Smiling Toad Productions

Smiling Toad did an amazing job capturing our wedding! They were very easy to communicate and work with throughout the entire process

I was the groom and the only review I’m writing for my wedding was for John and his Smiling Toad Videography team! They went above and beyond to create a special day for my wife and I. While on site, John and his team were incredibly professional and were almost invisible while capturing all the precious moments on camera. The editing work was phenomenal as well, the different offerings of video length were perfect, from being able to rewatch the whole ceremony to the smaller highlight videos we could share with family and friends and post on socials. Absolutely recommend Smiling Toad Productions!

John and his Smiling Toad Videography team are EXCEPTIONAL!!!! John was incredibly professional and responsive throughout the entire process. On our wedding day, the team was kind, helpful and blended seamlessly into our day! They went above and beyond and are extremely talented. The videos are absolutely BEAUTIFUL and bring back our laughs, tears and emotions from our day. Smiling Toad was OUR FAVORITE VENDOR and I 10/10 recommend Smiling Toad Productions!!!

John and his team were amazing! They captured all the important moments from our wedding and the cinematic style was beautiful. We got the package with video, trailer, and teaser, and we received all three a bit over a month after our wedding. Great work and very prompt timing! We would highly recommend as a videographer.

Smiling Toad Productions is a master of cinematic storytelling. From start to finish, they capture every emotional moment with creativity and precision. The team's professionalism and attention to detail ensure a seamless experience, while their personalized approach results in a wedding film that feels uniquely yours. Their ability to turn fleeting moments into lasting memories is unmatched. If you’re looking for a videographer who combines technical excellence with heartfelt storytelling, Smiling Toad Productions is the perfect choice. Their work is nothing short of magical.

We couldn’t have been happier with Smiling Toad and their team! They captured every important moment of our wedding day, from the ceremony to the wild dance floor. The video is absolutely stunning, and we’ve watched it countless times. The quality of the footage is exceptional (we opted for the 4K video), and the editing is fantastic. We loved the creative touches they added to the final products, especially the recap video. John and his team at Smiling Toad did an amazing job and we highly recommend them to anyone looking for a talented and professional wedding videographer!

Everything about Smiling Toad was an absolutely wonderful experience. Smiling Toad was fantastic with communication and their professionalism. For example, my photographer was outstanding, but a bit intense. My two videographers from Smiling Toad were exactly what I needed, calm and always with a smile. They were able to work with my photographer and get the shots they needed. Their professionalism is outstanding, but their videos....absolutely AMAZING! Among my family members, okay the women, there was not a dry eye. Friends and family were sharing my video for their family and friends to see they were so impressed, and that was just the 6 minute trailer! Wait until you get to watch how they put together your wedding day in the hour long video! I promise, no need to look any further, you found your videographer that will capture your wedding in the most beautiful and romantic way possible. I would recommend them to family and friends. And I would hire them again in a heartbeat.

Smiling Toad productions beautifully captured my husband’s and my wedding day, starting with getting ready at a hotel, to First Looks, the ceremony, cocktail hour, and the reception/speeches/dancing. We added on drone footage which got awesome footage of the town, church, cocktail hour, and even golf shots that my husband and I hit - that part was so cool! There was also a beautiful aerial shot highlighting my dress and train. They didn’t get in the way of the day or dancing. They followed my preferences in the questionnaire and were great to work with. Thank you!

I was on the fence about hiring a videographer for our wedding since we were running tight on our budget and felt that pictures would have been good enough. I had set up a call with Smiling Toad and a few other companies I saw online, but after meeting with John I knew Smiling Toad would be the perfect fit for us and cancelled my other calls and booked with them. Now we are a little over a month out from our wedding and got our videos back, let me tell you, WORTH every penny! When I met with John, he understood my vision and what I wanted and most importantly did NOT want for our wedding. The way our videographers captured our day was so perfect and I will forever be grateful for having this keepsake. I really feel like they were able to capture the feelings, our personal style, and emotions of the day so beautifully, without it being cheesy. I would recommend them to ANYONE. Seriously, as someone who fought the idea of a wedding videography throughout the process, it is one of my favorite things that we invested in.

