Five more video clips
I’m editing videos faster than I can blog! Here are the five most recently completed video clips as promised…

Debbie & Mike had an intimate ceremony in the chapel at the Ritz Charles, followed by a spirited reception in the main building. Jennifer Montoya of Majestic Events provided the elegant bursts of red roses (my favorite!), Dave Cohen of Jerry Goldberg Photography captured the day’s many highlights, and DJ Brian Whitis kept the lively crowd glued to the dance floor.

Debbie & Mike’s Highlight Segment – 7/15/06

Ilona & Geoff were married in a beautiful outdoor setting at the Eiteljorg Museum. Rebecca Raymond of Event Fantastic (who referred the wedding to me) coordinated the events of the day with the Eiteljorg’s Sarah Bean, Rue de Fleur added a touch of European elegance to the decor, Andreas Nemitsas brought his personable style to the photo sessions, and veteran band Zanna-Doo brought a touch of local rock scene history to the night.

Ilona & Geoff’s Highlight Segment – 7/22/06

Dave & Kim’s wedding and reception proved to be a perfect showcase for the Oak Hill Mansion’s outdoor facilities, as they exchanged vows in the wedding gazebo before celebrating in the reception pavilion. I enjoyed working with photographer Sue Huffer and consultant Julie Doyle for the first time, and it was a kick to see my former financial planner Randy Pierson behind the DJ console.

Dave & Kim’s Highlight Segment – 8/5/06

Laura & Greg were a fun, spiritual couple to produce a Love Story video for, and returning “home” to the IU campus to cover their wedding weekend, including a ceremony at my former church, was a real treat. Consultant and florist Cathy Teeters transformed the Bloomington Convention Center, while photographer Kip May captured it all and the wonderful Wendy Reed Band entertained the crowd.

Laura & Greg’s Highlight Segment – 8/12/06

Jordan & Matthew were married in the Evansville area, joined by a huge busload of guests from Minnesota. The hayride from the church provided ample opportunity for the group to get loosened up for some humorous photos at the family farm nearby. I declined to ask what was in the bucket that everyone was taking a sip from at the reception, but it was a family tradition that led to some great reaction shots for the video.

Jordan & Matthew’s Highlight Segment – 8/19/06

Weekends don’t get any better than this time of year for me. After spending Saturdays covering the best day of my clients’ lives, I spend Sundays either at the Colts’ home games as a season ticket holder or watching their road games on TV from a couch or sports bar. I’ve been going to their games ever since they moved to Indy, and I’ve endured some pretty lean years, so their current success has been quite a ride. So while many of my fellow vendors are toiling away showcasing their services at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show at the Montage this Sunday, I’ll be on the 50-yard line with three guests – my oldest son Matthew, my visiting father-in-law Steve, and my brother-in-law Todd (whose wedding I was in back in May). Now that’s a fun day! Alas, I’ll miss their next two home games, one on 10/8/06 because of a Sunday wedding, and the other on 10/22/06 because of our departure for a vacation in Kauai. I’m sure I’ll get over the disappointment. 😉

I’ll have four more highlight segments to add here shortly. I’m not quite sure how I accumulated all of those in just the past week and a half, but we’ve definitely been going non-stop in the editing suite lately. I’m looking forward to videotaping a wedding this weekend for the third McCracken daughter I’ve covered since 1999. Hopefully they won’t compare their videos too closely, as new technology and creative growth have allowed us to improve our work year after year. This will be my first of two straight ceremonies at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, and my first return to the Columbia Club since four straight weekends last fall.

Taping at my church
Today I’ll be taping Christi & Eric’s ceremony at my church, St. Luke’s United Methodist, and for the second straight weekend, photographer Jim Wyant of Wyant Photography and Ami Gallery will be working alongside me. (It’s funny in this business how one could go a year or so without working with someone and then suddenly work with them several times in a short span. My four straight weekends at the Columbia Club last year will be hard for me to top.) The reception will be at the Meridian Hills Country Club, which I haven’t been to since the On the Spot Productions days (pre-2000), so that should be fun. Big thanks to Dede Brand of the Mansion at Oak Hill for referring this wedding to me! She’ll be Christi’s maid of honor.

