is EVERYTHING.
feeling
is EVERYTHING.
feeling
We got into documentary & event filmmaking and stayed here for one reason: people. In other words - you. We are in this for you. We are in this to build relationships and create honest, goosebump inducing time capsules for extraordinary, real people. We're on a mission to create films that take you back in a way that's as real as it gets. Because what's a memory if not a collection of feelings?
We got into documentary & event filmmaking and stayed here for one reason: people. In other words, you. We are in this for you. We are in this to build relationships and create honest, goosebump inducing time capsules for extraordinary, real people. We're on a mission to take you back in a way that's as real as it gets. Because what's a memory if not a collection of feelings?
Feel
this
way
again.
And again. And again. And again.
FEEL
THIS WAY AGAIN.
And again. And again. And again.
2019 marked our 10th year of making wedding films. Over the past 11 years and nearly 200 weddings, our team has honed our vision for what we believe a great wedding film is all about. Spoiler alert: it's something so simple. It's the things that make us beautiful. Based on the experiences of our own weddings, the memories we cling dearest to, and the magical nuances that set video apart from photo, we have come to understand the subtleties that create not just a timeless wedding film but a piece that will be valued by friends and family for generations to come.
forever
A GIFT THAT LASTS
2019 marked our 10th year of making wedding films. Over the past 11 years and nearly 200 weddings, our team has honed our vision for what we believe a great wedding film is all about. Spoiler alert: it's something so simple. It's the things that make us beautiful. Based on the experiences of our own weddings, the memories we cling dearest to, and the magical nuances that set video apart from photo, we have come to understand the subtleties that create not just a timeless wedding film but a piece that will be valued by friends and family for generations to come.
A gift that lasts
forever
A Personal Experience
We believe there's a great deal of raw magic in the everyday and it's our mission to portray it. Our process and the films we create, therefore, hinge on getting to know you as best we can. From first inquiries through final deliveries, all that we do is custom tailored to ensure that your entire Birdhouse experience is one that emulates our motto of "Personal Cinema."
throughout the journey, through a series of questionnaires, Skype dates, brunches - whatever the distance allows - so that by the time our cameras roll, we have established a comfortable relationship that allows for natural reactions in front of the camera. It's a big deal, being let in to capture your story, and we don't take it lightly. Because of this, we only work with a select number of couples per year. By now, we've made friends behind our lens with over 300 wonderful people. We call this the birdhouse family. We're convinced, if you put all of these people in the same room, they'd be fast
friends. We hope you'll be our newest members.
We TAKE THE TIME TO
GET TO KNOW YOU
A Story of
forever
A few years back, we started gifting our couples a set of notebooks to give to each other on their wedding day. The idea started as a way to get more of their personalities into their films while also encouraging them to take the time to document their story on their own, years after their wedding day. Our notebooks have become a connective thread of our work ever since, as we've documented our couples reading and reacting to things like their favorite and funniest memories together, the ways each other has helped them to grow, the qualities they admire most in each other, the memories they can't wait to make, and even photos and drawings of things that mean the most to them.
Meet Us
Owner, Lead Filmmaker
NATALIE WALLACE
Studio Manager, Filmmaker
george fava
Cinematographer
MIRANDA HARPLE
We're a team of food obsessed, nature loving, dog-people filmmakers. We're a team who collectively chases goosebumps, seeking out the everyday magic in the simplest moments, the natural sounds, and the tiniest details. It's easy to say: we love what we do.
(Click a photo to read a bio.)
Meet Us
Studio Manager, Filmmaker
george fava
We're a team of food obsessed, nature loving, dog-people filmmakers. We're a team who collectively chases goosebumps, seeking out the everyday magic in the natural sounds, the simplest moments and the tiniest details. It's easy to say: we love what we do.
Owner, Lead Filmmaker
NATALIE WALLACE
Cinematographer
MIRANDA HARPLE
Owner, Lead Filmmaker
NATALIE WALLACE
(Why else are we here?) Human connection, love, community, real experiences, real emotions - as I see it, these are the fruits of human life. For as long as I can remember, I have been wildly, curiously in love with people and for me, it's this curiosity that is the connective thread of my work. I'd love to get to know you, learn what gets you kid-at-Christmas excited and what makes you curious about life around you. For me, pure joy is ice cream after a 12 hour shoot, swinging in the hammock with my soulmate dog, Mabel, mountainous long drives, rocking out on my drumset & riding bikes at the beach with my husband, Mark. For me, uncovering the beauty and honesty of real life and real people make me the most curious. I'd love to witness your story and share your personality through film.
(Click a photo to read their bio)
Meet Us
For me, people are it.
