"You want a videographer in our delivery room to film WHAT?"

It's something I hear pretty frequently... "I would love to have our birth filmed... I just have to convince my husband!" or "Just waiting on my husband to come around... He's a private person!" and I totally get it. You bring up having a videographer in the room with you to film the birth of your child and your husband is thinking, "What's next, you're gonna want it broadcast on Facebook??" It can feel out of your comfort zone if it's something you've never heard of or experienced before whether you're a mom or a dad! I also realize having a birth videographer in your delivery room is not for everyone, because some people genuinely are more private... even some of my friends tell me it's not "their thing" and that's coooool too!

Recently, I have been hearing firsthand from dads, sharing with me that they were hesitant going into it but when it comes to watching their child's birth back again, there's nothing more significant and treasured. I was reading their words and tearing up at my computer. *Hold it together, hold it together* but really, it is the most wonderful privilege to offer something so meaningful to these families. Hearing that it was completely worth it and irreplaceable (from dads that have been especially hesitant) is the greatest gift I could ask for.

"I was excited about it when my wife first bought up the idea of having a birth videographer. We were, after all, planning on having a home birth, we might as well add a videographer to the party! Having had three kids before this, we knew how fleeting these moments are. Labor and delivery is kind of like the closing seconds of a tied Super Bowl; the culmination of 9 months of hard work and preparation where every action and reaction creates a story that will be retold over and over again. The problem is that we are usually so tired or amped up that we only foggily remember the moment. I'm very thankful for that video. Barron's birth was a huge point in our family's story. It marked a turning point that eventually led us to California. The video preserves what the kids looked like, the joy on their faces meeting their youngest brother, what he looked like when he was born, and many other details that otherwise completely fade in a few weeks after labor and delivery without visual aids. Vanessa was flexible and fun to have in the room. She was great at making us super comfortable sharing the moment with you and staying out of the way of medical staff, yet she was at the right spots in the room to capture awesome angles at perfect timing. The video was focused on the people and the emotions of the moments, not the "medical" details, which was honestly one of my first conceptions of a "birth" video. I think what I would say to other dads considering the birth video is that it is a tasteful and powerful memoir of one of the most emotional moments in life. It isn't embarrassing or exposing- and definitely one of the best investments I have ever made. We wish we had done it for all four of our kids' births! I would be happy to be a referral to any dad on the fence."

- Tyler

"When my wife first approached me about getting a birth videographer, my first response was how much? When she told me how much, I was totally against it because we could’ve used the money for something else that we needed, instead of something we wanted. As the weeks went by she kept coming back to me saying that she really wanted it to be filmed since it was our last child. After talking a bit, I decided that it’s the least I could do for my wife.

All I can say is that I am amazed with the video! The fact that we can relive the special moment every time that we watch the video is incredible. I am just saying that it brought a couple of tears watching the special moment over and over again. I am so glad that we had decided to get a videographer to capture this moment in time.

Vanessa did an absolutely stunning job. We could not have had anyone better. It was the first time meeting her for me and I had felt like she could almost be a part of our family. She worked so well with our kids and our family that was there. Not to mention, her skills with the camera. The way she captured ever moment and transformed it into our video was amazing. My wife went into the hospital a little over 3 weeks early from the due date and when she called Vanessa at 7 am, her response was what room are you in because she was on her way!

I would say to any couple debating to get a videographer or not would be stop thinking and get in contact with Vanessa. The priceless moments that you get to cherish forever will be well worth it. Not everyone can say that they can relive that exact moment like someone with the video. All we can do now is thank Vanessa so much for what she has done for our family."

- George

"The decision to have Vanessa film the birth of our little girl was one of the best choices. Having invested in a wedding videographer years prior, it made this choice an easy one as each year rolled around and we could relive that special day. This experience was all the more monumental as it was for our first baby. Watching my niece's birth video (which Vanessa filmed) also helped make the decision easy.

