HAPPY NEW YEAR!

While again, I am struggling to say goodbye to 2008 and all the successes and memories it has brought us, I am looking forward to the new year! DMB Videography has successfully relocated to Sarver, PA and once I get all of the boxes put away, I can't wait to share our new Studio/Office with all of you! Early in 2009, I plan to put together a blog post of all of our "BESTS" of 2008. Until then, I wish you a very Happy New Year and wish you well in 2009!!!!

"Will I have my video before the Holidays?"

GREAT QUESTION! Here is the general rule. Because we had an extremely busy Fall (which is nothing new her in PA), I can not guarantee delivery of any videos taken after October 19th. Those weddings/events that occurred on October 18th or earlier can expect to have their final products before the holiday. I thank you all for your patience.

While I am at it, I should let you all know what's going on with DMB Video over the holidays. On December 19th, yes, 6 days before Christmas, we are moving to our new house (anyone want to lend some man power?)!!! I had posted before about my excitement to have the new office/studio, and I can't even describe the excitement as we get closer! While we will never really go "offline", we may be difficult to reach for a few days around that time, with the move and preparing for Christmas with our 2 young kiddos. Please, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call and leave a message if you can't reach us. We are excited about what all the change will mean to our new customers and we thank our current customer for their support as we transition to our new location!

To any of our blog readers that we may lose touch with over the next week or so... please have a Happy and Safe Holiday and wishing you the Best in the New Year! Geez... can you believe that its right around the corner!?

Fred and Stephanie

Fred and Stephanie were married in a beautiful ceremony at Prince of Peace on the South Side. Stephanie had contacted me barely 1 month before the wedding from Florida as a surprise to her husband-to-be. Their wedding was very special. After the beautiful ceremony, we headed to the North Shore for some photos near Heinz Field. This gang was great to work with! Their reception was at the Circuit Center, also on the South Side. Everything went wonderfully and we had a great time with this couple! Thanks again for everything and BEST WISHES!

Justin & Kathleen

Wow... just WOW! I have NEVER been so exhausted at the end of the night as I was after this one. I had met these two earlier on for their Love Story Interview session, but that didn't prepare me for the fun and entertainment we were in for! We arrived at Kathleen's parents house for the bridal prep. Kathleen was calm as can be! We did interview session with the bridal party and shot Kathleen getting ready and headed to the church. They were married at St. Sylvester's Parish off of Brownsville Rd. The ceremony went off without a hitch. A short time for photos, with Dino Bovo, and off to the Airport Marriott we went!

They had an Irish theme to their whole day... and wow was it elaborate, down to the bridal party jewelry and shamrock flute favors for the guests! The reception was great and it was DJ'd by the ever so talented Andy Booth! The party was still kicking at MIDNIGHT when we left... and I'd imagine they were table dancing (yes, table dancing) well into the night! Congrats on an awesome day and a beautiful wedding! Best wishes!

I hope to be able to post more of this wedding, however with the holidays fast approaching, I am trying to limit my rendering time to actual wedding DVDs. I'll see what I can do!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Happy Thankgiving! The picture above is in honor of my favorite Disney Movie... The Lion King!!! Yes, we are enjoying the holidays in Disney World... see you when we get back!!!! Hug your family tight and be THANKFUL!!!!

Blessings,
Dawn

OUT OF OFFICE

As of November 21, DMB Videography staff will be out of the office for the Thanksgiving Holiday. We will return on November 30. If you need to get a hold of us, please call us at 724-309-5510 or if it is not urgent, please email us at dawn@dmbvideopgh.com (we will have limited email access).

To celebrate Thanksgiving, I am trying to make it a habit of deciding each year what I am most thankful for. This year it is a tie...

I am most thankful for:

Two beautiful healthy children and the joys the bring to our family!!
My parents, who graciously took us into their home while we wait for ours to be finished!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Glenn and Meghan

In the beginning of September we celebrated the wedding of Meghan and Glenn. Coincidentally I knew Meghan from my college years, but neither of us realized that until our first meeting. These two were wonderful to work with! They were married at St. John the Baptist Church and their ceremony was just beautiful. The groom was stunning, the bride was beautiful and the chemistry between them was amazing!

We went to Mt. Washington for some quick pictures and then headed to the reception. The reception followed at Sheraton Four Points in Mars. This place was beautiful. I had only been past the hotel, never inside it. The room was decorated beautifully and everyone had a great time. One thing that stood out to me were the strolling musicians at cocktail hour (ugh, I can't find their card to post their info)... what a unique touch! LOVED THEM! Congratulations Glenn and Meghan... and they said at the end of your ceremony... God grant you many years!

