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)