Latest / The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast / Episode 41 Your Mom’s Phone, But Make It Luxury: Content by Alize

Transcript

Episode 41 Your Mom’s Phone, But Make It Luxury: Content by Alize · The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast

0:00
SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days.
0:04
SPEAKER_01: I'm James, a wedding filmmaker.
0:06
SPEAKER_01: I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about conversations with the ones who make it happen.
0:14
SPEAKER_01: Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories, and maybe a little inspiration along the way.
0:21
SPEAKER_01: Let's meet today's wedding vendor.
0:23
SPEAKER_01: Hey Alize, how's it going?
0:24
SPEAKER_00: Hi, so great to be here.
0:26
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
0:27
SPEAKER_01: I'm so glad to have you.
0:28
SPEAKER_01: Alize runs content by Alize, content creator for weddings.
0:33
SPEAKER_01: And I'm so excited because this is a conversation I've been wanting to have.
0:37
SPEAKER_01: Just breaking down like where does content creation fit into the landscape of what's just been a normal known thing of like a lot of photo and then some photo and video.
0:47
SPEAKER_01: Like, how do we fit in?
0:49
SPEAKER_01: Shooting on the iPhone, getting the stuff back to the couples right away.
0:52
SPEAKER_01: So I'm excited to jump into all of that.
0:55
SPEAKER_01: But before we do, we're here at Birchwood Venue.
0:59
SPEAKER_01: Birchwood venue is where rustic charm meets modern convenience to create the perfect wedding weekend.
1:05
SPEAKER_01: Nestled in Milton, Pennsylvania, they give couples three full days to decorate, celebrate, and soak in every moment without feeling rushed.
1:13
SPEAKER_01: From the Hydrangeal Line ceremony space to the beautifully restored barn, Birchwood is designed to make your day as stress-free and as memorable as possible.
1:23
SPEAKER_01: And Holly, one of the venue owners here, just so great.
1:27
SPEAKER_01: And the space is amazing.
1:29
SPEAKER_01: You can tell we're in it right now.
1:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's absolutely beautiful.
1:33
SPEAKER_01: Um and so we're excited to be here.
1:35
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Holly, for letting us host the podcast here.
1:39
SPEAKER_01: I say us, it's me, but we're here, you know.
1:43
SPEAKER_00: Yes, thank you, Holly.
1:44
SPEAKER_01: I'll say, thank you so much for being on, and I'm excited.
1:47
SPEAKER_01: This is like a new venture for you.
1:50
SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to kind of get into like how all of this started, but just take me back a little bit.
1:54
SPEAKER_01: I got a little bit of the inside scoop before we started recording, but take me back a little bit to where all of this began.
2:00
SPEAKER_01: What were you doing before starting this business?
2:03
SPEAKER_01: And what kind of led you into being like, hey, I maybe want to try this content creation thing.
2:08
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
2:09
SPEAKER_00: So like I guess to first start it out, I graduated high school in 2020.
2:13
SPEAKER_00: So obviously that was a very um different, scary time.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: After that, I decided to go four hours away from home.
2:21
SPEAKER_00: So I went to Indiana University at PA and I got my bachelor's in science in communications, media production, and a minor in poli sci.
2:29
SPEAKER_00: So when leaving college, I was like, oh, I'm gonna be a news anchor, I'm gonna work in sports.
2:34
SPEAKER_00: I did IUP's um sports production class.
2:38
SPEAKER_00: So we basically did the whole broadcast for the football team.
2:42
SPEAKER_00: So we were there from like 7 a.m.
2:44
SPEAKER_00: to pretty much end 8 p.m.
2:46
SPEAKER_00: every Saturday, every home game, which was really cool.
2:50
SPEAKER_00: So I think getting that behind the camera and in the behind the camera and also shooting, it was always with me.
2:57
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, so after graduation, I felt very lost.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: I was 22, four hours away from all my friends, my my the community I built kind of up towards Pittsburgh, and I was feeling just really lost.
3:11
SPEAKER_00: And this job market, too, it was awful.
3:14
SPEAKER_00: So I took the first job that I got, which was working HR at Kellogg's.
3:20
SPEAKER_00: I worked in second shifts with some pretty scary factory men with yeah, I was working to like it was different.
3:26
SPEAKER_00: It was different.
3:27
SPEAKER_00: I worked at like 3 a.m.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: and like it was crazy.
3:30
SPEAKER_00: Like I remember the cleaning ladies would come up to me and be like, You don't belong here.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Yeah, but I need a job.
3:36
SPEAKER_00: Like, I need money.
3:37
SPEAKER_00: So after that, I ended up quitting and I moved into sales.
3:41
SPEAKER_00: I worked at um assured partners and I was a life insurance sales agent.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: I ended up getting fired actually because I couldn't pass my life insurance exam.
3:50
SPEAKER_00: But in reality, I just hated I hated my job.