Robyn's 30th Birthday Bash - Heinz Hall

Robyn, Robyn, Robyn.... wow.... what can I say here. This night set a whole new standard for birthday parties! Robyn turn(s) 30 and had an amazing celebration... at Heinz Hall! I had been recommended by Simone to film this party that was approaching in a few months. Little did I know back then what an amazing celebration was going to be...

It started on the "Red Carpet" outside of Heinz Hall. They actually hired 15 screaming fans that were students studying drama. The guests approached, fans went wild, they had photos snapping, autograph signing, and then the guests were directed to me and Robyn's charming brother for their interview session. We even had random passer-bys thinking that Robyn was a up and coming hip-hop artist. Everyone was gawking at the crowed and some waited for the arrival of our star! Her brother did a great job at hamming it up! Robyn arrived and looked spectacular in a gorgeous burgundy gown... looked like a star!

Then guests were directed to the casino room, where they were handed a bag of chips to play games. There were special cocktails and appetisers for each room, and wow were they great!

After the casino room, the guests were directed down stairs to the salsa dancing room. Robyn came down the stairs in a beautiful salsa dress and was greeted by a glowing birthday cake. They had instructors teaching the guests some salsa dancing steps and then they had a dance off at the end.

The evening wrapped up (for us) outside in the gardens with some dessert and karaoke! It looked amazing out there and it was such a warm night... everything was just perfect.

It is here that I must stop and tell you all... If you are planning an event... wedding, birthday, whatever it may be... CALL NOW AND HIRE SIMONE! Her events are just... WOW! Every last detail is well thought out and just carried out perfectly. I can't wait to work with her again (hopefully soon)!!! You know, I got home and already had an email from her thanking us for the night's work, so I emailed her back telling her how great everything was... and she simply stated "Girl, That's how we do". Yes Simone, that is how YOU DO!

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY ROBYN!!!!!

Chris & Lori

Chris and Lori were married in a beautiful ceremony outdoors at the Hydehold. Their wedding party and families were great people to work with and they had a spectacular day! Although hot, this outdoor ceremony was gorgeous. I got to work with Dino again (YAY)! Their reception was fun as well. I really enjoyed working at the Hydehold... what a cool place for a wedding! Thanks again for everything Chris and Lori... CONGRATULATIONS!!!

And some pictures I took...

Their Ceremony

Aw, so cute!

What a beautiful setting!

A shot of the reception after the guests went upstairs for dinner!

Details! Love details!

And THIS is what happens when a random intoxicated person gets a hold of my camera! She actually wanted Dino to let her use his professional camera, so I gave her my point-and-shoot! FUNNY! Voila... your Paparazzi for the day!!!

Tyler and Laura

Tyler and Laura's wedding took us to the heart of Oakland for a beautiful Heinz Chapel ceremony. This was my first time at this church, and I must say it went GREAT! We did a 3 camera shoot... with a secret camera on the alter (I asked permission for my sneakiness) that I am just thrilled about.

It was here though, that I ran into... almost literally... a great friend and AWESOME photographer Joanna Fassinger. I absolutely love to work with her, you never know what you're going to get into! After some quick shots at the church when the ceremony ended, we headed to the lawn outside, then to Phipps and finally to Le Mont for the reception.

We had a nice treat because it was a Sky Blast night at the Pirate game, so we got to see about 4 rounds of awesome fireworks! Tyler and Laura had a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding. The reception was fantastic and I thank you both for everything! Thanks to Joanna also for sending this amazing couple my way!!!

BEHOLD....

The FUTURE HOME OF DMB VIDEO!!!!

Its not much now, but it will be a 12x17 office/studio within our new home in Sarver, PA. We are so excited, and I know it isn't much to look at, but I still wanted to share!!!

The front of the house.

A short little video from my digital camera showcasing the office/studio portion of our home.
VERY SHORT!

Fall Specials!

Check out our fall special prices on our Package page. These are available to new clients only and deposit and contract must be postmarked before November 15th to qualify. HAPPY FALL!!!

Some food for thought...

I have had a rush of emails to my inbox recently asking on the progress of wedding videos... and NO I don't mind! I did, however want to share something with you to maybe help explain why its a couple of months before the videos are delivered. This pie chart was created by a colleague of mine and demonstrates the portion of time dedicated to each step of the process...

