Masterpiece Video

I LOVE the Castellanes!  One of my favorite couples of all time, Billy and Megan referred me to Billy’s brother Nick and his beautiful girl April for their May 30th wedding.  I am so glad that they did!  I had forgotten how much this family LOVES to have a good time!

First of all, it was an absolutely perfect Spring day for a wedding in the city.  Blue skies and no traffic greeted us as we arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan for the ceremony. What an awesome sight! The Cathedral is huge, cavernous and breathtaking!  I think it took April 5 minutes just to walk down the lengthy aisle! But it was worth the walk as she spotted Nick in his crisp Army Green uniform waiting for her alongside his dad the Deacon, and Father Bill Scafidi from St. Mary’s in Newburgh. (who goes to more wedding receptions that I do, I think!)  April was stunning in her lace gown and mantilla veil- so classic. 

The best part of the ceremony had to be when April and Nick were walking back down the aisle and the massive doors to the church opened, pouring in the sunlight from outside and the cheers from people on the downtown streets! What a sight. We got some incredible shots of the two of them in Rockefeller Plaza, where Nick proposed, and also right in the middle of traffic! Only in NY!

We were then off to West Point for more pictures with the very cool Andie Whyland;  Followed by  cocktails overlooking the Hudson River at the historic Thayer Hotel.

Did I mention that the Castellanes can party? The groom’s dad wore an Ozzy Osbourne long black wig for the cocktail hour….DJ Patrick from Partytime Productions introduced the bride and groom to their guests as Mr. and Mrs. Fabulous!

No one left the dance floor for the entire evening and by the end, I think that some clothing was lost….OK …Misplaced. 

Lots of family, lots of love and lots of good times are definitely in store for the new Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Castellane!

Party on!

-love,

Jen

My May 29th bride, Jen, was determined to not have it rain on her wedding day. Although rain was forecast, we were able get some  photos done on her mom’s beautiful covered front porch while it sprinkled rain outside.

Now it was off to the Eagle’s Nest for (hopefully) an outside ceremony on the deck. Well I think that Jen willed it not to rain so hard that it actually worked!  She walked down the aisle to her groom Chris, among the oohs and ahhs and tears of all who were present. She was flawless!  The sky started to cloud over and spit a few drops right at the end of the ceremony, but stopped by the time Chris kissed his bride.

We had a great time working with Elissa Davidson and her crew capturing the fun bridal party and family shots overlooking the most fabulous view in Orange County!  Once inside, the guests were greeted by the always fabulous MC Fish. Fish is the only DJ that I have ever worked with who uses a black light and white gloves for a truly unique party experience!  You have to see it to believe it and I’ll try to post some video soon.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Jen surprised her grandfather with a special dance to the delight of all of her mom’s sisters (I think there are 7 of them?)  The group partied well into the night and was only briefly tempted off of the dance floor by all of the fabulous pastries on the Eagle’s Nest Viennese table!

To the brand new Mr. and Mrs. Casillas….may you always have sunshine…never rain!

love-jen

My May 23rd couple was the triple threat…..both photogenic, both in love and ready to show it off! Seriously, they were up for anything! Which is great when you’re working alongside the incomperable Catherine Leonard and her team of photographers.
Following the lovely Catholic mass at St. John’s in Goshen, we travelled to Rockland County to the NY Country Club for the afore-mentioned photography adventure.
We had Christopher lifting Cheryl up, dipping her down, driving out on the golf course, running….you name it! We gave Christopher and Cheryl quite a work out, but the moments we captured were well worth the effort!
It is always a blast working with a husband and wife photography team because it is always competitive – each tries to out-do the other and get the perfect shot. I had to laugh when Catherine and Alistair tried to get their assistant to choose who got the best photo – but ultimately, it was Cheryl and Christopher who were the beneficiaries of these two awesome photographers and their talents.
Once inside, the bride and groom kicked off the night with a spectacular choreographed first dance, complete with Christopher picking Cheryl up and spinning her for the big finish! (Is there a theme here?)
The always-rockin’ party MC Larry Mulligan was spinning the tunes, so you KNOW the dance floor was packed the whole night! Come to think of it, I don’t think that the bride and groom ever left the dance floor.
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Kleister!
-jen

Here’s a clip from Katie and Joe June 14th 2008 from jen cassaro on Vimeo.

Here’s a clip from Jess and Justin from jen cassaro on Vimeo.

a clip from Margaux and Dino from jen cassaro on Vimeo.

I remember last year when my May9th bride Amanda was in my office and I showed her a “sparkle” effect in one of my productions.

She lit up and said, “I love sparkle – Use that a lot!”

