Warning: Grab a tissue box before clicking “play”.
The father-of-the-bride surprised everyone with a “slightly altered rendition” of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, including Dani and I.  His serenade beautifully summarized Nikki + Matt’s perfect wedding day.  This is a great video to share with those that don’t see the value in hiring an event filmmaker.  Imagine if this precious moment was documented with only still photography.

The Indiana Roof Ballroom has to be our favorite wedding reception venue in downtown Indianapolis. It’s hard to get a bad shot in there. Shannon and Chad had a wonderful wedding celebration and it was a blast being a part of it. This trailer features our usual full HD cinema footage as well as some classic silent movie footage shot with antique cameras.

prep: Conrad Indianapolis
ceremony: Tabernacle Presbyterian Church
reception: Indiana Roof Ballroom
floral: Circle City Design
dj: Platinum DJ Productions
photo: Dawn Fisher
cake: Heavenly Sweets

A letter on my door step. portraits are more than paper.

There will be no portrait photos in this post. This letter wasn’t mailed – it was at my doorstep when I got home a couple months ago. I read it, I cried, and read it again – probably a hundred times by now. It wasn’t easy to read – and honestly, as much as it validates what I do for a living – I wasn’t sure I was going to share it either – Until today, when a past client said that my print prices were too expensive. If you choose to read through the letter, you will know why I’ve finally chosen to share it.

July 2nd, 2011

Jeanine –

Today I am writing for a couple of reasons. I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind. I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.

You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby. I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family. After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you.. Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.

That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.

On Sunday I called and cancelled our session. Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip. This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things. My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor. It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly. I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice. It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.

I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat.

Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me. The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them. Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it. If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth. I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.

My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos. I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now.

Karen L.

How fun it was for us to travel to Washington D.C. for a delightful wedding at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. In addition to our HD equipment, we brought along one of our vintage super 8mm movie cameras and shot a roll or two of silent movie film.

ceremony + reception: Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC
photographer: Andrew Morrell
floral + design: Amaryllis, Inc.
cake: Maggie Austin Cake
steel drum: Lennard Jack
dj: DJ Hazzard
planning: Leslie Manning Events

Here are a few slides from their wedding film

We traveled up to Chicago to cover Charline & Steve’s wedding last August. This was a first for us, a Christian Indian wedding. We didn’t have the opportunity to meet them in person before their wedding, but we learned as much as we could about them and their story. One thing was evident throughout our communications and that was their faith and their genuine love for one another. We had the pleasure of working with Matt and Stevi Savage from averyhouse. A super-cool couple that produce some stunning photography. This is their short film which they added to their feature film collection. A feature film functions as a story-filled highlight of the entire day and it’s the perfect length to share online. I hope you enjoy Charline and Steve’s story.

prep: Hyatt Place, Schaumburg
ceremony: Trinity Lutheran Church, Roselle
reception: The Seville
photo: averyhouse
dj: DJ Roberto Monastero
floral: Fleur du Jour

So this is how a DJ gets married!
Dani and I had the privilege of documenting the wedding of Laura & Jeff (DJ Orion) on July 23rd, 2011.
DJ Orion (the groom; Radio NOW 100.9), DJ Lockstar, DJ Indiana Jones, and a few others had a go at the turntables throughout the night. With the help of Lori Solomon and the Boldly Chic Events team, Laura & Jeff had a fun, energetic wedding that rocked the Stutz Building in downtown Indianapolis. Earlier that day, they exchanged some personalized, heartfelt vows during their wedding ceremony at Robert’s Park Methodist Church. It was a thrill for us to be a part of this wedding. Laura & Jeff (and their crazy friends) sure know how to have fun!

ceremony venue: Robert’s Park Methodist Church
reception venue: Stutz Building
planning: Boldly Chic Events
dj: DJ Lockstar, DJ Indiana Jones & of course, DJ Orion
floral: Julies Flowers of Geist
cake: Simply Perfections

Leslie + Lee are great friends of our and Dani and I were so lucky to be able to capture their wedding day on film. Their feature film is in the works and will be released on DVD very soon. This is a short teaser to hold them over. Congratulations to you two!

It’s been a few years since we shot a wedding in the Central Library in downtown Indianapolis. It’s definitely one of our favorite Indy venues and it was the prefect setting for two teacher to tie the knot. Sarah & Andy met while teaching at the same school, but I’ll let them tell you more throughout this teaser trailer.

Images below are just a couple of the amazing images that were captured by Rogue Art Photography. View more of their work here.

Kem + Char were married on July 2nd, 2011 in South Bend, Indiana. Here’s a little glimpse of their big day.