Push play and watch this, it will make you smile.

A wedding flashmob is so much fun! Rita and Jason know how to live it up.

Like this wedding? You have to see the photos: http://figweddings.net/chicago-weddings/rita-jason/

 

 

 

DJ + PHOTO + FILMS = Weddings Under One Roof 

Fig deejays + Spotify = musical bliss. Check out this new mix by deejay megan taylor. Click image to listen.

 

 

photo by Brian Carey

 

Exclusive interview with Fig Media, Inc. Director of Sales and Business Development, Andrew Ettenhofer.

 

A wedding is more than just a venue, menu, and flowers. Every aspect of your special day is a direct representation of you and your partner and the life you are about to begin together. We talked to Andrew Ettenhofer, Director of Sales at Fig Media, Inc. and wedding expert. With more than 10 years of experience in the biz, he spoke not only about the importance of having a wedding with a purpose, but also how to do it.

“Everything we do is meaningful,” said Ettenhofer. And your wedding should be too. It’s more than just a party with food, music, and booze. “If you’re going through the time, energy, love and sweat of having a wedding and committing to someone for the rest of your life- that’s a pretty meaningful act. Everything you do that is associated with that should be meaningful.”

The first question to ask is ‘what is important to you?’ The more something means to you, the more excited you will be about it, and the more you are willing to fight for certain elements. If that means you have to have the lemon chicken taste just like your mother’s, make the extra effort to get the recipe to your caterer. If the elements of your wedding mean more to you, you must be more direct with your vendors, tell them exactly what you want and what is going to work for you.

It can even start with the venue. Choosing a venue can be one of the first big hurdles a couple must face while planning a wedding. The date, location, season, and style all reflect a lot on the couple and their personal style and tastes. It is also a decision of compromise between the couple. “You must focus on the basics,” said Ettenhofer, “what is important, what is non-negotiable, and what are you willing to compromise on.”

A very meaningful part of your wedding is your guest list. “Make sure all the guests will support you and your partner through thick and thin, that’s the purpose of even having guests, to witness the ceremony and to help you uphold your vows. They’re not just audience members,” said Ettenhofer. So when you’re thinking of your guest list, make sure you are choosing people who are meaningful to you and will witness your vows in real life, as a couple. This is the community of your wedding. Also, “if you educate your guests on why the elements are meaningful to you, they will be more meaningful to them as well,” Ettenhofer pointed out.

“Purpose is a lining- as a couple you have a purpose.” The event should reflect why you are getting married and how you are better together than apart. Here are some important tips from our expert about how to reflect your meaning at your wedding:

• The couple should be aligned behind a common purpose
• Remember: the wedding is a very meaningful act, everything should reflect that
• Do whatever you want, enjoy yourself, and enjoy being with your new partner throughout the entire evening
• Build plans and strategies to make the day more relaxing
• Unload your anxiety before the wedding to be able to enjoy it more
• Stay connected with your partner throughout the party. You want to enjoy it together
• Remember why you’re doing it

Throughout all the hustle and bustle of planning a wedding, remember that this is YOUR special day, and it should reflect the values, principles, interests, and love of you and your partner.

 

 

photo by Tim Musho

 

 

Fig resident DJ Megan Taylor tells all about how to pick the best tunes for your big day.

A deejay is a great way to include all of your favorite songs into your wedding and reception and it is important to communicate with him or her to make the music sound exactly how you imagined. What does it take to make your music special? We asked fig resident deejay, Megan Taylor, for some insight on what couples can do to help her make their wedding rock. “Some couples are very specific about what songs they want, others have me be creative for them, either way it is important to know what both the bride and groom listen to,” says Taylor. She suggests making a list of your favorite songs- easier said than done. The best way to make a list is to keep it on your phone, and add to it as you hear your favorite songs on the radio or your iPod. There are even smart phone apps such as Shazam, which listen to and identify the song you are listening to and make a playlist off of songs you hear.

Even more important is the music you don’t want to hear. Can’t stand Ke$ha? Cringe at the chicken dance? A list of “do not plays” not only ensures you don’t hear your most-dreaded, but also gives the deejay a better sense of what she should play.

Each part of your reception is going to have a different mood and the music. Taylor suggests imagining the reception in three parts and picking songs that can contribute to the mood to each part. “The cocktail hour is exciting. Guests are in a celebratory mood and haven’t talked to each other in a long time. They’re excited to see the newlyweds. The music should be upbeat, yet still background music.” The dinner should sound slower and romantic to set the mood. It should feel special and romantic. And then comes the dancing- “I read the guests’ moods and bring it up” says Taylor.

