Tyler & Natalie | A Detroit Wedding Film
It started off rainy and foggy on this January day. As a filmmaker or photographer, a cloudy day isn’t as depressing as it seems to the general public. It makes for the softest of light and most importantly, is the most flattering light. Rain is always something that can hinder the process of a wedding day, whether it’s moving outdoor locations inside, worrying about hair & makeup, or trying to keep your gear dry, it’s something that many vendors dread. Who knew it was going to rain in the middle of January in Michigan?
Despite the conditions outside, we were going to make the best of it. The day started off with Tyler and Natalie, as well as their bridal party, getting ready, at the always beautiful Atheneum Hotel in Detroit. Elegant interiors with beautiful city views always make for such gorgeous photo & video opportunities.
A letter & gift exchange started the day off with some of the first tears (that we know of ). This is where we, as tellers of their love story, really get a feel for the day. We get a small glimpse into the relationships within the family & friends. We’re able to understand how the emotions of the day will be running, and that’s when we knew that this was going in a good direction.
Onward to the ceremony! This is what I dread the most, of course not about the beautiful commitment that’s about to take place, rather the hectic sequence of events that will have to take place before we are able to capture the ceremony. For video purposes, we typically set up 3-4 cameras in different areas for the best coverage.
We then have to make sure that there are plenty of audio sources running for redundancy related issues. That means we usually have 3-4 sources of audio running via lapel mics & portable recorders grabbing the PA systems audio. Not to mention the 3-4 cameras’ internal audio. Needless to say, it’s CHAOTIC.
The moment Natalie came down the aisle, our (or at least mine) nerves seemed to go away. Tyler’s expressions helped us to realize that what we were capturing was such a beautiful thing, and that is all I could focus on at that moment. I can’t tell you how many times I rewatched the clip of Tyler seeing Natalie for the first time, it’s burned into my retinas :)
The ceremony was now finished and we started to make our way towards the city center. Weather dependent, we wanted to take advantage of the soft light we had outside, thankfully the rain had cleared up by then! We landed ourselves in Midtown, a lovely big sidewalk with warm and inviting string lights. The contrast of the warm lights with the cold outdoor setting made for gorgeous captures.
Making our way back to the Atheneum for the reception, we had to think of what we wanted to capture next. Our typical move is to start setting up audio and lighting for the toasts to follow. As we were setting up the reception area, we were snagged to go up to the roof of the Atheneum for “Blue Hour” which is right after sunset. Not expecting much since it was a cloudy day, my mind was blown when we arrived at the rooftop with the photographers, and Tyler & Natalie.
The sky was full of nothing but huge snowflakes and the city lights being dispersed through the flakes themselves. It was one of the most peaceful and beautiful things I’ve seen in quite some time. Not a moment was wasted, we started shooting right away, knowing that time was of the essence with toasts starting soon.
The toasts began to start, Natalie’s father started off by using Tyler as a mic stand and having him hold the mic while he spoke. His speech was full of emotion, despite him letting us know upfront that he’s not known as the “emotional” type. The speeches continued on with the maid of honor & the best man, they were filled with nothing but laughter and beautiful sentiments towards Tyler & Natalie.
I don’t want to give everything away, so please, enjoy Tyler & Natalie’s wedding film!
