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Smiling Toad Productions Reviews

Smiling Toad Productions

Smiling Toad Productions

Chicago, IL
5.0 out of 5 rating, 75 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
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75 Reviews
99% recommend it
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    4.9 out of 5 rating
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Awards

75
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2013 Winner
  • R
    Rachael D. Sent on 01/09/2024
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    Excellent experience in an emergency


    I am absolutely thrilled to share my outstanding experience with Smiling Toad Productions that captured the precious moments of our wedding day. From start to finish, their dedication and expertise truly made our wedding video a cherished masterpiece. We had a previous wedding videographer turn out to be a scam close to the time of the wedding and John and team were kind enough to step in during the emergency

    The entire team at Smiling Toad Productions demonstrated a high level of professionalism and attention to detail. They seamlessly blended into the background, ensuring that they captured every significant moment without being intrusive. Their ability to capture the essence of the day is truly commendable.

    The quality of the final videos exceeded our expectations. The cinematography was beautiful, and the editing was done with meticulous care. Every frame seemed to tell a story, perfectly encapsulating the emotions, joy (along with some nervousness!), and love that filled our special day. The choice of music and the pacing of the video were impeccable, creating a cinematic experience that we will treasure forever and were exactly to our liking with the artists we enjoyed.

    Thank you John and team for making our wedding day even more memorable with your exceptional videography services!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Rachel,
    Thank you so much for taking the time to review us and sorry again on your previous videographer situation but glad we were able to step in at the right time. All the best to you and your wonderful families!
    -John
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    Christine L. Sent on 12/21/2023
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    Very happy with my videos!!!

    I highly recommend smiling toad! They were very detailed in making sure our music choices were listened to and any video requests were fulfilled. They stand out because we got FOUR different videos to capture different parts of the wedding. And they were fun to work with! Don’t miss out on hiring Smiling Toad for your wedding day! You won’t regret it!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Christine!
    Thank you so much for your kind review and I really enjoyed working with you on your wedding. All the best to you and family!
    -John
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    Blake J. Sent on 10/30/2023
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    Amazing ! So easy to work with! Professional

    Working with smiling toed was such a pleasure. They were very professional did an amazing job and shot some amazing videos of my camp themed wedding. They had three different shots of the ceremony with all different angles and capture the audio. Perfect. I would highly recommend this company they are on time, professional, and affordable.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks Blake! It was great working with you and all the best to you and your family and friends! - John
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  • Emily
    Emily S. Sent on 10/04/2023
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    definitely recommend!

    Smiling Toad is great! They did wedding videography for me in July 2023 and my sister in September 2021. John Severson is extremely communicative and ensured we were pleased with our results. I am so happy to have our wedding day captured so beautifully. I highly recommend Smiling Toad!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Emily, thanks so much for your review! You have a wonderful family and we really enjoyed working on your films. All the best! - John
  • Liz
    Liz B. Sent on 12/13/2023
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    We loved Smiling Toad!

    Smiling toad was amazing to work with throughout our wedding planning and wedding day! We gave them full creative control, trusting that they would capture our day perfectly, and man did they! Our delivered videos was exactly what we hoped for and more

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Liz,
    Thanks so much for your review and it was really fun working with you, all the best to you and family!
    -John
  • Dani
    Dani Sent on 12/05/2023
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    Amazing videographer and finished product!

    I hired this vendor for my daughter’s three year presentation. They did an amazing job with video coverage from the moment we arrived at the parish, during mass and the entire reception. I only hired them for 3-4 hours but they managed to cover everything I wanted.
    I am very picky and they did an amazing job with with the finished product.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Dani,
    Thank you so much for your review and you put on a beautiful event, glad we could be a part of it!
    -John
  • Caralin
    Caralin S. Sent on 12/16/2023
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    10/10, The BEST Vendor!!!

    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!!!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Caralin,
    Thanks so much for your wonderful review and we absolutely enjoyed being a vendor at your awesome wedding. All the best to you and family!
    -John
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    Peggy M. Sent on 07/08/2023
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    Excellent experience

    John was very responsive to all of our questions and concerns. His videographer was tops. The end product was wonderful and delivered as promised

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks for thinking of us in the first place and I much appreciate your time submitting the review, all the best!
    -John
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    Beth S. Sent on 11/23/2022
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    Awesome Videographer!

    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!!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    We are so glad we had the chance to work with you and your wonderful family, all the best and Happy Holidays!
    -John
  • Madison
    Madison W. Sent on 02/27/2023
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    One of our Best Decisions!

    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's reply:

    Hi Maddie,
    Thank you so much for your review! It was super fun working with you and John and all the best to you and your wonderful family!
    -John
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    Kaiti B. Sent on 01/17/2022
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    Great wedding videographer!

