Our groom Kirk was not exactly excited about having a videographer at his wedding.Kirk is the kind of guy who avoids being the center of attention. He’s more the type to be that quiet, sturdy presence outside the limelight, who’s ready to step in and help when called upon.He’s also the kind of guy who would do pretty much anything to make his wife, Kaylyn, happy.And we love that about him.Plus, we knew that if we could gain Kirk’s trust — and let him know that having a videographer at his wedding could be a completely unobtrusive thing — that he’d actually want to have his wedding day filmed, too.So, as details of their Oct. 25th wedding came together, we discovered that Kirk had proposed to Kaylyn by putting her gorgeous engagement ring on the collar of one of their four dogs. Kaylyn and Kirk are the epitome of the term “dog lovers,” because they take great pains to keep their pack of canines healthy and well-loved.And that is no small feat.You see, three of their dogs are mastiffs, which are among the largest breeds of domesticated canines. We’d never had the chance to see a mastiff in the flesh, much less pet them, so we knew we wanted to spend some time with these pooches who mean so much to our couple and which played a significant part in their wedding story.So the Wills brought over Rhoda and Knight. And they did not disappoint! These golden and black behemouths were magnificent to film — particularly with our special slow-motion camera. Just running across the yard looked like an epic romp from these canines that descended from ancient war dogs.Oh, and Kirk was awesome to meet, too!. He handled the dogs expertly, and he expertly handled our interview questions (on camera) about his proposal. And he declared that the shoot wasn’t as bad as he expected. We took that as a HUGE compliment!With Kirk’s endorsement, we were all set to film their big day.And what a day that was!First of all, we couldn’t have ordered up better weather with balmy temps and an explosion of fall color. Guests arriving at Calvary Presbyterian Church, built in 1870, were greeted with its grand spires and bold red brick exterior. Inside, the congregation has carved out an intimate worship space with beautiful silk curtains that create a half-tent feeling and bring your eye right to the front of the church. K+K had one of the most unique elements of a wedding service that we’v ever witnessed: a sealing of a message containing letters to each other. We love the thought that they’re supposed to open that box after their first big disagreement, and the notes inside are to help them remember why they fell in love with each other. Wow!When we headed to their reception spot, we were amazed at the size and scope of The Pritzlaff Building. This giant cream city brick building was amazing to see, and we loved how the event space made use of the historic elements yet brought modern sophistication to the decor. We had the rare chance to film the couple on the Pritzlaff’s rooftop, and our trek to get there revealed just how large that building is: gargantuan. We have to give a huge shout out to Amanda from Front Room Photography who was an amazing partner to shoot with all day, and who — having shot at the Pritzlaff before — had arranged to get access to the rooftop. If you have a moment, please check out her fantastic work for Kaylyn and Kirk here.Kirk readily admits that Kaylyn steered the boat on most of the wedding celebration details, which were brimming with grace and charm. Kirk’s father described it best, saying Kaylyn’s exterior beauty was matched only by her interior beauty, and shared two stories of her kindness and thoughtfulness. The space was illuminated with what seemed like a million twinkling candles, flowing grey silk drapes, perfect touches of woodsy elements (tree trunk planks, twigs, turkey feathers) dotted tables. And their cake. Wow! From the miracle bakers at Sweet Perfections, the cake was a topsy-turvy wonder designed to look like tree trunk rounds and sprinkled with autumn leaves and blooms in fall colors. The food, drink and entertainment was outstanding, too.When we left, the party was still going strong and the bride and groom were having the time of their life. Even our stoic groom could be seen doing little “Cupid Shuffle,” so aptly played by the pros from Accent Events, so we know he was having a good time!We are so honored that Kirk put his trust in us and we can’t wait to produce their full cinematic film. So until then, you’ll have to be satisfied with the Sneak Peek we’re launching today.If you’d like more information about the excellent wedding professionals who helped create this lovely event, please see the list below.Cheers,Cindy
We also have to admit that Kirk is not alone. It’s true: Lots of couples we talk to have concerns about having too many people and too many cameras milling about, and some people don’t enjoy having pictures or footage recorded.We get that. Totally!