Don’t Regret Not Getting a Wedding Video. Discover First Dance Pictures and Reconsider.
Monday, March 25, 2013
I know you've seen and shared a viral wedding music video that you loved because it was touching, hilarious or super catchy. Maybe you wanted to be that girl or were amazed at its concept or creativity. Know that you too can have a wedding video that exceeds your vision or gets shared by a million folks on YouTube. Well maybe a million is a stretch but you should at least 1) budget for a wedding video and 2) hire a team that can deliver a video of your wedding that is quality, timeless and something you will love you love now and for years to come.
A professional videography team like First Dance Pictures can help! Get smart by reading my interview with Bill and Deanna, husband and wife team and Nashville wedding videographers. They have years of experience creating wedding videos and are committed to capturing the emotion, toasts, dances and details so you can relive them forever.
Marissa and Matt's Beautiful, Brentwood TN Barnyard Wedding ~ Video by First Dance Pictures
How did you get started in weddings?
Bill has a telecommunications degree with a minor in music. He has worked in the corporate world for over 20 yrs shooting and editing video with companies such as Deloitte & Touche, Sarah Cannon/Minnie Pearl Cancer Research Center and CMT. In 2008 Bill began seeking new business possibilities, and started looking into shooting weddings. When we looked at how much wedding videos had changed from our wedding (circa 1989) and how they had gotten so creative, we knew this was our calling! Deanna is a master at organization and manages the business, as well as getting very creative shots of the day along with Bill.
What do you like most about weddings?
We LOVE seeing the joy in our couple’s eyes on one of the happiest days of their lives. Bill loves being creative and designing a wedding film to match the personality of each couple with highlights of their special day. Deanna loves to see all the new and exciting things each bride brings to the day. Although some elements remain the same, each wedding is SO different. They never disappoint!
What’s your favorite wedding pic/video and why?
It’s very hard to name a “favorite” because we put so much of ourselves into each one! Each piece is reflective of the couple, the day, and the energy that the couple brings to their wedding. Plus, after spending so much time working on them they become like family – it would be hard to name one. However, we do work to keep our demo updated with current stuff, and we rotate clips to keep it fresh. We work very hard to make sure every piece we do would be something we’d be proud to display for future clients.
Valerie & Dale's Hollywood wedding at Hard Rock Cafe Nashville ~ Video by First Dance Pictures
What is your service philosophy?
We work hard to get to know our couples as much as possible before the wedding. We enjoy getting to know each of our couples so that we can deliver a truly unique product. What we DON’T want (and what our clients don’t’ want either) is just another wedding video. There are plenty of budget videographers that will give you a no-frills video. Our clients are attracted to us because we are going to give them something more – more personal, more entertaining and stylish. Having said that, we also are very cautious in making sure we don’t insert too much of us into their day. The last thing we want is to have to edit out all the things we do or say! ;) Our style is not to be in your face, because we know that having a camera around can make you feel uneasy - so we work to make you feel comfortable. We feel truly honored to be a part of each couples big day – we know how important their day is, and want to help couples enjoy it without being conscious of our cameras every second.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
There are many new & upcoming wedding filmmakers/videographers popping up due to the economy, and the relatively low cost of starting up as a videographer. With that, you’re going to find that some of these companies really haven’t had a lot of experience. You’re also going to find fly-by-night companies who, when things get too busy, just stop answering their phone and move away, leaving a couple without anything. We are established in the community and maintain a high standard and good reputation with other vendors and our community. We are dedicated to professionalism and very high quality work. Anyone can pick up a video camera and say they are a wedding videographer – this particular profession doesn’t require a license, and you get lots of people who do it because they think it’s easy money, or because you don’t necessarily need formal training. It’s another thing altogether to have years of live event filming experience, knowing what to do if problems arise, and knowing how to treat everyone involved with the ultimate courtesy, respect, and professionalism. We do that, from the moment we meet the couple until the final DVDs have been delivered – but we have the added advantage of formal media training, years of experience, and a creative vision and passion for what we do. Plus, we won’t show up in jeans and a tee-shirt for your wedding!
We started this business not because we wanted to make a quick buck, but because we LOVE working with couples and have a passion for creating work that will hopefully be cherished for a lifetime. We want each of our couples to have a beautiful and unique vision of their wedding, and of themselves. It’s more than just a “wedding video” to us, and to our couples. Our clients have spoken, leaving us testimonials that we are very, very proud of – we plan to continue that level of service to each and every couple we work with.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
Schermerhorn Symphony Center (Bruce Pittman)– so friendly and professional with a fabulous event space
McCoy Made (Photographers) – Husband/Wife team. We love that! Amazing pictures and they are great to work with
Enchanted Florist – incredible arrangements – beautiful and very professional
Middleton Entertainment (Jason Middleton-DJ) – nice professional set-up with lights
Nashville Event Lighting – we love great event lighting!
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
Bill reads blogs of all stripes, as well as geeky film sites and forums quite a bit. We also keep up on what others are doing in our area. ABG is a huge resource for us as well!
What is your most favorite wedding discovery?
One of Bill's “heroes” in the wedding filmmaker business is Kevin Shahinian – he’s an amazing director with incredible wedding films, travelling all over the world to make his masterpieces. We would love to work with a couple to do something even slightly like this someday! pacificpictures.net
For the budget bride, what's the one thing you think should always make it into a budget?
Video of course! When the cake is eaten, the dress is cleaned and put away and the flowers have wilted, the only thing left will be your memories. Pictures are a static memory of the day, but video tells the entire story of the day. There will be so many things that you won’t remember, or even see, so we capture those moments that you will treasure for the rest of your life. It’s one of those things that can seem so optional before the event, but after the event it’s forever too late, and so many brides realize too late that they should have done it. It is said that not getting video is the biggest regret that couples have after the wedding day.
Nicole & Dustin's Nashville Wedding with a Hollywood Twist ~ Video by First Dance Pictures
For the platinum bride, what is the one thing you’ve always wanted to see?
We really want to work with a couple that would like to do something really creative, such as a music video or a short film around them and their wedding. Especially in Nashville with all the songwriters and performers, we think there’s a good opportunity to get really creative and have a lot of fun – we just need to find the right couple who is willing to put the time in to do it! We feel like there is a Nashville couple that might want to do a Hollywood-style short film, and we would love doing that. If you’re out there and reading this, hit us up and let’s do something really different!
What advice would you give to brides on the wedding planning process in general?
Hire a wedding planner! If you can’t afford one, then designate someone who can coordinate and “direct traffic” the day of the wedding. The day is stressful enough, so you don’t need to be worried about who is supposed to be where and when.
What's the best way for Nashville brides and grooms to contact you?
Main Contact: Bill Vincent of First Dance Pictures
Website: firstdancepictures.com
Phone Number: 615.473.2625
Email Address: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tweet us via Twitter: @firstdancers
Like us via Facebook: First Dance Pictures
Number of years in the business: 5 yrs
About the Author:
Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide
Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Happy Planning.
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Posted on March 25, 2013 |
Filed under: Videography
