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Welcome To Las Vegas

2011-05-15T01:59:00.002-04:00

Hey there. If you are reading this then you are either excited about your upcoming trip to Las Vegas...or are just bored beyond belief. I hope these help.

ARE YOUR SHOES COMFY?

One bit of advice is bring really good walking shoes. And if you can, upgrade to the spa suite. Great way to relax those muscles. A great photo opportunity is at night go thru the main entrance, walk up to the shuttle platform past the valet, go as far towards the tram as you can without running smack into the glass and turn around. You will see the light in all it's glory. Great view. I am on my iPad but when I get home I will send you some more Vegas tips and tricks. First things first you are in a great location for your first stay. Luxor literally has everything and anything you need...almost like a little city.

SHOWS

Las Vegas is a wonderland of fun stuff to do. Carrot Top puts on a hilarious show. I plan my Vegas trip around seeing his show. Criss Angel's BeLIEve is an amazing show too. I am also a fan of Phantom Of The Opera. Even if you are not sure about seeing a Broadway play, as I was, this is a must see. I have not seen it yet, but I have heard very good things about Menopause. I may need to check it out next time I go. For a relaxing time for reflection, the Titanic exhibit is an eye opening look at that fateful night. I saw documentaries on Bodies and will probably check that out the next time we go as well. Check with Luxor on specials on pricing. I do not want to comment on ticket prices because I am not affiliated with them, just someone who loves Vegas. But they do have all kinds of special deals.

There are some places in Las Vegas where they say you can get tickets half off or free. Most if not all of these are time share and are a royal pain in the butt. Plus, it is always safer to buy tickets for the shows that you want to see directly from the hotel box office.

FOOD

Without a shadow of a doubt, the best steak house in this country is Tender...hands down. Even though their in house steak sauce is amazing, the steaks do not need it. MORE buffet is a no brainer if you are on a budget and love to eat. They have a 29.99 all day...yes...ALL DAY pass. The weekends are a little more, 34.99 but still well worth it. This is the one place the house will lose it's advantage with me. In fact, a pit boss offered me 5K in chips if I would leave the buffet. Only kidding, joke credit to John Pinette.

Pyramid Cafe is your comfort food location. Even with large crowds, we never really had to wait too long to eat here. Personally, I really like their pizza. Similar to a Tombstone but better.

T&T Tacos was nice. Well seasoned. Wish the tacos were a bit bigger though. Great atmosphere here, nice high ceilings, almost like you are outside.

If you like deli style sandwiches that are too big to eat, then the Backstage Deli is a good bet.

On the Atrium level there is also a food court that has all the staples that your local mall would have. McDonalds, Quiznos, They also have a Nathan's Hot Dog. BOO YEAH!!!!

Another thing about food in Vegas is that if you are on East Coast time, and you normally have dinner at 6pm, it is 3pm in Vegas so if you keep on ET, you will be beating a lot of crowds.

GAMING

I liked the dealers at Luxor. They were informative and made my gaming experience a memorable one. All around Las Vegas you will see my 2 favorite words. GAME KING. TIP...check the payout of each game. Play the machine that has the higher payout per level. I.E. Look at the payout of a Full house on several machines. You will see a variant. MYTH the machine I am playing is hot....those slots are looser during the week vs the weekend. Slots and video poker are 100% random. In your room, there is a channel that plays tricks and tips on table games all day. This is where I learned how to play Black Jack. Also, there is a hilarious video with Carrot Top and Lee Lorren that plays in the room as a tour of the hotel.

When you are playing, the offer you free drinks. There is also ladies who sell cigarettes, cigars, etc...

TIPS

I cannot tell you how much you should TIP someone, but be prepared to TIP just about everyone that helps you to include but not limited to Valet, food servers, bar tenders, concierge, taxi cab driver, and dealer.

POOL

I really liked the pool at Luxor. I grew up in Florida so I really liked the Palm Trees. Also enjoyed sipping on pina coladas by the pool too. The servers were very friendly and quick too.

OUTSIDE THE LUXOR

Las Vegas has a lot to offer. All the hotels have a different theme to them. Check them out.

There is a tram that goes between Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur. You can also access both hotels inside the Luxor. Between Luxor and Mandalay Bay is a mall that has a lot of cool boutique shops. My wife likes the soap one. Which brings me to my next item...

GETTING AROUND VEGAS

BY CAR

If you feel like renting a car, McCarran International Airport has a very efficient system for picking up and dropping off your rental. In addition there is a Dollar Rent A Car located inside Luxor at the front desk. Luxor also offers free self parking and valet. You should tip the valet so I guess you could say valet costs a tip. The valet service was always fast and efficient too.

TAXI

Each hotel has a taxi stand. most of which are by the main entrance and are all labeled very well. Besides having a rental car, taxis are the quickest way to get around. If you have special needs like need a van vs a car, just tell the person manning the taxi line and they will accommodate you if there is one in. Kinda looks like a taxi pez dispenser. Taxi fares can add up on you with waiting times so budget accordingly.

BUS

The bus system is the most cost effective way of traveling around Las Vegas. HEADS UP...the bus can get very crowded. The bus runs just about every 15 minutes or so and runs 24/7. The strip has a bus called The Deuce. This is a fun bus to ride. There are 2 different routes on the strip. One that stops at just about every hotel and another, Downtown Express that stops every 1/4 mile or so. This is a great option if you are trying to get from one end of the strip to the other without hitting every stop.

You can buy bus passes from self serve terminals all around the city.

TRAMS

There is a tram right outside of Luxor that takes you from Luxor to Mandalay Bay, and Excalibur. And it is free.

You can also pick up the monorail at MGM that runs to; M-Thur 7am-2am Fri-Sun 7am-3am Price is $5 per ride, $14 all day and $30 for a 3 day pass.

MGM Grand
Ballys/Paris
Flamingo/Caesars Palace
Harrah's/Imperial Palace
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas Hilton
Sahara

The Bellagio - CityCenter-Monte Carlo Tram 8am-4am Daily every 15 minutes

Monte Carlo
Mandarin Oriental
Crystals
Bellagio

The final one runs between Mirage and Treasure Island

And of course you can walk every where if you choose. There are over passes so you don't have to walk across Las Vegas Blvd.

SHOPPING

When staying at Luxor, you will have everything you need in house. Everything from food, Coffee...I think there are at least 3 Starbucks inside Luxor. Across from Registration, in the casino, and in the food court on the atrium level. You can also get souvenirs, t-shirts, mugs at several different stores within. Even a kids store. Criss Angel has 2 stores, Mindfreak and BeLIEve. You can buy alcohol, sodas, snacks, and more throughout the entire hotel. I know their alcohol infused whipped cream is a hot seller.

Also in Vegas there is are a few outlet malls. My wife liked the one to the South of Luxor. They had a Coach store...and there went my winnings. Also on the strip is the Fashion Show Mall. To me, just another upscale mall that reminded me of Mall Of Georgia or Mall Of America.

GOLF

There are many different golf courses in Las Vegas to chose from.

WATER SHOW AT BELLAGIO is fun to watch. Great photo opp as well. I think it goes every 15 minutes or so. Also, the Mirage has a cool "Lava" show. Again, this is on continuous rotation.

FREEMONT STREET EXPERIENCE

This is something that all people who come to Vegas need to do at least once.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

If you are a shutter bug like I am, bring your camera. Las Vegas is my favorite place to take pictures on this planet. BUT...do not take any pictures inside a casino. Big no no. Also check with hotel security if you have any questions on if you can take pictures within the hotel areas.

But, outside the Luxor, there are some really cool spots. One of my favorite is the walk way going towards the employee parking. If you look up towards the pyramid you will see a neat angle right up the side of the building.

If you walk through the front exit and go straight past the valets and go to where you will pick up the trams...go as far as you can forward without hitting the tram doors. Then turn around and you will see a nice view of the pyramid with the sphinx in the foreground. Do this at night too to see the light.

The top floor of the parking garages in all the hotels is a great place to get a shot of the strip from different angles.

In front of the Bellagio for the water fountain show, the Mirage for the "Lava" show. The mirage also has the dolphin exhibit with is very relaxing to watch them do their thing. The MGM has a very cool lion habitat. There is even an area where the lions can sit above you...with very strong plexiglass of course...I hope. But it is Vegas and it's a gamble.

Redrock is a very nice place to take pictures. With each turn, you have a different colored dessert to look at.

Inside of your room you will find several different local magazines, and other around town guides. They are all full of great information and some have coupons.

Speaking of your room, be sure to book your stay directly with the hotel. Avoid third party bookings at all costs. The Luxor will have all up to the minute specials and deals that the online sites and travel agents will not have access to.

