Proud to Plan: Featured Vendor Friday

This week's Featured Vendor Friday is a two-fer! Read on below to learn about Pete Malone's photography, 217 Photography, and videography, First Floor Films, businesses!

Name of Company: 217 Photography and First Floor Films

Contact Information/Website/etc.: www.217photo.com | www.firstfloorfilms.com

Services Offered: Photography, Videography and Super-8 film making

Locations that you cover: Philadelphia area, New Jersey, Delaware and NYC area

When was your business established?: First Floor Films was established in 2004 in SF, CA. And 217 Photography was established here in Philadelphia in 2009.

How did you get involved in events?: I started shooting wedding videos in San Fransisco after several years working as a video editor for a cable television station. A friend needed someone to shoot her wedding at a vineyard in Napa. After the experience of shooting a celebration like that in a location like that I was hooked. After moving back to Philadelphia, I reconnected with some old friends who were in the business on the photography end. I shot for about a year mainly as an assistant before opening up 217 Photography.

What is your favorite type of event to do?: Weddings are my favorite type of event to do. Everyone brings their A game to a wedding and I love being able to capture that. People looking, acting and partying as best as they can makes for great photos and videos. And it may sound corny, but I really do love creating these images for each of my clients almost as gifts for them. Because often times our couples become friends after spending the better part of a year working with them in many aspects leading up to and after the wedding day.

Where is your favorite venue to work?: My favorite venue hands down is Congress Hall in Cape May, NJ. It is such a unique looking building inside and out. And I love the blue walls and checkerboard floor of the ballroom. Plus it's right on the beach...that can't be beat.

What do you look forward to most on the event date?: On a wedding day, I look forward to capturing real emotions between a bride and a groom as well as those real emotions shared between family members. Some of my favorite images aren't of an amazing location with perfect light on a perfect day, rather they are the shots that may not be framed perfectly but that were absolutely 100% real. Moments captured like a father wiping away a tear as his son thanks him in front of 300 guests for all that his dad has done in raising him throughout his life. Or capturing the moment when a mother/son dance becomes an entire family dance with all of the groom's sisters surrounding and hugging him because his mother had passed away shortly before the wedding day. Capturing that moment on video for a couple to see and hear for years and years to come is something that I'm very, very happy to be able to do.

Tell us about the best event you've worked: It would be hard for me to choose THE BEST event that I have ever shot. But I always feel very good about a wedding when I can come home with the feeling that I was really a part of the day. I am the happiest when I work an event where the families are very open, welcoming and loving and those emotions envelope everyone and everything associated with the day. It's really something special to share in a day like that not only as a photographer or videographer who may be excited to shoot and share great footage, but simply being surrounded by that love and happiness makes me feel as though I was really a part of something good. And it makes me feel good about my own family and loved ones. I will often times think of my wife and our family during some of the more emotional weddings and events and I'm happy for that because it helps me feel more grateful for them and for my own life.

How do you feel about working with wedding coordinators?: I ALWAYS recommend that my couples look into hiring a wedding coordinator. If not for full on "stress free" coordination, then at least for day of coordination. Erin and her team can often times be the single determining factor between a smooth running wedding where the bride and groom can relax and enjoy their day and a stressful day that seems to run away from a couple. Plus Erin and the ladies of Proud to Plan always help make my day easier when they're on site...I like that.

A wedding coordinator will help keep your day on schedule, they will help with any unforeseen issues that may arise on the wedding day and most importantly...the wedding coordinator will help the couples to feel that they can simply enjoy their own wedding day without having to worry about doing anything other than getting married and having fun doing it!

What is the price range for your services?: The package prices for 217 Photography run from $3,200-$6,700. The package prices for First Floor Films run from $1,200-$5,500.

Do you run any specials?: We always offer 10% discount from our First Floor Films packages when a couple books a 217 Photography package.

Anything else you'd like to share?: My wife, Dawn and I, actually hired Erin as our day of coordinator for our own July, 2008 wedding and we have said time and time again how Erin was THE BEST money that we spent for the entire wedding. I have worked with several wedding coordinators on both coasts as a vendor so to choose Proud to Plan as the Coordinator for my own wedding speaks volumes about the level of respect and confidence I have in Erin and Proud to Plan!

Thanks for sending us the information Pete! Here are some sample pictures that Pete also sent to us, along with a Super-8 trailer! Enjoy!!