An Oz Inspired Shoot Featured on Green Wedding Shoes
Fancy! A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to team up with a handful of uber-talented ladies on a styled wedding shoot inspired by the upcoming film, Oz: The Great and Powerful. It was incredibly fun to see our inspiration boards come to life on the day of the shoot, which was held at the seriously hip, Wythe Hotel (exposed brick, beautiful reclaimed wood tables, epic views of Manhattan, do I even need to go on?!). Today is a very awesome day, because the photos + videos were featured on Green Wedding Shoes, a bride's go-to blog for ideas and inspiration. Below is the behind-the-scenes video I filmed for the gathering! Enjoy. :)
The pictures from the day blew me away. It was the first time I've collaborated with Chellise Michael (and her talented assistant, Daniel Orren) who were serious photogs. I would definitely recommend them to any bride looking for experienced wedding photographers. Take a peek at some of my favorite moments they captured from the day...
Who were the talented wedding vendors behind this awesome inspired shoot?! Here's the list...
Planning + Styling - Tamra Sanford of Everswoon
Hair Accessories + Styling - Thea Bloch-Neal of hushedCOMMOTION
Stationery + Paper Goods - Patricia Kim of Fourteen-Forty
Photographer - Chellise Michael of Chellise Michael Photography
Florist - Gabrielle Aronas of G! Designs
Make-up - Ellen Bodkins of Face The Day NY
Hair - Eve of Eve in Life
Jewelry - Marisa Perry
Bar Cart: Roxy Owens of Society Social
Dresses - Shone Design
Styled Shoot: A Retro Wedding
Oooh la la! The styled shoot I worked on a few months ago is (finally!) featured on Ruffled Blog today! Working on the 50's inspired shoot was SO much fun and a great way to collaborate with other creative wedding vendors in NYC. Below is the video I made of the shoot. Enjoy! (note: all photos on this blog post are from Jessica Schmitt Photography)
Ooh look! It's me working away... (above).
Who made this fabulous shoot happen? Well above are most of the ladies from the shoot (a few had to sneak out before we took this photo at the end of the day). The vendors are:
Venue: The Colonie http://colonienyc.com //
Coordinator & Stylist: Ever Swoon, Tamra Sanford www.everswoon.com
Photography: Jessica Schmitt Photography www.jessicaschmittphotography.com
Flowers & Styling: G! Designs, Gabrielle Aronas http://gabriellearonas.com/
Paper Goods: Shindig, Jill Ryder www.shindiginvites.com
Desserts and Styling: Alison Dulaney http://heartofgoldandluxury.blogspot.com
Videographer: Love+Brain, Courtney Arcese lovebrainfilms.com
Model: Alessandra Perez-Rubio
Hair & Makeup: Face the Day NY, Ellen Bodkins & team www.facethedayny.com
Dress: Dolly Couture http://dollycouture.com
Bride's Accessories: IDoJour.com
Pink Cocktail Glassware: Loli Ware http://loliware.com/
east side bride
I'm not much of a writer, as I spend most of my time on location behind the camera, but recently I had the opportunity to showcase a sponsored post on the infamous, East Side Bride, self-described Evil Club Of Mean Hipster Brides (eeks, right?!). Even though I got a few feisty comments on my use of the word "indie" (who knew that word was so controversial!?) I received some awesome wedding inquires from the post! Here is the original post on esb, but if you don't feel like clicking through, here it is again:
Why Should I Bother With A Wedding Video?? An Incredibly Earnest Case For The Videographer
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth? As you struggle to cough up the funds for a “must have” wedding photographer, it’s hard to imagine shelling out even more cash for a wedding videographer.
Hi, my name is Courtney Arcese, and I'm 1/2 of Love + Brain Films, an indie wedding videography team based in Brooklyn, New York. I’ve been there. And I get it. As a former bride-to-be, I understand how stressful it can be to wrestle with a wedding budget. The following are, I hope, a few good reasons to consider saying, “hell yes!” to videography on your big day.
Style
Indie and intimate? Glamorous and cinematic? Whatever you and your groom’s wedding style is, there is a videographer or videography team perfect for your special day. There may be a lot more wedding photographers than there are videographers out there, but the diversity within videography is impressive. Check out an awesome wedding blog, 100 Layer Cake (full disclosure:I’m a vendor on their site!), which is an incredible resource to see film styles from Super 8 to HD movie productions.
