Vanessa McKellar Productions - Blog

Noble

2012-02-10T18:26:00.000-06:00

photos by the uber talented Clarity Photography

It is with great pleasure that Brent and I announce the birth of our son, Noble Parson McKellar. He was born at home in the early morning hours of January 10th, surrounded by loving friends and family. He's a doll. It's taken some adjusting, but we are both loving being parents!

We'll try to give you updates as he grows. We have a feeling that before long you'll see him at a wedding on the other side of a video camera!

If you missed them, check out the video of when we found out we were pregnant, and when we found out he was a boy.

Carrie & Aaron's Highlights | Tyler, TX Videographer

2012-01-09T12:15:00.000-06:00

You've seen their trailer, now you get to watch Carrie and Aaron's highlights montage, featuring a sprinkling of Super 8mm film.

Here are some of the details that made their wedding special:

- La Tee Da did an amazing job on the flowers. In fact, Carrie's bouquet, featuring white orchids among other blooms, is Brent's favorite of all time.

- Carrie put "I" and "Do" on the bottom of her heels in blue rhinestones. Cute way to incorporate your "something blue"!

- Check out the groom's Lego cake, made by a family friend. A perfect whimsical complement to the stunning bride's cake by Frosted Art.

- Carrie had a delicious all-pink candy buffet and guests could take home some of the spoils in custom printed glassine envelopes.

- Alex M Photography brought his Mug Machine which always guarantees a good time. Seriously, we had it at my birthday party and everyone loved it.

- Each place setting was adorned with a cute favor: succulent plants in little white pots decorated with pink ribbon and a paper banner that read "With Our Thanks".

Carrie and Aaron, you've been a dream to work with, thanks for having us film your beautiful day!

Location: Villa di Felicita
Photographer: Alex M Photography
Florist: La Tee Da
DJ: CMB Music Productions
Cake: Frosted Art

Jessa & Brian in Super 8 | Austin, TX Videographer

2012-01-09T12:09:00.000-06:00

Brent and I were psyched to film this wedding for several reasons. First off, it was taking place in Austin where we love to spend a weekend, and the locations were stellar- South Congress, Hotel San Jose, and the Wildflower Center. Those were all locations I've enjoyed myself over the years so it was a treat to film them (my bachelorette party was stationed out of Hotel San Jose). Secondly, we were filming the events entirely in vintage Super 8, which if you know us, we adore! And lastly, we knew we were working with great folks- The Nichols were the photographers and there were great event design and planning teams involved (including The Nouvea Romantics), and the couple, from what I knew of them, were lovely.

And the wedding did not disappoint! We had a sweet first look in the hotel's courtyard, then did a mini session up and down SoCo, then headed over to the gorgeous Wildflower Center for more photos. The ceremony was perfect, as was the twilight cocktail hour, and the super fun reception. Here are just a few of the elements that made Brian and Jessa's wedding unique:

- Check out Brian's suit. The cut, color, and accessories combined with his hairstyle made for a super classic look that I love. It went especially well with Jessa's pink cardigan at the reception.

- The ceremony "altar" background was decorated with flowing 15 feet long strips of linen and cotton in greens, whites, and beiges plus a scattering of rustic pumpkins.

- Hand calligraphed signs marked the different event spots- "Welcome to Jessa and Brian's Wedding", "Dinner and Dancing", "Cocktails", etc.

- Centerpieces were made with pretty flowers and small white pumpkins, perfect for the season. Table runners were made of simple off-white rough-edged fabric.

- You should have seen the dessert table, it was divine. Piles of delicious mini pies, cupcakes, petit-fours, plus the cake, all arranged artfully with vintage details. The cake topper was custom created by Ready Go.

- Silver popper streamers celebrated the getaway and looked awesome on film.

Here's the highlights we put together; enjoy!

Jessa said, "Thank you for giving us such a beautiful representation of our wedding day. I can't even tell you how much we (and everybody we know) LOVE this video! It's pretty much amazing."

Hotel: Hotel San Jose
Ceremony and Reception: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Photographer: The Nichols
Event Design & Paper Goods: The Nouvea Romantics
Coordinator: Lizze Belle Event Planning
Florist: Merveille Floral and Design
DJ: Byrne Rock

We are thrilled that Brian and Jessa's affair was featured on Green Wedding Shoes blog, along with our highlights. Go check it out!

Heather & Dave's Highlights | Seattle, WA

2011-12-21T14:48:00.001-06:00

It was truly an honor to travel to Seattle to film this couple's "traditional" wedding. I say "traditional" because over a year earlier, Dave had surprised Heather with "non-traditional" wedding. That's right folks, the groom surprised the bride with a wedding ceremony! The two were on vacation in Tofino, BC. As they strolled along the beach, Dave proposed. After Heather said yes, they made their way further down the beach where a handful of friends and family were waiting, along with a ceremony site and an officiant. Before long, they were officially married! What an amazing story- you can see the pictures here.

Fast forward a while and it was time for the more planned out, traditional event. Heather is from Chicago and Dave is from Saskatchewan, Canada; having the event in Seattle made it a destination wedding for everyone. It was such a blast filming the day- these two are incredibly in love and have the best chemistry. They certainly did not need to be asked to kiss- they couldn't keep their lips off each other! And check out out their smooch at the end of the ceremony- by far the longest I've ever witnessed- I actually had to edit it down a little!

There were great toasts given all through the reception, and Dave's was particularly touching. You can hear part of it here in their highlights:

Heather and Dave, you've been a dream to work with and we thank you for having us there with you on this amazing day. I know you have many happy years ahead of you, culminating with the bucket and the porch.

Heather said, "Thank you so much for the highlights video....it truly captures the emotion of the day! Words just can't describe what it means to us...It is truly moving and wonderful and lovely and just oh-so-perfect! Thank you for being such an amazing part of our day! This video brings everything back and we were so lucky to have found the two of you...your talent, involvement, and care shine through your work."

Ceremony and Reception Site: The Loft at Russell's
Photographer: James Moes

*This highlights was featured on The Bride's Cafe yesterday- you should take a moment to peruse the blog for some yummy wedding inspiration!*

April & Will's Highlights | Beaumont, TX Videographer

2011-12-08T18:25:00.001-06:00

April and Will had a gorgeous traditional wedding in Beaumont, Texas. These two had been sweethearts for years so it was a pleasure to watch them finally become husband and wife- they were so happy!

Here are some things that made their day extra special:

- Before the ceremony Will opened a gift from April. She gave him a Bible, along with two letters- one of which was addressed to "My Prince Charming" and was written when April was 18 years old! Needless to say, it made Will cry.

- Before the bride's processional, three little flower girls walked down the aisle ringing bells. It was unique and very sweet.

- There was a lot of singing, music, and worship during the ceremony. April's brother even sang and played the piano. It's always neat to have family members use their talents at your wedding.

- Speaking of using talents, one of April's bridesmaids sang the Norah Jones version of "Love Me Tender" for the first dance.

- There was a big display of peach-colored flip flops in various sizes for guests to use in case their high heels interfered with the dancing.

- As guests left they could pick up a favor: a monogrammed box with homemade cookies and milk inside. They used Horizon brand organic milk which kept it simple. Such a great idea to include something sweet AND the requisite milk to go along with it. I encourage all my brides so steal this idea so I can enjoy it. :)

Congratulations you two!

