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(cover photo by Carsyn Craytor)

When Lauren Corp, lead planner and founder of Hello Events, approached me with the idea of shooting a business branding video that goes beyond the typical sit-down-interview, I was all in! We shot this video over the course of two days, including the full set up of the beautiful tented wedding in the Myriad Botanical Gardens in OKC, and the full wedding day from prep to grand exit.

The Process of Creating a Branding Video for a Wedding Planner

Part of what makes a behind-the-scenes video so entertaining to watch is the raw, candid feel. As you might have already guessed, a lot went into making this branding video look and feel like the Hello Events brand, while also retaining the authenticity of a true behind-the-scenes video. In other words, not too polished, please!

Our first phone call lasted over an hour as we hashed out the foundational logistics. A wedding already has a ton of moving parts, so when you add in a real-life reality show on top of it all, it gets a little more complicated.

During that call we decided to ask the couple, Ellen and Tyler, if they were interested in having me shoot footage to create a short, simple highlight film for them, as well. Although they hadn’t hired me initially, Lauren informed me that they had their eye on me back at the beginning planning stages, but didn’t find it in their budget at the time.

When approached with this new idea of tandem shooting their highlight film alongside Lauren’s branding film, they were all in!

Planning for the Big Day(s)

As a videographer/photographer, this was the first time I had ever shot a wedding for more than one client. In 12 years of creating wedding films, I’d always been working for just the couple. Sure, I’m always happy to share the footage with all the hard-working vendors (hello, team effort!), but I knew I’d be creating with two distinct goals in mind:

• Shoot and edit a highlight film for Ellen and Tyler
• Shoot and edit a branding video for Hello Events

The highlight video for Ellen and Tyler was unlike other highlight films I’d created. It was designed to be shorter and simpler. Whereas I typically create fully fleshed-out storylines with multiple sources of audio and several camera angles, Ellen and Tyler wanted just their vows as the only voiceover in the film – no other mic’ed audio. I did incorporate natural audio straight from my camera, but only their vows were mic’ed.

The branding video for Lauren was a much more complicated task, mostly due to the audio. Lauren wanted the video to take the viewer inside her process as a wedding planner, which meant we really needed to let the viewer hear her words as she interacted with the vendors, the couple, and the guests. That meant hours of hidden mic audio. (On a side note, hidden lav mics are truly a miracle for windy days, giving you clean audio when you would otherwise be struggling)

I followed Lauren around for two days, capturing interactions of alllll kinds. One of my favorite things about the video is seeing the variety of situations Lauren deals with and how well she handles them all. Go, Lauren!

Editing the Branding Video

Whew! Where to begin….

Editing this film was like sitting down to eat an elephant. I tackled it in stages.

ROOM REVEAL REEL

A couple of days after the wedding, I edited a Reel of the tent reveal for Instagram. I wanted a quick win for the vendor team and the couple while everyone was still riding the high of the wedding day. (I tried to link it here, but alas! IG hates me sometimes. You can see it on my grid, though. 😉

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ELLEN AND TYLER’S HIGHLIGHT FILM

When I was creating this video, I wasn’t thinking about using it in Lauren’s branding video. I was only thinking of my goal to create a keepsake that will transport Ellen and Tyler back in time to relive the emotions of their wedding day – for the rest of their lives. The best part about editing this film was being immersed again in the absolute JOY of the day. Both bride and groom are head over heels for each other. Their playful, gracious, excited energy is contagious!

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HELLO EVENTS’ BRANDING VIDEO

The final stage in this journey was creating the branding promo film for Lauren. We met at my studio to watch through alllllll the footage and listen to allllll the audio together. I can’t act like it was a terrible job, though. We enjoyed a mimosa (or four) in the process. I gave Lauren one simple objective: Mark the clips she wanted me to use in the video, and those she wanted me to leave out. When completed, I had the skeleton storyline for her branding video.

My next step was to fine tune the story based on what I know about Lauren and her brand. She focuses on an elevated client experience, custom design with careful attention to input from her client, and building a team of highly qualified vendors.

Knowing this, I crafted the video to reflect those foundational brand values.

I used the audio and the video in tandem to guide the viewer through the process in a way that is approachable and understand from an outsider’s perspective. In other words, when you watch Lauren’s video, I want you to be able to feel like you learned more about Hello Events and Lauren as a person. I want you to understand the process of how a high-end wedding planner works, as well as the benefits of hiring one. BUT. Here’s the biggest deal: I want you to experience all of that – to feel it as you watch Lauren put out fires like the pro she is.

The difference between a good branding video and a GREAT one:

Does it teach you something you didn’t know before?

Does it make you feel like you know more about the business now? The values, the goals, the processes.

Do you now feel a real connection to the person behind the business? This is part of the Know, Like, Trust factor – so important!

Are you more likely to become a client now? Or, if you’re not needing to hire a wedding planner for yourself, are you more likely to refer this business after watching the video?

The Reason I Do It!

When it all comes down to it, the reason a branding video is important is because it’s so personal. Our businesses are our babies. You wouldn’t put your baby in just anyone’s hands. It has to be someone you really trust to be careful. Someone who will love and nurture your brand through the creation of a video that tells your story to the world. I want to thank Lauren Corp for trusting me with her baby, Hello Events. Creating her branding video was truly a labor of love. I am honored. Thank you, Lauren! Cheers to Hello Events!

AND CHEERS TO THE ENTIRE VENDOR TEAM THAT MADE THIS WEDDING THE SMASH HIT IT WAS!

Planning and Design: https://www.helloeventsllc.com Photography: https://carsyncraytor.com Venue: https://myriadgardens.org Videography: https://lesleelayton.com Floral: http://www.poppylanedesign.com Hair and Makeup: http://www.chelseyann.co Bridal Boutique: https://www.jjkellybridal.com Gown Designer: @theiacouture Rentals: https://www.mariannesrentals.com https://bbjlatavola.com http://www.thesetevents.com Stationery: https://www.laurelandmarie.com Catering and bar: https://kamskookery.com Cake: https://www.browneggbakery.com Band: https://www.boxtalent.com @hookbandok @oklahomastringsquartet Ceremony Audio: https://partyboxoklahoma.com