A Colorado bride priced out of hiring a traditional wedding videographer has shared how a $1,000 workaround for her own celebration grew into a booming business now bringing in $2 million.
Anne Marie Carroll and her fiancé, Bryan, were planning their Denver wedding last year when they discovered just how costly professional wedding services could be, with photography and videography quickly threatening to swallow a major part of their budget.
The couple found that many videography packages cost more than $4,000, and the finished style offered by providers did not feel like the right fit for them. Instead, they asked a student friend to film their big day.
That frustrating search, however, planted the seed for a more nostalgic and affordable alternative.
Carroll, 29, took $1,000 from her savings, bought a Sony 4K Handycam camcorder and began building a website around the idea.
A little over a year later, her concept has taken off, generating $2 million in turnover through rentals of digital cameras and camcorders.
‘I remember jumping around the kitchen with my husband as the initial orders came through,’ she said.
‘I realized this isn’t just a good business idea – it’s truly solving something couples have been wanting.’
When Anne Marie Carroll and her soon-to-be husband, Bryan, began diving into wedding planning last year, they quickly discovered they would have to cough up thousands of dollars on a videographer and photographer
Anne Marie Carroll coughed up $1,000 from her savings to snap up a Sony 4K Handycam camcorder and went about setting up her own website
Carroll was working in creative advertising when she started her small business from her living room. In just over a year, she’s raked in $2million
Carroll, who at the time was working in creative advertising, opted to take the risk in May last year.
‘I was juggling applying to jobs and freelance work, fully thinking I would need to stay in my advertising career when launching,’ she said. ‘But, after two months, I quit to focus on the business.
‘It was so gratifying [taking that leap] and going for it.’
She piqued interest using TikTok and Instagram; of which a few of her initial posts went viral – and led to a popular boost in sales.
Within one month, her business – Wedding Weekender – had raked in $70,000. After one year, the figure sat at an eye-watering $2million.
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‘Reflecting back, I think I always had an entrepreneur spirit, but never imagined the type of success [I’ve now seen],’ she said.
‘When launching, I was most nervous that this wasn’t going to reach enough people and it would be something I’d have to eventually give up and go back to working full-time.
‘So, after I took the leap, I was readying to do everything in my power to make this idea work and avoid needing to find another full-time job.’
Within one month, her business – Wedding Weekender – had raked in $70,000. After one year, the figure sat at an eye-watering $2million
She piqued interest using TikTok and Instagram; of which a few of her initial posts went viral – and led to a popular boost in sales. Pictured is a wedding guest using her camera
During peak wedding season, her business services 100 couples per week – and she has since expanded to Canada, Australia and the UK. Pictured are wedding guests using her camera
Anne Marie Carroll and her husband, Bryan, are pictured above during their wedding where they enlisted a friend to film
Now, during peak wedding season, her business services 100 couples per week – and she has since expanded to Canada, Australia and the UK.
‘I feel incredibly fortunate that this business has been able to grow so fast,’ she said. ‘And reach so many people who have been looking for a way to be able to capture their wedding on video – without the whopping cost.’
While the hours are long, Carroll said she knows it takes sacrifice in order to see results.
‘The hardest thing for us right now has been scaling our operations to meet demand, which is a good problem to have,’ she said.
‘We want to be able to bring our service to as many couples as possible who are debating having to give up videography in their budgets.
‘I think it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to build something of your own and choose how you manage investing your time into it.’
