Friday, September 25, 2020

BEST BABY ANNOUNCEMENT AND GENDER REVEAL EVER


SPOILER ALERT. Watch this video HERE to see it all before reading about it. SPOILER ALERT.


On April 20, 2020, Reagan Studios filmed the private elopement of Dan Hobby and Katie King. The ceremony, with just a few attendees from both families was held on a small beach at a friend's house in Grafton, Virginia. Click HERE to see the video from the elopement.

Dan and Katie set aside September 19, 2020 as a time to have a larger ceremony in hopes that the Coronavirus restrictions would be lifted. They booked a beachfront home in the Outer Banks and invited their guests.

Five months after the elopement, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Hobbys greeted their guests on a cloudy windy day. In fact, it was too windy to use the beachfront. Consequently, they set up a tent in the backyard by the pool.

When it was time for the ceremony, it started out like any other outdoor wedding: the mothers entered first, followed by Dan and his groomsmen, then the bridesmaids, and finally the bride accompanied by her father. But once Mr. King "gave away" his daughter again, the similarity to a traditional wedding ended.

Dan turned around and grabbed a poster from behind a barrel. When Katie and Dan unrolled it, a blown-up ultrasound poster revealed the photo of a baby! Even the best man was surprised and gave Dan a little pat on the rear to signal "atta-boy."

Just as suddenly as the ceremony began, it ended as Katie and Dan walked away saluting and high-fiving the crowd. 

But the surprises were not over. Minutes later, when everyone left the tent and gathered around the pool, a plane flew overhead with a sign announcing that it was a BOY. Not even Dan and Katie had known the gender as their nurse had called the pilot directly with the information.

The rest of the evening included dancing and cake-cutting. Dan's friends took it upon themselves to throw Dan in the pool. And two sisters (cousins of Katie's) had a cupcake fight.

Reagan Studios has never filmed anything like this and it was amazing. Click HERE to see it all.

Just when we thought we were done, we received a call from Katie's sister the next day asking if we were still in town. Shannon explained that a gentlemen named Patrick was going to ask her cousin, (and one the the bridesmaids) Andie, to marry him. We hustled down to the beach under the guise that we would be taking family photos since everyone was in town for the wedding. To see how the engagement unfolded, click HERE.

We were honored to be a part of such a special weekend. Congrats to Dan + Katie, and Patrick + Andie. And cheers to baby Liam's arrival next March 2021.

See the elopement video: https://mediazilla.com/1JDpq8MhWM
See the baby announcement and gender reveal: https://mediazilla.com/zmMpWD3vNz
To see a shorter baby announcement video: https://mediazilla.com/M49GUx9yYk
See Andie + Patrick's first sunset stroll: https://mediazilla.com/29WQldr48P


All videos produced by Reagan Studios.

 

Monday, August 24, 2020

Daddy's Girl (the blog)

 

DADDY'S GIRL


Click HERE to watch Kasey & Harrison’s reel

Kasey (pictured above in her Daddy's arms) was married on August 22, 2020 at Burlington Weddings & Events to her long-time sweetheart, Harrison Baker.

We spoke with Kasey on the phone the week before her wedding. Before any wedding, we have a consultation discussing our famous "Tips for Good Wedding Film" that we have compiled over 200+ weddings. During the conversation, we find out the couple's musical taste and ask what aspects of our videos they like best. Kasey was very excited about capturing her big day and had a few thoughts and questions regarding videography, but she was adamant that we use our creativity and do what we think is best.

Occasionally, a bride or groom has a specific idea in their head as to what their video should be like. While we try to deliver on their concept, we generally advise our clients to detach themselves from any result and focus on enjoying their day. 

We honor requests and use specific songs that couples request all of the time, but each wedding is unique and we never know how it's gonna look on film until it is done. Some songs may be long-time favorites of a couple, but just because a song is well-loved, that does not mean it will lend itself to being a good music video. Additionally, the song selected may not match the tone of the wedding.