This chart shows how our time is divided up from start to finish. So, while we understand your excitement to receive your video, please understand ours excitement and satisfaction to deliver a DMB Video quality product to each and every client! Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have throughout the process, as we are happy to give updates, but as always, your patience is apprecitated!

Dave and Nicole

We headed to Irwin for the wedding of Dave and Nicole. The ceremony was located at Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. I got to work with Dino again... yay! Always a good day when working with Dino! Their ceremony went great (had to cross my fingers on the one camera angle, but hey, who doesn't take chances from time to time and it worked GREAT). After some shots at the church, we headed to White Oak Park. The photo session wasn't included in their wedding coverage, but sometimes I just can't resist a great bride and groom and a wonderful photographer!

Their reception was a Stratigos Banquet Centre in Irwin. I had only been here before once, for a bridal show. It was set up beautifully. Dan from 5th Ace was the DJ... we have worked with Dan before, and I must say this was Dan at his best! Although, he did something I had never seen before... literally stopped the bridal dance with a line half way to the door, and said it was over so he didn't have to restart the song again!? The grandparents were in line still and so were both the bride and groom's parents!? Not sure what that was all about but I know I wouldn't have been happy (hey, who knows, maybe they asked for it to be cut short). BUT... They had a blast and the dance floor was packed all night! Congrats Dave and Nicole!

We have arrived safely!!!

Well, after Sunday's wedding, I was informed by my husband that Monday is the official relocation day! So after hours of loading and moving and storing and loading more and all that fun stuff... HERE WE ARE! We got here Monday night and as of today, I am back online and ready to get back to work! Thanks for those of you who have tried to contact us in the past week for your patience!

One other spectacular update before I get to bed... our new house is almost up! I didn't get to see it, but my hubby went up today to our storage unit and swung by on his way home and all the walls are up and he was able to go throughout the house to check it out! UGH I can't wait to go on Thursday! Last time I was there (just Saturday), it was just a foundation! I will post pics or link you to our blog after Thursday... and you can officially see the new home of DMB Videography!

Pardon Our Dust!!

We are moving!!! DMB Video is in the process of relocating. The next few months will be a bit difficult for us, as we will be transitioning from one place to another. We will try to offer you the same smooth, efficient service we take pride in, however, we are asking for your patience as we relocate to a temporary location and then to our new place! Please contact us with any concern or questions you may have. The next 2 weeks may be difficult to reach us by phone, but please continue to email us.

Our new location will be in Sarver, PA... and I can't tell you how excited I am! We will have a studio/office... no more Panera meetings! It will be here that we will meet clients, edit your events, and create your memories on DVD. We are looking forward to offering a new look and standard of service to you and will share the progress of the relocation(s) as things happen! Thanks for your continued patience and understanding!

Nice to meet you!

Just wanted to write a quick note to all of the wonderful people we met yesterday at Cavanaugh's Bride Show in Pittsburgh. After our disasterous experience in the past with bridal shows, we never anticipated the huge success we had yesterday! For those who we did have a chance to talk to... even the 2010 brides... we look forward to hearing from you and helping to keep your memories for years to come! Don't forget about the coupons... we hope you enjoyed the chocolate too! Its funny... my husband is seriously considering going into the wrapped chocolate favor business. If you see this and are interested... let me know. We might be able to work something out. For those who were not present at the show... we handed out blue foil wrapped Hershey's bars with our logo on the front and a coupon on the back of the paper wrapper... and we had more comments on the candy bars than we did on our videos (you can see some of them in the pictures below)!

CONGRATULATIONS also to our winners of the iPod drawing. I am not able to post the name yet (pending permission), but they have been notified via email and phone. We are also in the process of contacting our winners of the Free Love Story's! Take care and thanks again!!!

Like a fish!!!

Well, its been a while since I have taken a minute to show anything personal to my bloggers... here you go! This is a video that I took on my cell phone of my peanut Benjamin at his swim lessons. He is 3 1/2 years old and I must say... quite the swimmer! About every other lesson he just cries and won't do anything, but when he decides he wants to try... this kid can do just about anything! I even tought him yesterday how to DIVE!

Swim Lessons - July 24, 2008

UPDATES!

Yes, bloggers, you will notice a huge increase of blog posts as of today... but I regret to inform you that my blogging is going to slow down dramatically! I am working diligently on wedding videos and just can't keep up. So my new rule is, I won't be blogging about a wedding until I have something to show you! Its only fair though, right. I can't just tell you about a great wedding and then weeks later post the video or something, because by then the post is buried in my blog and no one sees it! Thanks for you patience... back to work I go!