I hope this helps you. And I hope that you have a great time in Las Vegas and come home richer than you got there.

Wedding Festivals

2010-09-16T00:24:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo

It is that time again for Wedding Festivals. It is amazing how time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was recovering from the last one.

Why recover? You would not believe the amount of work that goes into planning, setting up, and running a show. It takes a crew of about 20 to load in, setup, and then tear down each show.

The show also employs several technical liaisons such as myself who helps produce the slide shows for the vendors at the front of the registration area. Daniel and Elisha from Better Tie are hired to handle the lighting designs. And Renee Burroughs is the decorator.

Each of us have our own wedding business and thanks to Wedding Festivals, we get to meet hundreds of brides.

Hope to see you there,

Mike

Wedding Festivals June 10th

2010-06-04T11:39:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo,

Wedding Festivals will be at the Carolina First Center on Thursday June 10th. One huge difference this time is that now Marc and Colleen have won Best International Bridal Show Decor Award.

One thing that never changes is that they keep raising the bar on how the show looks everytime...and I am sure that this show will raise the bar even further.

Also, this is Wedding Festival's 20th Anniversary. That is 20 years of helping keep the local wedding industry going.

If you are there, come by and say Hey-Lo

Coleece and Bryan Wedding Video Trailer

2010-04-05T23:32:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo.

Here is the Wedding Video trailer for Coleece and Bryan. The couple was married at The Gassaway Mansion in Greenville on March 27th, 2010. We, along with Michael from Touch Of Grace Photography captured their wedding.

Here is the trailer for their video. Enjoy.

An Amazing Wedding By The Lake

2010-04-04T20:12:00.004-04:00

Hey-Lo,

Yesterday we had the honor of capturing the wedding of Nancy and Ben. Their wedding was held in Six Mile right on the lake. The hike down to the lakeside wedding ceremony was a little steep and rough, but was well worth the trek down there.

It was a perfect day for a wedding on the lake. An amazing day to start the life of an equally amazing couple. We were honored to be able to capture it on photo and video.

2010-03-28T01:20:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo

We had a great time shooting this wedding at the Gassaway Mansion today. It is always a pleasure shooting weddings there.

We shot this wedding with Michael from Touch Of Grace. Not only does he do amazing work, it is always fun to watch him get into his work.

This was the first time working with Leanne from Events By Lady Lee. She did an amazing job planning the wedding as well as executing those plans today.

Holly's Cakes was the wedding cake vendor. And as usual, her cake was amazing. The icing was perfect. I cannot think of another way to put it but pure confection pefection.

The menu tonight provided by the Gassaway was fantastic. I had the pork tenderloin and some fruit. The shrimp looked amazing...although I could not eat any of them.

Shaping up to be a cool year so far...thank you Wedding Festivals

2010-03-20T20:50:00.004-04:00

Hey Lo,

We have a lot of good things coming up this year...and a lot of firsts in addition to some cool destination weddings.

We will be filming our first Laotion wedding which I am very much looking forward to. Their wedding attire is very colorful and ornate. Any photographers dream for sure.

This year we have already booked several destination weddings with a few more in the works. In addition to that, we booked 2 seperate celebrity weddings as well.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Clearwater, FL. Hilton Head, SC, and Charleston, SC. And we already filmed one in Boston, MA. On top of that, we have a very cool portrait session booked for Las Vegas, NV.

None of this would have been possible without God giving me the talents we have, and for Wedding Festivals for producing shows that allow small business owners the opportunity to meet with as many brides which results in allowing us all to do what we love.

If you love what you do everyday, then it is not work.

Wedding and Events With Style Magazine.

2010-03-20T20:46:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo

Be sure to check out our ad in the latest edition of Weddings and Events With Style Magazine.

The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 Pick

2010-02-09T23:15:00.002-05:00

Hey-Lo,

Today we found out that we were picked as The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 Pick from www.theknot.com Needless to say we are very humbled by this honor.

The Knot is the largest wedding website on the planet. Millions of brides come to The Knot every day to help plan their weddings. And I found out today that a good number of them liked us.

Thank you all who voted for us, it was a real nice suprise to know we won a contest that we did not know we were in.

Now, if the Publisher's Clearing House van would pull up to the house, my week will be complete.

Peace,

Mike

Wedding Festivals Anderson

2010-01-29T21:18:00.001-05:00

Hey-Lo

Tomorrow is Wedding Festivals at the Anderson Civic Center.

Come out and say Hey-Lo.

What is a role model

2010-01-23T00:18:00.001-05:00

Hey-lo.

I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about a role model of mine. His name is Michael Sweet. 20 some odd years ago, I started listening to a band name Stryper, and have not stopped yet. Back in those days, I was an expiring rocker and Stryper was the one band that I wanted to be in. I learned to play guitar as a direct result of Stryper's music. And the best part is that they are a Christian Metal band. As a kid I had Stryper posters all over my room. I even performed as them in a Lip Synch show in high school.

Fast forward several years and as the music scene changed from heavy metal to grunge to alternative to who knows what now...I continued to listen to Stryper on an almost daily basis. If you are a guitar player, whether you are into Christian music or not, I promise you would love what Michael Sweet and Oz Fox have done on every recording.

During the 90's Stryper was no longer a band and the members went their own ways and eventually there was a Michael Sweet solo album so the music continued to roll. Around this time VH1 was airing shows like "Where Are They Now?" which mainly showcased metal band members and what they do now. It was amazing how many talked about rehab, jail, drugs, etc... and how unhappy they really were, although during the 80's they lived like kings...so we thought anyway.

Then finally Stryper was showcased on the show. It was amazing how everyone was for the most part happy with their lives. Michael showed the cranberry bogs he worked at, and the family summer camp. No drug stories...no rehab. You could tell that he was honestly happy.

During this time I had the distinct honor of getting to hang out with him for a good part of the day. I got to ask him about the good old days, other rock stars, etc... Also on this day I got to know the person who I for a lack of a better word, idolized, as a kid. I also got to meet Kyle, his wife.

A little about Kyle. She moved from the Boston area to Los Angeles to pursue a career in movie make up. She had worked on blockbusters like Terminator. She was on her way to the top. Along the way, she met Michael, fell in love and had 2 children. She could have very easilly continued with her career in make up and still be an excellant mother, but insisted on being the best mom she could be, and stayed home with the children instead.

One common thread amongst people who are high profile ministers is that there is always a dark cloud of doubt looming over their heads. Many people do not trust tv preachers because of the scandals that many have fallen into, and or started on their own.

On this day, I had the chance to attend church with Michael and his family. I had the chance to see him in a crowd of people, probably none of them remembered Stryper, bought a CD, and most defiantly never stood in line for hours to see them in concert like I did.

I got to see that Michael is the person I thought him to be. I got to see that he had been 100% genuine all this time. Michael is the real deal. I kind of felt like I got to see how a magic trick was done. I can still hear in my head him singing "How Great Thou Art" with just him and an acoustic guitar. I will never forget this day as long as I live. In fact, the picture above was taken on this day. Note: The guitar that I am holding is one of the same guitars that Michael played live. I have seen that guitar a bazillion times in concert.

Well time moved on and like all the other bands that were reuniting again, Stryper made it's way back to the stage again. I was like a kid on Christmas morning when I found out they were coming within 4 hours of where I lived.

Move time forward again, Stryper released a new studio album called "Reborn" which was fantastic. But right after that Michael also released another solo album called "Him". This was not a rock album by any shape or form. This was an album of hymns. Michael released this record to promote God...not Michael Sweet. The Stryper train at this point is starting to take off and get momentum. Festivals in Europe want to book Stryper. There is a forum where fans post on daily. For me, life cannot get any better than this. In a day where rock is decent, my favorite band Stryper is back for good.

Now, this is the reason why I decided to write this. Over the last year or so, Michael's wife, Kyle, was diagnosed with cancer. She had to endure chemo therapy which has left her sick. Right before her chemo, Stryper was scheduled to go into the studio to record another album to get ready for another tour.

Michael did what any decent human being should do. He postponed the Stryper album to be with Kyle during what was going to be a very hard time for them, and their kids. Michael would sing songs to her while she was home. Or she would hear him in their studio downstairs. Michael recorded an album for her called "Touched" These are the songs that he was singing to make her feel better.

The fact that he put off his "Rock Stardom" to be with his wife is just another reason why he has been, and always will be my role model.

Sadly, on March 5th of this year, Kyle lost her fight with cancer and passed away with Michael by her side.

