Kristen & Rob – 7/7/07
 July 10, 2007
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Photo by Jessica Strickland

Kristen & Rob had the foresight to recognize what a popular date 7/7/07 would be and booked us 18 months in advance, disappointing the countless brides who contacted us since then about that date. A few months later, Kristen also hired me to shoot her brother Jim’s wedding in their home town of South Bend, during which time I quickly realized what a fun and colorful family I would be working for this weekend.
The weekend they planned was as big as the date itself, starting with an informal rehearsal and dinner at the Indianapolis Zoo‘s newly renovated Oceans building. Kristen surprised Rob with a pinata for his birthday before everyone went inside to enjoy a tasty fajita bar. The dinner tables were arranged around the new shark-petting pool, which was a big hit. (Even though my friends from Stacy & Mary Photography caught me trying to pet the wrong shark.)

Once the “lucky” day arrived, another talented friend, photographer Jessica Strickland, joined me to cover Kristen’s preparations in her suite at the Conrad Hotel. After a nice private moment on the staircase downstairs with the groom (see top photo), we got to spend a lot of time with the couple for photos in the lobby, the Artsgarden, a photo booth, and outside the Indiana Roof Ballroom, where the ceremony and reception took place. The ceremony was officiated by former Lt. Governor Joe Kernan, and the music-loving couple cleverly had their friends choose song lyrics for their readings.

Photo by Jessica Strickland

The reception was every bit as colorful as the couple’s personalities, with lots of unique little touches everywhere, like chocolate favors from the South Bend Chocolate Company and Lucky Seven lottery tickets (Kristen won $2 that night – and a husband!) on a wide palette of brightly colored tables. Consultant Tonya Shadoan of Circle City Planners (who referred the couple to me) and her staff did a great job of transforming Kristen’s many ideas into a single, colorful presentation, as well as keeping this very laid-back group on track. Cynthia Layne and her tight band capped the evening with some great jazz and R&B classics.
Check out more great images from the weekend on Jessica Strickland’s blog, and coming soon (once Stacy gets the film back) on Stacy & Mary’s blog!
Kristen & Rob on TV
 July 9, 2007
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Our 7/7/07 couple Kristen & Rob had a fun wedding that I will post about shortly. In the mean time, click on the image below to see a “Lucky 7” story featuring them that aired on WTHR over the weekend:

Krista & Phillip – 6/30/07
 July 4, 2007
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Photo by Essenza Studio
We started production for Krista & Phil much earlier than they were expecting, as both sets of parents had arranged for us to create surprise video slideshows for the couple’s rehearsal dinner. The home movie footage that Krista’s dad provided added an extra sentimental touch that made it hard for anyone (including yours truly) to hold back tears. The couple enjoyed beautiful weather Saturday and a fantastic wedding ceremony as they exchanged vows at St. John Catholic Church downtown. Videographer and recent Emmy-nominated producer Laurie Buschmann hopped on a shuttle with the bridal party to cover their photo time near Meridian Hills Country Club with the talented crew of Ohio’s award-winning Essenza Studio. They all returned downtown for a five-star reception at the Conrad Hotel, Laurie’s third time shooting there this year, and Sound Spectrum provided the music that perfectly suited this ready-to-party couple.
Megan & Justin – 6/30/07
 July 2, 2007
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Photo by Dawn Fisher of Galleria Studios Photography
Megan and Justin cracked me up in our meeting about a month ago while finalizing details for their wedding, talking about all the so-bad-they’re-good cheesy 80’s songs they were considering for their first dance and video. I knew then that they would be a fun couple to work with. Their ceremony at Carmel United Methodist Church was filled with music of the amazing variety, performed by various members of Justin’s talented family. One highlight for me was a simple comment Justin’s dad made to me just before the ceremony. One of the grandmothers is in her 90’s and was unable to travel to the wedding, nor had she been able to see the other family members perform in their recent music careers, so this video would be priceless to her. Comments like that are exactly why I love what I do!

The reception at the Columbia Club downtown was a lively affair perfectly orchestrated by catering manager A.J. Ploughe. There were delicious cakes on each table with different flavors, encouraging guests to visit other tables to compare cakes and mingle. The Flip Miller Band (who along with photographer Dawn Fisher of Galleria Studios referred the couple to me – thanks, guys!) provided their signature great music, keeping the dance floor so packed that I could barely navigate the crowd. The nice thing about having worked with Flip for so long is that when the couple was naming potential first dance songs a month earlier, I was able to recommend one that I recognized from the band’s lesser-used repertoire, and so it was a kick to learn they had ultimately chosen it. The groom saved the best for last, performing “Walking in Memphis” with the band as his friends from his days with the Carmel H.S. Ambassadors backed him up. The couple’s sendoff amid sparklers was a perfect and holiday-appropriate way to cap off the evening.

