One of the last things I do when I give the bride her final video is give them a customer survey form.  I do this for a couple of reasons.  First off I want to know what I can do to improve the service I provide. I also want to know if I did everything I could to make the bride 100% happy with her video.  Over the past couple of years I have gotten some very good comments back from the brides.  But, I got one today that had a unusual comment in it.  The bride wrote, “It was a last minute decision to go with a professional videographer, but I am so glad we did.”  That made me think about how many brides have this same thought and don’t follow up looking further at videography and if they had any regrets?

WEVA (Wedding and Event Videographers Association) commissioned a survey that was conducted between December 12th and December 22nd 2005 by Breakthrough Marketing, Inc. The survey was conducted by telephone of a cross section of brides from around the country. Results showed NINETY-EIGHT percent of surveyed newlyweds recommended that brides have their weddings videotaped. That is a huge number of newlyweds, but here are some other very interesting numbers:

• Of surveyed brides, 38% did not have their weddings videotaped by anyone – amateur or professional, and apparently have some regrets. Sixty-three percent of them now either somewhat or strongly recommend that future brides hire a professional videographer.

• Ninety-eight percent of brides surveyed used the services of a professional photographer compared to only 29% for professional video services. However, surveyed brides who used professional services for both were expressive about what they like best for each of these professional services. Brides said video does a better job of capturing the emotions of the day, records the history of the day better, and they strongly feel that future children will enjoy their wedding video more than their wedding photographs. Brides need professional services for both.

The number that stands out to me is the 38% who did not have any one video tape their wedding, and of those 63% recommend that future brides have their wedding video taped.  What do you think changed their minds?  I think the answer is simple:  they have forgotten their wedding.  When you really think about it, it makes sense.

You are spending weeks, months and in some cases years to plan your wedding.  Most brides think that since they are planning the wedding and they are IN the wedding that of course they are going to remember the day.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  If you are lucky you will remember less than 10% of your day. And as time goes on, you will remember less and less.  I have been married for 18 years and I love my wife more today than the day I married her, but I can remember only two things from our wedding: I said “I do” and instead of throwing bird seed (we forgot to get bird seed), our families grabbed the first thing they could find, peanuts.  In 18 years how much will you remember of your wedding?

The other thing in the survey that strikes me was the statement that video does a better job of capturing the emotions of the day, records the history of the day better, and they strongly feel that future children will enjoy their wedding video more than their wedding photographs. How much would you give to be able to watch your grandmothers wedding?  I have seen two pictures of my parents wedding and they tell me nothing of their day.  What did they do at the reception?  Who was there?  What song did they dance to for their first dance? What did they say for their vows?

All I can see from the pictures is my parents standing on the alter smiling.  My dad past away almost 19 years ago and my mom remembers very little of the wedding day.  So there is nothing I can pass down to my daughter to tell her about her grandparents wedding.  Think of the day your daughter comes to you when she is about 8 or 9 years old, she is playing dress up and has put on a wedding dress.  You think back to your wedding day and how wonderful it was.  Now, think how great, and what a special time it would be for the two of you to sit down and watch the DVD of YOUR wedding.

In 18 years will you be one of that 38% who didn’t have any one video tape their wedding and now have regrets?

Today I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful young bride by the name of Corissa.  She is getting married in April.  That is not that unsuall, April is a great month here to get married. What is diffrent about Corissa is how her wedding is coming together, let me fill you in:

About a month ago, I was listening to the radio here in the office while editing some video.  The local afternoon talk guy was asking people what were they doing to save money in these tough times.  I heard all kinds of things like cutting coupons, using leftovers and on and on.  But then this female voice came on and said that she was wanting to get married this upcoming April and her parent had only given her a very limited budget and was wanting to know if anyone could help her have the wedding of her dreams for little or no money.  Well, she opened the flood gates with that one.  Wedding vendors will jump at the chance to do anything for free advertising.  We all live and die by what we put out there.  Well, first a venue stepped up and offered their site for the wedding, then a wedding planner offered her services, then a carter, then a rental company and so on.  Well, I did not want to be left out so I called in and offered to video her wedding for free.  The calls  just kept coming in by the dozens.

At the end of the hour, this girl had everything she needed for her wedding. ALL FREE!  It’s called a sponsored wedding and the way it works is you go to vendors that you want to use and tell them you will advertise their service at your wedding in return for their service at no cost.  You’re not going to get a huge diamond ring for free, but you could get the dress, food, photographs, and other services for little or no cost.  Great idea for these tough times.  Now, vendors are not going to do a lot of sponsored weddings each year, in fact, I am only doing two this year.  So don’t go out there hoping to get everything for free, but with a little bit of luck, you may be able to get some things at a lower cost.

I met Corissa for the first time today and we had a great meeting at my new favorite place “The Lounge” (I will tell you about this place in a future blog).  Corissa is looking for this wedding to be a party, and from the sound of it, it will be.  It will be a media circus as well with the radio station doing a live remote from the wedding in addition to a local TV station and the newspaper too.  I am really looking forward to this wedding, it is going to be so much fun.

First off, I want to welcome everyone to the new Midnight Magic Studios web site.  I have spent the past 2 weeks working on every aspect of this site.  I wanted this site to provide brides with the information they need to choose the best videographer they can.  It is my hope that at least some of the information I post here will help one bride in making the best choice that fits them.

I am also going to take some time and tell all of you a bit about me and my family, the fun and exciting things we do (and even the boring things as well). I want all of you come back to the site often as I will be updating the site on a regular schedule.  As new information and technology comes along I will be sharing that with you as well.

I am attaching a link to a web site for our local Fox station: http://wtnz.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-the-wtnzfox43-com-hot-list/4208   I hope all of you will go to the site and scroll down to the videographer listings and vote for me.  This the Knoxville Hot List, a way for you to choose the best of the best in Knoxville.  I have been nominated to be on the Hot List by local wedding vendors and brides.  I consider it an honor to be on the list.  I get nothing if I win, but it would help the business a bit.

Well, as I said WELCOME and I hope that in the future I will post something here that will help you.  Use the contact me page to give me suggestions for this blog.

Below is a short clip from a wedding I shot back in November for Lori Lusby and Scott Caldwell. The wedding was shot on a cold cloudy day. Right before the ceremony, the clouds broke and a bright ray of sunshine came streaming into the church. Everyone at the reception had a great time. The reception was at Calhoun’s on the River here in Knoxville. Photography was by Carlos Jones of Photography of You. This clip is from the end of their wedding video as they were winding up the reception and heading out for their honeymoon. What a great, fun couple Lori and Scott were that day. I wish them the best of luck.

Over the next several weeks I am going to be changing the look of this blog. I am also going to be adding clips of some of the weddings I have done this past year. 2008 was a very busy year for Midnight Magic, I did a total of 30 weddings this last year and I enjoyed each and every one.

The first clip I am loading up is for James & Laura Carr from this past June. I meet Laura and her mother at the 2008 Premier Bride Show last January. We talked for quite a while at the bridal show that day and could tell right away that Laura was a special young lady. She has a uplifting sprit and a smile that lights up a room. One of the biggest concerns for Laura and her mom was making sure that we were able to capture all the music from the wedding. I assured her that we could do that without fail. The music was really beautiful that day and fit both James and Laura. It was so much fun to watch this young couple start out on their new life together.