April said, "We received our wedding video yesterday, and we were completely blown away! Will and I watched it last night, and we felt like we relived every moment. You captured our day to perfection and your music choices were wonderful. We are so grateful to you and your husband for coming to Beaumont and creating a video we will cherish for a lifetime."

Rehearsal Dinner: Courville's
Ceremony: Westgate Memorial Baptist
Reception: Beaumont Country Club
Coordinator: Nicole Saba, nicolesaba1@gmail.com
Photographer: Ashley Garmon, Austin
Band: Sauce, Austin

Virginia & Chad | Houston Wedding Videographer

2011-12-01T17:55:00.001-06:00

It was fun traveling to Houston, meeting Chad and Virginia (she's one of those super friendly chicas- gave me a huge hug right off!) and filming their big day. Even though Chad was a wee bit nervous, everything went off without a hitch. Here are some of the elements that made their day special:

- The food! My oh my was it lovely. Fresh oysters and crab claws, flamed filet mignon, truffle fries, and then not to mention the huge spreads of cheese and breads and and other delectable little bites. I had to be careful not to drool. (I am pregnant, you know.)

- Chad and Virginia are really into wine, so they had a wine tasting bar featuring four wines that are special to them, including one they drank on the night they got engaged. I had to be careful not to partake.

- For their "guest book", they set out four large apothecary jars with notecards and people could write different sentiments on the card and drop it in. After the wedding they were going to seal the notes in a box containing a bottle of wine, and if and when things get rough, they'll open the box and read the advice and enjoy the wine. Kind of like a time capsule/marriage intervention of sorts.

- There was a subtle pumpkin theme at the reception- smalls ones decorated some of the tables, and the centerpieces were assembled in large pale green ones- super neat!

- Virginia loves pecan pralines so halfway though the reception a big bowl of them was set out for guests to enjoy. I was careful, but I still partook. (I am pregnant, you know.)

Here's a little trailer we put together.

Coordinator: Keely Thorne Events
Photographer: Nancy Aidee
Church: First United Methodist
Reception: Coronado Club
Band: Doppelganger

The Jacobsons 2011 | Seattle, WA

2011-11-20T08:19:00.001-06:00

What a great time we had filming this family video in Seattle's Discovery Park. The temperature was perfect, the Jacobsons were adorable, and the blackberries were ripe. At the end of the shoot, the sun burst out and gave us the most beautiful light to cap off the beautiful day.

The Silver of Devoted Companionship

2011-11-10T16:44:00.000-06:00

One of the best things about being a wedding filmmaker is having the opportunity to hear messages about marriage on a regular basis. It is my opinion that those of us who document weddings should have the heathiest marriages ever! When I was filming Lauren and Jim's ceremony, I was struck by the beauty of the words the officiant spoke. I had never heard them before; they were very classic and reminiscent of a bygone era. In short, they gave me warm fuzzies! While I was editing their film, I jotted down the words so that I could share them with you here. Enjoy the richness of meaning.

Holy and happy is the sacred hour in which two devoted hearts are joined in the bonds of matrimony. We are reminded of the myriad magic charms of the home, of the quiet fireside where Christ and his peace surpasseth all understanding, are the respected, the cherished, and the prominent guests. Here we are reminded of the lengthening days when the eventide shadows are fringed with the silver of devoted companionship's purest sympathy. Originating in divine wisdom and goodness, designed to promote human happiness and holiness, this rite is the foundation of home life and social order and must remain so until the end of time.

Lauren & Jim's Wedding Video Highlights | Tyler, TX

2011-10-30T15:45:00.001-05:00

Lauren and Jim had such a fun and sweet wedding day. I loved how expressive the girls were, and how you could tell family was super important to everyone- they all seem to be so close to each other and it was a treat for me to capture that. Here are some of the elements that made this wedding unique:

- All the girls got ready at Lauren's aunt's house. It looked great on film, and more importantly, it was a special place for the bride. I even filmed her aunt playing the piano and singing Lauren's special song (you can hear it in their feature.)

- Lauren and Jim provided sunglasses and glow necklaces for all the guests at the reception. They instantly made it more of a party vibe which was super fun.

- The wedding party had a sweet little toast at the bus after the ceremony before they headed out to the country club. Got everyone in a festive mood!

Throw in a huge candy bar, a photo booth, live band, and a classic getaway with sparklers and a limo, and you have the ingredients for a memorable event. Check out their highlights!

Lauren said, "We just got done watching our video (for the fifth time) haha. I can't even describe to you how amazing it is. Every detail is just like I hoped it would be. I am so thankful for you and your husband, you guys made my wedding day that much more special...Thank you so much it is incredible and so are you guys!!"

Ceremony: Sylvania Baptist Church
Reception: Willow Brook Country Club
Photography: Treasured Moments

Fashion Short Featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead

2011-10-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

Hello, Brent here. Just wanted to share with our brides and grooms the latest fashion editorial video that we edited for LA's Filler Magazine featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This rising star is best known for her leading role in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and now she's starring in the biggest horror movie to hit the screen this weekend: "The Thing". (I'm going to watch this movie ASAP, but I'll make Vanessa stay home. I don't want my unborn child being exposed to any horror!)

In case you haven't seen the trailer for "The Thing" then grab a handfull of popcorn and make it a show.

Seattle Photos

2011-10-12T09:28:00.001-05:00

I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures that Brent took of the Seattle skyline. We thoroughly enjoyed our ten days there and want thank Heidi and Sean for letting us stay in their amazing vacation home. These photos are snippets of the view from the top floor balcony. Going to sleep and waking up to this vista was a total luxury! We look forward to returning next summer to film a "day in the life of" family video for Heidi and Sean and their adorable little ones.

And here's a little preggo pic Brent took with his phone. Love the building!

Danielle & Louis' Wedding Trailer | Cincinnati, Ohio

2011-09-29T10:47:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you combine a beautiful bride, a gorgeous venue, perfect weather, and a million thoughtful details and sweet moments? Why, Danielle and Louis' wedding day, of course! Here's a sneak peek of it in their trailer.

Venue: Greenacres Arts Center, Cincinnati
Photographer: Holger Thoss, New York City
Coordinator: Viva Bella Events, Cincinnati

Brent and I headed to Seattle after Danielle and Louis' wedding, and we've been here for a whopping 10 days! We filmed a family video last Thursday in Discovery Park, and then on Saturday we filmed a lovely wedding. Today we are headed to Baltimore to do another wedding, and then it's back home! It's been so fun. We are excited to post more videos of these great couples. First we have to wait for the Super 8 film to come back from the developers! We'll keep you posted....

And in other news, one of our trailers (on oldie but a goodie) was posted on Rustic Wedding Chic Blog the other day; go have a look-see and enjoy perusing the rest of the blog too. Thanks Maggie for spotting and appreciating our work!

Megan & Mitch's Wedding Highlights | Midlothian, Texas

2011-09-23T15:26:00.001-05:00

My my, what a blast this wedding was. Megan and Mitch, along with their wedding party, are just the kind of couples that we enjoy filming. Why? Because they had fun on their wedding day. They were relaxed, expressive, silly, happy- all the ingredients for a stellar video. (Oh, and totally madly in love too!) Have a look at their highlights below and you'll see what I mean.

From now on for each wedding I post I'm going to list some of the elements that made that event special or unique. Here are a few details I enjoyed from Mitch and Megan's big day:

- The couple exchanged letters with each other as they were getting ready. Megan even gave Mitch a photo album with a collection of photos from his college days with his friends. It was fun watching Mitch take a little walk down memory lane on his wedding day, and as Megan said, "I knew he was going to miss them like crazy when we moved so I made a book for him."

