About us
About us
Weddings are supposed to be magical – the most exciting and memorable time in a couple’s life. From the well-planned proposal to finding the perfect dress, we only want to welcome surprises and experiences that bring us closer to the one we love. But, we all have those cringe-worthy moments that we would much rather forget: the public argument at the rehearsal dinner; the florist we speak to on a daily basis who brings in daffodils instead of roses. The $5,000 wedding dress that tears at the seams the morning of the wedding. The band that plays the wrong processional music just as we take our first step down the aisle.
There has never been a “perfect” wedding, no matter what the bridal blogs say. The good news is, the things that don’t go according to the plan are exactly what make the day memorable. The accidents and personalities, the unplanned and unwanted, they give us the perfectly imperfect wedding we never dreamed of. This is a book about brides and grooms, their attendants and families, the wedding-day vendors, officiants, and venues. All the stories are based in real events, but I have taken some creative liberties with dialogue or scenarios to keep things lively. The essence of the stories is true and I know they will resonate with readers.
As a TV director from Africa, I moved to America and began recording weddings to pay my bills. I took gigs as a freelancer, plus worked for big wedding companies as well. As a videographer who embraces 21st-century video concepts, I create a story that goes way beyond filming the wedding day.
Reward’s unique point of view as a wedding videographer, keeping as close to his vision and storytelling as possible. Each chapter is told from the point of view of the videographer, who so often is ignored after the first five minutes. It lets him see into personal conversations and dynamics that usually aren’t displayed in public. Being invited into the pre- and post- wedding events have allowed him to flesh out people’s stories even more.
Like every fable, ours comes with a moral at the end. After working at hundreds of weddings, we have seen how attitude – a laugh or a shrug – can turn the cringe-worthy moment into something wonderful.
Stories about how the people we love and the people we hire can wreck our w edding day. And… MY personal story, about how my wedding was cancelled – Twice – and not by me!
In the process of shooting a wedding, I become an intimate eye-witness to how a couple interacts with each other and with friends and family members. Because everyone tends to forget I am there after a little while, I become like the fly on the wall. I have seen how joy and pain; disappointment and emotional shock-waves can reverberate all the way from wedding planning to the altar or the reception – and even beyond that.
There have been times when I could have shut off the camera when I did not. I trust my instincts to know when something important is happening. For example, I shot a wedding where the lights went out, darkening the church just as the groom was about to say “I do.” I turned my camera’s spotlight on the bride in time to catch something I had suspected: a look of doubt and worry on her face. I could almost hear her wondering whether this was a sign that he was not the one, or this wedding was not meant to be. She looked frightened and shivered in the two minutes of darkness at the altar. When the lights came back on, her face transformed, becoming as beautiful as ever and cleared of all uncertainty.