Casimir {and} Andrea from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a wedding we filmed in Indianapolis, Indiana at the beautiful St. John’s Catholic Church in downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Central Library. Casimir and Andrea dated briefly in High School and went their separate ways. As fate would have it, they reconnected while attending Purdue University and now they are Husband and Wife. We are always intrigued by our couples relationship, how they met, and little twists of fate, their family, etc. There is always a story to tell. They had a beautiful wedding all the way around. We enjoyed once again working with our good friends Brock and Stefanie Childs of SB Childs Photography.

Vendors

Hair and Makeup: WIP Downtown
Photographers: Brock and Stefanie Childs, SB Childs Photography
Wedding Coordinator: Nora Kuzel, Central Library
DJ: Jason Fritz, Pro-Sound Entertainment, Inc
Florist: JP Parker Flowers
Cake Artist: Willow Branch Bakery

Stefanie {and} Bryan from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This wedding will go down as one of the upper tier most beautiful weddings we had in 2010. A credit to Stefanie’s vision and Kim King Smith Events. We always seem to luck out and get great couples with equally great families. The wedding was at St. John’s downtown, which is one of our favorite old churches to shoot at. The old churches really have a lot of character and there is a certain romance about them. We shot quite a bit of 16mm film and Super 8 film for this wedding. There is some black and white film that was shot and this is true black and white film stock. Film always adds to the romantic feel of the wedding. Film has natural grain in it and imperfections that give the wedding film some texture.

The reception was at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, which is also one of our top places to shoot. The reception was over the top beautiful. How about that cake from Heavenly Sweets…it tastes as good as it looks.

Thank you Stefanie and Bryan for choosing Northernlight Filmworks to film your wedding!

**Photo credit: Video place holder image is courtesy The Studio Photography.

Church St. Johns
Venue Indiana Roof Ballroom
Event Planner Kim King Smith Events
Cake Heavenly Sweets
Flowers McNamara
Photography The Studio
Band Zanna-Doo

This video is quite funny and the delivery is very good. It is, however, not something that would probably go over very well for a toast that you may give. But this video does give you some clues on the structure of a toast. There is a beginning a middle and an end and the length is perfect.

The toasts are one of the areas where we look to obtain sound bites and can often involve some time shifting to set the stage for the wedding day. We try to suggest to our clients that they ask their friends or family to prepare ahead of time for their toast that they will deliver at the reception. Sometimes we hear “Oh my brother or my Dad is not the sentimental type”. It doesn’t have to be mushy stuff but certainly they have some memories that mean something to them or certain events that they love to recall. There are always touchpoints in peoples lives that they can pull from to include in their toasts and these are very important. We had a Best Man recently tell a funny story of a baseball game they played when they were younger. He said in that speech that it’s those simple funny memories that they will always remember. Have fun with the toast but also be respectful and authentic. Below are 10 tips to think about as you prepare for the honor of being asked to give a toast.

1. PREPARE SOME NOTES: Just start writing some thoughts down on paper or your computer. If it’s your friend, think about how you met, funny stories, why you remained friends, what you admire about the person, personality qualities, etc. The Father of the Bride can certainly pull from many memories. Did you ever remember thinking of this day when she was a child? What do you admire about her? What do you admire about the Groom? If the Groom asked your permission to marry your daughter, recall that day. What went through your mind at the time?

2. DELIVER THE SPEECH IN A MANNER YOU ARE COMFORTABLE: Don’t try and deliver a speech that you feel you can’t pull off, because you won’t and it will show. Be yourself.

3. IT’S NORMAL TO BE NERVOUS: Don’t let this be a barrier for you. It really is ok to be nervous and most people are. If you are nervous it’s ok to let people know this. Just letting people know you are nervous is actually a calming effect for yourself. Once you get started, you will be fine. The more prepared you are the less nervous you will be.

4. DON’T CONSUME TOO MUCH ALCOHOL BEFORE THE TOAST: The video above is funny but if you are too drunk to give a speech, it’s going to embarrass the couple and later you.

5. BE RESPECTFUL OF THE COUPLE AND GUESTS: It’s ok to have fun but remember this is one of the most important days of this couple’s lives and a lot of money has been spent. If you think something you are planning to say or do, run it by someone for another opinion.

6. KEEP THE TOAST OR SPEECH AT A REASONABLE LENGTH: You don’t want the toast to drag on. It should be delivered at a pace so that people don’t get bored but not too short that it seems unsincere. Anything over 5 min is going to probably cause people to drift.

7. HAVE THE DJ OR BAND ANNOUNCE THE TOASTS: There is nothing worse than someone trying to give a heartfelt toast and the guests are talking and moving about. Have the master of ceremonies give a 5 minute and then a 2 minute warning.

8. SPEECH SHOULD HAVE A BEGINNING MIDDLE AND END: Watch a movie trailer and see how they get a message across in such a short amount of time. Some of your favorite movies that kept your interest had a distinct beginning, middle and end. Construct your toast that way. This will help you with pacing and delivery as well.

