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The Best Things in Life Are Free – ‘Tip’ to Reduce Wedding Day Stress

Money well spent on your Big Day.

The best things in life are free, but you can leave it to the birds and the bees…I want money,” so goes the song many of us remember and it came to mind this morning when a lovely coordinator we work with – Kelley Cannon –  emailed to ask about tips.  She wanted to know if it’s standard for couples to tip their videographers, and if so, what is the appropriate amount?   Here’s what I had to tell her.

Honestly, we rarely receive tips and we don’t expect them.  When we are tipped, it’s typically between $50 – $150 per shooter (and we do a happy dance in the parking lot on our way home).   The best ‘tip’ for those couples who’d rather not tip us: provide a hot meal and a parking spot.

After shooting with our hearts and souls to capture the emotions and moments of the day and to ensure the family can revisit every significant moment in their video, it sucks to eat a BLT made the day before served alongside a stale cookie.   It’s not always quite so bad, but it has been on occasion and those meals stick out in our minds like a walk down a pirate’s plank.  A hot dinner or a divine vendor meal can really rejuvenate a shooter  and have them feeling ready to take on the last part of the shoot with renewed vigor!  And a parking spot can really take the edge off when shooting in a one-take environment.

Not having valet parking or an assigned spot can be a huge stress on any vendor.   There’s no worse feeling than driving around the block searching for an on street spot or garage when you know the bride is inside putting her dress on or the processional is lining up.  Yikes!  While we do arrive early, if there isn’t a spot available for us, cruising the neighborhood is all we can do (I did have a shooter park illegally, halfway on the sidewalk outside a Cathedral in DC once, and they weren’t even ticketed, but that’s another story!).  Spending $10-$20 on parking to ensure your cameras are actually filming and not driving around is a great investment.

The reality is, the meal and the parking spot guarantee that you get as much time in front of that camera as we can possibly provide.  Months after, when you’re sitting on the sofa watching your wedding video for the first time, you’ll be thrilled to see all that was captured without you being aware of us.  But you’d be really upset if your dad’s impromptu toast was missing because your shooter was out grabbing a burger or feeding the meter.  If you can avoid this (and we know that sometimes you can’t), then it’s the best tip we can get!

If you’re looking for more tips on ‘tips’, ask Kelley for a copy of her “Wedding Gratuities Guide” here.

For more tips on how to reduce stress on your wedding day, check out our Less Stress series: Category “How to Reduce Stress on Your Wedding Day”

Harvest Moon Over River Farm

Garden Soiree at River Farm
Left to Right: Bill & Anne Holland (Holland Photo Arts), Stephen Bob (Love Life Images), Haynal Papp (Dolce Studio Films). And "No." It isn't a Black & White party! Who took this fabulous photo? Jamie Sears (Simply Chic Events).

The last Thursday of August, under a beautiful moonrise, River Farm‘s outdoor terrace twinkled with fairy lights and hummed with the buzz of happy guests.  The garden soiree was hosted by Love Life Images to launch the expansion of their services under three reinvented auspices: Love, Love Life and Life.  Each department now focuses the lens on specific stages and events in a family’s life.  Love captures engagements and weddings, Life captures portraits and family photos and Love Life is a hybrid of both, if you will.  If you’ve never seen their gorgeous work, you must visit Love Life Images and see what they’re all about!  Founded by the fabulous Jennifer Dominick (who photographed my BFF’s wedding and the images are spectacular) and the divine Mary Gardella, the studio also includes Associates Stephen Bob and Joe Wang.   Talented, friendly, informed and insightful both in personality and in imagery, this team is a creative force to be reckoned with.  If you haven’t heard of them ’til now, I hope you enjoy this introduction!

The party was great and highlights included a terrace divided into 3 distinct spaces each representing the 3 aspects of the studio.  Separated by swaths of white sheers undulating gracefully in the evening breeze, each space sampled a different menu of appetizers and had its own Signature Drink.  A popular fave was the Lynchburg Lemonade, an homage to the sultry south of late August if there ever was one: freshly squeezed lemon over crushed ice with Bourbon and a sprig of mint.  Divine.  I spent most of the evening Stage Right at the dessert table, where I chatted with friends while scarfing down rows of Kendall’s Cakes‘ divine Petit Fours, my fave being the hazelnut creme meringues.  Although more popular were her brownies and cupcakes, (which didn’t bother me at all)!  I must say, those were the silkiest brownies I’ve ever had.

Thank you Love Life Images!

If you’d like to view a film of a wedding at River Farm, check out our Gallery page and watch the Kendall & Spencer sample, top row, middle.  If you’re interested in having your event hosted at River Farm, contact Janet Daniels at rentals@ahs.org or 703-768-5700 ext.114.

