Sunday, September 22, 2019

PERFECT

 Perfect by Ed Sheeran

Perfect


While Chris and Katie were dating, Chris secretly learned to play the piano. Then, while on vacation in Florida, they stopped by a piano bar after a long day at Universal Studios. When Chris requested the pianist play "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran, the pianist acted like he wasn't sure how. So Chris said he would show him. Katie knew that Chris could not play the piano and was flabbergasted at what she saw. Upon completion of the song, Chris proposed. The next year, they were married in Virginia, where Kate is a news anchorman and meteorologist and Chris is a corporate executive. The video you are about to see is a few clips from the engagement shoot and wedding cinematography by Reagan Studios. The story made the NEWS when they returned from their honeymoon. Click HERE to see the news clip.

Click HERE to see the whole video.

filmed on location at The Manor House at King's Charter.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

SPEECHLESS

SPEECHLESS


Kacie and Jake got married on a beautiful sunny spring day, March 24 of 2019. They selected Cousiac Manor as their venue as it offers an inviting barn venue with a breathtaking riverfront view. Planning and coordination was the key to their success and they have Robin Schreiber Consulting and the Happy Bride to thank for that. Still photography was done by the talented John Malkowski who works closely with Reagan Studios which created the edited videos. Splash DJ provided the music and MC services. And the delicious catering was provided by Big Mama's Event Services.

The wedding was attended by Jake's parents, JoAnn and Billy Mewborn, and Christopher and Karren Witt. Kacie's parents, Denise and Mike Russell were also present and Mike gave Kacie away. Grandparents Ike and Deanna Newingham, and Alma and Dick Griffin were in attendance. In fact, the barn was bursting at the seams and everyone attending was family one way or another!

The entire bridal party - bridesmaids and groomsmen - wore cowboy boots, and the decor was classic country. HERE is a link to their photo spread, shot and edited by John Malkowski.

HERE is a link to their main highlight reel SPEECHLESS. To see more wedding videos that Reagan Studios have filmed at Cousiac Manor, click HERE.

Jake is a Firefighter/Medic with the city of Newport News and Kacie is a hairstylist/makeup artist at Victoria's Day Spa. She also manages Oh My Kac Cosmetics. They reside in Virginia and have two dogs.

For more wedding videography, see www.weddingcinematography.net
Should I hire a wedding videographer, if so whom? Reagan Studios provides wedding videos and full film footage for brides in Virginia and around the world.


Saturday, February 9, 2019

OUR 2018 BRIDES

32 brides filmed at 21 different venues throughout Virginia and North Carolina. See anyone you know? 
Check out www.weddingcinematography.net 
for more information.

Wedding videography filmed at Fairview Farm, Science Museum of Virginia, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Red August Farm, The Dominion Club, Independence Golf Club, Alturia Farm, Hollyfield Manor, Seven Springs, Vista Creek, The Barn at Edgewood, Portsmouth Woman's Club, The Market at Grelen, White Dog Bistro, Country Club of Virginia (CCV), Marina Shores Marina, Blue Valley Vineyard and Winery, Cousiac Manor, Ford's Colony, and two private estates.

For more information on wedding videography, visit www.reaganstudios.com


Monday, December 10, 2018

Millionaire

 Millionaire wedding video

"Millionaire" by Chris Stapleton wedding videography 

by Reagan Studios at Hollyfield Manor


The Christmas season 2018 started off right at Holyfield manor when Gretchen married Mitch on December 1. Their first dance was to the song, "Millionaire" by Chris Stapleton. Reagan Studios used that song to create an awesome highlight reel summarizing their amazing day. 

To learn more about wedding videography and a cinematography and photography package that might be right for you, check out www.weddingcinematography.net
and watch the sample videos. Wedding videos in Charlottesville and Richmond and Williamsburg are our specialty, but we travel worldwide for destination weddings.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

TOP GUN WEDDING

TOP GUN WEDDING

Lt. Alex Graves, a naval aviator who attended the United States Navy's Top Gun Fighter Weapons School married his sweetheart, Tate Norvell in Virginia Beach on September 8, 2018. Twenty-two pilots were in attendance, seven of whom were Top Gun graduates. Both the bride and groom's fathers also served in the U.S. Navy as well.
Produced by www.reaganstudios.com
Music by Harold Faltermeyer available on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/…/top-gun-original-motio…/387193895
Neither Reagan Studios nor the bride & groom seek to profit from the distribution of this video. We do, however, hope that viewers will be encouraged to purchase the song on iTunes or through another licensed vendor.
#weddingvideo
#topgunwedding
#loveyoutothegraves



Thursday, August 23, 2018

Hiring a Photographer for Your Wedding



Chapter Six: 

HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER


Congratulations! You are engaged. It's an exciting period in your life and you'll spend the next bit of time informing people and perhaps sharing photos of the ring and maybe of the engagement.

