Thanks for stopping by the Life Stage Videography Blog!
We are Matt & Melissa Davis, owners and Signature Videographers of
Life Stage Videography. But we can't take all the credit.
Life Stage is comprised of a team of
filmmakers based in Wilmington, NC and we feel so blessed to
provide our International Award Winning style not only in the South
East, but all over the country.
We like to do things a little differently around here. Who says your wedding video has to be boring and amateur?! We like to step away from the typical wedding video and create a fresh, edgy, and entertaining "film" of your wedding day. The best day of your life deserves being documented in a powerful way. But we don't stop there! As our name implies, filming events at all "Stages in Life" is our passion. That includes Family Documentaries, Baby Stories, and any other types of celebrations that make life grand. We also provide businesses with unique video marketing tools through our sister company.
Hang out for a while and enjoy some of our work! And let us know you stopped in by leaving us some comments on the posts you enjoyed. Want to get to know us even more?! Follow us on Twitter! And if you really love us, be sure to add yourself to our Facebook Fan Page!
We are up in the Outer Banks of North Carolina this week to shoot an awesome destination beach wedding for Kim & Andrew. Both from New York, they decided the OBX would be the best spot to have a wedding and celebrate with some of their closest friends and family. Kim’s an admitted “blog stalker” of Life Stage and fell in love with our unique “Love Story” videos to show at a rehearsal or reception. We had a blast filming them right before their wedding so they could show the video tonight at their reception. Enjoy this silly and heartfelt story that gives a glimpse into their relationship and be sure to leave some comment love! We’d like to add that we’ve never seen one of our bride’s “chug” a beer that fast!
July 2, 2009 - 10:12 amPenny Noell - I love your work Matt. Wonderful as always.
July 2, 2009 - 11:17 amLee Thomas - Nice Work, Matt! I'm sure everyone will dig it!
July 2, 2009 - 9:14 pmmeg simone - awesome job you guys! I loved learning their story and seeing them have so much fun in a natural state. What a great way to kick off their wedding reception!
We’ve never seen a bride so excited to marry somebody like Amanda was on her wedding day. I mean, she just wouldn’t stop smiling! It was great, both Amanda & Ashley made our jobs so much easier and fun by thoroughly enjoying their wedding day. We appreciated the “goofiness” that abounded the entire evening. Anyone that enters their reception to the “A-Team” Theme Song is tops in our book. We felt right at home with both sides of the family. And we couldn’t have asked for better weather and sunset at the Surf Club oceanfront on Wrightsville Beach. Stick around towards the end of the video and you’ll see a pretty competitive “dance off” between a grown man and a small boy. We’ll let you decide the winner! Thanks Amanda & Ashley for inviting us to document your wedding day. We hope you enjoy!
Vendors -
Photography - Kevin & Lauren Millard, KMI Weddings
We were thrilled to put our creative minds together with the Events Coordinator and General Manager at the Hilton to produce this featured promo video for web and TV use to promote all the great services and awesome location for the hotel. It was a blast story boarding this concept and being able to take and retake shots (something you don’t get to do at a wedding!) The concept for them was to show how great their customer service is from the moment you arrive, and no matter if you’re there for business or pleasure, it feels like home. We are excited that more and more businesses are realizing the power of online video to sell for them in this constantly changing marketplace. People aren’t going to the Yellow Pages or waiting through TV commercials. They are making their purchasing decisions online. Enjoy their commercial!
June 23, 2009 - 3:00 pmryan koral - you rock, dude! nice piece.
June 23, 2009 - 3:04 pmMike Trivette - Matt, this looks great! Nice to see your business expanding to take on this type of work. I like it alot!
June 23, 2009 - 4:01 pmRyan Welch - Very nice. Looks like it was a fun one to shoot. Well done.
June 25, 2009 - 9:49 amCraig - Luster Studios - Wow... Great editing skills and angles. I really like the way you mixed the staff, business, and family to make it feel like an complete experience.
