We are such suckers for a good wedding movie! We adore the work of John Gangwer and his wife over at Well Spun Wedding Films based out of Philadelphia!
They offer many options including Super 8 Film style movies...their work speaks for them...get out your tissues!
Well Spun Wedding Films - Mexico from Jon Gangwer on Vimeo.
Well Spun Wedding Films from Jon Gangwer on Vimeo.
We still love this fabulous {diy} idea from the creative minds over at Layer Cake Films...
For a very reasonable price...you can have your own custom made super 8 wedding day film! Order the package that comes with camera & film, grab a friend who's good with filming, have them shoot your wedding day from start to finish, mail back the camera and film and Layer Cake Films will process and edit your film to music and send you back the DVD...genious!
No doubt a huge growing trend in weddings is a choreographed {first} dance where the couple surprises their guests with something unexpected and wonderful at the reception. TLC even has a new show coming up called Rock the Reception that takes couples planning for their big day and pairs them up with professional choreographers who teach them all the moves to pull off this fun feat! If you are interested in applying they are taking applicants to be a part of the show.
Our favorite first dance surprise still has to be the little swing number filmed by Elysium Productions of Nicholas and Monika...who are two of the most stylish and amazing dancers. Jessica Claire was the talented photographer at the wedding who captured their gorgeous photos and she has the video featured here on her blog...they are AMAZING!!
One growing trend in weddings is having wedding day memories captured in an artistic and cinematic fashion...versus video shot through a standard video camera. These videos create such touching and timeless looking mini-movies when they are paired with wonderful music...we get teary eyed within the first minute of watching these every time!
We wanted to share with all of you one company that does an amazing job creating these types of movies...Layer Cake Films...
Layer Cake Films is a super 8mm wedding film company that creates films that are original, offbeat, fun and exciting. Each produced video is stylized with a vintage and retro feel but with modern day appeal! Their work is so fun and unique...their website also has several demos available to see!
They offer a wide variety of packages and even offer a fun little option called {cake in a box} which allows you to make your own wedding film! They send you a camera, film, and instructions and then you send it all back to them after the wedding. They then process, edit and master your film onto a custom DVD...how deliciously sweet!
To learn more about Layer Cake Films, be sure to check out their website for more information and how you can book them for your wedding! You can also read a great feature and interview with Michelle at Layer Cake Films that the The Unbride posted a few weeks ago!
Welcome to Wednesday! We have such a treat for you today with a {spotlight} on one of the coolest wedding companies around, Bliss* Video Productions. Bliss* is a video production company that creates fun, beautiful and intimate cinematic wedding films using 35mm, 16mm, Super 8mm and Digital Video.
Kristen* is the amazing artist and owner who founded Bliss* to redesign the state of wedding videography...and has she ever!
Kristen* shared with us some details behind her company and some samples {get your tissues!} of her inspiring work...enjoy!
{rb}: Tell us a little bit about what inspired you to start Bliss*?
K*: It's hardly glamourous but I started Bliss* as a starving filmmaker working in independent feature film in Los Angeles. I had worked for wedding video companies in film school and when I moved to West Hollywood in 2002 I decided to shoot some weddings as a side business. I've always loved weddings and did my time in my early 20's as a 'maid' in more weddings than I can count. (Oh the horror of matching french twists!). I knew how boring wedding videos were and wanted to create something totally different that was distinctly feminine and incredibly sophisticated.
My inspiration for Bliss* has always been to make fun, beautiful and intimate films that really reflect the vibe of the couple. I have a great love for fashion and design and with Bliss* I really sought to merge that sensibility with the films I create by focusing on the details of the day like decor, food, fabrics and really bring the atmosphere of the wedding to the forefront. Because of this point of view, I am fortunate to work with a variety of different event designers throughout the country capturing their events. For me, it almost makes me giddy when I'm shooting because the events they are creating are so insanely amazing it's pure eye candy!
{rb}: How do you capture a couple's personality so well through your work?
K*: Music plays a huge role in the storytelling of a film. Aside from getting to know each of my couples, I ask them to create a cd of songs that are meaningful to them that I can then incorporate into the film. Also, I love observing people. For me there's nothing more fun than sitting on the train or in a coffee shop and just watching how people interact. The same is true for when I am capturing a wedding, but the challenge lies in framing that moment so that everyone looks beautiful. I think as a woman, my sensibility to timing, details and the overall emotions that people are feeling really come through in the work that I create.
Check out our first Bliss* video below. Click on the image to start playing.
Italy Wedding Trailer from bliss productions on Vimeo.
{rb} What is your advice to couples considering hiring a more typical video production company vs a more unique (and amazing) production company like Bliss*?
K*: The most important advice I can give is HAVE YOUR WEDDING FILMED!!!! Regardless of whether it's a $999 video factory special or a $50k masterpiece shot on Super 16mm. The event you are creating, the people you are inviting, this is a one time deal. Countless times I have brides, grooms, moms, friends call me up and ask for a copy of the video, or a toast or just a few shots of a person who has since sadly and unexpectedly passed away or is about to pass away. I don't mean to be a downer with this, but your wedding is one of the most joyous days of your life and with all the planning and $$ being spent, it is a mistake not to capture it with moving picture, photo's simply aren't enough. I always liken it to my parent's and how much I would have loved to have seen their wedding if it had been captured on Super 8mm.
Wedding videos aren't like flowers or food that die the next day, they become a piece of your family tree that future generations will love to watch even more than you!
Fortunately, wedding videos are evolving rapidly and the days of the exploding hearts and flying cupids are pretty much dead. You can find amazing videographers at a variety of prices and production levels through websites like ReFrame Collective and WedFact.tv. There is such a variety of style out there, so it really depends on what you are looking for. My own personal preference is to shoot weddings on film (Super 8mm & 16mm film) because it makes everyone look gorgeous and nostalgic at the same time. If you want to go the film route, then you should expect to invest at least $2-3k for a quality film.
{rb}: As a bride-to-be, what are you looking forward to most about your own wedding?
K*: Oh gosh! You know, without sounding too obsessed, I'm looking forward to all of it! We got engaged this past New Years Eve and are planning the wedding within just 7months. I've been absolutely blessed with having my good friends in the industry help me with our wedding.
I love art nouveau and so the vibe is an enchanted and organic nouveau-bohemian wedding in the forest. I love ebay & etsy and have been able to find some amazing trinkets and details for the event. I'm trying to stay as local and handmade as possible with the event, the catering is a local sustainable organic caterer which I'm super excited about. I'm going to be using my vintage camera's as decor for cocktails and loading them up with film so that should be fun. Overall I'm just trying to create a fun and magical evening that showcases the amazing talent of my friends and colleagues. It's the one wedding of the year where they can do what they love and drink a little too much while doing it!
We can't wait to see video & pictures from her wedding that's for sure! Here is another fun video from Bliss*. Be sure to visit their website for more videos. Click on the image to start playing.
Malibu Madness from bliss productions on Vimeo.
Thank you so much Kristen* for sharing all of your advice and work...we can not wait for you to come back!
{The beautiful photos of Kristen* were taken by the lovely & super-talented Elizabeth Messina}