Congrats to our EMMY nominee!
 June 27, 2007
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Photo courtesy of ideavenue.net
Those of you close to the business have come to know what a huge role our resident over-achiever Laurie Buschmann has played in the success of IndyVisual ever since she entered the fold in 2000. She has shot, edited, produced, assisted and generally done everything in her power to help keep us rolling along. And all this as a SECOND job while working full-time with the types of production companies that most people in our field (including yours truly) could only dream of having on our resumes, currently as a producer for ideavenue.
She has lent her talent to every major television network and every big-name corporation in the state and beyond, establishing a sterling reputation for her professionalism and attention to detail. But most impressively to me, she has endured and overcome the most difficult of challenges along the way with complete grace and dignity, never losing sight of the qualities that made her an invaluable collaborator and one of my very best friends.
So it is with no small measure of excitement that I can announce here that Laurie has achieved what so few in our industry can claim – the status of REGIONAL EMMY-NOMINEE for her role as the producer of a program called “Steel Horse” during her recent tenure at WISH-TV. She has truly earned every bit of that title the hard way, and I am so incredibly lucky and proud to have had her as part of the IndyVisual team for the past seven years – and hopefully many more to come!
Happy 14th Anniversary!
 June 26, 2007
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It’s hard to believe, but Chris and I have now been married for 14 years! I told her last night that she must have broken two mirrors before we got married to be stuck with me this long. She has been such a saint, putting up with my crazy hours and wrangling three nutty boys while I’ve been off doing such fun “work.” She has been my very best friend for nearly 21 years now (maybe she broke THREE mirrors), and I wouldn’t be where I am without the unconditional love and support she has given me all those years. I love you, Chris!

Ann Marie & Michael – 6/23/07
 June 24, 2007
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Although I was still aching from the previous day’s wedding, I was very excited to get started on Ann Marie & Michael’s big day for many reasons. First, this would be my first wedding and reception at the Crowne Plaza Union Station shot in HD, so it was stimulating to capture the gorgeous architecture of the historic Grand Hall from a whole new (widescreen) perspective. Second, it meant that I would be working with my good friend and photographer extraordinaire Angela Talley, who had referred the couple to me. But mostly, there was the super-nice couple themselves, who booked us a looong time ago and have been very excited this whole time about having me there, which has only made me feel more the same in return.

We all started the day by hopping onto a shuttle for some photos on Monument Circle with Angela and her ace assistant Whitney. Then we went to the RCA Dome, and for good measure, Lucas Oil Field for some more shots. I was impressed by the groom’s pop-culture savvy when he asked me to capture the guys doing a “Resevoir Dogs” walk. (Angela’s “Rese-what?” reaction cracked me up. Definitely a guy movie!) The ceremony itself looked gorgeous in the north end of the Grand Hall with the huge, round stained-glass window overhead and the awesome floral arrangements by Sara Thompson of McNamara Florist dotting the aisle.

A long cocktail hour combined with a spread-out dinner schedule with formalities mixed in throughout gave me plenty of time to catch my breath and get ready for the next great moment, of which Ann Marie and Michael provided many. Larry Sauer and his band etc., enhanced by a killer brass section, played some popular standards throughout dinner, but the exciting part was seeing everyone’s reaction once they kicked in with the REALLY great stuff afterwards. And I don’t know what it is about us when we get together, but Angela, Whitney and I spent so much time in a constant state of hysterics, cracking up for no apparent reason all night, that it’s really amazing we got any work done. But indeed we did, and I can’t wait to share it with this wonderful couple.

Amanda & Michael – 6/22/07
 June 24, 2007
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Photo by Dawn Fisher of Galleria Studios Photography

Amanda & Michael enjoyed a gorgeous wedding and reception on Friday at the Indiana History Center downtown. From the moment I first met Amanda at a bridal show, and on through a couple more meetings, I couldn’t help but notice that she seemed like one of the most genuinely happy people that I had ever met. So I had been looking forward to capturing that electric smile on the happiest day of her life ever since, and through all the photos and formalities of the day, neither she nor her equally radiant groom disappointed.

The ceremony took place in Eli Lilly Hall, a beautiful space that was transformed even more by Alan Thompson of McNamara Florist and the IHC staff under the detailed eye of consultant Tonya Shadoan of Circle City Planners. We scurried off to the canal for some fun photos afterwards with Dawn Fisher of Galleria Studios. (When the guys wanted to do an “Abbey Road” shot walking across the street, who was the Beatles nut who insisted that one of them go barefoot a la McCartney on that album cover? Yep, yours truly!)

In an interesting twist, the couple chose to be introduced and cut their cake in the Stardust Terrace during the cocktail hour before sending all their guests through a receiving line back into the Eli Lilly Hall for the rest of the dinner and reception. By the time the formalities were out of the way, there was only an hour remaining for open dancing before the couple’s scheduled departure by horse carriage, so DJ Sunny Moon took his usual all-killer-no-filler approach to another level and kept the dance floor packed with some great singalong classics before the couple departed through a blizzard of finger-flinger streamers.