WonderWomen at Crave DC

If you enjoy hearing about inspiring and inspired women in business, this is the blog post for you! Last night I attended the Crave DC pre-launch party and met some hot DC women who are all about manifesting their own destiny via the entrepreneurial spirit.

Roxy Rowton & Haynal Papp

Upon entering the Beacon Bar & Grill, I right away bumped into some women I already know working in DC’s special events industry: Katie Martin and Heidi Kellet. If you haven’t already heard of them, they’re each impressive. Katie Martin owns Elegance & Simplicity and is the area’s expert in Green weddings. She’s written 2 books, heads up a magazine and is a social networking wizard. Heidi owns and operates The Dandelion Patch, a fantastic resource for anyone in need of beautiful design and high-end product. At the registration table I was greeted by Wendy Mcallister, the vibrant personality who invited me to be featured in Crave’s newest book covering the DC scene. Crave’s tagline is “An Urban Girl’s Manifesto,” and it is. If you want to meet the Who’s Who of female-led business in the nation’s capitol, hold onto your pocketbooks because the book will be launched late this summer and will be available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Here’s a sneak peak too. Continue reading “WonderWomen at Crave DC”

Engaged! Bridal Show at the St. Regis DC – March 2010

This past Sunday we were thrilled to participate in Engaged! Magazine’s innovative Bridal Show.  5 of the city’s top hotels participated in hosting an extravagant show, with a multitude of vendors showcasing their work at each location.  300 prospective brides, grooms and couples were shuttled from location to location.  At the St. Regis, they were treated to food, drinks, spa services, engagement photos and a feast for the eyes!  The excellent vendors showcased in this highlight video of the event include: The St. Regis, Janet Flowers Weddings and Events, Gala Cloths, Hannelore’s of Olde Town, Red Door Spa and Salon, Steve Canning Photography, Dandelion Patch, Elizabeth Bailey Weddings, Kate Parker Weddings, Sugar Bakers, Bloomingdale’s Bridal Registry, Dolce Studio Films, Production Works International and Syzygy Events.  Enjoy!

[wpvideo zLmGfxRk]

What Makes a Video Tacky?

When I first started filming weddings in 2003, my vision was to capture timelessly elegant footage that would stand the test of time.  I remember looking at the videos available to couples and finding them so cheesy.  So many of them embodied multiple elements I found off-putting; tacky transitions, trendy effects and dated music.  What’s sadder still?  The current video market remains saturated with just as many bad videos!

The Bobblehead Videographer.
The Bobblehead Videographer

The most obvious of the shoddy video options is what I refer to as “tacky transitions.” Tacky transitions include dissolves and effects thrown in to a video to make it seem ‘edited’; cartoon hearts and stars, bubble letters, page peels, glow effects and so on.  This is the lowest rung of the video ladder with prices at their cheapest.  But like momma said, “you get what you pay for”.

Then there’s the half-edited video.  It’s sold as an edited video to unsuspecting couples, but read the fine print or wait until you get it in the mail and you find it’s barely edited. Here you have glorified raw footage, slapped down on the editor’s timeline, a song or two thrown on top, names at the beginning and end and maybe even a Highlight montage.  The editor can throw this together in a day and charges rates comparable or just under those being charged by others actually editing a piece from start to finish.  Once you get your video, you realize that what you thought you were buying was not what you actually bought.  As momma said, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

A video has to be a comprehensive whole.  If it’s edited from start to finish and carefully worked on by a filmmaker, you should have a piece that doesn’t lag, drag or sag!  The chapter formats vary (as soon as the viewer’s eyes start to glaze over, the next chapter should begin and be delivered in a different format), the live footage is filmed well and has great audio.  The cocktail, behind-the-scenes details and dancing are fully edited too.  Plus, you want to have excellent coverage of speeches, toasts and special dances.  Included in the roster of effects you may see those limited to the Silver Screen; black and white, sepia, 24p film footage, 16mm film footage, some shots slowed down or sped up, cross dissolves, fade in – fade out dissolves and jump cuts.   The effects should be expertly applied so that they blend in, not stick out like a sore thumb.  Lastly, the more timeless the music, the less dated your film will be years from now.

So, as you shop around, how do you know what you’re getting?  The fact of the matter is, if you really want to know what you’re going to get you have to ask to see samples of full length finished films.  Anyone can piece together gorgeous samples for the web, but as momma said, “the proof is in the pudding” (this is one annoying momma!).  When you watch the finished films that videographers have actually delivered to their clients, you’ll best be able to see what you’re likely to get too.

Why It’s Easier to Film a Wedding With a Coordinator in Charge

It's so sweet when someone else worries for you.
It's so sweet when someone else worries for you.

While there are plenty of articles out there that will tout the merits of a planner or coordinator, I can attest from personal experience that those weddings with an organized, friendly, calm coordinator at the helm are much easier to capture on film.

