Chase and Jessica - Instagramed - Utah Wedding Video

In lieu of the drastically cold weather that has pummeled our state this week, I thought it might be nice to post a warm weather wedding highlight. This one is from way back in July.

I had a little fun with this web teaser. I edited it in the style of an Instagram photo - square format, film burns, tweaked vintage colors. It forced me to look at composition through square eyes, versus the standard rectangular format. Quite a change.

Sometimes it's good to mix things up.

Duncan and Lissie - Rice Eccles Stadium - Utah Wedding

Call this my birthday wedding. They got married on my birthday - which was a Sunday anyway so we celebrated on a different day. Like I would ever turn down a wedding to celebrate getting older.....

Anyway, Duncan and Lissie are transplants to the coolest city on earth - Austin, Texas. They ended up back in Utah, getting married here to be close to friends and family. The reception was at Rice Eccles Stadium, which benefits from amazing lighting when those "sunscreens" are put to good use.

What a cool couple. Their first dance was straight out of Pulp Fiction. The dance in the bar. Way cool. And their ceremony went off without a hitch. I had a friend refer to their officiant as a guy who should be narrating Hollywood movies. When you watch this web teaser, you will understand why.

Are we cool? Yes. Yes we are.

Colby and Shannon - Swim, Bike, Run, Marry - Utah Wedding Video

What can I say? This is one of the most unique wedding events ever. I'm not sure I will shoot one of these again any time soon.

Colby and Shannon ran a triathlon the morning of their wedding. You read that right. I can't believe it.

What an amazing an exhausting day. For all of us. I'm not sure I've ever worked so hard on a "wedding event" in my entire life. Watching me run was I'm sure very entertaining.

I opted to focus on the triathlon more than anything for this teaser film. It was just so cool.

- Ryan

Gordon and Carole - Riverside Country Club Wedding - Provo, Utah

So there's more to this wedding film than meets the eye. It's the style of wedding film that best expresses where I need to be.

I need to be grounded. Let me explain.

I've tried before (oh, how I've tried...) to do the sweeping, hugely cinematic wedding films that some couples really like. Crazy steadicam, majestic shots, grandiose movements.

It's not my thing.

This is my thing. This wedding reminded me of that. I prefer my wedding films to be "grounded in reality". There's an incredible amount of beauty in just allowing the day to unfold. Great weather (or not), happy couple, events of the day. It's not to say I don't try. I just know that at the end of the wedding, the event is the cinema. There's no need to recreate the day. Just let it happen. Shoot what happens.

Just be meticulous about it and slave away at capturing those special moments. I chose to do both.

- Ryan

Clyde and Stefanie - St. Joseph Cathedral - Wolf Creek Wedding

What to say about a Catholic wedding....They are welcome occasions for me in this great state of ours. They are challenging to shoot. Many variables working here. Multiple audio sources, two cameras, moving priest, readings, music, even times when we are asked to turn off the cameras (during the eucharist). Much to consider. A very precise timeline.

When it all comes together, you get an amazing film.

Clyde and Stefanie came all of the way from NYC for their event. Wise decision. Utah is a great place for a wedding.

This is a short teaser edit of the entire day. I think it was important to include a good portion of the mass in this web highlight. If you ever get the notion to attend a Catholic wedding mass, I highly encourage it. It's an incredibly beautiful and spiritual event.

You will be uplifted.

- Ryan

Vaughan and Rylee - Wadley Farms - Utah Wedding Video

Ahhh, newness. That's how I felt, shooting this wedding at the Oquirrh Temple. I've only shot there once before, and it was helping out a friend. I finally got the chance. It's my single favorite temple in the valley. Can't explain why. Just a really beautiful building on a hill.

I could speak praises for an hour about the couple. Vaughan and Rylee. Just an amazing couple. Animated, hip, cool and completely positive. I want to duplicate them and shoot them once a week.

And a Haka war cry at the wedding reception. Crazy cool. 

In case you missed it on my Facebook page a while back, I'm posting their couples story here as well. Rylee gave me a really big challenge with this one. She wanted a lot of back story, photos, video she shot, lots to cover. It allowed me to think outside of the box. So Rylee, thanks for that.

Enjoyed every minute of these two shoots.

- Ryan

Walker and Lauren's "Two Story" - Wheeler Farm

Picture perfect couples story.

Perfect everything. Perfect lighting. Perfect location. Perfect couple.

Perfect.

Did I mention this was perfect?

- Ryan

Brandon and Kallee - Tuscany Wedding - Salt Lake City, Utah

 So here's a taste of Brandon and Kallee's wedding from a while back. I just got around to doing a web teaser for this event. It had some strong visual stuff that I wanted to share. Great couple, great audio, great family and a well-planned and loose schedule - which helps a bit with getting good coverage. Great day.