Many factors go into the feel of the party, and it is the deejay’s duty to match that feel. “I look at atmosphere first. The location has a lot to do with judging the feel of the party as well,” says Taylor. A reception at a traditional hotel will have a different mood then one say, outside at the beach. “The guests, attire, and age of the reception all go into it too- but most importantly it’s what the clients are expecting.” So the more you share with your deejay, the more “you” the music will be on your big day.

Your deejay knows she’s doing her job when everyone is dancing. “The Fig Media style of deejaying is using music to get everyone on the dance floor and having an amazing time, no matter what the event.” A good deejay knows a range of music, and can read a crowd. This builds confidence within the guests and gives the deejay an idea of what will make the crowd really freak out. “That’s when it gets really fun- when it’s not so programmed,” says Taylor.

On your wedding day, the music should have just as much of your personality as the menu or the table settings. A professional and experienced deejay, with insights from you will ensure a grooving reception. “A deejay is only successful if the couple is happy,” says Megan Taylor. So whether you love the Top 40, or have a thing for line dances, communication with your deejay is key to having the music of your dreams at the wedding of your dreams.

For more information about Fig Media and DJ Megan Taylor, go to figweddings.net

Article by: Jenny Steier

 

photo by Brian Carey

17 years. That is the age of the fig films wedding archive. This short is a compilation from the archive of silent wedding films shot in Chicago between 1993 and 2010. Using vintage Super8 cameras, fig filmmakers create these vintage silent shorts for Chicago couples. The film has an original score titled: On this Day by fig composer/musician Eric Hillman.

“On this day, I was inspired by the timeless quality of the footage. It has such rich emotion and joy represented on the faces of the people. I wanted to capture that with the score.” ~Eric Hillman

Super8 film was released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak. It is the equivalent of what a camcorder is to video today.

The film is a reversal film, meaning it eliminated the need for an expensive work print off of the negative, making it an attractive medium for filmmakers, artists and family documentarians to create films. Reversal film has an emulsion that can be processed to create the work print on the same strip of film. Later adopted by Fugifilm and Polaroid.

Adopted by filmmakers like Oliver Stone and used in films like The Doors, Natural Born Killers, Nixon, U Turn, and JFK this silent film format is still alive today. Super8 film festivals are held in both the US and the UK. Festivals like Flicker Film Festival and Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival.

Fig films adopted this medium to shoot weddings for its timeless feeling. Offering an artistic and traditional option to couples.

Find out more about our wedding films at www.figweddings.net.

Got you is a short fashion film created by the team at fig weddings for Style Down the Aisle on August 31st 2011 @ The Sofitel Chicago. The story brings to life the emotions, couple and fashions of a Chicago couple. The film will screen privatley for the event and then be submitted to festivals for the 2011-2012 season.

Sany and Travis. 4.30.11 @ Nactional 27.

Once upon a time, fig met Christine and Jared.

They were in love. We were in love with them.

We photographed their engagement. We photographed and filmed their wedding.

They moved to Vancouver. We shed a tear.

Two years later, Christine mentions she is pregnant. We jumped for joy!

They flew in to Chicago to photograph the bump with us.

We had a blast taking the bump around the city.

Photos here. Photos there. Photos everywhere.

The wedding was only the beginning.

Flip through Christine and Jared’s Storybook below to see their Baby Bump session.

Let us document your  next chapter through photography. Call us for more information. 773.338.1334

fig weddings photographers and filmmakers are now part of The Bridal Team!

We are honored to work with such a great line up of artists. Check out a sneak peek of the new AD shot by fig photographer Billy Rood as seen above.

Stewart Talent launches The Bridal Team
CHICAGO, IL, June 13, 2011 – Stewart Talent announces the launch of The Bridal Team, a boutique agency that represents top hair stylists, makeup artists, photographers and videographers for weddings and special events. Our artists and photographers have years of experience working with top models, celebrities and brides across the country. We create the perfect team for each bride that will deliver beautiful photographs that last after their wedding day ends.
The Bridal Team is based in Chicago, IL and provides teams of artists for brides in the Chicagoland and surrounding areas. Our artists are also available to travel for weddings across the country and for destination weddings. The Bridal Team only represents the top hair stylists, makeup artists and photographers in the industry. Our team’s professionalism and creativity are what set us apart from other companies. You can find out more information at www.TheBridalTeamChicago.com.
The Bridal Team’s artists work closely with models from Factor Women and Chosen Management, two of the top fashion modeling agencies in Chicago. Our parent company has represented artists and models in the Chicago market for over 30 years and are looking forward to providing our professional and talented artists to the bridal industry.

