Now that I have the inspiration I need to get started, the next step is to remember how to thread my machine. The Singer sewing machine in the above photo is the one I bought and never used, so follow along to see the progress I have made in my next blog post. ​

I know that there are some iconic jewels from scenes I have missed, but add your favorites not mentioned in the comments. And join me in my journey back to my hobbies, I'm gonna try this jewelry-making kit to get back into a flow state of hobbying. Follow along with.

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As a wedding vendor, it is my sole duty as one of the eyes and ears of my clients wedding day to make sure your special day is perfect. However, there are just some things that I cannot control and if you are someone that seeks almost perfection is everything you do, especially in something you are investing so much money i in, keep reading.  

For me as a wedding videographer, one of the things that I can't control in making sure your wedding video is close to perfect as possible is photography flash. Something planners and planning couples may not think about. As much as possible I try to take turns with the photographer to avoid flash, however, during live events like first dances and speeches there is nothing I can do. However, as the planner and/ or decision maker of the day, there are some choices that can be made to drastically minimize photography flash in your wedding video. 

1. Venue Space- When choosing a venue consider one with an outdoor ceremony space or at least an easily accessible outdoor space. Of course depending on the time of year you plan to get married. Just keep in mind natural light is the best light. 
2. Timeline- The time of day you decide to have your ceremony or do your first dance and toasts matter a lot to determine the amount of light is needed or not needed to capture them. In general my advice is the earlier you can do the formal parts the quicker you can get to celebrating with all your guests.
3. Just for the Camera- Think about doing traditional formal moments in private and just on camera where us professionals can choose the location for the best lighting, angle, and sound. 
4. Professional Lighting- To ensure that every space at your venue is lit to perfection for professionals and your guests selfies. Look into hiring professionals to create a lighting ambiance or professional lights to create the the perfect lighting. Maybe even find a venue that already has great lighting.  
5. Champagne Instead of Cake- Consider a champagne wall or fountain instead of having your videographer capture the first cake cutting as a couple. Simply, from my experience the champagne is poured first and cake cutting is usually done later on for desert, which means longer hours. Not to mention Champagne just looks better on video, with the bubbles and effervescent look, you can't go wrong.

Thanks for checking out another MAP Blog, if you enjoy reading these please make sure to leave a comment to let me know what you think and send ideas for future posts. 

Spring is in a week and when love blooms with the tree buds and flower bulbs, future fiance's are looking to propose as relationships transitions too. If you are looking to propose to the love of your the life, know, making a memorable proposal doesn’t have to be a postcard picturesque background. In fact typical places like beaches, waterfalls, loud events, public places, or if you plan on proposing at night. It may not translate well if you plan on having this special moment captured on video. 

I mean why wouldn’t the moment you profess your love to the person your asking to marry and start a family of your own with, not be captured on video? I think it's worth it. Why plan the perfect location, words to say, and beautiful symbol to commemorate the proposal with, if your not going to document it in some way. A video, in my opinion is the ultimate way to document moments like this. With a professional opinion on where to propose (stand, wear, decorate etc…), so you don’t have to worry too much about the small details and your heart can be in the moment. 

Enjoy this important time while a videographer is able to capture clear audio, have an unobstructed view, and in a private/public space that can be beautiful and meaningful. Check out my Top 5 Locations to Propose at According to a Videographer below. 

1. Arboretum/Planetarium 

       Surrounded by plants of almost every species, hidden walkways, and thoughtful architecture. That brings in beautiful light and is usually serene and calm which means it most likely won’t be noisy. So your videographer will have the opportunity to capture great audio. 

    2. Bluff/ Butte/ High Overlook

       A location with a view can be a great symbol of how grand your love is. Imagine, golden hour, during the week at someplace in nature that has an overlook. The chances for high traffic are low (depending of the trail ) ensuring a private moment in a epic location to propose.

   3. Farm/ Orchard/ Flower Field

      The open plain may seem simple but for us videographers and photographers, locations like this are ideal. No obstructions, no weird shadows, and usually calms winds to capture clear audio.  

   4. Empty Theatre/ Ballroom 

      Set the stage for the rest of your lives as you go into marriage by proposing somewhere with such history and where nothing else will steal the spotlight of the moment. With the help of a stage crew you can make this moment something people would pay to see. 

  5. Private/Intimate Patio

      Everybody loves a good bar or restaurant patio rather a nice afternoon or on a warm electric night. When private, this could be the perfect intimate location to propose while having food, libations and even friends and family nearby inside. 

Want more wedding-related content, read our previous blog posts below or with the link here.