They were so professional and great to work with. They made the day feel easy and seamless and caught the most amazing moments. The final products were beautiful!

Smiling Toad was the perfect videographer for our wedding! They were extremely professional and fun to work with! They put together the most amazing videos and it was so fun to watch everything. We would definitely hire them again!

Smiling Toad was amazing, and we are so happy we hired them for our wedding! They were so nice and professional and truly made the filming process feel easy and non stressful throughout the day. They also caught all of the important moments and put together the most amazing videos!

The entire Smiling Toad team was warm, friendly and very professional. We were so pleased with the final videos and thoroughly enjoyed working with John leading up to, during our big day and for post-production!

John and his assistant did an amazing job at our wedding! They were calm and laid back to let us just enjoy the day while they caught everything for us to remember on video. The edits are done so nicely and we will treasure the videos forever. One of the few videographers we could find who will also give an extended (1 hour +) video with chapters so we have the whole day well documented. In addition to our 1 minute and 12 minute video which we can show family and friends. Highly recommend!

We used Smiling Toad Productions for our June 2022 wedding and are thrilled with our results. John, the owner, was kind and responsive. Our two videographers the day of were so easy to work with and made us feel so comfortable. They asked in advance if we preferred for them to be more active and call the shots, or be more passive and capture what was happening from the background. We opted for more passive, and they did that perfectly. I hardly even noticed them, but watching our videos back, they captured every detail perfectly. I wasn’t 100% we were even going to hire a videographer, but I am SO glad we did. It is worth every penny. Video gives you so much more emotion than a photo can and really lets you relive those moments, big and small. I looked at a lot of options, and I really felt Smiling Toad was the best value, and after seeing our videos, I’m confident we made the right choice.

Smiling Toad Productions was amazing to work with. They did a phenomenal job capturing pivotal moments throughout, and created a beautiful story of our wedding day. They also managed to film moments that I would've never seen or thought of capturing if I didn't get a videographer! We've rewatched the video and footage many times since, and have received SO many compliments from friends and family. There's so many videographers in Chicago, but we're so glad we chose the Smiling Toad Productions team. Highly recommend booking them for your wedding!

We can't thank Smiling Toad enough for capturing all of the special moments of our wedding day. From getting ready to the ceremony through the reception, they got some of my favorite moments on camera. We've been watching our films repeatedly since we've received them and truly cannot thank the team enough!

My husband and I can't thank Smiling Toad Productions enough for putting together an absolutely stunning video of our special day! We've watched it so many times since we got it back. They were really easy to work with and did a great job blending in on the wedding day so you barely noticed them but then captured everything so perfectly! We love how they weaved our pastor's message into the film and loved the song choices. Our friends and family are also blown away with the videography. This will be something we will cherish for the rest of our lives and share with our children. We are so glad we chose to work with Smiling Toad Productions!!

We really enjoyed working with Smiling Toad to document our wedding day. They made the process really simple and the results were amazing! The planning process was straightforward, they are very communicative and responsive, and take the time to understand what you're looking for. On our wedding day, the two videographers who worked with us were super professional and blended right in. My photographer commented on how nice they were to work with as well. Really nice people who are clearly talented and captured moments that really spoke to the joy of our day. What they captured was beautifully edited into something we will treasure for many years to come. I highly recommend Smiling Toad Productions.

Smiling Toad did a great job on our wedding videos! They were easy to work with throughout the planning process, and on the wedding day their videographers were punctual and professional. They turned the videos around quickly after the wedding and everything looked great! We would definitely recommend working with them.