Click here to watch my wedding film
STUDIO MANAGER, FILMMAKER
GEORGE FAVA
The moments that pass in the blink of an eye; cherished, but often lost to time. The fine details that enhance a story or separate the ordinary from the extraordinary. I’ve worn a few different hats during my life -musician, engineer, and photographer. The lessons I've learned from each have shaped the way I look at telling a story: meticulous attention to detail with eyes and ears open to find the rhythm and beauty in each passing moment. I find happiness in the first cup of coffee and a fresh donut, sniffly-nose-inducing curry with my wife, Kristen, walking my dog, Brutus, on his favorite beach, photographing a star-covered sky & writing tasty guitar licks. Creating art, and being able to do it alongside my twin, Natalie, (#wombmates) and the infinitely talented staff here at Birdhouse, is what I was put on this earth to do.
(Click a photo to read their bio)
Paragraph
For me, it's all about the little things
Click here to watch my wedding film
Meet Us
CINEMATOGRAPHER
MIRANDA HARPLE
As individuals I believe we are all interconnected, and this synchronicity is what inspires my work. I live for new adventures, and my background in photojournalism has taken me all across the globe. There are so many fascinating humans on this earth, I just want to know as many of us as I can. While I have called many places home, my husband and I now live on a small apple orchard, where we farm and make hard cider. I wouldn't trade orchard life for anything: the smells of apples ripe in fall, front porch dinners and orchard walks with my moose-sized mutt Nora are the things I look forward to everyday. My life is about embracing every opportunity I get, and growing from our collective experience... of course, with a little hard cider and laughter along the way.
(Click a photo to read their bio)
Paragraph
For me,a good film connects us all.
Meet Us
YOU LOVE STORIES.
People say your personality is unforgettable. You're well-loved and light up a room. You're likely to spring for a pricey, once in a lifetime meal or a front row seat to see your favorite band, just for the experience. You prefer cards to gifts. Your family is your cornerstone and your friends are just like family. You and your fiancé have a love language that, in the best way, you describe as mutual weirdness. Being able to show your kids what you looked like, danced like, or laughed like when you were young is priceless to you. You are hooked on our films.
You are our kind of people.
YOU LOVE STORIES.
People say your personality is unforgettable. You're well-loved and light up a room. You're likely to spring for a pricey, once in a lifetime meal or a front row seat to see your favorite band, just for the experience. You prefer cards to gifts. Your family is your cornerstone and your friends are just like family. You and your fiancé have a love language that, in the best way, you describe as mutual weirdness. Being able to show your kids what you looked like, danced like, or laughed like when you were young is priceless to you. You are hooked on our films.
You are our kind of people.
Q+A
What PACKAGES DO YOU OFFER?
Because we are wholly invested in creating a film that speaks honestly and passionately to who you are as people, all of our packages include full wedding day coverage (9-12 hours) plus 2 hours on an additional day before or after your wedding (either as an Adventure Shoot or Rehearsal Dinner/Welcome Party coverage) plus a minimum 6-8 minute cinematic wedding film and the full raw footage on a hard drive.
DO YOU TRAVEL?
Though we're based in Harrisburg, PA, we capture most of our work in Upstate NY and New England. New destinations highly influence our films and it's our goal to capture in all 50 states plus a few dozen different countries. To date, we've filmed in 19 states - almost the entirety of the East Coast, plus Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, New Mexico, California, and Oregon. In 2018, we added Positano, Italy to our list. The outdoors highly inspire our work so, we love capturing in places we have never been!
DO YOU SELL RAW FOOTAGE?
Yes. Because it's highly important to us that you have all of your memories preserved for a lifetime, we offer the full raw footage (video + audio) organized in its original format on a hard drive as a $500 add-on to any package.
DO YOU OFFER CEREMONY ONLY OR RAW FOOTAGE ONLY PACKAGES?
Sorry - we do not.
What IS SUPER 8?
Super 8 is a film format from the 60s that we are very fond of (partially because we - mostly Natalie - is very fond of the 60s). We love mixing super 8 with digital video as it adds a level of intimacy and timelessness that we are constantly after in our films. For the last 5 years, super 8 has been appearing in our work. It's grown to be such a part of our brand that it's now featured in almost every wedding we capture.
CAN WE MEET YOU BEFOREHAND?
If we're being totally honest - we don't want to just know you through a single day, we want to become your friends. This is a long, personal journey we will all be embarking on together and the more comfortable you are with us, the more natural you'll be when our cameras start rolling. Honestly? We don't even like being in front of the camera, but when our friends are shooting us, the way we react is so much more us. Getting to know our couples is essential to the personal, intimate films we create. Our process is to first meet with our couples via video chats before making anything official. After booking, we love to find a way to meet in person to get to know each other better over coffee, dinner, or drinks.
DO YOU ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS?
Yes!
Q+A
What ARE YOUR PACKAGES?