While a majority of our time is spent filming incredible weddings, another part of Life Stage’s mission is to help other businesses promote themselves in style and with purpose. Using video formatted for the web is the BEST way to creatively promote your business and add fresh content to your website. We provide this service to photographers, event planners, Bands/DJs, florists or any other type of business where conveying your personality is important, or explaining your unique product/service. You can learn more about this service we provide here. You can also check out our sister company, Your Best Sales Person, that specifically serves web video to small/medium sized businesses. In the mean time, check out this recent video we created for Kevin Millard, of KMI Wedding Photography. Kevin, Lauren and their team are one of the best studios in Wilmington and have a reputation to back that up. They travel all over the country, and for that reason, they wanted a video that would allow other couples that might not be able to meet them in person, to get to know them by hearing what some of their past clients had to say. It’s a new spin on a testimonial page. Who wants to read when you can watch a video!
June 10, 2009 - 6:35 pmDenise Merritt - Another quality business testimonial video by Your Best Salesperson! They did ours too!
June 18, 2009 - 6:52 amKevin Millard - Matt, I can't tell you how pleased I am with my testimonial video.
I wasn't only pleased to hear such nice things from my clients, but the quality of the video is what really sets it apart. Thanks again for such high quality work.
June 23, 2009 - 12:40 amMusic on the Strand - These folks sound like our kind of photographers!
June 25, 2009 - 9:46 amCraig - Luster Studios - You guys do some of the best video testimonials I've ever seen. Bravo on another homerun! I hope I get a chance to meet Kevin and Lauren someday. They sound like fun photographers.
-Craig
Fun people. Fun colors. Fun music. This wedding was fun. This is just a teaser of this beautiful wedding in Charlotte all taking place on the bride’s family’s land. We can’t give away too much. Some BIG things happened at this wedding that you will just have to wait and see in the highlights video!
June 5, 2009 - 11:23 amryan koral - great song, dude! and love these shots... that last one where she's kissing him and lifting the glasses - well done, mr. glidey.
June 5, 2009 - 12:04 pmHope Haywood - You captured the essence of this wedding. Kudos to you!
June 5, 2009 - 2:37 pmKristen - FIREWORKS! I cannot wait to see the rest of it! I love the way Sarah's face completely lit up when she started to walk down the aisle. You're beautiful Sar!!
June 6, 2009 - 1:46 pmJane - Perfect song and great shots. This is so awesome! I can't wait until I see the whole thing. You were great to work with!
June 6, 2009 - 11:53 pmStaci Brew - Sarah, this video is so awesome. Your wedding looked beautiful. I got a little obsessed and had to look at all the videos on the person's website... :)
June 7, 2009 - 4:25 pmJeanne Eaker - Son - AMAZING!!! We are so blessed that you were with us on this day - and you were the perfect one to capture it all! Thanks so much - can't wait to see the finished product.
June 7, 2009 - 7:31 pmMichelle Vigor - This is fantastic! I can't wait to see the full version. You are very talented!
I love this business. I love what we do for people. And I love it when people email us after watching their video on an anniversary. So much can happen over the years. And we were so touched to get this simple but genuine note on Facebook yesterday from a past bride. By the way, they are pregnant now!