3:52
SPEAKER_00: That wasn't what I wanted.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: So it was June.
3:55
SPEAKER_00: I yeah, I got I got fired from my job.
3:58
SPEAKER_00: My boyfriend just broke up with me.
4:00
SPEAKER_00: Like, I was having all this stuff, and I thought, you know, this is the perfect time to start a business, like with all this craziness.
4:07
SPEAKER_00: Like, why not add something else?
4:09
SPEAKER_00: So I had a friend reach out to me and was like, all right, well, we're doing a styled shoot.
4:13
SPEAKER_00: Come see if you like it, see if this is something like this could be something.
4:17
SPEAKER_00: So I drove three hours to DC, did a styled shoot, and I loved it.
4:23
SPEAKER_00: And ever since then, it's just kind of been picking up and picking up and picking up.
4:27
SPEAKER_00: I started in June.
4:28
SPEAKER_00: It's now September.
4:29
SPEAKER_00: I've been able to shoot seven weddings.
4:31
SPEAKER_00: I've launched my website.
4:33
SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
4:33
SPEAKER_00: I've got inquiries now from Tuscany, Europe, in a very short amount of time.
4:38
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like it just it was a leap of faith, honestly.
4:41
SPEAKER_00: I yeah, that's all I can say.
4:43
SPEAKER_00: I every day I wake up and I'm very grateful that I'm on this path.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: And yeah, yeah, you definitely did add like another whole level of stuff to what was already going on, like starting a business.
4:57
SPEAKER_01: Was there any part of you that was like, I don't know, this is gonna work?
5:01
SPEAKER_01: Or were you just like, I'm gonna go for it and whatever happens, happens.
5:05
SPEAKER_00: I I think every week I I'm very hard on myself.
5:08
SPEAKER_00: I don't know about you, but I'm very hard on my work and like when I'm always staring at my work, I'm staring at my work.
5:15
SPEAKER_01: That is accurate.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: And honestly, it's the couples.
5:17
SPEAKER_00: It's my couples when I book someone, and afterwards you get those long paragraphs on how you make the day special and like seeing these seeing them just post my footage and just being so appreciative.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: That's generally what keeps me going.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: And there's definitely some times where I'm like, do I just go back to corporate?
5:35
SPEAKER_00: Like, do I do that nine to five?
5:37
SPEAKER_00: But like I honestly I love it.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: I think every day it's I hustle, I hustle my ass off every day, and I'm not definitely at not at a point where I'm like getting those consistent bookings, but it's definitely getting there, and like the opportunities that I have been presented is amazing.
5:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
5:53
SPEAKER_01: So when you reached out to your friend that was doing the style shoot, was the content creation was that like on your mind, or or were you just going to kind of see what the shoot was like to see kind of like what weddings were like?
6:06
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I always like I said, I went to school for calms, so I always had a camera in my hand, but I hated editing.
6:13
SPEAKER_01: And you have the perfect job.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: You literally have the perfect job.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: And I hated editing, and I was just like, uh no, like this isn't for me, but I always loved weddings.
6:23
SPEAKER_00: Like I've been that girl that's dreamed about her wedding.
6:26
SPEAKER_00: I love the wedding industry, I love event planning and all that stuff, but I didn't want to be an event planner.
6:32
SPEAKER_00: And I think for me, content creation had that happy medium of I can show up to the day.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: There's no shot list, there's no obviously there's an expectation, but there's no set expectation to my footage.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like my art is really, really able to like be free because I have that freedom.
6:51
SPEAKER_00: And like, I don't know, it's awesome and it's really fun too.
6:55
SPEAKER_00: And my couples are amazing, and it's like these are this is your happiest day, and someone's inviting me in to capture that raw emotional feeling.
7:02
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
7:03
SPEAKER_01: You literally have the perfect job.
7:05
SPEAKER_01: You hate editing, but love filming.
7:07
SPEAKER_00: I do, yeah.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: It's like that content creation.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: The editing that I do do, it's not like I'm literally just piecing together reels, shortening them, making the music and stuff, and like that does take me time because I'm very anal and I judge my work a lot.
7:22
SPEAKER_00: I do have to get it perfect.
7:23
SPEAKER_00: My songs, I like them to be really meaningful to my couples, and like after the wedding, I like hearing even like more about how their stories and how they met, and that also just translates into my work too.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: Like, I feel like I know I know their story, so now let's make it something that you can post in 24 hours.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
7:41
SPEAKER_01: So maybe some that are listening are like, what is content creation?
7:46
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:46
SPEAKER_01: Is it's it's not like it's the newest thing, but it's fairly new.
7:51
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
7:52
SPEAKER_01: So it could you just break down like what do you do day of, what are you delivering after the fact?
7:59
SPEAKER_00: I think the first thing is I'm not a videographer.
