What is your most memorable wedding?
Too many to list. Maybe when the bride said "to be my awful wedded husband" and about 15 seconds passed before she realised what she had said and her face down the lens was an absolute classic - maybe when we filmed the two doctors getting married at Lichfield Cathedral, with 12 of the groom party walking through Lichfield town centre in top hats and morning suits and queuing to buy an ice cream each from the ice cream van in the market square - raised a few eyes from the public as they bought their spuds in the market square - maybe when our clients emerged from Warwick Register Office and we spotted 100 or more Morris Dancers parading through Warwick centre - we persuaded them to surround the newly weds for an impromptu shoot grabbing a very special unplanned moment - maybe it was filming a wedding in The Vatican, St Peters Basilica, and escorting the bride and her father up the back stairs past the Swiss Guard, emerging into the main atrium area amidst hundreds of Americans and Japanese who all thought the bride must be a film star - so there WILL be hundreds of photos of THAT bride around the globe - followed 2 days later with a personal blessing from the new pope in St Peters square - one of the few occasions a bride gets to wear her wedding dress TWICE.
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Personal, Discrete, Non-Posed, Natural, Attentive
What about your business are you most proud of?
The number of Clients who have been given superb memories of a happy day in their lives through our eyes and lens and studio magic
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Suppliers have to work together as a team - try to identify and avoid prima donna's that see only their service as important - when a team comes together it works for YOU in the results achieved, and everyone in happy.
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
Hard one to answer - so many special moments. I guess the tear-jerker would be the Warwick wedding again - at the Breakfast which was held in Stratford, the Groom did not stand behind the top table as most do, instead he paced the room, passing all the guests tables, whilst delivering his speech without notes. as a grand finale he walked behind his new bride and held her shoulders, leaning over to speak to her directly, to say how much he loved her and how he always would. He committed to make it his life's objective to ensure she was happy, and he meant it. Beautiful and precious for everyone in the room. He is a lecturer, she is a police officer. Neither roles known for their tenderness. But that day drew the whole room into their eyes together.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
Enquiry stage usually establishes that we "get on" which is important for us as well as for the Client. Once the package content is greed, we ask that the Client download a Booking Form and a Deposit of £150 is payable to secure the slot. 2 weeks before the wedding we send an Event Checklist for completion and return, following which we set up a call in the week before the wedding to walk through our Checklist Q & A in depth (takes about 30mins on the phone.) We aim to deliver the edited film within 4 weeks of the wedding (earlier if possible).
What is the most exciting thing you have caught on camera?
The antics of the herd of deer behind the newly-weds at Swinfen Hall near Lichfield. They put on a show of leaping on racing. Or maybe the moment at a church in Broadway when the vicar asked "if there is anyone present who knows of any reason ..." - the main doors at the far end of the church FLEW OPEN with a bang and 2 ladies RAN into the church as everyone, including the bride and groom, turned around in astonishment. In fact it was just two LATE ladies who went on to slink into the pews, but it makes for great film and considerable humour by the bride and groom. To ADD to the special apsects of that day, they whole bridal party then WALKED from the church to the breakfast venue hotel (about half a mile) through Broadway village where all the shoppers and visitors and passing cars hooting and gazing in wonder at the parade - LED BY A GUITARIST at the front with the happy couple.
What is the one film you wish you had directed and why?
That would be "The Death Of A Princess" - I have my own view of what happened to Diana in the Alma Tunnel in Paris, and I believe that my view is one that has never been proposed as the cause of the fatal accident. I have met Princess Diana and consequently have taken an interest in the circumstances in which she died. I also have a photograph OF Diana that she invited ME to take - now there is another story :)
What is your favourite soundtrack to put to a wedding video?
At least a dozen all of equal points
Describe how you got into videography.
I worked in IT most of my adult life. We were exhibiting at Olympia in London and decided we needed some filmed content to showcase our products/services, and to film the Olympia event itself. We could not find anyone to do it at short notice so I finished up doing the whole thing myself, including learning the edit tools needed, and the production attributes demanded for re-production. That led me to take a wider interest in the whole area, including commercial videpgraphy. We have produced films for businesses as well as brides, and we have Animation and Graphics generation skills as well.