Stephanie & John

Putting All of My Eggs in One Basket

Right now I currently post on FOUR blogs.  Spread this thin, I’ve been terrible at updating my posts on any site.  Therefore, I have decided to combine my four weblogs into ONE!  This way, not only will I most likely be able to post regularly, we will be able to showcase the variety of talents the folks at Digital Art House bring to you, the customer.  You’ll glimpse my obsession with dogs and knitting (I’m known to many area residents as the local dog whisperer aka crazy dog lady), you’ll see pictures of our travels, read restaurant reviews, gain recipes and insight into local vegetarian cooking, and be keyed into area music and theater events.  Basically, you will really get a feel for who Adam and I are.  Consequently, I think one of the most important steps to finding the right wedding vendor is to find someone who really meshes with you, someone you’ll have fun with on your special day and have a good rappor with when working on ordering albums, prints, etc…after the “big day.”

 

So, obviously, you will see a bit of a change here at Digital Art News, and I hope its a refreshing one.  Cue in music: “Cha-cha-cha changes. Time to make a change…”

To catch up on the old news of my soon to be defunct blogs go here:

I Rant I Rave my personal “review and misc. opinion” site

That Lucky Bitch Blogs information about modern pet photography & other crazy dog lady resources

Discover Downtown Annandale a group started by local citizens to promote and encourage responsible growth and events and a Farmers market in downtown Annandale, MN.

The Duel of the Design

This past March we were asked to film a great local event produced by fabulous Geri Wolf of The Style Laboratory.

The event was called The Duel of the Design, and it boils down to a “competition” between teams of: event planners,  chefs, and floral artists who have two hours to put together a menu, a table setting, and flower arrangements.  These designs are then judged by five local industry experts.

Here is a fun five minute video I made for Geri.  Special thanks go to Lisa Venticinque from Cinema de la Vie, and Rachel Gilmer for helping me sans pay.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

From my wife. To my kids. Love to all.

Where the Video Magic Happens

Here is my creative Mecca. Complete with four year old “muse.” She watches as I edit, and lets me know if I’m doing well. She is a darn good critic. I expect she’ll be the next “Ebert.” By the way, my eight year old son took this picture he calls “Mom and Violet Working.” I think he has a nice portrait eye. He captures people and animals in his own unique way and it’s always interesting to see a “kid’s perspective.”

Eric & Jillian-Love in an Elevator

Eric and Jillian met while living in the same Minneapolis apartment building. They started talking one day whilst riding the elevator, and it was ultimately “love at first sight,”as neither of them could get the other one out of his/her mind. Later, at a get-together hosted by the bride, the couple found many common things they shared, including working for the same company!

Jillian and her attendants prepared for the beautiful day at her sister Nikki’s gorgeous home in Plymouth. Adam, Rachel, and I were greeted to a bubbly bunch of bridesmaids practicing a special surprise dance routine that would be unveiled at the reception! Too fun. Here, we were also introduced to an important member of Jillian and Eric’s family, their adorable cockapoo!

Eric, a fellow St. Olaf College Alumni (Um Ya Ya baby!), greeted his lovely bride for the first time in the stunning halls of the church.

The wedding ceremony was held at the always amazing Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Jillian is a member of the Basilica Choir, truly a choir worthy of being compared to angel’s voices.

After a beautiful ceremony, the couple and attendants set off for drinks at the Calhoun Beach Club’s View, riding away in an old fashioned trolley car. After a couple toasts and a few rounds of the St. Olaf and University of Minnesota Fight Songs, the wedding party headed to the Minikahda Country Club.

With it’s rich history and beauty this club was a wedding photographer’s dream.  At the club we took an opportunity to have a bit of fun with the wedding party on the putting green outside of the clubhouse. This group was not afraid to let their hair down and it was sooo much fun taking photos of these animated and friendly men and women.

