Beautiful Memories 10th Anniversary Project: Marissa + Justin

There is simply no denying that these two are completely in love and in it for the long haul, not to mention utterly adorable and super photogenic! They're celebrating their 6 year anniversary today, but they've been together for 15 years. As you can clearly see, they are still as happy as they were when they first met and just as adorable!

Some of you may recognize Marissa and Justin, but might not know why they look so familiar. They have been prominent in our logo and advertising for years. We were looking to change up our look the year they got married and these two were happy to be in front of the cameras, willing to try something a little bit different and had a sense of adventure, so they were the perfect candidates for some fun and creative shoots we'd had in mind. The infectious joy they emanate made them prime candidates for our logo and the urban shots we got on their wedding day spoke to the modern shift in which we were taking our business. It was a perfect match, much like Marissa and Justin!

I always like to explore new, artistic and fun ideas when it comes to wedding video and I take inspiration from lots of different sources; from art and documentaries to movies and music videos.  Through the years of filming weddings, I'd always loved filming candid photo sessions, but even with great planning, it always seems rushed on the wedding day.  You do what you can in the time frame allotted and then have to move onto the next event.  Our couples were coming up with really great locations for their shoots, but I always left thinking of all the cool things we could have shot, if we only had some more time.  To be able to explore these ideas I had, I began asking couples to consider getting back into their wedding attire to go out to do post wedding day shoots with us.  We saw it as a way to get some really cool, artistic footage and to give the couple another day to wear the clothes that would probably be stored away in a closet for the rest of their lives. These would be for the artistic shots we didn't have time for the day of the wedding, the locations that were considered, but were too far away given the tight timeline of the wedding day or the types of shots that most couples love, but would never consider doing on their wedding day for fear of getting too dirty before the reception. My ideas were always to either create a strong juxtaposition between the beautiful white gown and the unexpected location or visit the dream locations that weren't logistically possible the day of the wedding.

This was before Trash the Dress sessions became really popular. We had asked couples for about a year and many of our brides told us that they were worried about getting their dress dirty or didn't have an interest in going out in the clothes again.  Then we met Marissa and Justin.  They seemed open to creative, artistic and outside the box ideas and we could tell that they were a fun couple.  When I asked Marissa if she would be willing to get in her dress again after the wedding, she was very excited about the idea, wasn't concerned about ruining her dress at all and was willing to do just about anything in it, including get wet or muddy. The spring following their wedding, we did two days of shooting with her and Justin. The first shoot was a post wedding/anniversary session, where we didn't get the dress dirty, but revisited the City of Poughkeepsie to find locations we didn't have time for the day of their wedding day and to check out other nearby, fun locations, including the newly opened Walkway Over the Hudson.

We had to wait a few months and let the weather get warmer before we attempted the second shoot. For this one, we asked photographer Cheryl Bolton-Reuter to come along. She not only happened to have been their wedding photographer, and ours coincidentally, but she is also a great collaborator, shares a like minded sense of adventure and loves the outside the box, artistic nature of these shoots. This was going to be the shoot where we could really get creative and not be overly concerned about the condition of the dress at the end.  We started the day with artsy, fairly clean setups and as the day progressed, we got more bold and adventurous and, in the process, got Marissa and Justin wetter.
 

In the final moments of the shoot, we asked Marissa to get into the water and ultimately into a waterfall. We were surprised and delighted when Justin decided to jump in too at the end.  The entire shoot was a creative collaboration that was not only fun, but quite challenging.  We had to climb over and around objects, us with our equipment and Marissa and Justin having to wrangling her dress.  No matter what we asked, they were game and we were willing to do whatever we needed to to get the shots. At the end of the day, we all agreed that it was much more fun than we had ever expected it to be and the photographs and video from the day are still among our favorites. Marissa and Justin were the first to agree to a post shoot and we have since done several shoots based on how much people love watching theirs. 

 

Since our adventure 5 years ago, Marissa and Justin have gone on to start a family. The first additions were their fur babies, Lily, their dog, and their miniature horses, which got to take part in their first maternity photo session.

Next came their three adorable sons; Caiden, Lincoln and Weston, who was just born this year.  When we were preparing to film their wedding, we learned a lot about Marissa and Justin.  One of those things was that Marissa comes from a large family and that she also wanted a large family. With three boys, they are well on their way to reaching that goal and there is no shortage of love in the family.

Marissa announced she was pregnant with Weston by posting these cute photos of Caiden and Lincoln. Though very funny, it's clear that the boys love their new baby brother just as much as mommy and daddy do.

