Bridal Show Contest Winner Named by Videos Wedding Dallas TX

Erica Cristan Wins a Free Love Story Video

During January the LeniCam crew participated in the Dallas Bridal Show at Market Hall.  To make it more fun, we created a contest we called The Most Romantic Moment.  We set up our camera in the booth and told brides they could win a free Love Story if they’d take the time to record a short video.  During the show we made twenty-three videos.

Laughter, Tears and Surprises

This was the first time we’d had a contest like this, so we weren’t sure what to expect.  One of us was worried no one would be interested, while someone else was was worried that we’d have so many lining up that we’d need crowd control.

As we recorded the brides we heard all kinds of stories.  Some had us all crying, while others had spectators laughing in the aisles.  One of the most surprising things was how many grooms had come along for the show and were eager to be recorded for the contest.

Thousands of Views

We told the brides to watch our Facebook page for the videos to be posted and then get their friends and family to vote for them by “liking” them.  As soon as we loaded the videos on our page, we started having all kinds of traffic.  The brides shared the videos with thousands of people.  You can still see the videos on our page.

Early leaders included Angelle Laurent, Christina Cutting and Nicole Renee Moebus.  Then a dark horse broke out of the pack.  Erica Cristan gained momentum and by the end of the week she was out in front.

Erica’s Story

Erica met her Pablo when she was 14 years old.  Pablo asked her out for her fifteenth birthday and Erica was eager to go.  The pair negotiated high school together, graduated together and are now living together.  Erica went on to explain that she loves Pablo with all her heart and that they’ve had” the ultimate love story.”  As she told how she wanted to spend her whole life with him and have their children, that’s when the tears began to flow.  Their wedding is set for the day after Thanksgiving and they look forward to spending it with their families and mutual friends.

Get Your Own Love Story Video

Our contest for a free Love Story Video is over, but you can still have us make one for you.  Call or email us now for more details.

LeniCam Video Productions – Videos Wedding Dallas TX

Last month we had the opportunity to take a break from the norm and be a part of the Dallas Bridal Show at Market Center. Of course, this gives us a chance to talk to potential clients (and we talked to a lot of them) but it has other purposes, too.

Checking Out the Competition

Every week, as we film weddings of brides across North Texas, we have the opportunity to interact with vendors of all sorts. We can identify new trends before they make it to the magazines and know which vendors we prefer to work with – as well as the ones we dread.

The vendors we don’t see at weddings are other videographers. We’re proud to say that we’re one of the few DFW videographers with staying power. Each year we see a fresh new crop of videographers at the bridal show who hang out their shingle and believe they are ready to book weddings. Year after year, all but a very few – not even a handful – disappear.
Filming a wedding may seem simple, but it’s not. It’s more than showing up with a digital video recorder and transferring the footage to a disc. LeniCam has invested heavily in professional grade high definition videocameras and audio equipment in order to produce cinemagraphic quality videos. We use professional-grade editing and mixing programs to enhance our footage. We bring over a decade of videographic experience to every wedding we film.

Another reason we have staying power is that weddings aren’t all we do. It’s easy to book a few weddings during June, but keeping a viable videography business going takes more than a season of weddings. All week long, every month, we’re filming sporting events, dance recitals, banquets, mitzvahs and other special occasions. We also shoot corporate, educational and promotional videos. This diversification strengthens our company in many ways. It inspires us to create custom cameras to better capture events. It allows us to invest heavily in equipment, giving us our technical edge. Shooting other events also contributes to our creative synergy.

Free Wedding Videos

At this show we saw vendors who along with their other services include free video. While think that’s a nice add-on for some brides, we’re concerned that brides expecting a full length video of their wedding day with the ceremony and the reception will be disappointed.

Free wedding videos come in many forms. Still photographers sometimes put together a slide show and call it a video or they can use the video function available on some DSLR cameras to make video footage between their still shots. A DJ may film the reception as he plays music or the venue may have a camera installed. These bits and pieces are put together in videos lasting from 5-10 minutes. Again, that can be great if that’s what you want, but that’s not what most brides are looking for.