Enjoy.

Ben and Karissa - May 5th, 2012

Here's a short teaser to share. Ben and Karissa's wedding on May 5th. A lot of graphic design work by Ben went into this wedding. Dude has mad skills. Created a logo just for the day.

I also loved Karissa's dress - and I'm a dude. Not ashamed to say I can appreciate a well-designed and unique dress.

And check out Ben's boutonniere and Karissa's bouquet. Insane.

Enjoy.

Chloe at the Ballet West Academy

Not much to say about this little film. It's my daughter at dance class at the Ballet West Academy - which is very close to our home.

Just watch my daughter's face during this film. She's in heaven.

It gets me choked up every time I watch it.

- Ryan

Style Me Pretty

So Style Me Pretty is quite possibly the most frequented wedding blog in America.

And my Jackson Hole wedding from last year just got featured on it! Such an "out-of-nowhere" surprise and I'm really thrilled to be a part of it.

Here's the link to the post. Scroll past the photos and see my snapshot video of Garrett and Diana's wedding.

Such a thrill.

See it here - Style Me Pretty

AnEye 4 AnEye

So about 2 years ago I did a wedding in Las Vegas for Micah and Brittney. That wedding put me in contact with this family, and gave me the immense privilege of shooting a promotional film for something very special. Both Jordan and Tumua are alumni of USC Water Polo. Tumua is now headed for the London Olympics and Jordan is married to an NFL player. They are currently pitching the idea of a television show related to Hawaiian athletes and how they inspire those around them.

This is the promotional film that will be included in the pitch process. This shoot took me to California and Indiana, with many months of securing music licensing, collecting photos, etc. A lot of work.

But worth the effort. This is probably the closest I've been to a client family in my whole time as a videographer/filmmaker. It has been an immense blessing and has taught me a lot about my faith and the world.

These shoots make me a better filmmaker all around. My weddings are better, my corporate shoots are better. Everything is better.

- Ryan

Garrett and Diana - Jackson Hole Wedding

Yes, this wedding film is way too sun-filled to have been shot recently. It was actually last July and it's been done and delivered for many a month. I just came back to it. Needed to find the right music for a web teaser.

I've never been remotely close to a wedding this big in scope. Big 10+ person band, beautiful tent and details, luscious backdrop (the Tetons), campfires, insane florals and just one of the most gracious couples on the planet. A true blessing of a wedding.

And a night at the Amangani resort. Amazing.

The drag of the trip was that my favorite breakfast place in Jackson stopped serving their famous pancakes at 11 a.m. We arrived at about 11:10 - devastating. Small price to pay for sleep I guess (and completely my fault).

Enjoy. Lots to see here. Really moving ceremony and a perfect dinner/reception. A true party.

Ryan and Whitney's Story - Smack, Praise, Tackle

You have to watch it to understand the title (it's more like a love pat). We shot this completely in stealth mode, but totally out in the open. It was Presidents Day and no one was at the Salt Lake Fair Park. We had it all to ourselves. I'm fully convinced that if you just wave to the security and maintenance people at any location, they will convince themselves that you are "supposed to be there."

This shoot was cold. Freezing.

Here's the result of pain and cold. And it's amazing.

Matt and Morgan - Deer Valley Utah Wedding - Stein Eriksen Lodge

I just had to post this one from last year. Matt and Morgan's Stein Erickson wedding in Deer Valley, Utah. Matt and Morgan hail from Newport Beach, but wanted a mountain setting for their wedding. Can you blame them? These lush, green hills as a backdrop make for some pretty impressive shots.

This is just a teaser of the entire day. Bits and pieces of a bigger story.

Enjoy.

Steve and Erika - Salt Lake Temple - Utah Wedding Video

I confess I went back to this wedding. I wanted something really punchy for the web and this Colbie Caillat song did the trick. This was a high energy couple with a really interactive family. They even did a flash mob - to Steve's surprise - at the reception. It was killer.

This song and wedding day just screamed for some split screen. I just had a lot of good footage from this wedding. It would have been a shame to see on the "cutting-room floor."

The song is licensed through Songfreedom.com

Enjoy.

Jordan and Catelin - November 19th, 2011

It's amazing how little snippets of a toast can go a long way. There's something "bigger" about the smallest piece of audio that can transform an edited piece from "what a nice piece" to "I feel like I know them."

This was Jordan and Catelin's wedding at the Salt Lake Temple, with a reception that followed at the JSMB. A nice tight day with an afternoon sealing and a dinner reception. Sort of a dream.

It's also the first of many forays into using licensed music in my wedding films. It's the new direction I am taking and it's challenging, but liberating at the same time. If you want your wedding film to be anywhere on the web, ask me about this. It's important information to know.

Best,

Ryan