We have been a part of so many memorable events this year, and, I have to say, Bradley and Lindsay’s is definitely one that I will not forget any time soon.  First of all, they were fantastic to work with right from the start.  They had so many fun ideas for their engagement session, and we loved the results of their wintery Starved Rock session, even though we all had to brave freezing temperatures to make it happen!

Apparently, extreme weather is just in the cards for these two.  But, I think we have to thank the extreme weather for making Lindsay and Brad’s First Meeting one we will never forget.  The original plan was for them to meet out on the docks at the IVY club, right on the river, and we were all very excited about it.  But, right as we pulled up, horrible, ominous black clouds rolled in, the wind started whipping up tornadoes of dust, and there was no denying an intense storm was about to happen.  I learned long ago, as much as I wish I could (I think it would be my super-power of choice), I cannot control the weather, but I’m always in a position of having to deal with it anyway.  So, Todd and I grabbed our biggest, best umbrellas out of the car, and sent Lindsay out to what was hopefully the driest outdoor spot on the grounds to wait for Brad.  It was pouring.  Cats and dogs pouring.  But the second they saw each other, you would have never known.  I’m sure they will never forget it either.

The rest of the day was thankfully much drier!  They enjoyed a beautiful ceremony and a lively reception all at Weaver Ridge Golf Club.  The two maids of honor gave fantastic speeches, and we were so fortunate to have Jason (our new cinematographer- see post below) there to capture it for them.

Congratulations to Bradley and Lindsay!  Thanks for being such good sports about the weather, and for including us in your day!

Having spent the last six years photographing scores of weddings, we completely believe in the power of a still image to portray the spirit of a relationship and to tell the story of the wedding day. For a long time, I thought that was all you would need to remember the day. I admit that I scoffed at the idea of a videographer for my own wedding. But the longer I do this, the more I realize that there are some aspects of the day- especially those things that people say to each other only on such a momentous occasion as a wedding day- that the still image cannot fully capture. Sometimes what is said is incredibly touching- sometimes it is downright hilarious. In fact, Jason’s own wedding is a prime example of how the still image completely captures the spirit of the moment) Jason is the poor, unsuspecting groom on the left)…

but all that were present that day completely agree that having the speech that preceded this moment on film would be even more priceless. And so, with Jason on our team, we set out to find a way to create wedding films with the same sensibility as we approach photographing a wedding day- being as unobtrusive as possible, allowing the day to unfold naturally, and, most importantly, crafting the story through skilled, insightful cinematography and editing.

And so, Reichman Films was born.  Jason is now accepting commissions for 2011 and select 2010 dates.  Reichman Photography and Films now offers both single media (your choice of photography or cinematography) or dual-media coverage.  Please inquire to the studio for more information.

And now, the on-line premiere of Lindsay and Brad’s Wedding Day Short Film:

Lindsay+Brad | Wedding Day Edit from Reichman Film on Vimeo.

For now, here’s a sneak preview of their images, but stay tuned for another Brad and Joy post coming soon- something all new from our studio!

Less than two weeks before their wedding, John learned that one of his closest friends, someone who he had hoped would be a part of his wedding, passed away completely unexpectedly.  As they sat in our studio to do the final planning, John shared with me so many stories about how much fun he had with growing up with his friend- it is clear that he was a soul that will be missed intensely.  But, he clearly loved life, and adored having fun- I know his spirit will live on through his friends.

Then the morning of the wedding, as Kayla was preparing, she got news that her mother (with whom she is very close, and who had been so excited for her daughter’s wedding) had fallen very ill, and would not be able to be there.  I can’t even imagine.  I would guess many a bride would practically call off the wedding if that happened.  But Kayla again impressed me with her incredible strength and emotional maturity.  As someone who makes my living in the wedding industry, it’s easy for me to think of marriage as that which exists on the wedding day.  But, as I chatted with Kayla before she put her wedding dress on, I realized that the wedding day is really just the beginning.  And it is just a day- an amazingly fun, hopefully wonderful day- but if everything doesn’t go perfectly- all of the wonderful things that come with marriage will still be there the day after the wedding- no matter how that one day goes.  Instead of focusing on how not having her mom present would ruin her wedding day, she was only concerned about her mom’s health and well-being, so once she felt her mom would be okay, she focused on enjoying her wedding day, like she knew her mom would want her to, so she could start her life with John.

Kayla and John chose a gorgeous outdoor ceremony site- Funk’s Grove Chapel of the Templed Trees- it fit their outdoorsy personalities perfectly, and Todd and I were thrilled to be shooting there.  But, the weather had other plans that day- and we were forced inside to the chapel on-site.  I know Kayla had her heart set on the outdoor ceremony- but she took it all in stride, and, once she and John saw each other, they were nothing but smiles the rest of the day.  I was amazed that two people who had experienced such stress and sadness had so much love for each other that they couldn’t help but smile.  They are so truly happy together.

Their reception was a great party at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard with entertainment by Jammsammich.

Congratulations, John and Kayla- I think you guys deserve incredible happiness together for the rest of your lives!

Well, wedding season has definitely arrived and has taken our studio by storm this year (literally- but we’ll get to that a couple posts from now!).  So, as we’ve gotten busier, the blog has admittedly been neglected- so I’m here now to correct that!

First up- Rick and Holly who were married in Lincoln, IL and partied the night away!  We knew, from their engagement session, how these two were perfect for each other- they were so at ease with each other, and were quite happy to ‘ignore us and pay attention to each other’ (words familiar to many of our couples!).  The fact the were a perfect match was confirmed on their wedding day and that sentiment was echoed by all of their friends and family throughout the day.  Congrats, Rick and Holly!