Wedding Date on Jun 10, 2023

We’ve always wanted to film a full weekend on Block Island and we couldn’t think of anyone better to spend it than with Izzy + Toby and their incredible group of friends and family. There’s something so special about watching two people enjoy the absolute hell out of life. That feeling - it’s the feeling of being alive. That’s what it was like watching Izzy + Toby. I think it’s pretty evident when you watch them that they know how to have fun. They relish in it - inviting everyone around them to share in it. Sharing in I+T’s wedding weekend felt somewhat like we were sharing the whole island with them. It seemed, for that weekend, to exist just for us to celebrate and party as fiercely as these two love. I+T are COOL people. But amidst the pink sunglasses, cowboy hats, and wild dance floor there was a tenderness. A tenderness that only comes from a place of genuine care and one that will follow them wherever they go. Neither Izzy or Toby live anywhere near Block Island. But, Toby’s family has been vacationing there for many years and now Izzy and Toby consider this island to be very near and dear to them. They wanted to share this “sweet little island” with all the people they loved. So it only made sense to plan a whole weekend around it. Their rehearsal dinner and welcome party were held at Hotel Manisses. Rather than having speeches given by only the maid of honor and best during their wedding reception, Izzy + Toby opted to open the floor to anyone who wanted to speak at their rehearsal dinner. There were a total of NINE speeches - it was so clear how loved these two were. If you ask us, this is the perfect way to do it. Let your loved ones give speeches the night before, allowing more than just the VIPs to speak, and in turn you’re buying yourself even more dance floor time on the actual wedding day. The next day, each of them got ready on Toby’s parent’s property, overlooking the ocean on a tall hill. The morning was pretty standard for what you might expect on a wedding day with one slight deviation - the famed Painted Rock of Block Island. At one point in the morning, some of the guests went out to paint Toby and Izzy’s name and wedding date on the infamous Block Island Rock. Painting the rock has been a local tradition since 1962 - locals can be found painting it for special occasions, holidays, events, or because someone had extra time on their hands and simply felt like it. We followed some of the guests to the rock to watch them paint, making sure to catch it on video because they warned it may very well get painted over in a few hours (all in good fun!). The ceremony was held at the same property, overlooking the expanse of the ocean just beyond us. Their reception was held at Block Island’s iconic Sullivan House. Because they had taken care of their formal speeches the day before, not only were they able to savor more of their dance floor, but we were also able to get candid video messages from guests to the couple. What resulted was a bunch of candid fun that really lent itself well to the atmosphere Izzy + Toby wanted to create. When editing their films our focus was energy, vibes, and a free-wheeling fun loving sense of adventure. Something about this day; from the cowboy hats, neon sunglasses, and open air dancing harkened back to documentaries about 60’s & 70’s counterculture and Quentin Tarantino movie trailers. With that in mind we knew we wanted the edit to be fast, frenetic, cut to the beat, and ever driving forward. We also wanted the look to be colorful, saturated, and maximalist in all the best ways. This was meant to be a story about an explosion of love and good times. I + T’s love feels so much like cinema that we wanted this video to reflect that in all the ways I learned about in film school. We chose to give this video a very clear narrative arc, using I’s infamous sleepiness to create a sense of anticipation and leave room for a satisfying ending. As we continue to grow as filmmakers and storytellers this video feels like it’s setting a standard for us. We want our films to truly embrace what it means to be a film and not just a collection of pretty images at 24 frames per second. We want to tell a true story, with drama, laughter, highs, lows, and everything in between. Thematically, the teaser plays on the idea of time. For that video we let that theme play to mostly comedic effect, mirroring the energy of I+T. For their longer film we really wanted to expand on that. I + T’s relationship spans a number of years, eras, and key moments; from T’s parents finding the island this couple would eventually get married on, to the initial falling in love stage, living apart in different states while waiting patiently for each other, all the way to the present. Working from that central narrative idea made for a really playful edit where we could add in lots of callbacks, humor, and varied editing styles. We wanted this film to be as dynamic, energetic, and filled with life as I + T. We focused on bringing their energy out through this video, while also keeping in mind their patience to get to this moment.