My husband and I used Smiling Toad Productions to film our wedding and I truly am beyond happy with the results!! They captured our day so beautifully and being able to go back and watch the videos was such a blast to relive the day. The staff was extremely professional, easy to get along with, and timely. I can't say enough good things! They were a delight to work with and if you are on the fence on whether you should get a videographer for your wedding, DO IT, and use Smiling Toad!

Smiling Toad Productions was so much fun to work with. They captured the day perfectly, and paid close attention to all the details we had. They were great at getting us to warm up in front of the camera, and were very creative with how they captured different moments. We have received so many compliments on our video, and all our friends and family say it's hands down the best they have ever seen. It's hard to pick a videographer since there are so many styles out there. But we are glad we found Smiling Toad Productions. They will not disappoint.

We worked with Smiling Toad for our wedding in October 2021 and couldn't be happier with how everything turned out! John and team were always responsive and flexible when we had to reschedule our original wedding date due to COVID. The day of the wedding the videographers were both extremely professional and helpful. We love how our videos came out and are extremely appreciative to be able to look back on our favorite day in such a fantastic way. Highly recommend booking the Smiling Toad team for your wedding!

We loved working with Smiling Toad! Smiling Toad made the process very easy leading up to our event. We provided direction on the type of footage, music, and vibe we wanted for our Trailer and Feature. We felt that they really catered the videos to those preferences and our personality. Would highly recommend working with them!

Smiling Toad was great - we were so happy to have them capture our day! We LOVED our video and they were awesome to work with!

The Smiling Toad Productions was an incredible team to work with! They helped to ease some of my wedding nerves and were so easy going the day of. I highly recommend them! The process was very streamlined.

We had an amazing experience working with Smiling Toad! John is warm and personable, and always responded promptly to all our questions. Their online portal kept us organized throughout the process, which was especially helpful when fielding emails from so many different vendors, and ensured that no production detail was missed. On wedding day, Kevin and his counterpart were wonderful at providing just enough direction to get the shots they needed while also managing to blend into the background. We are in love with the finished products and were impressed by the delivery platform and how easy it was to access and share the videos. We're so grateful to Smiling Toad for capturing our special day and allowing us the opportunity to relive it over and over again. We'll cherish the trailer and video for the rest of our lives!

I would highly recommend Smiling Toad Productions! John was a pleasure to work with! He provided everything we needed and more! Each time I watch the videos, all of the happy memories come flooding back. The team did an amazing job! Of all the vendors I worked with, John was by far the easiest! He's just what you need - a reliable, easy to work with, experienced vendor.

We used smiling toad for our September 2020 wedding. Initially we were on the fence about hiring a videographer but am so glad we did! The video captured so many tears, laughs and funny moments that pictures alone can not. John was so supportive throughout the whole process (especially a pandemic wedding!! ) We loved working with his team day of and our end product exceeded all of our expectations. Recommending to all of my friends! Thanks again, John and Smiling Toad team!

We hired Smiling Toad for videography services for our wedding and from the beginning we have had such a good experience working with this vendor! John (the owner) is responsive, professional, and really caring towards the clients he serves. His wedding packages are very reasonably priced. John really tries to tailor his videos to what his client's visions are for their special day. Unfortunately, due to COVID we had to postpone our March 2020 wedding and John was so accommodating to postponing his services and cancelling our contract! He was very understanding and empathetic of our situation. We wish every wedding vendor was this easy to work with! We plan to use John and his company for our future wedding celebration and we highly recommend Smiling Toad to anyone looking for a videography services! You will not be disappointed!

Smiling Toad was the first vendor we booked for our wedding. It was a no-brainer since my sister-in-law used them for her wedding & recommended them to us- Her video was spectacular! From the very beginning, John stood out with his professionalism, guidance, experience, and friendliness. The Smiling Toad team is incredibly talented and did an exceptional job capturing our memories on the best day of our lives. It was the BEST decision for hiring Smiling Toad as our videographer.  They exceeded our expectations in every possible way, and we highly recommend them.

