Today we launched Simply Cinema. Simplified Videography for the budget minded bride…
The Simply Cinema Concept
Simply Cinema is simplified Videography for the budget minded bride. Here’s the skinny on how we came up with the concept. Let’s start with a little family history…. Simply Cinema is the cute baby sister of Serendipity Videography.
It all started with Serendipity Videography getting all of these calls from brides wanting to spend between $1500 and $2000 on a wedding film. The kind of fabulousness that Serendipity Videography creates and produces for its couples costs more than that and rightfully so. But rather than turning those brides away we decided to create a concept that fits these brides Videography needs.
So on December 1st 2009 baby sister Simply Cinema was born and like many sibling relationships she couldn’t be more different than her big sister Serendipity Videography. Simply Cinema is simple documentary style Videography. She isn’t all of the bells and whistles of her big sister but she is fabulous in her own way.
So who is a Simply Cinema Bride?
1. A Simply Cinema bride is a bride who wants Videography of her wedding day but doesn’t have a significant budget for it yet still wants something of fabulous quality and style.
2. A Simply Cinema bride could be a bride who quite frankly doesn’t prioritize highly Videography but does want her day documented, but for a reasonable price. Don’t worry being this bride doesn’t offend us… I totally get it… Some brides want a great Photographer or a gorgeous Venue instead of putting their money into Videography. I understand. I was a bride and we all have different priorities on what matters the most to us on our wedding day. The good news is now you don’t have to sacrifice Videography because you want to spend more on something else.
So once the colors were decided for my parents 40 year vow renewal which are navy and lime green the first thing we did was head to Twirl Boutique to find our bridesmaid dresses. Now I got married 10 years ago when David’s Bridal was pretty much the only game in town so this was super fun for me. A boutique just for bridesmaids… Genius!!! My sister, niece and I spent an afternoon with Jenni at Twirl and perused the racks of fabulous dresses. The whole experience at Twirl was fantastic. What I loved most was that is was exactly that, an experience… You walk through the doors and it is a girly girl’s dream come true. First of all the decor is all pink and brown with comfy couches and 2 full walls of tons of different styles of dresses. Dresses you will actually wear again that are both fashionable and flattering. We knew we wanted a strapless dress so we settled on about 15 dresses and ventured to the dressing room. No harsh lighting that makes you feel fat here. The lighting is soft and warm with the dressing room having plenty of space to try on dresses. I know that sounds like a weird thing to comment about, a dressing room, but how many times have you been to a department store and had to squeeze into a tiny dressing room with your pile of clothes to try then when you manage to get a piece of clothing on you are blasted with the “oh so flattering” fluorescent overhead lighting that shows every dimple in your thighs. The claustrophobia sets in and it ruins the whole experience. The Twirl dressing room was by far the most pleasant dressing room experience I have ever had. Everyone felt comfortable and left with their self esteem still intact. Then their was the shopping experience…. I was offered a bottle of water and had Jenni with us the entire time assisting us with any and all questions. And with 15 dresses we had plenty questions. Not to mention having to find a dress that looks good on both my sister who is 6 feet tall and me who is 5 foot 2 inches on a good day. She was full of ideas and so knowledgeable about each and every line that Twirl carries. We decided on a strapless dress by Lela Rose that is navy blue with both pockets and a cute sash that ties in the back. We left Twirl ecstatic about our purchase and our experience. Thank you to Twirl for helping our bridesmaid experience be one that was both fun and memorable! To any gals out there who have just been asked to be a bridesmaid put the images of an insanely ugly dress and dyeable shoes in a hunter green color out of your head. Twirl has evolved the entire bridesmaid experience! Consider it a “must do” the next time you are a bridesmaid.
Luisa called me 2 weeks before her wedding to shoot her wedding film. She was like a lot of our clients. They think that they don’t want a Videographer but as they get closer and closer they realize that it is in fact not only something that they want but that they need to document their wedding day. Luisa and Jason have such a fun story of how they met. Take a listen in their wedding film to their interviews. We LOVE shooting at the Hotel Valley Ho. It is contemporary and chic. As you walk the property you just feel so hip, like you are a part of the “scene”. Luisa and Jason’s decor and theme for their wedding fit the Valley Ho perfectly. They went with a circle theme with the colors being, orange, pink and chocolate brown. My favorite thing about this wedding was the integration of their dogs into their ceremony. They both adore their doggies and consider them their children so they had them be a part of the festivities and yes the dogs even had outfits… It was fantastic. I also loved the pink circle rugs that the couple stood on as well as the bridesmaids. It tied their ceremony decor into their reception decor which included a cake decorated with pink and orange circles as well as their favors which were chinese food containers again decorated with circles. The whole wedding fit Luisa and Jason’s personality. It was cool, lively, hip and unique just like Luisa and Jason.
We had the pleasure of working with these fabulous vendors at Jason and Luisa’s wedding:
Dana and Carson had a fall wedding at Sassi. We LOVE shooting at Sassi. They have an incredible venue to shoot a wedding. Gorgeous views and sunsets, an excellent ceremony site with lots of nooks and crannies around the property to take photos and then of course there is the tuscan architecture that just makes the venue feel warm and cozy. Dana was drawn to the signature Serendipity Videography storytelling style that focuses on couples details of their wedding day. It was so important to her to see the look on Carson’s face when he saw her for the first time. The reveal is one of my favorite parts of the wedding film along with the photo session because it is just to intimate and personal. This couple had an incredible photo session guided by the one and only Stuart Thurlkill of Eyes 2 See Photography. Dana and Carson were drawn to each other as you will hear in their interviews and knew quickly that they were meant to be. I love that Carson asked Dana’s dad’s permission for her hand in marriage. I think that is so respectful. Their wedding was a true celebration of their love.
Dana and Carson worked with these fantastic vendors to make their wedding day special:
One word to describe Stephanie and Stephen’s wedding day. Perfect….. Perfect setting, perfect decor, perfect band, perfect florals, perfect bride and perfect groom. Their wedding just came together so perfectly. They got married at DC Ranch Country Club in October and there was so much that I loved about Stephanie and Stephen’s day that I don’t even know where to begin…. Stephanie and Stephen are of Stephanie Fay Photography. That is one of the things I loved most about their wedding. It was so incredibly fun to see wedding photographers get married. To see what their vision was of their day and seeing them bring every last detail together. It must have been surreal being a “bride” because Stephanie’s instinct is to be on the opposite side of the camera. Stephanie was a stunning bride. She was going for a vintage Hollywood Glam look and she more than accomplished it with her ruby red lipstick, gold sequined peep toe pumps and fabulous hairdo. She was stunning as she made her way down the aisle in her form fitting strapless mermaid gown. She took Stephen’s breath away. Stephanie and Stephen carried their vintage theme with a shabby chic undertone throughout their reception decor with vintage tea cups and shabby chic bird cages that I hear Stephanie and her mom found at antique stores. Take notice of the super cool chair that Stephanie and her mom made. They are so resourceful! The florals by Petal Pusher were stunning and tied the shabby chic decor together perfectly. Everywhere you looked there was some super cute detail that made you stop and take notice. Stephanie and her mom were the perfect example of what planning a wedding with your mom should be about. It was a journey they took together that brought this tight knit duo even closer together. Besides the fabulous decor their reception was the definition of fun!! Between the Blu Note Party Band and Stephanie’s brother serenading the happy couple with a Lionel Richie classic the night was a blast! It was a unbelievable wedding and a magical night for Stephanie and Stephen. It was truly an honor for us to be there documenting their wedding day.
These vendors were part of making Stephanie and Stephen’s wedding day perfect!