The reason I am sharing this with you, my wedding customers, is the road ahead of you will be full of unknown twists and turns. When I will be working with you, I will be seeing you on your happiest day ever. No matter how rich or poor, no matter how good of a career you have, you will have trials in your life that you will need to overcome.

Every week, as I am filming your wedding and when I hear the words "...through sickness and in health...through good times, and bad...through plenty and in want..." I will always think of Michael and the example he is.
Peace,
Mike

Bucket List

2010-01-23T00:11:00.002-05:00

I am trying to stay on top of my Blogging this year....I promise.

I got to cross something off of my Bucket List this week.

I got to walk down the ramp for WWE Smackdown. Yes, I walked down the same path that Undertaker, Chris Jericho, John Cena all walk down to entire the ring.

Although I did not have the music, pyro, or the fans screaming...it was still a pretty cool experience none the less. I am just glad I did not get slammed or nothing. LOL

Wedding Festivals and Boston was a blast

2010-01-23T00:01:00.003-05:00

Hey-Lo

I had the honor of filming a wedding at the State Room in Boston for Lisa and Michael. The State Room is one of the nicest venues I have ever had the chance to film in. The view is fantastic. I just wish it was not 13 degrees outside the entire time. I will post pictures after Wedding Festivals are done.

I stayed at the Nine Zero Hotel. I promise you, this hotel is probably the only 6 star hotel on the planet. Everything the Nine Zero does is amazing. From the moment I got out of my cab, I knew this was going to be a great stay. Michael H. at the front desk and Thomas B., the concierge both told me that this was going to be the best hotel visit ever. They were not just saying it.

I cannot wait until I have to go to Boston again and I will stay there again any time.

Tomorrow will be the third Wedding Festival in as many weeks. This time, we will be in Spartanburg at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. If you are reading this, come by and say hey-lo to us.

Mike

Wedding Festivals Again

2010-01-02T22:43:00.002-05:00

Can you believe that it is already time for Wedding Festivals? Next week will start a 5 week nonstop Wedding Festival Tour starting at the Hyatt in downtown Greenville.

Hope to see you there.

2010 Wedding Season Kicked off today with Rebecca and Andrew.

2010-01-02T22:29:00.003-05:00

Hey-Lo.

Today we filmed our first wedding for the year. Rebecca and Andrew were happily married at Grace Church in Greer. I know you are thinking Grace WHAT???? Just Grace. Very nice church inside and out.

Also got to work with my good friend Marshall Graham Photography, which is always a treat. His assistant was Gabrielle Grace, who owns Gabrielle Grace Photography.

Get this, she is only 15 years old and is already an accomplished sports/fitness photographer, portrait and familiy photographer. She has studied with Scott Holloway, who is one of my favorite wedding photographers here in the upstate.

I am looking forward to see more weddings from Gabrielle.

The reception was at Thorneblade Country Club, which is always a good thing if you are ever get hungry at a wedding, their food is always outstanding. But that is not their only outstanding feature. Their facility is not only beautiful, but extremely functional as well. There is plenty of parking, the restrooms are large enough to accomidate your guests and have elevators for those who cannot make it up the stairs.

Last but not least the cake was made by Kathy and Company. I had a piece of the chocholate and raspberry. Tammy had the cinnamon layer. All I can say was WOW!!! Her cakes are always amazing but the cake tonight was something I never tasted from her bakery before. I am sure that she has made this chocolate raspberry before, but this was the first for me. God willing, it will not be the last.

Have a great day, hope to see you all at Wedding Festivals next week at the Hyatt,

An interesting night

2009-07-19T07:45:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo

Had a very interesting night tonight. We had an awesome time at Chris's Police Academy Graduation party at Cleveland Park in Greenvillle. We had a great turn out. At the end, yours truly even played some volleyball. Then at the end of it, we ended up with a large amount of food left over. I mean there had to be about 5 pounds of hot dogs. 10 pounds of cake, and a cooler full of sodas.

So Tammy came up with the idea of bringing them to the homeless. I called Marc Wheeler and he told me where to go. I also called SeaLo, a Christian Rap Artist who is involved with Healing P.O.T.S. Ministries (People On The Streets)...whom we have donated video and photo services in the past.

So SeaLo Tammy and I went to the parking lot of Hardees on Rutherford in downtown Greenville (which was closed) and handed out hotdogs, drinks (sodas) and cake to about 20 homeless guys. We hung around and talked for a while, prayed with them. SeaLo worked the buns, and I served the hotdogs and drinks. We had a little assembly line going there.

Well, as I was serving, I was about to hand one of the guys there his hotdog...he looked up at me and said, "I'm sorry, were you in line ahead of me." Nice. But the best part was at the end of the night, we were talking to John, who had not eaten in 4 days.

We had been there for about 30 minutes and then another homeless man walked up looking for a hotdog, but we were already out. John, the man who had not had anything to eat in 4 days gave one of his hotdogs to a complete stranger. Kinda makes you think about things a little differently.

I also ran into another man, who I did not get his name. To me he did not fit the stereo type of a homeless person. Well, the reason is that he was laid off of his job at a local bank 2 weeks ago. And just prior to that, he ran into some money issues and was evicted from his apartment and is now homeless trying to get his apartment back, but is having trouble finding work, and adding the fact that he is homeless is not helping him land another bank job too well.

That was a night I will not soon forget.

Wedding Festivals Again

2009-06-10T23:35:00.002-04:00

It is time again for Wedding Festivals. Tomorrow at the Carolina First Center, from 4:00 until 9:00. It is a great time and the theme is METROPOLITAN.

Today, I got a sneak peak and it looks fantastic.

I hope to see you there.

Mike

Melissa's Bridal Portrait Shoot

2009-05-14T03:15:00.005-04:00

Hey,
Sometimes when you are on a photo shoot you know that you have struck gold even before you even look at the picture. Well that was the feeling all day when shooting Melissa's bridal portraits.

We started on the roof of the Poinsette Hotel in downtown Greenville and then worked our way throughout the hotel. Her mom Loretta and her sisters Dani and Sara joined us for the shoot.
You are never too old to learn anything. This day, I learned that the walking distance from the Poinsette to Falls Park is much further than I thought. LOL

Then we took more pictures through out Falls Park and then worked our way back to the hotel where we took some fantastic shots as the sun was going down.

Well, then when I thought that the day could not get any better, we ran into Kevin Sorbo of Hercules fame in the lobby of the hotel. Kevin was an incredibly nice guy and took the time to talk to us let us take pictures with him.

I cannot get over how nice Kevin was to everyone. You hear so many horror stories about big stars being jerks, but Kevin was everything but.

Thank you Kevin for helping us make Melissa's bridal portrait shoot....Unforgettable. Sorry, I could not help it.

Tiffany's Bridal Portrait Shoot

2009-05-14T03:10:00.003-04:00

On mothers' day, we shot the bridal portrait for Tiffany. Tiffany, her mom, Tammy and I all had a great time doing her portrait at the Hyatt in downtown Greenville.

We love shooting at the Hyatt. Not only is the location beautiful and diverse, the staff is second to none when it comes to accomidating us when we are there filming.

Once Tiffany is married, we will post some of our favorite pictures from the shoot.

Micki and Brian

2009-04-26T12:55:00.003-04:00

We had a great time filming Micki and Brian on their wedding day. Their wedding was at Spiegel Farms, which is just North of Spartanburg sitting on over 50 acres of lush green grass, a nice pond, horses, and several beautiful buildings.

And this time, Mike was not bit by a horse. What more can you ask for?

Mary Beth and Brian Engagement

2009-04-26T12:42:00.003-04:00

I had a great time with Mary Beth and Brian on their engagement session. We went to the Presbyterian Church on Main St. in Spartanburg for their location. This proved to be an amazing location for photos. Not only were the church grounds beautiful, the surrounding locations were nice too.

Within walking distance we were able to go from a church with stylish architecture, to a run down picnic table in the middle of nowhere. I am looking forward to your wedding next month.

Kaitlin and Paul

2009-04-15T20:16:00.006-04:00

We had the honor of taking pictures for Kaitlin and Paul's wedding. I had been looking forward to this wedding for a while now.

You see, we got our first call from Effie, mother of the bride while we were on our way home from Las Vegas.

We had a great time with everyone and when you have great chemistry with your brides and their families, it really shines with their photos.

The New Website Is Up

2009-03-31T23:25:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo

I am pleased to announce that we have finally launched our new website.

Check it out and tell me what you think.

Mike

What is a Role Model

2009-03-30T10:22:00.002-04:00

New Website Coming Soon

2009-03-18T18:25:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo,

In the next few weeks we are going to launch our new website. The address will be the same, but the website will be all new.