- During the ceremony, the two traded their purity rings for wedding rings. Not an easy feat to remain pure for five years until your wedding day, but they did, and it's been a great example for others, including kids in youth groups.

- Megan had her brother stand with the bridesmaids during the ceremony. I'm all about breaking "tradition" in order to celebrate what's important to you.

- Megan's bridesmaids decorated her bridal suite walls with framed photos of Mitch. So sweet!

By the way, Megan is a super talented photographer and was awarded The Knot Best of Weddings 2011; you should check out her work. (Megan, I'm still bummed that you had to move to Virginia!)

Ceremony: First Baptist Church
Reception: Midlothian Conference Center
Florist: Eubanks
Bakery: Busy B's

Megan had this to say on WeddingWire: "I don't even know where to start! Vanessa and Brent were so incredibly amazing. It is so awesome to be able to re-live the best day of your life anytime you want! The music they picked for our DVD was absolutely perfect. It's so fun to watch... they capture things you didn't even know happened. Your wedding day is such a whirlwind of a day... you can barely remember saying I do. We are so grateful to have this video to watch when we want, to share with our friends and family who were unable to attend the wedding and to show our future children down the road. This was one of the best decisions we made!! You WILL NOT be disappointed in their services!! Thank you doesn't even begin to express our gratitude!! We love you Vanessa and Brent!"

Color Forecast

2011-09-18T18:44:00.000-05:00

I was perusing one of my past bride's blog and came across this post about fashion trends. The part that was most interesting to me, and the most applicable here on a blog about weddings, was the Pantone 2011 Fall Fashion Color Trend Forecast. Here it is folks!

Whatcha think? I actually don't have a strong opinion because I've found that I tend to always like these little color forecast mash-ups, probably because I simply enjoy color. I must say though that I am particularly drawn to "deep teal" because it's so similar to my logo and web site color. That combined with bamboo would be a neat combo for a boy's nursery.

What do you think would be a cool combo for a wedding?

(By the way, "honeysuckle" is the Pantone 2011 Color of the Year, in case you were wondering. I know you were.)

Jenna & Blake's Trailer | Ashton Gardens, Denton

2011-09-12T13:29:00.001-05:00

Brent and I were psyched to edit this short trailer for Jenna and Blake. We had so many great shots to work with, and the wedding was breathtaking. There was beautiful light everywhere- in the bride and groom's hotel rooms, streaming into the chapel during the first look and ceremony, even gushing onto the dance floor. We knew we wanted to showcase the light for the trailer and so Brent spent hours looking for the perfect song. He found this one, by Active Child, which had been released two days before we made the edit (we enjoy using fresh music that no one has any previous associations with). Brent thought the vocals were very "light" and I thought the harp was "sparkling". (Yes, that's how you have to perceive music when you're in this industry.)

Enjoy this little teaser, and stay tuned because we will be featuring more of this wedding in the future.

Jenna said, "Oh my word, Vanessa. It gives me goosebumps- I love it! You and Brent are awesome...absolutely awesome! Blake and I watched it first thing this morning (he loved it too) and I just watched it again....no telling how many times I'll sneak another view of it today. =) I love the creativity....it's perfect! I can't tell you how glad I am we were able to work together during this special time. Thanks so much! Looking forward to seeing more!"

Venue: Ashton Gardens
Photographer: EE Photography; see her pics of the day here
Make-up: Twin Couture

Anatomy of a Videographer's Uniform

2011-08-30T22:10:00.000-05:00

After filming weddings for 10 years, I've learned a thing or two about what I should wear when I go to work. If you look back at photos of me at weddings over the years, I'll be wearing some variation of essentially the same outfit. I've honed it down to be the most functional it can be while still being appropriate for a wedding. I thought it would be fun to share with my readers my "Anatomy of a Videographer's Uniform"!

(photo by Alex M Photography)

A- Hair is pulled back into a side bun. If I were to wear it down, a few strands could blow in front of the lens and ruin a shot, or get into my eyes and obstruct my vision.

B- Earrings are the only place I allow myself a some color and non-functional decoration. This is a wedding after all, so I need to dress things up a little somehow! Sometimes I feel sorry for myself that I have to wear all dark colors to work (black is not my most flattering color), but the earrings make me feel better. ;)

C- The ties on this shirt are perfect for emergency lens cleaning when I go outside on a hot humid night after being inside in the AC for the reception. I've lent them to many a photographer too!

D- My work shirts have sleeves on them- for some reason when I wear a sleeveless shirt to a wedding it feels too casual (even though it would be mighty nice for those outdoor summer weddings!) They also can't be too low-cut because I lean over for lots of shots.

E- All my shirts have to be relatively long, and my pants relatively high waisted, in order to avoid giving your guests a plumbers crack treat when I crouch down for a shot.

F- My shoes are black, close-toed, and lace-up. I do a lot of running with my Steadicam and if I wore sandals they could flop around and make me trip- no bueno with thousands of dollars worth of equipment in your hands. It's really hard finding work shoes that are super comfortable for all-day standing but not also super ugly. Let me know if you have any shoe brands for me to check out- I'm due for a new pair!

G- It's very important that both Brent and I wear dark colors. Bright colors draw the eye, dark colors don't. So this allows us to recede into the background for both your guests and your photographer. I remember one of the first weddings I helped shoot while I was in college, I wore a white shirt. By the end of the night I swore to myself to never do that again- I felt so noticeable!

H- You can't see it, but there is a little bit of a belly bump there. At the time this pic was taken, I was 17 weeks preggo!

It's A...

2011-08-21T23:27:00.017-05:00

On Thursday we celebrated my 30th birthday and also found out the sex of our baby! Everyone gathered for a party at my friend's house, and the color of the inside of my cake told us whether we were having a boy Gumdrop or girl Gumdrop. It was a blast being with our friends and family, especially my brother who flew in from California and surprised me (and my sister who joined us via Facetime from Iowa)! Thanks so much to Alex M Photography for taking the video and photos and for bringing the Mug Machine (which is super duper fun).

Watch the video to witness the big reveal!

http://alexmphotography.com/20110822/photo-booth-tyler-tx-part/

Lil' Donuts!

2011-08-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Brent and I were invited to The Knot's Cocktails and Connections event a few weeks ago. It was a fun time and nice to meet some new fellow wedding vendors. Our favorite part, though, was the mini donuts we got at the end of the night!

Nancy Dee's Lil' Bits had a station set up near the exit, and while we waited for the valet to retrieve our car we got to watch dozens of mini donuts being fried up right before our eyes. A handful were put in a little white bag, shaken with sugar, and handed out to each guest. We ate ours in the car and of course they were delish! You can also get hot or iced coffee to go along with the treat.

I think these make the perfect favor and I'm sure your guests wouldn't soon forget this special little midnight snack.

Baby McKellar's World Video Debut!

2011-08-10T16:56:00.000-05:00

Brent and I had our first ultrasound on Tuesday; it was amazing! If you're not a mommy, daddy, or doctor, some of the images might just look like vague amorphous blobs, but let me tell you, he/she is the cutest little thing ever! By the way, if you're somehow able to tell the sex, don't say anything because we're finding that out next week at my birthday party where the cake color will reveal the big surprise. Of course we'll be posting a video of that too!