Contact Information: The Bridal Team 58 W. Huron Chicago, IL 60657 312-572-6116

www.TheBridalTeamChicago.com
Contact: Breanne Failor
breannef@TheBridalTeamChicago.com

Credits for the Above Image

gaffer: jordan balderas • grip: ryan gasser • Location: benz studios • hair: rebekah corley • makeup: sharon casey • model: jemme with Factor women • gown available at vera wang chicago

 

“Going green” has been a global trend that’s seen resurgent popularity in the last few years, and it has reached the world of weddings. Just as there are many unresolved questions about how best to help the planet, so are there many misconceptions about green or eco-friendly weddings. For example, some couples may worry about the prices of organic food, the “hippie” stigma that comes along with eco-friendly events, or the extra effort it takes to make sure all facets of the special day are coherent with a green philosophy. However, in many ways eco-friendly weddings can be incredibly cost-effective and rewarding if planned correctly. Take Fig’s Director of Sales and Development Andrew Ettenhofer. His wedding was in September and it featured many green elements. In fact, the slogan for the wedding was “Big impact on our guests, not on the environment!”

One can start implementing eco-friendly ideas fairly early in the whole wedding planning process. “We sent out electronic ‘Save the Date’ notices and our invitations and envelopes were made of seeded paper that the guests could plant and grow into wildflowers,” Ettenhofer said. Electronic save-the-dates are a great way to cut costs and be green. You can also make invitations from recycled paper. Minted offers great recycled options.

Picking a venue that supports environmental consciousness is a great way to give back to the environment at your wedding. Many beautiful outdoor locations, such as the Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Botanical Gardens, are either non-profit organizations or support conservation efforts. It is also important to stay local instead of jetting guests off somewhere for a destination location; this decreases the overall carbon footprint. The Ettenhofers held their wedding in Spring Green, WI, which is a hub for sustainable and green ideals. In conjunction with a local venue, it is environmentally conscious to have the food catered from local vendors and growers. “We had all locally-grown farm food. All the vegetables were either from our caterer’s farm or from our officiant…who happened to be an organic farmer, too. The organic meat came from a company called Black Earth. Almost all the food was from within a 20 mile radius of the location,” Ettenhofer said.

Decorating a wedding can get expensive, but eco-friendly options can be both stylish and personalized. At many green weddings, flowers are often purchased locally and then given to the guests at the end of the night. Vintage fabrics are used for tablecloths and materials for centerpieces range from bamboo and branches to living plants and homemade décor. Ettenhofer’s wedding featured candles in borrowed canning jars and a gift for the guests. “We repotted herbs and used them as table centerpieces so that our guests could take them home,” Ettenhofer said.

The most important thing to keep in mind when planning a green wedding is the reason why you are doing. Surprisingly, many less-obvious reasons lead to eco-friendly weddings. Ettenhofer said a low impact wedding made sense in a lot of ways for his fiancée and him. “It was important to us to be low-maintenance. We cared about these things before the wedding. Good, fresh food has always been important to me, and having a wedding like this was both doable and cost-effective,” Ettenhofer said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After it was all said and done, here are Ettenhofer’s top ten tips for planning a green wedding:

1. Pick caterers that use local farmers and vendors. The food should be organic and wholesome (no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or genetically modified foods). If meat is part of the meal then consider the animals (humane treatment, pasture raised, anti-biotic free, grass-fed). This also means if you love fresh tomatoes, don’t get married in May. Local food has seasons! Pick a caterer that has eco-solutions for leftover food like donating it to a homeless shelter.

2. Use less paper. Do electronic Save the Dates. Eliminate RSVPs cards – just have guests email you. It’s easier and faster to track guest counts this way anyway. Use online systems like Google Docs to organize your planning and lists, which then will make it easier to share with others…and less paper!

3. Choose conscious vendors. Are they good to their employees? Do they have a recycling program? What are their green policies and philosophies? Any certifications?

4. Use local flowers instead of the stuff that gets shipped across the globe. Use plants instead of flowers, so that they can be reused. Both efforts will significantly diminish your carbon footprint.

5. Think about the aftermath. Will your décor be thrown away or is there a way to recycle? It’s extremely wasteful to have something “pretty” for just one day, and then it’s discarded. This goes for dresses and tuxedoes, too. Look for ways to use borrowed items.

6. Make it convenient for your guests. For example, have our hotels, ceremony and reception in walking distance (and, again, consider your vendors – how green is your hotel and transportation company). Encourage carpooling.