“Way overdue, but we have baby on the brain these days and it doesn’t make room for much else, but I wanted to let you know that upon arriving home from our anniversary trip on the 26th of April, we watched our wedding video and laughed the entire way through it!! Seeing the pics of Tiki from the slideshow brought both laughter and tears, but I am so thankful of the way you showcased that portion of the video because when her first picture showed up, we can hear the audience yelling, “Tiki”!!! I know that someday, Tiki won’t be the only one missing from our lives that were captured on the wonderful video you created for us and they will be met with the same laughter and tears, but I am forever grateful that they have been captured. Lifestage is still the only videography company that should ever be considered when thinking of documenting the precious moments in our lives! Thanks again for creating such a spectacular piece for our history collection!! Kisses and hugs to all of you!!!” - Patti
May 22, 2009 - 10:24 amCheri Furr - As Mother of the Bride, I was so glad to see how wonderful the whole team was while shooting my daughter's wedding May 16th (at Figure 8!). My husband watched them "work their butts off!" yet I hardly noticed them. They were so professional, unobtrusive, and totally out of the way. I don't know if I can wait four months to get this video! I just can't!!! Thanks to Matt, who was very patient Thursday night and provided a darling and hilarious video of "pre-wedding toasts" for everyone to watch while eating dinner at the wedding reception. Think my daughter and son-in-law were afraid of what someone might say if they were allowed to go "live" on Saturday night!! Thanks so much, Cheri Furr
I am fortunate enough to know so many great wedding videographers and filmmakers in the industry. So many of my friends and colleagues have influenced me and our work here at Life Stage. I now feel humbled to be part of a great team of business owners and creative artists to make the wedding videography industry even better. Things have definitely changed from the old stereotype of what a wedding video is. IN[FOCUS] is a brand spanking new video conference for wedding videographers, as well as a HUGE online resource with videos and blog posts full of tips, techniques and advice on how to make wedding videography creative, fun, and a profitable business. IN[FOCUS] was started by 3 of the top wedding film studios in the world. Videographers, you need to make it to the inaugural event next January 2010. In the mean time, myself and 7 other studios were asked to be “expert” bloggers on some of the tips & techniques that have helped us along the way in our business. Its very humbling and exciting to be part of this group. I am eager to to share my successes (and failures) with others whether they are just starting out, or seasoned veterans. And I know I will learn a ton as well from the rest of the gang. You can check out a few of our recent video posts on the IN[FOCUS] Blog. There’s also a post that gives a little back story into how Life Stage Videography came to be. You can check it out here. I tried to add a little comic relief. Videographers, we will see you at IN[FOCUS] in January of 2010! And brides, hopefully you will choose a videographer for your wedding that invests time and energy into educating themselves to make your video better. That’s what its all about!
Meet Dave Holt, a regular guy with a passion for marriage. He knows that marriage is more than just a wedding and focuses on the fact that you are making a commitment for life. Years, months, and weeks of preparation go into making a ceremony full of memories that will last a lifetime. But, in the craziness of planning all the wedding details, many couples neglect to prepare the most important thing for their wedding :: themselves. Here are some of the services he offers:
- Premarital Counseling
- Assistance designing a ceremony that is unique and reflects your personality
- Planning for the wedding rehearsal
- And, if requested, post-wedding consultations
Dave in Action
“I don’t just perform wedding ceremonies for a job. Instead, I do it to encourage and prepare a couple for their lifelong commitment to one another.” ~ Dave
Summertime. Figure Eight Island. Umbrella. Family. Drinks. The Sound of Waves. Literally no one else around for miles. We love living at the beach, can you tell?
As videographers, its a pretty safe bet that we would have cameras rolling throughout pregnancy/birth/development of our new daughter, Penelope. As a Mother’s Day gift to Melissa, I put together would we like to call a “Baby Story” of sorts, chronicling the last year of our lives as it changed drastically with the addition of our sweet little girl. The downside to shooting and editing video as a living, is that you rarely find time to edit your own family videos. But, I am so glad I found the time to do this for my wife, an incredible mother to my daughter. I am so blessed to share my life with these two girls (and Bella, of course). This video is also for the Moms in our lives as well. GiGi, Gran-C, Nana, MomMom, Doris, Mamaw and Oma. Penelope has the support of a great cast of Moms surrounding her. I hope you all enjoy this brief documentary of Penelope filled with every emotion. It’s 10 minutes long, but I really feel its entertaining enough to where if you didn’t know us yet, you will now. Thanks for sharing in our lives. And Happy Mother’s Day to my beautiful wife, and to our Moms. We love you.