Technology
Photographers capture singular moments, but videographers are able to capture the memories within the movement. Using wireless mics and videocameras with interchangeable lenses, we can document your wedding day and create beautiful films that are on par (or..... almost on par) with blockbuster movies. Videography allows you to watch and re-watch yourself and your partner recite your vows, hear and re-hear the words from your maid-of-honor’s speech, and scrutinize your first dance (moves that you practiced for six months after you bought ballroom dance lessons on Groupon).
The Future (and for your unborn children, of course)
Have you seen your grandparent’s wedding video? Your parent’s wedding video? I’m going to guess no, since wedding videography wasn’t widely available when our parents + grandparents were our age. But how amazing would it be now, to have video of them tying the knot? Consider it a digital heirloom. Do your kids and grandkids a favor; let’s hope they thank you when you’re old.
...But Why Is It So Much #$%*-ing Money?
A videographer’s equipment ain’t cheap. Top of the line DSLR cameras (what most videographers use for weddings) cost $3,000+ ... and they probably have two (or three) just for back-up on your big day. Lenses, the good ones, are anywhere from $800-$2,000 each! Videographers, depending how long they’ve been in the biz, have a handful of different lenses that allow them to capture moments and provide different effects for the final video. Videographers also have a wide range of accessories that help create fluid moving footage. Monopods, tripods and steadicams are all tools that we use to make our work look professional (not like your teenage cousin used her flip cam to record the entire day). Those accessories, along with editing software like Final Cut Pro, all add up to be a huge investment that videographers take on, because we want to provide a professional service to couples.
Alternatively, the wedding video sector is still continuing to evolve and grow, and there are always options like hiring a newbie, or negotiating a deal with a videographer that allows them to capture a unique wedding or gives them option to travel (hello! destination weddings, anyone?!). I can’t speak for all videographers here, but I almost always have a little room to negotiate for the right couple or situation. Things like off-season weddings or non-Saturday weddings are also all great ways to find a deal!
Conclusion
Whether or not you’re on a budget, videography can be a big financial commitment (though not necessarily as big as you think). But hey, it’s your wedding day and it’s hopefully only going to happen once. You’ve spent a whole lotta time preparing for this one day, so rally the troops, cut a few non-important people off your guest list and invest in capturing your day through video. Your wedding day will fly by, but you can continue to enjoy and remember how amazing it was!
p.s. If you couldn't be bothered to read the above, you can watch this cheesy stop-motion movie I made as an alternative.
A Family Story: The Wiedemanns
It's time to share another family photo + video session! This shoot happened to correspond with my 27th birthday (yikes!), and I couldn't have found a better way to start off the beautiful day! The Wiedemanns are very special. They represent all the important things you think of when the word 'family' comes to mind. They're loving, caring, happy and truly genuine people (they even sang "Happy Birthday" to me by the end of the day!). We started the session in their cool Park Slope pad then made the trek down to the DUMBO waterfront, and finished off the photo shoot with dessert from One Girl Cookies. Below is the video, as well as a few photos from the day. Enjoy!
A Family Film in Prospect Park
I am incredibly excited about this blog post! This past weekend I had the opportunity to work with a quintessential Brooklyn family for a photo + video session. Josh and Jenny have two über cool kids, Tess and Asher, who are super sweet and such characters! Even two hours into the shoot, when both kids were getting tuckered out, they pepped right up after a little snack! Such troopers! Take a look and see for yourself at what an awesome family they are...
Video above features music from Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are
Sneak Peek Wedding Shoot!
Ooh la la! Here is a teensy, tiny sneak peek of what I had the opportunity to take part in earlier this week. Can't wait to share the video capturing this fun day... Stay Tuned!
A Wedding Story: Jesse + Charlie
Okay music junkies, are you ready for this?! Jesse, the beautiful bride from this Long Island wedding, use to tour with Phish as a dancer! How cool is that?! This dynamic, music-loving couple tied the knot at the Maritime Museum in Bohemia, Long Island in August. It was a beautiful day with absolutely perfect weather! Guests enjoyed gluten-free wedding cake and danced along to Charlie's dad jamming out on the guitar with the band. Take a look at their wedding video below...
A Brooklyn Wedding: Mel + Danny
This totally rad couple rang in their wedding day on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn, NY. Mel & Danny are without a doubt, meant for each other! This couple, who also play in an indie wedding band, made sure their day was full of little details showcasing their musical style and tastes. It was so much fun to watch every guest (even grandma + grandpa!) dance the night away on the dance floor.
