artisan wedding videos by studio msv

Southern Weddings (on sale now!)

If you know your internet - and I'm quite certain you do - you know all about Southern Weddings online blog, www.swsmag.net. It's a terrific resource for brides and wedding vendors alike, and if you haven't heard of them, you most certainly will be getting ears full soon enough! They're all the buzz! (So be sure to check them out and get caught up!)

SW just published their very first print edition (congratulations ladies!) and it's all over the bookshelves at bookstores everywhere! SW is holding a photo contest for people who send them pics of their mag on the stands. Check out the contest rules here.

But my proudest moment is of these three posts that they made about my Vendor Chic back in September 2008. I feel like I am one of those cool kids that knew of a rock band before they made it big. I practically have a t-shirt to prove that I heard of them first :-)

Good luck with your new endeavor ladies!

Check out one of the videos that they featured in their post!

Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier

If you're in the Bay Area wedding industry or if you've recently been looking for bridal gowns, you likely know of Gabrielle's Bridal Boutique. Well, coming soon, Gabi of Gabrielle's Bridal will be making some awesome new announcements about her company.

You might be able to deduce some of what will be announced from this post, but I got her permission to show you these graphics...

Most of you know that I have a background in graphic design and I used to work at a video game company doing 2D graphic and computer-generated 3D art. Helping out local wedding vendors and designing/re-designing their company logos is something I enjoy doing on the side.

This is the logo for Gabi's fabulous shop that she commissioned me to redesign for her! Here are the original designs:

By updating the dress motif and redesigning the hangar while not altering the very recognizable script, I came up with the following new design:

Here is the full style sheet. If you're interested in having your company logo redesigned for 2009, email me or give me a call!

(click to enlarge)

Custom Wedding Proposals!

So brides seem to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to wedding planning, right? Usually the groom-to-be is assigned the task of handling the honeymoon and maybe the wedding movie; but other than that, he pretty much just stands by and nods for about eight months until he sweats and quivers in his patent leather shoes and says, "I do."

But wait! Let's give the dude a little more credit!

It was the groom-to-be that planned the proposal itself! And up until the wedding day, the proposal day was, most likely, the biggest and most important day in both of their lives!

So brides have wedding coordinators to help out their planning if they want one, but who does the groom turn to? Well, now, they can turn to Lea McIntosh of Ready To Propose (www.readytopropose.com)!

A blurb about Ready To Propose from a recent press release:

Hopeful grooms can reach McIntosh for a proposal game plan that includes a brainstorming session for the perfect proposal, resources list, timeline and budget. "It's a great way to get help without breaking the budget. After all, you only want to do this once, so you should definitely do it with some forethought," says McIntosh. McIntosh will handle all the logistics for those who want further assistance pulling off the surprise. Her forte includes exotic destination proposals and over-the-top productions.

Check out Ready to Propose and the awesome proposal video (by yours truly :-)

Vendor Chic III: Proposal in Paradise from andrew msv.

Leave a comment to let me know what you guys think!

David Jay Interview Part III

Here's the third and final part of celebrity photographer, David Jay's interview that I helped co-produce down at his home in Santa Barbara a few months ago. Check it out!

Great job, Ron! Keep up the great work!

David Jay Interview

Not too long ago I posted about my trip down to Santa Barbara and the time I spend with renown photographer and entrepreneur, David Jay 

If you had the misfortune of listening to me blab about it, I probably went on and on about how DJ has - as many ingenious businessmen before him - created a company that is a true asset (as defined as something that creates revenue for you with little or no expense.) I probably recently spoke to you about my experience hanging out with DJ at his home and how his philosophy on sharing has changed the way I perceive my place in this industry and my view of my fellow videographers in general. (I apologize for having talked your ears off!)

 

Whether I'm acting too much like a fanboy or not, DJ's clarity of mind really inspired to think more about the long term; about where my business is going and how my business should be a tool to serve my family and to serve others - to consider making my business work for me and not me for my business.

 

Here is the first episode of the interview that I helped my friend, Ron Dawson, co-produce.

 

Check it out!

 

I'm on the DV Show!

