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This week, I wanted to show something a little bit different than what I usually do.

A few months ago, I heard about a new wedding related event that was going to take place in the  Portsmouth/Norfolk area of Virginia. Normally, bridal shows don’t appeal to me very much but this one sounded different.  They were going to try to create an event that is informative and showcases the latest trends and talent in the area.  However, to do this, they were planning on staging a mock wedding that included everything from the bride getting ready, to the ceremony, the cocktail hour and the reception. They were going to do this in front of a live audience.

The idea intrigued me. To me, it sounded more Broadway than bridal. So I met with the show’s creator Michelle Kilgore to ask if she wouldn’t mind if I documented the event.  She agreed.

When I first met with Michelle, I discovered that she was energetic and had a larger than life way of talking about what she does for a living and what she was planning for this show.  However, it was also obvious to me that she was an incredibly smart and sincere person and might be able to pull this show off.

When Michelle put together this show which she called “i do”, she immediately received support from some of the top vendors in the Norfolk/VA area as well as the newly renovated Portsmouth Renaissance  Hotel. It became clear that she was on to something.

I had a great time shooting the event, although I have to admit that the day was quite a whirlwind.  I really should have had a crew working with me.  I wanted to focus on the event from the attendees’ perspective — that in itself was a real eye-opener for me.  The recurring theme of the interviews was that, while wedding planning could be enjoyable, it could also be pretty overwhelming.

There was so much to cover on the day, but I wanted have the film just to provide a snapshot and give the sense of what it was like to experience the event.  I am pretty pleased with the results of the short film. (Just as a disclaimer, I included Michelle’s logo and website in the video so she could use it as a marketing piece if she wants to.)

Rumor has it, and I suspect it might be true, that Michelle is going to make this a regular event and possibly even take this show on the road.   How this plays out will be something that I think will be worth watching.

-William