Collaboration Makes for Better Experiences

There are many individual elements that go into planning a wedding. But what many couples forget is that these elements must mesh perfectly for the entire day to go smoothly. Like a machine, a wedding day is made up of cogs that turn and work together to ensure that everyone is happy and everything is flowing well. With that in mind, it’s important for couples to consider this when selecting many of their wedding vendors who will be working together: a caterer and a venue; a florist and a decorator; a photographer and a videographer. 

Particularly in the case of photography and videography, couples can suffer a loss of quality if the creative experts behind their respective lenses don’t work together cohesively. "It’s a win/win for couples when the photographer and videographer work together seamlessly," says Ashley Mauro, a wedding photographer. "We know it’s not easy to shop for vendors. But it makes our job more enjoyable and fun when we each feel like we have some creative control."

Mauro happened to be working with videographer Shane Pergrem, producer and owner of True Artists Studio, during a wedding. Pergrem says the duo found that they not only work well together, but they challenge one another to do better in unique ways. "We found that working together was easy. We were bouncing ideas off of each other, and there was a solid sense of respect between us."

In the past, Mauro says, she’s worked with videographers of varying expertise levels, and the worst case scenarios can involve the photographer and videographer tripping over one another, or a power struggle for the best positions and locations. When either the photographer or videographer only has his or her own craft in mind, one aspect can suffer. 

"Most of the time, when you hire a photographer and a videographer, they’re going to be from different companies," says Pergrem. "But to benefit the client, they have to come together. When Ashley and I work together at a wedding, we’re always throwing new ideas at each other, we’re energetic and we’re thinking creatively. And you can tell the couple is having an amazing time – it shows in the photography and video." 

Communication is one of the most important things to ensure that both parties are on the same page with the way the day is moving along. It’s imperative to introduce the photographer and the videographer – if they’re meeting for the first time on the day of the wedding, there’s no guarantee they’ll work as well together as they could. 

"You know you’ve done a good job when they’re having fun spending their day with you," says Pergrem. "They have no idea what we’ve done, what the photos or video look like. But the experience they get is twofold – to have a good end product, they have to have had a good experience." 

"We are with them through most of the day," says Mauro. "It’s often the moments between the moments that are the best to capture, and you want to make sure the photographer and videographer are on the same page to capture that." 

Each couple is unique, which means that every wedding, every photo, every frame in the video, should be unique as well. If vendors are able to communicate freely and work together as a cohesive team, each aspect of a couple’s special day will be far more enjoyable than if each cog in the machine is functioning alone. 

"Every couple is unique, and it’s our job to accommodate that," says Pergrem. "Ashley and I are both masters of our craft, and even though we both have our own separate companies, our clients get the best of the best." 

True Artists Studio is located at 3047 Madison Road, Suite 206B, Cincinnati, OH 45209. You can reach them at 859.305.1547 or visit their website at www.trueartistsstudio.net.