8:01
SPEAKER_00: I think that is where a lot of my couples get very confused.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: I'm not a videographer.
8:07
SPEAKER_00: That's not what I'm there for.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: I'm not there with my iPhone shooting one hour long videos.
8:12
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
8:13
SPEAKER_00: I'm more of the behind-the-scenes raw emotion.
8:16
SPEAKER_00: So I guess the best way to describe it is just pretend I'm like your stalker or paparazzi for the day and like I'm following you around to the moments that you don't even miss.
8:25
SPEAKER_00: I mean, your husband crying down the aisle, your photographer's gonna get that.
8:30
SPEAKER_00: But what about your grandma who's looking at your grandpa and realizing that their granddaughter's getting married?
8:35
SPEAKER_00: It's those little things that I think content creation is really brings it about.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: And also, too, I feel like with photography, you are on a stricter schedule.
8:44
SPEAKER_00: And like what I love about my photographers, they get those more posed, those pictures you're gonna hang up on your walls, but like content creation is more of the stuff that you can whip out your iPhone and be like, oh look, like this is what we did.
8:57
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, it's I don't know, it's like a short little recap.
9:00
SPEAKER_00: It's I really feel like I'm paparazzi at your wedding.
9:03
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
9:03
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm almost picturing like like imagine all of your girls have their phone out at all the most important moments.
9:10
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's literally just like I'm your best friend and I just have my phone and I'm recording your whole day without you even knowing there's really a camera there, yeah, which is fine.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: So are you there like all day?
9:23
SPEAKER_01: Are you there like eight hours?
9:24
SPEAKER_01: Like what's that look like?
9:26
SPEAKER_00: I have um separate packages, but most of my couples are booking those eight hour to ten hour days.
9:31
SPEAKER_00: So I'm there bride getting ready till that last entrance, which is very, very fun because I feel like you can just kind of see like the whole day just kind of play out, which is awesome.
9:42
SPEAKER_00: And like, I don't know, I love I love talking to people and like getting to like build those connections throughout the day.
9:49
SPEAKER_00: And like most of the times I walk out of there and I have like five new friends, and I'm like, this is awesome! Like, yeah.
9:55
SPEAKER_01: So, what are couples getting based on maybe like there's a couple different deliverables, I guess?
10:01
SPEAKER_01: Like, what are they kind of getting that 24 hours?
10:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so within that 24 hours, or I can speak on behalf of my business, you'll get a full Dropbox gallery of everything that I took.
10:13
SPEAKER_00: So, from like I said, every clip, every every clip I will upload.
10:18
SPEAKER_00: Obviously, if there's one that's like super shaky or anything like that, I'll do that.
10:22
SPEAKER_00: I'll normally go through mute the clips and stuff, the audio that's obviously not important.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: So you'll wake up um either your honeymoon or the day after you get married, and you have a full drop box of content and it's separated from first look, reception.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: Oh, so it's all organized.
10:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I put it, it's like little folders too, which is awesome.
10:43
SPEAKER_00: So if you just really want to look at, oh, my first dance, our first dances with your husband or your mom or your dad, like it's in there, which is really cool.
10:51
SPEAKER_00: And then I also in that folder within 48 hours, um, I have a reels and recap folder, so they'll have like a full recap and like those little reels that you can post on TikTok in there too, which is really fun.
11:04
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
11:04
SPEAKER_01: So are you setting up like the specific things that girls are doing and like getting ready, popping into the dress?
11:13
SPEAKER_01: Are you really just getting like behind the scenes and kind of doing more like recap-y style stuff?
11:18
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I'm definitely more of getting like the little things too.
11:20
SPEAKER_00: And I also feel like I sometimes even play like a little bit of the coordinator role, just keeping things um flowing and stuff.
11:29
SPEAKER_00: And normally I'll work with the event planner or the coordinator to make sure that we get those specific, specific shots.
11:35
SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you want the shot of your mom putting helping you put your dress on or like your girls putting your shoes on, or like those little things, which is fun.
11:44
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
11:45
SPEAKER_01: What was it about that style shoot?
11:48
SPEAKER_01: You were you said like I knew that I was gonna be doing like what was it from that style of shoot that you were like, man, this is totally what I'm supposed to be doing.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, honestly, I think for me, uh after I posted my first reel, it it kind of blew up a little bit.
12:07
SPEAKER_00: And I had a lot of people texting me and a lot of vendors like this is what you're really meant to do.
12:11
SPEAKER_00: Like I like you really made the good, you made you made the right decision.
12:15
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like honestly, I feel like I was always supposed to go to corporate because that's what that's what my family told me, that's what my friends are doing.
12:23
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I got a college degree, I'm in debt for this, and like now I'm like freelancing, hustling it, but like I don't know, I just I feel like I feel so happy, and like I feel like I'm I I can bring so much to my couples and like I don't know, which is awesome.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: I think they have a really cool job.