We can't forget the original baby.  Part big sister, part babysitter, part plaything and all awesome, Lily has grown up the the boys and is great with them.  She may be up for the best dog ever award. She is a gentle and sweet and Caiden loves her so much that he insisted on getting in the kennel with her one day.

Marissa's mother died of breast cancer and, in her honor, Marissa's wedding color was pink. There were pink flowers, pink ties, pink shoes, and breast cancer ribbon shaped necklaces for her bridesmaids, but the one thing that stood out was the pink ribbon the sash on her dress created, wrapped around her waist, loosely bowed and draped. 

Marissa continues to be a breast cancer research supporter and has done charity events to honor her mother. And, if you couldn't love her enough for that, she also grows out her hair in order to donate it  for wigs, something I do as well.  Her latest donation went to Wigs for Kids.

Congratulations on 6 married years and 15 happy years together, Marissa and Justin! We know that you, along with your family, will be happy for many, many more years to come!

For more from Marisa + Justin, you can view the following:

Anniversary Session with Marissa + Justin - Includes Video

Trash the Dress with Marissa + Justin - Video Stills

Marissa + Justin: Trash the Dress Video

Post Wedding Shoot: City of Poughkeepsie - Video Stills

Post Wedding Shoot: Starbucks and the City - Video Stills

Post Wedding Shoot: Walkway Over the Hudson - Video Stills

All of these are on the old video player, prior to our upgrade, and may be difficult to play, 

but they are still cute, so I included them:

Marissa and Justin's Wedding Day Trailer
Marissa and Justin's Reception Highlights
Marissa and Justin's Wedding Day Highlights
Marissa's Bridal Prep

Marissa and Justin's Cocktail Hour

Marissa and Justin's First Look and Photo Session

 

Brittany's Bridal Prep

We're so excited to share this prep! Our beautiful bride, Brittany, is the sister of one of our past brides, Noelle.  We were so happy to receive the call to film another wedding with this super sweet and loving family.  It was such a great joy to be a part of this celebration!

We are animal lovers and so is this family!!  Both times we filmed with them it was dogapolooza and we loved every minute!  At times it was hard to tell who was having more fun, the girls getting ready or the dogs, who were getting a lot of attention!

 

When we filmed Noelle's wedding in 2013 and saw how much her dogs were a part of her life and wedding, we were tickled!  They were prominently featured in the prep segment of her wedding film and her reception favors were cookies in the shape of her dogs. 

Much like her sister, Brittany loves her dogs and made them a part of her wedding too.  Her favors featured her dog, Maximus, who also served as ring bearer at the ceremony and her dog, Tyson, who has passed away, was walking her down the aisle in spirit. His tag was included as a a part of a keepsake attached to her bouquet.

Here is Brittany's Prep from her wedding day! Hope you enjoy!

 

If you watched this clip, please let us know what you thought by leaving a comment on the blog or on our Facebook post.  To see more from Brittany and Dan's wedding when it's available, please follow us on Facebook.

I'm sure there will be another post from this wedding soon. There were so many fun moments to share!

Dina + Paul: A Wedding Nine Years in the Making

Dina + Paul met in 2006 and that was when we met them too.  It was at the wedding of Dina's sister, Stephanie. To say this day was a long time coming is not an exaggeration.  Even Paul's best man made reference to it in his toast saying, "Several times I did warn Paul that he'd better marry Dina before she came to her senses and decided to move on." 

This is the third wedding we've had the privilege of spending with this loving family.  We've watched three daughters get married and watched the family grow over the years. What started as a family of six has blossomed into a family of five couples with 10 grandchildren for their happy parents.

From Top Left: Stephanie + Andrew's Wedding, Krystle + Nick's Wedding, Dina + Paul's Wedding

Happy Couples + Happy Parents

A Proud Mom and Her Girls

Looking back over the wedding films we did for her sisters, you can see that Dina and Paul are just as in love as they were nine years ago.  It's also clear that the family loves Paul and they made him a part of the family right away.

Stephanie + Andrew's Wedding: 2006

Krystle + Nick's Wedding: 2012

Dina + Paul's Wedding: 2014

Here is a sneak peek at their wedding day with Dina's Prep. Hope you enjoy!

We've watched these wonderful parents transform from Mom and Dad to Grandma and Grandpa and we've watched their daughters progress from young ladies to wives and mothers. We hope that in the future each of the girls, their husbands and their kids will be just as happy as their parents are and will be just as proud of their children.

Congratulations to Dina + Paul on a beautiful wedding!  It was well worth the wait!

