Wedding Festivals Last Night

Hey-Lo

This morning and today I am recovering from a very busy night at Wedding Festivals.

Last night Colleen and Marc found a way to out do the last show, which I thought would be impossible to do.

When you first walked in they had all kinds of displays to look at. From the latest dress fashions, a table top display area, and even a photographer's gallery.

Then the bride to be would get in line and even the line was something picture worthy. Then then the bride would walk through a mock wedding setup which showcased, sorry, some of the platinum lighting setups available today.

If that was not enough, the next stop was Holly's Cakes who was giving away free samples of their cakes and cupcakes. Being on a diet that dang near killed me to smell all of those. Then down the line was Francios from Bagatelle Catering giving away samples of his goodies too. This was a very bad place to be if you are trying to watch your weight, but THEE BEST place to be if you are planning a wedding. Here is the best part, you have not even entered the real show yet.

I could not even count all of the vendors that were set up. There were just rows and rows and rows of them. I got to meet some new guys on the block, A Better Tie Video. Daniel was a very cool guy and I only wished I had more time to talk shop with him and his staff.

I have not even started talking about the bride yet. The brides came by steady all night long. I made several appointments to meet next week with several of you.

Then the fashion show started. Now, if you have not yet been to a Wedding Festival you have not seen their brand of fashion show. It is never just models walking on a run way turning then walking back. There is an element that is very classy about each one.

Last night was no exception. The theme was Vineyards. The show started with the models walking to the stage carrying grapes in themed costumes. You know, I cannot even begin to explain it. Go to http://www.weddingfestivals.com/ and soon I am sure they will have a video clip of it.

Here is the coolest part. This fashion show was so neat that I even saw grooms in the audience having a good time watching it.

Next week is another show in Asheville, NC at the Asheville Civic Center. And of course in January there will be a wedding Festival every weekend.

Have a great day and I hope to see you there soon.

Mike

Wedding Festival Time Again

Hey-Lo

I know you have seen the billboards around town. I think the last count is over 80 of them all over the Greenville area. You will hear the ads on B93.7 in the up coming weeks. In fact Wedding Festivals is the ONLY wedding show, showcase, gathering...etc... that B93.7 endorses.

As I sit here typing this blog when I should be getting my video and photo demos ready for the Wedding Festival coming up on Thursday, September 18 at the Carolina First Center.

If you know me then you know that I am always looking forward to these shows. Why, because I get to talk to hundreds and hundreds of brides at each and every show. If you have never been to a Wedding Festival, then you do not know what you are missing.

Sure there are other shows out there, and I am sure that they are fine. But, the one thing that I do know is ever since Tammy and I started our business, I asked around and pretty much every wedding related vendor that would talk to me, knowing I am not a bride, all said that Wedding Festivals is the show to do. And every since we did our first show our business has gone through the roof.

Another facet of the show I enjoy is seeing what Marc and Colleen will do next. A few shows ago I thought that they went over the top with the butterfly theme with the rose pedals lightly falling from the ceiling. Then at the last show at the Carolina First Center in June, they topped it again. This time they had a mock wedding complete with a mock reception. What are they going to do next? You will have to go to find out.

Well, I hope to see you there.

Peace,

Mike

Goodbye to a legend

It is with deep sadness that I am writing this blog about the passing of Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac died this morning of complications of pneumonia.

RIP.

"I Be Thinkin it was an Amazing Day"

Hey-Lo,

I will try to tell the very very short version of this story.

Friday I received a phone call from a lady named Karen who's mother had passed away and she wanted a tribute video made to play at the funeral. Well I produced the video, played it at the service as planned and everything went smooth.

I talked to Karen today and we talked about the funeral service amongst other topics and somehow...someway the topic of my list of favorite comedians came up.

You see, I have a list of 4 comedians that I wanted to meet since the late 80's, early 90's. In no particular order,

Carrot Top

George Wallace

Pablo Fransico

Bruce Baum

We went on to talking about George Wallace and I went on about what he meant to me and how I loved his act, etc....

Well....later this afternoon I missed a call from an unknown number so I called it back. It was Mr. George Wallace himself on the phone. Come to find out, Karen, is a really good friend of his and she told him what he meant to me and she got him to call me.

I cannot tell you what an honor it was to be able to speak to him over the phone and I cannot wait until I can go back to Vegas to see his show there. I still cannot believe I got to talk to one of my all time favorite comics of all time. I mean, this is HUGE for me.

