Emma and Tom hired me to film their wedding video last year on a beautiful but hot August day. The venue was the Oak Barn near Cranbrook in Kent. I hadn’t been here before but quickly realised on my early arrival just how magnificent the Oak Barn is. For a videographer, the place is superb. Surrounded by typical picturesque Kent countryside and an abundance of quality natural light, it was an absolute joy to film.

I hadn’t met Emma and Tom before the wedding day due to Covid-19. Not a situation that’s desirable for me as I prefer to meet up before the day. That allows me to discuss the wedding day before hand. However, most importantly, it also presents an opportunity for me to get a glimpse into their personalities. That usually opens the door to lots of ideas regarding video.

Rachel from Blackout Media was our friendly photographer for the day. The ceremony took place high on a stage within the barn. That was a novel situation for me and it gave me good views of the proceedings but the available light was challenging with a big bright window behind the couple. I needed to call on all of my lighting experience to control the situation and turn it to my advantage which I duly did.

This is one reason I like to arrive at least two hours before the ceremony. It gives me a chance to assess the environment I’ll be working in, test the light and acoustics and also avoid any traffic delays getting there. I would much rather be bright and early with time up my sleeve than stressing on a busy motorway while the clock ticks. Whenever I arrive at a venue in my own time, I always feel good and ready for the wedding day ahead.

The hidden choir

The ceremony itself had a surprise in hand. All of a sudden, one of the guests stood and began to sing. Over the next few minutes, others stood and joined him and no one knew anything about it except for the bride herself…and me. You should always tell your videographer before hand about any surprises you may have planned. Knowing it was going to happen, I had placed a microphone near them before everyone came in. Result…great audio which is so important.

It really was a perfect day. I don’t necessarily need the sun to shine to create the best wedding video. It helps though. I do have a different approach to any type of weather and instead of looking at rain as a negative, I try to turn it into a positive.

Any questions you might have regarding your upcoming wedding, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Read more about wedding highlight videos.

You can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay well,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

The post Emma and Tom appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

You get what you pay for

I had a call recently from a very distressed lady. She had just received her wedding video shot by a different videographer.
In her words, the whole thing was a disaster and she was distraught. Could I help or salvage what had been done?

I asked her to describe what was wrong with it. Here goes…a lot of the footage was almost black, it was so dark. Most of the video footage was very shaky and the sound was full of hiss and hard to make out what people were saying. That was just the worst aspects.

A deal to good to be true?

She told me that she had paid £300 for the videographer to film her wedding. That was my first alarm bell ringing. I said that this person obviously didn’t have much value regarding his work if that was his price. There’s an old saying; “You get what you pay for” and unfortunately, she has found that to be very true. How much is your wedding worth to you? Are you prepared to risk everything to an amateur?

She told me that the videos on his website looked great so I had a look. The first thing I noticed were the locations. They didn’t look much like England to me, more like southern California. I checked a few more videos. Same thing. It was America.

I guess the videos had been downloaded from a wedding video company in the USA and re uploaded here in England on to this chap’s website as his ‘own work’.

Professionalism

Yes, it’s despicable but no big surprise. There is so much dishonesty out there and unfortunately, I’ve heard many similar stories. She was told that that’s what the conditions were on the day, dark and noisy. Well, no, sorry, I would never accept that. A professional would know what to do in those circumstances. You do your homework and react accordingly.

It’s a big shame that this lady was taken advantage of. There was really nothing I could do. The damage was done. Had I filmed her wedding, there would have been no issue at all. I know the venue well and would have made a great job of it all.

Like all my professional peers, we know that a wedding day is a one-off, not to be repeated. We don’t allow anything to create problems because we are skilled in what we do. That’s why we don’t charge £300. You want the best. So do I. I take a lot of care with my work. I always treat each wedding as my first and that’s what you deserve.

As always, you can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay happy,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

The post Cheap wedding video. Don’t do it! appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Meet Gemma and Dan

I’d like to tell you about Gemma and Dan. I was reading the Thanet Extra a couple of weeks ago and came across a remarkable story concerning Gemma Lythgoe and her fiancee, Dan Terry.

Gemma has an incurable brain tumour but especially wants to get married to Dan in September. They were both sixteen when they met at Explorer Scouts nine years ago. Dan works at McDonald’s in Minster and they are trying to save together enough money for the wedding.

There is no cure cure for Gemma’s condition. It is treatable, however, to a point. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and will be doing so up to the wedding and beyond. That’s hard for anyone so I thought it was time I did something good for others and contact Gemma.
I spoke to Marnie, Gemma’s mum and we all met up at the Botany Bay hotel  in Broadstairs.

They didn’t have anyone to film the wedding but they do now and it is my absolute pleasure.

They told me that quite a few wedding suppliers had already donated their services. If there is anything you can do to help Gemma and Dan, it would be so very appreciated. A wedding day is probably the biggest day in most people’s life and this wedding is going to be something very special indeed.

Gemma and Dan to be married in September.

A very special day for Gemma and Dan

Charity Macmillan Crossroads are also playing a very important role in Gemma and Dan’s fundraising. To date, six hundred pounds has been raised but more is needed to at least give the happy couple a well deserved honeymoon at Port Lympne after the wedding.

If you would like to help Gemma and Dan with their big day, check out their Facebook page Making Dreams Come True For Gemma.

A big thank you to the Thanet Extra for the use of the photo.

As always, you can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay happy,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

The post Gemma and Dan appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

I’d like to say a few words about why your wedding video is so important, not just now but for always.

I came across this quote the other day on a wedding video forum that I am a member of. The question regarded the frequency that a married couple may watch their wedding video. When all the dust has settled down, maybe raising children and having bought their first house, all things being good, it’s natural that you might not watch the DVD as often as you did.

This particular answer was provided by one of my peers in the wedding videography business:

“Every time I meet an old wedding client I always ask them if they ever still look at their photos or video. It’s always the video that they tell me they watch, usually on their wedding anniversary, but those with children say that the kids often watch ‘Mummy and Daddy on the TV’. We also find that a few years further down the road, older family members may have died, but their images, voices and laughter still live on in the video, so it gets watched again. The real value of a wedding video that captures everybody, is seen in years, not necessarily months after the event. It’s a visual and audio record of a very big day in a couple’s life, surrounded by those family and friends that were important to them at the time.”

Future generations

I’ve always held that belief. Your wedding video doesn’t need to be watched that often but it is there for as long as you live and is an heirloom. Your wedding video can be passed on down to future generations who I’m sure will absolutely love the fact that they can watch their grandparents (or even great grandparents) tie the knot. If your grandparents suddenly dropped a wedding film of their big day in your lap, wouldn’t you be thrilled to watch it?

You get to see how their wedding day unfurled.You also get to hear all the sounds that go with that. That is the magic of wedding video. It allows those who weren’t there or even those who are yet to be born, to relive your wedding day. The way it happened, as if they were there themselves.

It’s a true living legacy and that’s what makes wedding video so very special.

I always tell clients that I have their wedding DVD and Blu Ray backed up in three separate locations. If you should ever lose your wedding video copies, I have it all sorted.

You can read more about the importance of your wedding video here.

Stay well,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video.

The post Your wedding video – a living legacy! appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.