Smiling Toad Productions was absolutely amazing to work with on our wedding. Our videos turned out beautiful, we watch them all the time. In my opinion their pricing is very reasonable considering the quality and the final product. We got a feature, trailer, short, and instagram video with our package. Additionally, Smiling Toad also throws in the raw footage which not everyone does. We just got the raw footage from our wedding recently and though we love our super fancy finished videos there is something so fun about watching the raw footage and being able to hear what people were talking about and so forth. Chris and Sandy videoed our wedding and they were both fantastic. One really nice thing about Smiling Toad is that all their packages include at least two videographers which is great because that way all the angles are covered. I honestly cannot say enough good things about my experience with Smiling Toad and would highly recommend booking them.

Great videographer! The music and production came together was perfect!!

Best. Videographers. Ever. Smiling Toad did the most amazing job ever for our wedding (Oct 19, 2019). When I saw how beautifully filmed my friend's wedding the year before, I knew I had to have them for our big day. Working with John throughout the whole process was very comforting. He never hesitated to get on the phone to discuss any questions I had, and he made sure that our timelines and the day of flowed smoothly. The videographers themselves were great and professional. When we saw the final product of our video & short trailer film, we were BEYOND ecstatic. It was so beautifully put together and all of our friends and family raved at how perfect it was. I would recommend them to everyone and can confidently say you are in good hands with Smiling Toad Productions.

We used Smiling Toad as our videographer for our wedding on Saturday, August 17, 2019 in Lake Forest. John was pleasure to work with leading up to the big day. He listened closely to what our vision was and what we cared about, and he ensured that his team delivered what we wanted and truly brought our vision to life. John was very patient and helpful thinking through all the details of the big day and ensuring we had an air tight plan and timeline. The team was very responsive throughout the planning process as well as in correspondences after the event. I really appreciate their thoughtful and timely communications and all around professionalism. The two videographers who captured our day were a great balance of calm and assertive, ensuring they were not getting in the way of the “natural” moments but also giving enough guidance to capture all the best shots. They both brought a positive vibe and they were a joy to work with throughout our day. From starting the day with “getting ready” footage of the wedding party, to capturing the entire ceremony at the church, to the excitement of cocktail hour, to the speeches and dancing at our reception, they did a great job capturing it all. Our wedding day was truly the best day of our lives. We are so happy to have our wedding video plus all the raw footage. I know my husband and I will enjoy watching this footage for years to come. Thank you, Smiling Toad, for being part of our big day!

I couldn't have asked for a better videographer. John was so kind on the phone and made me feel comfortable with the first conversation. I knew I trusted him and his company right off the bat. On the day of, the videographers were polite and complimented the day without taking away from my ability to enjoy my day. The video turned out AMAZING! I love having both the trailer and short available on my phone. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I pull up the video(s) and it turns my day around. Thank you Smiling Toad for capturing my day so beautifully!

After watching many wedding videos to find out who to use we found Smiling Toad through a friend who had just gotten married. After watching videos on their website we really liked how they captured all the special moments in just a few minutes. We were beyond happy with our wedding videos and would recommend them to everyone! The video is our favorite thing to look back on every year and watch. They captured just the right amount of the pre, during, and post wedding events. We couldn't be happier with our choice!

I was hesitant about hiring a videographer for our wedding, but I am so glad we did! John was very attentive to all of my questions and made himself available throughout my decision making process. He tailored our package to deliver exactly what we wanted, and allowed us to be as involved as we wanted. For example, music is important to my partner and myself so we hand selected our songs. His team is professional and fun. The end result is so special and brings back all the feelings from our wedding day. I am so thankful that our photographer recommended Smiling Toad!

Wary about hiring a videographer, my husband and I talked to many friends and family about if a videographer is worth it. All of those who did not have their wedding on video wished they did and knowing that, I did not want to have any regrets about our wedding day. We did our research and came across Smiling Toad Productions. We liked how they capture everything we wanted in a wedding video from parts of speeches, and dances, to a cinematic movie. It’s exactly what we wanted. John was very responsive, and the process was very simple to hire him. We received our video last week and I’m embarrassed to say how many times I’ve watched it. Reliving our day is priceless and I recommend Smiling Toad Productions to anyone looking for a quality wedding video.