12:41
SPEAKER_01: So I'm hearing some content creators, or maybe just the idea of content creators like dipping their toes into more of like a videographer role where they are getting like full-length clips on from their phones still, like full length of like ceremony or first dances or or whatever that might be.
13:02
SPEAKER_01: Do you feel like in your business, like are you kind of sticking true to just like kind of the recapy style shorter clips?
13:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you feel like there's room for that.
13:12
SPEAKER_01: Like, how do you feel?
13:13
SPEAKER_01: Like, kind of give me a little bit of your input on like the video.
13:16
SPEAKER_00: The wedding I just did um Saturday, she really wanted just her vows.
13:21
SPEAKER_00: That was the big thing she wanted.
13:23
SPEAKER_00: So it was that was obviously a longer video, so it was just a five-minute clip of their vows.
13:28
SPEAKER_00: And to me, I feel like I'm not really stepping on toes that way.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, I'm not editing, it's very raw.
13:34
SPEAKER_00: I feel like it would just be like your mom holding up a phone.
13:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
13:37
SPEAKER_00: And taking it.
13:38
SPEAKER_01: Except your mom doesn't have to do it.
13:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, except your mom doesn't have to do it.
13:41
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like honestly, the day goes by so fast too, and like you might not even remember because of the emotions and stuff.
13:49
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like it's just so nice to just sometimes look at just look at your phone and have a video.
13:53
SPEAKER_00: I mean, how many times like you want to show someone something, you just pull out your phone, you don't show them this whole gallery of stuff.
14:00
SPEAKER_00: It's something that's quick.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: Like one specific moment that you're gonna do.
14:03
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and like obviously, I'm not gonna be standing there for two hours.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you have a two-hour-long ceremony that's not my thing.
14:09
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm not doing like a whole 30-minute clip, but a cute little five-minute vow or like your first dance that may be two or three minutes long.
14:18
SPEAKER_00: I don't see a problem with that now.
14:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's gonna be interesting to see how it changes or doesn't change like the landscape of like what we do as a videographer versus like content creators, like if there is more of kind of a overlap, because I do hear some from photographers sometimes saying like couples are asking, should we get a content creator or should we get a videographer?
14:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, do you have like an elevator pitch for like what would be the kind of driving factor for a couple to be like, yeah, maybe we don't want a videographer, but like content creator is gonna be like fit the uh vision of what we're looking for?
14:58
SPEAKER_00: So my bride actually this Saturday, she came up to me, she's like, we don't have a videographer, I wanted a content creator because I wanted someone that can just get to the point.
15:07
SPEAKER_00: She was like, I didn't want a massive long five-minute recap.
15:12
SPEAKER_00: She was like, I want mom, I want clips from the whole 10-hour day, the stuff that I didn't even think I would want.
15:19
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like too, um, a lot of people more people.
15:23
SPEAKER_00: I feel like social media is also just kind of blown up.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: So, like, yeah, you want those clips for TikTok, you want those Instagram stories, and like obviously I I love videographers, those are that's that's some of my favorite wedding footage and stuff.
15:37
SPEAKER_00: But I do think sometimes people just want that easy accessible something you can just instantly post.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: Oh, it's a one year.
15:44
SPEAKER_00: Here's a little quick recap of our whole day instead of posting this whole long edited.
15:51
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it's a production, this whole production video.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
15:54
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'm I'm hearing um the like speed part of it, so you're getting stuff really, really fast.
16:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
16:02
SPEAKER_01: And then I'm even hearing just like the simplicity of just those uh smaller moments.
16:09
SPEAKER_01: They are it's it is iPhone footage, it's not like big cinema cameras or anything crazy or like your broadcast cameras from school.
16:17
SPEAKER_01: Um, but they're getting it very quickly.
16:20
SPEAKER_01: One little moment they can go quick and find it and play it or post it or do whatever they want to do with it.
16:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I genuinely think it is social media though.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: I mean, this wasn't a thing five years ago because social media wasn't as popular.
16:33
SPEAKER_00: We have, I mean, you have these TikTok content creators, that wasn't even a thing.
16:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
16:37
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like it's just honestly just tumbling off of social media in general, just growing.
16:42
SPEAKER_00: And honestly, I do think it's great.
16:44
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think for me, I have a camcorder and I'll sometimes like I'll shoot with it with some of my higher packages.
16:51
SPEAKER_00: But for me, the content creators that are shooting with a camera, that's not content creation.
16:56
SPEAKER_00: You're a videographer at that point.
16:58
SPEAKER_00: That's those are longer clips.
17:00
SPEAKER_01: I love the take.
17:01
SPEAKER_01: I love the take.
17:01
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's for me.
17:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't like I'm a content creator.
17:04
SPEAKER_00: If I wanted to pick up a camera, I'd be a videographer.
17:07
SPEAKER_00: That's that's why my company's a different role.
