Reflecting on 2019, looking forward to 2020 and currently baking 60 mince pies for the the English Church in Wengen… A pretty apt summary of my past year juggling life as a full-time mum and destination wedding videographer.
And so, the theme of this ‘year in review’ is all about how I attempted to balance my two passions … films and family!
As a destination wedding videographer my wish at the beginning of 2019 was to film weddings in new destinations, to explore different places, meet new people and tell their stories. My wish came true with a year of extensive travel all over the world.
My wish to travel more for work also meant less time at home in Switzerland with my family and, although my family are pretty used to me being away, it doesn’t get any easier. But I’ll get back to that later!
First, let’s take a look at how the year began for me, in Austria, and on the slopes of Zell Am See.
During a very busy ski season, AKA w’editing season for me, I was commissioned to film the wedding of Gerry-Rae and Nick. They were escaping for an ski wedding wedding adventure in the Austrian Alps. I love filming ’boutique style weddings’ where there aren’t too many guests because it gives me the chance to concentrate on the couple’s story.
I was working with adventure wedding and elopement photographer Cat Ekkelboom-White which meant I knew this wedding would be much more than just a wedding. Without giving too much away, and because it’s all here in the trailer, it was a fabulous wedding to capture.
And involved me skiing with Gerry-Rae and Nick both the day before their wedding and also on the wedding day itself.
While this was a great film for my ski wedding film portfolio, it was also very good for my skiing too! Instead of over-thinking my technique, I’d spent the weekend concentrating on the couples’ every move on the slopes and not my own. So when I returned back to Wengen I was better able to keep up with my kids on the slopes… well, perhaps that’s a little bit optimistic!
In the spring, the snow slowly began to melt and the corporate filming project I was working on got into full flow.
It’s been very exciting filming something that’s so very different from weddings … it just livens life up a little and keeps me on my toes.
Here’s a little ‘short’ from one of films I made for Männlichen GGM’s new gondolas.
I returned to the UK to film weddings on several occasions in 2019, which also meant being able to catch up with family and friends as well.
The first wedding I filmed in Suffolk at Hengrave Hall, was that of Stuart and Ana. This was a wedding where the groom’s speech was perhaps one of the best I’ve ever heard.
It was at this point in the year when I introduced a new concept here at Story Of Your Day, the ’Staccato Story’ – the best wedding moments in just 60 seconds – check it out!
Of course, you can film a wedding in the middle of summer in the UK and the British weather can badly let you down. This is what happened to Lauren and Tom who had planned a beautiful marquee wedding in the back of Lauren’s parent’s back garden.
The week running up to their wedding was a ‘heatwave’ (if you can call a week of hot weather a heatwave, but the forecasters certainly did).
But the weather broke on the morning of the wedding and the heavens opened… it rained literally all day.
I always encourage my brides to ‘let go of control’ on their wedding day. That way they can truly enjoy their day and take it all in as it happens. Lauren was of course sad that the sun wasn’t shining but she embraced the weather and the day and I thoroughly enjoyed filming their wedding. But I couldn’t ignore the rain in their film as I wanted to reflect the day and their story as it happened.
The weather of course isn’t guaranteed anywhere and another wedding where the rain was touch and go throughout the day was right here in Switzerland on Lake Brienz and the wedding of Devon and Sven at the Grand Hotel Geissbach.
Lake Brienz is a glacial lake and renowned for its beautiful blue colour. It was, however, a little grey on this day in late May.
But the couple were determined to have their First Look outside and their ceremony. Almost immediately after they’d said ‘I do’ the rain started so the rest of the celebrations were inside.
Although, you’d never tell that from this little sneak peak of their day …
In the past six years I’ve combined my love of storytelling with filmmaking and have become one of Europe’s leading female wedding filmmakers. I’m also passionate about sharing my expertise with other videographers.
In June, I was featured in Rangefinder magazine in an article ‘The Future of Filmmaking in Female’. It followed on nicely from another successful year at The Video Show where I presented on the Canon Live Stage, The Video Show’s own ‘In Motion’ and ‘Video Live’ stages. As well as representing Sennheiser as an Ambassador and becoming an ambassador for the Women Who Photo campaign too.
I’ll be back at the show again in March 2020 and playing a major part in what will now be called the ‘Women Who Photo and Film’ campaign …it’s amazing what I little nudge can do ;-). I’m proud to be behind that change so that more female videographers are recognised in the industry.
September was one of the busiest months for me filming not only here in Europe but in the United States of America also.
In a two week period I travelled almost 20,000 miles by plane. It was 14 days of trains, planes and automobiles (oh and also boats, ferries and taxis)
First stop Ios, known as the windy island, the neighbouring island of Santorini. Can’t complain though, as the couple Rebekah and Jarrad had travelled from the other side of their world to celebrate their wedding here.
I was only at home one night before filming the wedding of Ian and Brandon, which was here on my doorstep and involved a pre-wedding jaunt up Jungfraujoch. As well as the most beautiful wedding at Schloss Oberhofen on the shores of Lake Thun.
I drove from Ian and Brandon’s wedding reception straight to Zurich airport to fly over to Los Angeles to film the wedding anniversary afterparty of Jane and Chuck, who’s wedding I filmed in France in 2018.
You can read more about that crazy two weeks here.
October was quieter for me in terms of weddings but the Männlichen cable car project was entering its final stages which meant a lot more filming and editing for me and The Story Creatives.
November it continued and I also spent a week in neighbouring Grindelwald holding my Evolve Videography Training Retreat. Another week away from the family but it went so well and it was great sharing my passion for filming weddings with others in the industry.
I’m exhausted reading back how busy 2019 has been for me but now I am able to enjoy more time at home until the early spring. That means a little more time with my family and some fun on the slopes skiing and sledging.
I am very excited about 2020 commissions and would love to hear from you if you’re getting married in 2020 or 2021 – let’s get booked in!
P.S 2020 just didn’t go to plan did it? This means that all my commissions have been postponed to 2021, so book early if you haven’t already, to avoid disappointment.