A calm person in charge keeps everyone focused on their own role, while they focus on problem solving.  You see, I haven’t been to a wedding yet (my own included), where something didn’t go wrong.   Last week I lunched with one of my favorite coordinators and she told me a story about how the band’s drummer got into a car accident on the way to the wedding.  He was fine, but was running late.  She kept this information under wraps and managed to sneak the drums in the back door during the salad course and the couple was none the wiser.  When her bride and groom bemoaned the fact they hadn’t a souvenir favor or program from their wedding day, she paid out of her own pocket to order an extra set from the manufacturer.  Problems solved.

For those events where there has been no coordinator involved, we have had a much harder time doing our job.  I’ve had my shooters ironing a wrinkled wedding dress, checking on the weather and bringing the DJ food and drinks, just to help things run smoothly when they’re starting to wobble.  Without a coordinator, we often end up having to stay overtime because the schedule runs late and we haven’t filmed the cake cutting when we’re supposed to be leaving.   If you end up paying for all your vendors to stay late, you may as well have hired a coordinator for the money you’d otherwise be spending on surcharges.

If you want to enjoy the most expensive party you’re ever going to throw, then having someone else worry about it for you is just about the nicest thing you can do for yourself.   Your vendors will better be able to bring their true talents to the table and shine (not that we’re not good at ironing).   And that’s a wrap!

For more ideas on how to reduce stress on your wedding day, check out some of our other articles in the Dolce “Less Stress” series!  See the “How to Reduce Stress on Your Wedding Day” category in the right margin.

The Less Stress Binder

The Less Stress Binder can be chic too!
The Less Stress Binder can be chic too!

As you plan your wedding day, you’re probably starting to gather all your correspondences, ripped out magazine pages and contracts with vendors in a pile somewhere, hoping to keep your ideas and plans together in one place.  While you may not have a problem finding that one important piece of information YET, I recommend reducing your future stresses with, what I call, The Less Stress Binder.  I did this for my own wedding day, and it was a real time saver.  It also saved me from an enormously stressful situation on my wedding day. The flowers arrived.  Dead.  Because my sister-in-law had my version of The Less Stress Binder in her hot little hands, she was able to call the florists, email a photo of the flowers, fax a copy of the contract and have replacements delivered and set out, all before I showed up at the wedding.  I did not learn about the fiasco until after my honeymoon and was saved an enormous amount of stress on my wedding day as a result.

So what is The Less Stress Binder?  Gather all those papers you’ve accumulated and separate them into piles according to vendor category.  Everything cake related goes in the cake section, everything DJ related goes in the music section, everything place card related goes in the stationary section…and so on.  You figure out what divider tabs you need based on what you are planning to hire and incorporate.  Now, when you meet with vendors you have pictures and ideas to show them. As you sign contracts, put the signed contract AT THE FRONT of the section.  Keep the oldest ideas and papers at the back of the section and the newest ones at the front.

Now, here is the best part about the Less Stress Binder project!  On the day of your wedding, give the binder to SOMEONE ELSE and ask them to be in charge of that information and the use of it on the wedding day.  Ideally, you have a planner you can give it to.  If not, chose a friend or relative who you know can handle a stressful situation and be an advocate on your behalf.  My sister-in-law can be really sweet, but she can also be a real battle axe, and that worked out well for me with the flower debacle!

While it may take a little bit of effort to pull The Less Stress Binder together, it could result in being your free pass for enjoying the most out of your Big Day.  And that’s ultimately what it’s all about!

Adding an Unmanned Camera: Is it Worth it?

Time and again, couples ask me to quote a price for a second, unmanned camera during the ceremony.   Is it a wise investment? Will it improve the quality of the video?   Let me share the pros and cons of the option with you to help you decide whether or not this choice is the right fit for you.

The biggest advantage for having a second camera on site is that you get better coverage of your ceremony and that you feel you are getting ‘more’ for your money.  If that second camera is unmanned, this gain is largely psychological, as an unmanned camera rarely captures worthwhile footage physically.  Here’s why:  while the shooter can anticipate positions and angles prior to the ceremony when they set up that camera, they can’t account for the tall groomsman that blocks the shot of the groom, or the shine off dad’s bald spot as he places himself right in front of the camera in his front row seat.  Without a person to monitor the camera and correct the shot each time the ‘scene’ changes, the footage is rarely the professional shot you would have hoped for in your edited film.

For you, the biggest advantage of having a second camera is to actually get better coverage with it.  The second camera can film the groom’s reaction when he first sees the bride, it can get a better angle on the readings, it can get gorgeous close-ups of the ring exchange or the couple’s spontaneous actions on the altar.  Unmanned, there is no guarantee any of these shots will be captured because the camera would need to be turned, moved and adjusted to capture this shot list. Continue reading “Adding an Unmanned Camera: Is it Worth it?”