Mike

Wedding Festivals Last Night

2008-09-19T15:00:00.011-04:00

Hey-Lo

This morning and today I am recovering from a very busy night at Wedding Festivals.

Last night Colleen and Marc found a way to out do the last show, which I thought would be impossible to do.

When you first walked in they had all kinds of displays to look at. From the latest dress fashions, a table top display area, and even a photographer's gallery.

Then the bride to be would get in line and even the line was something picture worthy. Then then the bride would walk through a mock wedding setup which showcased, sorry, some of the platinum lighting setups available today.

If that was not enough, the next stop was Holly's Cakes who was giving away free samples of their cakes and cupcakes. Being on a diet that dang near killed me to smell all of those. Then down the line was Francios from Bagatelle Catering giving away samples of his goodies too. This was a very bad place to be if you are trying to watch your weight, but THEE BEST place to be if you are planning a wedding. Here is the best part, you have not even entered the real show yet.

I could not even count all of the vendors that were set up. There were just rows and rows and rows of them. I got to meet some new guys on the block, A Better Tie Video. Daniel was a very cool guy and I only wished I had more time to talk shop with him and his staff.

I have not even started talking about the bride yet. The brides came by steady all night long. I made several appointments to meet next week with several of you.

Then the fashion show started. Now, if you have not yet been to a Wedding Festival you have not seen their brand of fashion show. It is never just models walking on a run way turning then walking back. There is an element that is very classy about each one.

Last night was no exception. The theme was Vineyards. The show started with the models walking to the stage carrying grapes in themed costumes. You know, I cannot even begin to explain it. Go to http://www.weddingfestivals.com/ and soon I am sure they will have a video clip of it.

Here is the coolest part. This fashion show was so neat that I even saw grooms in the audience having a good time watching it.

Next week is another show in Asheville, NC at the Asheville Civic Center. And of course in January there will be a wedding Festival every weekend.

Have a great day and I hope to see you there soon.

Mike

Wedding Festival Time Again

2008-09-07T22:59:00.007-04:00

Hey-Lo

I know you have seen the billboards around town. I think the last count is over 80 of them all over the Greenville area. You will hear the ads on B93.7 in the up coming weeks. In fact Wedding Festivals is the ONLY wedding show, showcase, gathering...etc... that B93.7 endorses.

As I sit here typing this blog when I should be getting my video and photo demos ready for the Wedding Festival coming up on Thursday, September 18 at the Carolina First Center.

If you know me then you know that I am always looking forward to these shows. Why, because I get to talk to hundreds and hundreds of brides at each and every show. If you have never been to a Wedding Festival, then you do not know what you are missing.

Sure there are other shows out there, and I am sure that they are fine. But, the one thing that I do know is ever since Tammy and I started our business, I asked around and pretty much every wedding related vendor that would talk to me, knowing I am not a bride, all said that Wedding Festivals is the show to do. And every since we did our first show our business has gone through the roof.

Another facet of the show I enjoy is seeing what Marc and Colleen will do next. A few shows ago I thought that they went over the top with the butterfly theme with the rose pedals lightly falling from the ceiling. Then at the last show at the Carolina First Center in June, they topped it again. This time they had a mock wedding complete with a mock reception. What are they going to do next? You will have to go to find out.

Well, I hope to see you there.

Peace,

Mike

Goodbye to a legend

2008-08-09T12:38:00.002-04:00

It is with deep sadness that I am writing this blog about the passing of Bernie Mac. Bernie Mac died this morning of complications of pneumonia.

RIP.

"I Be Thinkin it was an Amazing Day"

2008-07-14T23:13:00.004-04:00

Hey-Lo,

I will try to tell the very very short version of this story.

Friday I received a phone call from a lady named Karen who's mother had passed away and she wanted a tribute video made to play at the funeral. Well I produced the video, played it at the service as planned and everything went smooth.

I talked to Karen today and we talked about the funeral service amongst other topics and somehow...someway the topic of my list of favorite comedians came up.

You see, I have a list of 4 comedians that I wanted to meet since the late 80's, early 90's. In no particular order,

Carrot Top

George Wallace

Pablo Fransico

Bruce Baum

We went on to talking about George Wallace and I went on about what he meant to me and how I loved his act, etc....

Well....later this afternoon I missed a call from an unknown number so I called it back. It was Mr. George Wallace himself on the phone. Come to find out, Karen, is a really good friend of his and she told him what he meant to me and she got him to call me.

I cannot tell you what an honor it was to be able to speak to him over the phone and I cannot wait until I can go back to Vegas to see his show there. I still cannot believe I got to talk to one of my all time favorite comics of all time. I mean, this is HUGE for me.

Oh yeah, for those who do not know the phrase "I Be Thinkin" is one of George Wallace's catch phrases. Kinda like Jeff Foxworthy has "You might be a redneck." or Rodney Dangerfield had "I get no respect." Or Dice clay had "......I can not even begin to type that in here..."

Karen and George really made my day...week...month.

Thank you so much.

Sad farewell to a genius.

2008-06-16T23:39:00.004-04:00

Stan Winston, the special effects guru who has created special effect monsters in such blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Terminator, Aliens, Edward Scissorhands, just to name a few, has died. He was 62.

Stan first made his living as a stand up comic before going into special effects. He began his special effects career in 1968 with Walt Disney Studios as a make up apprentice. Stan is only 1 of two special effect artists to have a star on Hollywood's Walk Of Stars. Ray Harryhausen is the other.

"I do my art for art's sake on my own time. I spend as much time as I want on it because it's art for art's sake and it's not for a dollar. It's not with business parameters."

RIP Stan.

Wedding Festivals Again

2008-06-10T22:45:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo,

Wedding Festivals will be this Thursday from 4-9 pm at the Caroline First Center in Greenville.

I got a sneak peek at the new look and it is going to be awesome.

We hope to see you there.

Mike and Tammy

The Importance Of Hiring The Right Wedding Photographer or Videographer

2008-06-06T11:06:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo

I wanted to give a word of advice about choosing the right wedding photographer or videographer for your wedding.

You have heard the phrase a picture is worth 1000 words. Well when dealing with your wedding day, that statement holds up 1000 fold.

Everyday it seems like there is another person offering their services on sites like Craigslist, Yahoo, and even on cardboard on the side of the highway to film your wedding. Your wedding day should be unforgettable (pun intended) and that is why hiring the right person to film your wedding is paramount.

In regards to some of the "photographers" and "videographers" who advertise on free sites, such as Craigslist, some of them may be fantastic. In fact, one of my good friends in the business, Linda Wilson who owns Photos By Carolind has advertised on there a few times. I would have no issue hiring her to shoot my wedding, if I ever had to do that again. However, I have seen too many red flags on some of them.

For example, I have asked to see samples work from three different ones. Each one of them said that their clients will not allow them to show their wedding....or...their company policy forbids them from showing other people's wedding videos. These are the biggest red flags you should be aware of.

The next thing they will try to do is re-enforce the fact that their prices are way cheaper than everyone else. That may be but if you shoot the wedding with a dirty lens or with the lens cap still on, then 1.00 is too much to pay.

I have received one DVD from one company and the quality was cheap. What I mean is there was no real editing, you could not hear any vows, exchanging of rings, etc... The things you want to have from your wedding video.

So, with that being said, here are a few tips that you may of heard before when looking for a wedding photographer or videographer.

Interview the person who will be filming your wedding and see samples of photos/videos that they have PERSONALLY DONE. Most of your husband wife teams, such as Photography By Dennis and Yvette do all the work by themselves. There are some companies that are usually in the larger cities but are slowly moving into our area that are what I like to call Corporate Wedding Video/Photos. The quickest way to spot these companies are those who offer services that are not artistically related to each other such as Photo/Video/DJ/Florist/ These companies generally hire people with little to no experience and may not have them booked until the week before the wedding. There have been a few times where the DJ or photographer did not show because the company could not find someone to do it.
Some photographers use an assistant, as we do from time to time. If there will be an assistant used on your wedding, again be sure to ask to see work they have done.
Get references. Do not be afraid to ask for names and numbers of other brides and other professionals that they have worked with. An excellent source for information for a photographer or videographer is a DJ. Because the DJ is there all night, they would be a good source of info on how their work ethic was.
When looking at a videographer's sample, pay close attention to the lighting, color quality and the sound of the video. Also focus on their creative attention to detail. Does the wedding video tell a story or is it a bunch of randomvideo clips put together.

I hope this information was useful to you in your search of a wedding videographer or photographer. Keep in mind that each photographer is an artist. Although many styles may seem the similar, each one usually has their own little "something" that makes them unique.

While we are on that subject, please check out some of my favorite wedding photographers located here in the upstate. In fact, each of these artists work directly inspired me to learn photography.

