KRISTEN AND DAVID'S GOLD COAST WEDDING

I think Kristen’s mom said it best in the speeches when she said that “Kristen and David like each other.” I hope I do justice to this sentiment in words but there is something particularly endearing when you see how much a couple genuinely likes being around each other. Love is always present at a wedding day but there is so much charm in the “liking” of one another. The “like” is where you witness the silly moments in between formalities, the inside jokes and the foundation of the love responsible for the day. There was no shortage of love but an abundance of “like” at this wedding too. 

Getting married in the midst of a pandemic also speaks volumes about their commitment to each other. With the world not in anyone's favor they still wanted to celebrate their love with a special day and make the bond official. There is a poeticism to getting married in the world we are in and not only do I wish the best to Kristen and David but I commend them on their dedication, their positivity and their kindness. 

TECHNICAL MUMBO JUMBO

This was the first wedding season where I committed to using multiple BMPCC6K cameras and I couldn’t be more pleased. I love the color space, the tones, the feel that the camera provides with weddings. Timing almost couldn’t be better to commit to these cameras since they certainly aren't champions of the low light like Sony cameras. But nightlife really isn’t a staple of wedding during COVID so the footage during the day is what absolutely counts the most and again I couldn’t be more pleased.

I also started using the F6 by Zoom to record audio and the 32bit quality is somewhat of a lifesaver to work with. There ceremony in this wedding video is a great example. The priest while undeniably charming and beautifully introspective in his message delivered it in a way that I could only describe as a projected whisper. That projection mixed with a very echoey room did not make for good raw audio. Had I not had the range in the quality I’m pretty certain I couldn’t have mastered it to the level that I did. Again, lifesaver.

Team Involved

Planner: Amy Champagne Events

Photo: Melani Lust

Makeup: Simply Gorgeous by Erin

Gear Links

Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K

Zoom F6

Sennheiser G4

MoviPro

Cheers - Will

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

CALVIN HILL SCHOOL

Production

Having the interview look beautiful was absolutely the most important factor for this project. I wanted it to look bright, inviting, warm and caring. I wanted the teachers to literally glow on the screen as a reflection of their attitude towards the children (and the same with the parents in reference to the school). I also wanted it to look very natural and not overproduced. Again, this was intentional because that doesn’t reflect the philosophy of the school. When working with a narrated story it’s important that the Imagery is consistent with the sentiments delivered. This was a loving, positive message filled with gratitude, respect and care - having a moody lighting situation might look cool but wouldn’t do any favors with telling the story.

The Aputure LS lights with the incredible Rode NTG3 for sound.

I used three Aputure lights for the interview. A 300D MKII with a soft box, a 300D into a V Flat for a soft light from the bounce and a 120D with a China lantern for a soft glow of a rim light. I had to flag it a touch since it made the shelves a little hot but overall it worked out beautifully and was my favorite element of the interview.

Also I knew the rest of the shoot I was at the mercy of the sun for lighting situations and I couldn’t properly light the classrooms since COVID restrictions kept me from having any assistants or second shooters to help with any production/ time management. So I had to rely on the imagery of the interview to keep the video looking calculated and feel like there was a real production involved.

For sound I used the incredible Rode NTG3 shotgun microphone recorded into a Zoom F6. I’ve recently switched to these from my Sennheiser mics because I prefer the frequencies they record. Personally I feel like they give me more midranges sounds without adding them in post. I also like the way they record female voices and since the interviewees were almost entirely women it was the perfect mic for the job.

The camera setup was two BMPCC6K, Sigma Lenses and a MoviPro for the outdoor and classroom shots.

Due to the crazy world we live in right now, the massive COVID restrictions (which I support, I’d rather be safe folks) and the fact that I was working around some high risk people every precaution had to be taken. I had to be tested immediately before the job and I could be the only person on location for all of the production. So that means, no sound person, no producer, director, gaffer etc. Just me. With these parameters put on this job pre production was essential. I didn’t necessarily script the interview but I did supply a subject matter for each person that spoke. Everyone had a clear objective for speaking when they sat in front of the camera and this was the only thing that kept this job from being a four day shoot. While on the subject of pre production…

I also can’t stress the importance of documenting your project while it is happening. It doesn’t have to be pretty but some note taking for significant moments on set, in between takes or at the end of the day helps an infinite amount in the final edit.

Like I said it’s not pretty but by the end of day one I had my whole video mapped out along with a shot list based on the words spoken.

