Kara & Brian 11/23/07

This one even made the Post-Dispatch! 16 attendants on each side, my friends. Brides who have already had your day, the thought of it must make your blood pressure rise, imagining everything Kara went through in planning - and execution - of her day with such an enormous wedding party. Well, she did it, and is no worse for the wear. I knew it would be hectic, but I really didn't imagine it all could have gone as well as it did.

St. Peter's Cathedral provided a gorgeous backdrop for the ceremony, which, thanks to family members presiding, was sentimental and humorous...just perfect for the couple. We're practically honorary parishioners - not to mention honorary Catholics - after participating in so many wedding ceremonies at the Cathedral. :) It's so beautiful and translates very well in the film. Such a huge wedding party introduced a few new challenges, but everything should work out smoothly in the final edit.

Zettl Photography was on the scene with wide-angle lenses a go-go for this one, I'm sure! I was amazed at how quickly and calmly Stephanie was able to get all the shots done at the church. Bravo to her, Mary (Kara's coordinator), and the wedding party and families! I'm not sure it went so well once every one was out and about with some celebratory beverages in them, but Kara and Brian will have some spectacular pics from the church for sure! :) Stephanie and Peter are so great to work with and so talented. I've probably gushed about them before, but it's so great to work with professionals who understand that everyone who is involved in the day has the potential to actually enhance their work and the overall experience of the day. They respect what we do as an art that is supplemental to what they do - and, of course, we feel the same. Steph and Peter! Alright, enough of the love fest.

We only accompanied everyone to the first photo stop after the ceremony, which was the Shrine. Brian and I had to high-tail it to the reception venue to make sure the photo montage was set up and running in the lobby and get two huge projector screens and the video set up to show their Love Story for their 500+ guests! What a great idea, though. The montage was shown at their rehearsal dinner as well as in the lobby for guests to enjoy as they waited for the banquet room doors to be opened. The Love Story film was a surprise for everyone. Yes, a group of 500+ can be rambunctious and a difficult to quiet down, but it sure went over well from where I was sitting! People were laughing and reminiscing...Brian ate his first ever salad (a barter the couple made: she would climb a mountain with him and he would eat salad before she would walk down the aisle) on camera for all to see and enjoy. Too funny! Well, I guess I got a little ahead of myself here.

Orlando's in South County hosted the reception - yes, aaaalllllll of it. Three rooms, I believe. The lobby wasn't quite big enough to accommodate everyone who was waiting, so doors opened up a little early. The room was beautiful - splashes of red in all the right places. The cake, decorated with red and silver Christmas Tree balls. The food was spectacular. The entertainment was full of energy and got the room hopping. Boom never disappoints. What a party!

This was certainly one for our record books - and probably for everyone involved! I'm still just shaking my head in amazement that everything went off so well. Really...it defies logic. We just couldn't be happier for Kara and Brian, and hope this is just the beginning of a long friendship. Go Irish!!! :)

Wendy & Justin 11/3/07

Wendy is a down-to-Earth, everybody's best friend kind of girl, and Justin is a regular BelleVegas guy's guy. Hard to believe these two are on the cusp of hoity-toity living as part of the Major League Baseball world! I know that Wendy will help keep Justin's head out of the clouds. He does deserve a trip to the stratosphere once in a while, though. :)

Spending time with Wendy and her girlfriends as they got ready in a cramped space at the quaint little church in Edwardsville helped me realize just how genuine this girl is. I remember instantly connecting with her at our first ever meeting so long ago, and I felt like I was just one of the girlfriends in that room. I just happened to have a giant camera on my shoulder. All of her bridesmaids were just as delightful, and Wendy seemed completely stress-free and full of bridal glow.

Mike Nichols handled the photography, and he brought a studio back-drop with him to get formal portraits with a studio feel. Pretty cool! Also, he had an assistant with him who focused on journalistic coverage of the day while he took care of staging portraits and other formal shots. They were great to work with!

The reception was held at the American Legion in Edwardsville, and this group had such a great party! I had to hear about it from Brian, as we had another of our videographers relieve me for the reception so I could go home and put my feet up. (8 months pregnant!) But, I know I'll get to enjoy some of the fun as I capture and edit the footage.