Because we are wholly invested in creating a film that speaks honestly and passionately to who you are as people, all of our packages include full wedding day coverage (9-12 hours) plus 2 hours on an additional day before or after your wedding (either as an Adventure Shoot or Rehearsal Dinner/Welcome Party coverage) plus a minimum 6-8 minute cinematic wedding film and the full raw footage on a hard drive.
DO YOU TRAVEL?
We pretty much only travel. Though we're based in Harrisburg, PA, we capture most of our work in Upstate NY. New destinations highly influence our films and it's our goal to capture in all 50 states (plus a few dozen different countries).To date, we've filmed in 19 states - almost the entirety of the East Coast, plus Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, New Mexico, and California. In 2018, we get to add Positano, Italy to our list. THE OUTDOORS highly inspire our work so, we love capturing IN places we have never been!
DO YOU SELL RAW FOOTAGE?
Yes. Because it's highly important to us that you have all of your memories preserved for a lifetime, we offer the full raw footage (video + audio) organized in its original format on a hard drive as a $500 add-on to any package.
Do you accept credit cards?
YES!
What IS SUPER 8?
Super 8 is a film format from the 60s that we are very fond of (partially because we - mostly Natalie - is very fond of the 60s). We love mixing super 8 with digital video as it adds a level of intimacy and timelessness that we are constantly after in our films. For the last 5 years, super 8 has been appearing in our work. It's grown to be such a part of our brand that it's now featured in almost every wedding we capture.
CAN WE MEET YOU BEFOREHAND?
we don't want to just know you through a single day, we want to become your friends. This is a long, personal journey we will all be embarking on together and the more comfortable you are with us, the more natural you'll be when our cameras start rolling. Honestly? We don't even like being in front of the camera, but when our friends are shooting us, the way we react is so much more us. Getting to know our couples is essential to the personal, intimate films we create. Our process is to first meet with our couples via video chats before making anything official. After booking, we love to find a way to meet in person to get to know each other better over coffee, dinner, or drinks.
DO YOU OFFER CEREMONY ONLY OR RAW FOOTAGE ONLY PACKAGES?
SORRY, WE DO NOT.
ELIE + Matt, BLOOMING GROVE, NY (JULY 2017)
The Birdhouse team is fantastic: they are professional, responsive, talented, and very easy to work with. They made sure we were comfortable working with them, gave advice on any timing and planning items, and made sure they knew us as a couple and what was important to us. Natalie and George were very friendly and approachable throughout our wedding day and put us at ease in front of the camera (no small task!). They took great care to make sure they didn't miss any special moments and that they understood our priorities for the day. It really felt like two of our close friends filming us vs some impersonal cameraman jumping in and out of view! All of their videos really bring out the story of the couple, and their work is beautiful and emotional, clearly grounded in who the couple is that they're filming. We can't wait to see the final product!
CRISTINA + TIM, HAWLEY, PA (August 2016)
To say that one of the best things that happened in our wedding planning process was a double booking of our venue, would probably sound ludicrous to most. And at the time, it was most certainly heart-wrenching to us too. But due to this monumental oversight, we found one of the greatest gifts to ourselves we could have ever invested in . . . Birdhouse. The universe clearly wanted our wedding to be captured by the palpable sincerity and raw emotion that trademark a Birdhouse film. And thank goodness it did. We have lost count of the times we've watched our wedding together, with family and friends. We've all cried and laughed, reminiscing on each moment that was so perfectly captured by their lenses. We've been left in awe at the attention to detail and their ability to embrace us as a couple - staying true to who we are and what our love is all about. We could not imagine our wedding without Birdhouse and we wouldn't even want to. There are no words to describe just how grateful we are for the mishap that brought us Birdhouse. If you want to feel all those incredible feelings you felt on your wedding day again and again, hire them. The film that they deliver will be beyond anything you could ever imagine.
PATTY + GEORGE, ROXBURY, NY (JUNE 2016)
Originally, in our wedding planning process, we decided not to have a videographer, because it felt like a luxury and the only thing we could cut out to save money. But then, I was at my mom's one weekend watching home videos, and realized it was a memory I didn't want to skimp on. I watched SO many videos over a few month period, and couldn't find something that felt right. I didn't know what I wanted at the time, I just knew I hadn't seen it. Finally, we came across Birdhouse and Natalie's amazing work. I know it's corny, but I really felt like I knew each couple she shot. It was so personal and real and unique and so so beautiful. Natalie and Miranda were amazing during the weekend (and via Skype before!) They're so easy to get along with and they really put us at ease. When I told Natalie about the lantern ceremony I wanted to have the night before the wedding to remember my father, she said she would shoot a few hours the night before because it was too important to miss. We can't say enough about how great Birdhouse is!