Buck & Paige - July 19, 2008

Yesterday took us to "the sticks" as I have called it before... actually toward Uniontown, PA for the wedding of Paige and Buck. I was incredibly excited for this day to come, because Paige hired us from her friend's wedding last year, so I knew, not only are Paige and Buck awesome to work with, but we'd have a little reunion with our past clients, Cristy and Chris!

Paige was just amazing and her gown... wow!!! Absolutely stunning!!! The girls looked great and, of course, the groom and his men were dashing! Their ceremony took place in a quaint little Methodist church and went off without a hitch. From there we did some pictures and headed to the reception at Lakeside. Gorgeous place!

We showed their Love Story during the entrance, right before our Bride and Groom came into the room. It went great! I love the reactions of the family and friends when they watch this... and this time I was standing around the bridal party to hear their fun comments about it! We also had prepared a Memorial Montage for Paige's dad who recently passed away. This was played after the Bridal Party dance, in place of the Father Daughter Dance. This was a very touching moment and I admire Paige for her strength and Buck for his unending support for her! These two had a spectacular day, from the gown to the cake, every single detail was perfect... even the 40 minute Bridal Dance!! Congratulations Buck and Paige and have fun in Antigua!!!

John & Kristen - July 12, 2008

John and Kristen's wedding took us to Beverly Heights Church - Mt. Lebanon, PA. We were there early to capture the preparations... which I love to do. I met John for the first time upstairs in the church, before heading down to meet Kristen! They were a wonderful couple. Both of them were so calm and easily to work with!

After the "getting ready" was over, upstairs we went for the ceremony. While we were filming the preparation, we had done some Wedding Party/Family Interviews. This group did fantastic! I have never seen so many people do so well in front of a camera!

The ceremony was beautiful and afterward, we went to Mt. Washington with the photographer, Bob Carrol, briefly for some photos before heading to Le Mont for the reception. Things went great and I was shocked to see how much fun the crowed was... the dance floor was packed! One minor glitch... the power went out, but they made the best of it! You can tell by looking at these two, just how in love they are! Congratulations!

Ben & Cristy - July 5th, 2008

This Fourth of July weekend lead us to Allison Park, PA for the wedding of Ben and Cristy. We had met with these two prior to the wedding for a Love Story Interview session and I was looking forward to the wedding! The ceremony took place at Memorial Park Church, and one really cool unique thing... Cristy had a 4th grade string orchestra play a song at the ceremony!! It was amazing! Our bride was radiant, groom handsome as can be... just a beautiful couple!

After the Ceremony, I headed with photographer, Steve Craddock of Preferred Photography Inc of Rochester NY, to Oakland for some photos. Then we arrived shortly after to the reception at The Magnolia Room in Creiton, PA. Beautiful location! I had only seen it from the outside in the past, but I was pleasantly surprised! The DJ was Craig Lawrence from Red Hot Chameleon, and he was a great person to work with and was a lot of fun! We attribute it to him that we stayed until the LAST DANCE for the FIRST TIME IN DMB VIDEOGRAPHY history!

Cristy and Ben had a great time and everything went off without a hitch. The guests love the Love Story that we played and once the party got started, the dance floor was packed! Congratulations to you both and thanks for making us a part of your special day!!!

Ceremony - Memorial Park Church - Allison Park, PA

Reception - The Magnolia Room - Creiton, PA

Photographer - Steve Craddock of Preferred Photography Inc - Rochester, NY

Pre Wedding Interviews - The Pittsburgh Zoo - Highland Park PA

DJ - Craig Lawrence from Red Hot Chameleon - Butler, PA

Tony & Stephanie - June 28th, 2008

Tony and Stephanie were married at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Mt. Lebanon. We arrived early and it was then that I had the pleasure of reuniting with a great photographer, R. Alan Adams . He had great talent and is an awesome person to work with.

I ran into the wedding party downstairs preparing. Stephanie's dress was gorgeous... very unique and her headpiece was one that we have never seen! Beautiful! They headed upstairs for the ceremony, which went great! They had already done photos before the ceremony, so off to the reception we went.

The reception was at The Renaissance in Pittsburgh. They came in to the room and went right into some fun Greek dancing. This was a fun group! The food... the fillet... was some of the best wedding food I have ever had! YUMMY! After dinner, I popped in for the cake cutting and off I went! They had a great day... hot with some nasty storms during the reception, but still perfect! Congrats to you, Tony and Stephanie!