Carrie & Aaron's Trailer | Tyler, Texas

2011-08-06T13:16:00.001-05:00

Last week we filmed Carrie and Aaron's gorgeous wedding at the Villa. There were so many beautiful moments and details, some of which you will see in their upcoming highlights, but for now you can enjoy their sweet sneak peek.

Location: Villa di Felicita
Photographer: Alex M Photography
Florist: La Tee Da
DJ: CMB Music Productions
Cake: Frosted Art

Carrie said, "We love it! Thank you so much. I love that my sister's speech is on there. The whole thing is perfect! My mom texted me as soon as she saw it and said she didn't cry at the wedding but the trailer got her!"

Destination Destin

2011-07-28T00:28:00.002-05:00

Yo hey, Brent again. I was so stoked to film Sarah and Tyler's wedding in Destin, Florida. Not because of the beach, the fresh seafood, or Vanessa in a swimsuit (all were super awesome BTW), but because Sarah is my little cousin and this would be a family affair. I can't tell you how helpful it is to film a wedding and already know who the crazy uncle is!

Joking aside, Sarah and Tyler had a wonderful wedding. Even though it rained cats and dogs they cherished the moments. They danced, gave puppy dog stares to each other all day, and in the end the football player got his cheerleader.

Church: Saint Rita Parish
Coordinator: Island Sand Beach Wedding
Photographer: White Sands Weddings & Portraits
Reception: 790 on the Gulf

Sarah said, "I bet I have watched this 100 times this morning. I absolutely LOVE it!!!! Words cannot express how happy I am every time I watch this. You two are the best!!!! Thank you for everything :-)"

And Sarah's mom said, "You two are the best!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the video. I have cried, watched it again, shown it to others, cried again, etc. It is a treasure so beautifully done."

AFV (aka "America Fears Video")

2011-07-20T15:25:00.002-05:00

(source)

Hey folks, Brent here. Today I want to talk with you about how Bob Saget and his TV show set video documentation back 30 years. "America, America this is you!" Those are the words people think every time someone points a video camera at them. America's Funniest Home Videos brought a lot of laughs to our living rooms the past two decades, but it also awakened our insecurities and made our worst fear a potential reality: if they film me, something embarrassing will happen!

Have you ever seen home movies before the 80's? They're warm and honest. The person being captured has an excitement about being on film, and there's also a confidence in privacy, a behind-closed-doors feel. These days, however, as soon as you point a camera at a person their neck gets tense, their face freezes, and they go into perfect posture mode.

These reactions are why I think so many people lean towards photography as their documentation of choice. It feels safer. You haven't been exposed to as many embarrassing photos as you have video (unless you're Britney Spears). It worked for great, great grandma and it will work for me. Ask yourself this though: If you had to choose between a film of your great, great grandma or photos, would you choose photo? Most of you would pick the film I'm sure. How can you pass up witnessing this early stage of your family tree- seeing the gestures, reactions, and smiles? I encourage you to film your life more. It may be plain and ordinary today, but someday somewhere it will help your loved ones connect with their past.

Here is a letter we received from a recent bride, Melissa. I remember there being apprehension around the video camera and even heard someone say, "I told you video was a bad idea." I also remember thinking, "I'll show you!" Anyhoot, the letter is touching and led me to make this post. Thanks Melissa!

Vanessa McKellar reProductions

2011-07-08T00:12:00.007-05:00

How do you like that title? When my friend Erika showed her friend our "Story of Us...Plus One" video, he said we should call ourselves Vanessa McKellar Reproductions, which just cracks me up.

Anyway, if you haven't figured out by now, Brent and I are expecting a little bundle of joy in January! Of course we are super excited, and of course being pregnant occupies a lot of my thoughts these days. I thought it might be fun to write a post about some of the things I'm learning along the way. I'm only in my 13th week, so it's very early (although I think my belly started to look a wee bit pregnant literally overnight last night, which is exciting.)

In no particular order:

- My favorite quote so far, from Alex M, who explained that anything strange can be attributed to being pregnant, like "if your right pinky turns yellow and your left hand falls off, and you want to walk underwater and eat Cheetos-- that's because you're pregnant."

- The extra hormones have made me act, according to Brent, like a drunk person with my hand-eye coordination still intact. I feel everything more deeply and get excited very easily. Apparently, according to Brent, this includes becoming irrationally excited if it looks like it's going to rain.

- I, like most mommies, have had to deal with morning sickness (which we all know is not limited to the morning). My midwife gave me a tip to help with this: at night, take a Unisom tablet and a B12 vitamin (Unisom is a sleep aid). The next day you feel amazing. It really works and I do this the night before I have to film a wedding.

- My second nausea remedy is a bit unusual: when I'm feeling queasy, I spoon Brent and instantly feel better. No lie! I've always enjoyed spooning him and I think it's hilarious that it turns out to be the most soothing non-drug remedy available. He's such a good sport about it, even though it sometimes causes him to wake up with a sore back, poor thing.

- I've learned that men simply do not care as much as women that you are pregnant. I sort of wish someone would have told me this before started breaking the news to folks, it could have saved me being offended a few times. I think perhaps part of it is that they want to see and hold the baby, but until then, it is simply too vague and abstract for them to fully emotionally enter into. I dunno...any other theories out there?

Some things I'm especially excited about:

- Decorating the nursery! If it's a girl I have an idea for the design, which includes a commission art piece by my friend. No ideas yet if it's a boy, let me know if you have an idea. The room is tiny, and I don't want to overspend, but I'm very much looking forward to creating a lovely little nest for my gumdrop.

- My 30th birthday party! This September marks a pretty big milestone for me. I'm going to have a big party, and I'm also going to find out the sex of the baby at the party. We will have a baker bake us a cake, and when we cut into it, if it's pink on the inside it's a girl and vice versa. I love the idea of finding out amidst all our friends instead of in a dark quiet sonogram room. (BTW, Erika will be visiting us that weekend and that is the icing on the cake!)

- I'm planning on having a home waterbirth. This just feels so right and I'm happy that everyone around me supports this decision. I'm not going to lie, the prospect of a pain-med-free labor is intimidating, but the women closest to me have had natural births and loved it (I was born at home!) so I know I can do it. Heck, I was made to do it!

So I think that's it for now. Sorry if this is a little rambling- I'm pregnant, and you know how those pregnant women are! Feel free to share any tips, ideas, or funny stories about your own pregnancy in the comments. I'm off to whip up something to eat (which will hopefully consist of some combo of sauerkraut, chocolate, gourmet cheese, and a Jersey Mike's sub.)

Hannah & Jon's Wedding Video | Longview, Texas

2011-07-02T01:45:00.002-05:00

There's something so fun about a morning wedding. Hannah and Jon had to have their ceremony early in the day due to scheduling with the church, and I just loved it. There was freshness to the whole affair. I especially like how the couple capitalized on the time of day and served brunch at the reception- eggs and bacon, bagels and lox, biscuits and gravy...are you hungry yet?! And despite the early hour, I was surprised and impressed to see guests cutting a rug on the dance floor.

Hannah and Jon are such a sweet couple, so in love, and their wedding was a beautiful celebration. Enjoy their highlights montage (with a little Super 8 thrown in)!

Church: First Christian Church
Reception: Longview Museum of Fine Arts
Photographer: Heather Mount Photography
Band: Otis and the Metro Band

Hannah said, "We just received them today and watched every bit just now!! It is wonderful and we LOVE it! We were smiling and crying and had chill bumps. Perfect music and perfect shots. Can't thank you enough. It's so special."

What is an "Unplugged Wedding"?

