What is special about Monarch Productions?

My name is Paul Hare.  I have been shooting and editing wedding videos for many years.  After shooting videos for other companies, I finally started my own videography company in 2006 and started doing wedding videos on a regular basis.  I never went to school for videography.  In fact, I went to school for Math Education.  So what could I possibly know about wedding videos?  It is a strong belief of mine that if you are good at something, you don't need to go to school for it.  I think that it is very rare that an average person could go to school to study sports, singing, or acting and suddenly come out being a world-class athlete, or an award-winning singer or actor.  They have to be born with it.  I have taken golf lessons, piano lessons, and even singing lessons.  Even so, you wouldn't want to be within 250 feet of me when at the driving range because there is a chance you might get hit, even if you aren't standing in the direction I am attempting to hit the ball.  And if you ever were to hear me playing the piano or singing, you might want to do yourself a favor and cover your ears.  You will be better off - I assure you!

I think that videography is an art and is something that someone cannot be "taught."  I do videography because I have a passion for it.  I enjoy it.  When you hire me to do your wedding video, I don't look at it as a way to make a living.  I look at it as a way to share my passion for creating amazing videos and to help you remember your special day the way it was meant to be remembered!  The attitude of many videographers is that if a customer doesn’t go for the most expensive wedding video, then the quality of the video will be sub-par.  I don’t believe in that.  Every wedding video, whether it be the most basic package or the most elaborate, comes fully edited, with a multi-camera set-up, and extreme attention to detail.

When you hire me to do your video, I will be the one at your wedding.  Your wedding will be shot in the exact same way that you see on the sampler video.  There are no surprises.  What you see is what you get.  If you like the sampler video, you will like your wedding video - Plain and simple!  It is disturbingly common that other companies hire other people to cover dates that are double booked.  As a matter of fact, I have worked regularly as a videographer and editor for numerous wedding video companies in the area.  Some of these companies have so many weddings booked that you won’t know who will be the videographer at your wedding until the last minute!  It is a common occurrence that these companies are scrambling all over the place to find ANYONE to send to shoot your wedding, because they made a scheduling error and over-booked!  One time I was called on a Friday evening by a competitor asking if I could cover a wedding for him the very next day!  I had never even met the guy before, and he trusted me to shoot a wedding video for his client who was counting on him.  With Monarch, that will never happen.
 

A story had been in the news somewhat recently regarding a wedding company that left town and disappeared, keeping their clients' money and delivering nothing at all in return, and they pretty much got away with it!  Monarch Productions is grounded in Western New York.  I mentioned before that I went to school for Math Education.  I am in my 18th year of teaching Math locally, currently in my 16th year at Amherst Central High School.  On days that I have off from teaching and am not shooting wedding videos, you might also catch me on WGRZ-TV on Channel 2 News, delivering weather forecasts on the weekends and traffic reports throughout the week.  To make a long story short - I am not going anywhere!

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I do wedding videography and photography because I LOVE shooting and editing weddings.  I look at every wedding as an opportunity to be creative and deliver something that you will cherish for a lifetime.  I don't do it to make a living, charging astronomical prices for video services because I need to put food on the table.  I already have a full time job.  I do this on the side because I love it - It is fun!!  I would be honored to be able to work with you and help you remember your special day!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!  I appreciate it!