During the cocktail hour we took an opportunity to steal away the bride and groom for a short photo shoot. Eric and Jillian are truly a dynamite couple and they made our job so easy!

As always, we are so impressed with the talented and kind folks who make wedding days so special. We need to give a big “shout out” to the sound guys at the Basilica, a kudos to the amazing crew at the Minikahda Club who whipped up three AWESOME sandwiches for the Digital Art House folks, and a big thanks to the entire wedding party who truly made us feel like we were part of their family. Thank you!

Meanwhile, I need to add one more interesting note.  Jillian found our company through a referral. We had filmed a Basilica choir member’s wedding, which Jillian is featured in, a couple seasons ago. This couple was very happy and proud of their video, which led to Jillian contacting Adam. Jillian and Adam figured out after a couple of emails, that they had known each other as small children growing up. This truly is a small world and I love happy surprises such as these.  It was so much fun seeing these two reconnect after so many years.

Feeling Fair

It’s that time of the year again. The air begins to chill, trees with naked branches warm their toes with a blanket of leaves, my children vacillate between being princesses to being stormtroopers for Halloween, and the wedding jobs wane. Meanwhile, as the Minnesota Wedding Season takes a bow, we keep busy editing, working on p.r., visiting with couples, and attending trade shows.

We had a booth at the October 14, TCBA Wedding Fair. It was our fourth year participating, but our first year being a part of the Weddings Couture section. This is a really well executed show that we feel proud to be a part of.

Matt Coppersmith, from Coppersmith Photography was the official event photographer and he shot a lot of pics of our booth. He even flattered us by saying that when they participate in the fair they look forward to copying our booth layout! They say imitation is the best form of flattery. Here is a montage of photos taken by Matt. If you look closely you can see our booth, look for the red leather sofa…

Kristin & Josh-Um Ya Ya!

Josh and Kristin met at my alma mater, St. Olaf College. Both members of the St. Olaf Band, Kristin played percussion and Josh played the trumpet, they noticed each other from the “first note.” Kristin asked some fellow band mates about Josh and was warned about his bad-boy brass-ness. Josh says, “I don’t know what it is about brass players, but we have a bad reputation.”

Meanwhile, told to “find someone else,” Kristin did. Later, Josh and Kristin met up in an introduction to Psych class where Josh mustered up the courage to ask Kristin to lunch after class in the cafeteria. She told him she’d call him.

Kristin did call him, but let him know right away that she was dating someone, than again, it was just lunch…

And so, these two began a lasting and complicated friendship that would bloom into a wonderfully beautiful love.

From the moment I met Kristin and Josh, I could tell how comfortable and in love they are with one another. They smile and laugh a lot around each other. They tease and flirt and I can see in Josh’s eyes that he believes Kristin is the most beautiful woman in the world. They are an inspiring couple.

My two favorite colors are blue and green, I think has something to do about my Irish heritage, the colors of me Emerald isle. Favorites of Kristin, these hues were incorporated throughout their wedding day.

Amazing flowers were arranged by the talented Jennifer Dick Guion from Luna Vinca. I love this creative mecca located near Uptown on Hennepin Avenue and have purchased many a Christmas gift there.

The couple walked down the aisle to the most amazing music, arranged by Josh, and performed by an amazing orchestra. The couple each chose and read a poem to each other. It was a magical moment, and I couldn’t help crying. I’m really good at being emotional (p.s. so is Rachel! Adam gives us grief for crying behind our LCD screens during services).

After the lovely ceremony we stopped at a couple locations to take some quick shots of the bridal party, one of these being Purgatory Creek Park-what a name!

The reception was held at the Stonebrooke Country Club in Shakopee, and upon our arrival we were treated to a surprise serenade from the groom to the bride.

It was a wonderful event and we’re so happy we were invited to share it with these two special Oles.

We come from St. Olaf, we sure are the real stuff.
Our team is the cream of the colleges great.
We fight fast and furious, our team is injurious.
Tonight Carleton College will sure meet its fate.

Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya, Um Ya Ya
Um Ya Ya Ya

MN Bride – Best of 2007

Adam, Rachel, and I headed to Five on Tuesday to attend the annual MN Bride Party. They unveiled their latest issue, including the the Reader’s Choice Awards: Best of 2007. We are very happy to be included in an article about videography spotlighting two of our clients, Jennifer & Brian and Kate & Todd and six of our photos! If you would like to read the article, click here to download it.

It’s always a pleasure to hang with the beautiful creative people that transform the dream little girls have of a fairytale wedding into a sophisticated modern day reality. The complimentary wine, kicking eats, and back flipping desserts, are nice added bonuses.

In between chatting with some great friends and catching up with the ever constant change that is life (congratulations to Amy & Matt Coppersmith on their pregnancy and Jennifer-Che Bella & Victor on their beautiful baby Alexander!) Rachel and I took advantage of the traveling photo booth.

I used some of my St. Olaf Theater degree for these pictures. Ha! Ha! Too Fun!

We moved the party down the street to Bryant Lake Bowl where we changed our names to Mabel, Peg (Bundy), and Al (Bundy) respectfully.

Sarah & David – Good Things Can Happen From Being Stood Up (Alternatively Titled- A Timeless Celebration)

Sarah and David met each other in Iowa on a blind date in college. Sarah was supposed to attend a formal dance with some friends, at the last minute her date called in sick and David stepped up to the plate. A romance was not instantly kindled between these two, however, they became good friends. Occasionally, setting one another up with friends they thought she or he might like.

Serendipity played another one of its cards when these two found themselves both living in the Twin Cities. Sarah in Minneapolis, and David in St. Paul. Once again, they started to try and think of friends they could tell how great the other was. Finally, Sarah said, they thought what about dissing the set ups and trying a go at it themselves?!

A ha! Presto! Love Connection-O!

The gals started early on the morning of the wedding, donning exceptional hairstyles from the talented crew of Five Two Six Salon & Art Gallery. An art gallery and an up-do in one location? What a cool concept! It’s a really great space and terrificly charming neighborhood.

An added surprise was Sarah’s Salon Diva, Jennifer! We documented Jennifer’s wedding February 2006, you can watch her Featurette on our Video Gallery here. It was so fun to catch up with Jennifer. What a small world!

Adam and the guys were fortunate to hang out at one of St. Paul’s coolest places-Heime’s Haberdashery. With a nod to simpler days left to the wayside, this place embraces masculinity. A good pint of beer, freshly rolled cigars, a custom shave, dead animals on the wall, and a tailor on site…what a more says manly man (with taste to boot…)?!

After the salon experience, Rachel and I crammed into a car with Sarah and the gals to head over to the church. Sarah had to make a quick stop at the Wedding Shoppe to buy a garter. Her attendants were fast to point out that this last minute shopping on the day of her wedding was “so Sarah!”

After putting on their final touches, Adam explored the amazing grounds of the Gothic House of Hope Presbyterian Church, and took some breathtaking photos.

After the ceremony, the lovely ladies and gentlemen strolled through a couple of St. Paul’s most pristine parks; enjoying the nice June evening and the bliss of newlyweddedness.

A lovely reception and dinner was held at the University Club in downtown St. Paul. Special toasts to the bride and groom flowed as freely as the champagne, and included a group of guests donning Hawaiian shirts, bubbles, and presenting the couple with plastic lays. Too funny!

The cake was a stunning creation brought to us by the talented people at Buttercream cakes. Yummy!

Guests had a great time with the photo booth set up near the guest book, they even enjoyed queing for a chance to sit in the old fashioned booth. Where good conversation and good times are present, I guess waiting in old fashioned lines just doesn’t matter too much. At the end of the evening, everybody was up and dancing. Thank you Sarah and David for sharing your timeless celebration with us.