The Beautiful Memories 10th Anniversary Project: Kristin + Dave (+ Scarlett)

Kristin and Dave celebrate 4 years today along with their daughter, Scarlett!  Here is a little of what has been going on with them since their wedding day.

Then + Now

Kristin and Dave recently purchased a home and are in the process of moving in, painting and updating some flooring.  Everything they do is as a family, so even Scarlett is helping out.

Newest Addition to the family

Family Time

As a family, they do MANY activities together, from baking, cooking and crafting to renaissance fairs and Spartan Races.  As you can tell by these photos, Kristin and Dave take on everything they do with everything they've got and they're teaching Scarlett to do the same.

An ad from Runner's Magazine

Making meatballs and cupcakes

Kristin is a baker extraordinaire, Dave is a guy that can cook and Scarlett is their little sous chef.  We can tell you they are quite good as well, since we've had the pleasure of sampling some of their goodies.  Below is just a sample of the artistic and yummy treats Kristin creates.

Kristin's Crafty Cupcakes, YUM! Peanut Butter SnickersMounds Toasted Coconut.

Kristin and Dave have been running Spartan Races since 2012. What began as trying something new quickly turned into a fun way to spend some family time together (they do kids races too), a way to challenge themselves and to spark some friendly competition. The races evolved into more when they formed Conner's Spartans to bring funds and awareness to Lymphatic disease.

More recently, Kristin and Scarlett have begun attending Aeriel Silks classes at Westchester Circus Arts. This began with Scarlett's dream to learn how to be an aerialist and turned into a new passion she shares with her mom.  These girls are impressive, strong and fearless. They have been involved in student shows and look forward to more. Kristin notes that Dave's support has made this newest hobby possible.

  

Kristin and Dave were also a part of one of our most favorite shoots, Trash the Dress: A Post Wedding Session in Ruins, where we visited a ruin, an abandoned warehouse and abandoned train cars.

I want to end this post with a message from Scarlett. One day, all on her own, she wrote this little note and handed it to her mom. 

Happy anniversary to Kristin and Dave! They're a perfect fit for each other and they're raising a smart, sweet and strong little girl, wise beyond her years.

You can relive Kristin and Dave's memories with these posts:
Trash the Dress: A Post Wedding Session in Ruins
Kristin's Bridal Prep
Congratulations Kristin and Dave: A Preview Clip

Jessica + Micah: A Beautiful Wedding at Home in Woodstock

Jessica and Micah's wedding is one that we will not forget and a great example of why we love filming weddings.  It had everything that you could hope for; a beautiful Catskill Mountain backdrop, personal details, heartfelt toasts, lots of family and friends having a great time, a ceremony which was both serious and humorous and a sweet couple clearly in love.  The energy, love and fun at this wedding was infectious! The weather even cooperated, sort of.

It was very windy that day; the most windy we've ever encountered while filming a wedding.  This made things a bit tricky for a ceremony under a Cuppah, but there was no rain, only a rainbow, and the sun kept creeping in and out as the clouds blew quickly overhead.  It was really gorgeous!

Because they were planning from a distance, we didn't get the chance to meet Jessica and Micah before their wedding day, but the second we arrived to film on their wedding day, we felt welcomed by them and their families and, as the night went on, we learned so much about them through toasts and conversations that we felt like we'd known them their whole lives. Anyone can tell just from watching them how in love they are.  Together, they exude such joy.  It was all clear from their first dance alone. It was so fun to watch.  They danced, laughed, did a Dirty Dancing lift fake out, ended with dip, but most noticeably, they were constantly smiling.  In every first dance there is a moment when the couple locks eyes, are completely in the moment and the look on their faces is complete bliss.  I always look for that moment.  It was tougher to find in Jess and Micah's first dance, but I think I found it in this first shot.

Personal weddings, like this one, are the weddings we love to film the most and the ones that family and friends will always remember and talk about often.  I can't complete this post without sharing two more of my favorite things about the wedding, both by Jessica's Step-Mother.  One was my favorite detail from their wedding; the personalized wooden table markers.  The other was Gayle's toast.  It was not only a personal toast like the others, but it also included several items from Jessica's childhood including her favorite books and a groom that she sewed when she was 8 years old. 

 Congratulations to Jessica and Micah! Here is a look at their wedding. Hope you enjoy!

 If you watched this clip, please let us know what you thought. If you liked what you see, like us on Facebook for updates.

PRODUCTION TEAM

Location: Private Home

Photographer: Franco Vogt, Franco Vogt Photography

DJ+MC: Lou Paris, Paris Creative