Ralph & Priya: April 19; The Rainbow Room

Of all the places to get married in NYC, the Rainbow Room on the top floor of NBC Studios in the Rockefeller Plaza, is surely one of the most spectacular places due to both its views and location. Ralph and Priya made good use of the location with photos by talented Dan Loh of Manhattan (photo above) as they excitedly waited for the start of the ceremony.

The bride- Vera Wang's assistant- was dressed in an incredible gown personally customized by Vera, who was escorted down the aisle just before the wedding party.

The Rainbow Room looked and sounded incredible with the flower petals and candles lining the runner and music from a live trio that included a harpist. Ralph and Priya could not stop smiling and looking into each other's eyes for the duration of the ceremony, which included a mix from both Hindu and Christian customs.

The first kiss as a married couple and ensuing exit resulted in a loud cheer from the large group of guests that had come from near and far.

After enjoying cocktail hour and its stunning views of NYC, the guests re-entered the Rainbow Room which had been transformed into an amazing party space.

The couple was announced and went into their first dance which was followed by non-stop dancing and partying the rest of the night, captured by Tim Alan Smith. Other highlights included the cake-cutting, two toasts, a speech by the couple and Ralph being hoisted in the air by his friends. All and all, a night the couple and their guests won't soon forget.

Chris & Laura; March 29; The Church of the Ascension and the Manhattan Penthouse

Chris and Laura had a beautiful yet brisk day to celebrate their wedding on March 29 with a ceremony at the Church of Ascension of Fifth Avenue and 10th street to start things off.

Laura looked beautiful as she came down the aisle towards her waiting groom. The vows were the highlight of course, and the couple hardly unlocked hands for the rest of the ceremony.

After greeting guests after the ceremony, the couple spent some time walking through the meat packing district with Tim Alan videographer, Dan, as well as the photographer. The wind blew Laura's veil (above) which always makes for good photos!

From there, they headed to Manhattan Penthouse on Fifth Avenue and 14th Street for a night of revelry. Guests enjoyed the spectacular city views from the grand windows that overlooked NYC as they enjoyed cocktails and appetizers before entering the great room for the reception.

Laura and Chris were then introduced and went right into their first dance. Other reception highlights included a few toasts, parent dances, a shot-glass toast by the bar, and spirited dancing that concluded with Sinatra's 'New York, New York' to end the night.

Sarina & Len, March 29; The Water's Edge

Sarina & Len had a beautiful day in NYC last Saturday as they celebrated their wedding with family and friends at the Water's Edge in Long Island City.

Sarina arrived first, getting ready in the bridal suite upstairs where I joined photographers Jared Charney and Coke O'Neal. When Len arrived about 45 minutes later, we arranged for him and Sarina to meet for the first time of the day at the bottom of the stairs.

The happy couple then took photos on the outside deck with amazing views of the Manhattan skyline behind them.

After family and wedding party photos and a quick rehearsal inside, the couple signed the Ketubah and got ready for the ceremoy. Guests arrived on ferries from Manhattan and were ushered to their seats.

After a very intimate ceremony under the Chuppah, the celebration began. Guests were ushered into the adjoining space for cocktail hour before being the entire room opened up for the reception.

Some of the reception highlights included toasts by the sisters and fathers, the Horah and first dance, Len's amazing dancing and a special song by Sarina for Len to end the night.

Tim Alan website redesigned and launched

Tim Alan has undergone a major redesign of the website after years with the old look and feel.

Much of the content is the same, but the style has changed to better fit company's brand and image.

We are excited about the new website and hope our clients enjoy the new look as well as the user-friendly interface that makes navigating the site for specific content much easier with the extra menu buttons that were added.

Again, Jason from Net Fusion Studios did amazing work with a quick turn around time. Please contact him for your own web redesign and/or creation.

Tim Speaking at NYC Junior League's 'A Wedding Affair' on Saturday: 12:30-1:00

The Junior League's Wedding Affair will be this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 130 E. 80th Street, with Tim Alan Studios listed as one of the sponsors.

In addition to manning a table for the day to meet with former, future and potential clients, I will be amongst a diverse group of speakers on a wide range of wedding-related subjects.

I plan to speak about new trends in wedding video including full wedding videos on your IPod, today's unobtrusive equipment, the emergence of HD filming and more.

Other speakers include wedding planner Kate Edmonds (Tim Alan client from September 2007- see blog video), photographer Daphne Borowski and more.

The speakers will be going on continuously from 11 TO 3 for a half hour each. It's a good way to take a break from the show and to learn about a specific part of the wedding process you might not be so familiar with.

I will be speaking from 12:30 to 1:00. Hope to see you there!

Super 8 Video Clip

A lot of clients ask us about Super 8 film because they like the timeless, classic look of it. While we shoot most of our weddings strictly with our HD/Widescreen cameras, we do incorporate some Super 8 footage as well if desired.

The appeals of Super 8 are many: it has a nostalgic look, the camera looks and sounds cool, and it makes your wedding stand out from the rest because it's so unique.

There are also not-so-great things about Super 8 that you should think about: film is very expensive, there is no audio, and it is VERY hard to shoot in low light situations.

With the video clip below, you will notice the indoor shots are a bit dark while the outdoor shots came out much better. You will also note both color and black and white footage as super 8 film can be shot with both.

A lot of couples have been opting for our engagement shoot Super 8 option in which we hit a bunch of their favorite NYC spots months before the wedding to create an artsy film for them to show at the rehearsal dinner or reception. This allows us to focus on Super 8 by itself and to do it on a day that's less stressful for both Tim Alan videographers and the couple.

A clip from one of the engagement shoots will be appearing in this space soon, so stay tuned!

ISES Northeast Regional Seminar: Providence

I had the opportunity to travel to Providence for last weekend's northeast regional conference for ISES (International Special Events Society) at the Westin in Providence, Rhode Island.

The weekend was packed with seminars, networking events and great meals. Some of the highlights for me were learning some new trends emerging in the event world, meeting some great new people and attending the amazing Sunday night 'Fire & Ice' party.

Many of the participants were wedding and event planners from up and down the east coast but members of ISES also include photographers, caterers, designers, videographers and just about anyone that works in the event field.

All and all, it was definitely worth the trip!