Jessica Pi is one of Northern Virginia and Washington DC’s premier wedding videography studios. We were lucky to have her share her wedding videography knowledge and hot trends in the wedding video market.

Destination Wedding Dominican Republic from Jessica Piscitelli on Vimeo.

1) What are some new interesting wedding video trends worth considering?

In terms of technology, HD is quickly becoming the new standard. Many people want HD for their wedding video, but some either don’t have their own Blu-Ray systems or have close family members who aren’t yet set up to watch Blu-Ray. They should discuss the benefits and drawbacks of choosing the HD option with their videographer. Another big trend is live streaming the wedding so that family and friends who are unable to attend the wedding can share in the big day.

2) What are the benefits of different wedding video styles?

First of all, you should choose a videographer whose style you like. In other words, the samples on their website and the sample DVD should appeal to you already. If they don’t, then look for another videographer. Once you’ve selected someone whose shooting and editing style you like, talk to her about your particular likes and dislikes, your style. Some people want guests interviewed, other people hate that idea. Some people want bridal prep, other people don’t. Some people love slow motion and black and white footage, other people want a fast paced video edited to hip hop or rock music. If you like your videographer’s inherent style, you should be able to work with her to create a wedding video that will suit your tastes and be watchable for the next 60 anniversaries.

3) What kind of questions should a wedding couple ask a videographer?

Every couple’s priorities are different. You should ask about the things you care most about – the technology, the style, the presence on the day of. I have never been asked a bad question. The one thing you need to be most comfortable with with whomever you hire is that she will be professional. You want to feel safe knowing that she will arrive on time, dressed professionally, with professional gear, and backup gear, and that she will be unobtrusive and work well with all the vendors and family members on the day of the wedding. Of course, you want to know that she will keep in touch with you after your wedding day and communicate with you to make sure she delivers the best wedding video possible for you to share with family and friends.

Wedding Ceremony Montage – Jessica Pi Productions from Jessica Piscitelli on Vimeo.

4) Any additional insight that wedding couples should consider?
A video truly can capture many things that photos cannot – not only because of the added advantage of audio, but also because people come alive more when you can see them moving, dancing and laughing. I take being a professional very seriously. I have a BFA in Film and Video production from NYU. I have studied mise en scene, lighting, audio and editing techniques both in college and now in the field for over ten years. There are a lot of factors to consider when videotaping a live event, and a professional will understand those factors and be prepared for any problems that may arise. I personally spend 25 – 45 hours editing each wedding video. I don’t have to take that much time, but I want to make sure that, not only each shot selected for the video is perfect, but that the timing and the placement in the video works to tell a wonderful story and that the audio of the vows, the toasts and the live and recorded music are all level. I know you will want to show your video to friends and family and also to watch it with new family in the years to come. It needs to hold up to many, many viewings.

Company Name: Jessica Pi Productions

Website: www.jessicapi.com

Locations Covered: Based in Northern Virginia but have shot all over the country and around the world.

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Delaney and I am a new blogger to the ever-awesome District Bride Guide. I am thrilled to be a part of the blog, as I plan my September 4, 2011 wedding to my beloved fiancé! I am a DC transplant, who just returned to the area this summer. I love getting outdoors and enjoying everything DC has to offer.

This past weekend I ventured to Shirlington’s Oktoberfest sponsored by Capital City Brewing Co. with one of my bridesmaids to enjoy the gorgeous weather and enjoy a few beers. This year they had a ton of different breweries represented, which made the day lots of fun! While enjoying a great IPA by Southern Tier brewery, I thought to myself—this would be awesome to serve at the wedding! Our event is outdoors at a private residence so we will be responsible for beer/wine/liquor purchase. This is exciting for many reasons, including saving a lot of money. But with the cost savings come a lot more decisions that my fiancé and I have to think through. What should our signature cocktail be? How many beer varieties should we offer? Who can help us with our wine pairings? Standing there in the village square in Shirlington I had a minor feeling of overwhelm—how will we ever choose?

