Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Noelle + James: Highlights from a fun Grandview wedding!




Noelle and James had such a fun and memorable wedding that I had to do one more clip on the blog.  This clip shows a little bit of everything; the two of them getting ready, their first look, photo session, exchange of rings, funny clips from Noelle's sister's toast and lots of cute dancing!  Everyone had fun and it shows!


Here is one more look at Noelle and James' fun wedding.  Hope you enjoy!


If you watched this clip, please leave us a comment here on the blog or on our facebook wall to let us know what you thought.  
If you liked this clip, please like us to get notifications when we post new clips.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Noelle + James Get Ready for thier Wedding Day


 This is one of my most favorite preps we've ever done.  Not only does it have a beautiful bride and a handsome groom with their attractive entourage, but also the two most adorable and friendly dogs ever!  It was as much fun to film as it looks too!


 Check out Noelle + James' Prep!
If you watched this clip, please leave us a comment here on the blog or on our facebook wall to let us know what you thought.  
If you liked this clip, please like us to get notifications when we post new clips.


Saturday, October 5, 2013

Jenna + Mike: Two Beautiful Families Become One


When we met Jenna and Mike, they came to us on a recommendation from one of our past couples, Kate and Tony.  Kate is Mike's cousin.  By the end of our first meeting, we learned that Jenna is the niece of one of our other past couples, Maggie and Tom.  Jenna and Mike's wedding was a very special wedding for us.  We recognized so many of the faces in the crowd that we felt like we were spending time with family.  That day, two of the most beautiful families were combined by the love of two of the sweetest people!

Maggie + Tom: Jenna'a Aunt and Uncle
Kate + Tony: Mike's Cousin

There will be another post to come from this wedding soon.  For now, here is a preview clip.

If you watched this clip, please leave us a comment here on the blog and/or on our Facebook Wall to let us know what you thought.  We have a link on our Facebook Page to this post for easy sharing with friends and family.  If you liked this clip, please like us while you're there.



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Emotional + Fun: Alyson + Tim's Wedding at St. Andrew's Church + Mountainview Manor

Alyson and Tim were married on a gorgeous fall day.  It was the perfect combination of sun and cloud cover all day which led to a spectacular sunset just before their reception began.


It was an emotional day for all.  Alyson tried to be strong as she cried her way down the aisle and almost lost it again during her vows.  It was in these moments when we saw just how much in love Alyson and Tim are.  Through her tears down the aisle, Alyson smiled when she looked up and saw Tim smiling back at her.  As she was speaking her vows, he calmed her down with a reassuring smile and an, "It's okay".  She took a breath and completed them.  At the end, they were both nothing but smiles as they kissed and walked up the aisle.


They had a fun, fist pumping entrance to ACDC followed by a beautiful first dance spent snuggling and smiling at each other.  Just when you thought the tears were over, Alyson's maid or honor gives her toast and almost has everyone in tears again.  This time Alyson comes to the rescue with a quick bit of comic relief, "You're not so tough now".


Their fall theme brought things you might expect, like fall color selections, a Halloween candy bar and leaves, but one fun and unexpected touch was legos.  Their cake featured a lego theme with lego bakers hard at work, some on ladders and some with wheel barrows, a lego bride and groom and a lego nurse and firefighter.  Alyson also made lego apples for the top of their sweetheart table. 



Their reception was aglow with orange uplighting supplied by DJ Bri Swatek.  It was just the right way to set the mood for their fun, fall reception!




Here is a clip from their wedding to share the love and joy of their day!
If you viewed this clip, tell us what you thought of it. You can leave a comment here on the blog and/or on our Facebook page, where you can also share the link with your friends. If you like our work, please like our page while you're there too.



Productions team:
Ceremony Location: St Andrew's Church, Walden, NY
Reception Location: Mountainview Manor, Glen Spey, NY
Cake: Corsino Cakes, Wappingers Falls, NY
Cake Topper: Ginger Babies on Etsy
DJ: DJ Bri Swatek, Spinning with Style, Wappingers Falls, NY
Coordinator: James, J Angelo Event Planning, Milford, PA


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Lexie's Bridal Prep in an Artist Loft

Lexie was so excited for us to see the artist loft location for her bridal prep.  We were excited about the possibilities for really cool shots we could get there.  When her wedding day came, no one was disappointed.  This was a very unusual choice for getting dressed for a wedding, but thinking outside the box is the recipe for something really special.

This is a clip of Lexie getting ready and the first look with her groom, Mike, in the artist loft.  I'll probably post another clip from this wedding, but it may take me a while to decide which other clip to post from this beautiful, unique and very personalized wedding.