7. Use low-efficiency lights or candles for décor. Less electric usage, the better…

8. Tell your guests you don’t need wedding gifts wrapped, or try to get them to use recycled paper.

9. Tell your guests early on your desires to have a green wedding. Get them on board, educate them, and it’ll typically lead to more meaningful conservations. It can also lead to more collaboration and better ideas.

10. Make this a part of your marriage for the rest of your life and not just a neat or trendy thing to do at your wedding!

 

Photography by Brian Carey and Tim Musho of figphoto.net

There are many websites that aid couples in the planning of their green weddings. Check out EcoWedding and the Nation Green Pages for more information about eco-friendly weddings.

Research sources: Earthfriendlywedding.blogspot.com, Eco-beautifulweddings.com, Blog.weddingwire.com.

 

As seen @ The Evening of Bridal Luxury 2011.

“The triple threat of weddings. {deejay.films.photography} ” ~ Amy Allen, CS Brides Magazine.

Tag yourself in our facebook gallery below, view the fashion film that screened at the event and download fig deejay Megan Taylor’s mix from the night; Vibrant Bliss.

Vibrant Bliss 3 by djmegtaylor

Want to know more?

Visit our site @ www.figweddings.net

Follow us on twitter @figweddings.

On February 20, 2011 CS held its annual Evening of Bridal Luxury. Each year, Vera Wang Chicago presents the designers current collection fresh from New York. This year, the event was held at the Trump International Towers and sponsors of the event included, Dom Perignon, Hefferenan Morgan and Belle Vie

Bridal Couture. The event benefits Bright Pink; an organization that advocates for women’s health. In addition to providing deejay, photography and film for the event fig produced an editorial fashion film with the help of all those involved in the event.

It’s a pro-bono project that gives everyone a chance to work together and stretch creatively. Shot on location at The Trump International Towers Chicago two weeks before the event; the story is about a bride waiting for her wedding in the spaces of the Trump hotel. The dress: Romona Keveza. The champagne: Dom Perignon. The fig team is grateful for the opportunity and all those who dedicated time and resources to make The Watchtower. (see credits below)

If you did not make it out to the event, you can check out the film below and check back with us to see our coverage of the event soon.

A fig films production. executive producers; james and michele gustin. director; melissa martens. creative director; billy rood. photography; brian carey. 2nd camera assistant.rajesh bhagirat. production assistants; reilly gill. edouard pierre. original music score: eric hillman. Model;Factor Women: emily marinelli. Stylist; jessi sheehan.Belle Vie Bridal Couture. Designer; romona keveza. Hair and Makeup, lauren frenden. Shot on location at Trump International Tower Chicago, grace kaufman, cyndi roppolo-rosenberg. Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, kimberly burt. Floral: nikki lee, Heffernan Morgan.

Special thanks to Calument Photo Chicago.

editorial preview; photography by brian carey/ figphoto.net

~ by Michele Gustin

How do you tell a good dj company from a great dj company?

We recommend you ask these questions to find out.  See Below.

 

1. How long have you been in business?

2. Are you fully insured and what does that mean?

3. What venues do you work in regularly?

4. Are you on the referral lists at these venues? What venues/planners/agencies/individuals refer you?

5. What distinctions do you make regarding a wedding reception crowd?

6. How do you assess the specific music tastes of the couple and integrate them with their invited guests?

7. Do you play the music requested at a reception? Will you play the music I request at my party? Will you not play the music I don’t want played at my party?

8. Do you have back up equipment?

9. What is your back up plan for emergencies?

10. What is your experience with creating and or executing timelines?

11. Do you tailor your microphone persona and or demeanor to fit the style of the event?

12. Are your DJs full time employees or subcontractors?

13. What is the experience level of your DJs and what is your training like?

14. What if I don’t like the DJ after I meet him/her?

15. Do you drive the agenda and work closely with my vendors?

16. Do you do site visits and vendor walk throughs when scheduled or attend ceremony rehearsals if providing the music?

17. What is your alcohol policy?

18. What other costs are associated with you doing my wedding or reception?

19. Who is your competition in town?

20. Why are you better or worse than your competition?

21. How would you sequence my specific event?

22. What principles do you orient to as a company? During the event? After the event?

23. Tell me about flow.

It’s always hard to choose an image for our ads from the weddings we shoot.

This year we chose Lorien and Chad. See their story below.

Fig clients Chad and Lorien gave up their 4th row tickets for game one- to get married. The wedding had already been planned. Not to fear, fig photogs (Brian Carey and James Gustin) had the bright idea to take the wedding party to United Center to take some photos. Even if they could not go to the game- why not take advantage of the timing?