My fiancé and I are going to try to be diplomatic about our choices. We promise to offer some usual options, like your Bud Light and Corona, but I’d love to throw in Peroni for my Dad and an IPA we love for us! When it comes to wine, we are lucky to have a trained wine professional in the family, so we should have some help there. Making decisions, even relatively small ones like beer choice can create moments of stress. Remember—this is you and your fiancés day, and it should be as wonderful for you as your guests. When I first got engaged a newlywed friend told me, “have fun with the process, drink champagne and eat cake!” It’s true—but beer works too!

While most newlyweds can’t wait to jet off to an exotic locale alone, others hesitate to leave a particular companion out of the plans. With more and more hotels and resorts expanding their services to include pet-friendly amenities, bringing the pooch to the paradise is becoming especially popular among honeymooners. Just check out these trends in pet travel perks!

Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière – Paris: Pets get the royal treatment with a plush bed,  monogrammed mats, and bottled water (Vittel, of course!).

Chame Bay – Panama: With luxurious spa treatments and an entire staff dedicated to four-legged visitors, Fido may never want to leave!

Paraiso de la Bonita – Riviera Maya: This hotel’s Haute Dog Package includes gourmet chow, therapeutic baths, a personal attendant, and chauffeured transportation.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 : This transatlantic cruise line offers spacious kennels under the command of a “Kennel Master,” who oversees walks, feedings and cleanings.

Tharroe of Mykonos – Mykonos Island, Greece: With a gourmet pet menu, your pup is sure to eat as well as human travelers!

The Dorchester Collection – London: Dogs receive a “chic neckerchief,” which affixes to the collar, and a private photo session to document the fabulousness.

RESOURCES

luxurypaw.com

hotelchatter.com

Question to the Audience

Is there anyone out there who is gaining a son or daughter through your upcoming marriage? If so, how do you feel about being a step parent? Are you nervous? How’s the transition going? Did you have any doubts about saying yes to your husband-to-be because of his previous child/children? Are you allowing your soon-to-be step children participate in your wedding? Do you have any issues with the child’s biological parent? If so, how does it affect your relationship with your mate?

source: www.cartoonstock.com

This is a subject I was reluctant to touch because I have no idea what it’s like to have a step relative. I’ve heard that there are few challenges and difficulties when it comes to taking on a child who is a product of your mate’s previous relationship. The only thing I do know is that the basic quality needed for any family to be successful is love.  I know the definition of love to be patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, or conceited. It does not seek its own advantage. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope, to endure whatever comes. Genuine love helps to smooth over differences and unite people with very different upbringings and personalities. And it helps to counteract the devastating effects of a divorce or a biological parent’s death. One man who became a stepfather describes his very real problems: “I was often too concerned about my own feelings to analyze the emotions of my stepchildren or even of my wife. I had to learn to be less sensitive. Most important, I had to learn to be humble.” Love helped him to make the needed changes.*

But I know it’s not always that easy. Especially in the beginning. So talk to me. I’m interested to hear your story. How do you become a successful step parent?

jendayi

*source: wT. 1999. 3/1 p. 4 Stepfamilies Can Succeed.

By Katie MacGregor

It’s hard to ignore that Washingtonians take pride and pleasure in sweet confections. With two reality shows starring a top cupcakery (DC Cupcakes filming Georgetown Cupcakes) and a certain Ace (Ace of Cakes starring Charm City Cakes) right in our backyard.

A tradition started by stacking layers of cake to promote fertility and good wishes for the newlywed couple has been cultivated to one of the most important decisions and decadent displays one will have with their wedding.  Rendering the question what does the couple’s wedding cake look and taste like?

Many couples have looked outside the proverbial butter cream box to choose other desserts to serve at their weddings. These choices  and trends range from candy buffets, donuts,  cookie bars, a display of various miniature cakes and pies to the latest craze of a cupcake tower which has been embraced by the celebrity nuptials of Carrie Underwood to her NHL beau Mike Fisher and Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell.

It’s easy  to see why celebrities and Washingtonians have skipped  the traditional white fondant and rose tiers to choose a whimsical cupcake tower. A cupcake tower has many great attributes. For starters price, in the D.C Metropolitan area a slice of cake per serving can average around $5.00 a slice while cupcakes average around $ 3.00 per serving. Secondly, presenting the cupcakes to guests is a breeze since they are already a single serving (read no messy or botched slices) and storage is simple, leftovers can be easily contained or guests can easily package them  to take home to indulge in later.

