Hawkins Digital Media

Big networking day today for Weddings!

Casey — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:34:09 +0000

I started the day this morning at 7:30, giving a presentation to my fellow members of the Tulsa Wedding Society. I showed them Erica’s highlight from May 9 (you can see that on our wedding website under VIDEO SAMPLES. It will play automatically.) Then they all had quite a few questions for me and ultimately everyone loved my presentation! From there I went to the new Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Tulsa for a Perfect Wedding Guide networking luncheon. I enjoyed a wonderful lunch then we all went on a great tour of the new hotel and banquet/conference facilities that they have there now. What a place! The Perfect Wedding Guide will be hosting a Bridal Show there like no other this Sunday, September 20. Check back on our blog for more information as the show nears or visit the Perfect Wedding Guide website.

So, how much CAN you learn from your Clients in less than 24 hours?

Casey — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:27:34 +0000

So I am manning our booth at the Tulsa Wedding Show yesterday and a Bride and Groom walk up and talk to me about our style of videography. If you have already been through our wedding site, you know that we do not title our “style” and that we consider ourselves as your eyes and ears for your wedding day. Anyways, this Bride goes on to tell me that a friend of hers who used another videographer (she didn’t say who, I didn’t ask, and I wouldn’t tell you if I knew!) and that their video turned out wonderfully. Except for one thing. There was only 30 seconds of the couple’s first dance included in the video. She said that the cinematic style of the video was wonderfully done and that it was a pleasure to watch, but she could not get over the fact that the first dance was “highlighted” and not included in its entirety. While I hate to hear of people that are unhappy with their video services - even from another company, I was quite pleased that I was able to explain to this Bride that while we do creative and “cinematic” highlights of parts of the wedding day, events such as the ceremony, first dance, the cake cutting, toasts, father/daughter or mother/son dance, garter and bouquet toss, etc are ALWAYS included in their entirety in our videos and that they even have their own chapter in the finished DVD so that you can jump right to it from the Main Menu if you wish. She was so glad to hear that. So what did I learn in this situation? I learned that after all these years of being in the video industry and seeing how the trends that have shortened the wedding video down to a 30 minute highlight of the entire day are finally showing signs of coming to an end! I myself, along with a close friend of mine in Texas who has done wedding videos for 10 years now, have always talked about and believed in providing wedding videos that capture the entire day thoroughly. It is nice to know that our “style” still has a sound foundation!

While elated to hear that yesterday, I called the mother of one of our Brides this morning to advise that their video was going to be completed and available to pick up at our front desk this week. She said that when she was booking her photographer, she asked them about videographers and that photographer recommended us (thanks Storybook!) So, that is how we got this wedding. While on the phone this morning, we got to talking about the value of a wedding video and what it means to her family. She said some things that I had never heard before that I hope will never leave the top of my mind while producing wedding videos. She said that the reason that video was so important to them was because they realized that this wedding was going to be the last time that so many family and friends were going to be together in the same place at the same time, and that she knew that they would never again see in person some of the family members that were at the wedding. Of course, she said that she will enjoy watching her daughter get married any time she wants to, but the real value of the video for her was the emotional factor of being able to see so many loved ones any time she wants to. She also said that, yes, decorations and frills are nice, but to this family, the valuable investment was in being able to remember and relive that day and the people that were there for the rest of their lives. She also told me a story about how a friend of hers in California just spent $70,000 on her daughter’s wedding and did not have a videographer. $70,000 and no video. I think about that and I just want to ask, “What were you thinking?!”. They could have hired us for less than 5% of that budget and had a way, other than the photos, to remember and relive that $70,000 day over and over again for the rest of their lives! As the mother of my Bride said while telling me this story, “what a shame”. What a shame to spend so much money on cake, venue, decorations, food and beverage, clothing, transportation, accessories, guest and wedding party favors, and many other things and THEN, when the wedding is over, and it is too late, realize that you should have hired a videographer.

That is what I learned in the past 24 hours.

The Tulsa Wedding Show

Casey — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:44:25 +0000

The Tulsa Wedding Show was yesterday! Hundreds of Brides and their families and friends came out to the Renaissance Hotel to see 100 wedding vendors showcase their products and services. We hope that you were one of those people and that you had the opportunity to stop by and talk with us at our booth about your wedding video!

New demo videos!

