Z MEDIA Blog

Spring 2010

 

Well, the spring is starting off in a crazy fashion.  This is our busiest year ever - even better than last year.  Lisa and Wes just shot a wedding and did an engagement session in Washington DC, Julie and I will be in Pittsburg and West Virginia over the next couple of weeks.  What is different about this season is how early it is starting.  Normally we aren't swamped until May - not so this year.  We are busy starting in late March running all the way through the end of the year.  We love it.  Photo, video and photobooth are all busy.  Its great!  

We wanted to take a moment to thank all of the couples who have referred us to their friends and family members.  Our brides love what we do and refer us to other brides.  It has helped us to consistently grow and we couldn't be more thankful.  We love you all!

Have a fantastic week everyone -
---Chris and Julie 

 

Joy!

What makes you happy?  What brings joy into your life?  Nearly every week, we have the opportunity to participate in one of the most monumental events in life.  We are there as you experience a day that will become a milestone.  A day that will be shared with friends and family.  A joyous occasion filled with both laughter and tears.  

Our advice?  Savor it, enjoy it.  Take a deep breath during the course of the day - look around - take it in.  This day will soon pass, but the memory will live on forever both for you and for those who love you.  Don't rush, don't pack your day so full of events that you don't have time to enjoy it.  We can't tell you how many couples get to the end of the day and feel as though they have hardly spent time together.  Remember that this day is about the two of you.  It is the first day of the rest of your lives together.  Enjoy!  

 

Making the best of it...

Will this winter never end???  In spite of all the snow, heavy winds and cold temperatures, we've had some truly beautiful winter weddings.  Why would anyone want to get married in northern Ohio in the winter?  Simple - it's beautiful, and it isn't hot and muggy.  Plus, if everything works out - you can still get amazing outdoor images.  More and more couples have decided that winter has it's advantages.  We couldn't agree more.  Just bring a coat!!!

 

 

Newly Engaged!

 

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.  We want to welcome all the new bride's-to-be that got engaged yesterday.  If you read April's post on our RED CARPET blog, you'll hear her story about how she said "yes" 11 years ago on Valentine's Day.  If you just said "yes" yourself, we look forward to talking with you about your wedding, your photography and everything that goes along with it.  You are at the beginning of an amazing journey that culminates in one of the most wonderful days of your life. 

Cheers!

---Chris and Julie
Z MEDIA

New Photobooth Services

Hi Everyone!  We just wanted to let everyone know that we have added new Photobooth services.  Now, as an option, you can add video messages directly to your photobooth package.  This is a great way for your guests to leave a heartfelt video message when they enter the booth.  Now, not only can you have great photo strips but you can also have great video memories as well.  You can also choose to add an external digital monitor for people outside the booth to take a peek inside!  Not only do we have cutting edge technology and great quality - we have fantastic pricing to boot!  More and more brides are adding a photobooth to their packages - its fun, fashionable and a great way to add entertainment value to your reception.  Contact us today for more information.  

Best Booth Design Award

Z MEDIA just won an award for best booth design at the Today's Bride Show.  Julie and I want to thank everyone for their hard work.  The entire Z MEDIA team was incredible before, during and after the show.  A special shout out to Dan H. for all his hard work as well.  Great job finishing the booth at 4:00 am and then getting on a plane to Hong Kong and China. 

We also want to send a congratulations to the other vendors that were also awarded.  This was a great step forward in 2010 for the show.  Many vendors stepped up and put more effort and thought into their booth design.  It's better for everyone! 

 

(Photo by iPhone - yes, it's crappy...  You'd think that with tens of thousands of dollars worth of photo equipment that we'd actually take a good photo of our own booth.  You'd think...)

---Chris and Julie

Help Haiti

Haiti Earthquake

As we've watched the devastation in Haiti, there has been a sense of stunned disbelief at the massive destruction and loss of life. Not only is there immediate almost unimaginable need, but there is a long term need that can't even begin to be assessed. With close to 200,000 people dead and possibly 1,000,000 people making their way out of devastated cities to already poor rural areas, we can't possible know how this will all play out.

What we do know is that we all want to help. I don't know anyone that we've spoken to personally that wants to sit on the sidelines. As we've searched for the right way to be of assistance, we continue to come back to Compassion International. Compassion has a proven track record in providing aid, medical care, schooling - etc. to needy children around the world. The other key element is that they had people on the ground including children that they were already supporting before the earthquake hit. Some have lost their lives. They have a network of churches and centers within the infrastructure of Haiti that can be utilized as locations to distribute food, water, medical supplies and medical care. We encourage you to look at their website/blog to see what they are doing and give if you feel led to do so.

