Hey everyone! My name’s Stephen, and I’m the lead videographer and video editor for Knot Just Any Day! 2018 was my first year with KJAD, and I was able to be apart of 10 weddings last year. Shooting weddings was a whole new thing for me, so I was nervous and excited to shoot so many! I had a blast at each one, but there were 10 moments this year that really stood out to me. So here are my top 10 Moments of 2018!
Allie and Anthony
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Allie and Anthony’s wedding was very special for me. I went to school with both of them; Allie is my age and Anthony was a year or two before us, so I knew them for a long time. I joined KJAD in early 2018, and when I found out I would be filming for the two of them, I got VERY excited. Fast forward to their wedding day and reception.. Anthony and his groomsmen rehearsed an entire surprise dance for Allie, and it was AWESOME. They had plastic toy trumpets and matching hats, and it was so fun not only to watch unfold, but to film. The other crew members and myself were running around like crazy trying to keep up with the action; it was just so much fun. My favorite moment from that dance though was when Anthony walked right up to the table where Allie and the bridesmaids were sitting, leaned across the table, kissed Allie, and went right back to dancing. It was just so smooth! He went from dancing to playing a toy trumpet to running to a table and kissing his wife and right back to dancing; didn’t miss a beat! It was so fun to see and I was smiling the whole time I was shooting it.
To check out more from their day, click here.
Elisa and Alex
Elisa and Alex’s wedding took place at Skytop Lodge, which is GORGEOUS. The two of them had planned a first look; something I have never shot before. I spent my morning with Steve as we shot for Elisa and the bridesmaids while Matt, Jimmy, and MJ went with Alex and the groomsmen. We found the place where we would do the first look, and it was this big open courtyard with the lodge in the background. I met up with the other KJAD crew members and introduced myself to Alex. I remember he barely said a word. You could see how nervous, eager, and excited he was to see Elisa for their first look. The time came for Elisa to walk out to Alex, and I had my gear set up to film in slow motion. Elisa tapped Alex on the shoulder, Alex turned around, and he just melted. They both looked at each other and hugged and kissed and it was just so emotional, and everything looked amazing. I just remember being there in the moment and thinking “they are going to be so happy when they see this footage”. I was so happy to capture that special moment. As an added bonus, showing the KJAD crew that footage when we got back to the studio was amazing. I’m pretty sure just about everyone got a little teary eye’d. (Erin here… It’s true, and we still tear up when we watch it every single time.)
Geralyn and Lee
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Geralyn and Lee’s wedding was super fun. Geralyn was super energetic and bubbly, and everything was stunning. My favorite part of their big day was during their wedding formals at Fox Hill Country Club. We took Geralyn and Lee to do their pictures before meeting up with the rest of their wedding party, and we took golf carts to go from one spot to the next. I told them that while they drove their cart to just have fun with each other, joke around, and be natural, They did just that. Geralyn leaned over Lee to steer the golf cart while Lee had his foot on the pedal. Then they switched seats altogether and Geralyn drove all while I filmed it hanging out the back of a golf cart in front of them. It was super fun to film, and I think it turned into something very unique for the two of them.
Nick and Jackie
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Nick and Jacqueline’s wedding was my favorite. Although, I might be a little biased in this decision because Nick is my brother, and I was his best man! KJAD shot video for the wedding, but (obviously) I wasn’t able to shoot the wedding because I was in it. Steve was the lead videographer for the day, so during the reception I saw my moment and had to mess with him. “So Happy Together” by The Turtles came on, and Steve was filming on the edge of the dance floor with his camera on a monopod. I walked up to him, grabbed the camera, placed it on the ground, and dragged Steve out to the dance floor where we sang and danced.. “I can’t see me lovin’ nobody but you, for all my liiiife!” It was such a fun little moment from my brothers wedding, and I’ll never forget dragging Steve out onto that dance floor.
