Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Peay.
Justin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started filmmaking in 2005 and filmed my first wedding in 2012. My buddy took a big risk asking me to be his wedding videographer since I had never done one before, and I loved every minute of it. I live in Statesboro, GA, but I booked my first Atlanta wedding soon after I started the company, and now 80% of my work is in the Atlanta-area. All because of that one friend group. The great thing about weddings is there’s hardly any pre-production. Everybody and everything looks picture-perfect, so all I do is point my camera and shoot. Now, over 200 weddings later, I know way more about marriage than I ever thought I would.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing is easy about being self-employed. It’s feast or famine, all the time. I have been lucky enough to see more feast than famine, though. I have a four-year-old son and a fiancé, who I love more than anything, so being away from them is tough. I’m on the road for seven hours almost every weekend traveling to and from Atlanta. But, as weird as it sounds, COVID-19 has moved the wedding industry in a different direction, and I had 14 weddings cancel or postpone. So I’ve been able to stay at home with them for the past two months, and my heart is full again.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I own a production company that specializes in weddings. I’m known for my story-telling, rather than just pretty pictures. What I’m most proud of is growing the business to what it is today from nothing. I worked a full-time job at a church to pay for my equipment, and after a few years, I was able to focus solely on weddings. Also, I never took out a loan for the production company either. Everything I purchase is with cash.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I personally wouldn’t change anything. I have plenty of regrets, but all of those have shaped me into the filmmaker and entrepreneur I am today. But if I HAD to pick one thing, I would have spoken up more. I wish I trusted my judgment more. I still do.
Pricing:
- Package prices range from $3,800 to $6,500
Contact Info:
- Address: 19 Courtland Street
Statesboro, GA 30458 - Website: justinpeay.com
- Email: jpeay@justinpeay.com
- Instagram: jpeaypro
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