Matthew & Kristin - June 20th, 2008

Yesterday, on a beautiful Friday afternoon in the town of Uniontown, PA, Matthew and Kristin were married. We arrived at the Holiday Inn on Rt. 40 at noon for some preparation shots of Kristin. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L... Kristin, her bridesmaids, her mom... wow they were all gorgeous! After everyone was ready to go, Matthew came to see his bride in the hotel. Then... after their magical moment together, we went off for some pictures.

The first place was Mt. Macrina and then to a Dolphi Funeral home... yes, a funeral home. But is was an awesome place for pictures and had wonderful backdrops! Pictures went great! The photographers were representing Bella Photography... which I'll probably blog about later.



But after photos, we headed to the ceremony at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church. Not a huge church, but beautiful. We did a 3 camera shoot, just because I knew in advance that they were doing a "crowning" and I had never done this before. Things went great, for the most part (minus one photographer blocking my "money shot" purposely during their vows)... down the aisle they came, husband and wife, and off to the reception we went.


This wedding had our first Love Story of the year. We got set up, and worked things out with DJ Brian Rockwell... he was great to work with! The bridal party entered, the love story was displayed and then in came our bride and groom. They had a great time, from their fox trot (first dance) to the extremely long and energetic bridal dance. Congratulations Matthew and Kristin and have fun in Sedona!

Buck & Paige - Pre Wedding Interviews

Well, we were fortunate enough today to not have a wedding on this dreary, rainy day... but that doesn't mean we had the day off! We headed to... actually I have no clue where we were... for the Pre Wedding Interviews of Buck and Paige! They were referred to me by a past client (Christy and Christopher) and I can't wait until their wedding day!!!

So back to the story... I Google Mapped a little park in the middle of nowhere that Paige had suggested to me, called Ten Mile Creek Park. Upon arriving, we learned that the pavilions that we had intended on using were reserved and it was raining, so no chance of doing this at the park. We then decided to give their front porch a whirl! It worked great, with a beautiful view of the river behind them as we went through the interviews.

Now our "play" time was restricted by rainfall, but we did the best we could. After a little Crown for Buck and Vodka for Paige... These two did EXCELLENT! I was debating on having Buck do an extra shot or something during our interview session, but a few questions in, he loosened up and gave me excellent answers to work with!

Shawn & Kaitlin - June 7th, 2008

Well... the "Biggest Wedding Day of the Year" has come and passed. We had the privilege of working with Shawn and Kaitlin for this day (6-7-08) and we couldn't have asked for a better couple! Their day, too, was hot and steamy, but we all made it through just fine... after some technical difficulties due to the heat! I arrived at the Sheraton in Station Square to shoot some of Kaitlin's preparation shots. It was here that I ran into Sunny Carney, the photographer. Sunny was great to work with, as was her assistant.

We then headed up to Epiphany Church in Downtown Pittsburgh. Its a huge beautiful church... but the air conditioner was broken, so it was a little warm! Our stunning bride, Kaitlyn came down to meet her handsome groom, Shawn... and as they say, the rest is history!

Photos at the church ended and we headed to Mt. Washington... the place where Shawn proposed to Kaitlin. After Kaitlin got a shower... WAIT WHAT!? Yes, as we were pulling out of the church parking lot, the Trolly's air conditioner drained all of the condensation all over our beautiful Kaitlin!!! But, she came out looking just as beautiful as ever... and maybe a little cooled off! Up to Mt. Washington... out for some pictures... and then we were done! We hopped back into the Trolley and off to the reception at the Sheraton we went! They had the Reflection room set up for cocktail hour and the next room over for dinner. It was beautiful! They went through the "events", ate dinner and then the dancing began! This was such a FUN group of people! Shawn never left the dance floor... that makes for a GREAT time! Here's to you... Shawn and Kaitlin!!!! Congrats on an amazing wedding!!!!

Sam & Sara - June 6th, 2008

am and Sara's wedding took place on a Friday afternoon in the Carnegie area. They were married at a quaint little church called Old St. Lukes. This church had a lot of character, but wow was it difficult for us. There were a lot of guests and not much room, but as always, we made it through!! Lenny and I arrived at the church early and had the honor of meeting Paul and Cindy Meyer, the photographers. I had heard great things about them and was looking forward to working with them! They lived up to my expectations! They were very welcoming and awesome people, both to work with and to just talk to!