If you watched this clip, please let us know what you thought of it in the comments on this blog and/or on our Facebook Page post.  If you enjoyed this clip, please like our page to follow us.


The Production Team:

Location: The Woman's Club of Englewood, Englewood, NJ
Photographer: Cheryl, Bolton-Reuter Photography, Hyde Park, NY
Hair and Make-up: De Barkely, Hair and Make-up for Every Occasion



Monday, June 3, 2013

Krystle's Prep


We feel so privileged to get to work with so many great couples and their families and when we hear from them that they loved working with us so much the first time that they had to contact us right away to do another wedding film for them, it makes our hearts truly happy.  We were so excited to hear from Diana, mother of the bride, that her daughter, Krystle was getting married and they wanted us to be there to film it.  We first met this wonderful family when daughter, Stephanie married Andrew in 2006.  We were so honored to be asked to be a part of another family celebration.

   Krystle and Mom on Krystle's Wedding Day                             Stephanie + Andrew on their wedding day in 2006

Many people assume that filming a wedding is a simple job and that there really isn't much to do except be there and film what happens.  I guess for some videographers that would be enough, but we want to create more than a standard, basic and boring "wedding video".  We don't want to just film a wedding, we want to get to know the people.  Not only the couple getting married, but the family, members of the bridal party and their friends too.  It's our job to tell the story of the couple and the people celebrating with them, so we spend a lot of time before the wedding getting to know as much as we can and then, in the process of creating the final wedding films, we learn so much more.  In most cases, we learn so much about a family that when we're asked to do other weddings within that same family or circle of friends, we feel like we're apart of the family already.


Our hope is that the feeling is mutual for our couples and their families, as it clearly is with this family.  They are such a warm, welcoming and fun bunch that I think it would be hard for anyone around them to not feel like they're a part of their family.  It was so wonderful to see everyone again and to meet all the new, adorable and sweet little additions to their family.

Today, I wanted to share a clip from Krystle and Nick's wedding film.  This clip is of Krystle getting ready with her mom and her sisters along with all the adorable children, a hubby or two and a special appearance by grandpa.  It's not often that you see so many kids and guys hanging around with the bride before the wedding.  This is really what filming a prep is all about for us.  Quite often couples select not to have their prep filmed because they think it's just a time to film the bride and all her accessories.  For some videographers, that is what prep is all about.  For us, it's about the interactions, emotions and activities among all the people there too because these are the moments that will be important to look back on in the future.  Hope you enjoy!
If you watched this clip, please let us know what you thought.  Leave a comment on the blog or on our Facebook post.  If you liked what you watched, we would love it if you would like our page.



 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Mandy + Rich: Beautiful Ceremony on the Hudson at The Rhinecliff


This past Saturday we had the privilege of filming a very sweet wedding.  Mandy and Rich were married at The Rhinecliff Hotel in a ceremony overlooking the Hudson River.  Though it began as a rainy day, the sun came out as the ceremony progressed, but nothing shinned brighter than their faces that day! 


One of the best moments in the day were their personal vows to each other.  They were heartfelt, sweet and pure.  Nothing makes a ceremony more personal than your own words to each other.  As many weddings as we film, we never tire of hearing the words of genuine love, joy and commitment that come straight from the hearts and minds of our couples.  Personally written vows inject emotion in a way that no much else can.  Today I wanted to share their beautiful vows to each other and the brilliant way that Mandy and Rich met the challenge of getting married along the river so close to the train tracks.

If you watched this clip, please let us know what you think.  Leave a comment on the blog or on our Facebook post.  If you like what you watched, we would love it if you would like us.


I'm sure there will be more posts to come from this wedding!
Congratulations to Mandy + Rich!!


The Production Team:
Location: The Rhinecliff Hotel, Rhinecliff, NY
Event Planner: Angela, Elite Wedding and Event Planning, Saugerties, NY
DJ: Dave, A Perfect Blend Entertainment,

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Laura + Dave: A Beautiful Wedding at Brotherhood Winery

Laura and David are childhood sweethearts that met at summer camp.  Eleven years later, they walked down the aisle and became husband and wife.


 


Brotherhood Winery was the setting for this beautiful and long awaited wedding.  This was our first time working at the winery and we were very impressed.  The rustic look was a perfect match to the decor Laura and Dave chose for thier wedding.  Branch centerpieces by Flowers by David Anthony helped accentuate the high ceilings and beams while adding some ambiance and glitz with hanging candles and crystals.

