Do you need a welcome video on your website?

Ah, finally, someone made a welcome video to put on their website! And no, it's not me even though I've been thinking I should and have been urging others to make them for a couple of years now. It's my friend and colleague, Wedding Planner and Consultant Elisheva Basseri from A Bride's Best Friend. Full disclosure: I already know Elisheva but her video perfectly illustrates how if I didn't know her I would feel like I did after watching the short welcome and intro she just added to her website home page.

Within the wedding industry the companies you select make up your day-of team so it's no small deal to want to know all of their personalities will complement with the not only yourself but the other professionals you've hired.

What I love most about the video is how two of the grooms make a point to say that Elisheva isn't just a bride's best friend. She's a groom's best friend too :)

The video itself is the work of another colleague and friend, James Burkart who combined photos and video footage from 14 other wedding photographers and videographers along with the footage he shot of one of the wedding scenes and Elisheva's interview. It's a really nice piece. I asked James a few questions about what it takes to create a promo video like this. He said production time varies with each one so if you've been thinking you need a promo video but don't want to try to shoot and edit it yourself you should give him a call and he'll answer your questions for you.

The thing is, you may not realize this but one of the hardest things to do on video is to act normal. When I began my first attempts at vlogging I was reminded of an episode of the tv show News Radio where Jimmy James would turn into a robot every time the cameras for a documentary crew came on. You can view it right from the top in part 2 of the episode "The Public Domain."

And while I'm too much of a safety freak to approve of Sherman Hu making a video while driving, I think his message is spot on and am going to take it to heart when I make a welcome video of my own. My goal is to introduce myself, show my personality, explain what I do and do it in a fun and flirty way. Oh yeah, in 2 minutes or less. When I finally get the video made you can be the judge if I accomplished these goals :)

Photo of Elisheva by: Catherine Hall Studios