Casey — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:54:16 +0000

A WHOLE BUNCH of new demo videos are now available for your viewing pleasure on our Wedding website! I went from having only 2 up there to now 7 and even more to come in the next month! I should have about 14 wedding video clips on line by the end of the first week of August – you guessed it: just before the Tulsa Wedding Show! Be sure to stop by our booth, meet myself and register for the 3 giveaways that the show producers are providing! Hawkins Digital Media / HDM Weddings is a sponsor of one of those giveaways. If you win that prize, you can use it along with the special discount that will be given to all registered Brides and Grooms of the show! SO, make sure to register for the show and come out to the Renaissance Hotel in Tulsa on Sunday, August 9, 2009 and have a chance to SAVE on your Wedding Video! I would love to see you there!

Brock and Ally Wedding, July 18, 2009

Casey — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:43:13 +0000

What a beautiful day for a Wedding! Finally only in the upper 80′s as oppposed to the 7+ day stretch of 100+ temperatures that ended the day before! It felt like fall! Brock and Ally said their vows at the Chapel in the Woods in Tulsa. Taking pictures in this picturesque setting with Storybook Wedding Photography will make for a beautiful pre-ceremony highlight video! Following the reception, the couple made a fake getaway with Absolute Limousine. Follwing some picture taking at the Chapel, the reception was held at the Renaissance Hotel, complete with a plated dinner and bar! This wedding had a bit of uniqueness as my second camera operator was personal friends of the Bride and Groom and their families and we didn’t even figure that out until a few weeks before the Wedding when I asked him to shoot for me! What a small world it can be sometimes, right?!

The Tulsa Wedding Show

Casey — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:35:39 +0000

Its that time again everyone! The August Tulsa Wedding Show at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It will be Sunday, August 9 from 12-5pm. Stop by our booth for a special show discount offer!

Tyler Moore and Emily Bode

Casey — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:17:19 +0000

Tyler and Emily had a wonderful outdoor wedding at the Dresser Mansion in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, June 6, 2009. It was a warm day, but just windy enough to stay comfortable! The reception featured entertainment from Edge Sight and Sound, photography by Captured Images Photography, catering by Ludger’s, bartending by Blue Label Bartending, and flowers by Centerpieces of Tulsa. The Father of the Bride, John, is a professional in the video production industry so naturally he and I got along wonderfully! He made this awesome montage video of Tyler and Emily growing up and their relationship together over the years and it was at times hilarious! Awesome job, John! We will be including that video he made in the finished wedding video for Tyler and Emily to have together forever! This truly was a unique wedding for me to shoot, as it is not often that a member of the couple’s family is so experienced in the video industry. Thank You all so much for allowing me the opportunity of getting to know you and producing the video of your Wedding memories! John, we’ll definitely stay in touch!

Josh Stamper and Lendsey Schwarz

Casey — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:58:23 +0000

So Josh and Lendsey got married on Saturday, May 30 in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Bella Gardens Wedding Chapel. Josh and Lendsey are too cool! They had fun with the Ceremony and danced the night away at the reception, with chair covers by The Cover Girls! I had the pleasure of working with Don C. Harris Photography that night. Josh and Lendsey showed 2 different photo montage videos, one for the Father/Daughter dance and the other for the Mother/Son dance! That was a nice addition to the reception. DJ Connection kept the night going and wore the whole party out, having a blast the entire time! Congratulations Josh and Lendsey! Thank You so much for having us at your wedding!

Bad blogger!

Casey — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:38:41 +0000

So, the peak Wedding season hit us and I just realized that I have not updated our Blog in forever! SO I will do that now!

New websites coming soon for Hawkins Digital Media!

Casey — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:08:26 +0000

Well, after a year and a half, I am finally working to get a new, NICE website for my company. After nearly 2 years in business, I have learned to a large degree, what I want from a site and how I want to manage my company’s on-line presence. Since I first began this company and worked with Microsoft Office Live Small Business to design and host the website that I have had since February of 2008, I have learned a lot about what it takes to maintain a positive web presence. The old Office Live site should be out the door the week of May 24, 2009 and then there will be an awesome dual portal flash website that offers pertinent information to both commercial and wedding Clients of ours!

I hope that all of you will enjoy the new site and that you will celebrate with me on this great improvement in my business!

-Casey