CAUTION: There is a brief scene of the birth of our daughter (PG rated)
May 10, 2009 - 2:51 pmVanessa McKellar - Oh my goodness this is priceless. I love it!! Your wife is so beautiful, and Penelope is adorable. I've had the honor of videotaping a few births and there's nothing else like it. You did such a great job with the editing. Well done, and blessings on your precious family.
May 11, 2009 - 7:07 amryan koral - what a beautiful piece, you guys... may your daughter become the woman she was intended to be. awesome stuff!
May 11, 2009 - 9:20 amSylvia - Perfect video, great record to keep and Penelope is such a cutie! Hope she brings you lots of happiness. :-)
May 11, 2009 - 11:18 pmAshley Hampton - Beautiful! I love it!
May 12, 2009 - 7:00 pmKristen Holt - Totally cried through this entire thing. Love you guys to pieces.
May 15, 2009 - 6:44 pmRenee Jones - Thank you for sharing this part of your life with others. I am honored to know you both and am very happy for your family. I look forward to the time with Dr. Robert and I can babysit for you. Hope to see you soon.
May 18, 2009 - 9:31 amAnne Marie Ashley - That was truly a pleasure to watch. Thank you for posting that :)
June 11, 2009 - 5:44 pmTami Freed - Awesome - what a little blessing you have. Thanks for letting us share in these precious moments. I look for future updates!
June 12, 2009 - 8:14 pmMary Mac - that is beautiful. Penelope is beautiful. Y'all are beautiful!
June 23, 2009 - 10:44 pmSteve Sherron - Awesome video and awesome family. Really enjoyed watching.
May 1, 2009 - 5:13 pmmillie holloman - Rock it Matt! That is definitely your best work yet! The glide cam, the color, the focusing and artistic approach, the angles and even the speed you edited it at! Great stuff!
May 3, 2009 - 2:03 pmHooman - I can't wait to the rest!! Excellent, excellent work!
June 12, 2009 - 2:43 pmJoshua Smith - All I can say is WOW! Excellent!
We posted Adeline & Paul’s Wedding Highlights a few days ago, but we really felt bad not inviting everyone else into the party. Party on the Moon was such an incredible reception band I just had to post this montage of moments throughout Adeline & Paul’s party. If you pay attention, you’ll see that Notorious B.I.G. is not really dead. He lives on.
Party on the Moon! (Dance Montage) - Wedding Band from Matt Davis on Vimeo.
April 23, 2009 - 8:53 amHooman - New blog format looks great!
April 23, 2009 - 9:11 amJules - Absolutely amazing! Easy to navigate, strong images, & very sleek. As always, I'm a fan!
April 23, 2009 - 2:18 pmTina - Loovvve the new BLOG!!
April 23, 2009 - 2:20 pmAnna - Looking great guys!!!Easy to use, simple and straightforward, splendid!
April 23, 2009 - 2:26 pmPhil Brady - Nice new look! For a favorite song I am going with "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" by Meatloaf. Phil.
April 23, 2009 - 2:42 pmWilliam Lang - Super sharp blog design. Love the tree logo. Keep up the great work.
April 23, 2009 - 3:51 pmKlifton Kinnamon - Hey Guys,
Great new blog. Love that pic of your LifeStage Tree.
April 23, 2009 - 4:34 pmMandy - Such talent! I love just coming and browsing the page!
April 23, 2009 - 5:36 pmSean Lee - Apparently, they invited only the people who know how to party... one of my favorite wedding video music is ... because you loved me by celine dion.
April 23, 2009 - 8:16 pmCharlene - Love the new blog!! It looks great. I so wanna be like you...
April 23, 2009 - 8:27 pmSandy Powell - love the blog, site, pix. How do youlike the wifes new hair do?
April 23, 2009 - 8:51 pmWanda + Brian - Matt - love the new blog design - sweeeeeeeeeeeet!