 Well, she was NOT kidding! From her dress, to her tiara, to the cake, to the makeup etc…..there was sparkle everywhere.

Especially in her groom’s eyes as he saw her for the first time. Gerard actually could not take his eyes off of her.

The Catholic mass was held in the beautiful Mt. St. Mary’s chapel, the bride’s alma mater.  We got some adorable shots of the couple on the campus working alongside Staten Island transplant Lisa Kimball, a new photographer in the area, then it was off to the sparkly Villa Borghese for cocktails and more photos.

Since the bride and groom grew up around the corner from each other in New Windsor, there were plenty of friends and family on hand to help these two celebrate.  I think they invited the whole neighborhood! And these folks could party!

The dance floor was packed the entire night, dancing to the sounds of K104 DJ Bill Beale, who even gave the couple a shout-out on his Monday morning radio show.

The sparkle theme continued well into the night when the room went dark to reveal the 3 tables of desserts complete with lit sparklers on top. The bride and groom were the first in line for dessert and in the glow of the sparklers, you could see Gerard’s eyes, still staring in disbelief at his beautiful bride.  Gerard, you are one lucky guy!

Love ya Mr. and Mrs. Trotta! May 9th 2009.

-jen

Tiffany and Michael’s day was an elegant affair from start to finish. I have not seen such a polished, relaxed bride and groom in quite some time.  From the lovely ceremony at St. James’ church in Goshen, to the stunning photo session and blue skies, every detail of the day unfolded just as beautifully as the thousands of yellow tulips at Catlin Gardens.

We had such a great time working alongside the fabulous Jackie Pfeffer, who, by the way , is my new blog idol. (she had this wedding blogged the next day! – only took me 3 weeks!)  Check out her web site – she is definitely a photographer on the rise!  Jackie and I got some adorable shots of Tiffany and Michael on a tree swing, amongst the tulips, and on a great wooden bridge hovering over the water at Catlin.  I had to bounce on it a few times to prove to them that it was safe and the shots that we got were well worth the risk!

Two wonderful families combined for a great party emceed by the always energetic Larry Mulligan from Much Music. As always, way too much food was served and the bride INSISTED that I take home some pastries….I swear, she forced me!

From the emotional first dance to the cake cutting, the whole day was elegant, a complete reflection of this very elegant couple.

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Michael Novak.

May 2nd 2009.

-Jen

My May wedding season started with a blast last Friday with the fun, fun, fun nuptials of Sherry and Sean. The sprinkles of rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of this crowd who was ready for a big wedding celebration.

Following the beautiful Catholic ceremony in Matamoras, PA, we travelled directly to the lovely Woodloch Pines in Hawley, PA to get some bridal party photos down by the lake just as the sun came shining through.  It is always a pleasure when I get to work with friends, and my pal Thomas Duncan was totally on his game that day! We got some really  sweet shots of Sherry and Sean down by the water, and even took them back out later for the always spectacular sunset shot!

Then it was time to celebrate! Sean was supported by a large turnout from his firefighter buddies and the party was outstanding.  I have never heard a live band play rap at a wedding before! They were incredible. The dance floor was packed the entire night.

One over-zealous guest decided to put some dirty-dancing moves on me behind my back and I guess he put on quite a show! Of course, I was filming what was in front of me, so I couldn’t see him. I wonder if my assistant got THAT on tape? Anyway, I’m always glad to be a part of the party –  And boy can that Heater family party!

Continued fun, laughter and love to the new Mr. and Mrs. Sean Heater.

May 1st 2009

-Jen

I was really looking forward to my April 4th wedding at The Grandview.  Jess and Micah are good friends of one of my all-time favorite couples from 2006 Cherene and Rick.  Micah even made the blooper reel of their wedding, so I knew that I was in for some fun at his own wedding. (Not that his bride Jess was any slouch in the fun department!) But never, in 16 years of filming weddings, has anyone ever asked me if they could wear the wireless microphone all night, just in case I caught any audio bloopers! Well, Micah made the request and I obliged.

I kind of felt badly that I caught him saying “I think the glass went through my foot” during the glass-breaking ceremony at the end of their vows. Only to find out, yup! the glass indeed went through his foot! Another first for me. Something I’m sure they’ll laugh about later, but at the time it was very painful for him.

The many bloopers that I caught throughout the night, however, paled in comparison to the abundance of fun and absolute joy all around. I worked side by side with the fabulous photographer Elissa Davidson to capture some spectacular night shots out by the Mid-Hudson bridge that are sure to be some of their favorites.

