We were nodding our heads in agreement when Alex's father opened the rehearsal dinner with that magical description of what a wedding is like--the handshakes, the hugs, the rekindling of friendship and fraternity that reminds us why we've gathered together. The families of Alex and Tara gathered on friday night at Maggiano's to eat, share stories, and reminisce. We heard tales of Tara's world travels, and of the banquet where Tara met Alex. One groomsman even used his toast as an opportunity to confess to a prank he'd pulled on the groom over two years ago. Uproarious laughter ensued.

The story of the wedding proposal was just as surprising--Alex had hired a photographer to take some photos with Tara while they were on a trip, and he proposed to her there on the shores of the river overlooking the Chicago skyline.

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We spent most of the wedding day at The Westin La Cantera. The talented team lead by Morris Goen had put together the most stunning display of flowers, crystalline candelabras coupled with purple florals and textured green moss. Each corner of the room was flanked by an enormous chandelier overhanging a lounge set of white leather sofas. The lounges were surrounded by tall glass votives with floating candles and purple orchids. As filmmakers, we can gush even more about why we like Morris Goen's design: he has a background in photography, and because of his unique understanding of photographing events, he knows how to design lighting that allows for beautiful, well lit shots all throughout the ballroom, and he also lights the cake in such a way that the bride and groom's faces aren't too dark while they're cutting the cake (this can happen if the spotlight on the cake is too harsh, leaving the bride and groom's face in shadows). Needless to say, not only was the ballroom gorgeous to the eye, but it translated on to the camera really well!

After spending the past weekend filming with Tara and Alex, we were struck by how prepared Alex and Tara were to shower their guests and their families with love. The bride and groom are cheerful and adventurous, but what really stood out to us was how openly they express their gratitude and love to those around them. From the gorgeous monogrammed necklaces that Tara hand-selected for her bridesmaids to the Cartier LOVE bracelet that Alex had bought for his bride, the weekend was full of meaningful tokens to honor their joy. Tara's dad even joked about tucking an entire tissue box into his jacket pocket to be prepared for all of his happy tears.