April 23, 2009 - 9:46 pmAdam - Love the new look! Nice work, guys!
April 24, 2009 - 5:48 amnancy - love it!... I totally agree with "strong images"... and song? I love "I'm Yours" It hasn't gotten old to me and that's amazing seeing that it's played over and over and over... : )
April 25, 2009 - 8:31 amDonna - I always get lured into watching your videos... i love it... wish we could revisit Aca 2006 to video our wedding:) take care
April 30, 2009 - 6:49 pmKristen Laster - I have to say...that band was THE best band ever. And even though I'm a little biased - that wedding was the best ever too. Love the video - can't wait to see the whole thing!
June 23, 2009 - 12:49 amLarry Green - Know the band, have booked them, and love them!
Kevin Millard of KMI Wedding Photography decided he wanted to do a documentary of some of his favorite wedding vendors, of course us. Instead of video, he decided to do what he knows best (take photos) and try out something new (audio recording). In all honesty, he came with about 30 minutes notice to our studio during the workday and asked us questions about our day to day lives here at Life Stage, so what you hear and see is both an impromptu session as well as Kevin’s first attempt at video editing. We think it turned out well for a rookie! ;). Seriously, Kevin is hilarious and we absolutely welcomed him into our studio for the afternoon. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into our lives via the brain of Kevin Millard!
April 23, 2009 - 8:39 amRyan koral - matt - please don't ever say it's MY homework to watch chick flicks... my wife can easily report back to me about all the great love songs :P great job, Paco!
April 23, 2009 - 8:50 amryan koral - i meant kevin - sorry kevin - props to you... my favorite song is the same as matt's - "my heart will go on" from the titanic.. thanks for turning me on to that, matt!
April 23, 2009 - 9:04 amAaron Alexander - Your studio looks awesome. You'd never know it was in your home. That has to make working at home a lot easier.
April 23, 2009 - 9:39 amLaura Randall - LOVE the new blog and the peek in to your studio! Boy do I wish I had that much space! :)
April 23, 2009 - 9:42 amApril Walker - love the new blog design & love the workspace. the decorations are GREAT! i'm sure that makes for a very happy, tranquil working environment. thanks for sharing!!
April 23, 2009 - 3:47 pmDenise Merritt - Ya'll are so funny! Great job, Kevin! Love the new site Matt, Melissa and Jamie (Bella and Penelope too)!
June 23, 2009 - 12:55 amMyrtle Beach Weddings - Very respectable couple—creative, artistic, and accomplished.
We jumped on board as soon as we heard the great idea of honoring someone in the wedding industry that inspires us. The BrideTide (a HUGE source for news and everything weddings) in conjunction with The Pledge Bank started a movement about a month ago that we just had to be a part of. It’s simple yet, powerful. Our instructions: blog about someone in the wedding industry that inspires us at Life Stage Videography. In our circle of vendors that we work with frequently, there is no shortage of people that inspire us, but William “Paco” Strickland takes the cake. You see, here in Wilmington, NC, or even this side of the country, there isn’t anyone as talented as Paco on the guitar. His Flamenco style and skill set is inspiring in and of itself. Beautiful music! We frequently see him at weddings either during the ceremony or at the cocktail hour. But his story is even more inspiring. Paco has been diagnosed with a form of Bone Marrow Cancer, is enduring the not so fun experience of Chemotherapy. And although he has the HUGE support of our community, you’d never know the battle he has been going through by seeing him or speaking with him. His attitude and character is something we should all aspire to have, and has been an example to many. So sit back and enjoy the song posted below by none other than Paco. His unique talents are not only such a blessing to our coastal community here, but to any bride or groom that gets the chance to book him for their wedding. Thanks Paco, for being an example to all of us, and giving back with your music.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Photos by Matt McGraw and Brownie Harris
April 22, 2009 - 1:07 pmSandi Justice - I have always loved Paco's music, and remember in the "old" days before he got sick. He has always had such a positive and humble nature about his craft. Truely an example of a man and an artist inspired by his creator! Thanks for such a cool article!
