Meet Christy Collins, Director/Editor for Wild Bridge Films! Christy, along with her husband Derrick, is bringing a sense of nostalgia back to cinematography. Their raw, whimsical, and personal style captures the essence of each couple as they “get lost in each other” during their wedding day.
What makes you or your business stand out and why should a couple hire you?
Wild Bridge Films lives for the perfect marriage of cinematic and nostalgic. It’s my personal favorite to hunt for the kind of raw, candid interactions between couples (and the people who gather to celebrate them) that movies scripts are inspired by. I am a firm believer that poetry and beauty exist in the lives of us all, and I consider it my profession to capture those moments on film. Speaking of film, shooting on actual Super 8mm film is definitely something else that makes us unique compared to most videographers today. Through the nostalgic, whimsical quality of real film and fast-paced editing to moving music, we strive to create a wedding movie that captures the emotion just as much as it captures the imagery of our couple’s special day.
What’s a weird/unusual tip you tell your couples?
Get lost in each other. Not only does this make your day more enjoyable and less stressful, but it also makes for fantastic wedding day footage. Sadly, we have witnessed too many couples so consumed with the details and logistics of their day that they aren’t able to focus on each other. (We once had a bride receiving phone calls right before the ceremony about where to park. Yikes!) My advice is to surround yourself with the people who are going to execute all that stuff so that you are free to savor the sweetness of your day with your Love.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
The challenge of creating a wedding film that shows the very essence of a couple — not just of the story of their day but of the kind of love they share and who they are — is my FAVORITE. I love that by being a part of a couple’s wedding celebration, I have a peek into who they are and what is most important to them. I love that this impression I have of them then leads me through the editing process. While editing, I am always reflecting on whether or not what I am creating is the perfect expression of the couple and their unique stories.
How did you get to where you are now?
My love for storytelling was first born in the theatre. Whether acting on stage or directing a show, I loved the honor of giving myself over to the process of telling a story that would alter people for the better. I earned my bachelor’s in theatre with a directing focus back in 2010. When I met my husband (and business partner) while walking down the aisle in a bridal party of our mutual friends in 2011, I discovered he was a cinematography grad. It wasn’t love at first sight, but there were definitely sparks, and those sparks definitely led to love and marriage. Derrick had shot many weddings on his own before we were married, but it was only two months after our own wedding when we shot our first Wild Bridge wedding and realized we were a great team and that weddings were a great story. Since then, we have flourished by giving each other the freedom to lead within our individual strengths while also maintaining the grace required to collaborate, grace that carries over to our lives as husband and wife, parents and roommates. (Our life is a constant tag-team effort, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything!)
What’s something every couple should know before getting married?
Marriage has the power to heal you, but not in the way you might expect. Actually, preconceived expectations about marriage or specifically the person you marry might be the greatest source of tension in your marriage. The main reason marriage is healing is because it is a relationship, and it is through the giving of your whole self to another (and their giving of their whole self to you) that you experience healing. And this giving of ourselves takes a lifetime to really master. For us, we are embracing this idea that it’s harder before its easier, it’s worse before its better, that the best is yet to come. It’s hard work but its work worth doing!
What’s your go-to spot to eat in RVA?
It truly depends on the craving, but currently, the “Goat in the Garden” pizza at Bottoms Up Pizza is calling my name.
What did you want to be when you were little?
Actress/Painter/Singer… basically, a creative.
What was your first job?
Waitress at my family’s restaurant.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Healthy raisin granola (followed by the cinnamon toast crunch that I was trying to hide from my 2 1/2-year-old.)
What do you like to do when you’re away from work?
I love being outside, I love exploring the river with my boys.
Where is your happy place?
As uncool as this is, Dunkin Donuts iced coffee is actually a happy constant in my life. I’m from south Florida, so the love goes back pretty deep.
Learn more about Christy and the rest of the team at Wild Bridge Films on their website!
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