9/22/07 Kimberly & Dana

Oh my goodness, what a wonderful couple! It was such a pleasure to get to know Kim and Dana - and their lovely families and friends - on Saturday. Not to often do we get to know the groom better than the bride before the wedding, but Dana was apparently in charge of the "Video" task for the wedding. Sometimes grooms really get into the whole "tech" realm and get so excited about the video. Others are begrudgingly going along with what their bride wants, and I have to encourage them to TRUST us and know that we will not allow them to look silly in their movie (unless they clearly want to look silly - I'm for that, too). The ceremony was at the lovely, historical Trinity Lutheran church in Soulard. We have filmed many ceremonies there, and I think Pastor Marth is a bigger draw for me than the building. His ceremonies are always so fun and down to earth. He relaxes everyone with his humor and stories, and he realizes the treasure of the wedding video and allows me to get a great position up on the altar. It all makes for a great movie! During the recessional, he turned to me, laughing: "You're going to know all my stories!" to which I replied, "But I love all your stories!" And I do. He really does mix it up, though. Sometimes he'll talk about something personal to the couple...this time, he spoke very poetically about the sun shining through the beautiful stained glass window to the left of the altar and the symbolism there. It was just a beautiful ceremony, and family and guests spoke about it the rest of the day. That's how it should be, right? Too many times, the focus is on the party afterwards, and it seems like the ceremony is an unfortunate formality to some involved. Oh, what a party we had at Cafe DeMenil! Mr. B does an exquisite job of taking care of his clientelle - that is without question. He and his staff are also very gracious and hospitable to the vendors as well. Really, the only drawback is the limited bathroom facilities here - just one stall for women and one for men. It seems to work out, though. I must say, the toasts were some of my favorite ever. The crowd broke out in some serious laughter as the best man brought a step stool over for his brother, saying that it would be a useful tool in their marriage. (Kim is probably a good 5 - 6 inches taller than Dana.) Dana didn't mind at all - he climbed right up there and posed for a picture. Can't wait to see that one! Speaking of pictures, Zettl Photography handled the photography for the day. Brian walked around Soulard for the wedding party pictures with them this time, so I don't have any stories about that. Usually, that's my jurisdiction, but, at 7 months pregnant, walking around Soulard for an hour or two was not going to fly. Stephanie and Peter provided extensive coverage of the entire day. Peter just can't sit still for more than 5 minutes, and that works out great for their clients, I'm sure! It's great to work with them - we all respect the responsibilities and art of the other team, so we work very well together. Well, I can't wait to get to this project. Kim & Dana were so lovey-dovey with each other, and that just makes the movie. During their first dance, they were chatting the whole time - and Kim was the same way with her dad during their first dance! We had both gentlemen mic'ed, so I'm very excited to see what kind of sweet sound bites I have to work with. Love it! Best wishes to the happy newleyweds!!

First Blog

Well, here we are - finally blogging! I'm absolutely giddy. We've just been too busy with making movies to catch up to the times and deal with the blogging stuff! :)

Brian's working feverishly on redesigning our site, so this is the perfect time to add a new component. We just have so many wonderful experiences and funny stories to share, it would be wrong not to put it out there for your enjoyment! Yes, sharing joy with the world...that's what we're about. Really, it just gives me an outlet of communication amidst what sometimes seems to be endless editing. I love what I do, don't get me wrong! This will add a nice distraction, though, so I can get back into editing mode, perhaps a little refreshed.

Something else I hope this will do is keep us a little more closely connected with our clients - and help those of you who might be thinking of hiring us get to know us a little better. All this technology is great, but it's a shame when the personal connection is lost. I would say the biggest joy for us in what we do is getting to know our clients and creating such a unique connection with them - well, you - as we celebrate such a monumental change in your lives with you and then, later, pour all of our energies, passions, and creative resources into making the best film adaptation of the memories we all experienced together we possibly can, in the hopes that it will enrich your life as a couple and allow your entire family to relive your special day over and over again. Yes, that is soooooo sappy, but so true. This is why we do what we do. Sometimes, though, things stand out in our minds from your day - or even during the editing process, that now we will be able to share here. This just adds another dimension to our relationship with you. Uh...we hope. If anyone reads this. Hello? :)