Tell us a little bit about your business.
We’re Illumination Studios, a Pittsburgh wedding videographer. I’m Gabe, and along with my beautiful wife of 13 years, we are actually obsessed with not just filming weddings, but telling stories of those wildly in love. Our number one main concern is documenting your wedding exactly how it happened! I have written on my website in huge print “Perfectly Imperfect”, and that’s exactly how I’ll film your wedding. We are all about capturing those raw and untamed moments of your wedding. My job isn’t to script your story or your wedding day; it’s to authenticate it in the form of video, for not just you to relive, but to preserve this legacy for your kids, grandkids, and beyond. Imagine being able to see your grandparents’ wedding day and their love story like you were there. That is what I am out to give my couples – nostalgia for a lifetime. The greatest day of your life should be celebrated without a care in the world. And we’re here to document that. Wherever you’ll go, we’ll go.
Your love story is a much bigger chapter than a single riding off into the sunset. There’s a past, a present, and a future. The wins, the losses, everything that brought you together and keeps you going. Just like your family before you, and theirs before them. This chapter is incredibly important as this moment in history will impact (and create) generations to come! And we make not just wedding films, but stories so all those involved will remember how that felt.
What makes your work unique?
When I say that no two wedding films are the same, I truly mean it. There’s no cookie cutter template used to “get the job done fast”. I’m here to learn about you and get to know you, so I can tell a story that is just…you! I shoot for the moments, not for the look. Those perfectly composed shots that make you look like you’re in Vogue are nice and all, but do they transport you back to that feeling, that high you had on the single greatest day ever? Don’t get me wrong, you’re going to look amazing! But I’m here to give that feeling back to all the senses, not just the visuals. I aim to give you all of the feelings. Those quirky moments are just as important as the emotional moments, and those are just as important as the sheer joy and excitement. We’re here to catch it all!
At Illumination Studios, we specialize in the vintage arts. We are one of the very few wedding videographers in the United States that still shoot weddings on 16mm film. To truly get that vintage look, what could be better than shooting on the exact film stock that was used to capture many of our favorite old time movies! Whether it be digital video, Super 8mm or 16mm, we treat it all the same – to capture your story just the way it was told by you!
What is your ideal client like?
First off, I love this question. And if you can relate to what I’m about to say, then maybe it was meant to be! Kinda like what I said above, do you want to look like a Vogue model, or do you want to watch your video to be taken back to those crazy and great memories? My ideal couple is one who is wildly in love and doesn’t care who knows it. Those who want their wedding day to be a party and a celebration. Because that is what it is. Those who are only worried about loving each other on their wedding day. Those who want to run around, laugh, smile, and be truly themselves. Those who are authentically real!
What is your approach to videography?
I strive to create films that will not just make you think, “Hey I looked good”, but take you back, transport you back to that time. Authentically, story-driven love stories. Emotionally charged wedding films that also give a roller coaster of emotions. I am not there with you to script your wedding like it’s a movie. I am not your director, and you’re not an actor. I am there to help assist you in any way possible while documenting all along the way.
Do you offer drone video coverage?
Yes. Drone coverage is included with all packages in accordance with FAA regulations, weather permitting, and safety in piloting a UAV.