Oh yeah, for those who do not know the phrase "I Be Thinkin" is one of George Wallace's catch phrases. Kinda like Jeff Foxworthy has "You might be a redneck." or Rodney Dangerfield had "I get no respect." Or Dice clay had "......I can not even begin to type that in here..."

Karen and George really made my day...week...month.

Thank you so much.

Sad farewell to a genius.

Stan Winston, the special effects guru who has created special effect monsters in such blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Terminator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands, just to name a few, has died. He was 62.

Stan first made his living as a stand up comic before going into special effects. He began his special effects career in 1968 with Walt Disney Studios as a make up apprentice. Stan is only 1 of two special effect artists to have a star on Hollywood's Walk Of Stars. Ray Harryhausen is the other.

"I do my art for art's sake on my own time. I spend as much time as I want on it because it's art for art's sake and it's not for a dollar. It's not with business parameters."

RIP Stan.

Wedding Festivals Again

Hey-Lo,

Wedding Festivals will be this Thursday from 4-9 pm at the Caroline First Center in Greenville.

I got a sneak peek at the new look and it is going to be awesome.

We hope to see you there.

Mike and Tammy

The Importance Of Hiring The Right Wedding Photographer or Videographer

Hey-Lo

I wanted to give a word of advice about choosing the right wedding photographer or videographer for your wedding.

You have heard the phrase a picture is worth 1000 words. Well when dealing with your wedding day, that statement holds up 1000 fold.

Everyday it seems like there is another person offering their services on sites like Craigslist, Yahoo, and even on cardboard on the side of the highway to film your wedding. Your wedding day should be unforgettable (pun intended) and that is why hiring the right person to film your wedding is paramount.

In regards to some of the "photographers" and "videographers" who advertise on free sites, such as Craigslist, some of them may be fantastic. In fact, one of my good friends in the business, Linda Wilson who owns Photos By Carolind has advertised on there a few times. I would have no issue hiring her to shoot my wedding, if I ever had to do that again. However, I have seen too many red flags on some of them.

For example, I have asked to see samples work from three different ones. Each one of them said that their clients will not allow them to show their wedding....or...their company policy forbids them from showing other people's wedding videos. These are the biggest red flags you should be aware of.

The next thing they will try to do is re-enforce the fact that their prices are way cheaper than everyone else. That may be but if you shoot the wedding with a dirty lens or with the lens cap still on, then 1.00 is too much to pay.

I have received one DVD from one company and the quality was cheap. What I mean is there was no real editing, you could not hear any vows, exchanging of rings, etc... The things you want to have from your wedding video.

So, with that being said, here are a few tips that you may of heard before when looking for a wedding photographer or videographer.

1. Interview the person who will be filming your wedding and see samples of photos/videos that they have PERSONALLY DONE. Most of your husband wife teams, such as Photography By Dennis and Yvette do all the work by themselves. There are some companies that are usually in the larger cities but are slowly moving into our area that are what I like to call Corporate Wedding Video/Photos. The quickest way to spot these companies are those who offer services that are not artistically related to each other such as Photo/Video/DJ/Florist/ These companies generally hire people with little to no experience and may not have them booked until the week before the wedding. There have been a few times where the DJ or photographer did not show because the company could not find someone to do it.
2. Some photographers use an assistant, as we do from time to time. If there will be an assistant used on your wedding, again be sure to ask to see work they have done.
3. Get references. Do not be afraid to ask for names and numbers of other brides and other professionals that they have worked with. An excellent source for information for a photographer or videographer is a DJ. Because the DJ is there all night, they would be a good source of info on how their work ethic was.
4. When looking at a videographer's sample, pay close attention to the lighting, color quality and the sound of the video. Also focus on their creative attention to detail. Does the wedding video tell a story or is it a bunch of randomvideo clips put together.

I hope this information was useful to you in your search of a wedding videographer or photographer. Keep in mind that each photographer is an artist. Although many styles may seem the similar, each one usually has their own little "something" that makes them unique.

While we are on that subject, please check out some of my favorite wedding photographers located here in the upstate. In fact, each of these artists work directly inspired me to learn photography.

Kismet

Mitchell

Cinematic Impressions

Photography By Dennis and Yvette

Jason Tensch Blue Mountain Photo Works

A Perfect Day Photography

Alison Haynes

Cox Photography

Storybook Day Photography

John Gillespie

Dream Images

And last but not least Michael Lamb. He took a picture outside the Westin Hotel of a bride looking back at him with a reflection on the stone. That picture is what made me go out and buy my first camera kit.