Vanessa was perfect in every way…My wife delivered in the middle of the night and she was there to capture all the moments and made my wife look beautiful. She was natural and made it feel as though we weren’t being filmed. If you are hesitant or concerned that it will not be tasteful, don’t worry, Vanessa will make it all look great. It’s certainly not a decision I regret, but rather one I am thankful to have and remember forever. It’s an investment that we have shared with my family (who lives far away) and friends to celebrate the birth of our daughter. I look forward to reliving it throughout the years."

- Brett

"Pregnancy had been a pretty intense journey for us, so I felt like it was important to document how special the miracle of our birth really was. I wasn’t too concerned about having a videographer in the room, but I am partial to a good video. :) The video is something that we will always value. The memory of our son's birth is something I never want to forget. It is documentation of the Lord's faithfulness in our lives. I watched it every day the first few weeks, and always cried. Vanessa knew how to handle herself in the delivery room and I barely knew she was there. She was very respectful of boundaries and aware of different stages in labor. If you are on the fence about hiring her, I would say “why not?” It’s recording the memory of a new life being born. You won’t regret that."

- Brent

"I wasn’t fully on board when the idea of a birth videographer came up, my wife and I discussed our level of comfort for something like that to take place but eventually decided it would be a great keepsake of the day. It all goes by so quickly and it is great to have this video to bring us back to that day. Now, I am so thankful we have our daughter’s birth filmed. It is great to have to show family and friends. Also, it is a great one to watch on special occasions for our daughter. When she is a bit older, she can watch it and see how that day went. It holds a level of importance that goes right along with our wedding photo album. If our house were to burn down and this video were only on one DVD or flash drive, it would be one of the things I would grab while running out. (After the family is safe of course) We are, without a doubt, so thankful we hired a videographer. Vanessa was easy going and willing to "work with us" taking certain shots and staying out of the way to capture the event.

Overall you will be very happy you decided to hire a videographer for the reasons below:

• You do not need to worry about snapping pictures or video's of your own throughout the day (unless you want to). This allows you to just focus on the birth and gives you the ability to better enjoy the moment and experience.

• Even if you were to just have Vanessa come in for the "prep" and time when family/friends come afterwards(having her step out for the birth itself), you will still have a great reminder of your birth experience.

• You literally get to have a "fly on the wall" during the birth to capture the important moments.

• At the end of the day, while you are caring for your newborn, Vanessa is working on organizing, cutting, and editing your perfect video to remember the day.

• We have watched ours +100 times and love knowing we have those memories to return to whenever we want.

• Our only regret in this process is that we could not go back 2 years prior to when our son was born and have one done for him as well."

- John

"Before our daughter was born, I think some of my biggest things when it came to video, photo, or doula or any "extra" service in the birth room were the financial cost as well as, what is it going to look like with all these people in the room, some of whom I've never met? I think for me I tried to support my wife's desires, because it is HER birthing this child into the world so what I want and who I did or didn't want in the room wasn't as important as who she did or didn't want. My initial hesitancy was pretty short lived. I've seen Vanessa's videos in the past and I know she has a gift, so trusting my wife as well as knowing that gift to tell the story of our little girl coming into the world were the things that helped me come around. Now that the birth is over I am so glad I chose to trust because the video and photos we have are PURE GOLD. My wife's labor was intense and there are soooooo many moments I wouldn't remember if we didn't have the video. I may only watch it once a year or once every five years but it is worth having. It will help me always remember that day when it starts to become more distant.

I would also say this... people in the room were not really all that noticeable and Vanessa's presence was very much welcomed. She did her thing and I wouldn't say I really even noticed. Her excitement and passion for what she does shows through her videos and we couldn't have asked for a sweeter person to be there that day to capture our little Cora's birth.

If you're considering hiring someone to film your birth, just do it. You won't regret it and the money won't matter a few months from now. What will matter is you'll have a treasure to keep for the rest of your lives."

- Tyler