After some stuff with Sam and the guys, Sara and the girls showed up... beautiful and radiant! It was a steamy hot day but that didn't stop them from smiling! Down the aisle she went and the ceremony was over in a matter of 20 minutes... give or take. It was a very nice ceremony. We headed outside with Paul and did some outdoor photos with them... actually in a graveyard next to the church... but it looked great!

Their reception took place at the Club at Nevillewood. It was set up beautifully. Dan, from 5th Ace Entertainment was the DJ for the evening and we had a great time with him as well. After some of the formalities, more pictures and a great evening, we packed up and headed home. Lenny and I thank you, Sam and Sara for letting us be a part of your special day! Congrats to you and Best wishes! (Please feel free to leave your comments to Sam and Sara or DMB Video below!!!)

Yay Lenny for an awesome Unity Candle shot! I couldn't even see it from my angle!

The Kiss!!!

A cool ring shot with her gorgeous bouquet in the back

First dance... getting a little creative cause we had 2 cameras so I could "play"

Sam was desperately trying to get Sara to take her flowers so I didn't get a shot of him holding them! Sorry Sam... Had to do it!

Bill & Jill - May 31st 2008

The wedding of Bill and Jill took us out to Washington, PA. The ceremony took place at the Immaculate Conception Parish. Lenny and I set up first as we awaited the arrival of the Bride and Groom. In the mean time we bumped into our great friend and photographer, Dino Bovo. Its always a great day when working with Dino and this day proved to be the case... we had a blast with Dino and things went so smoothly throughout. Bill and the guys showed up as we were doing some outside shots of the church. What a handsome bunch! Bill and his groomsmen were great... lots of energy in this group! Then I headed downstairs for a brief moment with our bride. Jill looked amazing. She was just glowing and wow was her dress just stunning. It had just a hint of sparkly beads throughout and I loved it!

The ceremony went off without a hitch and the two came back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. What a great couple they are! After some shots with the family at the church, we headed out to the limo. Just in time, before the rain came!

As they went for some more photos with Dino, we headed to the reception at Washington & Jefferson College and bet DJ Greg McAtee (yes, the traffic guy), representing Entertainment Unlimited. He was great to work with and was a lot of fun! The ballroom looked great and was decorated beautifully. The room was good to hold about 220 and Bill and Jill actually had more like 270 so it was a tight fit, but manageable! So in came the bridal party, into a cute first dance and then the cutting of the cake. Next came one of the most memorable moments I have had this far at a wedding!!!


Wow that took guts! Jill also danced to a great song with her dad... and its one that I am going to keep in mind for our daughter. It was called "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. Congratulations to Bill and Jill for an awesome day and Best Wishes for an even more awesome marriage! Thanks for sharing your day with us!

Bill and Jill - love the unity candle shot!

An action shot from their adorable first dance!

Cake cutting time!

My new favorite "ring shot" - but Dino gets credit for this one!!! Thanks Dino!!

Damian and Ali - Video Posted!

Scroll down to Damian and Ali's wedding (May 17th) for a preview of their wedding intro. This piece will be used as an introduction to the ceremony at the very beginning of the DVD. Enjoy!

Linwood and Ellen - May 25th 2008

Today was the wedding of Ellen and Linwood. They were married at the Ethnan Temple in Wilkinsburg. I had not met Ellen or Linwood prior to their wedding date, so I was very excited for them to arrive. I met Linwood first as I was putting the mic on him and wishing him luck. Then the beautiful Ellen arrived downstairs. Wow what a breathtaking bride! He gown was amazing and Ellen herself was just glowing!

It was here that I met the photographers from Brian Michaels Photography. The ceremony went very well and was very special... and it was completely okay that it started almost 40 minutes late... no one minded! My only disappointment on my end, was when the 2 photographers darted up the center aisle during the kiss and the announcement of the couple, completely blocking any shot I could have had. This, folks, is why we run a minimum of 2 cameras for ceremonies... I just hope the 2nd camera saved me here!

Off to the Chadwick I went after the ceremony and I bumped into a friend and excellent DJ, Jeremy Ganss! We had quite a bit of time to chat while we were waiting for the happy couple to arrive. And I got to check out his new little tripod that I had read about in his blog... its every bit as cool as he said it was! Again, Jeremy was dressed with class and ready to give these people a very tasteful and entertaining evening... that's just Jeremy doing what Jeremy does best!