Kismet

Mitchell

Cinematic Impressions

Photography By Dennis and Yvette

Jason Tensch Blue Mountain Photo Works

A Perfect Day Photography

Alison Haynes

Cox Photography

Storybook Day Photography

John Gillespie

Dream Images

And last but not least Michael Lamb. He took a picture outside the Westin Hotel of a bride looking back at him with a reflection on the stone. That picture is what made me go out and buy my first camera kit.

Mike

New Kid On The Block

2008-06-04T21:41:00.003-04:00

Hey-Lo

I just wanted to take a minute to share a photo of Grant Wentzel. Grant is the new baby boy of our good friends Chris and Alyssa Wentzel, owners of Cinematic Impressions. Here is a picture of Grant with his new hat. I personally think an Unforgettable Wedding Video hat would look better. Hehehehehe

2nd Annual Trash Your Dress Event

2008-05-05T10:24:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo,

Yesterday we had the honor of participating in the 2nd Annual Trash Your Dress Event in downtown Greenville. This was not your normal trash your dress photo shoot.

First of all, it was free for any bride or bride to be who wanted to be in it. Second, it was an avenue to raise awareness for breast and cervical cancer and how an early detection can save a life.

When I say we, I mean Photography By Dennis and Yvette who organized this entire event, Willrich Bridal, Holly's Cakes...the cake was fantastic as usual...DL Limousine Service, Occasions at Wedgefield, and Storybook Day Photography, and Michael From Touch Of Grace Photography. We handled the video...and all the other photographers took the pictures.

We started at the Hyatt downtown and took limos to the Westend Field, provided by DL Limousines...very nice limos by the way. Then we had a parade of brides in their dresses walking around the ball park. You would not believe the smiles they got from everyone. It was a sight to see.

Then during the 7th inning stretch they all got up on the dugout to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."

Then after the baseball game, we went to Falls Park, for more photo and video shoots, then we ended up back at the Hyatt where the brides finally got dirty and wet.

The fun part is that we got to get photos and video of brides that you would not normally get to do. Normally you protect that dress from molecules of dust let alone having the bride sit on the dirty ground.

I cannot wait to finish editing the video, we previewed it last night and it is going to be awesome.

In the meantime, keep checking back at www.idoinsc.com which is the official website for this event and you will be able to see pictures from the event in a couple of weeks.

Peace,
Mike

Rosa Nash

2008-04-10T11:29:00.004-04:00

I was saddened to receive an e-mail today advising that Rosa Nash has passed away.

I first met Rosa through Wedding Festivals. During vendor setup she would always greet me with a big smile and a friendly hello.

When I was the new kid on the block, this meant the world to me. She made me feel welcomed to the Greenville, SC wedding industry.

Just Beacuse Party

2008-03-10T01:16:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo

Last night Tammy and I went to AVF's just because party. It was not billed as a "wedding Vendor Party" althought most of the guests there were other wedding vendors.

This is what I love about the business I am in. One of our competitors invites us to a party that they are throwing. Brian and Russell from AVF Weddings have been instrumental with us being and staying in the wedding video, and photo, business.

When we first started Brian and Russell were very open with ideas and information that they knew that we should know. You never hear Wal-Mart calling K-Mart with an idea to make money or share tricks to make their craft better.

I remember my second Wedding Festival, we were placed directly across from AVF. At this time I did not really know anyone else or how they would react to a newbie in their world. To my surprise, just about every other wedding videographer extended their hands and said welcome to the business. How often does that happen in any other field?

We had a great time last night, we got to talk to other wedding professionals like Susan and Richard from Willrich Bridal. I mentioned that I love reading her blog http://www.willrichbridal.blogspot.com/ which is full of information and ideas. In fact, I will be sure to put a link to there from my website later today.

The party was held at Aabstract Galleries in Fountain Inn. The food was fantastic. I cannot get over the taste of the beef and the meat balls. The facility was very nice with more than enough room for their dance floor, a ceremony, or meeting. Did I mention the food was fantastic?

Deserts were provided by our friend Christine Schnee owner of Now That's a Cookie and the inventor of The Cake Wheel. I almost busted two weeks worth of going to the gym over those cookies. I could not believe the flavor coming out of them.

The Party Machine was on hand to spin some music for the party. Not to mention Ken from Scottish Sounds brought his bagpipes with him. I can never get enough of the pipes.

Brian and Russell, thank you again for inviting us, it was a blast.

Peace,
Mike

Life is great...now that I can enjoy it longer

2008-03-10T01:03:00.002-04:00

Hey-Lo

I found out Friday night/Saturday morning the hard way that I am deathly allergic to shrimp. As some of you know I have made some serious changes in my exercise routine and diet over the last two weeks or so and I feel the changes. I can walk all day without getting tired, going up the stairs is not an issues anymore. Things like that.

Well I had about 8 shrimp Friday night on my salad wrap and within two hours my face swelled and I felt that breathing was going to come to and end for me real soon. I was right. If I had not taken anything that would have happened.

So I end up in the emergency room at close to 11:30pm. On a side note why is it that whenever I have to go to the ER it is in the middle of the night...never like at 2 in the afternoon. The doctor looked me over listened to a few things etc...and concluded it was an allergy to shrimp and to not eat shrimp anymore. He gave me some meds, and they worked. The end.

You know I thought a near death experience would have been cooler than that. I feel kinda cheated in a way. No bright white lights...nothing...nada zip.

All kidding aside, I am very glad to still be here.

Peace,
Mike

Starting The Year Right...Even if it is already March

2008-03-02T23:45:00.005-05:00

Hey-Lo.

This week we joined up with Sportsclub in Simpsonville. I had been going to another gym off an on...OK more off than on. All jokes aside, that is why I went back to Sportsclub, I found that going to that other gym was monotonous and annoying. At Sportsclub, there is something about the atmosphere inside the club that adds a positive vibe to your workout. And they also sell Pringles at the juice bar is also cool. A little reminder as to why I see blurry blue dots after working out. If you want to become a member, call my bud Sarah Swartz at 864-675-5808 and she will hook you up. Just tell her that we sent you.

I actually started to make some changes during Wedding Festival season this year. Working those shows are very hard on the body. I lost about 15 pounds between January and now, but most of that was the change in diet. Now with the added workout sessions 3-5 times a week, I expect to see some awesome results.

Gone are the fried foods to make room for all the salads, wraps, and fresh fruits. Also gone is soda. All soda, diet and regular. In is water, water, and more water.

I feel great just after 4 days, I cannot wait until a year from now to see how I feel.

Peace,
Mike

Spartanburg Wedding Festival

2008-01-25T05:43:00.000-05:00

Hey-Lo,

Tomorrow, Wedding Festivals will be at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. The show starts at 10:00 and will run until 3:00pm.

If you decide to come, please stop by and say Hey-Lo.

Peace,
Mike

Anderson Wedding Festival

2008-01-17T23:34:00.000-05:00

Hey-Lo

Today I assisted the Wedding Festival Crew with the assembly of the Anderson Wedding Festival. I gotta tell you...after the last show I really helped with, which was Asheville last week, I was hurting. I pulled a muscle in my lower back and it has not stopped throbbing since. But, this week I hit the gym a few days to work it out. It is still throbbing, but is not as bad.

I also adjusted my diet to add more salads and less crud. Today, I actually felt better after moving a bazillion pipes, plates, and misc crates, road cases, lighting rigs, etc... I have to wonder when I am working these shows if they are a wedding show, or a rock and roll tour because of the sheer volume of equipment, crew, and detail that goes into each show.

When I left, I was not that sore as I had been. I am looking forward to keeping these changes so I can keep up with this crew.

Marc and Colleen have been doing these shows for close to 18 years now and you can really see the experience working for them and the crew.

Today's crew was Virgil, Garyn, Coleman, Lana, Ben, Londan, Deangelo, Elliott, Logan, Sarah (Da Machine), and of course Kennedy. It is amazing how well these guys all work together. They know what to do...when to do it, and how to do it. There is no doubt in my mind that experience really matters when producing any wedding expo.

Another thing I was trying to figure out in my head today was why I had not yet done an Anderson Wedding Festival. We have exhibited in many other Wedding Festivals but not Anderson. This building is fantastic. The layout is not like all the other shows. Close to 100% of our business is a direct result of exhibiting at Wedding Festivals. I am very much looking forward to Saturday's show.

I hope to see you there.

Mike

Exciting News

2008-01-17T23:20:00.000-05:00

Unforgettable Wedding Video is proud to announce that we will be a part of the Second Annual Trash Your Wedding Dress Photo and Video Session.