17:09
SPEAKER_00: It's a completely different role.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: And like, I I don't know, like being especially being trained to shoot on a camera, like I know it takes a lot more time, it takes a lot more effort.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: It's not you're playing around with the settings, it's but with my iPhone, I'm just whoop, yeah, maybe adjusting the exposure a little bit.
17:26
SPEAKER_01: I hope you have that sound effect when you pick up your phone.
17:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah.
17:31
SPEAKER_01: How would you describe your style?
17:34
SPEAKER_01: Um, I would assume that there's some sort of like creative style that you might have started to see develop.
17:41
SPEAKER_01: And I know like you've you've had seven weddings, you have a bunch more coming up, but maybe even in those first seven, you started to kind of see like, oh, this is kind of like a little bit of a style that I'm gonna do.
17:52
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so like my first couple weddings, um, I'm definitely tailored to as a luxury premium content creator.
17:59
SPEAKER_00: So for me, I do more of those luxury upscale weddings.
18:03
SPEAKER_00: So the budgets that I'm working for, my couples are spending$60 plus thousand dollars on their wedding, and that's normally like a minimum.
18:10
SPEAKER_00: That obviously is a lot more.
18:12
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, more of the city vibe.
18:13
SPEAKER_00: More a lot more city editorial, um, bigger budgets, a lot more venue spaces that are completely different.
18:20
SPEAKER_00: So I definitely think my my style is more high fashion storytelling, which I think is so fun.
18:28
SPEAKER_00: But I also do love those raw emotional clips too, and like just I want my couples to be them when they're in front of me, honestly.
18:36
SPEAKER_00: I think when when with wedding days, I think people get too caught on the aesthetic and not more of the emotion, and that's where I want to come in.
18:46
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
18:47
SPEAKER_01: It sounds like you're really even as like a content creator, you're really still concerned with like the storytelling aspect of it.
18:55
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and like I don't know, for me, like I'm like this is like I love, I I will say this, I love weddings.
19:00
SPEAKER_00: I'm that girl that has dreamed about her wedding.
19:02
SPEAKER_00: So for me to not show up for someone on their one day, that that's that that doesn't happen.
19:09
SPEAKER_00: That's not an option.
19:10
SPEAKER_00: Like, you will have a good wedding day when you work with me.
19:12
SPEAKER_00: I will do everything in my power to make sure that the content that I shoe is a reflection of that.
19:18
SPEAKER_00: And I also think, too, with vendors, you have to take care of your clients too.
19:21
SPEAKER_00: If you want those beautiful clips where they're having fun, like show up for them, like have those conversations, keep your bride calm, meet the bridesmaids, talk to the moms, like find out about the couple too, which is another reason why I love my job because I love to talk.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: So I just get to talk to people too.
19:38
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I talk to them all day.
19:39
SPEAKER_01: Um, is there a part of uh what you're capturing day of where maybe you're like excited about a clip because it's like something that you love kind of creating, like a little bit of creating for yourself, but there's also that like balance of like you are creating for your client at the end of the day?
19:59
SPEAKER_00: I would say I actually just posted a reel yesterday, and she was probably one of my favorite brides.
20:04
SPEAKER_00: Um, I even remember like shooting the clip.
20:06
SPEAKER_00: I was like, this is my favorite clip I've ever taken.
20:08
SPEAKER_00: It was her, her husband, and her three kids.
20:10
SPEAKER_00: They joined in after their first dance, and they were all little too, so they were like, it was the cutest thing, and I just literally kept thinking like this is what you work your whole life for, and like I just got to capture that moment, and like it's it's really cool.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: And I got to like capture that moment of shout out to the Jacksons, but the Jackson 5 for the first time, which was awesome.
20:32
SPEAKER_01: That's so cool, yeah.
20:33
SPEAKER_01: So if you could speak to vendors just for a minute um on the creating content for your business side of things, I would imagine there's a lot of crossover between like the content creation for weddings and like how how can businesses, what can businesses business owners do, letting vendors do to show up better on social media, present more of themselves better on social media.
21:00
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so with I do work with vendors too as well.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: And I say for me, social media in our specific space is so important.
21:08
SPEAKER_00: I feel like over the past three years, if you're not active on Instagram, that's normally where your clients are looking at your portfolio versus maybe just looking up a website.
21:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, so I feel like for me, for vendors, you know, you should have someone that highlights your work.
21:24
SPEAKER_00: I work with a lot of florists.
21:26
SPEAKER_00: You spend hours making those floral arrangements, and why not have someone showcase your work?
21:33
SPEAKER_00: And most of the time that's gonna make you more money because that's more views, that's more inquiries, and it's just a trickling thing.
21:39
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
21:40
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, what's the biggest mistake that you're seeing vendors make in the content that they're creating for their business and the content that they're putting out on something like Instagram?