A cupcake tower also allows for a variety of flavors and decoration. Yes, each tier of cake can have a different flavor and icing but cupcakes allow for a variation of flavors per delightful cupcake. For my August wedding I had red velvet, pumpkin, chocolate, yellow bases  while mix and  matching with cream cheese, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry ,peanut butter and mocha icing contributing to  twenty four different combinations!

But what about the cake cutting?

I’m glad you asked, this is easily solved by serving a miniature cake on the top of the tower to be sliced by you and you’re beloved or the two of you can share a bite of the same cupcake. Each cupcake can also be adorned by a variety of icings, sugared flowers, sprinkles, silver dragees, basically whatever your little heart desires.

So the cupcake is a versatile, easily transported, cost effective and just too cute choice for modern weddings with a hint of whimsy.  Now the hard part is choosing which upcoming cupcakery to order yours from.

This picture is from my August wedding. This beautiful cupcake tower is from Cake Dreams in Rockville, MD.  http://www.cakedreamsmd.com

District Bride Guide stopped by Chevy Chase Ballroom in Friendship Heights recently to observe the renowned dance instructor Terry Chasteen in action. His Dance at Your Wedding Workshops help couples feel confident and graceful during one of the most anticipated moments of their wedding.

As couples rehearse the Argentine Tango, Terry maintains the perfect pace, repeating his demonstration when necessary and slipping feedback and encouragement in between the “1,2, 3…” count. Students told us that Terry’s patience and attentiveness make him a great guide for first-timers. During the workshops, participants learn more than dance steps. For instance, the class covers the formal entrance onto the floor, ensuring an elegant introduction. It’s a fun bonding experience with between partners, too! Afraid you’ll need to cut the guest list in order to accommodate a fabulous first dance? You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the prices– among the best in town.

Terry Chasteen Dance

www.pleasedancewithme.com/wedding www.pleasedancewithme.com/privatecoaching 202.462.0870   terrychasteen@pleasedancewithme.com

Happy Friday all and welcome back to the site. I hope that the wedding planning is going well for you as your day draws near. I know that this time can be stressful, but it’ll all be over in the blink of an eye. If you have any ‘human’ issues that you are unsure how to handle, like how to deal with a bridesmaid who’s not cooperating or if you’re wondering about your pre-marital nerves, please feel free to send me a message at jendayi@districtbrideguide.com or leave me a comment on one of my posts. As a veteran bride with lots of wisdom, I’m sure I can help.

source: www.publicrecordsresearch.net

As for today’s post, I’d like to talk briefly about looking beyond the wedding. It’s been said that a couple’s attitude towards the planning of their wedding can bear directly on their future happiness as husband and wife. Have you ever heard that before? Well, when I heard that statement, I was a little skeptical, but now I can see the validity in it. It’s true that the manner in which your wedding planning is going will spill over into your marriage. For example, if this wedding planning phase is full of chaos and stress, chances are there are some fundamental issues that you and your fiance aren’t working out. Those issues, in turn, will later on appear in your marriage.

Many who get married nowadays focus so much attention-and unrealistic expectations-on the wedding that afterwards there is a drastic letdown. A young man quoted in the book Getting Married by Bernard Shaw said, “You’re building up an expectation that something magical and fantastic is goingto happen as soon as you get married. Then suddenly [after the wedding and honeymoon] there’s that quiet. Suddenlyyou’re left all by yourself with this woman and she’s left with you.” So what’s to be done then? Well, every couple should look forward to and enjoy their wedding. It’s a wonderful and very big part of your life. Yet, couple might contribute to their own happiness if they avoid emphasizing the wedding so much that it overshadows what’s really most important. Their subsequent lives together, til death do them part.

Stick with me here.