 



The ceremony took place on the patio under a tent surrounded by twinkle lights and lanterns.  It rained on their wedding day, but that didn't dampen the mood of the day.  Surrounded by family and friends, who were as excited for this day to come as they were, Laura and Dave shared heartfelt, personal vows to each other about their past and future, not only displaying their love for each, but also their incredible senses of humor.  There were quite a few light hearted and humorous moments during the ceremony, like when Dave tried to say his vows twice and Laura said, "I say that" and when Dave went to break the glass at the end of the ceremony and it came skipping down the aisle.  



When we first met Laura and Dave, they told us about a lot of the plans they had for their wedding.  First and foremost, they wanted it to be about family because "family comes first".  We love weddings where family comes first!  Everyone has a part to play and we love to capture those special moments.  The toasts at Laura and Dave's wedding stand out for us because each one was unique to the speaker's personality and offered a look into Laura and Dave's relationship and the relationship with each person speaking.  Laura's Mom and Dad shared their quirky sense of humor by doing a "Top Ten List for Why Laura and Dave are Perfect for Each Other" which showed their personalities, their love for both Laura and Dave and where Laura got her sense of humor from.  Within their toasts, both Gail, Dave's sister, and Adam, Laura's brother, had a sweet story to tell about the new members of their families.  It became very clear as the wedding day progressed that after eleven years together, as a couple and as a combined family, their wedding simply made everything official.


Being big Yankee fans, they were particularly excited about the unique idea they had planned for their introductions into the reception.  They hired a Bob Sheppard impersonator to record their announcements.  It was unexpected and got a huge response from their guests.  Not only did it include familiar phrases like "throwing out tonight's first pitch", "introducing the starting lineup" and "batting cleanup", but they also included the catchy stadium music you would expect to hear.  The crowd went wild!



Other memorable moments from this wedding were the signing of the Ketubah and taking photos with Michael Bloom in the wine cellar museum, seeing the Mad Lib RSVP cards filled out and on display, Dave breaking the glass on a personalized Yankees home plate, Laura taking a fall during the Hora and bravely getting back up for another go, lots of dancing thanks to music provided by the band Alive N Kicking and all the great food which included an amazing buffet of items from Holbert's catering, a gorgeous wedding cake from Homestyle Desserts Bakery and a dessert buffet that included ice cream cones, milkshakes, cookies and other assorted goodies.




Though this clip doesn't include all of the items listed in this article, I hope that it gives you a glimpse into the love, joy and very special relationship not only between Laura and Dave, but also their families.  We were very lucky and happy to be a part of this special wedding!

Here are highlights from Laura + David's beautiful wedding.
If you watched this clip, please let us know what you thought of it.  You can comment here and/or on our Facebook wall.  If you enjoyed this clip and want to see more, please like our Facebook page.



Production Crew
Location: Brotherhood Winery, Washingtonville, NY
Photography: Michael Bloom Photography, Bethel, NY
Caterer: Holberts Catering, Montgomery, NY
Florist: Flowers By David Anthony, Highland Mills, NY
Band: Alive N Kicking, City Island, NY
Cake: Homestyle Dessert Bakery, Peekskill, NY

Friday, March 22, 2013

Real Reactions: Andrea + Nick Watch Their Ceremony


We recently had Andrea and Nick over to view their wedding film with us and they agreed to let us film them for our Real Reactions series.  We may post another clip from this, but we felt we had to start with their ceremony since it was our favorite of the season.


For most couples, watching back your ceremony on video can bring back a flood of emotions.  It can make you tear up. 


It can make you smile.


Not every ceremony can bring back emotions quite the way that Andrea and Nick's ceremony did for them.  You'll see what I mean when you watch the video clip below.


This video clip shows you that there is no amount of planning you can do to account for everything that could happen on your wedding day.  When things like this happen, it's great to have a video to look back at.  Although the pictures that were taken at this moment are great (I've seen them), the video really brings what happened back to life in a way that photos just can't do.


 Here is the clip of Andrea and Nick's unforgettable and unexpected ceremony.  Hope you will enjoy watching along with them.

Thank you to Andrea and Nick for allowing us to share their viewing experience with our blog readers!  If you watched this clip, please tell us what you think about it here, as a comments, or on our Facebook post for this clip.

In case anyone is wondering what they thought of their whole film, you can see and hear their reactions in this clip.

You can view more from this wedding!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Real Bride Reactions: Amy-Jo Watches her Prep


Watch along with Amy-Jo as she sees her bride's prep for the first time. You can see the emotions her wedding video brings as she remembers preparing for her wedding!
If you watched this clip, please leave us a comment here on the blog and/or on our Facebook Page to let us know what you thought! We would love it if you would like us too!

