Have a look at our brand new showreel! We hope you’ll enjoy it.

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Last Thursday we received some brilliant news, Ever After Video Production was named as Finalist for the EventDV Magazine Top25 of Hottest and Most Influential Event Filmmakers. EventDV Magazine is one the leading magazines in our industry and every year they hold this poll. This year they also decided to include the finalists to this Top25 list. “The main idea here was to highlight a number of studios who are clearly “on the bubble,” edging ever so closer to cracking the EventDV 25 and stepping into the spotlight as all-stars in the coming years.”, Stephen Nathans-Kelly, Editor in Chief of EventDV Magazine)

So in essence we are now classed among the Top50 Most Influential videographers in the World! How amazing is that!?! Now why is this so special? Well, this isn’t just any kind of popularity voting system where you can ask your mum and dad and all your friends to vote for you, this poll only accepts votes from fellow professional event filmmakers. So the votes come from our peers across the world, they had the confidence in us and considered us worthy of their votes. We were really taken aback that we made this list and feel truly humbled by this. Jerome Cloniger, of JC/DV Productions, a 2-times EventDV Top 25 honoree himself, said this about us: “Sylvia and Niels truly care about their work and clients. They will never hesitate to help someone out no matter what time of day (or night) it may be.” We look up to all the other filmmakers on the list, many of them have been our favourites in the industry for years now. To be listed among them is just such a great honour. So a BIG MASSIVE THANK YOU to all who voted for us!!!

And to make this ever so slightly even more exceptional, we’re actually the only UK company on the list!

As it says in the article: We’re a force to be reckoned with!

The Friday before last, Niels and I set off early in the morning, a car fully loaded, to the Black Mountains in Wales for the Ever After Weekend Workshop. We’d been preparing for this weekend for a couple of months and it was finally all coming together. We had kept an eye on the weather forecast for a while but it kept changing from nice and sunny to wintery snow showers on an hourly basis, so we were prepared for both the best and the worst weather. Well, it turned out to be pretty much the worst. The day and night before we set off it started snowing big time in Capel-y-Ffin and our accommodation for the weekend was high up in the hills. We arrived in the afternoon to find that getting up the driveway may be an issue. We’re talking a 200 metres steep driveway covered in snow. After trying to dig out a path for close to 2 hours, we finally had to give up and carry everything up. This included all the camera equipment, a large television, training materials and probably most importantly all the food and drinks. Only one 4×4 car managed to make it up the hill that evening. The Ever After Weekend Workshop was quickly renamed as “Adventures by Ever After”. Luckily everybody made it safe and well, including our bride and groom, Tineke and Wim, who came over from Belgium especially.

By the next morning we had a fresh load of snow, but now everyone could clearly see the amazing setting we were in. We started the day with a session on filming techniques which was then put into practise during our first shoot out session, a bridal prep. We had enrolled the help of Kate Petersen as the hair and make up artist.  After lunch, there was another shoot out session with Rob Burress from ShootingHip.com where we demonstrated how to make the most out of a photo session and how to work with and around a photographer. Then, after a session on marketing, we finished the day with a lovely dinner and drinks.

The last day began with a seminar on sound, from acquisition to clean up and disaster recovery methods. This turned out to be quite the eye opener for most. Then it was time for the last shoot out of the weekend where everyone could put to practise some more of the skills and ideas we taught them the day before. After lunch it was time for the big editing session. This covered all the bases: from how to shorten ceremonies and speeches cleverly, to getting the most out of music;  from colour correcting and colour grading to final delivery.

We certainly gave our attendees a lot to take home and think about, all were perfectly satiated and excited about their next weddings where they could put all the things they learned to practise. And going back down that hill that proved to be such a pain on Friday evening, was by now a doddle.

We can’t wait to organise another training weekend, but looking at our diary for the next few months, we’re pretty full up with weddings, so it may be a while yet.

Photos kindly provided by Rob at ShootingHip, you can find more photos on Rob’s blog.

More information on the training we give can be found on the Ever After Video Training website.

Back in August, a day after Jodie and Ben’s wedding, I shared their Same Day Edit on the blog with you. Today, it’s time for their highlights clip.

In case you can’t quite remember, Jodie and Ben got married at Hazlewood Castle in North Yorkshire. Ben and Jodie got together years ago when they were in high school, it took them 11 years to get to this day and it was well worth the wait. They had a truly lovely service at the Chapel at Hazlewood Castle performed by the Rev Ian, a wonderfully friendly and funny vicar from the Order of the On Call Clergy (I had never heard about them before). As I mentioned back in August, we very much enjoyed working together Dave from 1Click Photography, do go check him out, his work is beautiful! The day was filled with special personalised touches, the wedding cake being the biggest one. It tells the story of Jodie and Ben, where they met, Ben’s surprise proposal in New York and their wedding day. To keep with the theme of the proposal, all the table names for the wedding were major landmarks in New York. Some spectacular fireworks provided the perfect ending to what was without doubt a genuinely fun filled day. Jodie and Ben are a really cute couple and we wish them all the happiness in the world!