We planned in advance to interview Kasey and Harrison separately for a few minutes, so they set aside the time for that in advance on their wedding day schedule. We had no idea what they would say. We had no clue Kasey would talk about her parents, Brian and Shanna Johnson. We did not know she would cry. We did not know what kind of reaction her father would have when he saw Kasey for the first time later that day. We had no idea how close their family was and how they would react. We had no idea how moving her father's speech would be (the planner, the DJ, the photographers and both of us from Reagan Studios all cried). And no one except the DJ knew about their special father-daughter dance.

My point is that we could not have planned THIS VIDEO in advance. Nonetheless, it happened. The family trusted we would deliver cinematography that would capture the feel of the day. But none of us knew the form it would take. Fortunately, they hired us way in advance, hired a brilliant wedding planner, and gave us room to be creative and let the day unfold in our editing software naturally.

Couples that hire Reagan Studios to film their weddings are typically pretty serious about wanting videography. Occasionally, a couple will even set their wedding date partially around when we are available. Eighteen months in advance, or soon as a couple is engaged, is typical for Reagan Studios. Kasey's mom first contacted Reagan Studios on November 12, 2015 via Facebook Messenger. She had seen some of our work on FB and wrote, "Your work is off the chart. I have told my husband and daughters you will be the FIRST call made, once they are engaged."

For many couples in the wedding planning process, videography is not a priority and we get calls from couples all the time a few months before their wedding saying they have re-thought it, and they want videography now. Unfortunately, we are typically sold out by that time.

Not every wedding day goes as planned. Sometimes it rains, sometimes relatives cannot attend, sometimes the unplanned happens. But my partner, Collins, and I have found that if a family trusts us to do what we do best, they will be pleased with the results.

Keith Collins Reagan, Sr.

P.S. You might not know it from this wedding highlight reel, but Kacey & Harrison's wedding had an EPIC reception. To view their party video, click HERE.

WATCH THE VIDEO, "DADDY'S GIRL" BY CLICKING HERE.

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Microweddings, Minimonies, and Elopements

Microwedding
Minimony at The College of William & Mary on July 11, 2020.

The Knot recently published an educational article on the difference between MICROWEDDINGS, MINIMONIES, AND ELOPEMENTS.  Microweddings are 50 people or less and include a reception with catering. Minimonies are "mini" ceremonies for very small groups (typically immediate family) and do not include a reception. An Elopement is when the couple ties the knot with an officiant, a photographer/videographer, and maybe a few family members or friends as witnesses. Minimonies and Elopements are similar in that you save a bundle on catering. But Minimonies typically happen at traditional wedding locations like a professional venue or a church. Elopements happen in backyards, courthouses, and public spaces. Traditionally, Elopements imply secrecy, but that definition has evolved over the years according to The Knot.

The health crisis of 2020 has played havoc with the wedding industry. Venues, DJs, and caterers have been hit hard. With fewer people attending "COVID-era weddings," photography and videography are even more important. Historically, photography is a must at weddings, and videography has been considered a luxury by many. However, with key relatives and friends missing out on the weddings themselves, videography is now a "must."

Reagan Studios filmed our first Elopement of the pandemic on April 20, 2020...a private backyard waterfront ceremony on a secluded beach at a friend's house:

Katie and Dan moved their big wedding celebration to the fall, but decided to not delay their nuptials. Make sure to watch this video and see what happens as he carries her into the water! Click HERE to see their magical intimate wedding including their spoken vows. We filmed their "We Do Redo" in Sept. 2020 at the Outer Banks. As a surprise to their guests, their ceremony turned into the best surprise gender reveal we have ever seen. Click HERE to see this remarkable event.
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Our first Microwedding of 2020 was June 13, 2020 at Amber Grove:
Microwedding

Desteney and RJ's day started out like a typical wedding with prep time (hair and make-up) at their venue. The ceremony of just under 50 people was outdoors and the guests practiced safe pandemic protocol. The reception that followed was at the couple's home and was even more intimate. Their wedding highlight reel ended-up looking pretty much like a large wedding video - as all the elements of a standard wedding were present. Click HERE to see their highlight reel. Still photos by John Malkowski.
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"I feel like if we can get through planning this crazy COVID wedding, then we can get through anything." -- Jamie Reyes, bride 2020. That quote sums up 2020 pretty well. Couples proceeding with their weddings are warriors! With the rules changing weekly, it takes courage and determination to proceed.