You can see more from Amy-Jo and Paul's Wedding!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Jenny + Jack + The Pretty Pink Dress



Here is a little something from what I'm working on now.  As I've been editing this film, I was reminded of how much I liked Jenny's wedding gown, so I featured Jenny's dress on our Facebook page yesterday as my favorite of 2012. I love when a bride selects a dress that's outside the norm; something with a touch of color, unique appliques, or a custom made gown.  The pop of color from the pink floral organza and the floral printed inset panel were beautiful and something that I heard many guests comment about at the wedding. 

Today I wanted to add a little something to the blog so everyone can see that pretty dress in action!  For those of you wondering about where you can get this dress, it's from David's Bridal and is part of an exclusive collection.


 Jenny and Jack's wedding day took place on a sometimes overcast and sometimes sunny day in July at Most Precious Blood Church in Walden and Magnanini Winery in Wallkill.  We had the pleasure of working alongside one of our favorite photographers, the very talented Cheryl Bolton-Reuter, to get all the beautiful shots in the fields and the vineyard.  Be sure to check out her photos from this wedding as well.




Here is a highlight clip from Jenny + Jack's wedding film.

If you watched this video, please leave us a comment here on the blog and/or on our Facebook page under our update for Jenny + Jack's Highlights.  If you like our work, we would love for you to like our page while you're there too!

Friday, February 1, 2013

Love Letter: Miriam + Mike (5 Years Later) or Why You Need to Get off the Fence and Get a Wedding Video

When I opened my inbox this afternoon, I found this wonderful email!  I was so touched that I had to share it!


Hi Mike and Jenn,

Hope you guys are doing good. Mike was asked to officiate a 20 year wedding renewal for his brother, so I took out our video to get some ideas....and it brought me back.  It's almost five years (this May), and seems like a lifetime ago, yet just yesterday.  We are still ridiculously happy!  The day was so beautiful, and once again, I'm so grateful to you both for capturing those memories for us.  I can't wait to one day show our children when we have them, Lord willing. 

The time you took, the detail you put into it...you seemed so excited for us.  It didn't seem like just a job to you.

Words can't describe our appreciation!!!

Sincerely,
Miriam and Mike


It always makes us smile and warms our hearts when we hear back from our couples like this!  Our goal is to make wedding films that our couples will love to watch and continue to watch as the years go by.  When we get emails years after the wedding like this one, it means that we're meeting that goal and that fills us with such happiness.  It happens more often than you would think too.  And that got me thinking...

All couples are excited to see their wedding video when they first get it, but after a while, many let it sit on the shelf.  Why?  The answer is simple.  It's because those couples didn't make getting a wedding video a priority.  Often these are the couples that spent most of their budget elsewhere and only had $1000 left to devote to a wedding video or worse, set up a little camera on a tripod at the back of the church or had a friend or family member film "just the important moments".  The things is that, beyond the obvious moments like the vows, toasts and first dance, you never know when the important moments will happen, so these videos are not a true representation of your wedding.  These videos often look half asked or home videoish because that's precisely what they are and that's why they just collect dust on a shelf.  However, it's comments like that and the stigma of really cheesy, old-school wedding videos which drive the most asked questions among engaged couples:

Is a wedding video worth it?  
Will we ever watch it?  
Won't it just be duplicating the photos?  

This is a decision that many couples struggle with, including Miriam and Mike.

Miriam came to us kind of late in her wedding planning process because, like many other brides to be, she wasn't sure she wanted or needed a wedding video.  Like many other engaged people planning their wedding, she thought a wedding video wasn't necessary.  "I'll get a good photographer and that will be enough."  But she never stopped thinking about it and after going back and forth about it and getting some encouragement from Mike, she decided to do some research.  She found a few videographers online and decided to meet with them to finally decide if it was worth it to get a wedding video and if it was something that she wanted to move forward with.  As you can see, she did and now, five years after her wedding, she still loves watching her film and is grateful to have it.

Most couples don't regret getting a wedding video, 
they regret not getting a wedding video.