As a wedding videographer and women that knows what it's like to feel real self-conscious, unconfident, and just super awkward in general when having pictures and videos taken of them. Feelings of not knowing how to pose or act when the videographer is pointing their camera at you from across the room. I get it completely and that is why I wanted to give a few quick tips for brides and grooms to give a bit of ease when it comes to being the star on your special day. 
Tips to Look Natural in Front of the Camera on your Wedding Day*Disclaimer this is just my opinion and how I feel as a wedding vendor professional and cannot be expected from every wedding professional, however, these could be some qualities to look for when hiring wedding professional for your special day!

1. Ignore Us 

Seriously, it will not be rude if you simply just ignore us, especially your friendly wedding videographer (like me). In fact, I can say that I prefer it once we have met and I’ve introduced myself and my second shooter. Feel free to think of me as a fly on the wall. With the way that I shoot I like for the people to not look directly at my camera lens as it breaks the fourth wall thing, I go for. So feel free to act as if you are being featured on your favorite reality show! 

    2.  Be In the Moment
I know that this may be better said than done with all that goes into the big day. However, I think if ever a day and time to be in the moment it would be this day with your new husband or wife, friends, and family. When your are truly in the moment, you are not worried about what is happening outside the current moment. It is also a great way to reduce stress and anxiety on the day. 

   3. Trust the Professionals
Hiring wedding professionals is done so for a reason, you want to know without a shadow of a doubt that who you hire knows what they are doing, are experienced, recognizes your the best angles, gives posing direction, works with different and unexpected lighting conditions, chooses the most flattering clip/pics and the list goes on. So rest assured that when hiring a professional wedding photographer or videographer that it is truly someone that is professional to cover any worries that you may have. 

    4. Don’t Be Afraid to be Silly 
From my experience, the best and most genuine candid moments that I capture are when couples are being their authentic silly selves. Don’t worry about looking goofy or stupid, again your trust your professionals to find the gems that scream “THAT’S ME” in your element, your orb. As we capture what most may not see with the naked eye. So, make those funny faces, tell that inside joke, and whatever you want to showcase your true authentic love.

     5. Happiness Looks Good on Everyone
Speaking of love, what is deemed one of the happiest days of your life. Ideally your wedding day should have you gleaming ear to ear, surrounded by best buds, close family, and everyone looking for you to have the most perfect day. And of course, finally marrying the love of your life. Such a precious day, be merry and enjoy every moment of it and if all you do is just that, you will look amazing in front of the camera. 

They say that your wedding day goes by in a blink of an eye. Hire a wedding videographer so that you can relive your favorite day over and over. Book Milan Arielle Productions Today and “Rewind the Essence of Life.”

I see you, in love couples planning your perfect day that encompasses who you are as a couple and what you have envisioned for so long to, realize in budget and in the timeframe needed. Planning anything, especially a wedding is so stressful and the costs add up quick! All of the decisions and little details that could make or break this special day can be more than overwhelming. I felt underwater planning a birthday weekend with my friends and there is no comparison. 

The majority of couples that I have worked with book their videographer last minute compared to other vendors. I am usually booked between 5 months to 1 month before the wedding date. I get it (I don’t agree) but I get it, some couples may not be sure if they should hire a videographer, it can seem excessive, expensive, your not the type of couple to watch it back, the list goes on. As last minute worry sets in you may hear other couples regret not hiring a videographer and you realize that you want to capture your vows said out loud.  

In my opinion documenting the vows you will say to your partner on your wedding day should be a bigger priority than say flowers, that will just wilt by the end of the day. So when you finally decide to come to your senses ;) You want to make sure your are hiring someone that is very capable of this task and can do so professionally as there is only one shot at getting these prescious moments in real time. 

Keep reading to learn the top 3 things you should ask you Wedding Videographer before you book them for their services on your wedding day. 

1. Internet Presence

             Most of us realize that if we have never worked in a particular industry, there is a LOT that one doesn’t know about the in’s and out’s of someone's job. That can be said for most couples out there looking for the perfect wedding videographer. Not only do couples have to worry about finding a company or sole person to be available on their wedding date and within in their budget. But make sure that they can 100% trust the person/company they hire to capture this one take shots on the most important day of their life. Let’s face it there are tons of scammers lurking in the shadows of the wedding industry and it breaks my heart to see people not get what they hoped, dreamed, and paid for. So make sure a videographer that you may be interested in hiring has at least 1 but better if they have all 3 things to legitmize them as professional wedding videographer on the internet; A website, a social media presence on at least three major platforms, and verified real life examples of their work. Bonus if they have reviews on a public site. Where you can see examples to their work, style, and who they are as a person.