Don’t forget, you can now add this video to your Facebook page or  Twitter feed. And while you’re on Facebook, why not become a fan of Ever After or become my friend.

Ever After’s first blog of the new year, I hope I’m not too late in saying HAPPY NEW YEAR! Niels and I wish all you lovely people a magical year. I certainly started off rather magically with all the snow turning our whole little island into a winter wonderland. I hope you all did manage to enjoy the snow at least somewhat, I know we did (even though it curtailed our trip to Belgium to visit our family and friends by a day).
But let’s get to the point, as ever I want to share some more of our beautiful weddings with you. This time, it’s Rebecca and Andrew’s turn. Their wedding this past summer took place in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. I must say, I did really like Rebecca’s wedding dress, proper big tulle princess dress. Those always make me smile. The church for their wedding was St Bernadette’s Roman Catholic church with a very friendly pastor by the name of Michael Moore. Rebecca and Andrew’s son Travis made a special reading during the service which I am certain made them feel very proud. I should also mention Poppy and Willow, their 2 little girls who looked absolutely adorable as their flower girls. After the service it was off to San Pietro’s Restaurant for their wedding breakfast.

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And as ever, we appreciate your comments. And even better, from now on you can add this video to your Facebook page or even Twitter. And while you’re on Facebook, why not become a fan of Ever After or become my friend.

As my Christmas present to all you lovely people who read this blog, I decided to give you a full wedding video. It’s been quite a while since we posted one of our full Signature Edits so Christmas time seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.
Let me introduce to you Liza and Mark. They got married this summer (with all the snow now, that is quite a distant memory) at Pipewell Hall near Corby in Northamptonshire. Liza and Mark were the first couple ever to get married at this lovely 17th century country mansion! The weather didn’t exactly behave all day, but that didn’t distract from how fantastic and beautiful everything was. Liza’s wedding dress was positively divine, unfortunately I totally forgot who designed it. Liza and Mark spend months creating their dream wedding and when they couldn’t find the perfect dance floor, Mark decided to build one himself. The result was a dazzling white dance floor set with led lights, it looked amazing! The whole day had a very relaxed atmosphere, nothing too formal, just a day where people could enjoy themselves. They finished the day off with a delicious hog roast, fireworks and Chinese wish lanterns.
So without further ado, clear your gift wrapping and cookie baking schedule for the next 27 minutes, sit back, relax and watch Liza and Mark’s wonderful wedding day. If you are however still running around the shops to find that perfect Christmas present for your Mother in law, you’ll be forgiven if you just skip to 23 minutes and 26 seconds to watch the highlights. But whatever you do, please leave us a comment!

Happy Holidays to all of you!!!

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So what do you think of the new Ever After website and blog? Like the make-over? We’ve also changed our packages about, we’re now the first company in the UK to offer a Same Day Edit as standard with most of the packages! How cool is that?!
But enough about us, let’s talk about Asche and John’s. Asche and John wedding took place at the beautiful Colwick Hall Hotel in Nottingham. Asche looked amazing in a glamorous Justin Alexander gown, she had the most fabulous wedding shoes ever by Irregular Choice (LOVE that company) and a specially designed headpiece with a birdcage veil. Really WOW! And John, well, he looked quite dashing too! The day was pretty much perfect, pleasant weather, fun photo shoots, beautiful flowers by Pam Gibson and lovely music by one of the best string quartets we’ve ever heard, the Highly Strung String Quartet.
To top it all off for us, we received a wonderful email from Asche and John they day after they saw their wedding video:
Just wanted to write you a quick email to say thank you. The DVD is amazing, more than we could have hoped for!
We sat and watched it last night and it brought tears to our eyes and smiles to our lips! We enjoyed every second of it. It was so wonderful to be able to relive the day and to remember the bits we had forgotten. I’m so pleased that we had you film the day, although we have the photos (which are also fantastic), it’s not the same as being able to hear and see the day in action. I will certainly be recommending you!
Thank you once again for bringing our memories to life,
Asche and John
Messages like that really make one’s day! So if you like their highlights, please leave us a message too!

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So I haven’t exactly been updating on a regular basis lately, apologies. To make up for the lack of blog posts over the past few weeks, there will be a double feature and a few bonus materials.