How do you describe the party of the century?! That’s my debacle in sharing this post with you of Adeline & Paul’s wedding. What a blast this celebration was! Myers Park Methodist Church was full to the brim of friends and family on this wintery New Year’s weekend. The service was elegant and powerful. I shared a little bit of the marriage message in the highlights, as anyone present or watching the clip could gain wisdom from hearing the Reverend explain what the meaning of marriage really is. The celebration continued all night long thanks to arguably the best event band in the country, Party on Moon. Incredible entertainers! The music, along with the ambiance created by the talented event planners Rogers & Gala really made the night magical and one we won’t soon forget. Thanks also to Missy McLamb Photography for working so well together with us. Be sure to watch the full clip as you’ll get to hear a very heart felt toast by the Father of the Bride. Thanks Adeline & Paul for allowing us to witness the best day of your lives. We hope this highlights film captured the essence of everything you felt and experienced that day. Leave some “Comment Love” people!
April 21, 2009 - 9:38 amSteve Zugelter - Love it Matt! Great story. Looking forward to meeting you in Austin.
April 21, 2009 - 3:20 pmweebie berryhill - What a wonderful video about a wonderful couple and a wonderful wedding. The Berryhills enjoyed every minute of it -- thanks for a magical evening!!!
Well, after traveling all over the Southeast last Fall, we finally got to come home to Charlotte. (We live in Wilmington, NC now). This wedding was such a blast and Natalie & Rich sure did pick an incredible vendor team to work with. Jonathan McCardell of McCardell Photography has a great eye, but we also had a great synergy together, making Natalie & Rich’s photos and video a huge success. The time between the ceremony and reception is one of my favorite times because you really get a chance to get to know the couple. We took them all over the South End District of town, dodging rail cars and climbing on fire engines! We always enjoy the very eclectic atmosphere at the Pewter Rose Bistro for the reception. The stunning flower arrangements were created by the Flower Diva! Now a little explanation of the highlights film.
A bird ended up getting caught inside the church and the pipe organs 40 minutes before the ceremony began. It was HILARIOUS because the planners we hectically trying to get the bird out without Natalie knowing. The story at the beginning about how Rich picked out a ring was classic, and very gutsy! I felt it was noteworthy. Also, Natalie and her dad surprised us all during the father/daughter dance by cutting from “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole ubruptly into Chubby Checker’s “The Twist”! Great fun, that carried over into the rest of the night as I hope the video illustrates. Natalie & Rich as well as your families, thank you so much for allowing us to celebrate with you on your wedding day. It was a beautiful day. Comments people!
April 12, 2009 - 10:47 amJorge Tortajada - Wow! your work is really amazing. I watch your blog long time ago and I like very much. Sorry but my english is very poor. A question is about your treatment of video color?, that type of filters are those that they use?, and which is your video camera?, thanks, and congratulations for your work!
April 14, 2009 - 11:04 pmJetKaiser - I'm not sure how I found you but I'm glad I did.
You guys produce some great stuff.
What kind of lighting did you use at that reception?
Keep up the great work!
April 28, 2009 - 11:34 amJonathan McCardell - We love your work, guys! You're really cutting edge, but still bring out the romance of the the day. We look forward to working together again soon!
As most of you know, Melissa gave birth to our first daughter in December. Well, its an understatement that we are smitten, this girl is stinkin’ cute! And we are going to have to fight off the boys including Eli Warkentien! Eli is the son of Amy (one of our videographers) and he was born just a few weeks ago! Its an exciting time for us here on the Life Stage team, and we are all learning real fast how to adjust to our new lives as parents. Below are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. And feel free to leave comments on how adorable, lovable, amazing, cute, beautiful, captivating, delightful, and precious these kids are.
by Matt
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