Lake Tahoe wedding videographers Kyle and Melissa are taking couple goals to a whole new level! For the past nine years, the Reno-based husband and wife duo has brought couples’ wedding vision to life through emotive storytelling. With Kyle’s eye for lighting and composition and Melissa’s knack for storytelling and editing, their wedding videos can make you laugh and cry at the same time. Scroll on to learn more about what inspires them, their incredible career highlights, and of course, what their perfect day in Tahoe looks like.
What brings you the greatest joy in your life?
Wow – this is a big question! Our greatest joy in life is each other. We love building a life and business together. We love sharing the highs and lows of our journey and collaborating on a common goal.
What brought you to Tahoe?
We moved to Reno/Tahoe to attend the University of Nevada, Reno (Go Pack!). We fell in love with the area and chose to stay after graduation. We’ve been here for 11 years now and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
What is a must-see hidden gem in Lake Tahoe?
The Desolation Wilderness is our favorite area of Lake Tahoe. It’s perfect for a day-hike or backpacking trip, and it’s a place where you truly can find solitude. It’s also wild and dynamic with a multitude of serene lakes, extraordinary granite peaks, and abundant wildlife.
Describe Lake Tahoe to someone that has never been here.
Lake Tahoe is majestic. It’s a place to gather and go on adventures and enjoy nature’s beauty. The lake’s deep blue, crystal clear water is unparalleled; its rich green forest is incredible to explore, and the local community is amazing.
Tahoe lifestyle: winter or summer?
Kyle loves both winter and summer in Tahoe. However, Mel prefers summer – she loves the warm weather!
If you were not a wedding videographer, what would you do?
If Kyle was not a wedding videographer, he would be an aspiring professional BMX rider. If Mel was not a wedding videographer, she would be an aspiring interior designer and house-flipper.
What inspires your work?
We are inspired by creative lighting, dynamic camera movement, rich colors, symmetry, and profound storytelling. We find inspiration in all sorts of work, from ESPN documentaries to hit shows like Euphoria, Ozark, and House of Cards. It’s always fascinating to see how the pros use different techniques to evoke a feeling from the viewers.
What is a fun fact about your company?
Chair7 Films was named after a chairlift in Colorado!
What is the career highlight you are most proud of?
We once had a wedding edit go viral! We filmed a hilarious toast that got picked up by Buzzfeed, The New York Times, ABC News, The Today Show, People Magazine, The Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, Fox Sports, etc. It has a cumulative 12 million views between Vimeo and YouTube to date!
What is your go-to conversation starter with a potential client?
“How’d you both meet?” Let’s start from the beginning!
How would you describe the perfect day in Lake Tahoe?
We love to go kayaking/paddleboarding on a calm afternoon or evening, followed by pizza on the beach.
What are you most proud of?
We’re really proud of how much our business has grown over the last nine years. We started as recent college grads practically begging for work on Craigslist. We now get to work with some of the most amazing clients and vendors in Tahoe at some of the most spectacular venues.
Who inspires you the most?
We are super inspired by the creatives in Tahoe, from the planning teams to the florists, photographers, and other videographers. This place is rich in talent, and we love to see other people’s work.
What is your life motto?
“In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.”
What was the most recent thing that made you laugh?
This questionnaire has given us a good chuckle!
What’s the most useless talent you have?
There’s no such thing as a useless talent!
What is the closest thing to real magic?
Space exploration. We’re space nerds and love to think about what’s out there and what’s possible!
What was your go-to activity during quarantine?
During quarantine, we hiked with our dogs almost daily! We also did a lot of paddle boarding and camping.
What kind of wedding guests are you?
We’re the type of wedding guest to cry during your ceremony and dance like crazy during your reception. We love attending weddings and being surrounded by so much love and joy.
Any song you can add to our brides’ and grooms’ budding wedding playlist?
Higher Love by Kygo (it’s awesome when couple’s use this for their grand entrance and their guests stand and wave their napkins over their head!) Also, Next to Me by Rufus Du Sol.
Working in the wedding industry is not for the faint of heart. So how do you rest and rejuvenate?
We hit “reset” by getting outdoors. We love camping, boating, skiing/snowboarding, and hiking. Basically, any activity in the fresh mountain air helps to recenter us!
What is something people might not know about you?
We’re diehard A’s fans. So let’s go, Oakland!
Any four-legged friends in your home?
Yes, we have three dogs! Our oldest is 15-years-old; he’s a Doberman/German shepherd mix. We also have an extremely wild border collie named Sherman and a tiny rescue pup named Cricket. Three dogs are a lot; we’re outnumbered!
To learn more about the dynamic duo behind Chair7 Films, check out their listing on our Vendor Guide!
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Videographers Chair7 Films