    Smiling Toad did an absolutely wonderful job with the videography for our November 2021 wedding! The two videographers were very professional, and willing to work with us to capture our perfect day! We would highly recommend them for any wedding.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Kaiti,
    It was wonderful working with you and all the best to your family! Thanks for sharing your review :) - John
  • A
    Alyssa H. Sent on 05/09/2022
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    Amazing Videographer!

    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.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks for the wonderful review and it was a wonderful day we were luck to be a small part of, all the best!
    - John
  • Katy
    Katy Sent on 03/05/2022
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    Fantastic Video for Our 2021 Wedding

    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!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Katy, thank you so much for your review! You had to adjust many things and we were just happy to be able to adjust with you, fantastic day for sure, all the best!
    -John
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    Diane Sent on 12/19/2021
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    Mother of Bride

    Day of videographers were punctual, friendly and creative. Editing and music selections were excellent. All phone and email communication prior and following was super friendly with prompt replies.
    Smiling Toad Productions was great to work with, and I would highly recommend them. Their work speaks for itself!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Hi Diane,
    Thank you so much for your review and it was great working with your wonderful family. Happy holidays to all of you!
    -John
  • Alyssa
    Alyssa M. Sent on 02/15/2022
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    Incredibly professional and personal

    We had to split our wedding into two parts due to COVID. Smiling Toad was at both. We weren't 100% sure we wanted to spend the money on a videographer at first but we can confidently say after the fact it was some of the best money we spent on the wedding. We have watched our trailers hundreds of times and shared with family and friends. We will be able to have these memories FOREVER. John and Doyle were both incredibly professional to work with and made us feel comfortable at every turn of the events. 10/10 you should use this group for your event.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks for your review Alyssa! We were fortunate to be at both of your events and wish all the best to you and your families!
    -John
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    Ray O. Sent on 09/21/2021
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    Get a videographer

    Smiling Toad was everything we wanted and more for a wedding video service. They were very thorough and communicative on the front end leading up to our big day and then extremely professional and helpful on wedding day. We keep hitting the 'replay' button on the wedding video they made for us and sending it all over to friends and family. Truly was amazing. Prices are more than fair compared to competitors. We weren't sure about getting a videographer for our wedding but now we are so glad that we did. Smiling Toad was a 10/10 decision.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks Ray! I’m so glad we had the chance to work together and keep those replay buttons clicking 😊All the best to you and your family!
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    Kathleen D. Sent on 11/03/2021
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    Smiling Toad is fantastic!

    We loved working with Smiling Toad! They were very flexible with our rescheduling due to COVID. Wonderful to work with and provided us with videos that we love!
  • Yesha
    Yesha Sent on 07/28/2020
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    You will not be disappointed!

    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!
  • Carey
    Carey S. Sent on 10/31/2019
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    Best Team!

    We loved our wedding trailer and full length feature. Jon and his team were so kind, thoughtful, and easy to work with. They have an incredible price point for high quality work (I cried watching our trailer!) and we never felt overwhelmed by their presence, which allowed us to truly enjoy our wedding day! Highly recommend!
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    Taylor Sent on 05/31/2021
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    Had a great experience!

    We had a excellent experience with John! He was extremely easy to work with. It's clear he has been doing this awhile because he had everything down pat. Of all the vendors I worked with, John was the easiest by a longshot! He gives you everything you need and more to capture all the important moments on your wedding day. I would highly recommend Smiling Toad Productions!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Very kind of you to say and it was very smooth sailing working with you on your beautiful wedding day, all the best!
  • K
    Kelly Sent on 06/19/2019
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    Truly incredible

    Smiling Toad provided us the most amazing short, trailer, and feature wedding film for which we could have asked. They crafted the most amazing three films (with the best music!) possible for us. I love music and gave a couple of notes but...being honest, expected to be disappointed in the music because I'm picky. And yet, they hit it out of the park! They did an incredible job, made us all cry when watching the videos, and we truly feel that our best wedding decision was getting a videographer in general--and hiring Smiling Toad. :)

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Kelly, It was a truly great working with you and your family and thanks so much for taking the time to write this. All the best!
    -John
  • Julie
    Julie Sent on 01/16/2019
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    Video on Repeat

    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.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks so much for your review Julie! You truly had a wonderful wedding day and we're so glad we were able to capture it for you. All the best!
    -John
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    Bethany B. Sent on 10/29/2018
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    Great, professional team

    Everyone told us our wedding would go by quickly, so we knew we wanted a videographer to document the day. Smiling Toad came highly recommended and we were so happy to have them document our wedding. They were very nice and professional and caught all of the special moments on video while not being at all distracting.

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks Bethany!! Your wedding was truly beautiful and its been great working with you, I'll be in touch soon! - John
  • K
    Kristen Sent on 06/12/2019
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    Amazing and Perfect!

    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!

    Smiling Toad Productions's reply:

    Thanks Kristen, so great working with you and your family. Thanks for choosing Smiling Toad and all the best in 2019 and beyond!
    -John
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    Aislinn Sent on 01/17/2019
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    So happy to relive our day anytime!

    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!
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