I was at the reception long enough to capture their entrance, right into the first dance (WHAT A COOL FIRST DANCE... look for a clip of this one!) and the toasts. I was actually bummed to leave, as Ellen was going to be changing into an African Dress, and I can only imagine how beautiful it was. Hopefully Jeremy will have some pics (Jeremy?). But what a beautiful day they had and what a wonderful couple they are. Thanks so much Ellen and Linwood.... CONGRATULATION!

Linwood seeing his beautiful bride for the first time!

Ellen and her dad

Ellen and Linwood lighting their unity candle

The beautiful reception at the Chadwick before guests arrived

Cutting the cake

The amazing first dance... wow these two are great!

Congratulations and Best Wishes... Look for a video soon!

Anthony and Beth - May 24th 2008

On this very special Memorial Day weekend, I had the honor of working with some wonderful people! Saturday, Beth and Anthony were married at Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church. I arrived and began to set up my equipment after speaking to the Reverend. The rules were definitely one of the tightest we have dealt with, but with that said, I also think Rev. Bruce Pedersen was very reasonable in his requests. We used 3 cameras, just in case... with one on the alter, one to the side and myself with the 3rd in the back. I met up with Anthony and the guys briefly and then I went to find Beth. Oh my goodness what a beautiful bride!!! I love that she looked very natural, her hair, though gorgeous, was simply done and her makeup reflected the true "her".

After all the pre wedding "stuff" we headed in for the ceremony. It was a very special ceremony and I love that the Reverend even got people to laugh a bit. The photographer (all 3 of them!) were represented by Melody Farrin Photography - who is due to have a baby in 3 weeks! It was funny, when I hear that 3 photographers will be present, I typically get nervous, but they were wonderful to work with and I think we all did great together.

They headed off after the ceremony for some professional photos, and I headed to Bella Sera for the reception. WOW is this place cool! It was decorated beautifully and the food was excellent. I still wish I could have had more of that pasta... and it was only the 1st of 5 courses! Beth and Anthony and the wedding party entered from a balcony above and then went into their first dance. They really are beautiful people, and the love between them was just radiating from them all day!!! They had a band that was really good, and it was a nice change from your typical wedding DJ. They were Jeff Jimerson & Airborne (Jeff sings the national anthem for the Penguin Games!). The day was wonderful, the people, especially our bride and groom, had a blast, and all in all, I'd say their day was perfect. Thanks Beth and Anthony for letting us share in your special day!

Every now and again...

I get the honor of working with some truly amazing people and I have the opportunity to create something unique. In April, I was contacted by a wonderful woman named DaniElle had contacted me about creating a photo montage for her mother's 80th birthday. While we don't specialize in this sort of thing, I accepted the task with open arms. I met up with her husband to pick up the photos and got to work scanning them in right away. As I worked, I learned a lot about this entire family and the wonderful relationships they have. Her mother and father are one of the cutest, happiest couples I have seen, and their 8 children are all so beautiful and unique in their own ways. It amazed me how much I felt like I knew them all! When it was finished, I called DaniElle and talked with her about about the completed project. She was excellent to work with and I just felt like I have known her for years. Because things were rushed (I received the photos on Tuesday and completed it for Saturday), I was nervous that things would be more difficult. BUT it turned out great and the family loved it. Here is a link to check it out...

Shirley's 80th Birthday Montage

Then yesterday, I received a phone call from Dawn (all of the children have the initials "D" "E" - cool huh?), one of DaniElle's older sisters. They would now like me to create another montage for their dad for Father's Day. As I was talking to Dawn, she was explaining to me that her dad is in the early stages of dementia and they wanted to create a wonderful montage that he could appreciate. As she was in tears, so was I! I understand how tough it is to see someone so close suffer from such a difficult disease! My Pappy passed 6 years ago, after suffering for years with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. I am very honored to be a part of helping to create so many happy memories for this family!!!

So today, I received in the mail the photos for her dad's montage. WOW! I thought I had learned almost everything about them before, but these are all new photos with the family and they are every bit as spectacular!!! This family has inspired me to try to stay closer to the little family that I have. With 8 brothers and sisters, they are always together, spending time and enjoying one another... what an amazing family they are! I will post Dad's Montage when it is done and I thank you... the entire family... for the inspiration to do something different in my line of work and to cherish each day with my family!!!