There is a reason "I wish I had a wedding video" comes up on a lot of regrets lists.  The one thing that most engaged couples don't realize is that a wedding video doesn't really show it's worth right away.  Even couples who decide to get a wedding video don't realize how much they will love having it until years later.  Our couples often send us emails saying that they wanted to reminisce or just celebrated their anniversary, so they decided to watch their film.  It's after these viewings that we receive these wonderful emails.  We get a greater response from them years after their wedding than we did when they initially received their wedding film.  This is because wedding videos appreciate more over time.  As you begin to forget all the little nuances of your wedding day, as loved ones pass away and as you start to have a family of your own, you become nostalgic and want to go back or want to share your wedding day with your kids.  We get a lot of emails from our couples saying that their kids can't stop watching their wedding film (most call it mommy and daddy's wedding movie).  It's important to point out that your not only filming your wedding day for you to remember, but also for your parents, grandparents and children.  We recently heard this from one of our couples:

"Get a video!!!!!! Hubby's grandmother watched it 3 times in one afternoon, so if not for yourselves, then for your family, since they love you so much."

So, what is the true worth of a wedding video?  A wedding video is an investment that you make in your memory.  Years after your wedding, maybe when you have a disagreement, you'll be able to pop in your wedding video, listen to your vows and remember how you felt the day you got married.  Maybe you'll notice the way you were looking at each other during your vows or a tear on your cheek, if you cried.  Maybe you'll see a smile, hear a laugh or listen again to the words someone used to described how much in love you are in their toast.  Maybe after watching your wedding film that disagreement will seem silly in the grand scheme.  Maybe you'll watch back your video and see your grandfather dancing and having fun when now, he doesn't really get around so well (this is actually from an email we got from our past bride, Tina).  Maybe it will be a happy reminder of your dad who has since passed away, like it is for our groom, Danny.


We hear back from so many of our couples, especially those from years ago when they find us on Facebook (we didn't have a Facebook page when we started).  It's so nice to read all of their comments.  Many of our couples even continue to follow our blog and watch our Facebook page for new clips and leave comments, like Adam.  That is a true testament to the worth of a wedding video vs the myth that all wedding videos are boring.  Though some of our couples are family and friends of other couples we've worked with, most are not, yet they still enjoy watching the clips we post.  To me, this means that if you prioritize wedding video and hire someone who does a great job, even total strangers will want to watch your wedding video. 






Many of our couples enthusiastically recommend us to their family, friends, co-workers and anyone else who will listen (Marissa).  Over and over again, they tell them "You need a wedding video!" because they know the true value of what they have now that their wedding day is over.  They realize that when people tell you "the day goes by so fast" and "it's all a big blur" that it's REALLY TRUE!

I wish I had some video clips prepared to add to this post of the comments our past brides and grooms make when we're filming a sibling or friends wedding because those comments are just as sweet as the emails!  We've heard several of our couples tell their kids, "These are the people that made mommy and daddy's wedding movie."  Many have told us that getting a wedding video was the best decision they made.  Some have said that they watch their film far more than they look at their wedding album.  

(Scratched Vinyl Record Sound Effect Here - see, if it were a video, I wouldn't have to write it in) 

Easy there photographer peeps. I'm not belittling your importance at all.  We believe that photography and videography are equally as important.  I'm just trying to get the point across that afterwards, many of our couples think that video is more important than they thought it was when they were planning their wedding.  It's pretty common for engaged couples to splurge on photography because it's always held a place of importance, but often videography only gets the left overs.  That means that sometimes we fit in a budget and sometimes we don't.  This is where that dilemma comes in.  Is it worth it to reallocate money in the budget or dig up some more cash somehow for a video?  We often ask, "If you had to do it again, what would you change?".

Most of our couples say that they would have looked for and booked a videographer sooner 
and they would have given wedding video a higher priority.






We are so grateful to all of the couples who chose to work with us, continue to recommend us every chance they get and especially those of you who come out of the woodwork and send us an email or post to our Facebook wall years after your weddings to tell us the wonderful things that you do!  We love an appreciate all of you and are glad that you let us into your life!  And just for the record, we remember each and every one of you and all of your fabulous weddings (I'm talking to you, Michelle).  If you're reading this post and weren't mentioned, please know that it's not personal.  I was just writing it REALLY fast and used what I found first.


Miriam and Mike were so happy with their final film and their experience with us that they wanted to do a testimonial video for us.  I thought it would be helpful to repost it for any couples out there that are on the fence about getting a wedding video.  In this clip, they talk about the process they went through and the struggle that Miriam faced when deciding if she wanted a wedding video.  I've also posted a clip of Miriam's bridal prep from their wedding film.





Here is a Miriam's Bridal Prep from their wedding film.


Special thanks to Miriam for taking the time out of her day today to write me such a wonderful note which helped me to write this long overdue post! 

Please feel free to comment here on the blog and on our Facebook wall or the link we have to this post there.  Whether you're a past couple of ours, a couple currently planning your wedding, someone that has been married for years or a fellow wedding professional, we'd love to hear what you think of this article.