     2. Customer Service & Communication
You’ve heard the saying, “Customer Service is Key!” This is so true for any wedding vendor, especially someone that you have never worked with before and in some cases never met in person before. To know if a potential wedding videographer is a good company or person to book is their communication. Fast and constant communication is key to booking a professional wedding videographer. If a potential wedding videographer is not fully answering your questions, not getting back to you in a timely matter or doesn’t even offer to meet or at least have a phone call with you. I would take them off your potential list. If a wedding videographer is not providing exceptional customer service while communicating as well, is a key indicator too!

     3.Provides Video Agreement or Contract 
This last detail before securing wedding video services for your special day is essential to assuring a worry-free experience when it comes to booking a wedding videographer. If a wedding videographer that you want to book does not offer a personalized agreement or contract on the terms of the package, pay, and expectations of the day there are so many potential risks that can occur that can ruin one of the most important memories of your life! Make sure there are important clauses, like what happens if the videographer gets sick, terms on cancellation and deposit and payment. 

Looking for a professional and trustworthy wedding videographer? Look no further, I am right in front of you. Even we may not be the right fit, I can refer and suggest trusted videographers in your area. Inquire here today!

As a videographer, Instagram was never really meant for my kind. Yet, as the recent news of Instagram changing the original photo only platform to a video platform to compete with the likes of Tik Tok, the widely popular short form video app. Even still, I cannot prioritize Instagram with all of the barriers that could ultimately end up without a return in the time invested, at the end of the day our profile and our photos and videos on the platform aren’t ours. The free social media community designed to keep your attention to it so advertisers can spend as much money as possible to get in front of all of our eyes. 

A business is a business at the end of the day, however the way you operate speaks volume to the ethos of a company. If things begin to look shady and even malice on a platform that I could potentially spend so much of my time on, it just doesn’t sit right with me. 

For me, Pinterest is a breath of fresh air compared to the in your face popularity contest that is Instagram. If social media is high school Instagram is the popular click, comprised of jocks and rich kids that project their insecurities onto others. While Pinterest is like an Art School, filled with  the most creative people doing what they find interesting and don’t care if anyone likes it or not. Now, Pinterest is still a social media business at the end of the day so there are advertisements on there,  but in no way in your face like on Instagram. Companies advertising on the platform have to do so while also participating in the idea mission that is Pinterest. So there may be an ad for the Pillsbury cookies brand but it is also accompanied with a fun recipe using their products. Which actually makes the company useful to their consumers on the application. 

Check out more reasons why I prefer Pinterest over Instagram below.
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BUSINESS PROFILE: The main reason I prefer Pinterest over Instagram is their business profile you can create. The most top notch social media business page I have experienced. It is easy and intuitive to navigate and almost the exact same look and feel as a regular profile on the site, but with dialed in, in-depth analytics for a whole team of analysts. Easy to read data on your created pins gives insight that I have never seen before. A bonus to that is that platform offers almost the same exact experience whether you're using the mobile application or the website. It is super seamless in accessing your account, profile, and data anytime and anywhere you may need it. As well the Ad center that offers what seems like every metric one could possibly need to tune into the right audience giving every ad investment a real chance to perform at the best of its ability. 

VIDEOS DO WELL: Even as Instagram declares themselves a video platform, it is often the nemesis of photographers and videographers alike. With unfriendly and differing video dimensions, random upload defects, blocking of videos for copyright music, and not to mention its beef with beginning transitions in videos. I could go on a whole tangent about this and how it ruins the look of my grid. On pinterest, videos are accepted the way they are and not cropped in weird and unproportionate ways! As well, Pinterest does a great job of getting your content out to the right audience. Especially video since it is fairly brand new on the platform, yet their strategies and approach incorporate video into the flow of the platform without being too intrusive about it. Videos can really flourish on the platform without users being bombarded with the same content. Once Pinterest locks in the right audience for a video pin, that is where the real impact is seen. Even reaching a wider and more global audience to connect to. 

COMMUNITY OF GOOD: A smooth transition into why I never feel guilty about scrolling on Pinterest, because it is intentional. The mission of Pinterest to bring peoples best ideas together, permeates every corner of this site. The beautifully designed home feed is a clean and curated community that isn’t trying so hard to get you to buy and make things go viral. A real tool in whichever way you decide to use the application, either for creating a mood board, planning a wedding, or showcasing your artwork. No commentary, pins just existing, shuffling into the right people that will love them and be inspired to do, make , and think for what they want to do. Users can even feed their tune based on categories and genres to make sure that what they see is exactly what they want to.. 

