My Big Fat Greek Wedding
OMG!!! Okay – I have never had the privilege of filming a Greek Orthodox wedding – until last weekend. It was simply amazing. Mr. & Mrs. George & Michelle Khamis were married at the Anunciation Greek Orthodox Church in West Little Rock last Saturday. It was SO much fun, and a brand new cultural experience for us.
The traditions and rituals of the marriage ceremony were just fascinating, and deeply moving to me. The significance of the Trinity, and how important that is to the marriage was very evident in the ceremony. And the reception – oh boy! They know how to celebrate! Everyone is involved in the dancing and the congratulations and the food – and I could go on.
One of my favorite parts of the evening was when Michelle’s sister performed a belly dance for the crowd. Everyone really got into the spirit of the dance and the cultural celebration. I just had to share my enjoyment of the occasion 
I look forward to reliving it all while I edit!
Happy Wedding!
Tish
www.kempvideoproductions.com
Time Sensitive Material
I hate to say it. Every time the words come out of my mouth, I get a little sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s the phrase – “I’m sorry, we’re unavailable.”
Every bride I have to turn away – well, it just breaks my heart. I know how difficult it is to decide on the vendors you want, and it always honors me to know I’ve been chosen. By you. And to have to turn you away is easily my least favorite part about this business.
So I ask – please don’t wait less than six months to book your videographer. Really, you should probably have all your vendors booked six months out. Personally, I’ve had to turn away 15 brides in the last month because they waited too long. It just plain stinks. 
If you are thinking about hiring us for your wedding day – please call us as soon as possible. I don’t want to have to turn you away, too.
Tish Kemp
Kemp Video
Thankfulness Reflections
As I’m sitting here in my home office, I’m looking out the window at the winter wonderland we so rarely get to enjoy in Arkansas. It calms me to see the pristine landscape… icicles on the tree branches, little bits of grass poking through the snowy ice in the yard – even icicles on our icicle lights rimming the house. (Yes, we haven’t taken the Christmas lights down Too darn cold!)
But in this calmness, there also is thankfulness. I truly love what my husband and I are able to do together. You know we both work at television stations, but what is sometimes disheartening is the difference in our work schedules. He leaves the house at 4 a.m. I’m gone when he gets home. And then he’s awake for just a couple of hours after I return from work. So we don’t get to always spend a ton of time together.
But what we do together is amazing! Do you know powerful it is to participate in the sacredness of marriage? It never ceases to remind me of how important our own marriage is. I think that’s one of the main reasons I love filming weddings so much. Each wedding we film helps us maintain our own marriage – if that makes sense to you. I’m always moved to hear our couples make those same vows. I never want this to become just another “gig” for us. It’s too special.
So, I’m looking forward to our many couples this season. Starting with Michelle Stewart and George Khamis! They’re getting married on Valentine’s weekend at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. This will be our first Greek Orthodox ceremony and I’m SO excited!!! I hope we will do it justice!
As always – be sure to check out our webpage at www.kempvideoproductions.com
Tish
Videos for Your Viewing Pleasure!
Just wanted to share a few clips from some of recent clients. Hope you enjoy!
Bridal Show a Success!
Thank you to all the brides who stopped by our booth at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s January Bridal Show. As I suspected, you all are a bunch of sweethearts 
Here’s a couple of pics our amazing friend Karen Segrave of KES Wedding Photography took of our booth. Be sure to visit her website . Also check out our website.
Kemp Video Chosen for 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™
Kemp Video booth at Arkansas Dem-Gaz Bridal Show
Alexander, Arkansas – January 19th, 2010 -
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Kemp Video Productions has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Videography!
The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.
Kemp Video is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.
“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”
We are happy to announce that Kemp Video is among the very best Wedding Videographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.
For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at .
About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.
What are you doing this Sunday?
So I’m very excited about this Sunday’s bridal show in Little Rock. And I have to tell you it’s because we get to meet so many wonderful people while we’re there. Brides, their mothers, their fiances, and fabulous other wedding vendors. There are a lot of tips I could share with you if you’re planning on attending this event, but why reinvent the wheel, right? Here’s the blog of a fellow vendor that already has it spelled out for you. Oh, and by the way, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Bridal Show is this Sunday, January 17th from 12:30 – 5 p.m. at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. We will be in booth #100. Come see us!
Bridal shows offer a one stop pre-screen shopping experience…..it’s the Wal-Mart of weddings as I sometimes refer to shows. Take advantage of these shows and here are some tips.
1) Register online before the show, you may usually save an average of $5.00 by doing so.
2) Print address labels including your wedding date, this will be helpful for all the drawings you will be encouraged to enter. This will lessen times you need to write your information!
3) If you don’t already have a separate email address specifically for your wedding, you may do so now. To be honest your email address will be shared once you register for the show.
4) Bring a friend if your fiancé does not want to attend and wear comfortable shoes, you will walk around at least twice.
5) Bring a small notebook to take notes of vendor advice, make as many notes on their cards/handouts first.
6) Ask as many questions that you can about the vendor and their services to learn more tips and to gauge how they will interact with you as a client. Feel free to prepare your questions ahead of time. Split up your questions between vendors.
7) If you are looking for a makeup artist, wear little or no makeup and volunteer to be a model. This helps the vendor with a demo and you for a free mini consultation.
Your friend should help keep you on track to narrow down your prospective vendors. Here is what you do:
* Collect as much literature as possible, for the vendors that you really like you keep the information. The others give to your friend to place in her bag. This helps you filter the information while at the show, still go through the information…you never know what you will find.
* Rate the vendors you see, whether you use an A,B,C method or 1-5 rating this will also help when reviewing information. If you don’t mind have your friend rate the vendor and compare ratings later.
* Take note of the vendors with the Bridal Show deals, there are usually great saving using a special promotional code.
Prestigiously yours,
Kay
http://prestigiousoccasions.blogspot.com/2010/01/clock-is-ticking-and-its-now-time-to.html
Reaching into the world of blogging…
Okay – so this is my first official entry into the world of blogging. I really want this to be a place for great information, great video, feedback, etc. You know, all the things that every professional blogger wants their blog to be! But seriously, this is a safe place – one of comfort and peace. And of course weddings.
So, let’s get started, shall we? What should a typical bride think about when they first begin the journey that is planning a wedding? At the top of my list is LOVE! Because wedding planning can seriously turn into a stress-filled and agony-laden journey if you focus on the wrong things.
So, here are my top picks of things to do right away.
1. Decide your budget. (and stick to it)
2. Pick your date – all your other decisions about vendors revolves around this single date.
3. Pick your venue – most venues book a year or more in advance. So you want to make sure the one you want is available, and then get it booked.
Then you need to start deciding what other vendors you’ll need to hire. Videographer, of course Photographer, caterer, baker, florist, dj/band, etc. Find a good planning site, or visit your local bridal shows. And don’t wait until the last minute to get us booked. It is only January, and I already have bookings into September. Once you find who you like, do not wait to get your contract and deposit signed sealed and delivered! As the saying goes, the early bird gets their first choice! (or something like that)
One note: I HIGHLY recommend looking into hiring a wedding planner. First, the planner will have contacts all over the area and can lead you to the best vendors in each field. Second, you don’t have any experience (hopefully) planning a wedding. It’s your first and only wedding. So why not rely on someone else’s extensive knowledge of what goes into a wedding. Third – I know a great planner Tish Bullard of Pink Tea Rose is absolutely fab. You can see her work at http://www.thepinktearose.com/
Happy Planning!
