Typically I like to meet the couples we work with well in advance to get to know them better and this helps us to wedding films that are more unique to the couple. Holly & Jonathan came from out of town to their wedding and although Holly and I exchanged many emails and talked on the phone once or twice we didn’t get a chance to meet until the rehearsal the night before.
Normally when we shoot an engagement film I sit the couple down one at a time for a love story interview that is tied into the engagement film. Since we didn’t meet ahead of time I though this would be a great way to get to know the couple and so we sat on the deck just before their rehearsal and they shared their story and you’ll see a bit of that in this film. They also let me practice my photography skills a bit and I was able to take a bunch of photos during their rehearsal.
Well it turned out that Holly & Jon were a lot of fun to work with and Kate and I had an incredible time shooting their wedding. It felt like I could have been friends with these guys for years... they were really easy to work and a lot of fun. The location was absolutely breathtaking and as you can see it was a perfect day for a wedding. Jon was just about to be deployed to Iraq and as you can see was dressed in uniform for the day. This film (as well as the rest of their video) will be posted on their own wedding film webpage so he’ll be able to see it when he gets a chance to get online.
The wedding was held at the Shattuck Golf Club in Jaffrey, New Hampshire on May 24th. Photography was by Kate Preftakes Photography. I had the opportunity to see many of their photos and Kate and her assistant did an amazing job! You couldn’t really ask for anything more with beautiful Mt. Monadnock as a backdrop, stunning views all around and a gorgeous ballroom with cathedral ceilings. It definitely had the look and feel of a New England wedding and it was certainly a pleasure to shoot there.
We started coverage at the E.F. Lane Hotel in downtown Keene where the couple was staying. This wedding film trailer captures a lot of the details throughout the earlier parts of the day and some of the moments as they were both getting ready for their big day. I don’t want to give away too much though so there will be plenty more to come when their DVD (and Blu-ray disc) is completed.
I think this piece demonstrates our approach and our style, utilizing tools such as a Steadicam arm and vest rig and 35mm lenses to give the films a more cinematic look and feel and in turn helping us add better story telling elements and more emotion to the film. This is much different then your average wedding video where most of the footage is shots from a camera (or maybe two) on a tripod. We are not your average videographers. We filmed the ceremony with four HD angles and you’ll see a bit more of that in their highlights film.
Feel free to let me know what you think & enjoy!
-Jeff
