Hidden Gems: Meet Molly Lumsden of Handheld Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Lumsden.

Hi Molly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2018, I started working for wedding planners and worked in that industry for many years. Simultaneously, I worked in social media and video content. In February 2023, I started filming weddings as one of the first wedding content creators, it was still a pretty new concept at the time.
l started bringing a camcorder to my own weddings pretty early on. My dad was always the dad with the camcorder at holidays and parties, so it’s always been nostalgic for me. In March 2023, I handed one off to a group of groomsmen while they were getting ready. I had noticed, especially with the guys, that people are not always comfortable in front of a camera when it’s a stranger. They knew exactly what to do and kept on filming fun moments through the night!

From there, lots of my couples wanted the guest camcorder experience, and couples started requesting it even when I wasn’t available to shoot their wedding myself. That demand made led me to creating Handheld Studio, a mail-based camcorder rental service that lets guests capture an event from their perspective in a nostalgic way. I spent the end of 2024 building it out, and in April 2025 launched.

Over the past year, we’ve grown tremendously and helped countless people capture their celebrations in this fun way!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every new business comes with it’s new set of learnings for sure. I think the most challenging part has been building something new that doesn’t have it’s own category to learn from. So much of what I do and thank about is making and learning as I go, trying to set the standard of how things should work with no real reference point as a benchmark. Another aspect I’ve learned to prioritize has been balancing giving Handheld Studio as much time as possible while still maintaining my other role of being a wedding content creator. What is so awesome about it is that I want to pour as much intentional energy into every aspect of the business, since ultimately it is a physical experience with many layers of personal connection.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Handheld Studio is a video camcorder rental service that makes it easy to capture your celebration with nostalgia and personality! We ship ready to record camcorders straight to your door, giving your guests the chance to film the moments that feel real, fun and completely true to you. You film, we edit, and you get a highlight video that feels like your friends made it! While we are based in Los Angeles, we ship nationwide.

I really feel our style camcorders and our attention to detail and the customer experience sets us apart. Everything is meant to be intentional and easy to use. Handheld Studio makes it simple to capture candid, personal moments with no setup or stress. There is no extra layer of production to worry about, and it’s almost as if everyone knows how to use it once the camcorder comes out!

Brand wise, I’m so proud of how the idea has translated and how many people have loved having the camcorders part of their celebrations. It’s about nostalgia, connection, and offering people a way to document their lives, the big moments, the small and the in-between that feels more authentic to them. This isn’t about just capturing one category of celebrations, but all of them. At the end of it all, I want people to walk away with something that feels like them (and their loved ones), a way to capture memories they can revisit that still express the feeling and energy behind it. I really want people to know that there is no one-size fits all to this approach, it’s meant to fit in the way you want it to. I’m so happy whenever I see people add their own creative touch to how they use it, and the ideas they have when they reach out to us!

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can rent a camcorder on our website www.handheldstudio.com and also follow our journey on social media through Instagram and TikTok at @thehandheldstudio. We always love to hear from people, or help answer any questions at hello@handheldstudio.com

Pricing:

• $649 is our standard 1 week rental
• We are available for custom packages including multiple camcorder rentals, longer rental periods and more!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.handheldstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehandheldstudio
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/handheld-studio/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thehandheldstudio

Image Credits
Courtesy of Handheld Studio
Daniel Kim
Colin & Lakin
Daniel Kim
Meghan Baskin
Sarah Lord
MichellePullman / St Chelle
Tiffany Gentry
Colin & Lakin
Erica Streelman
Meghan Baskin
Sydney Brewer
Natalie Monar