What is your most memorable wedding?
I'm not sure I would get away without saying my own. Only wish I'd hired a videographer.
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Creative, Cinematic, Modern, Artistic, Discrete
What about your business are you most proud of?
I'm most proud of the quality of my finished films. Being a perfectionist I will never release a film to a couple without it being completely perfect and will go the extra mile to ensure it is, even if that means getting up for a dawn shot over the church.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Decide on the style of video/ photos that you want. There are documentary styles that concentrate on documenting the events of the day (usually in chronological order). These can be over an hour long. Alternatively, like me there are cinematic styles that concentrate on capturing the feelings and moods of the day. The films are shorter and not always in chronological order. They will still tell the story of the day but more time will be spent on the editing and look of the film.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
When I first meet a couple I like to get to know you over a cuppa. I like to know more about you and get a sense of who you are as people. What makes you tick, what are your likes and how did proposal happen. From that moment on I will start thinking about the film and how it is going to be shot to reflect your style. Three weeks before the wedding I meet up again to finalise times and check for special requests.
On the day itself I am dressed to blend in with the wedding party and concentrate on being a discrete guest. I work closely with the photographer to ensure we each get the footage we need.
After the wedding I will work on a teaser trailer that will be released within 72 hours. The main film can take up to 12 weeks to edit. I ensure sound levels are clean, each clip is coloured and edited together with a bespoke soundtrack.
Once edited I invite the couple to view the film on a home cinema screen with bubbly. The final films are available to view and share on a private wedding website page that the couple will own forever.
What is your favourite soundtrack to put to a wedding video?
I purchase unique music for each film I create. I prefer this to using popular music because I believe the music should provide the perfect backdrop to the pictures but at the same time be discrete. I want couples to watch the entire film focussing on their wedding and not be distracted by a song they love or hate.
Describe how you got into videography.
I've been a Nurse and Clinical Educator for twenty years and I initially got into videography by making training videos for the NHS. I've spent many years making all kinds of videos such as corporate, training, health or promotional videos. A photographer friend referred a couple to me who were disappointed with the film their wedding videographer had produced. Knowing that I had filmed friends weddings they asked if I could re edit the film. The couple were delighted with the results but I was left feeling that I would prefer to give couples the perfect film first time by filming it myself. That's when I decided to branch into wedding videography.
I still work for the NHS and I love filming weddings because it is a way to express my creativity and meet lots of wonderful people. Because this doesn't pay my mortgage I'm able to concentrate on a finite number of weddings a year and spend the time editing the film to make them absolutely perfect. 100% client satisfaction is my goal every time I create a film.