There is a very popular website and podcast called The DV Show by Brian Alves. Brian is a leader in video industry tech and solutions and was once a wedding videographer himself. Somehow - I'm not sure how - Brian caught wind of my new Instant Wedding DVD Favors and wanted to feature me on an upcoming episode of his DV Show Podcast.

If you're interested in checking out the podcast, my phone interview is listed in the archives on THIS page as the post dated July 7, 2008.

There are some advertisements in the first part of the podcast, but my interview starts at about the 3:32 mark. Then there is another commercial break and the interview picks up again at 21:46.

You can find the full interview HERE in .mp3 format. Or you can get it on iTunes by clicking HERE (this will open iTunes so you can download it to your iPod or iPhone!) Check it out and let me know if you think I sounded like a dork. :-)

Covert Proposal Videos by Studio MSV

 Up until the moment when you exchange wedding vows, the single most precious, sentimental moment of your wedding experience is arguably the surprise proposal.

Even years after your wedding, people will ask you how you proposed. Are you prepared to share that experience with them? In spite of the fact that your proposal is raw, emotional, and a once-in-a-lifetime moment - never to be duplicated again, it is probably the least documented of all your wedding-related activities.

Don't let the legacy of such a precious moment be relegated to amateur video or camera-phone pictures!
Studio MSV now offers Professional Covert Proposal Videos - the first in the Bay Area.

For this particular shoot, I was hidden in a grove of brambles about 40-50 yards away from the bench on which the proposal took place. I used a High Definition camera and another camera outfitted with a 70-200mm Canon EF Telephoto lens (on loan from Augie Chang. Thanks Augie!) I used a wireless microphone for audio. 

The bride never knew I was there until a week later when the newly engaged groom showed her the above video. Now, instead of telling the story again and again, she can show this video to her friends and family... and yes, eventually; her kids.

I know most of you are already engaged, but if you have a friend who is about to pop the question, I'm ready for him! In fact, I have decided that the first three people who want this service will get it for free! (some restrictions may apply.)

Announcement - coming soon!

I have an announcement about a new service product that I'm launching for you and your friends. I will be formally announcing it Thursday at 8 am right here on this blog.

Be sure to visit so that you can take full advantage of the *special* that I will be offering in conjunction with that announcement.

Your Gift Table

Back in July, I posted a top ten list as a helpful tip for you soon-to-be brides or advice-giving bridesmaids and matrons of honor. The list consisted of ten tips on how to get a better wedding video. Well, here is another tip from your friendly neighborhood videographer:

Bloggy brides like yourselves are, without a doubt, familiar with Weddingbee.com, a hive of crafty and clever Miss and Mrs "bees" who give and receive great wedding related advice from one another. Well, I had the pleasure to meet one of the Miss Bees in person last month and I've been following her blog with some regularity.

Recently, Miss Creampuff posted about whether she would need a card box to receive cards from her reception guests. Overwhelmingly, her bee pals all said she should keep hers and would definitely need it.

Well, I added another angle for her consideration. Here's part of the comment I left for her:

"Tip: I often see my brides or their coordinators place gift tables near the entrance for the convenience of the guests. Of course it’s easier for them to drop the big box on the table as soon as they sign in or walk in the door.
But as a professional who is very cognizant of suspicious would-be equipment thieves and constantly trying to thwart them, it seems to me that “right next to the exit” isn’t always the best place to store thousands of dollars worth of easy-to-carry appliances and cash.
In other words, place the gift table near the head table, cake table or some other place of prominence."

There. So my tip for today is for you to think like a thief and don't make it easy for those guys to ruin your day.

BestWeddingBlogs.com

I met Stacie Tamaki, creator/founder of TheFlirtyGuide.com at a Martini Madness party a few months ago. After just meeting her a handful of times at industry functions, I feel like we've been acquaintances for years! She really is that warm and easy to talk to.

Stacie is sort of a web genius and hosts several different websites; including her web and graphic design site, her dog, Kitai's site, and other resource and advice sites.

Well, there is a site she's created as a resource for vendors and brides alike - it's called the BestWeddingBlogs.com (www.bestweddingblogs.com) and it features hand-picked wedding vendor blogs that she feels can help promote and improve the industry. It's a veritable who's who in elite SF wedding vendors.

You should definitely go there and check it out.