"Love Actually" Happens in Real Life

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Love Actually".  It's perfectly romantic and real and funny, and I watch it every holiday season.  One scene in particular is a favorite from the movie; the marriage ceremony of Peter & Juliet where the couple is surprised with a performance of "All You Need Is Love" after they are pronounced husband and wife.  You can watch the scene from the movie here http://youtu.be/1_f5gRCv5eY

So I was beyond excited when our bride, Mandy, told me she loved the movie just as much and wanted to surprise her groom, Scott, with a real life version of the Peter & Juliet's "All You Need Is Love" scene at their wedding ceremony!  Mandy and I worked for months on figuring out how we could get the "scene" to play out right, who we would trust with the music production and filming of the surprise and how we could best work it into the end of the ceremony.  When we reached out to Scott Jones & Geoff Short of Jerry Bruno Productions they were super psyched about the idea too, so we all got straight to work!  Scott & Geoff assembled several different ensemble options from their various groups for us, and Mandy and I selected the final "cast" who would perform the number on her wedding day.  We signed on Z Media to film not only the full wedding day, but the surprise as it unfolded.

All of us were so anxious to see it play out in real life, it was SO hard to keep the secret!  No one but Mandy, me, Jerry Bruno Productions, and Z Media knew what was coming at the end of the ceremony.  Emotions ran high that morning in anticipation.  The ceremony came to an end, the priest announced Mandy & Scott as husband and wife and the surprise began.



As the bridal party exited the church they, along with all of the guests, were cheering, some were crying, all were completely surprised; it was perfect.  For me, it was one of those moments I know I'll always carry with me.  It was all so very beautiful.  A note from Mandy:

"Gina -

On a side note, thank you for listening to me back in June when I shared with you my crazy idea about incorporating a surprise ending into our wedding.  From the moment I told you my dream to end with "All You Need Is Love" in a traditional Catholic ceremony, you supported my idea.  Even when it seemed too big of a task to pull off, you forced me to keep believing in the idea until we could make the dream a reality.

You allowed me to give my new husband, family, friends, and all attending our wedding the best gift ever...a surprise they will never forget.  I have yet to have a conversation with someone that attended the ceremony that didn't bring up the "flash mob ending" (LOL that is what everyone says).  All tell me it was one of the most moving things they have ever seen at at wedding.  For that I am forever grateful.  Thank you Gina.  I appreciate the chance to work with you over the last 11 months.  I hope one day to work together to plan another amazing event.  I'm pushing for a 5 year vow renewal and reception.  I'll keep you posted... :)  Thank you!

From the bottom of my heart,

Mandy"

More photos on Mandy's completely stunning wedding with experience essentials details coming tomorrow....stay tuned!

Joe & I Get Crowned

I have never posted personal photos on our blog, and this may be one of the only times you ever see them featured, but I want to share with you the joy that was Sunday, March 27, 2011.   I chose that day to officially convert to the Antiochian Orthodox faith.  We had been attending Liturgy at St. George Antiochian Church in Tremont for over a year, but I knew the time was right to make it official.  So, that morning I was Chrismated into the faith.  And after Liturgy was complete, Joe and I received one of the most beautiful blessings I have ever seen - an Orthodox Crowning.  The Crowning during a marriage ceremony is a very integral part of the service.  The couple is crowned before God with glory and honor, and the crowns themselves are symbolic of the new "kingdom" over which the couple will rule, as well as serving to remind the couple that marriage is about martyrdom and sacrifice for each other.  It truly is beautiful.

When we were married on July 1, 2005, we had a non-deominational service outside of the church, so our Crowning ceremony did not include the betrothal, but was more of a blessing upon our marriage and a recognition of it within the Orthodox church.  Our wedding photographer (and one of my favorites in market), the fabulous Steven Mastroianni, was kind enough to join us at the church to photograph the event.  Then we joined him at his studio afterward for some more fun shots!  Thank you Steven so very much - we love the images!  Here are some of our favorites.  Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Sam & Rusty's "Spring" Engagement Shoot

You might remember earlier this week on FB, we shared an image from what should have been Sam & Rusty's spring time engagement session.  But, on the day of the shoot, what we hoped would be mild temperatures and clear skies, turned out to feel more like the heart of January!  Sam & Rusty went with it, as did their photographers, Dan & April O'Keefe of Z Media and the results were fantastic!  Here's one awesome shot we loved so much we just had to share it with you again.

In fact, there were so many gorgeous images from their afternoon in University Circle/Little Italy, we wanted to share a handful of our favorites with you!  Goes to show you that when you just go with it and have fun with whatever life throws at you, the end result is something truly beautiful.  Enjoy - happy Saturday everyone!

LOVE those shoes!

Sam is a HUGE Browns fan & Rusty a HUGE Bengals fan, so getting a shot in their respective jerseys was very important to Sam.  Cute fact: their married last name will be Brown.  Check out the back of Sam's jersey!