None of these are a full length video of your wedding that focuses on you, while including all the details you’ve worked so hard to put together for your special day. We’d love to have the opportunity to explain all the differences there are in what we do and what comes with a free video.

Friendly Faces

The best part of our bridal show day is seeing our happy clients. At this particular show a catering saleslady from one of the local Marriot’s came by to share the news she was engaged, to book her date and to refer a friend to us. Another bride delivered a friend to our booth with the words, “These are the people I used and you should, too.”

We’re always thrilled for the opportunity to discuss our wedding videography with a bride, but you don’t have to wait until the next bridal show. Just call us at 972-378-0446 or email us at info@lenicam.com. We want to hear about your wedding plans.

LeniCam Video Productions – Videos Wedding Dallas TX

Good Relations: Videos Wedding Dallas TXRecommend Colleen Harkins & Associates, Wedding and Event Planning

Brides have a lot of decisions to make, from how to announce their engagement to what stationary to choose for thank you notes. Selecting a wedding planner early in the process may be the best decision of all.

Do-It-Myself vs. Do-It-For-Me

When it comes to wedding planning, brides differ greatly. While some want do to it all themselves, there are just as many who want someone else to be in charge. Filling the gap between these extremes are all kinds of brides with varying attitudes.

No matter where you lie on this spectrum, a wedding planner is a great asset to your wedding. Whether your wedding is a small affair in your home or a gala society event, it could benefit from the expertise of a professional. In fact, if a tight budget is your primary concern, a savvy wedding planner can save you a lot more money than they cost, because they can steer you away from common costly pitfalls.

The Proof is in the Pudding

LeniCam Videographers attend a lot of weddings – many with planners on board, many without. Brides with wedding planners have weddings with these hallmarks:

• An absence of faux pas, social gaffes and chaos
• More unique features in the ceremony and celebrations
• Greater cooperation between venue staffs and service providers
• Calmer brides, grooms, families, officiants and wedding party members

But My Venue Has a Wedding Coordinator

Wedding coordinators and wedding planners have very different jobs. Wedding coordinators are provided by many venues to help a bride through her wedding day. These important people will bend over backwards to integrate your wedding ceremony and/or reception plans with their facility. Wedding planners know that getting married is more than a one day event. They guide you through every facet of wedding planning, from engagement party venues to a travel agent for your honeymoon.

But My Mother/Sister/Best-Friend is Going to Help Me

Having family and friends who want to help with your wedding is a great asset, but sometimes the closeness of those relationships can create awkward situations. Wedding planners can take the sting out of disagreements, differences of opinion and the need to say no. They keep you on track and on budget. Their only agenda is providing you the wedding experience you want to have.

Your Wedding – Your Way – Your Day

A good wedding planner puts you first – your budget, your taste, your traditions, your preferences, your sanity. They will be just as involved as you want them to be. If you want to do all the research and make all the decisions, then just have the planner execute your plans – they can do that. If you’d prefer someone take a few notes, plan your wedding and then send you the bill – they can do that too. You’re in charge and they’ll do it your way.

No matter how much help you get from a wedding planner before the wedding, nothing is more important than her presence on your big day. You can enjoy every moment without worrying how things will turn out or having to face some unexpected situation. Your planner will have it covered.

So Who Should I Call?

Brides in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex are very lucky. There are hundreds of wonderful wedding planners to turn to and many resources for finding them.

One of our favorites is Colleen Harkins Associates. She brings twenty years of wedding experience to your wedding. We’re always glad to discover Colleen is the planner of a wedding we’ll be filming. We know she’ll act as a liaison for us with the venue’s staff and with other vendors. We know we’ll be informed of everything we need to know ahead of time and if changes occur, we’ll know before they happen. In other words, we’ll know our job will be easier and our videos will be better because of Colleen.

Another important vendor for your wedding is your videographer. A wedding planner will help you have the wedding day you’ve been dreaming of. Your videographer will capture your day on a video you will treasure forever. Call us now at 972-378-0446 or email info@lenicam.com to set up your videography appointment.