Mike

New Kid On The Block

Hey-Lo

I just wanted to take a minute to share a photo of Grant Wentzel. Grant is the new baby boy of our good friends Chris and Alyssa Wentzel, owners of Cinematic Impressions. Here is a picture of Grant with his new hat. I personally think an Unforgettable Wedding Video hat would look better. Hehehehehe

2nd Annual Trash Your Dress Event

Hey-Lo,

Yesterday we had the honor of participating in the 2nd Annual Trash Your Dress Event in downtown Greenville. This was not your normal trash your dress photo shoot.

First of all, it was free for any bride or bride to be who wanted to be in it. Second, it was an avenue to raise awareness for breast and cervical cancer and how an early detection can save a life.

When I say we, I mean Photography By Dennis and Yvette who organized this entire event, Willrich Bridal, Holly's Cakes...the cake was fantastic as usual...DL Limousine Service, Occasions at Wedgefield, and Storybook Day Photography, and Michael From Touch Of Grace Photography. We handled the video...and all the other photographers took the pictures.

We started at the Hyatt downtown and took limos to the Westend Field, provided by DL Limousines...very nice limos by the way. Then we had a parade of brides in their dresses walking around the ball park. You would not believe the smiles they got from everyone. It was a sight to see.

Then during the 7th inning stretch they all got up on the dugout to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

Then after the baseball game, we went to Falls Park, for more photo and video shoots, then we ended up back at the Hyatt where the brides finally got dirty and wet.

The fun part is that we got to get photos and video of brides that you would not normally get to do. Normally you protect that dress from molecules of dust let alone having the bride sit on the dirty ground.

I cannot wait to finish editing the video, we previewed it last night and it is going to be awesome.

In the meantime, keep checking back at www.idoinsc.com which is the official website for this event and you will be able to see pictures from the event in a couple of weeks.

Peace,
Mike

Rosa Nash

I was saddened to receive an e-mail today advising that Rosa Nash has passed away.

I first met Rosa through Wedding Festivals. During vendor setup she would always greet me with a big smile and a friendly hello.

When I was the new kid on the block, this meant the world to me. She made me feel welcomed to the Greenville, SC wedding industry.

Just Beacuse Party

Hey-Lo

Last night Tammy and I went to AVF's just because party. It was not billed as a "wedding Vendor Party" althought most of the guests there were other wedding vendors.

This is what I love about the business I am in. One of our competitors invites us to a party that they are throwing. Brian and Russell from AVF Weddings have been instrumental with us being and staying in the wedding video, and photo, business.

When we first started Brian and Russell were very open with ideas and information that they knew that we should know. You never hear Wal-Mart calling K-Mart with an idea to make money or share tricks to make their craft better.

I remember my second Wedding Festival, we were placed directly across from AVF. At this time I did not really know anyone else or how they would react to a newbie in their world. To my surprise, just about every other wedding videographer extended their hands and said welcome to the business. How often does that happen in any other field?

We had a great time last night, we got to talk to other wedding professionals like Susan and Richard from Willrich Bridal. I mentioned that I love reading her blog http://www.willrichbridal.blogspot.com/ which is full of information and ideas. In fact, I will be sure to put a link to there from my website later today.

The party was held at Aabstract Galleries in Fountain Inn. The food was fantastic. I cannot get over the taste of the beef and the meat balls. The facility was very nice with more than enough room for their dance floor, a ceremony, or meeting. Did I mention the food was fantastic?

Deserts were provided by our friend Christine Schnee owner of Now That's a Cookie and the inventor of The Cake Wheel. I almost busted two weeks worth of going to the gym over those cookies. I could not believe the flavor coming out of them.

The Party Machine was on hand to spin some music for the party. Not to mention Ken from Scottish Sounds brought his bagpipes with him. I can never get enough of the pipes.

Brian and Russell, thank you again for inviting us, it was a blast.

Peace,
Mike

Life is great...now that I can enjoy it longer

Hey-Lo

I found out Friday night/Saturday morning the hard way that I am deathly allergic to shrimp. As some of you know I have made some serious changes in my exercise routine and diet over the last two weeks or so and I feel the changes. I can walk all day without getting tired, going up the stairs is not an issues anymore. Things like that.

Well I had about 8 shrimp Friday night on my salad wrap and within two hours my face swelled and I felt that breathing was going to come to and end for me real soon. I was right. If I had not taken anything that would have happened.

So I end up in the emergency room at close to 11:30pm. On a side note why is it that whenever I have to go to the ER it is in the middle of the night...never like at 2 in the afternoon. The doctor looked me over listened to a few things etc...and concluded it was an allergy to shrimp and to not eat shrimp anymore. He gave me some meds, and they worked. The end.