While I’m here, I should get this blog caught up on a few video clips that I’ve promised over the past few entries. These are up on the Samples page of our website as well. Enjoy!

Annie & Nick’s gorgeous ceremony took place at the Indiana Statehouse, beautifully adorned by consultant Rayna Traylor and florist Tim Kelley. Annie surprised Nick with a gospel choir after the ceremony. The reception was the first one ever held at the new five-star Conrad Hotel downtown. Tim Brickley‘s orchestra provided dinner music, while his rock band packed the floor afterwards.

Annie & Nick’s Highlight Segment – 6/17/06

Beth & Jim are probably the wackiest couple I’ve ever worked for, which is a good thing! They got married outdoors in downtown South Bend followed by an extravagant reception in the Palais Royale. The Impalas also made the trip from Indy and rocked the house with their soulful style.

Beth & Jim’s Highlight Segment – 7/8/06

Kristin & Zach tied the knot at the Omni Severin, tastefully decorated by Julie Acheson of Royal Creations and expertly photographed by Stacy and Mary Photography. Sunny Moon MC’d the evening’s events and kept the guests glued to the dance floor later on, while the Omni’s Carrie Logie kept everything running to perfection.

Kristin & Zach’s Highlight Segment – 7/9/06

I also recently completed editing Debbie & Mike’s 7/15/06 wedding and reception at the Ritz-Charles, and Ilona & Geoff’s 7/22/06 wedding and reception at the Eiteljorg Museum, and Kim & Dave’s 8/5/06 wedding and reception at the Mansion at Oak Hill, so look for those clips here soon. Busy, busy!

The “IndyVisual Tour” concluded August 26 with Katherine & Mike’s beautiful ceremony amidst the jaw-dropping arhictecture of the St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky. Ted and Sarah from Ron Shuller’s Creative Images Photography and I followed the bridal party across the river to Cincinnati’s Ault Park, where several other bridal parties were jockeying for space to pose for photos within the park’s luscious landscaping, blissfully ignoring the humid 90-degree weather. A return drive across the river brought us to the perfectly situated Drees Pavilion in Devou Park, which provided a stunning view of the Cincinnati skyline. DJ Matt Woods of Music by Request DJ Butlers did a superb job of staying in communication with the vendors and clients, running the show to perfection while keeping the dance floor packed.

Last week was a productive week at the studio during which I completed editing Debbie & Mike’s July 15 wedding and reception at the Ritz-Charles, whose highlight segment will be posted here shortly. I also nearly completed editing Ilana & Geoff’s wedding, which I flew in from vacation in Wisconsin to shoot at the Eiteljorg Museum on July 22. Editing is also now underway on Kim & Dave’s August 5 ceremony and reception at the Mansion at Oak Hill, which should be done in the next few days.

Labor Day weekend ushered in a gorgeous, almost fall-like Saturday for Jim Wyant of Wyant Photography (and the new Ami Gallery in the Carmel Arts District) and I to start coverage at Julie & Paul’s elegant home in the village of WestClay. We then drove a mile south to the beautiful new Coxhall Gardens for an emotional ceremony in a giant gazebo in the middle of the amphitheater. When consultant Mark Mattingly of Formalities referred this wedding to me, this was going to be the first wedding ceremony ever there, and judging by everyone’s reaction to the unique setting, there will be many more to come. (Note to parents: I was so impressed by the Children’s Garden on the property that I took my kids there yesterday to play. There’s nothing quite like it in all of Indy!) The festivities continued at the Bridgewater Club, where various members of The Flying Toasters took turns rocking the house at lead vocals. But stealing the show was the groom himself, who brought Julie to tears with a personalized version of “Your Song.”