Our newest featured wedding, provided by Kelly Burden at Contemporary Images, is the South Bend wedding of Jessica & at the Hilton Garden Inn in the Gillespie Center garden.

From Kelly: It was a gorgeous day in South Bend for an outside wedding on the campus of St Marys.  The wedding ceremony was held outside in the courtyard and we had plenty of time before and after for a fun photo walk around Saint Mary’s beautiful campus. The reception took place in the beautiful Gillespie Center Ballroom in the Hilton Garden Inn. The bride and groom had a candy table buffet as large as a candy store. There was also a photo-booth and a hot dog stand! This was easily one of the most entertaining wedding receptions I have ever photographed in South Bend!

Ceremony: Garden of the Gillespie Center in the Hilton Garden Inn
Reception: The Gillespie Center ball room
Photography: Contemporary Images

Putting together a great video montage requires some preparation. You should begin working on this several months before the party.

The production studio that will do the final assembly should recieve pictures and music selection 2 months out.

t the following guidelines will help you prepare your materials:

1. Think of a theme : A good theme can guide the rest of your choices in the montage. It can help you think of an appropriate title and the sections you’ll need.
2. Think of the sections you want : Think of ways to divide up the video into sections.
3. Organize your photos : Divide up the photos into these sections. Use only the very best for each section. In video montages, less is definitely more.
4. Organize your video segments : If you want to include video segments, search through your video at home first. When you find the sections you want, cue the tapes up the the exact spot where the clip begins. Remember to keep these short and only use the very best clips. Audio from home video cameras often doesn’t turn out very well. Usually it’s best to run music over these clips.
5. Choose music : Music should complement the theme of each section. Try to find music to fit the mood of each section. It can help to find lyrics that fit the images. Other times the type of music is more important.

Following these steps can save you lots of time. Your video will be much more personal and original. And you’ll find that putting all these creative elements together can be a lot of fun.