A little late, way too early

I was trying to get all of my things together this morning for a meeting. Demo DVDs, package lists, contract, business cards, etc.

All the while I was kicking myself for not doing it last night. Running late, I raced out the door, drove to the designated coffee shop, pulled into the parking lot @ 9:01 a.m. for a 9 o'clock meeting.

Sweating, I look around the coffee shop for the prospective client. Didn't see her. I think, "Whew, she's running late." I grab a drink, sit down, get out all of my materials, boot up the laptop and wait... and wait... and wait.

9:15 a.m. - I wonder if she's forgotten about our appointment. It happens, I understand.

9:20 a.m. - I finish looking through my email to see if she sent a cancellation notice.

9:30 a.m. - Frustrated, I go back to the original emails where we set the date. Whoops.

As it turns out, all of that rushing around was for nothing. I was a little late to a meeting I was a week too early for. Oh well, at least I'm already prepared for next Saturday.

Busy, busy time of year

Is there a wedding planner guidebook out there that reads "between the weeks of March 1st through March 17th make sure to call and email Shared Moments Video"?

It sure seems that way. Thanks for your interest in SMV! I am returning emails and phone calls as quickly and thoroughly as possible. For those waiting for a demo DVD to arrive in the mail, the USPS is not posting a great batting average this year.

If you're on the fence about booking give me a call and let's talk about your wedding plans. We'll go over your options and discuss the best course for your wedding video. - 540.293.5979

Either way, don't wait to make a decision. 2010 dates are booking faster than any other year I've been in business. That's a great thing.

Looking forward to the 2010 wedding season

The wedding season begins in a few weeks with various bridals shows in the Roanoke area.

I'm looking forward to getting out and meeting hundreds of brides, talking up my new services and showing off my new HD cameras.

In the meantime, I'll be busy producing demo DVDs and brochures to hand out to couples. Lots of work to get done.

Busy, busy.

Wow! Looks like I'll be even busier in 2010

Everyone knows what the economic situation is and what it's been over the past 12 months. My business not only survived, but thrived in '09. Still, after a slow start I sense it could have been better. Couples were tentative to book. Many did, others wanted to but ultimately did not.
Will they regret it down the road? Maybe so.
So far, couples getting married in 2010 seem to be more aggressive making sure they get their date locked in.
That's great.
I think it's a great sign that people are more optimistic about where the economy is heading. Not only are they optimistic, they're confident. They're also busy getting the best wedding vendors lined up and under contract well in advance of their date.
I'm confident too. I've made a significant investment in new HD equipment that is going to take Shared Moments Video to another level. 2010 will be here before we know it.
But first things first - there are still dates available for this Fall. Don't miss the opportunity.

HD is near

If you're looking to save a little bit of money, now is the time to book your 2010 wedding video.

I'm in the process of purchasing HD equipment. These are really good cameras and it's quite an investment. As such I'm going to have to raise my rates for the 2010 season.

Don't get me wrong. It's not like the prices are going to go through the roof, but I do have to adjust things.

But you can save by booking before the rate change. Anyone who does will receive the current 2009 pricing.

Calendar's getting full

I understand the hierarchy of wedding planning.
Book the church, reception venue, photographer, caterer, florist, limo, etc... all before deciding if there's enough money in the budget for video.
I'm not going to get into how I think your priorities should be weighted. My point with this post is timing. Typically I get a call six months before the date.
Sometimes that's plenty of lead time to book Shared Moments Video. Other times I receive three calls for the same date and there's a rush to see who will get their contract returned first (first come first served).
There's really no set time for booking other than "the earlier the better."
I was at a wedding recently when the mother of the bride called and booked the Tuesday before the big day. I've booked weddings over a year in advance.
As far as this season is going, apparently the economy is picking up because more couples are interested. The Fall is booking faster than this Spring did. Summer is surprisingly busy.
I still have openings, though, and would love to work with you. Give me a call and I'll send you demo.
If you've received the demo and want to book but are on the fence about which package to choose, go ahead and book something and we can always modify it later. Don't miss out because you waited too long.
In life, timing is everything.

The time to book is now

As February approaches, my phone is starting to ring... a lot. Brides are looking for information, a demo, and to see if I'm booked on their date.

Too often video is the last thing on their list after spending their budget on other things. All of the details of a wedding are important and it's an expensive investment. So look at video (and photography for that matter) as the return on your investment.

Once the wedding day arrives, it is going to fly by. There is no way for couples to enjoy and reap the benefit of their time and effort that went into planning and preparing.

A wedding video is an archive of your lives on that day. Every client writes about how much they had forgotten or never saw at their wedding, but were able to enjoy it again because of the video I produced for them.

My motto is "A Wedding Video is an Heirloom". And it is true. Don't do all the work of setting up the perfect day and not take the final step and make sure the day is preserved by video.