We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Shamlall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria , thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Growing up Mom and Dad kept the cameras rolling. Our whole life was practically documented, “home-video” style of course. Moments that could have easily been forgotten have become a part of our memory because our parents invested to preserve them. It is truly one of the best gifts they gave us.
As time passed and the camcorder made less of an appearance, my sister and I took it upon ourselves to continue preserving moments.
As our travel photos and films started catching the eyes of cool couples in love… One wedding led to another.
HONEY BEE MEMORY was found!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Victoria, the owner of Honeybee Memory. My sister and I have been documenting weddings for years. At first, our fun fast approach to travel videos caught the attention of our followers on Instagram. Brides began contacting us. Being a part of the wedding industry was intimidating at first. We were only in Highschool when we started so we were typically the youngest vendors at events. However, we knew this would be a great opportunity to earn money and upgrade our camera equipment. Quickly, we fell in love with the fast-paced hype around a wedding.

Traditionally most wedding videos have a slow-motion feel to them- but that’s not just how the day feels.
By authentically capturing weddings in a way that was entertaining to watch, we quickly stood out from others. As our couples fell in love with the way we documented weddings, they started to ask for me to photograph their wedding as well. So, my sister continued to create videos, while I dove into the world of photography.

I love working side by side with my sister and my husband.
Our work is not “cookie-cutter” we use creative energy to curate wedding films and photos that fit the style and personality of each of our couples. Our couples are all so different; our work relects it.

Gaining recognition from E News, People, Today Show, The Knot, Love Stories TV, Junebug Weddings, and other platforms has been exhilerating. Still, nothing compares to the hype from our couples when they recieve their virtual wedding gallery, and film.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

“Maybe if I do some wedding videos here, a few photo sessions there, I can purchase a new camera?” were my initial thoughts. I never received any formal education in photography or videography so feelings of inadequacy to capture somone’s wedding sat in. Sure, I could do a few side jobs here and there, but to own and operate a successful business felt unattainable. As our couples began finding us on social media, we began booking more than we could take on. Then came
COVID-19, a time where my business should have slowed down. Instead, we hit the floor running and even had some of our work go viral.

How did you build your audience on social media?

By being present and authentic we began to grow our social media presence. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by other creatives’ work. But by mimicking it- what’s going to keep you from standing out? When my sister and I show up on Instagram and Tik Tok, we want our couples to feel like they know us before they even inquire.

During a wedding day, a couple will look out during the ceremony and see people they love. It’s always been a priority for our couples to feel comfortable with us. When they are cheerfully looking over their guest, we want them to be happy we are amongst them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.honeybeememory.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeybeememory/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1K5MhdKLRBwkmgHWV3Oqiw

Image Credits
@Honeybeememory www.honeybeememory.com