Everyone knows a wedding needs a photographer, but many don't know how easy it is to have a professional videographer film the most memorable moments of the day. 

The Feast It team speaks to many brides and grooms, and it often crops up that they regret not having a professional video of their special day, and we don’t want that to happen to you! Read on for all the reasons why you should hire a videographer for your wedding day.

# Capture more special moments
# 

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. A videographer will capture the beautiful moments that you might miss yourself, from the smile on people’s faces as you walked down the aisle to the incredible dance moves that were coming out late into the night. Having everything caught on camera will make sure the memories last a lifetime.  

<iframe title="vimeo-player" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/384972106" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

# Your guests will love to see the video
# 

Your guests will adore a video reminder of your special day. They’ll love trying to spot themselves in the video, and in years to come, they’ll be able to look back and remember just how spectacular your wedding day was. It might even help inspire their own wedding!

# Videography is cheaper than you think
# 

Once upon a time, wedding videography could be very expensive due to the costs of the equipment involved, so couples often ruled it out as an option. Nowadays, the equipment is even better but costs significantly less, meaning that you can get a videographer at your wedding for less than you think. The average price tends to be around £1,500 for eight hours of filming, then edited into a roughly 40-minute final video.

# You can share the video with anyone who couldn’t make it
# 

If you have family and friends who aren’t able to make your special day, there’s nothing like a video to give them a real impression of what it was like. Who knows, the film might even be appreciated by those on the ‘nearlies’ list!


Wedding videography

There no better way to look back your special day than through a beautifully made film

Why your wedding needs a videographer

Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the budget yesterday, setting out the government's tax and spending plans for the year ahead. 

Here's what you need to know if you run your own business.

# Furlough Extension
# 
The furlough scheme has been extended to September 2021, with wages guaranteed at 80% until the scheme ends. The government will ask businesses to contribute 10% to wages in July and 20% in August and September, so it's worth preparing in advance to cover these costs.

# SEISS
# 
The self-employment income support scheme has been extended until September, with grants covering 80% of average trading profits up to £7,500.

# VAT

The government will extend the reduced 5% VAT rate until the end of September. It will then rise to 12.5% for a further six months before returning to the standard rate from April 2022.

# Hospitality business rates
# 

Rates have been frozen for three months and will be cut by 2/3rds for a further six months after that. Check if your business is eligible for business rates relief [here](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-your-retail-hospitality-or-leisure-business-is-eligible-for-business-rates-relief-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19). 

# Contactless payment
# 
The limit has been increased from £45 to £100, something you should bear in mind if you sell products to the public.


Feast-It-Event-Image

Keep up to date with the government's latest annoucements

The budget: What suppliers need to know

Hiring the right videographer can be one of the most important decisions you’ll make regarding your wedding. Their documentation of the day is something you’ll treasure permanently and a good videographer will make sure that you adore going back to watch your wedding film again and again. 

Here we speak to the wonderful Harriet at Rosebud Films, who has shot at many weddings, to ask about the questions you should be asking to make sure that a videographer is perfect for you and your special day.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/384972106" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/384972106">Robert &amp; Natalie Wedding Highlights</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/rosebudfilms">Rosebud Films</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

# What style do you shoot in?
# 
Videographers tend to specialise in different styles, we for example shoot in a candid style, where we capture all the day of the event naturally as they happen. This style won’t require any intervention from the videographer and will be edited and polished based on the natural sequence of events. Another potential style is cinematic, where it’s similar to creating a movie, this can include adding in edits to create dramatic moods and subtle special effects to enhance the film. Others may offer a storytelling style, where they devise and tell a set piece story of the day, and will produce a highlights video, a shorter style focusing on the set pieces of the day. The choice is yours but it’s important to go for a style that you feel best suits you as a couple.