You know I thought a near death experience would have been cooler than that. I feel kinda cheated in a way. No bright white lights...nothing...nada zip.

All kidding aside, I am very glad to still be here.

Peace,
Mike

Starting The Year Right...Even if it is already March

Hey-Lo.

This week we joined up with Sportsclub in Simpsonville. I had been going to another gym off an on...OK more off than on. All jokes aside, that is why I went back to Sportsclub, I found that going to that other gym was monotonous and annoying. At Sportsclub, there is something about the atmosphere inside the club that adds a positive vibe to your workout. And they also sell Pringles at the juice bar is also cool. A little reminder as to why I see blurry blue dots after working out. If you want to become a member, call my bud Sarah Swartz at 864-675-5808 and she will hook you up. Just tell her that we sent you.

I actually started to make some changes during Wedding Festival season this year. Working those shows are very hard on the body. I lost about 15 pounds between January and now, but most of that was the change in diet. Now with the added workout sessions 3-5 times a week, I expect to see some awesome results.

Gone are the fried foods to make room for all the salads, wraps, and fresh fruits. Also gone is soda. All soda, diet and regular. In is water, water, and more water.

I feel great just after 4 days, I cannot wait until a year from now to see how I feel.

Peace,
Mike

Spartanburg Wedding Festival

Hey-Lo,

Tomorrow, Wedding Festivals will be at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. The show starts at 10:00 and will run until 3:00pm.

If you decide to come, please stop by and say Hey-Lo.

Peace,
Mike

Anderson Wedding Festival

Hey-Lo

Today I assisted the Wedding Festival Crew with the assembly of the Anderson Wedding Festival. I gotta tell you...after the last show I really helped with, which was Asheville last week, I was hurting. I pulled a muscle in my lower back and it has not stopped throbbing since. But, this week I hit the gym a few days to work it out. It is still throbbing, but is not as bad.

I also adjusted my diet to add more salads and less crud. Today, I actually felt better after moving a bazillion pipes, plates, and misc crates, road cases, lighting rigs, etc... I have to wonder when I am working these shows if they are a wedding show, or a rock and roll tour because of the sheer volume of equipment, crew, and detail that goes into each show.

When I left, I was not that sore as I had been. I am looking forward to keeping these changes so I can keep up with this crew.

Marc and Colleen have been doing these shows for close to 18 years now and you can really see the experience working for them and the crew.

Today's crew was Virgil, Garyn, Coleman, Lana, Ben, Londan, Deangelo, Elliott, Logan, Sarah (Da Machine), and of course Kennedy. It is amazing how well these guys all work together. They know what to do...when to do it, and how to do it. There is no doubt in my mind that experience really matters when producing any wedding expo.

Another thing I was trying to figure out in my head today was why I had not yet done an Anderson Wedding Festival. We have exhibited in many other Wedding Festivals but not Anderson. This building is fantastic. The layout is not like all the other shows. Close to 100% of our business is a direct result of exhibiting at Wedding Festivals. I am very much looking forward to Saturday's show.

I hope to see you there.

Mike

Exciting News

Unforgettable Wedding Video is proud to announce that we will be a part of the Second Annual Trash Your Wedding Dress Photo and Video Session.

Our good friends in the wedding business Dennis and Yvette, from Photography By Dennis And Yvette started this annual event last year with one goal in mind...to raise awareness for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer.

This is an event that I wanted to be a part of last year when Yvette told me of what she was planning on doing. At that time, she was already working with another videographer. To me, it did not matter, as long as someone was doing this...even though I really kinda wished I could have had some fun with this shoot too.

I urge anyone who is reading this to go to this site for more information on the event...

http://www.idoinsc.com/

It will be held on May 4th starting at Falls Park and eventually ending up at a Greenville Drive game.

Wait...there is much more. We are NOT the only ones contributing to this event. Willrich Bridal , The Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville, Holly's Cakes are the wedding vendors who have signed up so far.

Come out and join us for a worthy cause, trash your dress...or buy one at a thrift store and have some fun.

Peace,
Mike

Asheville Wedding Festival

Hey-lo.