Next you will pick a date. That's the biggest decision of all. Spring, fall? Summer?? Maybe even winter. A part of the date decision is the venue decision. Especially if your wedding is going to be winter or summer - being outside might not be practical. Even with a spring or fall wedding, your venue will need an indoor rain plan - and that could be a big tent. Do you want a country-style barn wedding, or a country club wedding. Funny how the word "country" is used in both of those terms and yet they mean something entirely different. Will you have your ceremony in a church or at the reception venue? 

So anyway. Let's say that decision is made. Your wedding dress usually comes second. But that's a different chapter. Next many brides start thinking of photographers. You do want pictures, right? How much do we really want to spend? Can't a friend do it? And what about film, or videography? Brides call it videography and the camera people frequently call it cinematography. There is a difference. But that's another chapter.

You've seen the photos from your friends' weddings and you know what you like. Even before you decided on the venue, you started looking at weddings pics on Instagram and Pinterest.

Hold the phone, stop the presses. I've got some important information for you: A BRIDE CANNOT SELECT A PHOTOGRAPHER BASED SOLELY ON THE PHOTOS THEY ADVERTISE. I don't mean to say that your photos will look different; they won't. If you like that washed-out look, that's what you will get. If you like the color and vibrancy of a photographer and you hire them, that's what you'll get. 

But consider this: You will carefully pick your bridesmaids. You are going to spend over a year planning and a BUNCH of somebody's money on this gala event. You don't want to spend the day with any friends that might bring you down. So why would you hire a photographer and spend all day with that person without knowing what that is like. Clearly engagement sessions help. But engagement sessions are just three people. No crowds and no time constraints. In an engagement session, your photographer has plenty of time to set the lighting and get the pose right. That is not the case on wedding day. Trust me, I have filmed over 200 weddings and wedding day goes fast. There is not time to stop the action and say, "Let's do that again." But guess what? I've seen photographers do that. And usually it's the high-end photographers who act like that! I've seen a photographer stop the bridal party reception entrance for almost two minutes while he got the light setting correct on his camera. He literally kept over 200 people waiting while he messed with his camera. And the whole time, he acted like it was a studio shoot and everyone attending the wedding was an extra at his disposal. 

So while the style of photography that you are seeking in a wedding photographer is important, you need to do some research in what it is like to spend a whole day with them. Check weddingwire.com and read the worst reviews they have. Ask the venue what it's like to work with her or him. Ask the caterer. Ask the cake designer - you would be surprised how much they notice on wedding day. Most importantly, ask your planner. Yes, you need a planner. And there is a difference between wedding planning, wedding design, and wedding coordination. But that's a different chapter.

Some photographers show up with a second shooter. That's a good idea. And you wanna be sure that the second shooter isn't an amateur spouse, or friend. You want that person to be a trained and skilled photographer who simply didn't book their own wedding that day. But (and here's the first INSIDER TIP) some photographers show up with ASSISTANTS, not second shooters. I have seen photographers show up with contest winners who's prize was to shoot a wedding with this "celebrity photographer." Guess what? Your photographer is going to spend a bunch of his or her day showing the intern/contest winner how he programmed the lighting on his camera menu. Do you want that happening on your wedding day?

Here's INSIDER TIP number two: what kind of equipment is your photographer bringing? Some photographers are dependent on lighting equipment. They have not mastered shooting with natural light. Seriously, using three-point light creates fantastic portraits and that will work for your bridal or engagement session. But do you really want two-to-three people holding umbrella lights all around you all day long on your wedding day. I've seen it. The pictures are sweet, but your wedding day is a disaster.

