There’s always a love story behind the camera. This member highlight is featuring Candice Nachman of Spin the Dial Productions.
Candice and her now husband have been together for 10 years, celebrating 3 years of marriage (congratulations!). The two got engaged in 2016, after discussing what they wanted their future to look like they both saw it to be together. On a Christmas glamping trip to Akumal, Mexico Candice made a film that highlighted their 7 years together. Happy tears followed, as per usual when you watch a film highlighting love, and her partner pulled the ring out and proposed. A little less than a year later in September of 2017, the two had a micro-wedding before micro-wedding was a hashtag. “We just had 30 of our closest friends and family and our best friend from Art school was our officiant.” They didn’t have a big budget like so many of us, and after witnessing weddings from filming over the years they knew exactly what was most important to them on the day. With a lot of DIY, work and fun, their wedding came to be as beautiful as Candice could hope for. “My favorite part was the ceremony itself. We are secular/Jewish so we hadn't thought too much about the ceremony beforehand, but our handwritten vows made each other (and our guests) cry so much that it quickly became the best part of the whole day.”
While every moment turned out perfect, we all know planning has its ups and downs even as someone in the industry there’s more to be learned when actually planning. So what’s one thing Candice wishes she knew prior to planning her own wedding, short answer: many things.
“I wish I knew how expensive florals can get. (LOL) I also wish I just would have picked my bridesmaid dresses and told them what they were wearing. I was trying to be the "cool and easy going" bride and let them pick whatever they wanted. Long story short, that was more difficult than just picking for them. I also wish I had a coordinator. It's funny, I thought that because I had been in the industry since forever and that it was super small I could totally handle it, but it would have been nice to have someone have my back during planning and even more on the day of. Lastly I wish I would have vetted my caterer more. They were a disaster at my wedding and it was such a battle dealing with them afterwards. Read LOTS of positive reviews people!” While planning can bear a ton of emotions, the end result is worth it. Candice also recommends the classic advice “the day goes by in an instant and make sure you take the time and effort to be present as much as possible.”
We can’t count on our fingers and toes how often the question gets asked of “Do we need a videographer? Is it worth it?” This comes up so often that perhaps if we as couples planning our wedding knew more behind who and what goes on behind the camera, the question would turn to “Who can I book for my videographer? Without a doubt I need one.” This Q&A gives you a deeper look into Candice, Spin the Dial Productions, and what it means to have film at your wedding.
Candice Nachman is a Director & Cinematographer based in Los Angeles and Joshua Tree, California. In 2010 She received her BFA in Photography in Colorado, where she was born and raised. She later received her MFA in Film from UCLA in 2016. Candice started Spin the Dial Productions and filming weddings with her husband in 2013 and she has shot nearly 200 weddings since then. Her style is natural and candid and she also specializes shooting on real old-school Kodak film, something very rare in the wedding industry! When not crying happy tears at her couples wedding vows, she loves spending time in nature with her husband and her 11 year old step son. They also love to travel and they plan on going to Tel Aviv when the pandemic is over to celebrate their family's Jewish history (and eat lots of hummus).
Q: What made you decide to get into the wedding industry? Where you in the industry prior to your wedding? A: I was in the industry prior to our wedding. My husband (then boyfriend) actually started our company in 2013 as a way to hustle up some money while we were each pursuing a career in the Film and Television industry. I was getting my Masters in Film from UCLA at the time and would help him out and shoot weddings for once in a while. In 2015 he was getting kind of burned out about filming weddings, but I found that I loved it so much! I loved the styling, the florals, the dresses, the vows, the awkward family dancing, it was so much fun to me! So I took over soon after (while still balancing my own goals as a Film/TV Director & Cinematographer) It's definitely my full time money making gig and I have personally shot nearly 200 weddings at this point. I still work very hard in my non-wedding filming life writing a feature and I'm also Directing a feature Documentary about these two women who are trying to have a baby together. I'm in this industry because I am in awe of the preciousness in life. Those little delicate moments that go by in an instant. Since I was little and began formally studying photography when I was 14 in 2000, I always wanted to be able to capture everything to hold on to those moments and make them live forever. I love being able to make a timeless keepsake for people. To bring back all of those happy tears in an instant and remind them of all the beauty of this one day. I feel so lucky to tell people's stories and in some small way to be a part of their lives.
Q: What is your ideal wedding to work?
A: Any wedding where the couple just wants to have a good time. People often ask me what they can do to make their wedding video awesome and I tell them just have fun and forget about me!
Q: Do you have clients that have turned into friends?
A: Yes lots! One of my couples is even letting me deep into their personal lives and document their process of getting pregnant and starting a family for a feature length documentary film.
Q: What questions do you wish those planning would ask you?
A: I wish couples would ask more questions about lighting/time of day and location for their ceremony. I know a lot of venues have a pretty fixed place for ceremonies and they have hard outs they have to deal with for their reception, but if they want it to look its best; holding their ceremony at 12noon in the summer the light will be extremely difficult to work with and not be very flattering. Or maybe they spent a ton of money and time building an elaborate arch for their ceremony, but they end up standing in a way that the arch is obscuring their faces in many angles for the photographer and I. With that being said, your photo/video team does not need to be deciding every single moment or location like a Hollywood film, but we can certainly provide some good suggestions regarding the best time and place to hold the most important part of your day to have it look its best.
Q: What's a tip or some advice you can give for couples when planning/booking?
A: Plan a contingency into your budget. Most couples set a number before ever doing real research as to what things cost, so that's why couples end up going thousands of dollars over what they expected. Not because some vendor is price gouging them, but just because the couple wasn't aware of the cost of things before. Which is totally understandable! Hopefully most people will only be getting married once so it’s not expected that you should know the value/cost of all these things beforehand. That's why it's a good idea to have a contingency to your budget. I say plan on an additional 30% of whatever you were thinking. So if your absolute top of your budget is $20k, then subtract that 30% ($6000) and operate as though your budget is actually $14,000. It will save you a lot of pain later, when you inevitably go over on things because they will cost more than you expected.
My other advice is regarding video. A lot of couples don't book a videographer until the very end of their planning when they have found some money in the budget. Which is understandable, I get it. But just because video might be an afterthought or a last min purchase for you, it doesn't mean its an afterthought or last min to us when it comes to our expertise or the art that we will be making for you. Our back end work is a lot more involved than your photographers with video editing, music licensing, sound editing, etc. So I see a lot of couples wanting to book a videographer for a small fraction of what they are paying to their photographer. Please know in advance our work is just as valuable as your photographer's and should be paid and treated equally.
Q: And for fun, if you could do anything else in the industry what would it be?
A: Florals for sure! I'm obsessed with good floral design! Flowers and plants just make me happy.
While a wedding is one day, your love is a lifetime and you deserve to look back at the emotion felt on that day whenever you want. When all is said and done, of course plan how you see best fits you but when considering hiring a wedding videographer, or thinking if the film will even be watched again: yes, yes to all.
Spin the Dial Productions are SBSN Preferred and offer their expertise and guidance for your planning. Contact them for any questions or booking inquiries.
Danielle Ristau