# Does you understand who I am as a person?
# 
A good videographer will be able to read into the personalities of their clients and to gain a natural insight into what styles will best suit them. As well as discussing what your exact video requirements are for the day, go into a bit of personal detail about who you are. What sort of music are you into? What do you get up to in your spare time? How did you and your partner meet? All of this will be valuable information for them to ensure they’re shooting the day just right.

# Which parts of the day do I want shot

Is it just the reception and the ceremony that you’d like filmed or would you like your videographer to be at your bride prep, or even attend an engagement shoot? Of course this decision will affect the price, but it’s just as much about whether you’d like certain moments to remain private or not.

# How many cameras will you be using?
# 

One camera is absolutely dine, but having two people shooting means that you can get various perspectives of certain moments and make sure that fewer incredible moments are missed during the crazy fun at the reception! 

# Have they shot at my venue before?
# 
It can be very helpful for a videographer to know the venue they’re shooting out so they can work out where the action’s going to happen! This is absolutely by no means a prerequisite, but if they’ve never shot at the venue before, it may be worth setting up with the venue manager, or someone who knows it very well, to have a chat beforehand and potentially let them have a look around.


Feast-It-Rosebud-Films-Videography-Wedding-Event-Book-Now3

Film captures your special day in a way that images can't

The important questions to ask your wedding videographer

We like to think of flowers as the icing on the cake at a wedding, that last extra layer making everything a little more special.

So, there's a lot to bear in mind when it comes to choosing the right florist, and to help you get there, we've put together a list of questions you can ask to make sure your big day has the flowers it deserves.

![Bridesmaids-Flowers](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/5ldcnI6J5kSgFlZsqcJmXy/69fd5c298e4a5c4c09cdc5d505534072/Urban_Flower_Farmer_3.jpg)

# Which flowers will be in season for my wedding?
# 
You’ll want to think about which flowers will be available for your date. If you’re having a spring wedding, consider cherry blossoms, peonies and dahlias. For summer, lilac, hydrangeas and chrysanthemums are a great choice. And for an autumn wedding, consider amaranthus, orchids or chinaberry to create a beautiful fall colour palette. An experienced florist can guide you on seasonal flower choices and help expand on your ideas.

If your preferred blooms aren’t in season for your wedding date, ask your florist about substitutes that could achieve the same style. For example, roses are often used if peonies aren’t available, and hydrangeas if it’s not the time of year for sweet peas.

# What type of arrangements do you provide?
# 
If you haven’t organised a wedding before, you’ll probably be taken aback by just how many options there are for arrangements. When it comes to the bouquet alone, you’ve got hand-tied, crescent, single stem, pomander, composite and many, many more options, and that’s before you even think about the set-piece arrangements. Ask your florist to take you through the options and then make sure they’re able to provide the options that appeal to you the most.

![Feast-It-Grace-Thorn-Hackney-Florist](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/5V6WUUPsXD3d48JRfBNLGp/9a00941c9b038c01fb3f8c312716adb2/Feast-It-Grace-Thorn-Hackney-Florist6.jpeg)

# Can you work with my colour scheme?

If you want to have a colour scheme for your wedding, we’d recommend choosing it before engaging a florist as this will help steer their flower suggestions to you.

# What lighting do you recommend?
# 
The lighting of a room can drastically alter the look and feel of flowers, so your florist should be able to advise what will work for your venue. A fun trend combining flowers and lighting is to wrap fairy lights around your bouquet to make it look even more spectacular when it’s thrown!

You can send images of your venue to a potential florist via the Feast It platform to give them ideas of what they’re working with.

![Feast-It-Floribundi-Independent-Creative-Floristry3](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/jWEgmCh990hXyR0Kr2eFH/c7de5e7418f301f98e82edbe47cd718f/Feast-It-Floribundi-Independent-Creative-Floristry3.jpg)

# Have you worked at my venue before?
# 
It’s a nice advantage, but not essential, if your florist has worked with your venue before. Ask if they have, as this will make it easier for them to work out the logistics and create a vision for the event,  but if they haven’t we’d recommend introducing them to either the venue owner or someone who knows it very well. This is by no means essential and we’d recommend choosing the perfect florist for you over experience with a venue, but it’s a nice bonus.

