Charles Lauren Films

What if your love could be turned into an Oscar-worthy movie? That’s what Charles Lauren Films does for couples that hire them. Company founders David and Kelsey Pluskat combine a brilliant narrative style and an eye for romance in a way that captures those spontaneous wedding moments and makes them cinematically stellar.

They met in high school and went down similar paths: David had been filming documentaries for the city and school since age 13, while Kelsey worked on documentaries for PBS. David earned a degree in filmmaking, and eventually these two kindred spirits married and formed their own wedding cinema company. “David and Kelsey are a joy to work with,” says a client. “I am constantly amazed by their energy and ability.” “High quality, indeed,” agrees another film professional. “Cinematic and epic—their quality of coverage rivals what you see on the big screen.”

This duo is particularly adept at filming weddings, where their artistry, sensitivity, intuition and expertise produce thoroughly captivating results. “We’re very aware of everything that’s happening,” David explains. “It’s an exercise in looking for beauty, in paying attention, in being constantly mesmerized by a world full of wonder. It’s the most challenging thing you can do in filmmaking. It must be done all in one take, by a small team and it must be perfect.”

Amazingly, they manage to achieve this unobtrusively. Clients are overwhelmed by their professionalism, their calming presence and how they seamlessly and seemingly effortlessly follow the day. “We were thrilled,” raves a bride. “They didn’t miss a thing. We watched our DVD more times than I care to admit. Everyone said it looked like a fairy-tale wedding.”

“I believe Kelsey and David really love their vocation and are dedicated to honoring their clients’ tastes and providing them with a heartfelt, artistically rendered document of their wedding day,” confirms a noted officiant. “My only suggestion would be…well, to clone themselves so there were more like them out there!”

This couple is often so absorbed in their work they find it hard to stop. “It’s about fun, it’s about togetherness, it’s about bonding,” says Kelsey, who feels that being married definitely helps. “They absolutely love what they do and it shows in their work,” reports a photographer who gives them a 10 out of 10. “If my wife and I were getting married again, we’d definitely use them.”

It’s obvious: These two know how to create the ultimate date movie—one that wins awards. As one bride confessed after trying to tear herself away from viewing their wedding video samples, “There we were, watching someone else’s entire wedding and getting emotional about it. That was pretty crazy, we thought, so we hired them.”