It is about 4:31 and I am just about winding down now from this weekend's Wedding Festival at the Asheville Civic Center. Since you are reading this, you already know that I like to help with the Wedding Festival crew with setup and take down.
What most vendors don't realize is the thought, the work, the sweat, the blood, that goes into each show. Oh and the pranks...but we will get into that later.
The staff that was here tonight was...in no particular order, Marc and Colleen (show producers) Logan(road manager), Garyn, Virgil, Ben, Lana, Coleman, Sarah (The Machine...this is the girl that just will not stop for a break all weekend) and of course Kennedy.
Their weekend started on Thursday when some of the crew traveled with all the gear to start assembling it on Friday morning at 7:30. I arrived at 4:30pm right in the middle of vendor load in. At this point the crew has already been working all day, and now they are assisting the vendors. I cannot even begin to tell you how physically demanding this is. And everyone that I observed during this time was smiling and glad to be here.
When I got here I jumped right into vendor load in. That is a workout and a half. By the end of load in, around 8:00pm, I was spent. I know I tried lifting something that I should not have and now I am paying for it...dearly. And I only got there at 4:30, not all day like everyone else. Sometimes, I kinda feel bad about not being able to keep up with the crew but in my defense they are all at least 10 years younger and in much better shape than I am...or ever will be.
After vendor load in came time to stuff the Wedding Festival Planning Bags. Now...while I and the guys were loading in, some of the girls were already getting the vendors' information that each participating vendor supplied ready to be stuffed into the bags. The funny thing about the bag promo is that with me being a vendor, I know the value of participating in this because each bride will already have my DVD, post card, or whatever I want placed into the bag and each time that I am helping the crew, I see all the vendors that did take advantage of the promotion I have to think to myself...what am I waiting for here. Because each bride will already have my information, my exposure will surely go up.
What I mean is at this show there was about 450-475 brides walking around. That is by my estimate, those were not official numbers. I have met with brides who attended a Wedding Festival that I did not get to meet because there were so many brides there, it would be impossible to meet every single bride that walked through that door. So now you can see why this is a great idea for the vendors.
I will fast forward a little bit here...we are now done, and it is about 8:30 and Marc and Colleen are taking the crew out to Fuddruckers for some dinner. Joining tonight are James and Jenny from Visio Photography. If you are a photographer or aspiring to be one, then you would definitely be a fan of theirs. They have such an artistic eye for capturing the bride or any subject for that matter...it is just mind numbing. So it is always a pleasure to sit and talk with them...pick their minds, etc... Now, if I could just sit down with Visio and Kismet at the same time, that would be cool.
After dinner I got settled into my room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel...very nice indeed. Garyn and Coleman came to my room and we played Guitar Hero for a while and soon after, my day was finally....finally done. I could go to bed now....if I was not aching all over that is.
The next morning, I got up...barely, and ventured to the breakfast buffet and started my day with a fantastic breakfast. Soon after I started Marc, Colleen, and Kennedy joined me. And about the same time Virgil and Ben finished off the breakfast club.
Right after we ate, which is about 7:20am we were all ready to head back to the civic center for yet another day hard work and fun...

Wedding Festivals Time Again

Hey-Lo,

I hope everyone reading this is having a great New Year so far.

As I am sitting here typing this and burning 100's of demo DVDs, I am amazed that it is already Wedding Festival time again. It seems like yesterday that I was hobbling around from what I like to call "The Wedding Festival Full Body Workout". If you could see all the work, both physical, administrative, and mental for that matter, you would drop your gym membership and do this instead. It is not only fun, but you get to hang with the coolest crew of people that I know. Marc and Colleen have a huge crew of people that put each and every show together. There might be 10 of them moving all the pipe and drape elements, another crew is setting up the couture areas, bridal theater or the stage at some of the venues. Basically it is a well oiled machine, which is a product of close to 20 years of experience producing these wedding shows.

Another aspect about the Wedding Festivals that I like is getting to see old friends in the business again. It's kinda like walking into your favorite local pub. You will see people there and are usually greeted with a smile. You will see some that you have worked a wedding with and can remember funny stories with them.

Also, I can't wait...again...to see the booth that Kismet Photography is going to have. Curtis and Emily are very artistic, well duh if you have ever taken the time to look at their photos you would already know this...but to see their booth is kinda like waiting for the store fronts at Christmas time. There have been times where I actually thought about hiring them to build my booth.

Also, I am looking forward to seeing our good friends Chris and Alyssa from Cinematic Impressions. We don't get to hang out the way we used to because we are both always booked, busy, or editing. I guess that is a good thing but I still miss getting to whoop up on Chris playing X-Box games head on. (well if you know us then you already know that Chris actually whips up on me...big time. I am lucky to get a shot off during a game.)

If you are coming to the show, stop by and say hi, we will be along the back wall.

Saturday, from 10:00 until 3:00 at the Hyatt in downtown Greenville will be the first one of the season.

Peace,

Mike