I just returned from a wonderful one-week stay in Thailand to visit my mother, who lives in the popular northern city of Chiang Mai. Highlights included many gatherings with various members of my huge extended family, all the Thai food I could handle, and lots of hours relaxing in the neighborhood pool. It was just the break I needed following a crazy winter to recharge my batteries for an unusally busy spring. I’m already looking forward to my next visit, when I finally get to bring the kids!
After 14 years of having typically one or two weddings to cover in our “down” season of January through March, yesterday I began an unprecedented winter stretch of six events in six weekends. It’s a strange feeling. This is the time when I am accustomed to twiddling my thumbs for 2-3 months, working on other projects, reorganizing the studio, and trying out new looks for the website as well as our videos. Instead, having completed our last edit from the previous season just a couple of weeks ago, this seems like a continuation of the 2007 season without much of a break or the feeling of starting anew. But considering how great last year was, staying on that roll is perfectly fine with me, as I am very blessed to be able to do what I do for a living – and to pay the bills in winter!
Helping out the cause were Amber & Nic, a very fun-loving couple who were referred to us by their friends Candace & Damon (who could not book us for their wedding last year but thought enough of us to kindly refer us). The ceremony took place at Central Presbyterian Church in Terre Haute, with amazing floral design overseen by consultant and best-selling author Teddy Lenderman. Amber had lost her voice prior to the weekend but managed to get through her vows and the rest of the day anyway. The reception setup at the Country Club of Terre Haute was equally fab, and DJ Matt Luecking of Showtime Music kept the small dance floor so packed that photographer David Stapp and I could barely get around, which is a good thing. The chicken dance rarely makes it into the highlight video, but this one surely will!
I was excited to be invited by my friends Tiffany Stoner and Nate Rowe of Nathaniel Edmunds Photography to join them on a “Trash the Dress” shoot late last fall. This wasn’t an official paid gig for any of us, but rather a chance to do something a little different creatively and have some fun. The beautiful dress was generously provided by Tracy Heine of La Bella Bride of Zionsville, and was worn (and eventually worn out) by model Sara Bauer.
We started with preparations at Tiffany’s house, stopped at a nearby “silo” for some fun shots, then made our way to downtown Zionsville for some cool stuff involving an awesome car, Tracy’s store, and two nutty sibling photographers on a bike. After that, all I remember is a blur of woods, cows, creeks, cherry pie, and lots of giggles, and I still have no clue where any of that was. But we all had a blast, and I’m glad I finally found some time to put this commemorative video together.
Here are a few of the many great images Tiff & Nate uploaded to the Nathaniel Edmunds Photography blog:
We rung in 2008 with Jamie & Dan’s fun 1/5/08 ceremony at St. John Catholic Church and reception at Crowne Plaza Union Station. Here are the highlights:
UPDATE: Just got this wonderful feedback from Jamie: “I don’t have the words to tell you how lucky I feel to have found you! From the highlights alone, you’ve captured our wedding day in a truly special way. I know it will be something we enjoy watching with family, friends, and each other for years to come. I am so excited to see the rest of the video! Thank you again for everything! I look forward to seeing you again in April at (her sister) Chanda’s wedding.” And this from the mother of the bride: “You have me crying! It is just wonderful!” Thanks for the kind words, and see you both in April!
Here are the highlights from our last wedding of 2007, featuring Suzanne & Andy’s beautiful ceremony at St. John Catholic Church and reception at the Omni Severin Hotel:
UPDATE: Suzanne just e-mailed me with this nice comment: “I got to watch the video last night! It is absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks you so much for everything!” The pleasure was all mine, Suzanne – thanks for all the exclamation points!
Here are the highlights from Terri & Nick’s fun and very unique 11/17/07 wedding & reception at the Woodstock Club:
Here are the highlights from Julia & John’s 10/27/07 wedding on a perfect fall day at Meridian Street United Methodist Church, followed by a fun reception at the Woodstock Club:
Engagement photo by Altamira Photography StudiosIt didn’t take long for us to cover our first event of 2008. Jamie & Dan were referred to me by Dan’s brother and sister-in-law Chris & Stephanie, whose wedding I videotaped a couple of years ago. Our coverage started with a rehearsal at St. John Catholic Church, followed by a fabulous dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse. Dan and his brothers have a tradition of roasting each other in a game show format at their respective rehearsal dinners, and the “Jeopardy” routine that they used on this particular evening was hilarious beyond description.
The big day started with preparations at Crowne Plaza Union Station, where the reception would be held later that evening. The wedding ceremony at St. John’s was beautiful as always, accentuated by the holiday decor and detailed nativity scene by the altar. We hopped on a trolley afterwards and went to Monument Circle for some photo time with Ramon and Cindy Garcia of Altamira Photography in the unseasonably mild weather. Then we returned to Union Station for some fun photos by the train cars. (Which have been converted into very romantic hotel rooms, by the way!)
The Grand Hall was beautifully decorated by the staff of Kathy’s Kloset, who ironically had a booth right next to ours at a bridal show this weekend. All of the guests enjoyed a lively cocktail hour, more humorous toasting, and some great music provided by DJ Brian Jones of Indy Sounds. This was an exciting way to kick off what is shaping up to be another spectacular year, and I am looking forward to working with Jamie’s family again when her sister Chanda ties the knot in April.
Here are the highlights from Amie & Justin’s emotional 10/20/07 wedding and reception at the Columbia Club, preceded by a rehearsal dinner with a great view at the Skyline Club:
IndyVisual enjoyed an amazing, record-setting 2007 in which we got to cover so many beautiful events in our favorite venues while working with so many of our wonderful friends and fellow professionals. Nothing exemplified this better than a four-day stretch that started with a gorgeous beach wedding on the breathtaking Caribbean island of St. Kitts and ended with a wedding that included the majority of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts offense. We also successfully ushered high-definition wedding videography on BluRay discs into the market, hopefully raising awareness among our clients and peers about the amazing possibilities in capturing the beauty and details of such a special day.
The year 2008, our 15th year in the business, promises to be even bigger and better, with bookings already up a mind-blowing 67% over last year’s record pace. Our plan on handling this success is very simple, and it is (to borrow a phrase from Tony Dungy) to continue doing what we do. That means producing beautiful work, providing unparalleled service, staying on technology’s cutting edge, and pushing to find ways to do all the the above even better. We hope you all have had an enjoyable holiday season, we wholeheartedly thank you for your support, and we look forward to helping you make 2008 the best year yet!