9. STAY IN THE LIGHT: Receptions are notorious for being dark environments but if there is available light, stay in the light so that the couple and guests can see you. This is also going to benefit the photographer and videographer in documenting this important part of the day. Face the couple when you are referring to them and it’s ok to turn to the audience when telling a story about the Bride or Groom. Try not to pace back and forth.

10. PRACTICE YOUR TOAST: You spent all this time thinking about what you are going to say and you captured some notes, you need to practice it so you are comfortable with it. Practice at least a couple of times. Do this with someone or by yourself.

Relax and have fun with it.

Scott {and} Stephanie from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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What a classy family! We had the pleasure of filming this wedding in Indianapolis, Indiana. Such a great family on both sides. We felt so incredibly welcome. The Bride, Stephanie, had this perpetual smile all day long. She has one of those infectious smiles. One of our favorite times of the day is the morning when the Bride is getting ready. We don’t film that entire time but bits and pieces. It is during that time we see the relationships and the personalities of the Bride’s family and friends revealed to some extent. Scott was in such a great mood all day long and they both really just soaked it all in. Below is the e-mail we received from Stephanie.

“The movie along with the ceremony and reception were awesome!! We couldn’t be happier! The filming and production…everything amazing! Thank you so much! We also loved the special touches on the DVD cases. ~ Stephanie”

Photographer Jennifer Driscoll
Venue Central Library
Band Cocktail Sax Band
Florist Coby Palmer Designs
Cake Heavinly Sweets

**Photo credit Jennifer Driscoll for video place holder image. It rocks!

I spent 3 days last week in the West Indies on the island of St. Lucia for a shoot. This was a very last minute shoot and was on the plane within 24 hrs of accepting the job. It was rush getting a few things packed and my gear organized and strategically packed. I traveled alone on this trip but I don’t mind this. I do enjoy traveling with my wife and family but there is something about traveling alone that causes you to focus a bit more. I find that I meet more people this way and I love talking to people to get their story.

My connecting flight out of Atlanta I sat in the middle seat. On my right was a man named John and to my left a woman named Karen. John and I talked quite a bit. He is a biology professor at Saint Mary’s College and he was on his way to St. Lucia for a job interview at a university on the island. John is originally from Trinidad and his wife and 2 children are still there. I learned more about his areas of expertise. He is currently working on research involving antibiotics to try and resolve why they sometimes cause hearing loss. Instead of lab rats, they use Zebra fish to run tests. One of the most widely researched fish in the world with an immense amount of data about this special fish. John was an interesting person. Karen was on her way to St. Lucia to go on a barefoot cruise. She was an emergency room nurse and actually was a consultant for the TV show 24.

As I sat quietly, John asked me where I was staying. I told him I had no idea. He gave me a puzzled look. I said “really, I don’t know, they never told me”. He asked if I was going to be on the north or south end of the island. I just shook my head, shrugged my shoulders and told him that I really didn’t know but I would meet up with my contact at the airport. I was ok with this but John in his accent said, “no way would i ever do that, it would make me too nervous”. I told John that I just look at these trips as adventures and just go with the flow.

The island was just breathtaking to see and I stayed in a beautiful villa. The water is turquoise blue as is typical for the caribbean. I always find locations like this very peaceful. There were pocket of St. Lucia that reminded me of things I saw in Haiti. I always come away from places like this realizing how blessed we are in America. The hospitality incredible and I felt very welcome. There is so much to do in St. Lucia but really didn’t have the time to do them. I did get a hike in to a fort from the late 1700′s. I tried some local cuisine and loved everything i tried. I even tried coconut juice from a street vendor who used his machete to cut the coconut open. It was kind of a bland taste.

I met some very fun people. Asha, Tyrone, Bridgette and Agnes. They are all from St. Lucia with the exception of Tyrone, who I discovered grew up in Gary, IN. I really enjoyed the short amount of time I spent working with them.

This is an incredible place for a destination wedding. There are so many places to choose for a destination wedding here.

My first full day of shooting, I was up before the sun at 4:30am. I did not crawl into bed until 1:30am the next day. My last day in St. Lucia, I went to a local beach for a morning swim with Bridgette and Agnes. The caribbean water was the perfect temperature at 8:00am. We talked about the history of the island. I remember floating on my back looking up at the sky. The water covered my ears so I couldn’t hear. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

I look forward to returning some day but would like to take Jen with me on the next trip.

John

Jenny {and} Dave from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a wedding we filmed at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) for Jenny and David. We had an opportunity to learn more about them before the wedding in filming a couples interview. This is a great way to document how they met, the proposal and how the relationship developed. This interview was woven into the fabric of the wedding film. We spent the morning with Jenny’s family as she prepared for the day and they made us feel so welcome. We always enjoy this time because it gives us an opportunity to get some candid moments and to see some of the personalities come out. The wedding was so beautiful being on the grounds of the IMA. We loved the sonnet that David wrote for Jenny, it gave the ceremony a personal touch. Jenny’s Maid of Honor is a concert pianist and she played a couple of pieces during the reception and she was phenomenal. It was amazing being that close to her and watching her hands and fingers take over that piano. We worked again with Photographer Andrew Scalini and Event Planner, Casey Scott.