# Which flowers will best suit me?
# 
The flowers you choose are an expression of who you are as a person and you want to make sure that you’re representing all that’s great about you in your floral choices. Explain to your florists who you are as a person, what motivates you, what you like to do in your spare time, what brought you and your partner together, and they can recommend the flowers that might suit you as a person.

![Feast it Me and my Bloomers](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/1NqGrLfzRzVRq1kupZKEAp/a1cbe813449c9b7cd21bd7d113a3b0f7/Feast_it_Me_and_my_BloomersBD__300_of_655_.jpg)

# Are the flowers organic and pesticide-free?
# 
If you’re working with a Feast It approved supplier it’s highly likely this will be the case, but you might want to make sure that your flowers are pesticide-free. 

# What happens to the flowers after the wedding?
# 
It would be a shame to waste beautiful flowers so you might want to ask your florist what their plans are for them after the event. Many couples look into getting the flowers rearranged for the morning after, and some give them out to guests as they’re leaving the wedding.


Wedding Florist

Everything you need to book the perfect flowers for your special day

10 questions to ask your wedding florist

The roadmap out of lockdown has been finalised for England and is coming soon for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and we couldn't be more excited at the prospect of welcoming back events soon! But what does it all mean for your business and what steps should you be taking? Read on to find out.

# There are about to be an influx of enquiries
# 
Since the announcement that weddings should go ahead without restrictions from 21st June, enquiries have been coming in thick and fast to Feast It. 

There are 250,000 weddings on average a year in the UK, and 70% from last year were postponed. This means there will potentially be around 500,000 weddings taking place over the next 12 months, which is a very exciting prospect! On top of that, we also expect huge numbers of corporate events and private parties to take place as people make up for lost time.

We recommend visiting the open events section of your dashboard and quoting for as many open events as possible. And keep an eye out for the improved event match emails where you’ll be notified about [new events most relevant to your business](https://feastit.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/64000260492-how-do-the-new-matching-emails-work-). You can read more about that here.

# Customers are in a hurry to book
# 
Over the last few days, customer intent (how quickly they want to book) has doubled and lead time has halved, so we know customers aren’t going to want to drag their feet on making a booking. They know that suppliers will be in high demand and will be making decisions on who to book with more urgency than usual, so we’re expecting customers to make a decision in a matter of days, rather than months, after making their enquiry.

That means it’s more important than ever to be on the ball with responding to messages from customers,  letting them know if you’re getting enquiries from elsewhere and nudging them for a reply when necessary. 

# If you can, start thinking about how to expand
# 
There’s set to be a boom in events like never before. So while we understand there’s still some uncertainty around the roadmap, and we’ve just been through a really difficult period, thinking about how your business could responsibly take on more events is a proactive step.

Explore creating new set ups, hiring more event managers and taking on temporary summer staff. We always encourage you to only service events within your means, but if there was ever a time to think about how to scale, this is it!

# Prepare for public events from September onwards

Our biggest demand at the moment is for summer weddings and parties, but we expect requests for public facing events to come back slowly but surely as the large up front costs make organisers understandably more cautious.

We’ll most likely see some taking a chance and organising summer events, but most will likely fall in autumn, so we recommend you think about how your business could service this demand.


Cheers Image

Events are about to come back thick and fast, here we go into the steps we believe you should be taking as an events supplier

What does the roadmap back to events mean for event suppliers?

We couldn't be happier to say that there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel as it was announced that social contact limits will be removed by June 21st. This means that unless there are further surprises in the battle against COVID, we’ll be seeing the return of events this summer.

Yes, that really means that it won't be long until we're dancing the night away with the people we love most and making memories that last a lifetime, and we don't need to remind you just how good it's going to feel.

