Blog « McKenzie Miller Films

Mary & Alex.

I’ve said it before and I will say it a million more times, I love winter weddings! There is a different feeling to them, a warmth that you don’t get with other weddings. Mary and Alex’s January wedding was no exception. They started off the day at different locations – Mary at Cutler salon in Soho with her girls and Alex at a hotel in New Jersey with his groomsmen. Eventually they met for their first look at Nania’s in the Park, their beautiful venue in Belleville, New Jersey. Their night was filled with a beautiful ceremony, heartfelt toasts and the most fun reception. It was such a wonderful day to be a part of! Congratulations Mary and Alex!

I had the pleasure of working with Laura Pennace on this wedding. We worked together on another snowy winter wedding last January and it was so fun seeing her again! Check out her beautiful photos on her blog.

Happy New Year!

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It is hard to believe another year has gone by and it is already 2012! I had such a great year in 2011 and I am looking forward to what this year has in store. I shot 30 amazing weddings this past year in Austin, New York, Alabama, Florida and a few other locations. Yesterday completed my first full year of living in New York and I couldn’t be happier. McKenzie Miller Films has grown faster than I ever though possible and with an almost full calendar for 2012 I know it is going to be another wonderful year! I am so honored to have the job I do and to have been able to be a part of so many perfect wedding days. Through the freezing temps of January, the hurricane that hit in August and October’s out of the blue snowstorm, I was a part of some very memorable events. Getting to know and be a small part of each of my client’s wedding days is the best. I compiled a short video of 2011 in review and it is posted below. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012! I can’t wait to see what is to come.

Dorothy & Alek.

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I couldn’t have imagined a better wedding to end 2011 on. Dorthy and Alek are friends of mine from NYC who planned their destination wedding at The Casa Marina in Key West. What a great excuse to get away from New York’s freezing December temps! I was definitely not ready to come back at the end of the weekend. Dorothy and Alek had an intimate beachside gathering with about 60 of their close family and friends. The day could not have been any more perfect. They were married right on the beach with Key West’s crystal clear waters behind them. Alek’s father officiated and their ceremony was filled with personal, heart felt vows and music performed by their friends. After the ceremony, everyone moved into the Grand Ballroom which had been decorated with tons of hand cut (by the bride and groom) streamers and confetti. It couldn’t have been any more adorable. Dorothy and Alek I wish you nothing but the best as you begin this new chapter of your lives together!

Geree & Jamey.

Tags: Engagement
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Shooting proposals is so much fun! Although slightly nerve-wracking, it is exciting to get to be a part of such a special time in someones life. Jamey contacted me in the beginning stages of planning his proposal to his girlfriend Geree. They live in Oklahoma and were planning their first ever trip to New York. After brainstorming for a few weeks on possible locations, Jamey decided on the Bow Bridge in Central park. I arrived early in the morning to sneak around and film them on their carriage ride through the park. After the ride, Jamey and Geree had lunch at the Boathouse before making their way over to the bridge where Jamey hired a guitarist to pose as a street performer playing a few of their favorite songs. After arriving, checking out the view and taking a few pictures, Jamey and Geree were making their way off the bridge when Jamey reached down to put a tip in the guitar case and stood back up with a rose and a ring. He popped the question and she said yes! Jamey and Geree were able to spend the rest of the weekend celebrating in New York City.

Lauren & Martin.

Posted in Video, Weddings | 4 Comments »