2011-06-28T16:34:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to write a post about this topic for a long time now, and I recently saw another blog post that very effectively conveys what I've been thinking. Check it out here:

The Unplugged Wedding

It's all about guests leaving their cameras at home in order to be fully present at a wedding instead of taking snapshots. This is something that is becoming increasingly prevalent as everyone has great little phone cameras, and Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have grown in popularity. Sometimes I think people have to have an image of an event in order to feel that the event actually took place. It's an interesting conundrum, one that I've often struggled with: do I film this moment and have it forever to watch again, or do I put my camera down and fully experience the moment and carry it forever, in vivid color, in my heart?

This photo by Alex M Photography cracks me up. A quote from the bride: "Yeah, my dad kept saying 'I wanna get a picture of us.' I kept telling him, “Don’t worry, Alex will get one. I promise!”

I'm going to abstain from expounding on how a barrage of flashes and LCD screens can compromise a professional's shots, and just encourage my brides and grooms to think about making their wedding "unplugged". Check out this link to find ways to politely encourage your guests to relax and just be in the moment.

This is a still shot from one of my videos. This guest really cares about the groom's mother and wanted a photo of her in this special moment. Unfortunately he wasn't aware that I was filming right behind him.

What do you think? Is asking for an unplugged wedding a good way to help preserve the sanctity of the wedding, ensure guests are fully present, and prevent compromised shots by the videographer and photographer? Or is a "plugged in" wedding just the wave of the future, and taking photographs is this generation's method of experiencing and enjoying an event?

The Story of Us...Plus One

2011-06-22T13:06:00.002-05:00

We have some special news!

John & Georgeann 1975

2011-06-21T11:33:00.003-05:00

Today is my parents' 35th anniversary- Congrats Mom and Dad! In honor of the occasion I'm reposting a blog post from two years ago, for those of you that didn't get to see it then.

You guys I have such a special treat for you today! It's something very near and dear to my heart: my parents' wedding film!

For their 33rd anniversary this past month my dad and I decided to have their Super 8 film made into a little video as a suprise for my mom. So Dad gave me the reel with the wedding on it and I sent it away to California to have it transferred to tape. Then I set it to the perfect song (they love Van Morrison), lightly edited it, put it on DVD, and mailed it to my dad. I wish I could have seen her watch it. It was the first time they'd seen it in about ten years, ever since our projector broke, and I know it was special for them.

When I got the tapes back from California and watched them for the first time, it was so touching for me. My mom and dad have been through a lot in their marriage, and I am so thankful that the Lord has kept them together through it all. I love looking at this video and seeing the beginning of my family that I love so much. Thank you Mumsy and Popsy for being such wonderful parents to Marek, Nicole and me. You've taught me so much and your encouragement and example have made me who I am today.

(A picture from my sister's wedding, by Casey Benson.)

So, a little about the wedding.

It's June 21st, 1975 at 10 am in the morning. It's already sweltering hot in Austin's Zilker Park Rose Garden. The jock and the hippi chick are excited, happy and solemn. The bride wears a $75 dress from a department store, and the groom wears a dress shirt with buttons handmade by the bride. The rings are designed and crafted by the groom. At the gazebo reception in downtown Austin, homemade pies stand in for wedding cake, and the ladies dance together in the grass. The newlyweds happily depart for their honeymoon, which ended up being quite the disaster that has taken the bride 30 years to finally be able to laugh about. Check it out:

The rings my dad designed. The gold was purchased from a dentist; it was cheap because it was intended for fillings!

Reason #296 to Hire a Videographer for Your Wedding

2011-06-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

If, after you're married, you both get in a car wreck and one of you loses your memory, you will need the film to convince him/her that you actually did get married, and you were indeed very much in love. It will totally come in handy. Case in point:

Thanks Alex for the heads on up this "Notebook Part II" movie due out next winter.

Ashley & Chase's Trailer | Tyler, Texas

2011-06-14T18:56:00.003-05:00

What to do you get when you cross crowd surfing, tube sock sliding, ring "shots", blue Converse and blue heels, fireworks, and a bridesmaid hitching a ride on the bride's train? Why Ashley & Chase's wedding, of course! Check it all out here in their short trailer that Brent edited.

Chase said, "Vanessa! We just got back from our honeymoon and did not have internet access so the first thing we did when we got home was check out the trailer! It is absolutely AWESOME! We love it! You guys did a fantastic job, we could have not asked for better. We look forward to the full video!"

PS. We knew we had hit the nail on the head when the trailer was described on Facebook as "wicked awesome", "totally rad", and "bad a**"!

Venue: Villa di Felicita
Photographer: Alex M Photography (you can see his pics of the event here.)
Florist: La Tee Da
DJ: Dave Goldman

Melissa & Ross | Crockett, Texas

2011-06-10T11:50:00.000-05:00

There's just something about a family ranch wedding that I love (maybe it's because my own wedding reception was on the family ranch?) Melissa's family poured months of time and energy into making this event a reality- they built a huge pavilion, set up lights everywhere, designed the flowers arrangements and centerpieces, and surely did countless other things to make the ranch wedding-worthy. And it all went off beautifully without a hitch!

The ceremony took place in a small old chapel in Crockett, and then after formals everyone drove 10 minutes to Grapeland for the reception. While the guests enjoyed the cocktail hour, Melissa and Ross had a little photo session in the woods and then the girls had a few minutes of fun together (short dresses with boots- too cute!). The reception started with humorous introductions from Ross' grandfather and then the party got into full swing- cutting the gorgeous pseudo-bonfire cake, a tearful toast, the Aggie War Hymn (which, as a UT alumnus, I must point out is pretty much all about UT, if you listen to it;), Mug Machine fun, late night Whataburget taquitos, and really rockin' dancing. In fact this wedding had probably my favorite dancing schtick to date: two guys faced each other and made a faux jump rope where guests could jump in and show of their moves. (Alex and I may have joined in the fun.) The festivities ended with sparklers and a getaway on the mule golf cart thingy (I may have thought they were doing their getaway on an actual live mule.)

Here's their highlights, featuring a little Super 8 for extra fun. The wedding party walked down the aisle to Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am" and their first dance was to Miranda Lambert's "Making Plans"; I think this song by Amy Stroup called "Love You Strongly" is a perfect combination of the two styles.

Church: St. Francis Tejas Catholic Church
Reception: Private ranch
Photographer: Alex M Photography (check out his pics of the wedding here.)
Coordinator: Keely Thorne Events

Melissa said, "AWESOME VIDEO!!! Seriously Vanessa....this is amazing! I tear up everytime I watch it :) I just showed all my co-workers and they started to cry too!

Thank you for capturing our day so perfectly! and I LOVE the music! :) YOU
ARE TRULY TALENTED! Thank you a million times!!!"

Melissa and Cace in Super 8 | Stone Oak Ranch

2011-06-03T19:51:00.000-05:00

When I heard that Stone Oak Ranch was having a small shabby chic gala this last spring, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So in addition to having a booth, I also teamed up with Gema's Photography to do a little shoot. We were lucky enough that one of my past couples, Melissa and Cace, were willing to don their wedding attire again and be our fabulous models. Two Dandelions (favoriteflorist@gmail.com) created the beautiful bouquet. I love the Super 8- it's a perfect compliment to Stone Oak Ranch's style and it should be appearing on their web site soon too!