For the foreseeable future, Julie and I will donate a portion of our Z MEDIA income to Compassion to help. We would like to encourage each of you to donate to your charity of choice. There are times in life where we have no choice but to help.

Today's Bride Show a big success!

First, we have never seen so many fabulous brides in such a short period of time.  We literally talked with thousands of people yesterday.  Everyone we spoke with from the show had a fantastic time.  We couldn't have asked for anything better.

Second, we want to thank all of the brides who took the time to stop, chat, pick up a brochure and see what Z MEDIA is all about.  You were the first to receive information on a number of new Z MEDIA developments.  Here's a brief recap for those who weren't able to attend.

New - Image Styles - This is a brand new development at Z MEDIA.  We now can hand tailor the look for your image editing styles as we prepare your coffee table books.  Want to learn more - click to visit our Image Style mini-site.  Z MEDIA has pioneered this concept over the last year.  Look for additional Image Styles over the coming months.

New - Bride's RED CARPET blog - our resident wedding expert April is heading up our brand new RED CARPET blog not just for Z MEDIA brides, but for everyone.  If you are looking for the latest wedding tips, trends, styles, accessories or just have general wedding questions - this is the place to be.  Visit now at http://www.bridesredcarpet.com.   Our exclusive rating system, location database and vendor discounts are still available for Z MEDIA RED CARPET brides only, but we wanted to expand and share this blog with brides around the country by making it public.  We have a lot of plans for this blog in the coming months in addition to informative and fun posts.  We'd like to encourage everyone to visit often!

New - Z MEDIA Wedding Websites - Z MEDIA has worked for the past year to find the best option to bring our couples high-end wedding websites.  This brand new feature is being introduced into many of our high-end packages.   Can you find wedding websites from other sources?  Of course.  The problem?  You have to do them and update them yourself.  Here, we do all the heavy lifting for you including posting a selection of your engagement images, details about you as a couple, your wedding locations, a selection of your wedding images after your wedding, your wedding video trailer (if you have Z MEDIA as your video company), your thank you to your guests and even a copy of your coffee table book layout after you choose your images for your book.  This is a fantastic feature for busy couples who want to keep their friends and family up to date on their wedding!  Contact us today for further details.

New - Z MEDIA Lighting Design - now, our brides have access to lighting design specified by Z MEDIA and equipment rentals that can be booked along side your photo, video and photobooth packages.  We've been stressing the importance of lighting to our couples.  Now we've made it even easier.  Talk to your photographer or use our contact form for further details.

New - Video/Photo Booth - now, with the Z MEDIA video/photo booth option - your guests can capture photos or record video messages, well-wishes and advice.  This is the latest Photo Booth technology and it is available through us! Contact us today for further information!

New - Z MEDIA Motion - the latest photo/video montage looks have been available through Z MEDIA for months now.  We still feel there is a lot of room for improvement in the software that creates these amazing video clips based on your wedding images and video.  We've been working with the software provider to develop better looks and feels for weddings, and they've promised us that new tools will be available in the coming months.  For now, we have the tools to create some amazing productions, but we look forward to a time coming soon where they will begin to fulfill the creative vision we have for the integration of photography and videography.  These are exciting times for wedding imagers! 

Over the next several months - there will be more to come.  Z MEDIA is dedicated to constant innovation.  Weddings are fun and exciting.  It is our goal to continue to combine excellence in customer service with fun, exciting people.  Its the Z MEDIA Experience and we hope to be able to share it with each of you!

---Chris and Julie

Here we go! +Free Today's Bride Show Tickets

Welcome 2010!  It's a new year, and we can't express how excited we are at what is to come over the next month.  This is where we are making our first round of major announcements for 2010.  If you want to know what we are doing, you'll have to come to the show.  We'll trickle information out on our blog and sites after the show, but the main releases will be at the show itself.  Stop in to see Julie or me and ask about what's new.  We're so excited I wish we could tell you now, but we just can't.   We hope to see you there!!!!

Z MEDIA Booth - 1005 - upstairs on main floor (same floor as the fashion shows)
Please email us here for free tickets - Free Tickets

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Last week was a busy week.  Julie and I just finished our last wedding for December.  We pick right back up again in January, but we're looking forward to a little bit of a break!  Julie and I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have made 2009 such a fantastic year.  We truly wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and New Year. 

Please note that our production department will be out of the office through January 3rd, 2010.  They'll be back in full swing on the January 4th.  During this time, we are still accepting and responding to new client inquires.  Our teams are available to meet over the holiday season.  If you are a new bride who has just gotten engaged - congratulations!  We look forward to talking with you!

Don't forget to visit us on 1.17.10 at the Today's Bride Show at the IX Center for our latest announcements!  We can't wait!

---Chris and Julie