Wedding Videography Blog
Remembering
May 25th, 2009
Memorial Day is set aside for us to remember the men and women who have given their lives in service to our great country. No matter what your political or social beliefs, you have to recognize that it is through the sacrifice and service of our military forces that we are allowed to enjoy the abundant freedoms that we claim in this country as rights.
My brother-in-law Alex served for many years in the Army having two tours in Iraq. My cousin Frank is in the Marines and currently deployed to Afghanistan. I am proud of both of them.
This weekend, at Kevin & Sarah's wedding, Kevin's friend that is currently deployed to Iraq surprised everyone by showing up in his fatigues (as he had JUST gotten off the plane). Later that night he was in his dress blues and got a standing ovation from the whole reception hall when Kevin recognized him during a toast. I love to see this outpouring of appreciation!
This past week, Susy and I filmed a memorial and committal service for a young man who had served 12 years in the Army spending one tour in Iraq. While I did not know David while he was alive, I felt like I knew him by the end of the memorial service. During the memorial service, the men who were currently serving our country here and abroad were given a standing ovation. Amazing!
Even though David was not killed in battle, he was given a burial with full military honors at the Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, OH. Below is the Tribute Video that we put together for his family and friends.
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I want to give a heart felt thank you David and all the men and women of our armed forces. Our thoughts and prayers are with you this day and all days. Thank you for defending the freedoms of this great country and protecting us from those that would do us harm. Come home safely and God's Speed!
Kevin & Sarah's Same Day Edit
May 24th, 2009
As anyone who follows the blog knows, we don't normally do cheesy "set-up" shots in our video. We capture the action as it happens and tell the story. When Sarah told me the song she wanted to use for the SDE she said, "I don't want anything too sappy!". Obviously the theme in this song is hard to ignore so Susy and I decided to have a little fun with it and keep the mood light.
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It was great to catch up with Matt & Suzi who will be celebrating two years in July. Sarah actually learned about us when she saw their SDE.
Thanks to the Marino Brothers for the audio hook up. After the SDE he said, "Our company does 500 weddings a year and that is the best we have seen!". Quite a compliment!
A production note: The date and name shots at the beginning and end of the video are not computer graphics, they are real numbers and letters that Susy had hidden away in the office because as she said, "I knew we might use them someday". I am glad she did.
Adam & Kristin's Same Day Edit
May 17th, 2009
I know that the blog posts have been a little sparse lately but have no fear... wedding season is here.
Susy and I were really excited that we not only got to spend the day with a great couple but also with our friends Ted & Rachel from Linczak Photography. When I talked to Rachel before the wedding she was so excited to photograph this wedding because as she put it "Adam & Kristin are gorgeous". She was right!
One of the reasons I really enjoy producing and showing Same Day Edits is to see the instant reaction for family, friends, and especially the couple. When the dancing shot with the champagne glass came on the screen (Susy's shot BTW) Kristin turned to me and said, "You guys are AWESOME!". That makes all the hard work and stress of pulling off a SDE completely worth it!
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UPDATE: Ted & Rachel posted photos from the wedding. Be sure to check them out!
- Ceremony: St. Raphael Catholic Church - Bay Village
- Reception: Marriott Cleveland Airport
- DJs: Audio Extremes - Thanks for the audio hookup guys!
Reception Lighting
April 10th, 2009
A little over a year ago I wrote a blog post that asked if I should start bringing lights to receptions for the formal events. Many of you said that it was a great idea. I then asked many of the wedding professionals (djs, photographers, and coordinators) that we are friends with and they thought it was a great idea. Well, one year later I agree... it was and is a great idea.
Check out the two clips below. In the first clip the bride told me that she did not want us to use our lights (she was the only one this past year). To make matters much worse, her reception was really dark.
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As you can tell, our cameras were not happy. Neither was I. This next clip would have been as dark as the last one but we were told to "Do what you do!"... so we did! (Be sure watch this one until the end... very emotional)
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Another benefit is that lighting the dance floor really brings the focus onto the couple. If the DJ or band does not have lights and most do not, the dance floor is lost in the dark room. All of the photographers we have worked with have said that they love having the extra light since it helps their cameras to focus faster. Many of them are using the light for their shots instead of their on-camera flash. Our friends, Ted and Rachel Linczak liked the nice warm light so much, they bought the exact same kit and use it every week.
One thing that I always wonder about is why brides spend so much time worrying about the colors of the reception linens, the placement of the table cards, and the center pieces, only to shut the lights off before anyone can see all their hard work. Well with us at least everyone will be able to see the first dance and they can relive that moment forever.
So what do you think? Should we continue bringing our lights?
Neill & Amy's SDE - Park Lane Villa
March 28th, 2009
Usually Amy from At Last Event Planning is trying to stay out of our shots while we're filming. Yesterday, her and her fiance (now husband) were the focus of our video during their big day at Park Lane Villa in Cleveland.
This SDE was a challenge since the ceremony started at 5:30pm and we showed it on the big screen after dinner. Fortunately this year we have a few tricks up our sleeve that make this possible (notice the footage from the first dance).
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The day went off without a hitch and Amy was able enjoy her wedding day while allowing her assistants to run the beautiful event.
A huge thanks goes out to Scott Jones from Jerry Bruno Productions for all his help in showing the Same Day Edit. He always goes above and beyond.