What happened next was unexpected. The couple has been interviewed by several news stations and today a story ran on them in the Chicago Sun-Times. Quoted all over Chicago as the couple that just “wants the Blackhawks to win The Stanely cup, as a wedding gift.” And they got it! Congrats to the Hawks and to our couple.

Suntimes Article BY MONIFA THOMAS Staff Reporter

Diehard Blackhawks fans Chad and Lorien Yonker had to give up their fourth-row tickets to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals because of a slightly more important commitment: The game fell on the same day as their wedding. But that didn’t stop the South Loop couple from showing up at the United Center right after the wedding to pose for pictures with amused fans.”All we want for a wedding present is the Stanley Cup,” said Lorien Yonker, whose lace strapless gown stood out among the red Blackhawks jerseys and caps.

Check out our priceless photos and read the full article here.

Images by figphoto.net

photographers: Brian Carey and James Gustin

Here are a few of our photogs favorites from Shannon and John.

Photogs: Brian Carey and Billy Rood.

Hungry for more? Embeded Gallery Below or go to our site ww.figphoto.net and click on weddings.

Often times, films portray weddings to be perfect: romantic, elegant, and flawless.  No wedding is perfect. Something will go wrong – and that is the best part. Funny stories come out of the crazy things that happen on your wedding day. Prepare yourself by watching our staff picks of these classic wedding movie scenes. There are so many, so we just picked a few.

Wedding Crashers

Wedding Crashers, an incredibly popular film that was released in 2005, brought an exaggerated idea to romantic comedies and wedding films.  Funny men, Vince Vaughn (Old School) and Owen Wilson (The Royal Tenenbaums), team up to portray self-declared Casanovas, Jeremy Grey and John Beckwith, who attend several weddings under false names and personalities. Toward the end of wedding season, John is ready to take a break from the wedding crashing until Jeremy mentions the ceremony of all ceremonies: The Treasury Secretary, William Cleary’s (Christopher Walken), daughter is getting married.  Knowing that this event will be beyond phenomenal, John and Jeremy act as two brothers who are connected to the Cleary family.  At the ceremony, Jeremy gets close with a young red-head, Gloria, played by Isla Fisher, who is another daughter of Secretary Cleary’s.  John falls for another daughter, Claire Cleary, Rachel McAdams (The Notebook).  After building a quick relationship with Gloria, Jeremy and John are invited to stay at the Cleary family estate where John begins to build his relationship with Claire, who gets engaged to another man whom treats her terribly.  The Cleary family soon learns the boys’ true identities and kicks them out.  John loses Claire, while Jeremy and Gloria keep dating.  They both gain a lesson in love.

Why we love it: This movie takes all the stereotypes of weddings and mashes them together with great writing. We are a big fan of montages- and think that the Shout Montage in this movie rocks. Some of our staff has worked over 200 weddings alone- multiply that by 11 staff members- that’s a lot of weddings. We started to notice these montage worthy similarities years ago and was glad to see them worked into a film.

The Wedding Singer

Released, in 1998, this film takes us back to the mid-1980′s, when the new wave of dance pop ruled the country. Robbie, played by Adam Sandler, was the must have singer to have at your wedding. This was until his own fiance left him at the alter. Robbie’s wedding singing career took a dramatic turn after leashing out at clients and their guests, along with only listening to The Cure for a while. Things began to change after meeting waitress, Julia, played by Drew Barrymore. Julia is a genuine, sweet girl who is engaged to the wrong man, Glenn Gulia, played by Matthew Glave. After falling in love, Robbie chases her down before she becomes Julia Gulia.

Robbie happens to catch her on a plane that Glenn and Julia are taking to Vegas for a brief, immediate wedding ceremony. With Billy Idol’s help, Robbie wins the girl. Of course, Steve Buscemi makes his classic appearance in this work of Sandler’s.

Why we love it: Who doesn’t love getting serenaded by Adam Sandler! The band auditions crack us up- having seen the good bad and the ugly in real life- we can relate.

My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding

Toula Portokalos, played by Nia Vardalos (My Life in Ruins), a 30 year-old who works in her family’s Greek restaurant has never had any luck when it came to finding love.  Her overbearing father, Gus, is desperate for her to get married and start a life with another Greek man.  The role of Gus was taken on by Michael Constantine (In The Mood), a renowned American-Greek actor.  Toula cleans her life up and decides to not to depend on her family so much.  Just as she does, Toula meets high school teacher, Ian, played by John Corbett (Sex and The City 2).  The immense amount of people in Toula’s quirky family must accept her choice of husband not being Greek, while Toula must accept her heritage.

This scene illustrates the wedding between Toula and Ian.  Each character seems to share a brief, comedic moment with another, not to mention the ridiculous dresses Toula and the bridesmaids are wearing.

