Play Ball...

I just finished a wedding album from a great wedding. All couples want their wedding to be unique and special. Many have to work rather hard in achieve this goal while others get some additional assistance. For Brooke and Andy that assistance came in the form of a video created about their day. 

Unlike a typical videographer that might be hired to capture a wedding, the Post Dispatch decided to tell this story for all to see. As part of their Day in the Life series, highlighting baseball fans, the Post Dispatch chose Brooke and Andy as great story. Obviously you've got to be serious Cardinal fans in order to incorporate a baseball video into your wedding day and Brooke and Andy are!   

Working with the Post videographer was a unique experience. Due to her journalistic beliefs she was unable to orchestrate anything, shooting only what happened naturally or that I created. I therefore became something of a director in addition to doing creating my own images. It was new territory for me but helped me create a lot of wonderful images both for the album and for the video.

It was joy to work with Brooke and Andy and everyone else involved. Here are some of the pages from Brooke and Andy's wedding album.  

 

See the video: 

 http://interact.stltoday.com/mds/sports-cardinals/html/2561 

Sounds fun! Where do I sign up?

"What would you say if we told you the wedding is going to in Chicago on Friday night. Then on Saturday morning, everyone will load up on tour busses and come to St. Louis for a reception here on Saturday night. It's A Tale of Two Cities wedding?" 

"Sounds fun! Where do I sign up." was my response upon hearing the question. 

What followed my answer was more surprising than the original question.  "Really? You'd be willing to do that. All of the other photographers have told us no." 

Not only was I willing to do it, I was excited about the opportunity! Apparently other photographers aren't flexible enough to accommodate such a request. And am I glad they aren't! A Tale of Two Cities will certainly remain one of my most memorable weddings. 

The wedding was performed at the Shrine of Pompeii in Chicago, a beautiful historic church.  Emily looked like she'd been dropped in straight from a classic Hollywood film! Ron pulled off his part pretty well too. How could I not produce great images given these conditions?

Being a professional singer, Ron's father provided entertainment for a small, informal reception friday evening in Chicago.

As promised a fun-filled bus ride from Chicago provided a great opportunity to capture tons of candids. It also afforded me time to get to know the Culella and Estrada families better. The reception at Windows on Washington was incredible with great entertainment by Tony Viviano and an unforgettable cake based upon their theme. 

What a unique wedding and a incredible opportunity for a photographer! 

It's just fine with me if the other photographers want to stay home in the future as well. Just let me know where you need me. I'll be happy to go and create great images just like these!

A thank you many wonderful familes

 

Much of my business comes from refrerrals. That's why I try so hard to make my brides happy. Happy brides will send their friends and their sisters and their sister's friends...

I recently worked with a terrific couple named Marj and Josh Naldona. I shot their wedding last April and had a great time doing it. In November, I shot a wedding for Marj's brother, Andy.

The referral trail doesn't stop there. I can attribute no fewer than five weddings to the relationship I've built with this family. There are many other stories just like this.

So thank you to the Stecko family along with far too many others to mention. Great photographers start with great couples.

THE KNOT

A little more than ten years ago a little website appeared on the wedding scene. It was designed specifically for brides to exchange ideas about wedding plans and vendors. I have to admit that I gave it no chance of survival at the time. Of course, I thought the same about a restaurant that sold nothing but coffee. The moral of this story: I’m a good photographer but a terrible market analyst. The Knot.com has grown into the premier wedding planning site and is an incredible resource for couples doing their planning.

Jon and Zoya, a couple whose engagement photos I recently shot, are using the site so that family and friends can find detailed information about the wedding day, venues, members of the wedding party and lodging options on the site. There are also pictures and a guestbook.

I highly recommend The Knot to anyone planning a wedding.