Sabrina & Brock – 5/16/09
 May 26, 2009
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On a beautiful spring day with a little bit of rain early for good luck, Sabrina & Brock enjoyed an elegant ceremony at St. Mary Catholic Church, followed by a lively reception at the Marriott North.

I arrived at the church in time to capture some preparations, lots of beautiful decor by Kathy’s Kloset, and some fun photos with Kiera Dubach. After the full mass, the photos continued at Monument Circle and Holcomb Gardens, and this bridal party was clearly ready to party.

At the reception, DJ Wes Adkins of Event One DJs kept the formalities moving along, with many special touches along the way. My favorite was when Sabrina & Brock invited both sets of parents to dance to the same song that, coincidentally, each set of parents had first-danced to at their own respective weddings.

Photo by Kiera Photo

Brittany & Luke – 5/16/09
 May 22, 2009
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Brittany & Luke exchanged vows in front of 600 guests at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church before celebrating under a massive tent on her family’s residence, with recording artist Jon McLaughlin providing the formal dance music.

Coverage began the night before at an amazing Carmel lodge nicknamed “The Barn,” where 80 guests were treated to a fantastic meal by Great Cooks and Company and a hilarious series of skits by the couple’s friends and family.

On the big day, videographer Laurie Buschmann captured all the stunning details of the ceremony and reception, coordinated by Premier Event‘s David Jackson and designed by Enflora‘s Toomie Farris. Following dinner service by Kahn’s Catering and the Jon McLaughlin-led formalities, the Nashville-based Pat Patrick Band brought a blast of old-school rock and soul, keeping the huge dance floor packed the rest of the night.

Special thanks to former clients Melody & Dylan Gandy as well as photographer Kevin Swan for referring Brittany & Luke to us! For more great shots, check out Kevin’s blog.

Photo by Swan: Photography for Luxury Weddings

Ashley & Chris – 5/2/09
 May 6, 2009
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Ashley & Chris exchanged vows at my church, St. Luke’s United Methodist, then celebrated their union at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It was a day filled with many surprises, some planned and some not – Chris appropriately calls it the “Blood, Sweat & Tears Wedding.” But by the time it was all over, this resilient couple enjoyed a fantastic day with many stories to tell.

Their first meeting took place on the beautiful grounds of the IMA, followed by photos with Angela Talley (who along with the IMA referred them to me). Then it was off to the Robertson Chapel in St. Luke’s, beautifully decorated by Eventful Florals, for a most eventful ceremony. By the time Ashley & Chris shared their first kiss as husband and wife, the rousing applause was well-earned.

As they returned to the IMA for more pictures, their guests lined up for their own snapshots courtesy of Indy Photo Booth. The reception was abuzz with stories of the day, splendid food by Kahn’s Catering and music provided by the Souled Out Band, highlighted by a surprise performance by the father of the bride. Capping a crazy day, even the IMA’s Vanessa Chavez got into the act, channeling McGyver to help give Ashley & Chris the final photo op in front of the fountain that they had long hoped for.

Whitney & Wes – 3/7/09
 April 26, 2009
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Whitney & Wes, which much help from Circle City Planners (thanks for the referral, Tonya!) and Royal Creations, pulled out all the stops for a spectacular wedding and reception in the Crowne Plaza at Union Station‘s Grand Hall.

After an emotional first meeting between the bride and groom, we all went outside for some shots with photographer Jessica Strickland while some amazing finishing floral touches were put in place. In addition to a ginormous ball of flowers hanging over the aisle, an even greater number of petals were meticulously arranged on the aisle runner, matching a pattern in their decor. Just before the recessional, I had this crazy idea of tossing some of these petals at the couple as they walked out, which I texted to Tonya, who then made it happen.

Whit’s reaction to the room after it was transformed for the reception was priceless. I had a similar reaction to the individual chocolate concoctions that were served up for dessert in lieu of the traditional wedding cake. DJ Brian Whitis, already in place from his ceremony music duties, presided over a fun-filled and unpredictable evening, the highlight of which was a classic cat-fight over Whitney’s tossed bouquet.

See the details of this wedding on Circle City Planners’ blog!
Enjoy some of the amazing images on Jessica Strickland’s blog!

Kelli & Patrick – 1/23/09
 April 13, 2009
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Four years after covering Heather & Kevin‘s beautiful wedding at St. Pius X Parish, I returned to capture another special day for the Curtis clan as Kevin’s sister Kelli exchanged vows with Patrick on a mild January day. Angela and Chris from The Painted Daisy and Bloomz combined their floral talents to create a spectacular aisle for Kelli to walk down. The highlight of the ceremony outside of the couple themselves was an enchanting vocal performance provided by Barbara Curtis, the proud mother of the bride.