DJ Baby Sal has been the bride’s family DJ since her Bat Mitzvah! He really knew this crowd and they responded with a packed dance floor the entire evening.  I have to say, Jess’ s parents are my new favorite parents, as they were the first and last on the dance floor all night and just having the time of their lives at their daughter’s wedding.

One of the cutest moments was when we were leaving the Poughkeepsie Grand to head to the ceremony, and the bride’s veil blew off her head and was on it’s way to the windy Hudson River.  Micah to the rescue as he jumped several times to save the veil.  He is definitely Jess’s hero and she is his Princess. A fairytale to be sure!

Continued love, fun and lifetime full of “bloopers” to the new Mr. and Mrs. Micah Klein!

April 4th 2009

-Jen

Hello All. Yes I am still alive and busy busy busy in my little office editing all of those fabulous 2008 weddings! I’ll start posting clips this week.

Hi to all of you who stopped to chat with me at the Patriot Hills tasting!  OMG did see all of that food?  They really outdid themselves and all of you who have booked them for your wedding are in for a real culinary treat!

Next month, I will be at the Catlin Creek bridal expo on Sunday, March 22nd.  If you are still looking for a fabulous venue for your wedding…you won’t be disappointed with Catlin Creek’s stunning gardens and personalized service.  Go and check them out!

My assistant, Alyssa is almost 3 months into her education at  massage therapy school and doing very well! She’ll be back in time for my May weddings and all of my previous couples can tell you that she is an integral part of the Masterpiece Video team!  I can’t wait to have her back.

OK- back to the editing room for me. Only 26 more days till Spring!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of my newlyweds  for a truly great 2008 season and wish you all a very happy 1st holiday season as a married couple! Rest assured that over the winter I will be in my studio working very hard on your masterpieces!

I thank you all for your trust and confidence in me in filming the memories of  your wedding day and preserving them for generations to come.

I wish you all good health and much love and happiness in the new year!

All the best,

love, Jen

November 22nd was my last wedding of the season and definitely a memorable one.  Melissa and Ron chose a masquerade theme for their wedding at The Round Hill House  and no detail was left undone.

I was excited to find out that  I would be working my friend Vivian, the fabulous photographer from Highland; but imagine my surprise when I arrived in the bridal suite to find one of my former brides doing the makeup! (Hi Angela!)

Getting back to the bride of the day…Melissa had to be one of the calmest brides in recent memory. Despite the chaos around her, she didn’t seem the least bit nervous as she stepped into her gorgeous white gown with RED detailing all along the back of the train – stunning!  I am a dog person so I was thrilled when her King Charles Cavalier arrived for some pictures with her mom!

Ron waited patiently at the bottom of the staircase for his bride to descend. Once the oohs and ahhs were complete, the bridal party moved in front of the roaring fireplace for some posed shots before the ceremony. We also briefly ventured outside into the cold for some pictures on the porch, but quickly retreated back into the cozy Round Hill parlor!

The candelight ceremony was so special as it was performed by the brother of the bride, who pronounced them husband and wife, by the powers vested in him by the internet! 

The party really got started when the bridal party and parents were introduced into the room in their feathered masks, which were also the favors on the tables for the guests to get into the masquerade theme as well. But probably the highlight of the evening, was when the bride and groom were doing their first dance and bang!…pyrotechnics went off behind them, illuminating  them in the darkness – followed by a heart of fire right outside the window with their names engraved on it.

Melissa and Ron met while line dancing, so it was only fitting that they kicked up their heels to some fast stepping country music out on the dance floor and they didn’t miss a step – fun to watch!

I also have to give a shout out to the bride and groom for their cool menu choices! The cocktail hour had a thin crust pizza station and a fabulous made to order asian station – definitely a nice change from deep fried cocktail food!

Thanks to the new Mr. and Mrs. Ron York for a memorable end to a memorable 2008 season for me!

-Jen

Julie was definitely one of my most memorable brides of the year. I first met her back in January at the Poughkeepsie Grand bridal show when she kept stopping by my table to view some samples.  She was so bubbly and excited about her wedding and I was happy that she chose me to capture it all.

Everybody loves this girl! But Ralph was the lucky one waiting for her as she walked down the aisle of St. Ann’s Church in Nyack on the arm of her dad.  Ralph is tall,handsome, and quiet:  Julie is small, bubbly and full of personality - perfect together!

After the ceremony, we were off to The New York Country Club for some gorgeous Fall photo ops on the golf course,( which we promptly got kicked off of by the golfers who were still teeing off) – OOPS!! 

The reception was packed with lots of friends and family and ITALIANS!!! We waited all night for the band to play the Tarantella and I think that the whole place was on its’ feet for that great traditional dance.