CREATORS FIRST APPROACH: Since the platform relies mostly on the users for content like all of the social media platforms do, Pinterest has adopted a creators first approach encouraging  and providing reputable resources to create their best content while also building their audience for their business. With local events, online conferences, monthly creator newsletter to better hone in your creativity inside the app, as well as full blown creators festival that takes the community from the home feed to real life. 


What other social platforms that really empower the creators to do good and be intentional about what your put onto the internet like the Universe you don’t want the same energy to come back around to you. Thanks for reading follow on IG,FB and Pinterest to see the latest blog posts from Milan Arielle Productions.

IG @milan_arielle_productions
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I love video but I also love words and as someone that loves words, I also love the dictionary. Words defined so plainly and simply, liike the definition of a wedding; the act of a ceremony or marrying; and/ or the act of joining or blending families. 

As simple as the definition is, the reality of weddings these days are anything but. Instead a full production that includes hiring staff, dealing with contracts, maxing out credit cards which has led to the phenomenon of a Bridezilla when the outcome doesn’t meet the expectation. Let’s be real, this grand expectation put into our head from the media glorifying royal and celebrity nuptials. In turn having everyday people shelling out thousands of dollars to have what is dubbed a “dream wedding.”

Before the pandemic the cost of throwing a wedding had been steadily going up, in 2019 the average cost of a wedding was around $30,000. Yet, when the pandemic hit, all of that went out the door and all the pageantry fell to the floor when venues and vendors had shut down. With couples left with no other choice but to keep it to the essentials if they wanted to get married. Forever changing the landscape of the wedding industry and has highlighted small ceremonies, unique celebrations, elopements and even Zoom weddings as ways to celebrate love. In fact it normalized it as some were forced to trade in their expensive cinderella wedding plans for a backyard wedding at their parents house. Just to discover that actually none of the flowers, and table placements mattered. Fully cementing alternative ways to marry. 

The dreaded word, Wedding when said can trigger thousands of dollars to fly out of your wallet without knowing why. When a client reaches out and inquires for our videography services, I never assume that the client is having a wedding, I often refer to it as a Love Celebration. Unfortunately as soon as you get the Wed out dollar signs cha ching in peoples heads like in a cartoon. Back in time when people lived in villages, the community would come together and pool their resources to throw a couple an intimate yet raging party in an open field and barn. Now the celebration of love and union have turned into a billion dollar industry that doesn't focus on the actual real act of a wedding, of eternal love and bringing families together as one. This has in turn spawned into a billion dollar divorce industry when couples intent and focus aren’t put first at the beginning of a marriage. I am not married and am not a marriage expert but it just seems real obvious to me from my observations in both my personal and professional life. 


There are many nontraditional families and love out there and to slap this all encompassing label of a wedding to your celebration doesn’t seem appropriate. Any random stranger on the street, if you ask them what a wedding looks like they would say flowers, cake, and a white dress essentially. Before the pandemic some couples who are not religious or didn’t have a supportive family that decided to marry outside the the constraints of the label “wedding” maybe questioned sometimes even controversy ensues. The fact is, a wedding of bringing two families is an extremely personal event that should be met with extreme intentionality. Take today's concept of a wedding out of your head and just keep it simple and within a comfortable budget. Things are going to cost for convenience and to provide for guests however many you decide to invite. 


Indeed your special day and the day to feel the most beautiful in front of all the people that mean the most to and supported you through your life till now. So do so with the things and people that mean the most to you in your life, not because it is trending on a wedding blog. The flowers will die and dry up, you will mostly likely end up trying to sell all of you table placements and only wear your dress once. Yet, one aspect on having a love celebration that is worth the splurge of either a wedding videographer and/or wedding editor. In the end, this is a very important day, this is your World in encompassed, it is indeed special and a memory you will cherish for the rest of the life. A wedding videographer can professionally and beautifully preserve the day for generations to come. Whether you hire someone to be there for the whole day to capture the essence of the day or if you prefer to use all of the inevitable photos and videos from your mom and other relatives into a moving family heirloom you can watch each year for you anniversary and share with kids, grandkids etc...Milan Arielle Productions are available for services so please inquire if interested, however I don’t want to make this a shameless plug. 

Bottom line, let love rule on your special day, don’t worry about the timeline, don’t keep up with social media weddings and expectations sour the beginning of the rest of your life with your partner. Come to center and realize the most important factors you want to bring the next phase of life. Don’t worry about what your guest may think they should be happy for you regardless. So, does it have to be called a Wedding? Sure it can or not, the difference you have to decide is are you going to go through the actions of a wedding or just having a wedding, is for you and only you to decide.

Tell me what you think, does it have to be called a wedding? Or does the label not matter to you at all. What did you refer to your love celebration as so that you weren't spending thousands of dollars? Comment below!!

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