Our Wedding:The Inspiration

Previously in this series- Our Wedding: Planning Begins

Have you seen those TV shows that take a celebrity wedding and then duplicate the look for a chosen couple? They're pretty fun to watch, and it's neat to see the results and how they compare to the original. Brent and mine's wedding was very stongly inspired by a celebrity wedding. But it wasn't Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, or Nicole Kidman who came up with the perfect vision for us. It was the late John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette whose 1996 nuptuals took my breath away at the first glimpse of their two published photos:

(Photos by Dennis Reggie)

So when it came time to start thinking about our own wedding, I pretty much knew how I wanted it to be. Candlelit at dusk in a worn old chapel with our closet friends and family around. Turns out Brent liked the idea too, which was a relief.

Here are a few photos from our big day:

(by Casey Benson)

I love the fact that this uber-rich couple, who could have had the most lavish affair anywhere in the world, chose to have it in a tiny run-down Baptist church on an island in Georgia. And what makes it cooler is that little old average folk like me can have the same wedding!

Once I had the vision in mind, it was time to search for the perfect venue that would bring it all to life. More on that next time.

Mojuba Emergency Kits

I just came across this neat product and thought I share it with my brides. It's called the Mojuba Bride Kit and it's a pretty bag that's full of all your wedding day emergency essentials, like scissors, lip gloss, deodorant, a camera, foot cushions, and a ton of other nice products.



I especially like the fun packaging:


I know the emergency kit that my mum put together came in handy numerous times during my sister's wedding. If you don't want to take the time to put one together (and it does take some time to research), and you have a little wiggle room in your budget ($165 to be exact), this would be a neat thing to invest in. They also have one for the guys too!

I've Gone Country for Miranda Lambert

This past Sunday Brent and I were hired by Miranda Lambert to videotape her "Cause for the Paws" charity event. This annual fundraiser is held at The Villa and raises thousands of dollars for the Humane Society. It was fun being at The Villa to document something other than a wedding. The weather was perfect, the the food and wine were flowing, and the music was a treat. We look forward to seeing what the guys at GAC are going to do with the footage!

(photos courtesy Casey Benson)

Introducing Super 8

Today I want to introduce you all to the newest member of our "family": Canon 518!


This little circa 1960's Super 8 camera is something we're adding to our arsenal so that we can provide something really unique and special to our couples. It shoots film in that wonderful, warm, nostalgic style- you know, like the Wonder Years intro. We have a few Super 8 projects planned that we're really excited about, which will debut this summer here on the blog. In the meantime, if anyone is interested in having Super 8 coverage added to their video package (or, if you want your entire wedding shot with it!), let's talk.

And before I finish, I wanted to post this picture from three years ago of me with some buddies. We like to call it "Super 8 Super Battle."

Nic & Cam: Hair and Make-up

In today's installment of "Nic & Cam" I'm going to rewind a little and talk about our hair and make-up trials.

Hair and make-up can be the crowning touches on a perfect wedding day ensemble, and my sister wanted to find the studio that could expertly achieve a great look. We did some internet searches, asked for referrals, and did one trial before we found our winners: Cara Dulce. The Cara Culce studio is located downtown which was perfect for our needs.

We scheduled a hair and make-up trial with my mum, me, and Nicole and had a fun afternoon getting beautified. Here is Nicole's "before" picture, sans any make-up. Because this is my blog and I have complete control over it, I am permitted to not post a before picture of myself.

Here Nicole is very pretty, but it's an everyday pretty.

After a few hours and some fun chit chat, we were admiring our new looks. I remember I kept looking over at Nicole and exclaiming, "Wow, you look SO pretty!!!" Here is her "after" picture. Not the most natural expression but you get the idea. Her hair ended up looking somewhat different on the wedding day, but this was enough to let us know that we were in capable hands.

And here is a picture that Brent took several hours later of the three of us. Nicole let her hair down so that Cameron wouldn't see the final style, and it still looks cute! Doesn't my mom look beautiful?

I was really pleased with how my look turned out. The make-up was natural enough (which is somewhat of a miracle, given most make-up artists' propensity to cake on the spackle), and the hair was something I couldn't do on my own, but it was more casual than Nicole, which we wanted. I didn't even come in with an inspiration picture or idea, and Sara came up with this style and I think it's perfect. My hair was a wee bit too long at this point for this look, so I trimmed it up before the big day. Also, on the day of the wedding we ended up doing airbrush foundation for me. It was worth the extra cost because I cried during the ceremony, and airbrush is waterproof.

In short, Cara Dulce turned out to be one of our favorite wedding vendors. We three ladies are extremely picky and we were all satisfied with our looks. And most importantly, they made Nicole look a vision of loveliness on her big day.

Re:Frame '09

Early last week Brent and I spent several days in downtown Austin at a small filmmaking workshop called Re:Frame. The purpose of the event, and the collective that organized it, was to "develop a positive image of event motion picture, by promoting creative storytelling and uplifting artists." Basically it was three days full of teaching and inspiration by the best wedding videographers in the world. I loved it! I've been to a videography conference before, and well, this one blew it out of the water. The talent that was represented was phenomenal, and I met so many like-minded, kind, fun individuals. In fact, half the fun was meeting in person people that I had talked with on forums or via email, and whose work I had enjoyed.


Each presentation was educational and eye-opening, but I think my favorite part of the event was the "shoot-out" where we all took to the streets and filmed a pair of models. I was able to borrow a Super 8 camera and refamiliarize myself with the medium (which I am going to start offering very soon!) Here is a video of the shoot-out by Utah videographer David Perry, who is also one of my new friends. Brent and I both make an appearance.

Re:Frame Day 2 04/28/09 from David Perry on Vimeo.

Now that we've attended Re:Frame Austin '09, Brent and I are wondering which educational event to attend next. There are so many fabulous ones that are cropping up these days. It's such an exciting time to be a wedding videographer!

VMP Blog Mobile Version

For those of you that haven't noticed yet, I wanted to point out that you now have the option to view a mobile version of my blog on your cell phone. Just click on the "Make it Mobile" button there on the right and it will take you to the Mippin site and get you all set up. I just did it with Brent's iPhone and it works like a charm.

Also, as you can see I've widened the width of the blog too. That's because from now on I've got a lot of High Definition videos to show, and I want to showcase them in all their glory!

Casey & Cayce

This wedding was so great because Casey and Cayce were high school sweethearts and have known each other for thirteen years (and they're not that old!) They were friends for years and then love blossomed and they ended up at the Villa one evening reciting wedding vows to each other. So sweet! Below is an excerpt from the beginning of their video. I love it because you get to see the excitement and love that surround Casey and Cayce on their big day. And then through the letters that they wrote to one another, we get to see the excitement and affection that the bride and groom share. It's just simply a happy day for every person involved, and well, that makes me happy.

Casey & Cayce from Vanessa McKellar Productions.com on Vimeo.

Casey said, "We received the video!!! It is AMAZING :) I laughed, I cried and I 've already watched it 3 times. I just want to tell you thank you so much from me and Cayce. You and Brent are an amazing team! You are blessed with a wonderful gift and I am so grateful that you were able to share it with us. Cayce and I have made a promise that every year on our anniversary, we will watch our wedding video together. I'm so excited that I will be able to relive the best day of my life over and over again! Once again, thank you and God bless you and your husband."

Location: Villa di Felicita'
Photographer: Jenny Leigh
DJ: CMB Music Productions