![Wedding Image](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/6bINilx0xseYnXlZTbDjWj/9e2c20a4592ec8d3c6b8c255e32a42d2/Sam___Natasha-s_Wedding_Day_538_websize.jpg)

But if you're planning an event, you’re probably thinking about what your next moves should be. Here we paint a picture of what the landscape will look like and what your best options are. Here we go through a few points to bear in mind when it comes to planning.

# August, September and October are a good bet for events

The government has indicated that the target for the return of events is June 21st, but have emphasised their 'data above dates' strategy. Essentially, they won’t be afraid to push this date back if there’s a slow down in the vaccination process. 

![Step-4](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/4nR2ZuFKDXakApYPekx9Rb/a7395e4a59db274771d39d26d9f7be9b/Step-4.jpeg)

If you’re unsure of the date of your event, we recommend looking to try and find a date that works later in 2021 if possible. Around 70% of events were postponed from last year, meaning there will be around 500,000 weddings taking place in 2021, which is double the average.

Remember, it's always free and simple to change your booking date or details with Feast It, and until June 30th, you can [get your deposit back](https://feastit.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/64000215827-what-happens-if-i-have-to-cancel-my-event-due-to-covid-19-) if you cancel 45 days or more before your event.

# Don't take too long deciding on your suppliers

There’s about to be a rush on booking events suppliers which might not slow down for the next 12 months. Many suppliers are already fully booked for 2021, and the rest of 2022 will go fast.

![Smoke Catering](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/50uw0uqyKxF2741oaQfzFs/4773f3bb666bea4a73005086a08e3af7/Sam___Natasha-s_Wedding_Day_306.jpg)

There are still brilliant options available for events this summer and next, but we recommend booking as soon as you can if you've got a quote from someone you really like the look of.

Now more than ever, they're likely to get snapped up by someone else! 

Be careful about paying up front for suppliers
There’s still a chance that events planned in July and August could be pushed back if the recovery slows. This means there's a chance you might have to move the date of your event if you're trying to book it for around June 21st.

You should avoid going directly to suppliers and paying the full amount up front. This is why Feast It have put in place our refundable deposit, to make sure your booking is always secure.

# Get the invites out early

As well as suppliers being busy, it's not unlikely your friends will be as well! You should let them know as soon as you possibly can that you're planning on hosting because they'll be receiving invitations from all over the place.

![The Groom](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/Nofkz4fNJaCtaucdXADqO/71f5c8d82c459bcad721f80691ce0979/Sam___Natasha-s_Wedding_Day_234__1_.jpg)

# Think about making your event COVID safe

Many will still be hyper-conscious of the pandemic so it's worth making sure that you put measures in place that ensure people will be comfortable attending. Think about hosting the event outside, having hand sanitising stations and ensuring you're booking suppliers who will be experienced in COVID-safe guidelines, something that booking with Feast It should guarantee.


Wedding Celebrations

Events are coming back bigger and better, here are some points to bear in mind if you're planning now

What do the new guidelines mean for event planning?

The effects of the COVID-19 crisis have been damaging to the entire economy, but there are almost no sectors hit harder than Hospitality and Events. Both industries were effectively forced to shut up shop from March last year and, while there have been limited reopenings, they have been critically damaged in a way they may not fully recover from for years to come.

When we carried out our COVID-19 Impact Survey survey a few months ago, 61% of our amazing suppliers stated that would have ceased trading by March 2021. Since then there has been a continued lack of government support and, despite less press coverage of the damage to hospitality and events, the devastation is still very real. Events companies and restaurants are continuing to go under on a daily basis.

![STRAZZ-IPP-Catania-Land-1 (1) (1) (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/2myi97MvmrZJL6IiBGf7f/4bc2a986ef06b587aef053d94ba61ca7/STRAZZ-IPP-Catania-Land-1__1___1___1_.jpg)

That’s why we’ve founded Feast It Deli, as a way to try and help our wonderful suppliers make it through this difficult time. Feast It Deli is a platform through which you can order some of the country’s best meal kits from a selection of great restaurants and caterers. They come full of hand-selected ingredients from the suppliers and instructions on how to cook the dish perfectly.