High School Prank Turned Family Video - By Brent McKellar

2011-05-20T15:28:00.000-05:00

Fifteen years ago my friends and I went on a rampage around my little home town- rolling houses, putting sardines in air vents, throwing jell-o in pools, and pouring a gallon of tomato sauce on my friend Stacey's pick-em-up truck. Well 15 years later and the memories of Stacey's truck getting rustier and rustier due to the acid in tomato sauce started to make me feel guilty, and I had to make things right. So I called Stacey up and asked her if I could make her a family video. (She said "sure, but I don't know what you're talking about.")

Anyhoot, meet the Aldridge family. I can't tell you how it warmed my heart to film this family at such a special time in their lives. Gracie had just learned to ride her bike a few days earlier and Ty was a big boy and went camping with his dad the night before. Hope you all enjoy and thanks Stacey for letting me sauce your truck so that one day I could make you a family video.

Caroline and Chris | Athens, Texas

2011-05-09T00:48:00.003-05:00

Through the course of filming and editing their wedding, Brent and I have pretty much fallen in love with Chris and Caroline. They were so excited that we were there to film the event, and then they were so excited when we were editing and so kind to us during the whole process. Plus, just look how stinkin' excited they are to be married! Their positive energy has been just so fun to be around, and I love how expressive they are (Caroline can just hardly contain herself throughout the day).

It was such a a pretty, classic event too. Chris's bow-tie tux was smart and Caroline looked gorgeous in her dress. (She told me that they were getting anxious during the dress search, so she prayed for joy, and then shortly thereafter she found her perfect dress and it happened to be called "Joy"!) At the Athens Country Club they had a jazz band, a lovely spread of food, and beautiful centerpieces that had little white butterflies "hovering" among the flowers. Folks had a great time and I think everyone was sad for it to end.

You can watch their highlights here and feel the joy.

Caroline said, "Vanessa and Brent- There truly are no words to express our gratitude! WE LOVE OUR VIDEO! Thank you! I honestly think I have watched it 10 times since receiving it this evening! The video is truly something so wonderfully special that we will have forever! We kept saying 'oh I remember that', and "oh I missed that, so glad they caught it". I cried, mom cried, What a true blessing!

The music was absolutely perfect! I love how the video's menu was with Michael Buble, and how you incorporated our first dance song , AND the third song, what a brilliant choice! We could not be happier! Thank you so much! You guys truly caught who we are and what we wanted for our wedding on film!"

Church: First Baptist Church, Athens
Reception: Athens Country Club
Photographer: Casey Jay Benson

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-01T13:45:00.017-05:00

Last week I figured I'd probably have to do a blog post about Prince William and Catherine's wedding, seeing as this is a wedding blog and all. But after watching the nuptials on YouTube, I knew there was no way I couldn't write about it!

I reluctantly decided to not watch the wedding live because I had a wedding to film Friday evening, so I set my DVR to record the event and fell asleep. But lo and behold I magically woke up at about 4:30am, rolled over, and opened my laptop to YouTube and instantly got sucked into the fanfare as the queen was being driven to Westminster Abbey. As the moment of Kate's reveal drew nearer my heart started really pounding! I was psyched to see her dress and I was also sympathizing with the bride. What pressure! Kate and I are the same age so it's pretty easy for me to put myself into her shoes and I can't imagine the jitters she must have been experiencing.

The moment she was ushered into her car was awesome- the suspense of what her dress looked like was finally over. And wow was it beautiful! Definitely a throwback to Princess Grace of Monaco. I loved the softness of her veil too. When she made her entrance at the abbey we all got a good look at the whole ensemble. I really think she looked perfect. Her hair and make-up were flawless and classic, and the dress fit like a glove (I think it was clever that they put a little padding at her hips, considering she has a rectangular body type). You can read more about the details of the dress here. I think my favorite aspect was that the skirt of the dress was designed to resemble an "opening flower" and when you see it in motion it totally does.

Kate and her father made their way inside the Abbey and here ensued my favorite part of the wedding: the two were waiting together and both of them were smiling a whole lot. There were those great close-ups of the bride's face and she really did look calm and happy. I know that those moments before you walk down the aisle can be the most tense, and she appeared rather relaxed and truly happy to be there. Which brings me to my ultimate favorite part about his whole shebang: the fact that this was a love match. Doesn't it warm your heart that the prince fell in love with a commoner and was permitted to marry her and that the whole of Britain supports them? It really is a fairy tale come true.

(source)

The wedding ceremony itself was the epitome of class and understated beauty. I think it's interesting that they could have done whatever they wanted and the only decoration are some large trees (loved it) and some flowers up on the altar. To me, the music from the strings and choir were what imparted the most beauty. Watching Kate proceed slowly down the aisle with that gorgeous music playing was a moment to remember.

Which brings me to my least favorite part. I was a little bummed that William didn't get to watch his bride walk down the aisle toward him. He turned around at the last minute and I think that's a little sad that they didn't get to make eye contact during the processional.

(source )

The ceremony proceeded without a hitch (she got his names right!) and the readings were meaningful and perfectly executed. I enjoyed the personal touch of William and Kate's own prayer, particularly this line: "...help us to be generous with our time and love and energy." What a wonderful opportunity these two have as a prince and princess to spend their time and energy focussed on "serving and comforting those who suffer." But my most favorite quote came from The Bishop of London's sermon:

In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.

You can't beat that!

(source)

Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

Spring Flowers

2011-04-24T03:22:00.003-05:00

Flowers and macro photography go together like bread and butter. So when my flowers beds started blooming like crazy recently, I couldn't help but pull out our macro lens and make a little video celebrating the beauty of each bloom and bud. Happy Easter everyone!

Misty & Matt | Houston, Texas

2011-04-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

I really like it when couples write meaningful letters to each other on their wedding day. I like it even more when they read them aloud for me so I can incorporate the words into their wedding film. Such was the case with this wonderful couple, Misty and Matt. The letters reveal a lot about their relationship- where they came from as a couple, what they're excited about on their big day, and perhaps most importantly, what they're looking forward to in the future. They reveal a maturity and God-centeredness that I appreciate. And they make this highlights montage, which I set to one of my favorite musicians Sara Groves' Fly, so much juicier!

Enjoy.

Ceremony: Second Baptist Church, Houston

Reception: Houston Racquet Club

Photographer: Erin Anderson

Nicole & Cameron's Love Story (A Rerun)

2011-04-11T13:41:00.005-05:00

I was thinking about what to blog about today, and my mind kept wandering back to Nicole and Cameron's Love Story video. Nicole is my wonderful sister (who is now a doctor- I'm so proud of her!) who married Cameron (who is now a doctor- I'm so proud of him!) two years ago this spring in Houston. Brent and I gave them this video as a wedding gift. It was our first Love Story and we adore how it turned out. In fact, it even won Event Filmmaker's peer-voted Engagement Session contest, which had entries from the best studios around the world!

Nicole and Cameron are now living in a land far, far away (Iowa), working hard and enjoying domestic bliss. Even though it's only been two years, it's fun to look back on this video and reminisce about this special phase in their relationship.

By the way, these are something I offer to everyone so get in touch if you'd like a Love Story of your own!

Allison & Jon | Henderson, Texas

2011-04-01T13:39:00.010-05:00

You've already seen Allison and Jon's invitations and teaser; now you can watch part of their feature edit. I really enjoyed this wedding because these two are really close to each other and their happiness just radiates off their faces- it's almost tangible. They had a lovely first look followed by a long (which is the best) and fun photo session. My favorite part while I was editing was the vows, during which Allison got a case of the giggles. Her preacher blamed it on nerves but I could tell it wasn't that- she was just really excited to be getting married! Cracks me up every time I watch it. Allison and Jon live in the same part of town as Brent and I and I've seen them at least three times since the wedding, and it's always a pleasure to chat with them. Kind folks in love- you can't beat it!

