Getting to Know - Story Of Your Day - The Wedding Community

Company Name: Story Of Your Day

Interview with: Emma Wilson

Location / Coverage: Based in Yorkshire, covering weddings nationally and destination weddings too

How did you first get into film production?

I have been working in TV and Film production since I left university over 20 years ago. I am a journalist by trade, which is why Story Of Your Day is about telling people’s stories. I originally worked as a news reporter and programme maker, and in the past 10 years I have been a video journalist, but it hasn’t allowed me to be very creative and that’s why I decided to change my career.

I left my career at the BBC in September 2015 to concentrate on my flourishing wedding film business. It is my belief that you should follow your dreams and do a job you love, and then it’s not like a job at all.

How did Story Of Your Day get started and how long has the business been going?

Three years ago a colleague from work asked me to film his wedding. To be honest I had no intention of it being such a life-changing event. I was recommended by various photographers at first who wanted to work alongside ‘more considerate’ videographers, and then, after taking on more and more bookings, I decided to build a website. It wasn’t until last year when I joined The Female Creatives Association that I realised this was my true calling. I rebranded and worked hard on developing a filming style that set me apart from many other videographers, to truly tell couples’ stories and became more niche. My new and current website closely followed, with all my new style films.

Which areas of the UK do you cover? Do you film weddings abroad?

I’m based in Yorkshire but to be honest I rarely do weddings locally.

I am the recommended videographer for many reputable venues such as Castle Howard, East Riddlesden Hall, Goldsborough Hall and Alnwick Castle (AKA Hogwarts) in Northumberland. I have also filmed at Chateau Rigaud and Chateau Challain in France. This year I have a wedding in Sorrento.

I’ll travel anywhere if the wedding sounds right for me and ultimately my style.

Which is the best wedding you have filmed and why is this one so memorable?

This is a hard one because all my weddings are so different and it’s the variety I love the most.

I was incredibly honoured to work at a very big wedding this summer where the couple had exclusive use of Alnwick Castle…

But I also loved travelling to France to a wedding in September because the weather was so perfect…

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Back in the UK my favourites have been more intimate weddings of Marilou and Andy at Priory Cottages…

and also Sophie and Jan-Willem’s wedding in a local church and their back garden…

I’ve just finished editing a Greek Russian wedding which was a blast to film…

It sounds like a cop-out but I only take on weddings that I know will be amazing, so I love them all for different reasons.

Why should couples have a film of their wedding?

If a picture speaks a thousand words then imagine what a film can do. The magic of film and audio brings the wedding day back to life in a way that no image can.

It’s so easy to get wrapped in your day and it just flies by. When people watch their films back it’s a chance for them to remember the moments they enjoyed and also discover some of the moments they missed.

What would you say makes Story Of Your Day’s films unique?

I am the chosen videographer for couples who don’t just want their wedding day filmed, but their story told. Your film will be much more than a wedding film, it will tell your own individual story.

It’s taken a long time of absorbing many influences and experimenting myself to enable me to develop my own unique style as a wedding videographer. For me, it is essential that my style of filming in no way imitates that of other videographers nor follows fads that come and go.

I have learnt to recognise key moments and discreetly capture them as they unfold, without direction; experience has taught me when to sit and wait for something special to happen.

My documentary style, short-form films are based on real life situations. In the edit I will bring that story back to life, moment by moment. My feminine approach means your film will have a soft, romantic feel.

Twenty years of working for the BBC, in storytelling and filmmaking, has given me the technical knowhow; studying cinema and working with world-renowned cinematographers has given me the confidence to trust my instincts.

My commitment is to create a stunning wedding film and deliver an outstanding level of service.

How do you present a wedding film?

My films are presented on DVD, or in HD on BluRay with the option to have a USB with film files.

I always advise a disc because they are bespoke and come with a beautiful chapter menu, using the photographer’s images from the day and the choice to watch any one film at one time. The discs and USB come in gorgeous branded boxes with some chocolates.

Does Story Of Your Day offer a bespoke service or do you have packages for couples to choose from?

Couples commission me to tell their story. I offer add-ons to my Trailer and Film Of The Day commission if couples want their speeches and ceremony as full films, and I can also bring in extra camera editors for the day. I don’t offer packages as such.

What other services does Story Of Your Day offer other than wedding films?

I also make Story Of Your Family films and The Story Of You, which are films aimed at wedding industry suppliers wanting a film on their website to promote their services. I also own The Story Creatives which is a corporate filming business.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Having the freedom to be creative. Translating couples’ stories into films for them to cherish forever. I love hearing their reaction when they watch their trailer. I’ve had grown men cry at a stranger’s film. Then I know my work is done. Here’s a tear-jerker…

Random question… It’s Valentine’s Day on Sunday — what’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?

It’s the smallest things I love. So I loved it years ago when a boyfriend wrote ‘I LOVE YOU’ with my socks on my bed… but it was a nightmare pairing them back up again!

My husband spoils me every day. That’s very romantic in my book.

What’s your top tip for choosing a wedding videographer?

I guess it would be the same as with choosing a photographer. If you fall in love with a videographer’s work then make it a priority to book them. Watch their films and if you connect with a film of a stranger’s wedding then trust me, your film will be truly awesome.