21:48
SPEAKER_00: I would say there's no real thought behind a some of the content.
21:53
SPEAKER_00: I think people get very overwhelmed and they just piece together something without there being like If I mean the algorithm for one thing, that's what you have to understand that.
22:04
SPEAKER_00: You have to understand what is it that your couples are wanting.
22:07
SPEAKER_00: Are they gonna want, you know, fun, candid moments, or are they gonna want those high fashion editorial moments?
22:14
SPEAKER_00: And I also think vendors need to realize with their brand, what is it that you want your couples to see when it comes to your work?
22:20
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like you need to pick a content creator.
22:23
SPEAKER_00: That work also showcases that.
22:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
22:26
SPEAKER_01: So this might kind of apply to both a vendor who's putting themselves on camera, but also some of your couples that are like, uh, like being in front of the camera is not something I'm like super pumped for.
22:39
SPEAKER_01: I obviously want the memories captured, or if you're the vendor, you gotta put yourself out there because you are your brand in a lot of ways.
22:46
SPEAKER_01: Um what how do you help couples, or what would you say to vendors to help them feel more comfortable?
22:53
SPEAKER_00: I talk a lot.
22:53
SPEAKER_00: I ask them a million questions.
22:55
SPEAKER_00: I my couples that I've I know I'm someone that's very comfortable in front of the camera.
23:00
SPEAKER_00: So for me, like literally just talking to them, ask them, oh, how'd you guys meet?
23:04
SPEAKER_00: It normally turns into a funny story.
23:06
SPEAKER_00: Now they're laughing, now we're piggybacking off of that.
23:08
SPEAKER_00: The photographer got the shot, now I have a cute shot of them.
23:11
SPEAKER_00: So genuinely just talk to your couples, build those connections, see what it is that yes, this is a very, very nerve-wracking day, and emotions are high, but maybe just even talk to them like this is your wedding day, like this is everything that you worked for and more.
23:26
SPEAKER_00: Like, just enjoy it.
23:27
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah.
23:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, it there's a weird thing, I feel like, because like there's so many couples that they spend probably most of the time before they get married not being in front of the camera, and then on the wedding day, if you have a videographer and a photographer and a content creator, you have like five to eight cameras around all the time.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: It's very nerve-wracking, and I will definitely say for couples, just practice.
23:53
SPEAKER_00: Literally, get I've for me, like I've modeled, get in front of that camera, even if your husband doesn't like pictures or your fiance, just take start like that time you're getting engaged, like just be comfortable and also pick a photographer that knows how to work with, that can pose you, that can help you.
24:10
SPEAKER_00: And I think that makes a huge difference is your photographer.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: Like they really set the tone for the day, and that's normally who I'm piggybacking off of, who I'm following for the shot.
24:20
SPEAKER_00: So definitely do research on your vendors.
24:23
SPEAKER_00: Pick a really good photographer that knows how to pose, isn't going to be awkward.
24:28
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to, you know, figure out what how do how do we know there shouldn't be any questions if you have the right vendor.
24:36
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
24:37
SPEAKER_01: Speaking of finding the right vendor, how do how do couples figure out like, you know, maybe there's this content creator, that content creator, maybe yourself, and they're trying to figure out like, who do we go with?
24:48
SPEAKER_01: Do we are we looking at style?
24:49
SPEAKER_01: Do we look at like the what that's on social media on their pages?
24:53
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I definitely think with this being a new thing, I think people are more of looking at that price of well, if I'm paying this for a content creator, why wouldn't I just get a videographer?
25:05
SPEAKER_00: Which is definitely something to think about too.
25:08
SPEAKER_00: With this being so new, there are so many content creators out there versus last year.
25:13
SPEAKER_00: But I think finding the right one, um, definitely do your research.
25:17
SPEAKER_00: Um, make sure I would say start with an event planner too.
25:21
SPEAKER_00: Have your key vendors that can branch off and recommend those for you too, because then you have a team that can work together.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: But also, I think do your research, inquire for a couple of them to see how what is their response time?
25:37
SPEAKER_00: If it's taking them three weeks to get back on an inquiry, it may not, this may not be your person.
25:44
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah.
25:46
SPEAKER_01: Is there a part of like the style that couples should be looking at?
25:49
SPEAKER_01: Or like what questions should they be asking?
25:51
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I would definitely think what are you more looking for?
25:54
SPEAKER_00: Are you looking for those raw, candid moments of you know, you don't want any direction from your content creator stepping in?
26:01
SPEAKER_00: Are you wanting those TikTok moments of all those social media trowns and the scene and the sounds?
26:07
SPEAKER_00: Like, is that what you want?
26:08
SPEAKER_00: Or do you just really want someone that's gonna be there to piece together these beautiful clips and really just tell a story in 90 seconds?
26:16
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
26:17
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
26:17
SPEAKER_01: Have you seen a big shift in what content creators are doing now versus even just like a year ago or maybe even just a couple months ago?
