Jaz

I became a videographer at a very young age. When my friends and I were in middle school we would borrow his mom’s camera and film short, silly movies that we would then play for our parents. I knew from that point on that I wanted to work in video. Once I got into wedding videography it quickly became one of my favorite ways to ply my trade.

My favorite wedding memory is actually sounds like a bit of a downer at first. We had just finished the ceremony and the catering had not shown up yet. Everyone was worried, but we all tried to convince ourselves that it was just running late. We’d come to find out that the caterer actually FORGOT they were catering a wedding. It seemed like the ultimate crisis, but the photographer and worked with the Complete DJ to move our entire timeline forward. Anything we would have done after dinner, we did before, while the Parents and Host Couples called every pizza place in the area. The bride and groom were good sports about it, and we made sure they were informed every step of the way about what was going on. By the time we finished the Father-Daughter dance, 80 pizzas from 6 different pizza places had arrived. I’d never seen so many well dressed people so excited for pizza. It turned into a wild memory for the couple, and one of my favorite moments as a Videographer as I shot them feeding each other pizza.

My favorite thing about being a videographer is hard to narrow down. Its a really fun job. If I had to pair it down, its that moment during the first look when the couple sees one another. It has a magical property. The day can be stressful, with lots of last minute fires to put out. Everyone wants things to be perfect and when there’s an issue, it can seem like the end of the world, and you don’t have your most trusted person there to work through it with and tell you its going to be alright. So when you finally get to see them, dressed to the nines and smiling back at you, all that stress just seems to melt away. We always try to make that moment private, and to give a couple space to just breathe (maybe the last moment they’ll get to do it all day). Its really a profoundly beautiful thing.

What makes me unique? Besides my name? Its my dedication to making the day work. No wedding day will be perfect, but if I have anything to say it will be darn close. I try to work around the energy of my couples. I want to anticipate needs, know where things are, and still be prepared to grab that perfect moment. As far as my shooting goes, I like to bring in the atmosphere of the day. I’m not someone who tries to fake too much on a wedding day. Sure, I might have a groom take their coat off and act like they’re getting dressed when they’ve been dressed for hours, but I want the moments to be as real as possible. Its not my job to direct the day. I’ll guide, offer advice, or offer suggestions where they’re needed, but I want to capture that real, beautiful day in all its uniqueness.

My favorite part of the wedding day? I already mentioned the first look, and I really like dinner. No, my favorite part of the day is always different. Some days its sharing a small joke with an officiant, or chatting with a kiddo in attendance about what they think about this big, crazy day. Some days its having just the right tool in my emergency kit to solve a problem, or getting a hug and thank you at the end of the day. I like toasts a lot, because its a moment where I get to hear some heartfelt or funny stories about the couple and get to know them a little better. Its always a little different every time.

A fun fact about me is that I work for the broadcast team for Lincoln Star’s Hockey.