While in the midst of your wedding planning, prepare for a happy marriage. Just as you might have to prepare a presentation or prepare to do a project, do the same for your marriage. I’ve already mentioned pre-marital counseling in a previous post. It is soooo necessary in the days that we’re living in. Considering the statistics that we face regarding marriage, it certainly can not hurt to sit down with a marriage counselor or go to workshops that speak on adjusting to married life and coping with potential problems. In addition to speaking with a counselor, talk to mature family members and friends who have been married for a while. You’ll be surprised what they say and it’ll benefit you in the long run. It’ll also help to keep your wedding planning in persepctive relative to what is more important, your life together as a married couple.

My second suggestion is to be ready to work. The wedding phase is full of magical, fantasy-like feelings and images, which often leads to disillusionment and frustration and unhappiness. Marriage is work. It is not, I repeat, NOT a fantasy. It actually takes more work than did the wedding planning. Trust me. If you are a Christian a study of the Bible’s view on marriage will help you to understand what is required of you. If you are not a Christian, go to your local library or bookstore and research books on what is expected of you in marriage. Knowledge and application is the key. If you know and then put what you know into use, you’ll be ten steps ahead of those who get married for the glitz and glam of a wedding.

I have a whole lot more to add, but I’ll end it here for now. Maybe next week, I’ll tackle tips to getting through or over the imperfections of your mate. We’re all imperfect right?

It’s so important to look beyond the wedding and prepare for the actual marriage. Or else, you might end up being a statistic. Real talk… Hit me up and let me know what you think. Again, happy Friday.

jendayi

Hello all my fellow brides-to-be! I am amidst the early planning stages of my September 4, 2011 wedding. My fiancé and I are thrilled to be having our wedding here in the D.C. area where we met and fell in love. When we got engaged this past June, I had no idea the amount of planning it would take to put on our wedding—even with my background in event planning.  

First step, venue. Voila! We had it! My Aunt and Uncle generously offered for us to have our wedding at their beautiful home in Brookeville, Maryland. This then left us with a completely blank canvas—we knew we needed a tent, but the rest was up to us to decide. I began to create inspiration boards with photos I’d found online that struck my fancy. Here are some pictures of my most recent iterations. It’s great to keep updating the inspiration board as you proceed with planning; watch your vision evolve as planning moves forward.

Put pictures of whatever resonates with you. I begin by imagining me and my fiancé entering our wedding – what do I see, hear, and feel? Next I open my eyes and hit Google for images (TIP: don’t limit yourself to just wedding images. Look at design sites, home and garden and entertainment guides as well) I’ve created two different visions for our wedding (pictured above). When our guests enter our wedding I want them to get the feel of the store Anthropologie. My style is eclectic, and I want that to be reflected on our special day, without being too informal. By creating two inspiration boards I can sit down with my fiancé and discuss what feels right to him, image by image. I think this is essential in planning, for those of us with hands-off hubby’s- to -be, if he want s to be involved but not to the point of deciding on linens and flatware this is a wonderful exercise!

An inspiration board for general wedding atmosphere and design is a great place to start. Having a vision of how you want your wedding to look and feel is essential, next move on to more specific aspects of your day– lighting, tableware, linens, flowers and food too. Try it!

Today on RueLaLa.com, find designer deals on wedding gowns, tuxes, and all things wedding related. The prices are amazing. Find Sue Wong and  Nicole Miller for up to 75% off!

Not a Rue La La member? Click here here to become one and start shopping!

Natalie Franke is a wedding and lifestyle photographer whose trademark is capturing candid moments in a modern yet timeless style. Her work across the Philadelphia, Baltimore, & DC metro areas has exposed her to an inspiring array of love stories, including Emily and Andrew’s. This exceptional couple’s years of transatlantic dating makes their union especially celebration-worthy. Best wishes to the bride and groom!

Emily and Andrew tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony and reception at the George Washington Masonic Monument in Alexandria, VA. The monument was absolutely stunning, making it the perfect backdrop for their wedding day! They also set aside a lot of time for couple’s portraits, which were taken at the stunning Lorien Hotel & Spa in downtown Alexandria.

Andrew took Emily to the observation deck of the monument during the reception and had his brother light flares in the shape of a heart on the ground below. It was such a gorgeous view overlooking the downtown area and a perfect way to end the night!

Natalie Franke Photography www.nataliefranke.com

contact Natalie