The reception took place afterwards at the Grand Hall of the Crowne Plaza at Union Station. With the always reliable Flip Miller Band rocking the house and consultant Sue Guyton running the show, Kelli & Patrick were able to enjoy a stress-free evening of fun and fellowship. It was nice to see Indy Photo Booth there, whose owners’ wedding I will be shooting in June. And it was a kick to work with photographer Angela Talley, especially since we didn’t even realize until our last day in Mexico a week earlier that we would be working together this evening.

Jennifer & Kevin – 1/13/09
 March 20, 2009
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After assuming I’d have to wait another 15 years to get to shoot another destination wedding, along came Jennifer & Kevin, who enjoyed a beautiful beach wedding at the Royal Haciendas Resort in Playa Del Carmen near Cancun, Mexico. I particularly liked the sand ceremony, where after the couple combined sand into a small bottle, each of their guests added a small shell to the keepsake. They recessed to a punk version of “Ring of Fire,” which set the tone for a fun evening of fiesta, and a most spectacular moment provided by photographer Angela Talley‘s hubby Chris that will be talked about for years to come.

We were all looking forward just as much to the following day, when Angela and I took the couple and their entourage to a breathtaking stretch of the Riviera Maya for an amazing “Trash the Dress” shoot, which ended up with all of us waist deep in the beautiful turquoise water. Jen & Kevin topped it all off by frolicking with the dolphins at Puerto Aventuras.

Needless to say, I had an amazing time with the Talleys and their extended family who joined us for the adventure, and I cannot thank Angela enough for talking Jen & Kevin into letting this very lucky videographer tag along!

Photo by Angela Talley Studio

Mexico Trash the Dress – 1/14/09
 March 19, 2009
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Here’s an excerpt from Jennifer & Kevin’s wedding video – a Trash the Dress Shoot the day after their wedding with photographer Angela Talley at the stunning Riviera Maya in Mexico. Yes, that’s the bride literally trashing the dress near the end. They also wanted to swim with dolphins, so we worked that into our shoot as well. What an incredible day – I can’t believe I get paid to do this! Overall wedding highlights coming soon…

Setting the PACE
 March 15, 2009
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While I was in Mexico covering a wedding with photographer Angela Talley, Monica Richard of Detail + Design called us to ask if we could provide video and photos of Jennifer & Mike’s spectacular 11/1/08 wedding to submit for a PACE (Professional Achievement in Creative Events) award. The entries are judged by fellow ISES (International Special Event Society) members around the country. Little did I know that that phone call would result in IndyVisual winning our first-ever PACE Award!

The award was for Best Team Effort (Budget over $100,000), and was handed out recently at the 2009 PACE Award Ceremony & Celebration at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Our friends at Thomas Catering and Detail + Design asked if I could bring a camera to the event to capture some of their food and decor, and I was more than happy to oblige. Here’s the video – I even managed to squeeze in a few fun people shots!

Viva Las Vegas!
 February 22, 2009
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No, these aren’t the DJs – it’s Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE!

As a “thank you” for helping him produce his “Perfect Host” DVD series, my good friend Jim Cerone generously invited me to be his guest at the Mobile Beat Las Vegas 2009 convention last week, where he was slated to speak all three days and launch the DVD. Clearly, I couldn’t pass up a free trip to Vegas, which I had never visited before.

The seminars were interesting – Jim’s as well as the ones touching on topics relevant to my business. Otis Day (“Shout”), the Archies (“Sugar Sugar”) and Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby”) were there to entertain the very people who keep their hits ringing in my ears every weekend. And the food – Buca di Beppo, Maggiano’s, plus my first Brazilian steakhouse experience – wow!

It was amusing to witness firsthand what a “rock star” Jim was. Packed seminars, autographs – we couldn’t walk ten feet without another admirer stopping him to chat. He’s obviously inspired a lot of people around the country. I also got a kick out of meeting the best of the best in the DJ industry and hanging with Indy DJs like Jon Bruce, Jesse Carruthers and Wes Adkins.

Vegas itself was a lot to take in, but a couple of walks up and down the Strip with the guys gave me a good primer for future visits. Without a doubt, the highlight of my trip was seeing LOVE, Cirque du Soleil’s mind-blowing interpretation of a story set to remixed Beatles music. It was just the creative jolt I needed to dig into our Mexico wedding edit this week!

Jim Cerone: Superstar! (Photo by Alan Trisler)

Sara & Jeffrey – 12/27/08
 February 15, 2009
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Our record 50th and final wedding of 2008 also marked our 11th visit to the Omni Severin Hotel last year (thanks for all the referrals, ladies!), where Sara & Jeff tied the knot on a beautifully mild day following a particularly cold week. Following the intimate ceremony, we crammed into a car with Janie of Alanna Photography to take advantage of the 60-degree weather and capture some fun moments on Monument Circle.

The dark decor provided by Steve’s Flowers & Gifts contrasted nicely with the Severin Lobby to create a festive seasonal ambiance during dinner, and the band First Impression kept the guests jazzed up for the remainder of the evening. As an added bonus, I got to say an extra goodbye to Sara & Jeff the next morning while enjoying Sunday brunch at the Omni before the Colts game.