Why we love it: The families! All families have quirks regardless of where they come from. Weddings bring out all the personalities and eccentricities. Our wedding films focus on families and relationships, so we pick up on these subtle things in our work . And even though this was shot in Toronto and was supposed to be Chicago- we forgive you filmmakers… it is really funny. Next time though, you should shoot your film here- it is a great place

The Princess Bride

This classic film, released in 1987, is a timeless, comedic story engraved in our hearts for years.  The film begins with a grandfather reading his favorite book to his grandson.  The story is a typical medieval love story filled with incredibly quirky characters and mishaps.  The lovely Buttercup, Robin Wright, is kidnapped the night of her wedding to Prince Humperdink, Chris Sarandon, despite her longing for her first love, Westley, played by Cary Elwes.  Westley, of course, returns to save the day but does not expect all the action that comes upon him.

Why we love it: Probably one of the best marriage scenes in the movies comes from The Princess Bride. Despite the speech impediment the priest has, none of the wedding company seems to crack a smile, but the word “mawwage” definitely made audience belt out laughing.

We have seen our share of interesting officiants- and this one takes the cake.

 

 

Father of the Bride

In this remake of the Spencer Tracy classic, George and Nina Banks are the      parents of young soon-to-be-wed Annie. George is a nervous father unready to face the fact that his little girl is now a woman. The preparations for the extravagant wedding provide additional comic moments. Written by Reid Gagle, George Banks is an ordinary, middle-class man whose 21 year-old daughter Annie has decided to marry a man from an upper-class family, but George can’t think of what life would be like without his daughter. He becomes slightly insane, but his wife tries to make him happy for Annie, but when the wedding takes place at their home and a foreign wedding planner  takes over the ceremony, George must try to handle the fact that people grow up. Written by MikeAce9@aol.com

Why we love it: Because Hafeez our DJ says so. Just kidding. (He really likes this movie) We feel for you dads. George Banks gets caught up in all the hoopla that is wedding planning, the cost of everything and learning to letting go of kids. We are so glad someone wrote a film to recognized your role. Plus Steve Martin. ‘nuf said.

by: annie

fig photogs: Brian Carey and James Gustin . location: Chicago . clients: Alexis and Eric . 2010.

a film by melissa martens
shot in chicago at promontory point and the art institute
photography by robert and klara swiderski
planning by symplified

 

 

 

kirstin + max

a film by melissa martens
planning by clementine events
photography by christina noel photography
dancefloor by rendezvous
filmed at the wit hotel in chicago

Liquid History

 

Liquid History: (n) noun. a film that is a living, breathing history of a person, place or thing.

This film screened the night of the rehearsal dinner.

a film by melissa martens
editor mason strand
engagement photos by christina noel photography

 

 

Marci and  Jon wanted a classic Chicago style wedding. They got that and much more! Grab the tissues and enjoy.

a film by melissa martens and rajesh bhagirat
shot at Trump International Hotel and Towers, Chicago
decor + flowers by Heffernan Morgan

This beautiful North Shore Chicago wedding is jam packed with humor and heart.

a film by melissa martens
photography by brian carey

dance floor by Brent Rolland

filmed at millard park and the north shore country club
event planing by laura patterson @ the ideal day
music licensed by the music bed

Why do a February Wedding? Why not. Have you ever heard fashion experts giving advice on how to augment what makes you different? Love that, have a large for fore head? play it up! Have an off season wedding date? work that angle! February is an opportunity to do fantasy weddings and make them magical as opposed to kitsch.

Dig into the challenge, snow mobile races, sledding or ice skating after the party, have all the bridesmaids wear fantasy fur stoles, loose the veil wear a winter wonderland tiara. Or wear a veil but have special white snow boots for your outside shots.

Incorporate walking in a winter wonderland and other fun snow songs into the evening over dinner, during cocktails. Have a service team that gets involved with you. When it’s fun and you are all engaged in the challenge from creating a musical landscape that acknowledges your tastes and underlines the magic of the season to having photo- film shoot teams that will research exceptional city/ landscape backdrops for shots that use the weather and light in contrast and create dramatic shots in light or sculptural formations.

In addition winter photo and film shoots are such an invigorating and fun February wedding activity for the wedding party. Like ice skating, how crazy fun is that. I did it in January once and after I got over myself had so much fun!