It was clear that everyone LOVES Julie.  The speeches and interviews that I conducted were all about how wonderful this girl is and Ralph just beemed with approval at his bride all night! Finally, what is an italian wedding without pastries? The Viennese table was huge and the guests promptly wiped it out! (with some help from Alyssa and myself).

All the luck in the world to my Dancing Queen Julie and her man Ralph!

-Jen

My good friend Cathy really wanted her niece Danielle to have a wedding video but it just wasn’t in the budget. So she had a great idea to have several guests attending the bridal shower, to chip in for the video as their gift! And viola….there I was.

October 18th was such a spectacular, perfect fall day with plenty of sunshine and just enough chill in the air to know it was fall. I couldn’t imagine not being there to document  such a wonderful occasion.

Danielle and Anthony are high school sweethearts, who made it through college, grad school, and living with her grandmother to get to this day – which was well worth the wait! The bride was absolutely glowing as her dad walked her down the very long aisle of St. Mary’s Catholic church in Port Jervis.  After the ceremony, the bride and groom and bridal party rode across the river the Riverview Inn in Matamoras, PA in vintage cars from the 50’s. We had great photo opportunities down by the Delaware with the vintage cars, pumpkins, fall leaves, etc…picture perfect!

As usual, the hospitality at the Riverview was outstanding. It is the only venue that I’ve worked at where they serve the vendors their dinner right after the bride and groom.  This is great because while the rest of the guests are eating, we can sneak away to get interviews with the couple, or just be ready for action as soon as dinner is over. Thanks Judy for noticing the merits of this practice!

The party was rocking with DJ Kenny of Sound Wizards getting everyone up on the dance floor, including the bride, who just got her cast off of her broken foot 3 days before the wedding!  It didn’t seen to bother her at all as I think she danced every dance (with her new husband right by her side).

It was truly my pleasure to be there to for two people who are the definition of “Meant to be”! Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Trochiano!

The finale to my triple wedding weekend could not have been more perfect. I met Deanna and Robert at the Catlin Creek bridal show last winter and they were THE MOST “in love” couple I’ve seen in quite some time…and that was 8 months before their wedding!

Deanna looked like a true princess as she stepped out of the limo on the arm or her future husband to take some pre-ceremony photos at the always stunning Gardens On Catlin Creek.  We roamed the gardens and had plenty of beautiful photo ops before their guests arrived. One memorable shot was of the groom’s immediate family of about 27 people! The photographer said, immediate family only and Robert laughed, “This is my immediate family!” Between them, the bride and groom have 5 children and the seamless blending of these two families was adorable to watch.

The ceremony was breathtaking as the bride and groom wrote their own vows; barely needing any notes while reciting them-everything on this day was from the heart.

Another highlight was the outside cocktail hour in the perfect fall weather, complete with a hand-rolled cigar station and plenty of great food!

Inside, DJ Paul from Much Music was playing some great Latin tunes and the guests, (who all travelled from the Bronx and beyond) hit the dance floor for a truly great party!  Alyssa (my assistant) was thrilled  when the Viennese table was served, filled with pastries, creme brulee, and of course, her favorite: bananas foster! Deanna and Robert, thanks for the sweets! And thanks for letting us be a part of your fairy tale.

-Jen

I will always remember MaryBeth and Steven’s wedding as the only time I’ve ever stopped at McDonald’s on the way to the reception!  When we pulled over alongside the limos at McDonald’s, I  just thought that someone had to use the rest rooms…..then, after about 15 minutes, the groom and ushers came out of the restaurant with many bags of food! Well, they did have a few hours before cocktails started so why not?

At least they weren’t cranky for pictures at the absolutely gorgeous Garrison  right along the Hudson River!  It was a crisp, sunny October day and the backdrop was just perfect for the formal photos.

They had just enough sun to have the cocktail hour outside on the deck overlooking the brilliant foliage.   Then it was inside to party in style to to the sounds of DJ Bri Swatek.  I think that he had every person there up on the dance floor at one point or another, mixing oldies with hip-hop, swing, slow songs…..the dance floor was non-stop all night!

MaryBeth and Steve were fixtures on the dance floor as well; I think they danced to every single slow song! Not to be outdone, their parents were no slouches in the dance department!  MaryBeth’s parents danced to their wedding song from 40 years ago and Steve’s dad had me cracking up all night with his dance moves!

It was just a fun, beautiful and heartfelt day and I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Griffen for having me there!

