We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lena Shabanova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lena, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

The idea of starting a wedding videography business didn’t come to me immediately.
I received my Master’s Degree in Banking from the Economic University, but I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue a creative career.
Despite working at a bank for a few years and after having my first child, I realized that I still have a spark within me to pursue my dreams. I took a chance and decided to go for it, knowing that now was the time or never.
I love music and dancing. I used to sing in a girls’ band and was inspired by many artists. I wanted to help them create music videos.
So, I started learning video production at San Francisco State University. I got a chance to work as a video editor at Apple and Kaiser Permanente in the PR department, filming Climate One events (non-profit organization), and I was part of the video crew at the Stern Grove festival in San Francisco. Everything above gave me confidence that I can do more.
With a clear vision, I discovered that wedding videography was the perfect medium to combine my passions for music, dance, love, and visuals.
In 2016, I had an idea to start my own business capturing the most precious moments of people’s lives. Today, based in North Carolina, I continue doing what I love. Each love story is unique, and I enjoy producing them into wedding films.

Lena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Experience is the cornerstone of any successful business. Like many business owners, we have to make mistakes in the beginning. Having my degree in banking and some ideas about risk management, it was challenging for me to immediately dive into the business owner role. I began my journey by assisting experienced wedding videographers in the area, learning from them, and taking every opportunity to learn more. And this is how the wedding video world opened up for me. I have met many wedding planners, and that personal connection between people never lets you down. After many years in the wedding video production business, I still think that creating a relationship between me, the couple, and the vendors is one of my main priorities.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I knew that; statistically, videography tends to be the last item on a wedding couple’s vendor list.
For my personal wedding, three vendors that I found first were – venue, photography and videography. I couldn’t imagine getting through one of the best days of my life without capturing every word of the wedding toasts, dances, and most importantly, our ceremony vows.
But it’s not the same for every couple. When discussing the wedding day with the bride and groom beforehand, it’s important to understand their vision and what they miss the most if they didn’t capture their big day.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part is when you deliver the wedding film that you worked on for quite some time, put your heart and soul into it, and 10 minutes later, you receive an email saying that the couple loved every second of it.
A smooth wedding day with your favorite vendor’s team can be incredibly rewarding. At the end of a perfect day, you never want it to end.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.camerative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camerative_event/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camerative
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camerative/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@camerative_wedding
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/camerative-charlotte