I also kept track of time so in 5 hours I was able to get every shot I needed without relying on chance and wasting hard drive space for unnecessary moments.

Finally some words of gratitude.

My daughter is my world, anyone who knows me knows nothing comes even close to mattering as much as her. I am so proud of her character, her conduct, her empathy, her manners, her discipline and while her mother and I will gladly take some credit I would be remised in saying Calvin Hill didn’t have a large part in developing who she is. They shaped so much of my favorite person in the world so I am forever grateful and incredibly honored to give something back to Calvin Hill.

Cheers - Will

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

LINDSEY AND BLAKE SMITH FARM GARDENS WEDDING

What a way to break the ice and get back into the swing of working weddings again! One of the many silver linings amongst this pandemic is the last minute couples that hired me to be at their wedding. Lindsey and Blake were one of those, they lost their video team due to massive rescheduling issues and I was available… and I couldn’t be more grateful. A dream team of vendors and old friends like the crew at Amy Champagne Events, great weather and a stunning venue made for an incredible day to document. I want to thank Lindsey and Blake for trusting me with their wedding video on such little notice and giving me the privilege of being there for such a special event. Cheers you two!

So I approached editing this wedding with a little bit of a different technique. Not only did I map out the whole process but I made a color palette that I felt fit the day and kept it on my desk when color grading

Mastery of instructions for myself with specifics like “romantic shot.” Look - I knew what I meant

Cheers - Will

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

FOLLAIN SKINCARE BOSTON

This was a video produced by 309 Productions in Boston that I was hired exclusively as the DP. It was essential to stay on brand with Follain while in production. I went to Follain’s social media for inspiration with the content. I’m happy to say it ended up being very much in line with the content they produce. Soft, even lighting to create very airy, relaxed environments. 

Technique/ Cinematography

Shot in 4k60 on the BMPCC6K with the always incredible Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 lens. I usually opt for parabolic lights by Aputure but for this shoot I used Astra LitePanels which were perfect for the airy, even look we were going for. A Ronin M was used for most of the day to add some dynamic movement and worked especially well for the running shot. Fun story about that running scene - it was under 20° in Boston that day, with icy streets, snow on the ground and I had to run backwards downhill. Terrifying, but worth it for a successful shot.

For more information visit Follain.com

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

Namaste NYC - Commercial video for Namaste NYC Wellness Brand

Namaste NYC is a wellness brand based in New York City.

We wanted a video that highlighted all of their services and the unique capacities they provide them in.

Technique/ Cinematography:

It’s great to have a style but cinematography many times is about adaptability. It was essential that this video was visually “on brand” with Namaste straight out of the camera. This wasn’t the time for moody lighting scenarios, each situation needed to feel bright and airy without being overexposed. The beautiful mid century home I shot in was an ideal situation aesthetically but like many homes from that era, I was fighting the contrast of light all day. Either it was just overhead lighting in a dark room or giant open windows with the morning sun blaring in. Every scene was lit with two Aputure 120Ds and an Aputure 300D. A Sony A7SII with a Canon 50mm 1.2 lens on a Ronin M was used for the moving shots along and an FS7 for the interview section.

It was also important to break production up into two sections. Ones with movement and ones stable as a reflection of the brand. So much of what Namaste NYC does is about slowing down, breathing, stillness so I wanted to camera to reflect those feelings.

For more information visit www.namasteny.com

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

PURE GREY - Promotional Video for Pure Grey restaurant consultants in NYC

A visual narrative and fashion forward approach to a commercial for Pure Grey restaurant consultants in New York City. “Day in the life videos” are always fun and provide great insight into a company. We didn’t need a big story for this one we just followed the experts around for a day and documented their approach to menu development and cooking.

Technique/ Cinematography:

Shot in 4k60 on the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera which is truly my favorite camera to use. The place needed light badly, so at all times we had two Aputure 120Ds and an Aputure 300D on set. We weren’t trying to stylize with the light but we wanted an abundance of light to make the environment feel clean and open like a Michelin star kitchen. When working with food it’s so important to keep colors honest, it’s not the place for artistic liberties with color grading which is why we went with prisming and flares for affect opposed to post production styling.

For more information visit www.pure-grey.com

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

"PERKS" Short film featuring "The Coffee Pedaler" in New Haven CT

This was a short film shot at my great friend Ryan Taylor’s coffee shop “The Coffee Pedaler” in New Haven CT with the intention of being displayed at a class about storytelling with video.

Turning the shop blue.

