Nowadays, we’re accustomed to sharing every moment immediately online. In addition to securing photographers and videographers, hosts are hiring social media pros to record events’ most intimate scenes in real-time—and with the right social media dimensions—on cell phones. “I’m focused on the moments that the professional photographer and videographer can’t get because they have an entire shot list to get through,” Jade Gibson, of Naples-based entertainment group Jade Strings, says.
Jade might capture a Naples Winter Wine Festival hostess putting the finishing touches on her Vintner Dinner’s tablescape, a sweet interaction between a bride and her sister or an impromptu dance party at the end of a gala. It helps that Jade and her team know what to look for—she estimates she’s been to more than 400 events since starting her musician collective in 2018. In the fall of 2022, she expanded to include social media services. “[People] spend months and months planning every detail, and they miss so many elements on the day because they’re overwhelmed,” she says. “The official photos and videos won’t arrive for months, so I help them experience—and share—all the little things almost immediately.”
Many party planners request candid pics and videos full of movement and expression, reflecting the trend toward eschewing perfectly curated feeds in favor of unedited moments and authenticity. One local bride green-lit posting her gown on Instagram before the ceremony—superstitions be darned.
Stephany Anderson, of Naples-based Social Icing Productions, takes it a step further, providing graphic design and content management. She can create and manage event social media pages up to three months in advance. “We either offer guidance or post for clients to get guests excited about what’s to come,” she says. “On the day of, we create business cards to hand out to friends and family with the dedicated hashtag, so we can collect all the photos everyone takes.”
Pros like Stephany and Jade can also orchestrate to best capture the highlights. “If everyone is holding up their phones … it’s not going to make for a very good picture, and you can’t get that moment back,” Stephany says.
