2009.03.28 06:06:56

jayblake

After discussing the Special Memories wedding packages with a prospective client today, I was flattered by her response. She said that, by Special Memories including five copies of the wedding DVD in the standard price, rather than one, that we are ‘five times the fun’!

We usually see copies of the DVD being given to the Bride’s Parents, the Groom’s Parents, the Chief Bridesmaid and the Best Man, but some brides have other ideas:

One Bride was going to send a copy to her best friend who lived overseas and could not be at the wedding in person. The Bride really wanted her friend to be part of the event and she could even be part of the wedding video in our Special Memories Living Guestbook, but the real reason that the Bride wanted to send her the DVD was to show her friend how much weight she has lost for her big day and how great she looked dancing in her dress!

Or how about saving a copy of the DVD for future generations. I have blogged before how much our children love watching the DVD of our wedding, but what a wonderful memento to keep for your future family.

Whatever you decide to do with your DVD’s, I just hope that you and your families enjoy them. It is such a privilege to be part of your special day and we are honoured that we get to share the joy over and over again, each time someone watches one of your DVD’s.

So have fun on your day, it can last you a lifetime!

Wedding DVD. 5 copies | personal messages | Bridesmaids | Best man

2009.01.14 00:19:07

jayblake

Had a wonderful meeting with a new client tonight.

Very much looking forward to filming their wedding in a beautiful church in cookham and then on to the inn on the green.  What is exciting as well is that they are having horse and carriage, Shire Horses at that.  Additionally I know that the Father of the Bride has a wonderful way with words.  The speeches I hear will be very interesting so as always I am looking forward to a fabulous day.

It did however get me thinking, and I enjoy being challenged to think about things in a new way, and from the clients point of view.  What I mean is that for us (Kirsty and I) as well as for a great number of our clients, they tell us so…  The thing they love the most is the Special Memories personal greetings.  Those opportunities to remember all the people that were at the wedding and to hear them wishing them well.  It is not uncommon for a story to be told from the former years of the bride or groom.  Nearly always they will be reminded how special they are to the person in front of the camera and often told to remember that their friend or family member will always be there for them no matter what.

As a videographer you get a glimpse into the lives of the families you are working with, some have had challenging years leading up to the big day others have overcome great odds to be where they are.  It’s always a privilage being a part of that day for them.

Many people love the opportunity to leave a message and some don’t.  Most people love to see the messages which have been left, often wishing that more of their friends and relatives had been willing to leave them, some I guess will not.  So it is for this reason that we are always looking for new and inivotive ideas to bring to what we are doing whilst filming weddings.  Although always within the framework of our approach to filming them which is that we do not want people to feel as though they have spent the day in the eye of the camera.

So if you have any suggestions please do get in touch. After all, as previous clients, current clients or people who are interested enough to have read this far into this blog posting, I welcome your suggestions.  Please use our contact us page to let me know.

Finally if you are a family who would enjoy a lovely day out, be happy to have a camera around while you do so and then come away with a dvd of the experience please let us know.  We are putting together a new product and would like to find someone to trial it at cost in exchange for their feedback.

All the best

Jay

Inn on the Green | Cookham | Wedding DVD | new client | Shire Horses | personal messages

2009.01.01 08:55:13

jayblake

Sitting to write the first blog entry of the new year felt quite a challenge for a moment,  then it struck me that it might be an opportunity to try and say something profound, not sure I am really up to that.

So what's on my mind as we begin 2009, well quite simply it's everyone who we have worked with and for over the last 4 years.  There have been some wonderful weddings.  From the large and extravagant, to the intimate and special days.   Our clients have ranged from the very young, to the very young at heart!  From the 1st marriages, to the 4th (or perhaps it was the 3rd I can't remember!)  Venue's have ranged from the house at Blenheim Palace to the back garden ( Albeit in a very nice marquee )

Then there are the speeches that made up those days.  We were privilaged to film a script writer at full pelt deliver a wonderful speech.  We have had grooms who have said nothing at all.  You see the joy and pleasure of each and every wedding we film is that they are all different.  That also explains why we can never say how long our wedding dvd's are going to be.  If the speeches take over and hour and the vicar gives his longest sermon ever, then it might be a very long film, unless you want those bits edited down as well.

So a Keynote, it's not about your wedding day, it's about your married lives thereafter.  We believe that having your day filmed provides you the opportunity relive your special wedding day time and time again, when things are good to remember what a good day it was, hear all your friends wishing you well in their personal messages & generally treasure what a wonderful time you all had, and when things are bad to remember those promises you made, for better for worse.....  (wow perhaps that was profound after all)

So as I step down from my soap box, may I take this opportunity of wishing you once more a very happy new year.  Treasure those you love!

Jay

Keynote | wedding | personal messages

2008.11.22 18:12:11

jayblake

Afternoon all

I write this having discovered the venue that I am filming in have wifi access and while the family are having a meal.

It has been a most wonderful day and the ceremony was just marvelous.  I am working alongside a couple of great photographers (www.a1fotograffix.com) .  OK - so I am not a great fan of curry so it's not neccessarily a venue for anyone who isn't curry mad, it clearly is being enjoyed by many of the guests who do!

We started the day at Luton Hoo - a wonderful hotel.  The staff were very helpful and even took me out on the back of a golf  buggy to get some shots!  We filmed the girls as they got ready for the wedding.

It's always worth making sure that you have all the bits of the bridal dress you need, the poor girl today did not have the petticoat for hers and it certainly caused an amount of stress!

We then went onto the venue, The venue is the Auction House in Luton.  If you need to cater for large numbers and enjoy curry then it's probarbly the place for you!  In fairness to them I have been promised food that is not curry is on it's way - we shall wait and see.

I have been able to get a lot of special memories.  I used the bridal preparation room, an impressive space with no less than 2 hairdresser style basins for hair and makeup to be done in.  Being able to get people somewhere away from the group leaving personal messages for the client is a great way of creating an added dimension.

Which gets me onto the subject of the blog - weddings don't run to time - They never ever run edsactly to time, and in my experience the more you plan it to the minute - the more likely it is to over run.  So always plan extra time and relax about time on the day :)

Have a great weekend all

Jay

personal messages | Orcid | Curry | Luton