26:26
SPEAKER_01: Like you said.
26:32
SPEAKER_00: It's vendors, and like I'm going to bridal fashion week um in two weeks.
26:36
SPEAKER_00: So even that we're like starting to step more into, and I think it's just becoming this thing that everyone like it's I don't know, it's just awesome how you can just shoot content and then it's there for you in 24 hours.
26:48
SPEAKER_01: So is there is there stuff that you wish couples knew before reaching out to a content creator that'd be like helpful in that planning process?
26:56
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think definitely know the difference between a videographer and a content creator.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: I think that's definitely a huge thing.
27:03
SPEAKER_00: Um, right now is what can my videographer do and what does a content creator do?
27:07
SPEAKER_00: And we kind of went over like the difference.
27:09
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, we definitely went over some of the differences.
27:11
SPEAKER_00: And I also think, you know, how do you want your day to go?
27:14
SPEAKER_00: Like, is this something are you that type A bride that wants every little thing to have some control?
27:20
SPEAKER_00: Are you that type B bride that's like, let go, do your thing, just give me my shots?
27:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
27:26
SPEAKER_00: Um, so I really think you just need to think how how do you want your day to go?
27:29
SPEAKER_00: And also how do you want to remember your wedding?
27:31
SPEAKER_00: Are you someone that's fine with just having wedding pictures and like a video, or do you want that full 500 plus videos of everything that happened that day?
27:42
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and it seems like uh you've painted a super clear picture of like what type of person, what type of couple would benefit from a content creator, or even just like going into it, like there's a very clear difference for you, and maybe that's not the same for every content creator, but it sounds like if you have a clear picture, if you're a couple listening, here's a content creator, here's what they do, here's a videographer, here's what they do, here's what we could get from each one.
28:09
SPEAKER_01: Some might see, like, hey, there's a benefit to having bowls because they're different.
28:13
SPEAKER_01: Um, but it sounds like you know, ask all the questions, tell the content creator what you're about, what your day is gonna be like.
28:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
28:23
SPEAKER_01: And it sounds like we can kind of get an idea of like this person's gonna be a good fit.
28:28
SPEAKER_01: This person is doing, you know, the type of content creation that I'm wanting from my day, and you can be as hands-on or as hands-off, I guess.
28:35
SPEAKER_00: It sounds like and I also think for couples, get the photographer, get the videographer, get the content creator if you have the budget and connect them.
28:42
SPEAKER_00: That's a team of people now that a production team of people now that are all working for you to shoot your wedding.
28:49
SPEAKER_00: So I think that's important too.
28:50
SPEAKER_00: Like, I always connect with my connect with the photographers, talk to them.
28:54
SPEAKER_00: Hey, I I'll be shooting this wedding.
28:56
SPEAKER_00: Like, don't I don't mean to step on your toes, but you're working as a team to have a production and like this is it is a pr a wedding is a production in some aspects.
29:07
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, in some aspects, I mean we definitely want our couples to be like in the moment, yeah, yeah.
29:12
SPEAKER_01: Present.
29:12
SPEAKER_00: But for us vendors, it's it's I think it's a production, and like we all need to work as a team to make sure that they have the best wedding.
29:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then we're getting what we need.
29:22
SPEAKER_01: You guys can get what you need, photographers can get what they need.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
29:25
SPEAKER_01: And all of that is just to serve our couples the best.
29:28
SPEAKER_01: It is, it is.
29:29
SPEAKER_01: Nothing for us.
29:30
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it is nice when we hear kind words and we see good feedback.
29:36
SPEAKER_01: Um, but no, it's so fun.
29:38
SPEAKER_01: Your your business um, you know, just kind of got started this summer.
29:44
SPEAKER_01: Is there something even now that we're in September filming this that you like wish you knew when you started out?
29:51
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I wish I would have told myself like everything is gonna be okay.
29:55
SPEAKER_00: Like, take a deep breath.
29:57
SPEAKER_00: There was a lot going on.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: There was a lot, it literally felt like a rug just got like yanked out for me.
30:02
SPEAKER_00: But like, literally just have faith.
30:04
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, like this is sometimes I think when I was working in corporate, I just took life way too seriously and like was just too concerned about other people around me.
30:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, instead of okay, well, I know I'm good at this now.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: I have my niche, I love working with my couples.
30:20
SPEAKER_00: Now let's how do I just connect the two, which is awesome.
30:24
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, is there some things that you've done even these these months here that have helped you grow as a creative and as a business owner?
30:32
SPEAKER_00: Definitely.
30:32
SPEAKER_00: I even heard from other vendors too.
30:34
SPEAKER_00: Like I think working in sales, I already have that sales email.
30:37
SPEAKER_01: Oh, for sure.
30:38
SPEAKER_00: Cold callings.
