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Think all wedding videos are a bit dodgy and clichéd with loads of dubbed Bryan Adams tracks? Think again. This afternoon on the wedding blog, Brides Up North chats to the fabulous Sara of North West Wedding Videography duo Marry Me Films. They know you don’t want cheese oozing out of your DVD player, and can help with that!*
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*Unless you actually put cheese in there.
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Let’s say hi… and do make sure to click into a few of the films too (watch out for sound if you are reading this at work!). My streaming eyes are not solely down to this head cold this afternoon!
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How did Marry Me Films begin?
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We are Tony and Sara Williams, a husband and wife team and creators of beautiful wedding films. We are film makers who understand the importance of capturing the heart and soul of a wedding day; the essence, the energy, the exhilaration. Our ethos is to capture the emotion of the day discreetly. The interaction between the bride and groom, a shared joke, a fleeting look, a knowing smile.
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Tony is a BBC trained working broadcast freelance lighting cameraman and we kept being asking by producer, directors, presenters, family and friends to film their weddings and to be honest at the time the standard in wedding videography was terrible. We love working together and so we started the company in 2008 to bring broadcast quality to wedding films. Tony has worked with many famous people, filming commercials and live links all over the world and he has never been as nervous as when he filmed his first wedding. After all there is no chance for second takes, he need not have worried, it all turned out beautifully. Weddings are very hard work and long days, but we are very lucky to have the most amazing clients and we genuinely love what we do.
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What sort of technology do you use and what sort of finished products do you produce for the couple?
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These days with the advances in technology even a child could operate a professional video camera, but that obviously doesn’t mean you’ll get a professional film, more importantly it’s actually all about our talent and experience in capturing the footage. We use two professional broadcast compact BBC approved HD cameras as standard on all our wedding films. We selected these camera as they enable is to do what we feel we do best which is to capture the emotion whilst being unobtrusive. We use a variety of techniques and equipment to create interesting and memorable shots. To ensure excellent sound quality and so that no moments are lost, we use a combination of professional broadcast tie-clip radio microphones and professional broadcast location rifle microphones. All our wedding films are presented in beautiful personalised deluxe Queensberry presentation cases and boxes.
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Highlights Montage from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.
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What is your favourite thing about being a wedding videographer?
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Getting to be part of a special moment between two people surrounded by their family and friends and capturing it for them to relive forever. Having walked in their shoes, we film every wedding as we would want for our own, with care, attention and lots of love.
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How do you get couples to relax on the day?
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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. Meaning we can creatively capture the whole of the special day without unnecessarily drawing attention to ourselves. We always make a conscious effort to be unobtrusive throughout the day by blending seamlessly with the guests and venue. It also helps to be prepared by having an in-depth pre-wedding planning meeting to discuss the timings of the day. We familiarise ourselves with the wedding venue so that we are comfortably with the surroundings, but also being flexible and adaptive to any situation that may occur. We always have a professional and positive attitude and appearance. After all, 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.
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Any advice to any brides who don’t like the idea of being filmed?
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First of all have an open mind, watch some samples and imagine the emotion of watching your wedding day back. Meet your potential wedding film maker and be sure that they understand what you want and don’t want from your film. Hopefully with the way that we film they wouldn’t notice us there but they have to remember that a well-made wedding film will enable them to relive the day time and time again and that is priceless.
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The Wedding Film of Elizabeth & Neil at Rookery Hall from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.
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What sort of makeup should a bride wear to look great on film?
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We would never use a shot of the bride where she didn’t look her best, but we would definitely recommend that she use a professional makeup artist to create a natural classical look that will last all day and night and enhance her natural beauty.
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Why does a couple need a video as well as photographs?
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Admittedly in the past there were some terrible 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, a wedding film 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. The day goes by so quickly that it is so easy to forget all the magical moments that we are able to capture for you forever!
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The Wedding Film of Gemma & Shane at Peckforton Castle from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.
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Are there any really memorable weddings that you have captured?
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We have filmed all types of weddings from an intimate country retreat with only 12 guests (one of those was a dog) to a grand opulent affair at Hampton Court Palace with international dignitaries. We have even filmed the odd celebrity wedding too. Regardless of the style and size of the wedding, what we do is reflect the personality of the bride and groom and capture the atmosphere and essence of the whole wedding day.
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Every wedding is completely different and unique and that is what makes them so interesting because every couple is special in their own right.
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Are you married? Tell us about your day.
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Then and now…
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We got married way back in 1998. Ironically considering the job that we love now, we got married in Las Vegas at the Little White Chapel. We planned it all together, to be honest there really wasn’t that much to plan in comparison with a traditional English wedding, but Tony came dress shopping with me (that raised a few eyebrows in the dress shops!) and helped pick my very simple dress. On the day we got ready together and drove in the limousine to the Court House to get our wedding licence and we even walked down the aisle together. I love that I could share every moment of nervous excitement with my best friend; I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. We then had some cheesy pictures taken on the astro turf at the Chapel and went for a fabulous meal at the top of the Stratosphere Tower. We went back to Las Vegas to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and we will be going back for our 20th anniversary too!
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Any funny stories to share?
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One of the best parts of the day can be the speeches; we have listened and laughed out aloud to some genuinely funny best men and grooms speeches. I am a bit of a softie and admit to crying at some of the lovely things that the fathers of the bride say to their daughters and new husbands to their wives.
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What sets Marry Me Films apart from other wedding videographers?
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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. Having two trained camera operators means that we can be in two places at once and capture every element of the day. 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.
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The Wedding Film of Hazel & David at Abbeystead from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.
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What can a couple who book you expect on the day?
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We want them to revel in their special day! We don’t set up shots or demand any of their time. We subtly capture the magic as it unfolds, discreetly. We respect the work of their photographer and understand the role required of them too and seamlessly work with them to get the best photographs and film possible.
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What areas do you cover?
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We are very lucky to have so many amazing venues in the North West; however we offer Nationwide coverage as well
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The Wedding Film of Jane & Steve at Iscoyd Park from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.
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What is included in your "package"?
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We believe it is important to tell the whole story of the day, so that is why we have one all-inclusive package, with no set start or finish time. We film from the bride preparations, right through to full coverage of the evening reception, capturing every wonderful and special moment in between. There are other additional extras that can be purchased including guest video messages and photo montages to make the wedding film extra special.
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Can you give us an idea on price?
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Our all-inclusive signature Marry Me Films experience package is currently priced at £1,995.
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The Wedding Film of Alexis & James from Marry Me Films on Vimeo.
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Can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?
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For Brides Up North readers we would be willing to include our Guest Video Messages Package worth £250, free of charge.
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This is where friends and family leave heartfelt messages of congratulations and support, always a nice surprise for the bride and groom when they watch their film back. They can be very emotional from relatives and we have recorded some hilarious ones from friends and colleagues, we have even had a few songs and dance routines too!
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How can Brides Up North get in touch with you/ see more examples of your work?
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More samples of our work are available on our website www.marrymefilms.co.uk Brides and grooms to be can call us on 01925 483664 or 07949 806390 or email us at memories@marrymefilms.co.uk To keep up
to date with what we are up to they can check out our behind the scenes blog www.marrymefilmsblog.co.uk and interact with us on Facebook and Twitter. We love hearing about couple’s wedding plans.
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Marry Me Films image © 2012 Chris Hanley Photograpy and videos © 2012 Marry Me Films
Marry Me Films is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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