Allison said, "Vanessa!!!!! ogjalsdjfmwmemapwo!!! *this is me squealing with delight!* We literally watched the video on the way home from your house. I simply could not wait. We were so impressed with the overall packaging--we knew we held something precious in our hands.

The video was beautiful. You captured *everything*--I do not know how you were able to do it but I feel like *every moment* from the New Year's Eve party to getting dressed to our first look to the giggles throughout the ceremony--everything was right there in 30 minutes. I was just as giddy watching it as I was on my wedding day!

The song choices--*great*. The coverage--*great*. The deleted scenes--*great*. If we love it this much *now*, I cannot even imagine how much we'll love it *years from now*. Thank you for this treasure."

Ceremony and Reception: First Baptist Church
Photography: Brandi Burkett

On Meltdowns and Therapy

2011-03-12T00:22:00.007-06:00

This week I received an email from one of my brides who's getting married this summer. It really made my day:

Vanessa,

Last night I had my first (and hopefully only) meltdown during the wedding planning process and your website was truly such a gift to me. I spent hours on it watching all the beautiful videos. All the families looked so happy and it really brought me back to the reality that on that day, it is not going to matter if the bridesmaids' shoes look more champagne than gold or if I am wearing the ridiculously expensive belt that I am obsessing over. I just wanted to write you a little note and thank you for the therapy session! I can't wait to work with you!

- Carrie

How cool is that? I've always thought this blog would be useful for inspiration and ideas, but it never occurred to me that the simple fact of showing happy couples could be a "therapy session" for a bride in the throes of planning. In fact, sometimes I worry that this blog feeds the "my-big-day-must-be-perfect" frenzy by talking about details and features of the different weddings I film (and my own). As much as I love the beauty and creativity of these events, when it comes down to it, that's just not what it's about, is it? It's about happy families!!

Thanks Carrie for reminding me of that, and I'm glad I could help you in the midst of your meltdown.

(By the way, I remember my one major meltdown. The final straw was when my brother saw my bridal portraits and casually commented that my dress fit weird around my armpits. Twenty minutes later I was crying into my tortilla soup in a Mexican restaurant. My brother felt horrible, I got the dress fixed [he was actually right], and my meltdown was quickly forgotten. But remembering that moment reminds me just how stressful planning can be, no matter how much you enjoy it!)

Photo by Casey Jay Benson

Bouquet by Garden Style

Did any of your readers have a meltdown? What caused it and how did you deal?

Jessica & Nick | Marsall, Texas

2011-03-04T11:27:00.005-06:00

Jessica and Nick were married over in Marshall, and it was such a sweet day with some adorable vintage details. First off, Jessica looked stunning- her hair and make-up were so pretty,and I loved her dress(es) with the little jacket to go over them. The ruffles framing her face and neck looked great. After the ceremony she changed into a super cute short version of the dress.

You could tell a lot of thought went into the reception decor. To carry out the vintage theme, there was an old red bicycle decorated with flowers outside the country club, and the table centerpieces featured found objects: vintage cake toppers, old books, pearls, porcelain figures, candles- so cute! (And totally eco friendly, too!)

My favorite moment of the day came when the reception was winding down, and couples were scattered across the dance floor. Jessica (barefoot) and Nick were dancing together and in their own little world. They were thisclose to each other with these huge grins on their faces, taking turns cracking each other up, you know the throw back your head and laugh kind. And they kissed and hugged and man, they just looked so happy! And I was so happy to be there to film it all.

Here's their highlights for your enjoyment. Their preacher sang this song during the ceremony, so I thought it was a perfect fit.

You can see what Jessica wrote about her video here, on her blog!

Church: Summit United Methodist
Reception Venue: Lakeside Country Club
Coordinator: This One Day, 903.935.3976

DJ: DJ Daddy Co, 903.918.4555
Photobooth: Photobooth XL

Anthropologie's BHLDN Part I

2011-02-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

This has been pretty widely publicized in the wedding blogosphere as of late, but I just can't help jumping on the bandwagon because I think it's a pretty big deal. In case you haven't heard, Anthropologie launched a wedding apparel line on Valentine's Day. It's called BHLDN, which is pronounced "Beholden" and is inspired by the Dutch for "to keep". According to Green Wedding Shoes, "BHLDN will sell dresses, shoes, and accessories online – with more decorations for your reception and ceremony coming later this year."

When I first heard this was going to happen, I was like "Okay, that's reason #192 I must have a vow renewal ceremony someday!" I do really love shopping at Anthropologie, although I'm not able to purchase as much from there as I would like because the prices are pretty steep. I've found that when I do splurge on a few great items, though, I wear them all the time. (In fact, I had a floral embroidered jacket from there several years ago, and one night in Deep Ellum thieves broke into my car and grabbed a bunch of my stuff. Even though I was alone, I [stupidly] chased them down and literally grabbed that jacket out of one of the guys' hands. That's how much I loved that jacket. I haven't seen it in about a year and I have a sneaking suspicion Brent has hidden it because it was getting old and dated and I was wearing it too much.)

I think this line is great because it has some totally unique offerings in one place for a bride who's looking for something different. It has been my experience that the really different wedding gown are often super expensive, like $6K plus. But here you can find something that a) is super original b) still looks like a wedding dress and c) is under $2K. I also love that you can just buy it straight from the site like it's any other type of garment, instead of going through a wedding dress shop (great for small-town brides). Of course the drawback is that you can't try a dress on in person, but you can return it within 30 days so there's no risk involved if you don't like it. I bought my dress off eBay and it was fine, so I don't think that's a big deal. Plus, they will be having video of each dress, so you'll be able to get a feel for how each one moves and drapes. Also, later this year they will start opening boutique stores.

I guess I have more to say about this than I anticipated, so I'm going to do another post soon where I give my take on some of the items from BHLDN. In the meantime I leave you with this, from their web site:

Our roots are with Anthropologie, so a passion for experience and creating one-of-a-kind moments runs deep. But our offering speaks more to the not-so-everyday occasions—ours is a voice that celebrates a woman’s most anticipated milestones. And one that gives tradition a twist.

Be you. Be loved. BHLDN

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Anthropologie's BHLDN Part II

2011-02-25T18:41:00.002-06:00

I thought it would be fun to get some friends to pick out their dream ensemble from BHLDN's wedding apparel line. Nicole picked an ensemble that would have worked for her wedding two years ago, and Erika selected items ideal for a vow renewal. Enjoy and be inspired!

Erika's Picks

Tulle Era Dress; Mystic Vine Hairpin; Valenciennes Dress in gold with On-A-Wing heels; Clipped Corolla Heels

Erika said, "I like this look because it's glamorous and timeless (sort of Gatsby-esque) yet understated, sophisticated with a contemporary flair, and mature yet playful, which is exactly the tone I would want to set for a vow renewal ceremony--to celebrate the countless joys and spiritual riches marriage has brought to our lives. "

Nicole's Picks

Nicole said, "I immediately knew which gown I would choose: Pleated fantasy gown. I like the bluish-purple hue that it seems to have to it. Plus I think it would have been beautiful in our chapel. For the BM dress, I like the starburst pleated shift. I think the pleats would complement the gown. Though I must say, I'm not that taken by their BM dress selection. For shoes, I'm always on the look-out for cute flats or near flats. So when I saw the mixed posy wedge, I loved them. While they may be too much with the gown, who cares. They're close to flat and I think they'd be sooo comfortable on a wedding day. Dance all night long. They're Corso Como, which is one of my favorite shoes brands ever. The ghost orchid bloom hair piece would complement the shoes and it has a beautiful simplicity to it. I love the deco beaded clutch in white and would chose that in a heartbeat.