Jamie and Justin rescheduled their May wedding to August. And then just before their wedding, the Governor changed the rules from 250 guests to a maximum of 50 in their area, Virginia Beach. They reduced their headcount and moved forward. As a surprise to the groom, the bride made a special video with clips from many family members and friends who could not attend. Click HERE to view.

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Reagan Studios filmed two Minimonies in the spring of 2020. Kira and Talon were married on the water at Yorktown Beach and elected to film their prep time at a nearby hotel as well. The small gathering was family-only and we enjoyed a brief photo & video shoot immediately afterward:

Beach Mini Ceremony

Kira and Talon braved a precarious climb for some key shots, and she even went in the water at the end of the evening. Click HERE to see their main highlight reel. To see the still photos by Mason Murawski, click HERE.
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Our second Minimony took place in the Wren Building at The College of William & Mary:
William & Many Minimony

Morgan and Justin gathered at the Wren Building on the Campus of William & Mary just an hour before their 15-minute ceremony. Prep shots and their "first look" happened in the Great Hall. Even their ceremony took place in the Great Hall and not the chapel on the other side of the building. With only immediate family in attendance, we concluded the evening with a photo & video shoot on campus surrounded by ancient trees and historic brick sidewalks. Still photos by Lindsey Lyons.

To learn more about how Reagan Studios can help you remember your small gathering in a big way, drop us a line HERE. To learn about our wedding videography packages and to see more samples, click HERE. To view our YouTube channel, click HERE.




Sunday, January 5, 2020

2019 RETRO COLLECTION by Reagan Studios


We filmed 34 weddings in 2019. Some couples selected packages including full ceremony films, video guestbooks and next-day Instagram sneak peeks, but all of our packages included music video highlight reels.

We did our fair share of wedding classics this past year like "A Thousand Years," "Speechless," "Perfect", "This Is It," "When You Say Nothing At All," "Blessed," and "Cake." We also used a bunch of country songs.  Check out our 2019 Country Collection HERE.

The newest song we used in 2019 was "Adore You" by Harry Styles, and the oldest was "La Vie en Rose" by Louis Armstrong.  Our most unusual music videos for 2019 were "Wow" by Post Malone and "The Git Up" by Blanco Brown. 

We had two weddings this past year where the participants sang along: "Head Over Boots" by Jon Pardi, and "123456" by Fitz and the Tantrums. We also used two songs from the movies: "Married Life" from Pixar's UP feature film composed by Michael Giacchino, and "Far Longer Than Forever" from THE SWAN PRINCESS composed Lex de Azevedo.

This year we seemed to use a lot more retro hits from the 80's, 90s, and early 00s: Tears for FearsSugar Ray and Fall Out Boy for example. So...

Here's the link for our 
2019 RETRO COLLECTION:

https://mediazilla.com/Kq3nb8hc6

In each wedding, the song selected was either a first dance song, a big hit during the reception, or a favorite artist of either the bride or the groom. And in once case, it was just a song playing during the hair & makeup time, and I noticed that both the bride and I were bouncing our heads and smiling (LFO).

This is not a collection of our favorite wedding highlight reels from 2019. We had some amazing weddings with videos getting record views that are not included in this collection. Our most-viewed videos from 2019 so far are "Look What God Gave Her." by Thomas Rhett, followed by "Big, Big Plans" by Chris Lane. 

This collection is simply some of the music video highlight reels we made in 2019 using songs that are considered "oldies."

Enjoy!

Collins and Keith Reagan
www.reaganstudios.com

Reagan Studios is a video production company specializing in commercial videography, wedding cinematography, and music videos for artists and bands of all genres.