SARAH + DAVID, EAST HAMPTON, NY (OCT 2015)
This was one of the first vendor decisions we made and one of the most seamless. Talking to Natalie was comfortable and she really takes time to get to know you as a couple. Aside from the Skype, she was responsive over email leading up and also asks you to fill out a questionnaire, with some fun, out of the box questions, prior to the day that my now husband and I enjoyed filling out! She arrived on-time with her brother George and they both worked naturally throughout our day. They blended into the background but made sure to ask for certain shots when needed. We felt comfortable and at ease with them (and had a lot of fun!) My parents, friends and family were raving about how great our videographer was the day off, no stress added! Natalie is so sweet and you can tell she is passionate about her work. This decision was a no-brainer for us and we are so grateful we had the opportunity to work with Birdhouse! Our wedding video is something we will treasure and couldn't have asked for a better team! We would highly recommend Birdhouse to anyone seeking a videographer to capture their big day... be sure to book in advance!
LAUREN + LUCAS, BEACON, NY (SEPt 2015)
What sets Birdhouse apart most is their remarkable ability to construct a narrative that perfectly encapsulates what is special about the couple they are working with. Even if you’re watching the wedding video of someone you’ve never met, you truly feel like you know the people who are getting married. You feel overjoyed that these strangers have found their particular happily ever after. Birdhouse achieves this by earnestly taking the time to get to know you and by making personal connections with you. From how you met, to common interests, to inside jokes you share, they take the time to learn every detail, and they weave these details into an intricate and intimate story of your wedding day. Every time we re-watch our wedding video (and we have, many times), we relive our wedding day. Yes, we get to see the details of who was there and what was said, but we also get to feel the overwhelming emotion felt by us and the people we celebrated with. It’s hard to even think about the video without tearing up.
Francesca + Matt, Brooklyn, NY (June 2014)
I cannot imagine our wedding without our Birdhouse film. We have watched it with many other friends and family and laughed and cried together with them. If you had asked me beforehand, I would've said, "I'm sure we'll watch our wedding video a few times." I've lost count of how many times I've seen it - I mean, it's bookmarked on my phone right now because I still watch it a year later. Hire them for your wedding and it will be a touchstone of one of the most important days of your life - a videographer whose subtle, powerful artistry serves only your love, on your day, with your partner. Simply put, I have recommended them to every couple I know getting married.
BLAINE + BRIAN, WILLIAMSTOWN, WV (OCT 2013)
If there's one thing we're programmed to never forget, it's how we felt at moments in time.
To give someone a chance to feel that again is a true gift.
Interested in learning more?
chat with us!
Education
We love any opportunity to meet and share our knowledge with fellow filmmakers and aspiring storytellers. With over 8 years of experience capturing weddings + events, and 4 years prior of film school (for Natalie), we've learned a thing or two along they way that have helped shape who we are, who we're able to tell stories for, and how we do it.
for storytellers
We offer 1 on 1 Skype or in-person workshops with Natalie for 2 hours for $300. This session will be catered towards your needs -
no TOPICs are off-limits.
Email us to book a session
Coming Soon
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS OF BUILDING BIRDHOUSE AND SOON, WE'RE SHARING IT ALL. JOIN US FOR AN immersive DIGITAL educational experience FOR WEDDING FILMMAKERS, covering BUILDING YOUR BRAND, TELLING PERSONAL STORIES, CAPTURING CINEMATICALLY in a FAST-PACED setting, putting audio first, BOOKING YOUR DREAM WORK, and breaking (all) the rules.
A few things we've covered in past 1-on-1 workshops:
+ Audio (gear, setup, post)
+ Super 8mm
+ Pre-producing a wedding
+ Assembling for story in post
+ Working together + building relationships
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR
EDUCATION MAILING LIST
-
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS OF BUILDING BIRDHOUSE AND SOON, WE'RE SHARING IT ALL. JOIN US FOR AN IMMERSIVE DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR WEDDING FILMMAKERS, COVERING BUILDING YOUR BRAND, TELLING PERSONAL STORIES, CAPTURING CINEMATICALLY IN A FAST-PACED SETTING, PUTTING AUDIO FIRST, BOOKING YOUR DREAM WORK, AND BREAKING (ALL) THE RULES.
Coming Soon:
We love any opportunity to meet and share our knowledge with fellow filmmakers and aspiring storytellers. With over 8 years of experience capturing weddings + events, and 4 years prior of film school (for Natalie), we've learned a thing or two along they way that have helped shape who we are, who we're able to tell stories for, and how we do it.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
OUR EDUCATION
MAILING LIST
CLICK HERE to book a session
We offer 1 on 1 Skype or in-person workshops with Natalie for 2 hours for $300. This session will be catered towards your needs - no TOPICs are off-limits.
A few things we've covered in past 1-on-1 workshops:
+ Audio (gear, setup, post)
+ Super 8mm
+ Pre-producing a wedding
+ Assembling for story in post
+ Working together + building relationships
for Storytellers
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