My husband and I picked Smiling Toad because we liked their video style and felt it was fun, captured the personality of the couple and wedding, the videos are interesting and never dragged, etc. We couldn't be happier with our video and I still watch it, 3 years later!! (And especially on anniversaries!) They were AMAZING day-of, total ninjas and even though they were up close and personal during important moments (our vows, the hora etc.) we definitely didn't feel that the cameras were imposing. They worked really well with our photographer too. Could not recommend these guys more and we absolutely treasure our video!!

Our wedding video experience was one of the easiest parts of the wedding process, and the one we are still most happy about (turns out, flowers last a day, but a video lasts a lifetime!). Haha. Our process began with a meeting with John who explained all of the options and gave us personalized recommendations. We chose to do a "same-day edit" (which we highly recommend) so John and his team Kevin, Chris, and Fernando interviewed us before the wedding and prepared some video of my wife and I (including some really cool done videos). The day of the wedding they were inconspicuous, but present. They managed to film the wedding, edit it, and combine it with the footage they previously had so that during the reception, we could show our guests the video--which was a really cool thing and one that our guests still bring up. The team was also very flexible in terms of allowing us to be a part of the process when we wanted, but using their expertise when we didn't know what we were talking about (which was quite often!). Bottom line -- wedding planning is a headache, but Smiling Toad is a vendor that is easy to work with and one that produces a great product and something that we'll have forever.

Highly Recommend!!! They did a beautiful job with our wedding, despite the limitations I gave them. I had a hard time talking my family into doing a video but they were so grateful they did one! It was such a keepsake. The staff was professional and courteous, and caught all of the memorable moments.

Initially I was a bit on the fence about hiring a videographer since we had confidence that our photos would turn out great, but I am so happy now that we decided to work with Smiling Toad. We just got our films back (trailer and highlight) and it has given me so much joy to watch them over and over again. I was also able to share the videos with friends and family who could not be with us on our wedding day and they’ve all commented that it helped them experience it in a way they just couldn’t by looking at pictures. John was very easy to work with coordinating everything and was very patient with following up when I wasn’t always quick to respond. I really liked that he asked questions to get to know us beforehand to make sure that we were comfortable on the wedding day and also that the end product would fit our style. We had two photographers as well as the two videographers from Smiling Toad, but everything went very smoothly and I never felt too crowded or like anyone was in the way. Kevin and Sandy somehow were able to capture the intimate moments without us feeling like they were invading our privacy. Overall I would highly recommend Smiling Toad to any engaged couples considering a videographer for their wedding.

Great Videographer! We are so happy with how our videos came out. Would definitely recommend.

Great job! We love our wedding video, and the shorter trailer/highlights clips have been a hit with our friends. They were also very unobtrusive during the ceremony and didn't make us feel uncomfortable at all while being filmed getting ready etc. The selection of licensed music isn't enormous, but they found some nice things that were generally in keeping with our style.

First off, get a videographer for your wedding. It was one of the best decisions we've made. Secondly, go with Smiling Toad! My wife and I got married at Salvage One this March. Smiling Toad was the most accommodating, customizing, affordable, and professional videographers we had encountered. The process prior to the wedding was seamless. John at Smiling Toad was quick to answer all of our questions and offer great options for music to include in the trailer and highlight film. During the wedding, the two videographers were extremely professional and skillful in their craft. They were not intrusive or "in the way" at all. At one point, I asked if the videographers left already, but they were just doing an amazing job of blending into the crowd! John was extremely prompt in delivering our videos after our wedding. Watching these videos brought back all of the feelings and emotions that we experienced during the wedding and allowed us to see so many of the moments that we missed in the excitement of the day. The wedding was captured in the truest of forms and done in such a beautiful way. We have received so many amazing compliments from our friends and family about our videos. Thanks again, Smiling Toad, for being a part of such a memorable day and allowing us to feel like we are reliving our wedding every time we watch your videos!