Matt and Kristin Pre-Wedding Interviews

It was a "wild" weekend... both days we founds ourselves at the Pittsburgh Zoo!!! Today it was for Matt and Kristin's pre-wedding interviews. I always let my brides/grooms select their location for these, and I was thrilled when Kristin had emailed asking what I thought about shooting theirs at the zoo!! After postponing a few weeks ago due to chilly weather, we rescheduled for today... with a 60% chance of thunderstorms and a high in the upper 50's! Go figure!

But these two were troupers and we made the best of it! As we all arrived, the sun actually peaked out and it didn't rain until we were almost done! YAY! We did some cool stuff in the beginning and throughout the zoo. I interviewed both Matt and Kristin separately... Matt was in front of the elephants and giraffes and Kristin was by the bears. They both did great with the actual interview part, as well as our "play time" through the zoo! We finished up with some really cool stuff in the aquarium and then taped a little with the two of them together in front of the polar bears. At this point it was sprinkling with a dark cloud looming near by... so we called it quits! It actually took a little over 2 hours, with one stop for a bite to eat, but we also had to pause several times for zoo visitors. All in all, things went great! I just got done downloading the video and I must say I am more impressed than I thought I'd be! Thanks so much Kristin and Matt!!! I can't wait till your wedding on June 20th!!! See you then!

Now for some pics! These were all pulled from their video!!! This is going to be so much fun to edit!

Hangin' with the zebras...

Love this video through the "Sea Dragon" tank!!!

Kristin and one of her favorites... the turtles! (sorry Kristin - no groundhogs at the zoo!)

What a fun couple!! And look how in love they are!

Jellies!!!

Thanks again Kristin and Matt, you were GREAT!

Damian and Ali - May 17th 2008

The wedding of Damian and Ali kicked off the 2008 wedding season... and what a cool wedding it was. I arrived at the church early to set up. They were married at St. Sylvester's Parish on Brownsville Road. It was here that I ran into a good friend, Dino Bovo, their photographer. We had a quick chat, then got back to business. After placing a camera on the balcony, I met up with Damian and the guys for some pre ceremony stuff. Then I headed downstairs to see if our bride, Ali had arrived, and there she was... as stunning as can be! I worked a little with Ali, but took it easy on her, as she was a tad nervous for her big day!

So the ceremony began, and was beautiful. I just love Damian's reaction when Ali walked down the aisle. She was breathtaking and he as in tears. One of those "magical moments" we love in our business. They did great through their vows and rings, ect and "ta-da", they were pronounced husband and wife! Despite the pre-wedding nerves, Ali was amazing!

After some interviews with the wedding party and family... off to the reception we went. The wedding reception was in the PPG Aquarium. What a unique venue! Cocktails took place up on the balcony, while guests strolled around, looking at the sights. Then dinner took place in the larger area down below. Dino and I did some catching up (it'd been a while!) upstairs in the "classroom" for dinner, and headed back after a quick bite to eat. The cake, not sure who made it, but it was beautiful. I didn't have a chance to taste it, but it sure looked good when Ali and Damian cut it!

The day was great, and even a little rainfall couldn't stop these two and their love for one another... CONGRATS DAMIAN AND ALI!!! Hope you had a wonderful honeymoon...

Enjoy these photos!!!

Damian watching his bride coming down the aisle...'Nuf Said

And Ali, being escorted by her dad

The kiss.

Neat pic of their cake... with some cool color effects in my new camera :)

The table settings, before many guests arrived

The happy couple entering the receptionA toast to the bride and groom!

Best Wishes!

Happy Mother's Day!

As a Brennan Tradition, we headed to Schenley Park this morning for the Race for the Cure. This is one of the most inspiring things that we do. To witness this number of people coming out to support the cure for breast cancer is just overwhelming. We got there kind of late this year and didn't get a chance to walk around to the booths. Its amazing with 2 kids we made it in time for the Race! We walked all 5k, pushing the double stroller. Then it started... rain the last mile or so! Its okay, we toughed it out cause "Mommy of the Year" forgot umbrella's or ponchos!! Hehe, I can't even get it right on Mother's Day!!!

We hit up Denny's in Monroeville on the way home for a yummy after-race breakfast. For the rest of the day... RELAXIN!!

If you were at the race today... we'd love to see your photos! Email them to us at contactus@dmbvideopgh.com and we'll post them here! Let us know who's in them too!!!

Here are ours!

Caitlyn (loving her lollipop) and Me

Me and the Kids! (Benjamin and Caitlyn)
Lenny and the kids!
The DMB Video TEAM!!! (Lenny and Dawn)