Hello Everyone! 2010-09-13

Welcome to my new blog. Man that sounds stuffy….Okay lets try this…I did the myspace thing, and I did the facebook thing and now I decided to do my own thing.

Basically this is where you can  not only keep up to date on what I do and how I do it, but what I like about not only weddings but life in general, and fun things that happen around  the great town of Wilmington NC.

Who am I? Well as time goes on I will go into more detail about that but lets just say that I am a guy who has been to hundreds of weddings as a photographer, videographer, and yes even an officiant.  I decided instead of becoming this ginormous company with a dozen shooters and editors and so forth, that I wanted it to be more personal, so in essence it’s just me.  I have fun doing what i do, and deliver awesome wedding videos that are at a price every bride can afford.  In future entries I will go more into detail as to the how and why I do what I do for the price I do it,  but suffice it to say I do it mainly because it is my passion and I love it.

But I never answered the question did I…..Hmmmm Who am I? Well I am Steve and I will be your videographer today….

Wedding at Shell Island 2010-09-18

Ben and Meredith

Last night I performed a beautiful ceremony at Shell Island on Wrightsville Beach NC. I married Ben and Meredith Kirchhoff and even played the music for them as the wedding party walked down the Aisle.  Meredith was radiant and gorgeous in her gown, and Ben teared up when he saw his bride. We were all blown away! It was a spectacular setting in Purple and white and the ceremony I wrote for them was a big hit. It was light and fun yet touching and reverent. After the wedding I was invited to the reception where I gave a blessing for the food, which was as always, awesome and they knocked it out of the park.  Jeanne Bua, The Catering Sales Manager for the resort, gave her personal attention and dedication to making the reception go off without a hitch. So a special thank-you to her and her staff!

After the papers were signed and legal, I gave my congratulations and made my exit leaving them to party the night away, The DJ Jason of Active Entertainment did an awesome job. As much as I love shooting video it is nice to perform the ceremony when called to do so. I have another wedding tonight on Topsail Island so Ill tell you all about that tomorrow….

Wedding On Topsail Island 2010-09-19

Yesterday I performed a ceremony on Topsail Island NC at a beach house the couple had rented for the event. Courtney and Rick Taylor had an intimate and elegant setting for friends and family. The seats and arch were beautiful and provided by Floral Expressions By The Sea. They did an awesome job! Kelly Cortes of Creative Imaginations Photography was professional and on top of everything. I can’t wait to see the pictures!

The Ceremony Courtney and I developed together was funny, tender and romantic and a big hit with the friends and family. We were concerned about the tide that was rising and afraid we might get a little wet so we all ditched our shoes and stood with our toes in the sand. Occasionally a wave or two would lap at our feet which actually turned out to be fun. The Surf was huge though due to hurricane Igor offshore.

The reception was at Christopher’s Restaurant in Sneeds Ferry NC and the couple had rented the entire restaurant for the occasion. The live music was performed by Scotti Stringz and he did and amazing  job.  The food was awesome and after the couple cut the cake the party continued into the night. Good Times!

Wedding this weekend! 2010-10-05

I will be shooting a wedding in Rocky Point this weekend.  I have been wrapping up editing for this busy season and as the wedding season winds down I begin to bounce ideas around for next year. In the mean time my late fall and winter schedule is open for the most part so if youre getting married soon and need a videographer and/or an officiant give me a call and I can give you a huge discount on my regular prices. You’ll be amazed! More to come….

The Right Place At The Right Time! 2010-11-24

One of the advantages of the cameras that I use is that I can press a button while shooting the video and capture full resolution 12 megapixel photos on the fly.

Now even the very best of photographers can’t be in two places at once. At this wedding the church was of average size but to remain unobtrusive the photographer took his position in the back of the church and sometimes scurried up and down the aisle slowly and carefully as to not draw attention away from the bride and groom.

I, however was dressed all in black and positioned in front of the altar so that I could get every smile and tear. I was also in the unique position at this wedding to do even more. When the candle lighting ceremony was about to begin I glanced up at the photographer who I knew would never be able to make it into the proper position to get the shot so I gave him a small nod and he smiled because he knew I was not only going to get spectacular video of the candle lighting but stellar ambient light images as well, and having been a photographer myself I know what a blessing it can be to have backup when needed. Since my camera is running at all times I don’t have to pick it up, set the focus, meter the shot and hope for the best…I am already there! Incidentally the camera I use also has a smile detector and when someone smiles while I am filming, the camera intuitively takes a shot anyway even if I don’t push the photo button. Keep in mind these are NOT stills taken from the video but images captured to a separate SD card within the camera.  I took 700 pictures by the end of the day! Although I would never step on any photographer’s toes, it is nice to have that many images to use for a photo montage or like in this case get the shot that otherwise would have been impossible to get by being in the right place at the right time…Talk about 100% backup and two for the price of one! That is why we call ourselves the Multimedia Video Company.