Suzanne & Andrew – 11/24/08
 November 28, 2007
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I kicked off our holiday season – and wrapped up our 2007 wedding season – in style with Suzanne & Andy’s lovely ceremony at St. John Catholic Church and reception at the Omni Severin Hotel. My day started on a positive note at the Omni, where my wonderful friends from Stacy & Mary Photography greeted me in the lobby before we headed up to the bridal suite to capture Suzanne’s preparations. The couple enjoyed a quick first meeting in the ballroom before it was time to head down the block to St. John’s.

The ceremony was beautiful as always, even more so thanks to the staff of BoKay Florist, who squeezed in more decorations in a limited time than I’m used to seeing there. To keep the bridal party out of the cold afterwards, we took a trolley up to Stacy & Mary’s studio for their signature fun shots. Not surprisingly, the whole gang had a field day posing with the props left behind from all the Halloween photo sessions, especially a mounted deer.

The Omni looked gorgeous all decked out in holiday style plus the wedding design, and Carrie Sprague spoiled the vendors once again with a wonderful dinner. Once the party got going, Jeremy Gearries of DJs Direct (who along with Carrie referred the couple to me) did his usual magic on the dance floor while Stacy & Mary got more fun shots at their “photo booth.” (Check out the one of yours truly below.) In addition to the usual cornucopia of desserts and drinks, the couple surprised everyone late in the evening with a self-serve hot dog station, complete with chili & cheese – yum!

Photo by Stacy & Mary Photography

Terri & Nicholas – 11/17/07
 November 18, 2007
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It was apparent at their rehearsal dinner at McCormick & Schmick’s downtown that Terri & Nick are a charismatic couple with a rich variety (I heard English, French and Italian spoken – sometimes at the same table) of loyal friends and family who think the world of them. Their ceremony took place at the beautiful Woodstock Club in the cocktail room in front of the fireplace. The mostly standing room only crowd added to the fun, free-wheeling atmosphere with drinks in their hands, applause when Nick and Terri each entered, and heckling and laughter throughout. After some gorgeous sunset shots with the newly married couple, I headed inside to capture a long and spirited cocktail hour as well as an extravagantly designed ballroom courtesy of Tim Kelley of Palmer Kelley Design.

One thing I can honestly say I’ve never seen in over 500 weddings is stand-up comedy as part of the dinner entertainment. My favorite quip was when comedienne Mel Fine complimented the hair, makeup, etc., then added, “And Terri looks great, too!” As the jazz combo kept the guests entertained, I went around with a microphone at Nick’s request and was impressed with how many people were happy to wish the couple well on video. Cigars and canolis were a great way to cap off this Italian-flavored evening. It was a joy throughout the day to finally work with Randy & Joanna of Randall’s Photography after our studios’ 35 combined years in the business. Much thanks to our mutual friends at B&C Digital Media for putting us together by referring Terri & Nick to me!

Julia & John – 10/27/07
 October 30, 2007
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A couple of years after videotaping her sister Elizabeth’s wedding at the same location, I had the privilege of being there to capture Julia tying the knot with John at Meridian Street United Methodist Church. It was a treat to work again with consultant Gloria Boyden of Events by Design (who had originally referred Elizabeth to me), and to be joined this time around by super-fun photographer Jessica Strickland and her hubby/assistant Mark. Julia was the rare bride who always seemed to be having more fun than everyone else in the room, and her enthusiasm was contagious.
The reception was held once again at the beautiful Woodstock Club, where we enjoyed some great photo ops under the huge, peak-color maple tree out front. The decor inside provided by McNamara Florist was fabulous, just as it was earlier at the church. As it often goes in this business, after working with the band etc. maybe once every other year for several years, this evening marked our fourth event together this summer. As always, they rocked the house all night. Even when the guests were being lured en masse to the bar area for drinks or large group photos, they kept coming back to dance, often led by the bride and groom themselves.
Megan & James – 10/21/07
 October 26, 2007
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After seeing Chris and the boys off at the airport Sunday for our fall break vacation in Orlando, I drove downtown to cover Megan & James’ wedding and reception at the Omni Severin Hotel. I was already exhausted from the previous day’s shoot, but the familiar smiling faces of the Omni’s Amanda Coffey (thanks for the referral!), photographers Kevin & Alicia Monahan and DJ Sunny Moon (on hand early to provide ceremony music) were all I needed to hit the ground running. James has a video production background himself, so that was also motivation enough to make sure my “A” game didn’t hop on that plane with the wife and kids.
The ceremony went perfectly as expected, and Sunny used his expertise to keep the guests up and dancing throughout the Sunday night reception. As he bid the couple farewell accompanied by the “Mickey Mouse” theme at the end of the evening, Sunny quipped that I would be joining them on the plane the next morning for their honeymoon coverage. He was half right – I took the same airline to Orlando the next morning two hours before they did, but it was to join the rest of my family for a much-needed vacation. I didn’t spot Megan & James at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where they were honeymooning, but I’m sure they had a great time without me!
Susannah & Eric – 10/20/07
 October 23, 2007
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Laurie has been getting some pretty ritzy affairs to cover for us lately, and Susannah & Eric’s wedding and reception at the Eiteljorg Museum was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Consultant Rayna Traylor, who kindly referred the couple to us, created a very unique configuration for the event, even for this versatile venue. The Clowes Sculpture Court, a big round “ballroom” normally used for dining and dancing, was completely filled with dinner tables, expertly serviced as always by Kahn’s Katering. Meanwhile, the Eagle Commons area, normally a wider “hallway” used for cocktails, provided the setting for both the traditional Jewish ceremony and the dancing later in the evening. When I stopped by to say “hi” to Laurie, Rayna and photographer Hether Miles, I was stopped in my tracks at the entrance to the commons by the huge cake under the beautifully lit chuppah that I assume stood over the couple at the other end of the space only hours earlier. Based on what little I saw in my few minutes there, this should be a fun edit!

Amie & Justin – 10/20/07
 October 22, 2007
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Consultant Mark Mattingly of Formalities referred Amie & Justin to me about a year ago, and I had been looking forward to this event ever since. This fun couple started dating when they were sixteen, so this day was a long time coming. After a brief rehearsal Friday at the Columbia Club, we walked over to the Skyline Club for a marvelous buffet and a stunning view of the city.

Saturday’s coverage started with hair and makeup at Salon 2000 overlooking Monument Circle, then back to the Columbia Club for preparations. We had plenty of time, so I used this time to get some fun shots of the ladies getting ready, to break in a third new HD camera, and to capture the amazing transformation of the club’s lobby level by the talented ladies of BoKay Florist. Photographers Jim & Lois Wyant, with whom I had also worked two weekends earlier, joined the party in time to stage a tender first meeting of the couple and then some fun shots on the Circle.

For all the extravagance, the ceremony itself was a short and sweet ten-minute affair, after which Amie & Justin hopped on a horse carriage ride while the guests moved to the 10th floor for cocktails. The reception featured the usual great hospitality by A.J. Ploughe’s staff (the apple martini bar with the monogrammed ice sculpture was my favorite touch) and sublime dance music provided by the band Sequel.