Our good friends in the wedding business Dennis and Yvette, from Photography By Dennis And Yvette started this annual event last year with one goal in mind...to raise awareness for the early detection of breast and cervical cancer.

This is an event that I wanted to be a part of last year when Yvette told me of what she was planning on doing. At that time, she was already working with another videographer. To me, it did not matter, as long as someone was doing this...even though I really kinda wished I could have had some fun with this shoot too.

I urge anyone who is reading this to go to this site for more information on the event...

http://www.idoinsc.com/

It will be held on May 4th starting at Falls Park and eventually ending up at a Greenville Drive game.

Wait...there is much more. We are NOT the only ones contributing to this event. Willrich Bridal , The Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville, Holly's Cakes are the wedding vendors who have signed up so far.

Come out and join us for a worthy cause, trash your dress...or buy one at a thrift store and have some fun.

Peace,
Mike

Asheville Wedding Festival

2008-01-13T04:31:00.000-05:00

Hey-lo.

It is about 4:31 and I am just about winding down now from this weekend's Wedding Festival at the Asheville Civic Center. Since you are reading this, you already know that I like to help with the Wedding Festival crew with setup and take down.
What most vendors don't realize is the thought, the work, the sweat, the blood, that goes into each show. Oh and the pranks...but we will get into that later.
The staff that was here tonight was...in no particular order, Marc and Colleen (show producers) Logan(road manager), Garyn, Virgil, Ben, Lana, Coleman, Sarah (The Machine...this is the girl that just will not stop for a break all weekend) and of course Kennedy.
Their weekend started on Thursday when some of the crew traveled with all the gear to start assembling it on Friday morning at 7:30. I arrived at 4:30pm right in the middle of vendor load in. At this point the crew has already been working all day, and now they are assisting the vendors. I cannot even begin to tell you how physically demanding this is. And everyone that I observed during this time was smiling and glad to be here.
When I got here I jumped right into vendor load in. That is a workout and a half. By the end of load in, around 8:00pm, I was spent. I know I tried lifting something that I should not have and now I am paying for it...dearly. And I only got there at 4:30, not all day like everyone else. Sometimes, I kinda feel bad about not being able to keep up with the crew but in my defense they are all at least 10 years younger and in much better shape than I am...or ever will be.
After vendor load in came time to stuff the Wedding Festival Planning Bags. Now...while I and the guys were loading in, some of the girls were already getting the vendors' information that each participating vendor supplied ready to be stuffed into the bags. The funny thing about the bag promo is that with me being a vendor, I know the value of participating in this because each bride will already have my DVD, post card, or whatever I want placed into the bag and each time that I am helping the crew, I see all the vendors that did take advantage of the promotion I have to think to myself...what am I waiting for here. Because each bride will already have my information, my exposure will surely go up.
What I mean is at this show there was about 450-475 brides walking around. That is by my estimate, those were not official numbers. I have met with brides who attended a Wedding Festival that I did not get to meet because there were so many brides there, it would be impossible to meet every single bride that walked through that door. So now you can see why this is a great idea for the vendors.
I will fast forward a little bit here...we are now done, and it is about 8:30 and Marc and Colleen are taking the crew out to Fuddruckers for some dinner. Joining tonight are James and Jenny from Visio Photography. If you are a photographer or aspiring to be one, then you would definitely be a fan of theirs. They have such an artistic eye for capturing the bride or any subject for that matter...it is just mind numbing. So it is always a pleasure to sit and talk with them...pick their minds, etc... Now, if I could just sit down with Visio and Kismet at the same time, that would be cool.
After dinner I got settled into my room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel...very nice indeed. Garyn and Coleman came to my room and we played Guitar Hero for a while and soon after, my day was finally....finally done. I could go to bed now....if I was not aching all over that is.
The next morning, I got up...barely, and ventured to the breakfast buffet and started my day with a fantastic breakfast. Soon after I started Marc, Colleen, and Kennedy joined me. And about the same time Virgil and Ben finished off the breakfast club.
Right after we ate, which is about 7:20am we were all ready to head back to the civic center for yet another day hard work and fun...

Wedding Festivals Time Again

2008-01-04T06:11:00.000-05:00

Hey-Lo,

I hope everyone reading this is having a great New Year so far.

As I am sitting here typing this and burning 100's of demo DVDs, I am amazed that it is already Wedding Festival time again. It seems like yesterday that I was hobbling around from what I like to call "The Wedding Festival Full Body Workout". If you could see all the work, both physical, administrative, and mental for that matter, you would drop your gym membership and do this instead. It is not only fun, but you get to hang with the coolest crew of people that I know. Marc and Colleen have a huge crew of people that put each and every show together. There might be 10 of them moving all the pipe and drape elements, another crew is setting up the couture areas, bridal theater or the stage at some of the venues. Basically it is a well oiled machine, which is a product of close to 20 years of experience producing these wedding shows.

Another aspect about the Wedding Festivals that I like is getting to see old friends in the business again. It's kinda like walking into your favorite local pub. You will see people there and are usually greeted with a smile. You will see some that you have worked a wedding with and can remember funny stories with them.

Also, I can't wait...again...to see the booth that Kismet Photography is going to have. Curtis and Emily are very artistic, well duh if you have ever taken the time to look at their photos you would already know this...but to see their booth is kinda like waiting for the store fronts at Christmas time. There have been times where I actually thought about hiring them to build my booth.

Also, I am looking forward to seeing our good friends Chris and Alyssa from Cinematic Impressions. We don't get to hang out the way we used to because we are both always booked, busy, or editing. I guess that is a good thing but I still miss getting to whoop up on Chris playing X-Box games head on. (well if you know us then you already know that Chris actually whips up on me...big time. I am lucky to get a shot off during a game.)

If you are coming to the show, stop by and say hi, we will be along the back wall.

Saturday, from 10:00 until 3:00 at the Hyatt in downtown Greenville will be the first one of the season.

Peace,

Mike

Class Acts From Upstate Bridal Association Members

2007-12-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

Hey-Lo.

The one thing that makes me happier than filming weddings is filming weddings where Tasteful Elegance is the wedding cake vendor. And yesterday, I could not have been happier to see Cheryl walk in the door with her cake supplies. Everyone was ga-ga over the cake. And the bride's mother even let me take some of the leftovers home...WOO HOO

When we arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn at Destination Pointe, we were greeted by Deborah Hood who was more than accommodating to us in regards to assisting us with our projector and screen. On another note, the food here was extraordinary. If you have your reception here, check out their Blazin Bill's Bar-B-Que Brisket. I know that does not sound "elegant" but the flavor was fantastic. Not to mention their Crystal Ball Room always looks like Royalty.

Yesterday we had the privilege of filming the wedding of Shanon and Charlie. We had a blast...almost literally. There was a gas leak at the Hilton Garden Inn and they were forced to evacuate the entire hotel. This happened about 10 minutes before 11:00...when the even was scheduled to end. I was amazed on how each and every person working with Deborah knew their evacuation procedures and were able to get everyone out without incident.

John Johnson from Lifetime Entertainment was the DJ for the evening and he was the one who made the announcement. According to his contract, he was obligated to play up until 11:00pm. There was only 10 minutes left for him to play when we had to clear the building. When this happened, pretty much 90% of the remaining guests left completely.

Well about 15 minutes after we had to leave, the fire department gave us the all clear.

When we got back upstairs, there was only about 10 guests left. John kept playing for them for more than a half hour when he did not have to. According to his contract, he could have packed up an gone home. Instead he made the choice to stay and end the night the way it should have...with a party.

John and Lifetime Entertainment are an example of what being a member of the Upstate Bridal Association is all about. It is acts of kindness such as this that makes me proud to be a member too.

Peace,

Mike

What is a Role Model?

2007-12-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

Hey-lo.

I just wanted to take a minute to tell you about a role model of mine. His name is Michael Sweet. 20 some odd years ago, I started listening to a band name Stryper, and have not stopped yet. Back in those days, I was an expiring rocker and Stryper was the one band that I wanted to be in. I learned to play guitar as a direct result of Stryper's music. And the best part is that they are a Christian Metal band. As a kid I had Stryper posters all over my room. I even performed as them in a Lip Synch show in high school.

Fast forward several years and as the music scene changed from heavy metal to grunge to alternative to who knows what now...I continued to listen to Stryper on an almost daily basis. If you are a guitar player, whether you are into Christian music or not, I promise you would love what Michael Sweet and Oz Fox have done on every recording.