I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately (I’ve been lucky enough to shoot a ton of great weddings this year – what can I say?), but Lauren & Martin’s wedding was definitely one of my favorite ever! Every single aspect of the weekend was perfectly coordinated and perfectly expressed their love for one another. Because of conflicting schedules, I actually hadn’t met either of them before the wedding. Lauren and Martin live in Austin and they met somewhere around 6 years ago at the Elephant Room. I was scheduled to shoot their rehearsal dinner the night before at Parkside on 6th Street and it was such an amazing night. Just from hearing the words of their friends and seeing them interact, you know that Lauren and Martin are completely and totally in love, and that feeling reflects over into every part of their lives. The night was filled with songs (Martin’s dad played the guitar and sang several songs in Spanish!), speeches and even a letter from Barack Obama. Yes, the PRESIDENT. One of Lauren’s friends works at the White House and she had a personal letter from the Obama’s to Lauren and Martin on their wedding day. How awesome is that? After experiencing the rehearsal, I couldn’t wait for the wedding the next day. Lauren and Martin were married under the most beautiful Chuppa on the lawn at the Four Seasons. Their ceremony was a beautiful mixture of their Jewish and Mexican heritages and their vows had almost everyone in the audience in tears. Lauren is a filmmaker and Martin is a writer so their creativity flowed over into every part of their day. The band Sauce absolutely brought it during the reception and the dance floor was totally packed all night. I had the best time being around Lauren, Martin and their families. They all have such strong, loving relationships and it was wonderful to be a part of. I could go on and on but I will stop talking now and get to the video. Lauren and Martin I wish you two nothing but the best!

I must mention all of the vendors for this day as well. Becky with BZ events did a killer job. I was speechless when I walked into the reception room! Casablanca was projected on one of the walls, the flowers were insanely beautiful and all of the tables were covered in sequined, sparkly table cloths. Every possible detail was tended to and Becky and her team did a fantastic job making sure everything went off well. It was also super fun working with Stacy from SMS photography again. I am so excited to see her pictures. Lastly, the band Sauce was amazing. It was my first time shooting a wedding with them and I was definitely impressed.

Karin & David.

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I got an email from Karin about 2 weeks ago to see if I happen to be available for a last minute booking on October 30th. A friend was supposed to do their videography, but because of some unforeseen circumstances, they were no longer available. I am so glad that Karin found me and I was able to be a part of her day! Her and Dave were married on an early Sunday morning at reBar in Dumbo just after the random snowstorm NYC had on the 29th. It was a super chilly morning, but the feeling inside reBar was warm and relaxed. You can tell after only a few short minutes with the two of them that Karin and Dave have something very special between them. After dating for over 6 years, they literally could not wait to walk down the aisle and be married. I had a hard time picking out small parts of their vows to include in the video because they were so heartfelt and amazing! I wanted to include everything but it just wouldn’t fit into 3 minutes. As you will hear in her father’s speech, the first snow of the year fell on the day Karin was born. Giant flakes like on a Hollywood movie set. He knew it was a good omen that day, just as he knew the unexpected snow that fell the day before their wedding was a good omen for Karin and Dave’s life together.

I wanted to add some of the email I got from Karin upon returning from her honeymoon and seeing her preview video:

“Dave and I returned from our honeymoon this weekend and came home to the most wonderful gift in my inbox – our video preview! We were completely blown away… It is AMAZING!

The video looks phenomenal, the sound edits are great, the music is really really beautiful (what song is that?) and I started to cry before I even finished reading your description on your blog (as did my dad)! My new father-in-law also had this to say: “What a great video. And it’s just the preview. People need to see it so they can see what happiness looks like.” (Cue the “Awwws”!)

I cannot thank you enough for coming through for us at such short notice. You and your assistant seamlessly blended into our celebration and we could not have imagined how stellar the resulting video would be, especially given the late booking! Even though it was just a short preview, it really captured the excitement and anticipation of the day and I am so grateful to have such an awesome video to always remind me of the emotions Dave and I were feeling in those magical moments. We cannot wait to see how the longer highlight film turns out!”

That email seriously made my day! I am so lucky to have the job I do.

Alma & Bill.

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Alma and Bill had a classy and fun wedding at St Mary’s Cathedral and the Stephen F. Austin Hotel in early September. I met and booked with them almost a year ago, so I had been eagerly awaiting their wedding for a long time. After their beautiful Catholic ceremony, guests made the short trip to the Stephen F. Austin for the reception. Alma and Bill personally greeted every guest as they entered the reception – I thought that was so neat! Often brides and grooms are so busy they don’t have time to talk with everyone. Even if it was only a quick hello, it was so nice to take the time to greet everyone. After dinner, everyone danced until the early hours of the morning celebrating with Alma and Bill. Congratulations!