Plan for less light, inclement weather and navigating your time frame effectively. Embrace the sleet! Plan for it. Don’t do weather well? Pick a historic hotel like the Drake or a redo like the Blackstone, their resources are abundant and they work wonderful deals in off season. The ornate backdrops are classic wedding cake, abundant and you can still include your great aunt. Call a catering manager and discuss their season with them, you’d be surprised how they compare to off premise catering, renting tables etc. For that matter call off premise caterers and ask them about their season as well, find out what venues they love and what they have available. SHOP IT! No scarcity, only super fun activities, tastings, chats and dreaming about what will work for both of you and your respective families.

Really wild: do a February wedding on Friday! Super wild, do February wedding on Wednesday, people still have trouble believing me that my husband and I got married 20 years ago on a Wednesday and had 100% turn out. People will come. Everyone loves time off. There will be some hard conflicts no matter what date you pick so why one date over another? f you pick an off day in the week you will really be shocked at the difference in prices at some locations.

Back to wearing fur, the new faux is so well done, if you are wearing white do a faux fox Russian hat with muff and have a hair dresser meet you in your room prior to reception entry. Muffs and stoles are so cute! Snow leopard is also racy and has white and cream so it matches most shades of formal dress.

What you save on doing an “off season” wedding you can put into details that others have to omit!

What makes you different? is my favorite question when I am asked about our deejay services in Chicago

As far as I am concerned we don’t get asked enough! Most people want to know how much rather than whats the value proposition when hiring a deejay in Chicago.
As if price would be the deciding factor. If that’s your only criteria then we aren’t a good match. If you are interested in learning more about deejays in Chicago and what makes or breaks an event then we are the people to talk to.

What makes us singularly different is the fig brand of training – we are technically proficient of course but what most people don’t recognize is that it is imperative to have social and emotional training. How to read a crowd AND interact successfully with it. How to plan and provide an agenda based on years of experience then tailor that agenda to meet your client’s specific wants – wait hold on, to even know or care about a clients needs or specific wants and be able to strategically integrate them as well as work the crowd and live agendas at any given party. That’s skill. Yes we could show up and play music, no problem. If that’s all it was there would be way more successful deejay services in Chicago.

Our deejays are trained on the job and in team meetings to negotiate territories that aren’t even defined by a typical bystander and with that level of “tool kit” we create more good will and are able to drive in the most complex social environments. If anyone has worked a corporate holiday party for a big hotel for example will attest, you have the HR manager hiring the deejay then you have a few hundred people layered in cliques that can become nightmarish when filling a dance floor. Who can stand that kind of pressure- we can. I still meet the occasional client thinking that a club deejay could pull that off, maybe, I am not dissing club deejays we have residencies ourselves and deal with that level of work and how to stay in great shape around it but someone who has a following of their own stuff isn’t going to walk into a private event with the disparate elements involved and blindly achieve success time and time again, they might get lucky but its not the science of it. Our team brings its collective intelligence together to form a body of shared knowledge and elements that make a real force of positive impact at an event. We support our team fully and prepare for each event. We have a team meeting to discuss events after and sub teams to negotiate an apply best practices going in to an event. It starts with our sales people who come away with a meeting with a style sheet for our new client folder. Our goal- get recommended!

how can you do all 3 well? The same way we do one thing well- times 3.  We cross train our team – from a practical stand point to fully understand what the other elements are looking to achieve so that we function as a synchronized single body. We’ve studied behind the scenes as we were wedding services in Chicago before it weddings were cool. 1993 launched our first year as fig. We are familiar with leading an event that has independent elements hired who have different agendas that don’t line up and result in fragmented unconnected elements who’s professionalism and officiousness offset the obvious lack of training in team work. What a terrible work environment. We wanted that different and could see an event where all the emotions and fun were interwoven successfully, each service providers agenda was included for example. Its our vision that started our revolution of wedding services in Chicago.
I don’t care how fun the music is if the only dessert is a sweet table is outside when dessert is served guess what? They are going to go eat the chocolate.  And if it’s a smoking crowd they will wander outside and a lovely night. Or if the photographer is not us and is the sort that sets up group photos and backdrops somewhere else at the venue and pulls the wedding party and family to go do posed shots, shot is your dance floor.
The most talented planners tell us they can simply relax when we are on board as they know we have studied the agenda and have our cues and understand what elements are important to rock the night and deliver and great experience –that is half the battle. The other half is delivering a fun dance floor, amazing fresh photos and story telling and cinema at it’s relational best.
How can we not do all 3 when it’s in our purview to do an amazing job by linking them well? In fact our success with wedding services in Chicago has taken us to Mexico and most recently to Utah for private exclusive destination weddings. Our team training rocks and as we take wedding services in Chicago to new heights. We train for war then have a party!