During the 90's Stryper was no longer a band and the members went their own ways and eventually there was a Michael Sweet solo album so the music continued to roll. Around this time VH1 was airing shows like "Where Are They Now?" which mainly showcased metal band members and what they do now. It was amazing how many talked about rehab, jail, drugs, etc... and how unhappy they really were, although during the 80's they lived like kings...so we thought anyway.

Then finally Stryper was showcased on the show. It was amazing how everyone was for the most part happy with their lives. Michael showed the cranberry bogs he worked at, and the family summer camp. No drug stories...no rehab. You could tell that he was honestly happy.

During this time I had the distinct honor of getting to hang out with him for a good part of the day. I got to ask him about the good old days, other rock stars, etc... Also on this day I got to know the person who I for a lack of a better word, idolized, as a kid. I also got to meet Kyle, his wife.

One common thread amongst people who are high profile ministers is that there is always a dark cloud of doubt looming over their heads. Many people do not trust tv preachers because of the scandals that many have fallen into, and or started on their own.

On this day, I had the chance to attend church with Michael and his family. I had the chance to see him in a crowd of people, probably none of them remembered Stryper, bought a CD, and most defiantly never stood in line for hours to see them in concert like I did.

I got to see that Michael is the person I thought him to be. I got to see that he had been 100% genuine all this time. Michael is the real deal. I kind of felt like I got to see how a magic trick was done. I can still hear in my head him singing "How Great Thou Art" with just him and an acoustic guitar. I will never forget this day as long as I live. In fact, the picture above was taken on this day. Note: The guitar that I am holding is one of the same guitars that Michael played live. I have seen that guitar a bazillion times in concert.

Well time moved on and like all the other bands that were reuniting again, Stryper made it's way back to the stage again. I was like a kid on Christmas morning when I found out they were coming within 4 hours of where I lived.

Move time forward again, Stryper released a new studio album called "Reborn" which was fantastic. But right after that Michael also released another solo album called "Him". This was not a rock album by any shape or form. This was an album of hymns. Michael released this record to promote God...not Michael Sweet. The Stryper train at this point is starting to take off and get momentum. Festivals in Europe want to book Stryper. There is a forum where fans post on daily. For me, life cannot get any better than this. In a day where rock is decent, my favorite band Stryper is back for good.

Now, this is the reason why I decided to write this. Over the last year or so, Michael's wife, Kyle, was diagnosed with cancer. She had to endure chemo therapy which has left her sick. Right before her chemo, Stryper was scheduled to go into the studio to record another album to get ready for another tour.

Michael did what any decent human being should do. He postponed the Stryper album to be with Kyle during what was going to be a very hard time for them, and their kids. Michael would sing songs to her while she was home. Or she would hear him in their studio downstairs. Michael recorded an album for her called "Touched" These are the songs that he was singing to make her feel better.

The fact that he put off his "Rock Stardom" to be with his wife is just another reason why he has been, and always will be my role model.

Every week, as I am filming your wedding and when I hear the words "...through sickness and in health...through good times, and bad...through plenty and in want..." I will always think of Michael and the example he is.

Peace,

Mike

Kalita and Myles

2007-11-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

Hey-Lo,

Yesterday Tammy and I had the honor of filming the wedding of Kalita and Myles. I could not believe how beautiful the wedding was. The flowers, the colors of the dresses, the music...every little detail was flawless.

Their wedding director/coordinator Latasha Anderson had every detail of the wedding laid out in perfect detail.

The reception that followed was an art of perfection as well. I would definatly recomend Latasha for your wedding. 704-649-7282. Just tell her that Mike sent you.

Peace,
Mike

Vegas Trip

2007-10-29T17:46:00.000-04:00

Hey-Lo Tammy and I just returned from Las Vegas and we had a blast. The entire trip was picture perfect.

The highest temperature was 80 and the coolest was 65.

It does not matter if you drive a rental car, ride the bus, take a cab, or even ride the monorail...the one thing you will do a lot of is walk. This was actually a good thing, I don't think I did that much cardio in one year as I did this week. Even Carrot Top made fun of this in his show. Speaking of shows... When you are in Vegas, be sure to see Carrot Top...OK I know that he is my friend and I am biased about him...but his show really is funny and you will not be disappointed. He is also the coolest celebrity that you will ever meet. If you know of another star that is as down to earth as Carrot Top...please let me know I would love to meet them too. I first met him in 1995 and he is as down to earth now as he was then...even after 20 years of success in the entertainment business it has not gone to his head. Congratulations bud.

Well...as luck would have it I got to meet another celebrity that was equally as cool...Criss Angel

On Tuesday we were walking out of the hotel and I saw a production crew setting up lights, cameras, monitors, and other misc production equipment. We were wondering what they were filming and then it was very apparent what was about to happen. Being that I am a huge fan of the show I recognized JD from Mindfreak talking on his cell phone and I knew that I was about to see a taping of Criss Angel Mindfreak. Criss has always been one of my favorite performers hands down. In fact my cousin, R.T. and his wife Jeanne was his lighting production team along time ago when Criss had a show in New York. More about them later... So needless to say I was very excited about this.

So about 20 minutes later the production crew has everyone lined up to where they needed everyone and was giving last minute instructions such as no cameras, when you see Criss start yelling etc. So then the moment finally comes and Criss pulls up in a customized Rolls Royce. This car was fantastic. The shot that they filmed was for the new Season 4. Long story short, he brings out this luggage cart from the hotel...you know the ones that are brass and have a spot to hang your clothes on top and are carpeted on the bottom. Plus they are impossible to move the way you need them to. Anyway...he puts a sheet over the entire rack and it is now completely covered. He lifts the sheet again and still the cart is empty. He no sooner drops the sheet again...yells NOW...and yanks the sheet off to reveal a lady under the sheet. OK...I was about 5 feet from him and I cannot figure out how in the world he did this. It was very cool to see a magician of this level perform a trick of that skill level right in front of your eyes.

On Thursday I ran into Costa, Criss's brother walking through the hotel making our way to the production office for Mindfreak. This is the place to go if you want to catch a glimpse of Criss and the crew buzzing about making their TV show. Right across form the office is the Mindfreak Store, where you can get Mindfreak goods. While there, I saw Costa and his mom just hanging out so I decided to go hang out with him instead of the crowd over by the office. During my conversation with Costa I asked if he remembered my cousin R.T. Larson? R.T. is a play on words from his real name...Carl Arthur - Artie - finally R.T....get it? Anyway a long time ago my cousin R.T. owned and operated one of the best lighting companies in the USA called Lightcraft. Some of his clients were Whitney Houston, Guns N Roses, TF Hunter, and Criss Angel/Angel Dust.

Well I asked Costa if he remembered R.T.? As soon as I mentioned his name, Costa's eyes lit up almost like a child who just saw Santa Claus. For the next few minutes Costa took me down memory lane and the beginnings of Criss's professional career. Then it came time for him to get back to work into the production office...which has a huge glass front so you can see right in. I could see Costa inside talking to Criss and pointing my way. I knew that I was going to get my chance to meet him... Then shortly after the doors opened and Criss came out and everyone that was waiting outside rushed in like a lions on a fallen antelope. And there my chance to meet him faded away much like a balloon that lost it's air and is now flying around the room. I saw Costa and he said he was sorry about the crowd and he tried. I told him no problem and that I was honored that he even tried because that was above and beyond. So I watch Criss and his entourage walk briskly towards their shoot when suddenly Criss stopped the "parade" because he wanted to quickly say hello to me. He introduced himself asked how R.T. and Jeanne was and signed a deck of his playing cards. I was a little numb to be honest. I had never been singled out by a celebrity, that I did not know on a first name basis before, who remembered while have a bazillion other things on his mind that I wanted to meet him. There was so much that happened on this trip that was awesome too.

Tammy and I shot a wedding outside of the Venetian Hotel. Fantastic setting right in front of where the Gondolas board with the water and hotel as the back drop.

Overall we walked...no joke...over 10 miles a day walking from through each hotel, parking lots, etc... I cannot even feel the tops of my legs. On our first night there, we ate at the Top Of The World at the Stratosphere. This is the place to bring a date. The view was fantastic and the food was out of this world. There are so many places to eat while in Vegas I cannot wait to go back and just to visit them all. The other cool thing about Vegas is the hospitality. I have yet to see service in a restaurant here in South Carolina as we did in Vegas. Many places could learn from them out there. Enough said about that. Next time I will give you the places to avoid...until then,

Peace,
Mike

A whole new respect

2007-09-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

Hey-Lo

Tonight as I am writing this blog...I am spent.

Last week, I decided to help Marc and Colleen with the Wedding Festivals that were coming up. I wanted to see for myself what really goes on with the planning and execution of these shows. Normally, we will show up for load in and then we will setup our booth. Then mingle with some of our friends that we have made since we started in the wedding business.