Technique/ Cinematography:

Soft light on our subject eluding that the shop is not open for business. Also the detail of the Chartreuse in the reflection.

Because this was shot for a class based in storytelling I wanted to make a point that you can do a lot with just a little. One camera, one lens and two lights. I chose to use two Aputure 120Ds, one with a China lantern above our subject and one on the back wall with a blue gel. The coffee shop has a very warm, inviting look but I really wanted to emphasize the fact that it was not open and this isn’t a time for everyone to enjoy. By using the blue light I really changed the whole color palate of the environment and the china ball above Ryan made it feel like there was light coming from a street light in front of the building. The video itself was shot on a Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera with a Canon 50mm 1.2 lens simply put on a tripod.

Final scene.

Where I had the most fun was the subtle gestures made to really highlight our subject Ryan, his personality and his relationship to the coffee shop. I put Chartreuse bottles in the reflection of Ryan’s espresso machine. It’s his favorite spirit and the machine is how he affords his “finer things” lifestyle. I kept the camera on one side of the counter to make it seem like we aren’t a part of his world, the camera has the exact relationship that a customer would. As well as the final scene where Ryan has his back to the camera and looks out the window from the table, a perspective he never gets to enjoy during the day further emphasizing the idea that it is closed for business and he is enjoying the “perk” of his own coffee shop.

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

Rye Ballet Conservatory

Promotional piece for Rye Ballet Conservatory with commentary by owner and prodigal ballerina Ashlee Stewart (Knapp). Ashlee was actually my first bride when I started Will Talamelli Films in 2015 and when she started her own studio she contacted me for a company video.

I know what ballet means to Ashlee and how much of her life has been dedicated to the art so I really wanted to showcase that. I wanted the viewer and potential client to understand that with Rye Ballet Conservatory you aren’t just getting ballet lessons, you are getting a developmental experience from one of the greatest to ever do it. I wanted Ashlee to discuss what ballet can do for a young dancer, what it did for her and the emotional connection she has to the art which really highlights her dedication.

Technique/ Cinematography:

Shot in 4K60 on the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera using the incredible Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 lens on a Ronin M. There is movement in every scene and I intended it to be that way. I wanted slow steady movement that went with the dancers and replicated their gestures. Which was tricky because I’m not a dancer lol. Thankfully Ashlee was next to me like a producer would be, explaining and demonstrating the moves ahead of time to prepare me.

Stylistically I wanted it to look like her instagram photos, it had to be on brand with what she puts out. Very bright, full contrast, true tones. That meant soft light and a lot of it. Using 2 Aputure 300Ds and 2 Aputure 120Ds for lighting with China balls and soft boxes I was able to fill the studio with very complimenting, soft, even light.

For more information vist ryeballet.com

Will Talamelli - Cinematographer Director DP

Founder/Owner Will Talamelli Films

KYLEROSE AND JEFFERY'S NEW YEARS EVE WEDDING AT THE DARIEN COUNTRY CLUB

There is something really special about a New Year’s Eve Wedding. In my film maker brain it feels like something straight out of cinema. Everyone is dressed well, there is champagne all around, great food, lots of people, dancing etc. But for Kyle and Jeffery it was more significant than just a day to party, it was the day they met years ago and wanted to celebrate their marriage by recognizing the day that they were introduced to each other. New Year new life as husband as wife.

As someone that likes to support local businesses I really appreciated how much of a Darien affair this wedding was. The dress was from a local vendor (and friend I might add) A Little Something White and The Darien Country Club is literally across the street from where Kylerose and her sisters grew up. The wedding was such a beautiful event and so quintessentially New Years Eve. From the black tie attire, to the jazz quartet during happy hour and of course the grand finale of fireworks. Alright thats enough from me and I’ll let the video do the rest of the talking. Cheers to Kylerose and Jeffery!

Will

ALYSON AND DAN'S NEW YORK CITY WEDDING AT CHELSEA PIER

I don't know if there will be a moment in my career where I can properly articulate what makes working a wedding in NYC such a special event. There's so many neighborhoods, art, structures etc. as backdrops to work with; it's kind of an endless supply of imagery. In addition to the magic of NYC I was able to have the honor of capturing Alyson and Dan's wedding. These two are both those type of persons that people are just happy to be around. They were so much in love and just exuded great energy all day; really, they could not have been easier to work with! The wedding itself was a stunning nautical inspired wedding on the Chelsea Pier with the beautiful evening Hudson River as a backdrop. Such an incredible day of perfect weather and great vibes between friends and family! Cheers to Aly and Dan!