INSIDER TIP number three: Is your photographer a trained ninja? The best photographers are invisible. Let's say, on your wedding night, you will be about to toss your bouquet and you'll stop and say, "Wait, where's my photographer?" And she coyly waves to you three feet away. She was right there all the time and you never even noticed. The best photographers will let you enjoy your day with your bridesmaids early on and your husband through the evening. You DO NOT want a photographer trying to choreograph your every move all day. And you don't need someone trying to be your best friend. Ever been to a restaurant where the waiter wants to be your buddy? I'm always like, "Dude. I'm here with my wife. We have a babysitter. Just keep my tea glass full and check-in occasionally. Thanks, bro." Some photographers want to be your best friend on wedding day. Maybe that's what you are looking for. But if not, it can be a pain in the ass. And speaking of ass. What if you hire a photographer who is one? Seriously! Let's say you hire a certain photographer because you love his images. But what if he is a world-class jerk? How much fun is your wedding day gonna be with this guy hanging around? And what if it's a triple whammy? I mean, he's an ass, he has a bunch of equipment in everyone's way, and he's always telling you what to do?

For years, I have told people, the second-most likely factor that could ruin your wedding is your photographer. Number one is your parents. But that is another chapter.

written by Keith C. Reagan, Sr.
www.reaganstudios.com


QUESTIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Do you work alone?
Do you bring a second shooter?
Is your second an actual professional photographer, or a trainee/intern?
Will your second/third be taking photos, or holding equipment?
What sort of lighting equipment do you use? Do you use stands and umbrellas that will be in my guests' way?
Are you subtle or invasive? Do you constantly direct the action or do you let me have my day and film it. Can you offer pointers and easy direction without creating delays?
Can you let me do our FIRST LOOK and CAKE CUTTING without talking to us?
Will you stop the action during the reception to check your light settings or can you adjust to changes quickly?

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Four weddings. One Family.

click HERE to see the video

FOUR WEDDINGS. ONE FAMILY.

I filmed the wedding of Brittany and Nick Penatzer on May 25, 2013. I had no idea was I was getting into at that time. It turned out to be the beginning of my longest-running wedding family - I have filmed these people FOUR times!

Brittany and Nick's ceremony and reception were held at Virginia Crossings in Glen Allen, Va. and this was one week before I filmed what would become my most famous highlight reel at the Schreiber/Evans wedding. Right away, I knew something was different; I could not tell who was family and who was a friend and I did not get a better handle on that until four years later.

Nick's cute little sister was all grown up and getting married by 2017. I was honored that they asked if I was available. Savannah and Foster tied the knot on a rainy day at Independence Golf and Country Club. This was my second time with this group, so I sorta knew what to expect. If you lived in California and were having a party that had to be a success because the Hollywood Reporter was going to be there, you could hire this group of people to attend, and the journalist would report the next day that you had the best party ever.

Fast forward one more year and we've got two more weddings scheduled for this group: Sarah & Dillon in June and Melanie & Kevin in July. Sarah married Dillon on a hot day at Alturia Farm. Melanie and Kevin chose a mountainside wedding at The Market at Grelen.

While all four weddings were different, they had one important element in common: the receptions rocked! This crowd knows how to party. Three out of four receptions used DJ Diesel. He has a spectacular light show and I appreciate how it makes our videos look.

There are a few more single members connected with this group so we hope to film them again. In the meantime, here is a mashup of reception footage from the four weddings put to a song by Family Force Five that helps illustrate the energy of this crowd.

Not everyone was able to attend all four weddings, but their faces will become more familiar as you watch THIS VIDEO.

You will notice this couple a lot: 
That's Jen and Josh Adams. He was a groomsman in Nick's wedding. Josh and Dillon Adams are brothers. And Dillon was one of Kevin's groomsmen. Both Josh and Dillon were groomsmen for Foster. And Foster married Nick's sister, Savannah. Got it? 

Nick's and Savannah's mom, Lisa, and the Adams boys' mom, Robin, were best friends until Robin's untimely death in 2015. She's in the middle of the photo below (dark hair, white dress):

When Dillon got married he placed a photo of his mother in the seat where she would have been:


See Brittany and Nick's videos HERE and HERE and HERE.
See Savannah and Foster's videos HERE and HERE.
See Sarah and Dillon's videos HERE, HERE and HERE.
See Melanie and Kevin's videos HERE and HERE.