There’s a history here that you don’t get with many weddings. From the film, you can see that they have been through some pretty hard times together, and they’ve pulled through to become the wonderful couple they are today. Because of their experiences, they have wisdom beyond their years.

Kathryn runs the award winning event planning company Dream A Little Dream Events (one of our personal favs). So of course, expectations were high. And I can say that the event was perfect. RJ, Nick and I agreed that it was one of the most intimate ceremonies that we’ve been to. So much emotion and humor. Loved the venue… table settings were rad… and the band, Wonderbread 5, kicked ass.

Thanks to Adrianna, Brittany, Kate Harrison Photography, and all the other wonderful folks who made Kathryn and Joe’s wedding everything she hoped it would be. We’re really proud to have been a part of such a beautiful experience.

This was another really fun one for us (they’re all fun). When we got there, Vitalie, RJ and I took a stroll down Michigan Ave and bought a bunch of warm clothing from H&M. Even though there wasn’t snow yet, it definitely felt like a real winter wedding. The first night was Jordan and Jay’s rehearsal dinner in a truly epic location. It was inside of the clock tower in the Whirlpool Room, right above the Chicago River. I’m pretty sure after the rehearsal dinner the wedding party went out for a crazy night on the town. Nothin’ like a wedding to get everybody siked up.

The following day both Jordan and Jay were getting ready at The Drake. We were all staying there, but not nearly as luxoriously as Jordan in the “Princess Diana Suite.” Ya, that was quite a hotel room. Easily big enough for a few cartwheels, as you can see from the video. Both the ceremony and reception took place in the same grand ballroom at The Drake. Breathtaking. One of those rooms you don’t see very often. And because this was at the Drake, you knew it had a lot of history.

Jordan and Jay were a dream to work with. And so were all of their vendors. Especially Cara and Scott from Carasco Photography. Check out their wonderful wedding photos here. It’s always fun to shoot with great photographers, and I’m really excited to have met them. The live band was also amazing. Like, REALLY good. The lead singer did an acoustic rendition of “Wonderwall” by Oasis that had the whole room singing along.

To Jordan and Jay, it was an absolute pleasure. We met so many great people while we were there, and wish we could have stayed longer to hang out with all of you! We’re SO happy for you. Thank you for inspiring us with your easy going attitude and your deep love for one another. Congratulations!

The main theme that kept coming up during their wedding was this idea of, “What does love look like?” “How do we envision it for ourselves and for others we know?” I thought this was a perfect frame for their wedding film. Alex and Jane have known each other for years, and started off as friends. But as the years went on, their pictures of what love looks like started to fill in for them. Much like the final image of the film.

One way we tried to give this a different visual look than our other films was to film reflections more than usual. There are a lot of shots in here where the footage is filmed using a mirror, or reflections off the shiny floor. We also gave the footage at the end of the film a different color treatment than we normally do. If you look closely, you’ll see a lot of gold and green at the end. The different hues give it such an epic feel.

San Francisco City Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in. It’s loaded with intricate details on the walls and small nooks for shooting. We’re siked at how the venue came out. The tea ceremony was was also a ton of fun… LOVED Jane’s enthusiasm during it. It was definitely a good opportunity to capture so many family members smiling.

A huge shout out to Brittani from Dream A Little Dream Events. She and her team knocked this one out of the park. I remember thinking how on top of everything they were, and how they helped us with getting everything we needed.

My Favorite Moment: I looove their first look. When Jane can barely hold it together before seeing Alex; what a real moment that is! And of course her reaction to seeing him when he turns around is priceless. Also, I love the dancing sequence at the end! I can’t wait to give them their DVD’s with the amazing amazing amazing song performed by Jane’s bridesmaid. Maybe we’ll post that on Facebook for you guys to check out!

Hope you enjoyed the film!

I’ve always loved the symbolism of circles in weddings.  The most clear example is the wedding ring which symbolizes a love that knows no end.  In this wedding, there seemed to be a circular structure to a lot of the ceremony.  First, the Greek Orthodox Church is a huge domed cylynder.  When I first walked into that hall, I was stunned.  No Joke.  I looked upwards to the ceiling and couldn’t contemplate how long it must have taken to create that much detail in the artwork.  My breath was taken away.