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Danielle and Connor
Danielle and Connor’s wedding was my first wedding that I shot video for. It was very nerve wracking. I remember the day before thinking about what to wear, making sure my equipment was okay, and remembering I hadn’t been to a wedding in a LONG time before then. Since I was training during that wedding, I only shot the ceremony and reception. Their wedding became the first wedding that I would also have to edit for, which was even MORE nerve wracking. KJAD had wedding films for the past few years, so I wanted to edit the film in a way that was true to KJAD, but also showcased my own style. I remember the whole time I edited I was thinking, “I really hope I’m doing this right”. When I finished it and got the crew together to sit on the couches in the studio and watch the film, I was so nervous. We watched it, and everyone LOVED it. I think that was the biggest sigh of relief I have ever had. It felt so good knowing that the hours of work I put into piecing together Danielle and Connor’s wedding day into a beautiful film paid off and was loved by everyone.
Alexis and Justin
Alexis and Justin’s wedding was at the beautiful Fox Hill Farm in Honesdale. The moment that stands out to me was their sunset shoot. The crew at the farm took us up to get sunset shots in a golf cart. I spent some time with the photographer helping her set up lighting, and then finally got my moment for video. We set up a shot of the two of them walking towards the camera and holding hands with the sunset in the background, and it was just gorgeous. It’s used as the final shot in their wedding film, and it’s such a big, colorful shot. It’s easily one of my favorite shots from this year.
Alyssa and Alex
Alyssa and Alex was my first wedding without the training wheels on. I was even more nervous for this one than my first one. I was about to spend the whole day with the bride and groom, which was new to me. My day started at Alyssa’s sister’s house and ended at The Beaumont Inn. It was a long, fun, and rewarding day. It was fun because I got to interact with the couple a lot more than at my first wedding. I was there for when Alyssa read her note from Alex in the morning to wedding formals across the grounds of the inn to the dance floor in the beautiful reception area. I remember getting home that night, exhausted, and thinking about how much fun I had over the course of that day.
Nick and Jackie
So, back to my brothers wedding. Yay, we partied, and, yay they are married. Okay, now time to get back to work… but wait, I need to edit my brothers wedding film!? Oh jeez… okay, I got this. Editing Nick and Jacqueline’s wedding video was a BIG task. It was a weird experience to be editing a wedding and using footage of me and my best man speech to tell the story of Nick and Jacqueline. Nothing can really prepare yourself for hearing your own speech paired with wedding background music. The best part was showing my family the wedding film once it was done. Everyone loved it, and it was definitely the most rewarding thing I’ve worked on all year.
Alexis and Justin
With most weddings, we run around and shoot pretty much all day. There isn’t much time for breaks or relaxing. The only time in the day that we can really do that is during the reception when dinner is being served. Usually we get a small side room or a table on the outskirts of the party. However, at Alexis and Justin’s wedding, they had set up a really nice area outside of the barn where the reception was being held. There were old couches and chairs set up and it was just a really relaxing spot. So, the crew and myself sat on the couches during dinner and got some time to just talk and relax. The sun was setting and it was such a hot day and it finally started to cool down. We all got the chance to just sit down, take a nice break, relax, and actually take it all in. There’s not many times when we get the chance to do that because we are usually running around capturing everything, so any time we get to sit back, relax, and take it all in is always appreciated.
Allie and Anthony
Allie and Anthony’s wedding, as I mentioned before, was a special one for me. I started at KJAD in 2018, went through training that year, and was still learning what it takes to shoot weddings. However, Allie and Anthony’s wedding was the point in the year when I thought “I got this.” Two other videographers and I shot this wedding, and we all coordinated throughout the day on what shots to get and where to set up audio. There was never a point in that day when I felt overwhelmed or flustered, and ever since that wedding I’ve felt the same way. Their day gave me a lot more confidence in myself as a wedding videographer, and their wedding film is one that I am and will always be proud of!
Well, there we have it. These are my Top 10 Moments of 2018. The past year was an amazing experience, and I loved shooting every wedding.
Here’s to 2019!