After many hours of sifting through vendors to hopefully find the perfect videographer, we found Smiling Toad and hoped we made the right choice. There were only so many videos from all the vendors we could watch and there was something about this company that really caught my attention. From the beginning, John was very responsive and helpful with all questions and his team was very professional the day of the wedding. I still had NO idea how this video would all turn out...and WOW!! There were so many little details put into the video that just made it that much more special. We loved how they incorporated the ceremony and special moments during it. I could go on and on about how much we loved everything about the work done here...trust me when I say they were fantastic! We also at first were skeptical about even doing a video but hands down made one of the best decisions for our wedding by doing so. Thank you to John and his team for capturing what was one of the best and most memorable days we will never forget! We can't wait to watch this video over and over again and throughout our marriage. Thank you!!!

What a lucky decision!! With a last minute decision to add a videographer to our list of vendors, we felt lucky that Smiling Toad was available. Two videographers apparently showed up on time and stayed the entire day, although I barely recall seeing them as the day unfolded. But they saw us! They caught moments big and small, and created a beautifully edited video of our daughter's wedding! They were easy to work with and had the video ready within one month. I know that video will transport us all back to a special day in a way that photos alone cannot. I highly recommend......just don't wait until the last minute to book them.

John (and the staff I worked with on the big day) were all very nice and accommodating. The videos are perfect!

I chose Smiling Toad after a few friends recommended their services. As a bride living abroad, many of our friends and family from Spain were unable to attend, so we wanted to spend the money on a videographer to be sure they could share our day in a different way. The planning process was easy thanks to a great website and internal planning service, and John was responsive and prompt with all of my emails. Chris arrived to my house right on schedule and was friendly and never in the way, and I barely noticed the second videographer (didn't even get his name!) during the reception. We did end up needing to add some more time to the package because church weddings don't lend too well to the eight-hour packages, but it was important to me that they get the shots that I wanted. Greatly looking forward to seeing the result and recommending Smiling Toad to friends!

Jon and the staff at Smiling Toad did a wonderful job with our wedding video. My husband was hesitant to agree to hire a videographer but after we saw our trailer and the rest of the video, he was very pleased that we hired someone. Jon did an amazing job of answering all my questions and going over everything I wanted to our wedding video and the staff on the day of the wedding was so fun and professional. I definitely recommend them!

I enjoyed working with John at Smiling Toad. He was very responsive to my request for a few edits once the video was produced. The film crew was unobstructive the day of the wedding, which was very important to my husband and I. They were easy to have around and did a great job of blending into the background, while still getting all the shots we wanted. I would highly recommend Smiling Toad.

