Check Out Molly Hunter’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Hunter.

Hi Molly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Creating wedding films started out as a dream for me (Molly) then slowly became a hobby which turned into a business – Reel Bliss Moments. Reel Bliss Moments started as my brand/company before I met Craig and once we got married in 2017 it slowly grew into what it is now. Craig began helping me as just a second shooter as he had a love for photography and it just fit, but as the business grew, it made sense for Craig to also be an owner and help with other parts of the business.

This past year we felt like we had outgrown the name Reel Bliss Moments and it didn’t fit us anymore. We knew it was time to change our brand and website. We wanted to make sure our new brand included and encompassed both Craig and I and truly spoke to us being a husband-and-wife team since this was not just my venture anymore. I also realized when operating under the name Reel Bliss Moments I never really had a good handle on the why behind my business or who was my ideal client, but rebranding allowed both Craig and I to really dive into different aspects of the business together and figure out what made sense for our new brand and the clientele we wanted to serve moving forward.

Our new brand – Hunter Crafted Films – focuses on hand-crafting small-batch, authentic and vibrant films for the intentional couple. This couple is not only intentional about the decisions for their wedding day but also throughout their lives. We purposely limit the number of weddings we take on each year so that we can create a very personalized experience for our couples and create fantastic one-of-a-kind films. They can trust that we will take the time to get to know them, their style, likes, and dislikes and make sure they feel so comfortable with us that we feel like old friends when we see them on their wedding day. We let moments on the wedding day happen naturally and capture them as they do.

After we went through our own wedding planning process and wedding day it became our mission to provide other couples with very personal and authentic wedding day films and galleries. Most of our collections do not only provide a highlight film, but they also include the ceremony, speeches, and dances. We know how fast the day can go and every single moment throughout the day is something to be cherished and remembered. There are so many reasons to book a wedding videographer but it is our mission to educate couples on the why – for us, it’s knowing that through motion and audio the moments that are so easily forgotten once they happen are captured and able to be watched for years to come with future generations.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would not – I would say there have been more than a few obstacles and challenges at different phases of my business.

The first challenge for me honestly was just pursuing the business and getting it started. Filming and editing weddings was not something I went to college for and had very little to no experience. The challenge for me was: is this really something I want to do; can I be good at it and how do I even do this when I know very little about it? I pushed through and slowly started to educate myself and did research on how to film weddings and edit. I started out doing weddings for free so I could get experience and get my name out there and slowly I moved from free to charging.

The second challenge was trying to run/manage the business and make it succeed while also working full time. I had so many dreams and ideas for my business but only being able to devote part of my time during the week to work on my business was extremely frustrating for me. It was so hard seeing other people make their business successful while I felt like I barely had time to do anything but film a wedding and edit the film. My full-time job at the time was extremely demanding and exhausting and there were weeks I would work 50-60 hours, so trying to add in working on my wedding video business was stressful. I felt like I could never keep up or do enough during this time.

The third challenge has been juggling my business while in the midst of raising two kiddos – a 2-year-old and 6-month-old. I love my babies with all my heart and the joy I felt when I could quit my other job and do my business full time while being a stay-at-home mom was so exciting. Then I realized being a mom and trying to run a business is also very very hard. It has been a challenge trying to balance my time between my business and my family and I am still learning how to do that.

The last challenge/obstacle that is ongoing is comparison/confidence. This is something I have always struggled with – the belief that I am good enough – talented enough – smart enough. It is so hard for me to believe that I am just as capable as the next person and that my work is good. I know there will always be someone better so for me it’s not about being the best – it’s just getting to a point where I know and believe that I am good enough to work in this creative space alongside others. I have grown in so many ways because of this business but I know I need to really focus on the comparison part – it can definitely hold me back in a lot of ways.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a husband-and-wife wedding filmmaking team. I am really proud of how far we have come since we started the business – how the quality of our films has improved, the things we have learned along the way to better ourselves and the business, and that we have been able to evolve the business into something that truly represents both of us. This year when we rebranded and landed on our ideal client – I could see a clear path and business plan for the future and it was such a relief. The vision I have had for so many years finally feels clear and attainable.

I think what sets us apart is:

– we are a wife and husband team

– we are a small business, not scaled

– we don’t outsource anything (example: editing)

– we take on a limited number of weddings so we can focus on the couples we book and give them a very personalized experience

– we do our best to create a connection/friendship with each couple

– we have unique add ons like a photo/video booth and video albums (can view these at this link https://huntercraftedfilms.com/film-collections [huntercraftedfilms.com])

– we take our couples out on pizza dates before the wedding

– our films are very candid and authentic (not posed) – we want the couple’s personality and story to shine through the film

– we provide our couples with all-inclusive packages (sneak peek, highlight, ceremony, speeches and dances) because we know all of the moments are important and the day goes by so fast it’s hard to remember everything that happens

– it has become our personal mission/passion to ensure the couples that book us are given a very personal, quality experience from day 1, after a poor photography/videography experience with our own wedding

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
We have a two-year-old son and a 6-month-old baby girl and we are serious foodies at heart. We have 5 spoiled cats who have claimed us as their humans.

We love to travel when we get the chance and show our kids different and new experiences. We love trying new restaurants for date nights and often end up grabbing soft serve ice cream at the end of the night – only because I ask. If we could, we would fill our house with all the things from antique stores.

I am a Dunkin Donuts junkie, a devoted true-crime podcast listener, and a secret WWE fan. When I’m not editing or wrangling my adorable toddler, you can often find me snuggled up in a sweatshirt with a good book or shopping online. Craig is a Buffalo Bills & FC Cincinnati superfan, a paranormal enthusiast, and hasn’t met a brewery he doesn’t like. He’s a big nerd at heart so I put him in charge of all the tech gear – audio equipment, drone, etc.

Pricing:

• Wedding collections begin at $3,300 and the average couple spends $4,200 for complete coverage

Contact Info:

• Email: molly@huntercraftedfilms.com
• Website: https://huntercraftedfilms.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/huntercraftedfilms
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/huntercraftedfilms
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp-3mE7yi9WUoM7ebkSNwsA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hunter-crafted-films-maineville