In their ceremony, Dan and Danielle also take their first married steps in a circle.  The symbolism is religious and represents them in perfect orbit around the center of life.

So, in developing a storytelling form for their wedding film, I wanted to really bring about the theme of everything coming full circle.  In the editing, we used some footage from the earlier films we made for them.  The wedding is a culmination of six years of love, and to show that time period, I used the footage from the past.  I think it really gets the feeling across.  Shaun and I also ended the film with a sequence that goes back through the day, as if the circle is continuing.  It was a new approach, and I think it’s a great way to end the film.

I want to extend a huge thank you to Dan and Danielle for trusting us as a new company.  When I first met with Danielle, I think I only had one wedding video completed for Sandbox Love, and it was a Save the Date.  Now here we are, having come so far, and everything really is coming full circle.  I’m a little sad about the completion of working with Dan and Danielle, but I am overjoyed with all of the films we have made for them, and even more happy about seeing their relationship as husband and wife take off.  Congratulations you guys.

Jared and Christy were a phenomenal couple to work with.  First, they’re incredibly photogenic, and know how to work with the camera to get model caliber shots.  They’re naturals at posing, love to smile, and interact in such a romantic way.  Second, they’re masters at friendly banter.  Hanging out with them is like hanging out with two comedians trying to duke it out with straight faces.  It’s hilarious.

Jared himself is an accomplished filmmaker; the co-founder of RedTail Media.  Not only that, but I’ve been impressed by his photography for a number of years.  To have him put his trust in me to tell the story of his wedding is a personal highlight of mine.  And with the freedom he gave us, we decided to do some things that had never been done before.  In a wedding video anyway.

In the last montage, we have a lot of awesome things going on.  We had an idea to shoot still pictures at rapid fire over the course of the day, with lots of movement in them.  Then when I was editing, I did a little time remapping to speed them up and slow them down at key parts.  We also did that with a modified Canon 5D where the regular sensor was replaced with a UV sensor.  So all of those weird looking bluish pictures are actually photos using nothing but the Ultra-violet color spectrum.  Say wha!?

There are a lot of other nifty camera trinkets we used.  But the real question is “WHY?”  Well, with Jared being an image connoisseur like us, I felt it would be the best way to capture the excitement of his wedding.  It felt like a whirlwind of energy on that dance floor, and that’s how it feels now.  We’re siked at how it all came together!

A few shout outs.  This was the first time I got to work alongside photographer Jeffrey Neal, whose work I have also admired for years.  I actually edited his demo about a year ago, starring none other than… Jared and Christy!  I also want to thank Peter Merry who was a fantastic MC and DJ for the reception.  Randy Tooker from Lake Forest Limousine who was not only a great guy, but extremely enthusiastic about me mounting a camera inside the limo.  I also want to thank photographer Josh Elliot for shooting with Jeffrey (and for the style tips.)  Jared and Christy brought together an awesome team for their wedding, and they really trusted their vendors to run with what they’re good at… which really shows just how chill they are.

Thanks Jared and Christy!  You rocked it.

I have so many favorite parts of their film, but one part that I absolutely love is the credits.  While I was filming their wedding, I realized the deeper significance of the location.  The wedding took place in the backyard of Morgan’s dad’s house.  Charlie has already said that it’s his favorite place in the world.  But more than that, this location is where Charlie proposed to Morgan, where we filmed their Save the Date video, and now… where they were married.  But then, even MORE than that, it’s where their children will run around and where they will continue to build memory upon memory.

Ending the video with a short montage of clips all at that location was truly based off Charlie’s closing words to his vows.  ”We’ve already experienced so much together, and I can’t wait to experience so much more.”  I love that. It’s a great outro that spans different seasons, and sets the tone for a beautiful future.

Working with Morgan and Charlie over the last year (almost) has been awesome.  We’ve been hanging out, grabbing dinner, filming, and really focusing on what their experience has been like.  We are SO excited for them and their families.  They have been a dream to work with and we’re so proud to have been a part of their wedding experience.

Make sure to tell us what you think!