My wife and I had a great experience with Smiling Toad! We were married in Chicago in October '14, and contacted John at ST pretty late in the planning process. No matter, as he made the service customization process very easy and straightforward. With just a few clicks and instructions on an impressive web site, we were good to go, and the film crew showed up with cameras on hand. At the wedding itself, they were utter professionals: interjecting when appropriate (such as to mic me up for my vows) and barely noticeable throughout the evening. Afterwards, John really went above and beyond in the film delivery process. There was an issue with the playback for one of our films when it was converted (I believe) to HTML5 on mobile. This wasn't even ST's fault, but instead the web site through which we were viewing. ST took it upon themselves to work with the third-party web site to fix the issue quickly. Most importantly, we were blown away by the quality of the movie itself. I can tell they spent many, many hours in the editing and sound mixing process. The photography is stunning. Everything looks and sounds perfect. The editing really created a perfect narrative, and the multiple cuts that came with our package (i.e. full vs. trailer vs. highlight) were perfect for short and long viewings. Overall, working with ST really drove home the point of hiring videographers. This type of product encapsulates memories in a vivid way and complements our photos so well. ST helped us capture memories that we will treasure forever. Thanks guys and keep up the great work. Here is our trailer: https://vimeo.com/117074607 Afterwards, John really went above and beyond in the film delivery process. There was an issue with the playback for one of our films when it was converted (I believe) to HTML5 on mobile. This wasn't even ST's fault, but instead the web site through which we were viewing. ST worked with the third-party web site to fix the issue quickly. Most importantly, we were blown away by the quality of the movie itself. I can tell they spent many, many hours in the editing and sound mixing process. The photography is stunning. Everything looks and sounds perfect. The editing really created a perfect narrative, and the multiple cuts that came with our package (i.e. full vs. trailer vs. highlight) were perfect for short and long viewings. Overall, working with ST really drove home the point of hiring videographers. This type of product encapsulates memories in a vivid way and complements our photos so well. ST helped us capture memories that we will treasure forever. Thanks guys and keep up the great work. Here is our trailer: https://vimeo.com/117074607

For some reason, having a videographer is not always considered a "must have" for a wedding the way a photographer is, but I completely disagree with this. When we were first planning our wedding, my husband and I kept getting told the day would fly by and be over in the blink of an eye (and that is so true! the whole day really does FLY by!), and it became extremely important to us that we have a videographer there, not only to capture our ceremony and reception, but also to be there with us while we were getting ready and during our "first look" to commemorate all of the little moments. For all of these reasons, having a videographer became one of the most important vendors of the day for us. When I first started researching Chicago videographers, I watched countless highlight films, and the ones I liked best kept being those from Smiling Toad - Not to mention they have rave reviews everywhere, so I felt confident booking a vendor that was trusted by so many other brides. If having a video of your wedding is something you care even remotely about and they are still available for your date, book Smiling Toad immediately. We booked two people from the Smiling Toad team to film our day, and over the course of our wedding day, I couldn't even remember seeing them much. They stayed in the background capturing everything, which was perfect, considering I didn't want to see big cameras and lights in my face every moment. After our wedding, the video that John (the owner, who is amazing!!) created for us was just perfect - it captured us and our story, which was exactly what we wanted, it was more than reasonable in pricing, and John and his team were just 5-star in every way: their demeanor, responsiveness, the process, and even the turnaround time - we were actually surprised to see the video as early as we did. What we most appreciated is that they were really focused on creating a superior end product; everything else was secondary to making sure that happened (and of course, to making sure we were happy throughout). With a lot of other wedding vendors you can get bogged down in all the details and it feels a little more nitpicky about the money - But with Smiling Toad, it's all about what will enable them to get the footage they need to create their exceptional videos. Working with them (John, the owner especially) just felt so genuine; I felt like he truly cared about my wedding and the final product, and it really showed it in every way. Even the end video he provided had not only the wedding highlights reel (which was what we most wanted); they also edited portions from our wedding (getting ready with our bridal party, our "first look", taking bridal party shots around the amazing city of Chicago, our ceremony, reception, speeches, and dancing) and set them to music, like mini chapters from a movie. It's all so fun to watch! My husband and I were so happy that we booked a videographer because we never could have remembered every moment, and now we always can :)

Smiling Toad was fantastic to work with, from day 1 through wedding day. They came to our house to show us some sample videos before we'd even signed a contract. They were always very responsive, answering all my emails and questions, making preparation simple and not at all stressful. On wedding day, they were perfect. On time, professional, and non-intrusive. They captured all the details of the day, but also the mood, the emotion, the little looks my husband and I shared. We honestly forgot they were there rather than being self-conscious about being on camera. Our guests didn't notice them either - no bright lights in your face, no running in front of the altar during the ceremony. Even though the videographers themselves were in the background, they captured the whole day beautifully, both the big events and the little details. The trailer, highlight reel, and full video we received were beyond professional - they were perfect.