One weekend after videotaping another wedding and reception at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, I returned to cover Tiffany and Brian’s big day, also coordinated by Circle City Planners (Tonya this time), who have thankfully helped me fill many of my fall dates. Photographer Andrew Scalini and I captured the bride’s preparations as she got ready for her first meeting with Brian, preceded by a thoughtful delivery of flowers and a card from the groom. After their tender first meeting and some photo time, the ceremony in the auditorium was underway, with the groom’s father presiding over the wedding.

The ballroom was beautifully adorned by McNamara Florist, and the reception commenced with the usual splendid cocktail and dinner service by Thomas Caterers. After an upbeat first dance over a monogram spotlight, an evening of timeless rock and roll kicked off courtesy of the endlessly energetic Endless Summer Band. The evening was highlighted by the hilarious presentation of a hot dog statue – yes, a hot dog statue – to the couple by the groom’s buddies, thus continuing a tradition of pooling their funds to buy unforgettable gifts for each other’s weddings.

Lyndsey & David – 11/8/08

All of the weddings I videotape are special and poignant in their own unique way, but Lyndsey & David’s wedding day has certainly got to be one of the most tear-jerking ones I’ve ever covered. After a brief rehearsal at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, we gathered at Milano Inn for some fun festivities that included many surprises, including not one but two groom’s cakes representing his two loves, his dog and a certain pro football team from Boston.

The wedding day started with hair & makeup at Lyndsey’s family home, where the bride squeezed in some quick dance lessons (Soulja Boy & Cupid Shuffle). Then the preparations continued at the Scottish Rite, where everyone just about lost it when Lyndsey’s tearful dad Craig first saw her in her wedding gown. The tears would continue all the way down the aisle of the auditorium when he had to take a moment to compose himself enough to give her away. Ann Conrad and Ken Knowles from my church provided some amazing music, and it was sweet to see David’s grandfather standing up with him as his honorary best man.

The auditorium and ballroom were splendidly decorated by Darcie of Circle City Planners (who thankfully referred the couple to us) and Royal Creations, with plenty of touches commemorating loved ones who had passed on. Also particularly moving was the presence of several of Lyndsey’s patients from the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital where she works, including one lucky girl who received a Build-A-Bear Bride. There was plenty of laughter as well, including a bouquet toss that would have made her hospital’s namesake proud, nearly hitting the huge chandelier and completely overshooting the single gals after telling them to move closer.

Thomas Catering provided their usual great dinner service, Brian Jones of Indy Sounds kept the energy level high, and Lyndsey’s photographer aunt Lynn Lee captured all the memories with an insider’s familiarity of this loving and wonderful family.

The event date for this post is November 1, and it was certainly an amazing day, but it’s October 31 that everyone involved in Jennifer & Mike’s big weekend still talks about. That would be Halloween, Jennifer’s favorite holiday, when the couple held a spooktacular rehearsal dinner at Crown Hill Cemetery‘s Gothic Chapel. All the guests and vendors were advised to dress accordingly, and I think I improvised pretty well on a $5 budget and last-minute shopping trip (see below). The couple arrived in a hearse, and the ghoul times commenced from there, with a scary good meal served up by Great Cooks and Company.

The wedding day brought me back to the amazing new Central Library for the second straight weekend. The library theme was ingeniously integrated into every aspect of the wedding, from the “Save the Date” cards resembling due date cards to the card catalog style “guest book” and on through the cake and programs, with actual books for favors. Tradition played a big role as well, with Jennifer wearing the same dress during the ceremony that her mother and grandmother had worn at their weddings. Her wedding ring and cake server have also gone back multiple generations.

Jennifer’s vision was brought to life by consultant Monica Richard (who kindly refered the couple to us) and designer Gene Huddleson, both of Detail + Design, as well as the Library’s own Flik Catering service and Evans Audio Visual. The huge Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra filled the equally huge space with timeless big band classics that had everyone dancing. And my friend Angela Talley was there with me to photograph every last detail of this unforgettable chapter, right up to Jennifer & Mike’s departure through a sea of “Flutter Fetti” streamers.

Photos by Angela Talley

Three years after I videotaped their first daughter Amy’s wedding day, the Draper family kindly brought me back to cover Mandy & DJ’s nuptials at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. The reception took place afterwards at the Marriott North, where this ready-to-party crowd (the Super Bowl Shuffle even made an appearance!) rocked out to music by the great Chicago band Maggie Speaks. It was a pleasure to work again with the reunited vendor team of consultant Leslie Jones, photographer Larry Seidman, and McNamara Florist‘s Alan Thompson. Most of all, it was a joy to be part of another special occasion in the lives of such a warm and loving family.