So first up, we have a trailer to the wedding video of Bisola and Temitope who tied the knot in Bristol this summer. I won’t say too much about their wedding this time (more about them later), but I would just like to say that their wedding was one of the most fun weddings I’ve ever been too. They were such a genuinely friendly and lovely couple and their enthusiasm was just contagious, it was impossible not to enjoy yourself that day.

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Next up, the highlights to Jane and Richard’s wedding at St Augustine’s Priory near Ashford in Kent. I’ve already told you all about them back in August when I shared their trailer. Jane and Richard pretty much trusted us to do whatever we thought would be best for their video and based on one of Jane’s recent Facebook updates, that worked out just fine. “To all friends and family that attended it will soon be available to view online! Its not your usual trad wedding vid,its a lil bit funked up & bloody great if I say so myself! …..Sylvia & Niels of Ever After ur the ‘nuts ‘ guys! Thanks sooooo much! X”

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And now on to the bonus material. Anyone who knows us, knows that we are big fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and pretty much anything made by Joss Whedon). Earlier this year, I happened to come across a website advertising a fan convention for anything Joss Whedon related for the weekend of Halloween. Seemed like a great, yet incredibly geeky, idea. So this past weekend we were in London attending HalloWhedon! There were several stars of the shows, including James Marsters and Nicholas Brendon. There were signings, talks with the stars, auctioning of memorabilia and even a dinner with James Marsters (which went for £900!!!). On Saturday evening there was a big Halloween ball, best one we’ve ever been too, so many people in fabulous costumes. We had a blast the whole weekend!

Time to share another highlights clip as it’s been a while now since you’ve seen a new one of those from us. Let me present to you Elizabeth and James who tied the knot back in July at Highclere Castle in Hampshire. As I mentioned before, Highclere Castle is without doubt one of our favourite venues in the UK, everything there is just perfect and this time was no different. We also had the pleasure of working together with the fabulous Julia Boggio. With all those talents, the most excellent of venues and one of the most beautiful brides we’ve ever had and obviously, a handsome groom, we knew we were in for a treat. Even the weather was on its best behaviour for the day. Elizabeth and James really had a perfect day.

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This weekend we’re back in Hampshire, this time at the Tithe Barn and we get to work together again with one of favourite photographers, Rob at Shooting Hip. If you haven’t done so before, please go check out his blog. Not only are his pictures a delight for your eyes, he also always manages to add some very witty comments.

And then finally another little news item: Ever After now has a Facebook page, so if you are on Facebook please give us a visit and sign up. It’s one of the best ways to stay up to date with what’s going here at Ever After (and there are some big changes coming soon!). Or if you’re not on Facebook, just follow us on Twitter!

Every year the Ever After team tries to attend at least 1 videographer’s convention. Apart from a great oppportunity to meet fellow videographers from across the globe and some inspiring seminars, the WEVA International convention also hosts the annual Creative Excellence Award ceremony. Hundreds of videographers send in their work to be judged by a jury of peers, the results are announced during the openingsgala dinner of this convention in Orlando. After scooping last year’s ‘Best Wedding Day Film’ in the UK, we plucked up the courage to sent in some work for the WEVA Creative Excellence Awards (CEA’s). We were truly honoured and surprised when we heard our name. By the time we got to the podium to receive our CEA for best Shortform, we were leaping with joy both for winning and for the congratulations we received from some of the best studios worldwide. During the rest of the convention, we attend some great seminars that inspirated and challenged some ideas. The atmosphere of sharing and support from studios with distinct ideas and traditions is what makes one proud to be a Wedding Videographer. Thanks to all you guys and girls who have made this once again a memorable trip.

Our WEVA Creative Excellence Award

 I have some more UK news as well. Ever After is happy to announce that we will host 2 seminars at this year’s IOV convention in Coventry. One seminar will introduce the concept of Shortform Wedding Films, the other will focus on marketing in the brave new world of Social Media. We look forward to sharing our passion and ideas with our UK collegues.

This past Saturday we were in Somerset at St Audries Park filming the wedding of Hannah and David. It turned out to be one very gorgeous day, stunning venue, beautiful bride, handsome groom, great weather, … everything just seemed to turn out perfectly.

We also made a Same Day Edit that day which we projected in the evening just before first dance and the fireworks.

But the celebrations didn’t end there. Yesterday, they had a second day of festivities in York with all kinds of Chinese wedding traditions, from firecrackers and dancing dragons to a tea ceremony and a fantastic traditional Chinese wedding banquet (with some very interesting items on the menu, I had never eaten jellyfish or abalone before!).

All in all,  a few jam-packed but fun filled days.

I hope you enjoy their Same Day Edit, please do feel free to leave us a comment.

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And stay tuned, because later this week we’ll be announcing some marvellous news about a recent trip to the WEVA Convention in Orlando.  Also, this weekend we’ll be off to continental Europe to cover a wedding back in Belgium.