Here at Calluna we are always looking for new ways to highlight and honor some of the amazing creative partners we get to work with. We feel incredibly fortunate to work with some seriously talented vendors in the industry, and we are showing them off to you in our Calluna Community Series! We are sitting down with some of the fabulous vendors of Colorado to get to know about them, their business and what life is like behind the scenes.
This week for Calluna Community, we caught up with Ben and team of the Velare wedding cinematography company!
Cheers! Xo, Calluna
Describe what you do!
I serve as the Creative Director at Velare, which means that I lead the vision for Velare to create wedding films that, in our minds, are a step away from what the industry expects.
What is your idea of a dream project?
For me, a dream project is one where we get to forge a real connection with our couples and get to collaborate with them on how to tell their story in a unique and genuine way. On top of that, we love travel, so it’s always a dream to get to explore the world as part of the job. Norway, Argentina, and New Zealand are at the top of my list of dream wedding locations.
What has been your favorite wedding that you have worked, or attended?
A personal favorite wedding of mine was one we filmed last year in Florence, Italy. Not only was the wedding incredible (a stunning private castle overlooking the city, an epic party, a spontaneous opera performance–the list goes on), but we got to spend so much time with the couple, and even met up a few days later in Venice to explore the canals and talk about life over some incredible coffee.
What does your morning routine look like?
I try to be as much of a morning person as possible, though that’s always so much harder in the winter when it’s still so dark in the mornings! But my routine involves cooking breakfast for my wife and sitting with her over a cup of coffee before getting fully ready for the day, then heading to the office. We are all such good friends as well as teammates, so we all spend the first part of our day in the office catching up with each other, especially about non-work related things. I also try to carve out time in the morning every day or two to have an hour of creative brainstorming time before jumping into whatever edits or other projects we have on our plates.
What are some of your favorite trends that you are seeing?
That’s a hard question. There are certainly so many trends with wedding filmmaking, because it’s still such a new medium and there are so many incredible filmmakers who continually push the boundaries of what a wedding film is. While it hasn’t taken off as much in video as it has in photo, I think the resurgence of actual film in general is something we all love and draw inspiration from. It’s been more popular in commercial formats rather than weddings, but there is something about the look of analog film that just can’t be replicated digitally, and it’s such a timeless, classic style–which are qualities that we try to root Velare in.
What advice would you give to a younger you?
I would tell my younger self to not worry about the likes and experiment for the sake of experimenting. It’s so easy in this age of social media to only create something that will gather likes and engagements, but it’s impossible to create and to learn under that sort of pressure. It’s far better to go out and create something that never gets shared than to avoid creating anything at all, because that’s the only way you can truly develop your style and hone your craft. That’s something that I’m still working on getting better at to this day.
What makes you excited to go to work in the morning?
Our team is like a family, and without it, this job would just not be the same. It’s because we’ve become such close friends over the years that we know how to support each other both personally and professionally, and we are able to bounce ideas off of each other and develop them as a team of equals.
What is your favorite cocktail, or what are you drinking tonight?
I’ve always been a classic Old Fashioned guy, but I’ve recently been discovering and experimenting with gin drinks. Probably the best cocktail I’ve had recently is a spin on a Hemingway Daiquiri, but substituting the rum with gin. The fresh grapefruit juice, paired with that smooth, pine-y flavor of the gin, is such a crisp and delicious combination.
Check out Velare and follow them on Instagram!
Vendor Love (feature image)
Florals | Bare Root Flora
Decor, design + incredible ceremony circle | Eclectic Hive Event Design
Rentals | Event Rents
Venue | Lone Hawk Farm
Photography team | James + Schulze + Adonye Jaja
Cinematography team | Velare