Will 

NIKKI AND NICK'S LAKESIDE BACKYARD WEDDING - CANDLEWOOD LAKE NEW FAIRFIELD CT WEDDING

I think the term "backyard" here is used only on a technicality because it was behind a residence. Otherwise this was a wedding that could have been at one of the most exclusive venues in the area. The backdrop looked like a scenic point in Hudson Valley, the first look was at the highest point of the isle and the design...com on! Amy of Amy Champagne Events presented everyone with what could be considered her best work to date. The lights, the details, the flowers, the tables, I was blown with the attention to detail at this wedding.

What was particularly impressive was that despite the elaborate planning and design it was still playful, fun and without any pretense, just like our featured couple. First off Nikki wins for being the ultimate "bridechilla." She was full of smiles and couldn't have been more laid back; the same goes for her husband. The lake itself is significant to Nikki and Nick but so is the water, both being avid surfers and wake boarders water played a big role in the design of the wedding (the lake itself is in almost every scene). Their light heartedness toward life and love for each translates itself perfectly in their highlight reel. You can feel how carefree they both are and how much they love being around one another, especially at their lake house. 

Quick shout out to Kristen Kiraly for being an amazing second shooter along with Matt at BSC Photo for always being the best to work with. 

Congrats to Nikki and Nick! Cheers!

- Will 

JANA AND ANDREW'S DOWNTOWN HARTFORD WEDDING AT THE GERSHON BALLROOM

I remember Jana coming into the restaurant we both worked at almost 12 years ago and telling me about this guy Andrew she started dating. Jana and I stayed friends and I've had the pleasure of seeing their entire relationship develop. The firsts, the trips, the milestones etc. I had the privilege to know about all of them! Needless to say I was beyond honored to not only witness their wedding but to capture Jana and Andrew's gorgeous wedding at the Gershon Ballroom!

Cheers you two crazy kids! 

-Will 

WEIYI AND IAN'S WEDDING AT CLASSIC CAR CLUB MANHATTAN

I normally start off describing a wedding by discussing decisions the couple made to enhance their wedding in terms of additions. What type of flowers, theme, layout, location, color palette etc. All with the goal to make their wedding day as unique as their story. This blog post is in the same spirit but instead focuses on the subtractions made to set their wedding apart. Weiyi and Ian had only one objective for their wedding day which was to make sure everyone had a great time and didn't feel like they were at a formal event. To ensure this they stripped away most of the formalities associated with a wedding day. Starting from the beginning of they day where they got ready in the same room, there was no first dance, parents dance, seating arrangement, sit down dinner or cake cutting, along with business causal attire. Instead 40oz bottles of Coor's light were flowing around (ironically but still awesome), passed food all night including a delicious bowl of ramen, a self serve giant dessert table, a scotch bar, an acoustic music performance before the DJ got the crowd moving. To wrap this post up, Weiyi and Ian's wedding was exactly what they wanted in the way they wanted everyone to experience it and just based on the interactions I had with them on their wedding day, thats how they like to live their life. 

Cheers to Weiyi and Ian... affectionately known as "Weiyian!" 

JACQUELINE AND JONATHAN'S LONGSHORE WEDDING

For the people that check out my blog who are not in the wedding industry one thing you may not know is the relationship between client and vendor really does vary from couple to couple. Sometimes you know everything about them, sometimes you barely know anything other than the formal interactions over the phone and the rest unfolds on the wedding day. While Jacqueline and I conversed over e-mails and had a couple phone conversations I had no idea that her and Jonathan have a beautiful story of rekindled love over the course of many years. Best friends that lost touch for a moment and then found each other as their partner in love.

Aside from their beautiful story the wedding itself was gorgeous. Stunning flowers everywhere, subtle nautical details, including the "Jacs and Jonathan" glass as a gift. Also, Jacqueline was the star of the show but a very close second was a good boy named "Tank" who let everyone know when the bride was coming! 

Another great wedding in the books at one of my favorite venues in Connecticut. We were honored to be there and wish Jacs and Jonathan a lifetime of good memories. Cheers!