We started our brand of story telling when we bought our canon XL1 back in 1995? I cant remember the date exactly, it was the year after the camera came out. My husband James has always been interested in film and as a philosophy major he studied with professors at University of Houston who loved to delve into the deeper meaning of films.  He continued to study film and directors – their intent, successes and vision as well as how to integrate his own vision into his work.

When we started doing wedding video in chicago it was at best a pathetic genre of beast. Chicago wedding video was namely huge cameras operated by large male camera operators in tuxedos, nothing by the way of interaction or intimacy transpired from that beast–but lots of post effects did including my favorite to date- flames on the dance floor!

Not to mention the format was hideous. I studied painting and video in art school at KCAI in the late 80s and the video format offended my sense of beauty. What was cool was the XL1′s ability to shoot in “frame mode” which I adored. It made video look more like film and the product which we originally simply handed to the client right after we dumped it to VHS more palatable.

What made our wedding video business in chicago take hold though was not the format but our ability to dive in and get things a big dude with a big camera couldn’t get – say intimate moments as the bride put on her lipstick getting ready in her grandma’s bedroom. fig wedding cinematography was born. Since then our emphasis on replicating what works: social and emotional intelligence training, which we have been studying and implementing since 1999.

What also works is training film students not only in social and emotional intelligence but in our brand of storytelling and interaction, each of whom have taken the training and their skills to new heights.  Add to that the format changes that have revolutionized the industry and our ability to have film/photo cameras tape high quality sequences that are broadcast quality.

Add to that our unique processes: having team meeting to review the challenges making the films as well as cry over the amazing results from the interactions –has been a standard all these years that we value highly.
Not only is the work fabulous, but each and every client is shown in their best light with our best shot and making a film we and our clients will show for years to come.

I remember when we decided to do this and watching the wedding videos people showed us – I couldn’t believe it. They were either staged soap operas or horrid effects-ridden with unfortunate angles of what I am sure were at least interesting individuals. I try to put myself in each clients position and as I am no beauty queen couldn’t see myself going that route, not to mention it wasn’t exactly grounded in reality to stage and play act at a real life event fraught with tension and existing story that we are missing by being so weird and indulgent and the other direction was such an assault to my sensibilities i realized that no way I would do that. Why weren’t some different angles considered, why didn’t they turn off that overhead light, why didn’t he/she ask her to move over a bit…etc. Again, fig wedding cinema was born. We say wedding films chicago or wedding cinema chicago rather than wedding video. We have come so freaking far! Its wonderful.

Our films tell stories. James is adamant that the first cut is without music, it should stand on it’s own and carry the story, the music should add not carry the piece. Our team views and works in includes our other disciplines as the whole event is considered when planning our film. Strategy is half the challenge.

Another very cool thing about fig directors/filmmakers is their event cross training in weddings and private events in chicago and across the nation. We are the eskimos of the event world with more distinctions for “snow” in the event world.
Finally we do so much with seemingly so little and and probably ultimately we are super fun to work with which makes the product the experience as well as the DVD or online film.

I live in Chicago, wedding photography is one of my not so secret passions. For twenty years I’ve lived and worked in Chicago.  At least once a week I review my teams photography and video. I shoot or supervise a wedding shoot most every week of the year. I am not a photographer, except when I am. I love taking pictures at weddings. I love looking at the pictures from weddings. I love talking about relationships. I love talking about weddings. Wedding photography is the most candid and genuine window into the lives of happy, driven, committed, motivated and crazy people, I know.  Got the pictures to prove it!

Real Chicago wedding photography is more compelling than an outrageous celebrity event.  It is about real bodies, real hair, real skin, real insecurities and real lives. Chicago people don’t necessarily value skinny. There are a wide range of Chicago bodies. Artists sees them all. Bellies. An artist heightens the environment just a hair to create a tone and a mood with her subjects to get them movingly and interaction. Del Close, of the ImprovOlympic and Second City said the best character is like a lightly tipped hat. That is the big secret. Does the photog have the gift of making people open up and play orb live in the moment? Sometimes both work.

I am a photographer when I got a big camera in my hand. Still, only a few times have I ever called myself a photographer without a camera in my hand. I’m learning and growing into my identity.  Maybe, I’m just afraid of the critique. And, afraid off the pressure Oh, I’m definitely afraid of the critique and the pressure!  I am constantly inspired by the work of other artists.  I am aware of the talent and sacrifices of my heros: Larry Clark, Billy Rood, Bruce Weber, Nan Goldin, Brian Carey, Cartier Bresson, Tim Musho, Annie Liebowitz, Brit Black and Marc Hauser, plus a few more. An artist risks himself and throws into another’s world to capture and document. This is a platitude and true.