So, the baseball season is over - Justin came VERY close to going to the playoffs his rookie year! Now the lovebirds are hitched AND proud new owners of a home. Whew! What a whirlwind! Congratulations to the newlyweds. It was so great getting to know you two and celebrating with you.

Donna & Doug's Film

What fun, what fun!! Oh my goodness, I knew it would be great the day of, but then Donna and Doug picked some really fun music that I knew would be perfect with the footage. Now, you have to be careful picking "today's" music for your wedding film. I mean, make sure you like the tunes, 'cause you're stuck with them for life! The songs weren't too trendy - not too "top 40," so I think it worked out really well for them. I got to use a song from Cake, believe it or not! You can see that one on the samples page on our website. I'm so inspired by the music the couples choose, and I think that clip really illustrates that.

Beyond that, the difference it makes in the film when a couple is able to relax and enjoy their day and each other never ceases to amaze me. I don't have to try and create romance and magic between the bride and groom - Donna and Doug oozed adoration for each other! The times when I really notice this are times that a Wedding Coordinator has been hired. After so many weddings, I can't deny this as fact - it is not coincidence. In this case, Donna hired Sabrina with Proposing Dreams, and Sabrina and her assistant took care of the details so Donna and her loved ones could enjoy the day. I was able to get great sound bites from Donna because she wasn't frantic about this or that, I got some nice footage of her hanging out with her many bridesmaids before the ceremony, and the rest of the day was filled with love, romance, and fun because of the lack of stress! If you are an upcomming bride, please consider investing in a professional coordinator!

Favorite memories from the film: The ring bearer beating the pants off the groom and the groomsmen playing poker before the ceremony. They used salt and pepper packets as chips, and that kid was on fire! :) Chatting with Donna about her sweetie right before the ceremony; her huge, infectious smile and fantastic giggle. Doug, crying like a baby while Donna and her dad walked down the aisle. (I used a picture-in-picture effect because I just couldn't cut away from either camera angle - so sweet!) "You look beautiful...that's the understatement of the century!" he said as they walked up to the altar together. Urban picture time with Michelle from Under Grace was soooooo much fun, and turned out to be such a unique addition to the film. Thank you to Gibbols' management for letting me borrow some costumes! Also, The Royal Dump wenches came out and had some fun with us too.

I let Donna know that I hoped she was even half as happy with her film as I was! What a great couple to work with...there are so many components that can effect the finished product, and for this one, everything just fell right in line. We couldn't have scripted it better!

Gwen & Josh 10/27/07

This was the third sister's wedding we've had the honor and pleasure to document for this particular family. Brian joked with the MOB, "So, what are the plans for Thanksgiving?" We feel like we're part of this family! It's so much fun to be able to see past clients and catch up a little bit. It's also interesting to see how very different the sisters' weddings are.

The ceremony was held at St. Peter's Cathedral in Belleville, IL. Gorgeous church! Brian always gets a beautiful shot from the balcony, and I'm able to shoot from the altar, between the huge marble columns. The footage always turns out so beautifully from this location - and the photographers love the architecture, too.

Speaking of photography, Steve Seebeck thinks outside the box. He utilized natural lighting and interesting architectural details throughout the cathedral, and I can't wait to see the photos. I'm sure it makes his job even easier to have such beautiful subjects to shoot as Gwen & Josh. I'm sure every shot will look like it came from a bridal magazine. Steve is gracious and thoughtful to work with - that's so important for the movie! He's very relaxed and enjoys his work, which helps put the people in front of the camera at ease. I just can't compliment this guy enough.

Windows on Washington hosted the reception - one of our favorite reception venues, of course. They care about the event and their clients, and it shows. The room was beautiful, of course, and the food was phenomenal. Pleasure Groove provided the entertainment, and they lit the place on fire. Brian was super impressed by their professional set up: very nice sound board, drum cage, personal monitors...let alone the unbelievable vocals.

Gwen split her daddy dance between her real and step dads. This family is a shining example of how to GET ALONG after divorce. It brings tears to my eyes every time. The evening was just a lovely combination of sentimentality and celebration, as the drinks flowed and the guests absolutely crowded the dance floor the entire night.

What a party!! Congrats, all.