- Will 

LISA AND SHAWN SOUTH FARMS WEDDING

There are two things you can never control on a wedding day; time and weather. Weather is the tricky one, when the cards are laid out for you it’s easy to plan accordingly. For example, if it is raining, I can mentally prepare for what type of shots I can capture indoors. Or if it is blazing heat I can bring reflectors and diffusors to fend off some of that direct sunlight. Where it gets tricky is that in between, the “is it going to rain.” Nothing is more terrifying than having your cameras set up for an outdoor ceremony and hearing an impending storm in the distance; mentally preparing for what you would do if it started raining.  Needless to say, it didn’t rain but it wasn’t far away. What did happen was some particularly beautiful moody atmosphere for a gorgeous backdrop for an amazing wedding at South Farms in Morris, Connecticut designed by the incomparable Amy Jones of Amy Champagne events.

I had never worked a wedding at South Farms before and I was surely spoiled with this as my first experience. For starters I was working with all my friends, Brooke Allison was the photographer, Amy Jones was the planner, On the Marc was the caterer, Jenn Kinford did the makeup, Carrie Wilcox did the flowers and my favorite New Yorker Kristen Kiraly came through as my second shooter. Big shout out to her for traveling almost three hours to help me out. As mentioned before I think Amy is talented but she outdid herself with this wedding. Everything was so expertly designed it just seemed to flow as an extension of the farm and it’s space.

So the weather held out and was on our side, I had nothing but friends working with me and to top it off I had an adorable story since Lisa and Shawn have two adorable children that they were able to feature in their wedding. Which leads me to my favorite part of this wedding; they did this for themselves on their own terms. They didn’t abide to any traditions of time or order, they did it the way they wanted to when they wanted to. I love that.

So hit play and enjoy the highlight reel of Lisa and Shawn’s South Farm wedding!

Cheers,

Will

Also shout out to The Plumed Serpent for providing her stunning wedding dress by Bliss Monique Lhuillier

ETHEL WALKER COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

One of the most overused words in the English diction is "amazing." People use it to describe everything from a balloon ride at sunset to a pint of ice cream. I am writing this post to say that the Ethel Walker School for young women is nothing short of amazing. When you step on campus you are greeted with the cognition that you are someplace exceptional. The campus is tucked away in a stunning part of Connecticut surround by evergreens and maple trees. The grounds are immaculate and the buildings exude personality. Immediately you know this is not just a school for young women, rather a place for them to truly grow, to become well rounded, confident adults. It's amazing. 

I am honored to have worked with them on multiple occasions including a commercial which gives a tour of the whole Ethel Walker experience (which I will also link to). For this event they asked me to document the commencement ceremony and to produce a video consolidating the experience. These are always fun because there really is only a few ways to approach the actual content and the rest is how you capture and edit the B roll. The story is there for you to miss so it's a practice of being very aware of your surroundings and being able to anticipate actions. 

Big thank you to Matt Branscombe at BSC Photo www.bscphoto.com for being a great producer and starting this relationship we have with Ethel Walker. 

My congratulations to all the graduates - "may all your hours be golden!"

-Will 

B FOR BETTER! A COUPLE TIPS TO CAPTURE BETTER WEDDING B-ROLL

So what is B- Roll exactly? It is all the alternative footage that isn't the main shot. Lets break down some moments from my latest wedding video to show you some b-roll examples and tips to improve your story telling with b-roll. I mean when you deconstruct a modern wedding video they are all basically meditations in b-roll. Even those key moments of the day, like the bride and groom preps are basically b-roll since the ceremony is usually the background audio source making the imagery the main focus but the message secondary. So lets begin.

So in the case of Lauren and Marshal I almost immediately introduce the actual wedding ceremony. So this becomes the main shot, it is the only moment that incorporates the audio with the visuals so by default, no matter how significant other imagery is, until we as viewers leave the ceremony, everything else is b-roll. 

Now this is what we are using to tell our story in a literal sense, this is where they will talk about their history, their love, their future etc. That's our paint and canvas but we need to start painting over here so lets start painting with our b-roll baby!

So in almost every ceremony they discuss the idea of "before." Before the ceremony, the dress, the reception there were two people that fell in love. So we take our viewer back to the before, but in our case its the beginning of the day. Now we introduce some b-roll of everyone getting ready. This is how we really tell the story of the day and display the emotions leading up to our main event, the ceremony. Below are two images only seconds apart but one immediately tells a better story.

Both are flattering shots of our bride, but notice the dress in the bottom one. It's not a huge difference image wise but the story it tells is infinitely better.  So...

