother with her now for the rest of her life.

So, is a wedding film really worth it?  Ask Ashley, I’m sure she’ll have an answer for you.

Ashley & David’s Wedding Trailer from Midnight Magic Studios on Vimeo.

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