LeniCam video Productions – Dallas Wedding Videographers

Morgan and Jordon at Frisco’s Westin Stonebriar in Wedding Videos Dallas 

You could tell it was going to be a fun day when you saw the bridal party hanging-out before the ceremony in their bright floral-patterned kimonos.  In another part of the Westin Stonebriar, the groom was grinning ear to ear as his mom pinned on his boutonniere.  Morgan and Jordon shared a joyous wedding day at the Westin Stonebriar in Frisco.

For her wedding the beautiful bride chose a stunning lace gown covered in crystals.  The Queen Anne neckline fell into a deep vee and the back opened into a keyhole. Finishing the look were dramatic crystal chandelier earrings and a camellia.

The ceremony took place in the Crystal Ballroom before an archway of colorful fall flowers – but that’s not where the bride intended it to be.  A last minute rain shower came along and moved the ceremony inside.

The autumn décor continued in the reception space.  Tall crystal vases were filled with a variety of fall motifs. Some contained stacked pumpkins, while others were filled with pine cones.  Still others were full of water with floating votives.  The tables were covered in fall foliage.

As they entered, guests were encouraged to tie on a wish bracelet.  Then they were invited to a delicious buffet with stations for pasta, mashed potatoes and prime rib.  The gorgeous wedding cake had a spider web drawn on one layer and the rest of the delicately iced layers looked as if they had been spun by the spider.

After the initial formalities, Morgan changed into a looser silver lame gown which allowed more freedom for fun. DJ Stan from the DJ Connection kept the dance floor rocking.  The energetic crowd donned glow-stick haloes and danced the night away.  At the end of the evening the couple escaped through a tunnel of waving sparklers.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions         

Morgan and Jordon were the stars of a very special wedding day.  At LeniCam, we believe that the center of attention belongs to the bride and groom, both on their day and in their video.  There are a number of technologies available for videos and we have chosen to use professional-grade HD videocameras.  These cameras give us great zoom capabilities, which allow us to capture scenes, both tight close-ups and wide coverage shots, without being in the middle of the action.  We’re able to be everywhere, recording everything and everyone, while staying on the outskirts of the room – virtually invisible to the guests and participants.  Our couples often wonder how we filmed scenes of their video when they don’t remember seeing us.

However, there’s not much we can do about the weather.  Everything was set for the outside ceremony, when the rain began to fall, dousing everyone and everything – including us and all our equipment.  We promised Morgan that no matter what happened – good or bad – on the wedding day, she was going to love her wedding video. And she did!  Rain or shine at your wedding – only shine on your video.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To 

Leneicam Video Productions – Wedding Videos Dallas

Next weekend is the Dallas Bridal Show 2011. If this will be your first bridal show in Dallas, check out 5 bridal show tips from LeniCam Video Productions, a Dallas  wedding videographer.

1. Figure out your entire wedding budget before you go. Then list the wedding services, such as a DFW wedding videographer, that you both want to have. Assign a tentative budget for each service so when you visit vendors at the bridal show in Dallas you can easily pass over the services that cost more than your estimated budget.
2. Bring your own canvas bag or a backpack to the show.  Have your friend or family member carry one bag and you carry another one. Put materials from the companies you are actually interested in into your bag and put everything else in your friend’s bag. This will make sorting through materials much easier when you get home.
3. Consider making business cards or stickers that have your contact information and key details about the wedding such as time, date and venue. If a vendor is not available on your date, keep walking!
4. If you’ve already purchased your dress, skip the fashion show and instead spend time talking to vendors that will be available to answer your questions one on one. You may even be able to negotiate a special deal.
5. Follow up with vendors ASAP, since other brides will be booking their services, not just you.  It’s also easier to remember which companies you clicked with right after the bridal show in Dallas.

We’re looking forward to seeing you at the Dallas Bridal Show 2011. For more information about a Dallas wedding videographer s please call us at 972-378-0446 or email info@lenicam.com

LeniCam Video Productions – Videos Wedding Dallas TX