You can check it out [here](https://feast-it-deli.com/).

Whether you’re looking for a decadent night in with the UK’s best burger, a gourmet three course meal or a healthy poke bowl, there should be something there for everyone. The kits are perfect for a lockdown weekend evening in and not only will you be dining on one of the UK’s best restaurant dishes, you’ll be learning some of the techniques that have let these talented chefs get to the very top of their professions.

We’re aware that there are a number of other meal kit platforms out there but we want to be very clear that we are not profiting out of Feast It Deli; this is our attempt to help out our troubled industry. All kits sold are subject to 10% commission (less than a third of the average commission of Deliveroo or other food delivery platforms) and this will go directly to marketing Feast It Deli so we can get even more people supporting the industry at this time.

![Crudo Image](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/36TE9PCiCIzjhS7mkuOvQa/9507b04f82714332f13712e6833c5fba/20210131142436_IMG_0663_-_Carlos_Socorro__1_.jpg)

Of course here at Feast It we cannot wait for events to come back, for those moments when we’ll be able to get back to celebrating with friends and making up for all the occasions that have been missed over the last year. But in the meantime it’s so important that we keep supporting this incredible industry to make sure it’s there on the other side for us, and purchasing a meal kit from Feast It Deli is a great way to do that. Think of it as investment into your future fun!

This is a [product](https://feast-it-deli.com/) that we’ve put together fairly quickly and as such, we’re aware that it's not perfect and there will room for improvements. As ever, we’re hungry for feedback so if you spot anything that you think would make the experience better we’d be so grateful if you could let us know, just email deli@feast-it.com.


Meal Kit - Cue Point

We've partnered with the UK's best meal kit providers to launch our new platform

Helping Hospitality and Events: Launching Feast It Deli

__Team Feast It couldn't be prouder to announce the launch of the events industry’s first custom built carbon calculator and offsetting tool, in partnership with Ecologi.__

__The product lets people organising events, from weddings to corporate away days, calculate their emissions by answering just four quick questions, and instantly offset their carbon footprint by funding key projects in the fight against the climate crisis. You can see more about and offset your event [here](https://feast-it.com/event/carbon-offset-your-event).__

__Here our founders Hugo Campbell and Digby Vollrath talk about why this was such an important initiative for Feast It and a vital step forward for the events industry.__

Events are where we create memories that last a lifetime, they are where a lot of us had our first kiss, where we saw our best friend’s first dance and where we stayed up all night with the people we love the most. 

It might not feel like it right now, but sooner rather than later events will be back, bigger, bolder and more beautiful than ever. 

But events can also come with a cost to the environment.

![Sam's wedding](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/58sZyFkrYDtAQb1AAQ39gt/5a41fd3e993613f1d2218bdbe644aa4f/Sam___Natasha-s_Wedding_Day_430.jpg)

Our mission has always been to help anyone create the perfect event, simply. But over the last year, as we saw wildfires rage from Australia to LA, and a fifth of countries risk ecosystem collapse, we appreciate more than ever that our responsibility is also to let anyone create greener, carbon negative events, simply.

Coming together to celebrate is central to the human experience and events are undoubtedly a vital part of our emotional and mental wellbeing. But we couldn’t shy away from the duty to step up and help move the events industry forward. 

That's why we've created our industry-first carbon offsetting tool; to enable people to throw events in the knowledge they're helping to play their part in the battle against the climate crisis. 

Of course we know that carbon offsetting is not a perfect solution in isolation, and for us it’s just one more big step in a longer term ambition to let everyone throw the best parties imaginable that are still kind to the planet.