My journey started on that Monday. I sat in the office of Wedding Festivals and assisted with various menial tasks. While I was there I could not believe the inbound phone calls of brides wanting information on the show, potential vendors who wanted to know if there were any booths left, and vendors who already signed up for the show needing various things from them. The phone was ringing all day. If their phones ran on batteries, they would have gone dead.

Tuesday....We had lunch and met Fraser from The Party Machine for lunch at Fuddruckers. During that meeting Marc and Colleen nailed down the details for the fashion show. I was amazed with all the talent it takes to put that show on. Everyone from Marc and Colleen to The Party Machine Emcee'ing it, Visio Photography taking photos for it as well as some other designing duties, and Brian and Russell from AVF Creations producing some videos for the show. I have not even mentioned the coordinating with the various dress and formal wear stores getting sizes to them, etc...

Wednesday...this day we finished up on some other things around the office and soon enough ended up at the Carolina First Center ready to do all the physical labor setting up the show's elements, i.e. pipe and drape, staging, showlights, etc...

While some of the crew was measuring for the pipe and drapes, others were setting up the registration tables, and the rest were setting up the stage for the fashion show. Before I knew it day turned into night and we did not get done until welll after 10:00pm. However, Marc and Colleen were no where near being done. They still had things to finish at the office for the show on Thursday. Chris from Cinematic Impressions stopped by to play some XBox on the megatron big screen. Before that happened we were working on stuffing the Wedding Festivals bags with the items that the vendors had paid for to be in there. I could not believe how many vendors did this. This was by far the hardest task of the night because of the teadious nature of walking in a circle and stuffing bags. I thought it was cool of Chris to join in. But, he is that kind of a guy.

Thursday...Tammy and I arrive at the venue around 10:00am and set up our booth. At this point I meet with Colleen and get some last minute printing done at Kinkos. We get back to the venue at around 2pm and are getting ourselves pumped up for the show that day.

The show starts and it is a solid 5 hours of talking to brides. We were amazed with the amount of brides that we talked to on a Thursday night. As fast as it started, the show was over and it was now time for tear down.

While Tammy was working on tearing down our booth, I was helping tear down the stage and packing the stage lights and such. We did not get done into well after 11:00 and at the end of the night, I was spent. I could barely walk from being so sore.

At last my nightmare work out was over right...wrong. On Saturday I had to film a video on a ranch that was well over 1000 acres. Of course I had to walk from one end to the other...several times. NOW...I am done and I can finally rest right....NOPE.

I also volunteered to help with the Asheville Wedding Festival on that following Thursday.

This Thursday started at 7:30 in the morning with a drive to Asheville. We got the show setup in time for a noon vendor load in, and then we all worked our tails off right up until 4pm when the doors opened for the brides to come in. You would think that once 4pm came around everyone would be able to rest during the show right?....you thought wrong. Once the show starts, the same people who setup the show work the front door, sell tickets, run the Wedding Festival booths, walk around and assist the vendors as needed. It is a non stop day throughout the entire show. Then when 9pm comes around it is tear down time once again and once again we are putting the show away. However this time we all have an hour drive or more to get back to our homes in the Greenville area.

I walked in my front door at 2:15am. I do not know about everyone else but I am sure that they were out late too.

The people that set up these shows are just about the same ones who do it every time. One is in school to become a nurse. One is a school teacher. Another a musician who is in school full time and drove all the way up to Asheville just to help with the tear down.

The one thing that everyone has in common is that they all seem to love working these shows. It is hard work...very hard work.

Without people like Garyn, Logan, Sarah, Elliott, Deangelo, Marshall, Coleman, and I know that I am forgetting a few names here, please forgive me, and I will add them to this once I remember them...anyway, without people like these, Marc and Colleen, there would not be a venue where brides could come to and get quality ideas for their weddings...there would not be a way to meet with as many vendors in one setting, and most of all, the wedding industry here in the Upstate would definatly not be as successful as it is without Wedding Festivals and the dedicated people who put in all those hours in order to accompish a common goal...to be there for all the brides to be.

Peace,
Mike

Adam and Erica's Book

2007-09-25T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hello. I know that some of you were looking for Adam and Erica's picture book from there wedding.

You can find it here.

Adam and Erica

Our Wedding 9-1-2007

By Mike Heisler

Book Preview

Wedding Festival

2007-09-23T21:04:00.001-04:00

Hey-Low

This past Thursday we exhibited at the Wedding Festival and we are certainly thankful that we did. For a Thursday night, there was a constant stream of brides, as well as their grooms, moms, friends, and maid/matrons of honor.

My guess is that there was at least 400 brides in attendance, plus their guests. We even booked ade at the show.

I also loved the way they revamped the fashion show with a brand new design and new music to go with it.

Our booth was right next to Bagetelle Caterers and Cox Photography. Towards the end of the evening I got a chance to speak with Patrick from Cox Photography for a a few minutes. He was very cool to talk to and I am looking forward to the wedding that we are shooting together.

Well...that is all for now. We also had a very busy shooting weekend. I shot some corporate video in GA, and today we shot pictures and video for an upcoming fitness video. NO...I am NOT in the video.

Peace,
Mike

Wedding Festival Day

2007-09-20T07:41:00.000-04:00

Hello....

Today is the Wedding Festival and we are psyched for this one. We are going to be right next to Bagatelle catering and Cox Photography. Being into photography I have heard that they are fantastic to work with so I am looking forward to meeting them.

Also, I saw that our good friends Kismet Photography will also be there. Curtis and Emily are incredible to work with. They really have their game plan down pat. I cannot wait to see their booth. Curtis is very crafty with building booths and I am always looking forward to what he will be doing next. It is always something practical and highly artistic.

Last night at setup Chris from Cinematic Impressions brought his XBox and we hooked it up to the MEGATRON screen where he proceeded to whip me in a game of James Bond. Oh yeah, just for the record...I got the last hit on him...which is very hard to do. I don't really believe in psychics but I feel strongly that he has a little psychic abilities when he plays against you in a game like that.

Also last night I saw Rachel Thompson Moore who is another photographer that is very easy to work with and does fantastic work too.

We will also be right next to The Wedding Festival Boutique who by the look of things had some really cool favors for sale.

So if you are reading this before you go be sure to stop by and say hello to us.

Peace,
Mike

Ortiz-Valentin Wedding

2007-09-03T23:28:00.000-04:00

Saturday, we had the honor of filming the wedding of Erica and Adam. These two were awesome to work with from the first day we all met. Erica even gives our dogs, Coyote and Barron, treats when we visit with them.

A few weeks ago, we filmed their love story in Falls Park and displayed it during their reception to an ecstatic crowd. The couple also gave a copy of the DVD to their guests along with a CD of Erica and Adam's favorite love songs.

Not only where the bride and groom excellent to work with, but their families as well. We met their family who traveled from Chicago, Las Vegas, and Florida.

The bride's mother and father, Lillian and Ed are for a lack of a better word...a hoot. Lillian was beyond stressed during the planning of wedding trying to make a picture perfect day for their daughter's wedding. In fact, when the Valentin family moved from Chicago, Erica and Adam were already engaged. Lillian and Ed purchased their home because of the long stairwell they had that would make their daughter look beautiful as she walked down it in her wedding gown. You know...they were right on the money.

One other thing happened that re-enforced our decision to dedicate ourselves to the wedding business. On several occasions, Lillian and Ed both told us that we are family to them. Being that I hold family relations on the highest level possible, to say the least, I was very moved by this offer. Lillian and Ed...we are honored.

Mike

2007-08-27T15:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Tammy and I went to River Falls Park with our dogs, Coyote and Barron. I brought along our new Nikon camera to break it in a little but while we enjoyed the park.

River Falls is where many of our brides want to film their Bridal Elegance Videos and/or their Love Story. And since we did not have a shoot scheduled for yesterday, we took the dogs with us. There is even a little cafe there where dogs are allowed.

I will post more pictures when I have the time to do so, however, until then I will post this one up. This is my favorite one of Tammy and the dogs just having fun on the grass.

Mike

Welcome To Unforgettable Wedding Video

2007-08-25T00:32:00.000-04:00

Tammy and I are excited about our new company name and website...Unforgettable Wedding Video.

We started Guardian Multimedia in 2004 and have not stopped since. However, something was telling us that Guardian Multimedia was not the best possible name for a wedding video business.

After much thought and prayer, we came up with Unforgettable Wedding Video. The name says it all.

We will still run Guardian Multimedia for our corporate and music video end of the business.

We are going to have some exciting news coming up real soon so stay tuned

Mike