I’m back and MARRIED! Can you believe it finally happened? It has been a long road to the end of our short little aisle, but I am so remarkably grateful we powered through with adapted plans. Our day was much smaller than initially planned, but felt just as grand despite the reduced scale. Over the next several weeks, I have the privilege of introducing to you a number of vendors we worked closely with through many changed plans to get to October 2, 2020: the most magical day ever. First up, meet Ryan Worthen of Reel Special.
Ryan and I were first introduced in the context of influencer marketing a few years ago. Ryan was part of the 2018 Leadership Lexington class, a leadership development program sponsored by Commerce Lexington and directed toward individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities. Ryan and I partnered to promote his group’s initiative, #LexGetFitWeek, on Instagram. I knew from our first phone call that Ryan was both passionate and engaged about anything he commits to working on. In the time since connecting for the project, I began following Ryan (and his wife, Brittany) on social media. I watched (and sobbed through) dozens of wedding videos for clients across the Bluegrass. You can picture it now: me, ugly crying into a Sherpa blanket on my couch at the wedding videos of complete strangers. That’s how good they are at storytelling. Though not yet engaged, I knew the feeling I wanted to forever preserve from our wedding day and video documentation today from good people like Ryan and Brittany is the best way to do so.
For a little background on their business, I sat down with Ryan to chat about entrepreneurship and what it means to work in the wedding industry, something I’ve become intimately familiar with the last few years. Ryan’s joy for his work is abundant. Although he’s been in the game for sixteen years, he still loves it so much and considers it a true honor to be included in such a special day for others. Ryan explained, “a couple’s wedding video is an investment that will only grow in value over time.” And I couldn’t agree more. A videographer plays an especially intimate role in a wedding day because they are beside you through every key moment, listening and looking at every detail.
Ryan broke into the wedding industry much like I did: a friend asked for him to capture their special day. He bought a Sony Handycam, made $500, and has been committed ever since. Ryan says Reel Special’s success is fully attributed to clients with powerful love stories who trust them and refer their services on to their friends. I’d argue there was a little bit of crazy talent tucked in there, too. The pair continuously grow their skills through educational resources like podcasts, YouTube, and books like Donald Miller’s StoryBrand – one of my personal favorites.
So, back to our wedding. As referenced before in blog posts, we seemed to have setback after setback in our planning experience from a pandemic to financial obstacles with vendors closing their doors permanently. Originally, video wasn’t really in the cards for us. I was personally afraid of the investment in a time when no financial situation felt certain. When we made the decision to cancel our original plans and convert our vision to an intimate elopement, Ryan was one of the first people I called. We talked earlier in the year about Reel Special’s elopement services which I thought may have been of benefit to some of my photography clients. Little did I know they would serve us on the best day of my life.
Ryan and Brittany’s elopement packages fit comfortably within our budget and, if I’m being honest after the fact, should have been factored into our original plans from the start. We previewed our video for the first time last week. I don’t think I’d cried a single drop since our wedding day and then the flood gates opened. It’s funny – from so many friends and clients, I’ve heard that people barely remember their wedding day in sequence because of all the commotion and people to see and things to do. When we changed our plans, we drastically changed our pace. Because of the slower, quieter nature of our wedding, I remember October 2nd so vividly in a way I never thought I’d be able to. Our highlight video from Reel Special took all those vivid memories and complied them in the most thoughtful and sentimental film that truly embodied exactly how I felt the entire day. From showcasing our emotional first look and vows, to our playful toasts and the stunning property we were blessed to be married in, Ryan’s creation is absolutely perfect for us.
When we talked, Ryan explained to me further, “We also value being creative, but not at the risk of becoming a distraction so our goal is to go unnoticed as much as possible on the wedding day.” On our day, Ryan got the shots he needed to perfectly document every sentiment and tear drop without being intrusive to the intimate experience. Ryan didn’t miss a beat despite shooting alone on a spread-out winery and even got the drone shots I so wanted that captured the quintessential Kentucky Fall day. I don’t hesitate for a second in recommending the Reel Special family to document your love story on a day you’ll never want to forget.
Reel Special is Kentucky’s premier wedding video provider. Ready to book with them? Inquire here on their website and let them know I sent you! View our wedding highlight video below.
Photos in this post by Mothwing Photography.