It was great working with Stefano Choi again on this wedding. Head over to his blog to see his recent work!

Aisha & Jon’s review.

Posted in Client reviews | 1 Comment »

I’m not one to typically post reviews on my blog (they are all listed on my Wedding Channel site) but this one was too nice not to post! In initial meetings with clients, I always explain how my number one goal is to remain unobtrusive, while still capturing the emotion and feeling of their day. I feel like as a wedding filmmaker, it isn’t my job to direct the events, but to capture them as they happen. Focusing on the small moments and really concentrating on capturing my client’s personalities. To hear a positive review coming from someone who is also a filmmaker is the biggest compliment! Jon and Aisha were married in July at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers (you may remember their adorable preview here). It was such a joy to be a part of their day, and here is what Jon had to say about their experience working with me:

“As a filmmaker, it was a tall order to find someone to record my wedding. I researched and viewed demos of many many videographers; I decided on McKenzie based on the quality of her demo work (you can see for yourself that it stands out above other videographers’ work out there) and after a meeting to make sure our personalities matched – she is super-pleasant and professional. When it came to our video, the quality was more important than saving money so it was too good to be true that McKenzie was not only the best, but one of the more reasonably priced. Leading up to and the day of the wedding, McKenzie was well-organized – I had absolutely no concerns about our video being well taken care of which was nice because there are enough things on your mind that day. I saw McKenzie shortly before the ceremony and then, I must say, I almost don’t recall seeing her again, maybe glimpses here and there. My guests commented afterward on how un-obtrusive my videographer was. I’m happy to say that the end product of our video was fantastic – consistent with the demo work that I saw. McKenzie met and exceeded my expectations (which were high). The video is not just a documentary capturing the wedding, but a narrative work of art, weaving in pieces from throughout the day to create an emotional experience that approximates the emotions of the day itself. As a filmmaker and client, I cannot recommend her enough.”

Hemmendy & Oliver.

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I feel so lucky to have been a part of Hemmendy and Oliver’s wedding day. It was one that I will always remember! Hemmendy & Oliver live in Stuyvesant Town which happens to be roughly 10 blocks from their venue – The Angel Orenzanz foundation (which by the way is SO amazing). Because of the proximity, they decided to have a processional along with their wedding guests down Avenue B to the venue. Although the morning started out rainy, everyone still showed up at the fountain in Stuy Town ready to march along with the bride and groom. When we were almost halfway through, two bag pipers showed up and led the crowd the rest of the way! It was amazing. Everyone was popping out of their store fronts, cheering, waving and congratulating the happy couple. It was honestly like a scene out of a movie. After their amazing ceremony led by one of their friends who was ordained online (love it!) Hemmendy, Oliver and their guests enjoyed a 4 or 5 course dinner over the next few hours. Intermittently, a friend of theirs deemed the toast master would stand up, say a few words and introduce wedding guests appointed to give speeches. Over the course of the evening, I think they had somewhere around 12 or 13 toasts. It was so neat to hear friends from different parts of their lives tell about how things were before they were together, and how they now know they can never again be apart. Hemmendy and Oliver’s love for one another is definitely something special. You can tell by spending only a few short minutes with them and it was more than obvious by being around them on their wedding day. This music in this short film is slightly different that what I typically use – I just had to include a part of one very unique speech which you will see at the end. Hemmendy and Oliver I wish you nothing but the best!

Meg & Aaron’s love story.

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Meg and Aaron are seriously adorable. They met while working for the same company, and because Meg was so focused on her goals and career, it took a little bit of time for her to agree to go out with Aaron. Once she did, the rest was history! We spent some time in Times Square and at Aaron’s apartment to talk about their love story. It is always so much fun shooting these because I get more of a glimpse into people’s relationship and I am able to learn more about them as a couple before shooting their wedding. For instance, Aaron and Meg have traveled to almost all 50 states together! It was one of their goals before getting married. I am looking so forward to being a part of Meg and Aaron’s wedding next July.