TIP 1. USE YOUR ENVIRONMENT TO TELL A BETTER STORY WITH YOUR B-ROLL

The story went from "a woman getting her makeup done" to a "bride getting her makeup done anticipating walking down the isle in her dress."  Be aware of your surroundings, use the architecture, the lines, the symmetry, the "props" (I don't mean to call a wedding dress a prop but it's working as one here). Move stuff around, make the environment the way you want it to look. Clean the room if you have to, It's easy to feel like you are being intrusive when you are starting out but just politely explain that bottles of water everywhere, plastic cups, Starbucks coffee cups all over the place looks terrible. Which leads us to tip 2...

TIP 2. DON'T BE AFRAID TO STAGE SITUATIONS

Who cares if it didn't happen in real time? Don't get caught up with the idea that something is fake if the imagery is believable. You are telling a story, not making a documentary, it's different. Check this out.. 

When the hell would this many grown women sit on a bed smushed in together? Never, thats when. But with a left to right camera movement, a tight lens and a bunch of girls laughing (which I had them do) you have this adorable moment with the bride and her bridesmaids sharing a drink and a laugh...I'm not even sure if anything was in the cups. It's ok to bullshit if the story is good!

or this...

sorry for the blur these are freeze-frames from the video not still images

Cocktail hour isn't very exciting to cover since its mostly people standing, drinking, eating and not wanting to be bothered with a camera since there is probably food in their mouth. I wanted to showcase the food without bothering anybody at the party or do the typical move of waiting until someone grabs something off a tray. So I pulled a server aside and asked if I could follow her into the room but my camera will just focus on the food. It was a great way to showcase the food, the service and to have the video enter the cocktail hour. All planned, all staged, great results. You know whats next folks...third and final tip

TIP 3. SHOOT WITH INTENTION/KNOW WHY YOU ARE HITTING RECORD

This seems simple but it actually takes a good bit of practice to acquire this skill, especially with wedding cinematography.  If someone asked you while you were shooting why you shot something you should always be able to answer them; otherwise you are just wasting hard drive storage. It is so important to collect b-roll with purpose to save storage and the most valuable of all things, time. Why spend hours scrubbing through footage when you can have confidence in the footage acquired because you shot with intention. If you can't picture yourself using it, don't shoot it. I can't tell you how many times a second shooter has given me GB after GB of meaningless garbage that I would never use. Usually all pretty clean, good looking footage but content wise it was useless. Eg. A closeup of a champagne glass or a flower somewhere in the building. Does that tell a story? How does that relate to the couple? It doesn't, so ditch it.  

Alright folks there it is, a couple of tips that hopefully will help spice up your b-roll. Also, I didn't give all my secrets away, within the next month I am doing a workshop based around the idea of creating b-roll to tell a story. Until next time!

-Will 

Also check it out again and keep an eye on the b-roll!

Where should I get married? How about the back yard!

*Disclaimer: I'm an image maker, not a planner. I like making things looks beautiful and telling stories with my camera so take that into consideration when reading anything I write. 

Let's just start with the obvious, not all back yards are created equal, I know, I know. I am being pretty specific here but I think it is worth discussing because a backyard wedding can be something quite spectacular. As an image maker and story teller I love the idea of a backyard wedding, there is just so much history that can be translated by the imagery making for a beautiful wedding day and a gorgeous video. 

Look at this moment... the bride is getting ready in an upstairs room that contains clothing from her childhood years and even her prom dresses. You don't need to know that but you can just sense there is a familiarity in the room. For the viewer it's intimate, it's personal, there is a sense of privilege to be in the room. 

Or this moment, I remember filming this and thinking to myself "I wonder how many times Leslie has looked out that window and how different it is today." 

Which really is one of the greatest attributes to a backyard wedding. That transformation of perspective on an area with so much familiarity. An area that has so many memories gets to add a few more to the list and the normalcy of the location gets a beautiful make over. 

The dress in all its glory!

This is where the imagery does all the talking. I don't need to say anything, look how much story is in that brief moment. 

By no means do I recommend this if you are trying to save money. Hardly, anything that may have been built into the cost of doing business with a venue is lone gone. Everything is now on you and your style but like I've implied before, that is the beauty of it. A backyard wedding can be exactly what you want it to be and is one of the few times I have seen supreme elegance mixed with beach like relaxation. 

You know what? Why don't I stop yapping and showing pictures and just post the video and you can see for yourself. But don't stop there I have one more subject I'd like to discuss. 

Alright so I know what you are thinking? But I don't have a backyard like that and I don't have access to a backyard like that. That's cool, I don't either but if you like the backyard feel check out this next wedding film at Candlelight Farms. It's a gorgeous location thats remote, its intimate its indoor/outdoor and just has that great backyard, feel good. vibe to it.