-Jen

We started our day Friday in the bride’s hotel room in Poughkeepsie.  Then travelled over the river to St. Patrick’s in Newburgh for the ceremony; and finally back across the river to the Grandview for the reception! In between all of this travelling – there was a stunning bride, a beautiful ceremony, and a fabulous party!

Edna and William had an absolutely picture perfect day for their “i-do’s”.  After the ceremony, we stopped at Algonquin Park for some beautiful photos with the Dynamic Duo of photographers, Lou and Leah Bedinotti   and snapped just enough pics before the sun went down.

The cocktail hour was highlighted by an Irish singer who was fabulous!  The bride and groom saw him playing in a bar and hired him for their wedding on the spot! His last name was McKeegan, I didn’t catch his first name but he did play me some John Denver upon request!

Another highlight for the guests, (and something I’ve been seeing quite a lot lately) was a hand-rolled cigar bar.  They even rolled smaller cigars for the ladies and the big ones for the men.  Even the bride got in a few puffs out on the terrace! DJ Tony was rockin’ the house an the party didn’t end until midnight. 

My chuckle of the evening was the close-up shot of my groom’s cufflinks. ORANGES! Congratulations to the New Mr. and Mrs. William Orange!

-Jen

Hi All…..

I just finished working my first and last TRIPLE weekend.  Weddings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Will comment as soon as I sleep for 3 days! Beautiful weather, beautiful couples, tired videographer!

-Jen

You could not wipe the smile off of Adam’s face all day as he was the happiest groom that I’ve seen in quite some time.

From the moment he saw his beautiful bride Loretta walk down the aisle, his smile was permanent! Everything about their day was perfect. The rain held off long enough for us to take some stunning photos down by the water near the Villa Barone in Mahopac.  What a fun bridal party; they were up for anything! The girls wanted to lift the groom up (they did!) and the bride even hopped onto a jet ski for a cool shot.

With the bride and groom both being state troopers, there was plenty of law enforcement in attendance as guests, and boy can they party!  We saw some familiar faces in the crowd and it really made it feel like a hometown party in a very elegant setting. 

Thanks to Loretta and Adam for treating us so well and making us part of their spectacular day!

-Jen

I normally don’t comment on a wedding the morning after….It usually takes a few days for everything that happened to sink in and actually make it from my brain to the page. But I feel that I owe it to my MOST EXCITED GROOM EVER to comment immediately about his wedding to his beautiful Kristy.

As I write this, I’ve had 6 hours of sleep since Ron and Kristy’s reception ended and am off to the home opener of the New York Jets.  I may add more later but I KNOW that he’ll be checking this morning so I thought that I’d give a few quick highlights of the day.

First of all, Kristy was absolute perfection in her gown.  Calm, happy, excited, prepared, and ready to go and marry her guy.  Ron, on the other hand, was anything but calm.  There was a huge mix-up at his tuxedo shop and they forgot to give the groom a jacket! So while he was supposed to be riding to the church in his limo, he was off to the shop to try to get a tuxedo to get married in!  Something that they’ll laugh about later, I’m sure, but just enough of a mishap to rattle any nervous groom.

He calmed down as soon as he saw his bride coming down the aisle , though, and the rest of the day was a sheer joy to watch unfold.  A beautiful Catholic Mass was followed by a trip to Mt. Alvernia for some fun bridal party photos where both the bride and groom were reluctantly lifted in the air by their friends (and nobody got dropped!)

We were then off to Arbor Ridge for a party that will be talked about for a long time.

Each couple in the bridal party was introduced to a different song and boy did they work it!  Then came Ron and Kristy who took a jubilant walk around the dance floor before settling in for their touching first dance.  There were many highlights of the evening………

 - The absolutely touching parent dances, 4 in all, and Kristy’s surprise dance with her mom to “Wind Beneath My Wings”.

 - My first ever “GROOM-CAM”, where Ron says to me…I’m ready to take that camera and shoot!  OK!

Can’t wait to see that footage!

 - BIG HEAD JOHN TRAVOLTA! Absolutely hilarious! Every Italian lady in the place hit the dance floor to take a spin with Travolta.  It really got the party started.

 -BLOOPERS! Ron had so many great bloopers that I might need to do a separate DVD because they may not all fit into the finished production.  As I mentioned before, he was just so excited, and when he gets excited, Kristy tells him that he talks….a lot!  Kristy had a few funny moments of her own and I absolutely love all of the shots that I got with hands on her hips…a signature move!

All in all, I think that the day turned out to be exactly what they wanted; FUN FUN FUN, sprinkled with pure joy, a loving family, and friends WHO CAN DANCE!

All my love to my Most Excited Couple Ever – Mr. and Mrs. Ron Ferrante. GO JETS!

-Jen