An Interview with Top Wedding Videographer, Janice Celeste
by Marie Longo
M.L. - Janice, you work with your husband Michael Celeste of Celeste Studios and together you have filmed weddings throughout the world. How is it that you get to film weddings in such exotic places?
J.C. - It’s such a global world today that businesses must reach far and beyond their own front door. Thanks to the Internet, a network of wedding planners and even social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, we are able to make valuable connections with potential clients no matter where they live. Most brides don’t want to take a chance on paying for a boring wedding video from a resort package, so they’ll bring us along with them. It’s not as expensive as most brides think. With most destination weddings, we’ll only charge a nominal fee. In addition to a honeymoon suite, the bride and groom will often get a complimentary room which they give to us; and for a little more than the cost of airfare, we’ll accompany them to their location to film their wedding. That way the couple is can be sure it will be a video they will want to watch again and again. I always say, “Your favorite movie should be your wedding.”
M.L. - When a bride finds you through Facebook or Twitter, what should they say to you? I mean is it as simple as, “Can you shoot my wedding?”
J.C. - Well sometimes it is but the best way to approach any wedding professional is first to see if he/she is available on your wedding date. Most people in the industry hate it when a bride calls and the first thing they ask about are prices. It really doesn’t matter what the price is if we can’t film your wedding because we’re booked. Then we just wasted time, so first find out if the date is open and then proceed from that point.
M.L. - You’ve utilized Facebook in other creative ways as well, haven’t you?
J.C. - Yes, many of our couples are fans of Celeste Studios or are now Facebook friends. The cool thing about Facebook is that we can showcase the couple’s wedding video right on our Facebook page and they can share the video with friends; then their friends find out about what we do and hire us as well. It is also a valuable tool for keeping our former brides in touch with what we are doing at our company. We will often Tweet what projects we’re currently working on that day or we’ll post a published article about us or our company. It keeps past brides in the loop about us so we are the first ones they call when they refer a friend to our company. I will often post our blog headlines on Facebook to drive traffic to our blog, which gives a potential client even more information about us. Facebook and Twitter have been invaluable tools for making personal contacts with wedding planners, some which are featured on many popular television shows. They [wedding planners] get to see your personal photos and vice versa. After a while, you really get a feel for one another and build a camaraderie that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.
M.L. - Your company has been featured on television and in magazines such as Inside Weddings and you’re on Grace Ormonde’s Platinum List, which is very prestigious. How does one become a rockstar videographer like you?
J.C. - Well Marie, thanks for the complement but we are still growing and we are always learning. I think being willing to constantly improve and network is the secret to staying on top of your game. Many of the platinum weddings we film have budgets that are upwards of a million dollars or more. We’ve been extremely blessed. It is a lot of hard work but it’s work that we love to do.
M.L. - You said your company stays on top of current technology, where do see the future of wedding videography in the next few years?
J.C. - The industry is getting away from the term ‘video’ and ‘videography’
M.L. - Is Celeste Studios ready for the 3D wedding revolution?
J.C. - We are gearing up for it and are keeping an eye on the technology to offer the best to our clients. The price point isn’t quite there yet to make it affordable for the average working couple but it will be in the next few years and when it does, we will be ready to go.
