Spotlight Tonight MARRY ME FILMS

"At the end of the day, it is all about the commitment between two people and that’s what is most important."

It gives me great pleasure to introduce tonight's Specialist SPOTLIGHT, husband and wife team Sara & Tony Williams of Marry Me Films. With an evident passion for creating modish magical memories, Sara shares her top tips on what to look for when commissioning the film makers of your dreams....

The Wedding Film of Kelly & Matthew from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.

"It is with some trepidation and excitement that I start our first ever blog, never mind guest blog! Firstly we are very pleased and honoured to have been asked by Bespoken Dreams to write about wedding films, as we love filming weddings.

Let me introduce ourselves, we are Sara & Tony Williams, husband and wife for over 12 years and owners of Marry Me Films. We are wedding film makers not videographers, and if you are wondering why we make this distinction then let me explain. Unfortunately wedding videography has deservedly, some might say, got a terrible reputation. Admittedly there are some terrible cheesy video companies out there and as a result, a lot of Brides & Grooms dismiss the idea of having their wedding filmed straight way, which is a real shame. A wedding film is the perfect way to capture one the biggest days of your life. When executed well, wedding films should provoke powerful emotions, whether viewing post honeymoon or at the 25th wedding anniversary, and not simply be just a record of the day. They should propel you right back into the moment, make you smile, laugh, cry, and evoke all the emotion and memories of your special day. The actual day will fly by in the blink of an eye and there will be lots of cherished moments that may be unseen by the Bride & Groom or forgotten in the whirlwind of the day.

At Marry Me Films we strive to enhance this experience by taking the time to produce a memorable film that captures all of the above, is creative, interestingly edited, re-watchable and stands the test of time. Like any good broadcast programme the wedding film has to capture all the important moments whilst being interesting and entertaining. What we feel is paramount is to capture the interaction between the Bride & Groom and the emotion of the day. We know we have achieved this when our Bride & Grooms’, their family and friends, and even potential clients at wedding shows cry watching our highlights trailers. We hope that we are slowly changing the perception about wedding videography by bringing broadcast quality to wedding films. You never know, one day maybe wedding films will be as popular and central to everyone’s wedding days as photography.

The Wedding Film of Fiona & Neil from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.

 Unobtrusive Filming

It is important to keep filming discreet and unobtrusive. We do this by having years of experience in filming both weddings and television programmes using high spec broadcast equipment. Wedding film companies should be able to creatively capture the whole of your special day without unnecessarily drawing attention to themselves; blending seamlessly with the guests and venue. Some of the most natural and best footage happens when people don’t realise they are being filmed. Our overall aim is to beautifully and expertly film one of the happiest days of most people’s lives, not to be part of it.

Pre-Wedding Planning Meeting
An in-depth pre-wedding planning meeting to discuss timings of the day is vital. A good wedding film company will always familiarise themselves with your wedding venue so that they are comfortable with the surroundings. Flexibility is also key; being adaptive to any situation that may occur on the day. A professional, positive attitude and appearance is equally important.

Reflecting Your Personality
What we feel makes a good wedding film company is the ability to reflect the couple’s personality. Every couple we film is different, so every wedding film we produce is unique; from the cool contemporary to the utterly traditional. We take the time to meet our Bride & Grooms’, talk to them and find out what makes them both tick, so we can create a wedding film that perfectly suits them and truly is one of a kind.

Your Soundtrack
The music is a big factor in deciding how the wedding film will feel as it is so personal and emotive. We ask all our couples to choose a selection of music in various tempos before their wedding day, which acts as a guide to the style their wedding will be filmed and edited in. We also incorporate and reflect the atmosphere and sentiment of the day itself.

Our USP

We are different from other companies in our field because as a husband and wife team we have walked in the shoes of a Bride & Groom and we know just how important weddings are. Our intimate, personalised, diligent and caring service ensures that the very highest of standards are achieved in every aspect of our wedding films. Working freelance in the television industry on a wide range of programme types and styles, enables us to keep abreast of the latest methods and techniques from broadcast programmes keeping us fresh, creative and forward looking. Being BBC trained means that everything is filmed to the highest standards and right in one take, because at weddings there’s never a second take. At Marry Me Films we are so confident that we will get it right first time that we don’t charge for changes. We have very high standards and take great pride in everything we produce; we love the sense of achievement we feel when our Bride & Grooms’ take the time to thank us and tell us how special their wedding film is. We are very lucky to have such fantastic clients and their generosity towards our work, never ceases to amaze us.

We have had the pleasure and privilege over the past few years to be part of some fantastic weddings and we have some very exciting ones booked in for the next few years too. Amazing venues all over the country, different types of ceremonies and celebrations and even a Groom arriving by helicopter, but at the end of the day whatever happens it is all about the commitment between two people and that’s what is most important."

m 07949 806390
t / f 01925 483664

memories@marrymefilms.co.uk
http://www.marrymefilms.co.uk/

Industry Expert: Anneka Ireland Videography

"We produce a personal, contemporary and creative wedding video tailored to unobtrusively capture your special day on film."

Anneka Ireland Videography produces professionally filmed and edited wedding films.
Bespoken Dreams caught up with Anneka to get an insight into her wonderful world of wedding videography.
Lights, camera, action...


How did you get into the videography business?
After I left university I knew that I wanted to work with moving image but was unsure of where to start so I found another wedding videographer at a wedding fair who trained me up.

What inspires your style of filming?
The passion to capture the moment as it happens.


Videography is much more than a luxury for weddings because....
It captures your special day on film and will be a keepsake for generations to come.


Wedding preparations have really evolved over the last decade. How do you feel videography has changed over the years?
It began with a large video camera that Uncle Bob owned and thought it’d be a good idea to film parts of the day, now it has evolved into a more professional, elegant and essential service to have at your wedding.


What are the most requested songs from Bride and Grooms to accompany their DVD?
Greatest Day by Take That, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez, Chapel of Love by Dixie Cups and L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole.


What do you love most about your job? What’s the most challenging?
I love the adrenaline and responsibility I have on the day. I love the fact that everyone is there to celebrate and enjoy themselves and I am there to capture that emotion on film.

What’s the most extravagant wedding you’ve filmed?
An Indian affair with no expense spared!

Any Bridezilla moments?!
Yes, many! They tend to happen first thing in the morning, but soon calm down after the ceremony.

Videographers and Photographers: Discuss!
When asked if a wedding videographer has been booked, some people reply “I don’t need one, I have a photographer”, but they are completely different services. A photographer is a vital on the day, to take beautiful stills and document your day – but its also important to consider having it filmed. I have met many married couples who say one of their regrets is not having booked a videographer. Having a wedding film by Anneka Ireland Videography will capture your day in a contemporary, creative and obtrusive style using state of the art HD cameras. As your day will go so fast, its hard to remember everything that happened, so you can relive your day. It will be something you will want to watch time and time again with family, friends or together.

Do you have any top tips or words of wisdom for our B2B’s?
Try to remember to smile – a stressed out bride with a frown never looks good on camera! I also recommend that you look at various wedding videographer/ photographer styles, and choose the one that suits you, but stay clear of ‘bargain/budget’ companies as you really do get what you pay for.


Who would be your dream top table wedding guests to film?
Russell Brand, Matt Lucas – any comedian to step it up a bit.




For more information please visit

www.annekairelandvideography.co.uk
info@annekairelandvideography.co.uk