30:39
SPEAKER_01: There's no uh content creator thing you need to pass.
30:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
30:44
SPEAKER_00: So I feel like for me, like I every morning I wake up, I do outreaches.
30:49
SPEAKER_00: So I'm DMing people, I'm emailing them, I'm doing everything possible that I can to get my name out there.
30:56
SPEAKER_00: And that it that's how I've gotten a lot of weddings.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: That's how I've been able, I'm going to fashion week in two weeks.
31:02
SPEAKER_00: That's how I've been able to do the things that I want to do because I'm not asked for it.
31:07
SPEAKER_00: I mean, they say no, okay.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: Well, what about something else?
31:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
31:10
SPEAKER_01: So how do you get over the like fear of rejection if you're a vendor that's listening?
31:15
SPEAKER_01: Like, what do you say to that?
31:16
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think I'm I mean, it hurts when someone says they don't want to work with you, but I'm honestly a huge believer in everything happens for a reason.
31:25
SPEAKER_00: Okay, I wasn't supposed to have that wedding, or I wasn't supposed to work with that couple because I know another opportunity is coming.
31:32
SPEAKER_00: So I genuinely just I think I just have a lot of faith and like very optimistic.
31:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm really like there's no like I will not fail.
31:39
SPEAKER_00: Like in my mind, my business will not fail.
31:41
SPEAKER_00: So I think I'm just yeah, I don't see it like I just if you're taking that mindset, you'll be scrappy.
31:47
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you are trying if you love something, if you're if you are so passionate about it and you love it and you work hard at it, it will pay off.
31:54
SPEAKER_00: It truly will.
31:55
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, it's so fun.
31:57
SPEAKER_01: What's so fun, I was a to hear all the things that you're doing in your content creation business.
32:03
SPEAKER_01: Um, and it just to me, I like I was so excited for this conversation because I I was so curious to pick your brain on like where do we fit into things as videographers?
32:14
SPEAKER_01: Where do y'all fit in as content creators?
32:17
SPEAKER_01: There's room for everyone, there's a bajillion weddings every year, and you know, couples can really have a preference, it's totally fine.
32:26
SPEAKER_01: They can want a content creator, they can not want a videographer, they can want a videographer, they can not want a content creator.
32:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's so fun, and I can't wait to see.
32:34
SPEAKER_01: We were just talking off air.
32:36
SPEAKER_01: Three years from now, I'd be calling you from like some crazy place, like you want to be back on my podcast.
32:41
SPEAKER_01: But it'll be so fun.
32:42
SPEAKER_01: So, where can people find and follow along with what you're doing?
32:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so you can follow along.
32:46
SPEAKER_00: Um, my website is content by Alize, and the same with my Instagram, Content by Alize.
32:52
SPEAKER_00: I will be in New York in two weeks for a whole week for fashion week, um running around, shooting a bunch of designers, which is gonna be really fun.
32:59
SPEAKER_00: So definitely tag along for that.
33:00
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so if you want to click on those links, they'll be in the description.
33:03
SPEAKER_01: And I have no idea when this is going out, so go check her page if it's past what was that, like the middle of October.
33:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
33:10
SPEAKER_01: Um, you'll see a whole bunch of I'm assuming you'll see a whole bunch of faction mix up.
33:14
SPEAKER_00: Um the new year, I'll be in Europe, so catch me there.
33:18
SPEAKER_00: That will be very fun.
33:19
SPEAKER_00: So if any other couples want to take me somewhere, please do.
33:22
SPEAKER_01: That's so fun.
33:23
SPEAKER_01: It's so fun to hear about all the things you're doing in your business.
33:26
SPEAKER_01: And uh make sure you guys go check out what she's doing.
33:29
SPEAKER_01: That uh, you know, there's gonna be so much more stuff.
33:31
SPEAKER_01: I mean, like you're you have an exciting like months ahead.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, definitely.
33:38
SPEAKER_00: And it's crazy too.
33:38
SPEAKER_00: I'm just thinking, like, I feel like videographers, you guys are like making the movie, and I'm like the commercial, like the like sneak peek of the movie.
33:45
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, yeah, like the little BTS and like all the raw moments.
33:48
SPEAKER_01: It's so fun.
33:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's that's all for this episode.
33:51
SPEAKER_01: I hope you guys enjoyed hearing all the things content creation, content by Alize.
33:57
SPEAKER_01: And uh, if you guys are watching on YouTube, make sure you subscribe, like, comment down below, let me know how you're liking the show.
34:04
SPEAKER_01: If you're listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or whatever, you're listening to your podcast.
34:10
SPEAKER_01: I would love to hear, you know, give us a review and just let me know how you're liking the show.
34:14
SPEAKER_01: Share it with all of your friends.
34:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's all for this episode.
34:18
SPEAKER_01: We'll catch you guys next time on the preferred list.
34:21
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.