Here is a very nice note received from Jenny and Dave.

“Hi Jennifer and John,

Many Thanks!
Jenny and Dave

Toby {and} Ashley from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This was a beautiful intimate wedding we filmed at the Conrad, downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. We met Ashley and Toby and they are such a great couple. Toby is so energetic and we loved that about him. Ashley looked so beautiful on her wedding day. Love the bird cage veil and her dress was amazing. That morning we stopped by Red’s Classic Barbershop to get some shots of Toby and his brother getting a classic shave. This was one of the coolest barbershops we have been in. It was great working with photographer Angela Talley.

Sam {and} Sarah from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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Note: Video place holder image by Bobbi and Mike

This film just made us smile as we weaved the story. Great imagery and sincere heartfelt toasts. Sarah and Sam just seemed like they were having the time of their lives. All of their friends and family danced the night away, the dance floor was full most of the time. Since the reception was held at Crowne Plaza, which is part of the old Union Station, Sarah and Sam used that setting, in part, as a theme for the reception. The invitations were in vintage font and looked like the old train tickets. Guests found out where they were seated by looking up at the train arrival / departure board…very cool. You will see this in this film. We also loved the vintage typewriters that were place out for people to type personalized notes to the bride and groom on textured paper. The wedding was at one of our favorite churches, St. John’s Catholic Church in Indianapolis, IN. The reception was at another favorite of ours, the Crowne Plaza downtown Indianapolis, IN. This was a fun day to experience with Sarah and Sam.

This film contains splashes of Super 8 film, which we used to capture some little moments to give a more romantic nostaligic feel to it.

You know we said this was a fun day, it may have something to do with the photographers Bobbi and Mike. Never a dull moment, which really makes for a fun shoot with them. We enjoyed working with Wedding Planner, Deborah Bowman with A Touch of Elegance. Very well organized and planned wedding.

Cake: by Heavenly Sweets (Yum!)

A little note from Sarah about what her parent’s thought of the video.

‘Thank you so much John. My parents both LOVE it by the way As my mom put it, “This isn’t just a regular wedding video — it’s one you’ll actually watch years down the road.” ‘

Shawn {and} Sarah from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This film represents a lot of why we are passionate about what we do. Shawn and Sarah have been together, dating back years. Each wedding we film, we understand that the framework of a wedding day is mostly the same. But within that framework, we look for nuances and personalities and stories that help shape the identity of the couple, the family and their friends. What we see and hear on the wedding day is only a very small fraction of the couple’s lives but although it’s a snippet of time, it is one of the most important times of their lives.

As we documented some of Sarah getting ready, we talked very casually about their relationship and learned about a letter that Shawn had wrote many years ago, long before the thought of marriage. I asked Sarah to get the letter and had her read a little of what that letter said. She had decided she was going to read this letter that Shawn wrote during her speech at the reception. Loved the heartfelt speech Sarah’s Dad gave. We really enjoyed spending this time with Shawn and Sarah and the wedding was beautiful.

We enjoyed working with Janie with Alanna Photography

Bridget {and} Eric – Notre Dame Same Day Edit from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

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This is a Same Day Edit (SDE), which we produced for Bridget and Eric. The couple wanted all their guests to experience the day with them and this was shown at the reception right before open dancing. We filmed the wedding at one of our favorite places, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. When you walk into this church, it presents jaw dropping beauty and a certain reverence about it. We enjoyed spending the day with the couple and their friends and family. Another great wedding with heartfelt speeches will make this an heirloom for the couple.

So what exactly is a Same Day Edit? Throughout the day, our team is very focused on filming as they always are. But in the case of a Same Day Edit, conscience and focused decisions are made on identifying clips that will be used for the edit. It’s about finding moments to use to help move the story forward of how the day unfolded. Footage is aquired and we are constantly working on ingesting the footage into our system and editing throughout the day on our laptop. Pulling one of these off requires special attention to logistics and making sure that we have the right people in the right places when needed. We are still editing even during the early stages of the reception. Once we have the sequence down, we adjust audio, color grade and export the movie. We arrange audio with the DJ or band and it’s showtime. The most enjoyable thing about a Same Day Edit is seeing and watching the reaction of the couple and their guests. Producing a Same Day Edit is very stressful and does a number on your physical and mental energy. But when you observe the couple and their guests laughing, crying and sometimes cheering, it is well worth the time and effort. If you are interested in having us produce this for your wedding, let us know and we can talk it over.

We enjoyed working once again with our good friends Kevin and Alicia Monahan of Kevin Monahan Photography. The reception was held at Morris Park Country Club and we enjoyed working again with Anne Landis, who did an amazing job designing this wedding. A special thanks to Shawn Saros of ProShow for getting us some awesome audio for the SDE. Shawn kept the crowd energized.

Comments are welcome.