The carbon calculator means that by answering four quick questions you instantly create an estimate of your event’s environmental footprint, and then can make it carbon negative by supporting some of the world’s most important projects in the fight against the climate crisis. We wanted to build a tool that is as accurate as possible, whilst also removing the biggest stumbling block that prevents people from offsetting - the lengthy process and paperwork.

We’re more than happy to hold our hands up and say this is not our area of expertise. So to ensure we’d be working with the best estimates possible and with the most effective projects, we’ve partnered with offsetting platform Ecologi. They ensure that your money will go to projects which have the greatest possible impact, such as combatting deforestation in the Amazon, reforesting Madagascar and generating solar energy in India. They’re an amazing business that enable you to really easily offset other aspects of your life. 

![Ecologi Project](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/7f751miCBXktjGZoa9hDNm/d837992e58c64affa4c5ce8a03d5496d/Screenshot_2021-02-10_at_11.15.17.png)

We heard of Ecologi through their work in supporting replanting the Kijabe region of Kenya, as we both have strong connections to the country. Digby grew up four hours north in Nanyuki and Hugo’s dad grew up in Nairobi and we’ve both spent a large period of our childhoods together in the very ecosystem, wildlife and environment that Ecologi is fighting to protect. When speaking to them further it became clear that they were the right partner for Feast It due to their inspiring portfolio of projects and the integrity of their purpose. 

We know we still have a long way to go, but we couldn't be prouder to partner with them in this next milestone of our mission to help change events for the better.

Hugo & Digby


Green-Wedding

Feast It's founders write on why they've partnered with climate solution platform Ecologi

Why we launched the event industry’s first carbon offsetting product

We know that events celebrate some of the greatest days of our lives, but we also know they can have a long-lasting impact on the planet and generate large-scale emissions. That's why we've partnered with Ecologi to help directly fund global green projects and reduce the events industry's carbon footprint.

We recently caught up with Dennis Hettema, Head of Business Development at Ecologi, to find out more about their mission and why carbon offsetting is essential. 

## Can you tell us about Ecologi's mission, and why it's so important?

Turn on the news, and it's instantly apparent that the world hasn't taken enough action, climate change is an issue that all of us need to address now. At Ecologi, we aim to make climate action simple and affordable for everyone because it's a problem that affects us all. Our partnership with Feast It is an excellent example of making climate action simple. 

## What projects does Ecologi support?

Every month all of our members automatically support two new projects. These range from natural projects such as Peruvian protection of the Amazon, to humanitarian action like repairing water boreholes in Eritrea and a nice mix of renewable projects such as solar power and landfill gas capture initiatives worldwide. Our climate committee vets all projects to make sure that our members only support the absolute best that's out there.

![Ecologi image](//images.ctfassets.net/91pq7vxbip7x/18gjFyNQeC1kWLHRnQcbFk/a2f55d76d3d766f027b9bf9c2cece679/michael-olsen-vNIgKjZbJW0-unsplash.jpg)

## Why do you think offsetting an event is so important?

The first step is to make sustainable decisions on your suppliers and materials, yet it's technically impossible to run a climate positive event without offsetting and tree planting. Even with the best of intentions, your event will still have a negative impact in some way. That's why offsetting is absolutely essential. 

## How popular has carbon offsetting become as a gift?

It's very popular, indeed. People are gravitating more and more towards sustainability as a gift, and our [profile pages](https://ecologi.com/dennishettema) give a nice and tangible experience for the recipient. 

## What are some great ways people can reduce their emissions in day-to-day life?

There are so many small changes that you can make, for example, using a lid when cooking reduces energy usage. I know it sounds cheesy, but every little bit does help. If you'd like some help with behavioural change, check out platforms like [Count Us In](https://www.count-us-in.org/). 

If you'd like to learn more about carbon offsetting your event with Feast It, [click here](https://feast-it.com/event/carbon-offset-your-event).

Ecologi

We recently caught up with the team at Ecologi to find out more about their mission.