Jewelry is almost too hard, just like when I got married. :) I could choose Pave teardrop, Carcanet earrings (to complement the clutch and shoes, bring out the white), and the Deco Posts are beautiful (and kind of remind me of my wedding earrings). I chose the graupel necklace without realizing that was on the gown model. Of course it wouldn't fit with all the other accessories (again same problem I had with my own wedding ensemble), but we're having fun here right?! When money and real life are no issue, it's fun and easy to put together a whole wedding in 10 minutes. :)"

I love both these looks. I think it's funny that Erika picked the "oldest" look that BHLDN carries, and Nicole picked the most modern.

But that's not all folks. Stayed tuned because tomorrow I'll be posting my and Brent's picks!

Anthropologie's BHLDN Part III

2011-02-25T02:17:00.000-06:00

Okay, now it's my turn to give my take on the line. First off, I gotta say I'm not entirely crazy about the gown line-up. Am I the only one? They all had some very pretty and luscious elements, but there always seemed to be something that was "off" with each one. Like, the drape of the skirt is perfect in one, but then the neck-line is ugly. Or one has a pretty cut, but it has splashes of orange all over it. However, I think the accessory selection is stellar. I bet a lot of brides will end up using the site to order shoes, jewelry, and hairpieces but go elsewhere for their dress.

I buckled down and forced myself to pick an ensemble; here it is:

Vanessa's Picks

This would be for my vow renewal ceremony. I watch a lot of pre-20th-century English movies (think Pride and Prejudice) and I'm quite taken with the look and feel of them. I just love those moments when the sisters are walking through the beautiful landscapes with a posey of flowers in hand. That's how I want my vow renewal to feel. One common aspect with those costumes is that they're columner, not poofy or A-line. So with that in mind, I chose Burnished Organza Gown. The cut is right, but it's very Grecian. I like the look, but I have a feeling this dress isn't very flattering. If you look closely at the bodice, you'll see how it looks cheap, like it would just slide right down.

I think the Crystallized Chiffon Headband is super pretty and also has a grecian feel to it. The Sculptural Corset Dress didn't take my breath away, but I do think the cut is a great match with the gown. And the shoes, Moonlit Peep-Toes, are by no means unique (didn't a girl wear something similar recently on American Idol?), but they tie in well with the gold detail on the bust of the gown. I think gold sandals would probably work best with the gown, but I wore flats at my wedding, so heels it is!

I guess I don't sound totally blown away, do I? I know when my time for a renewal ceremony comes along, I'll definitely be hitting up BHLDN, but I won't be expecting to find my whole ensemble there.

Brent's Picks

Cascading Goddess Gown; Botanical Garden Headband; Citrine Rose Peplum Dress; On-A-Wing Heels

Brent, my husband/co-shooter/editor said, "I had no game plan when I was selecting a dress. When I started to look I realized I've always wanted to be Tom Cruise from the movie Legend. To see my lady in these threads is reason enough to destroy darkness. But on a serious note, I can see my renewal being very romantic with this theme. It's so easy to go for a theme that could distract from the mood of the evening, but with this dress I want to do all the snuggling and embracing the law will allow (I think some fancy schmancy dresses make a groom wonder if he needs to handle his bride with kid gloves). Some of the dresses I liked would put me in a different state of mind. You know, like if we did a 30's theme I'd be so stoked to have a zoot suit, it would be hard to get a kiss out of me.

P.S. I also like these shoes a lot, but this is all I could find that went really well with them."

So what do you think of our picks, and what do you think of BHLDN's line as a whole?

Markie & Josh | Hurst, Texas

2011-02-04T23:09:00.004-06:00

I was very excited to film Markie and Josh's big day for three reasons. One, the bride and groom were really excited about their film and I knew they were a great couple. We hadn't met in person, but through Facebook I got to know them a little and looked forward to being a part of their event. Two, I knew I would be working with Megan Dacy, a talented photographer whose wedding I will be filming this summer. And three, the wedding was taking place at the venue where my best friend got married 10 years ago. Even though it's been completely remodeled, it was neat returning to the place where I was a bridesmaid for the first time.

The wedding was great! Markie has this lovely natural easy beauty that was perfectly complemented by a super duper cute dress. She and her girls worked on fixing up her hair for a long time, and finally Markie threw in the towel and just decided to wear it down. I love that she didn't get worked up that something didn't "cooperate". Josh was kind and charming and a classic doting husband. These two have been together for six years and it was neat to see how close they are.

Brent and I enjoyed putting this highlights together. I had the song in my library for a while but didn't have the right couple to use it with. When Markie and Josh had their first dance to Damien Rice's "Blower's Daughter," I knew it was a perfect fit!

Venue: Northeast Wedding Chapel
Photographer: Megan Hearts Photo

Markie said, "Thank you thank you thank you! I really don't know how to express, I mean wow! I just keep watching it over and over and crying like a baby. THIS is why I knew I couldn't not have you. I had to make it happen and I'm so glad you were so awesome and willing to work with me so we could have you capture it all in the magical way that y'all do. I can't wait to see the rest, but even just this, I'm speechless! Thank you SO SO much."

Super 8 Sale!

2011-01-25T15:14:00.007-06:00

We love Super 8.

We love its feel, its evocative nature, its warmth and nostalgia. Brent and I love it so much, in fact, that we want to build a new web site dedicated entirely to this wonderful medium. A new site needs lots of fresh content, which is why we have decided to run a special. For a limited time (you have to book us before May) we're offering our Super 8 packages for 50% off. That's right folks, half off your wedding film! That means you can get an all-Super 8 wedding film for $1800 - $3000, which frankly speaking, is a steal that should be snatched up.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Super 8, here's a little trailer of Erika's wedding, as seen on Weddingbee.

And here is a pretty ranch wedding highlights, as seen on Style Me Pretty.

Give us a call or a click and we'll hook you up!

(Applies to new bookings only.)

The Best of the Bliss

2011-01-24T12:24:00.010-06:00

We're thrilled to announce that we did indeed win "The Best of the Bliss" in the videographers category. Thanks so much to all the people (brides, grooms, vendors, random folk) who voted for us; it's quite the honor! Thanks also to The Wedded Bliss for hosting the contest. Vanessa McKellar Productions has been in East Texas for about six years now, and it's great to be embraced by this wonderful community.

Some of the other winners include La Tee Da, Casey Jay Benson, Elmwood Gardens, and Weddings A to Z.

Winter Wedding Stationery Suite

2011-01-09T23:46:00.003-06:00

Allison and Jon were married on New Year's Day and Allison was kind enough to give me some favors and stationery items from her wedding. They were so neat and her theme was so well executed that I wanted to show my readers:

And here is a short little teaser we made for them:

Jenni & Andrew | Colleyville, Texas

2011-01-03T10:45:00.006-06:00

Jenni and Andrew had a beautiful wedding at Piazza in the Village in Colleyville, Texas. One of the reasons I was excited to film this wedding was because Piazza is right down the road from where I grew up, and ever since it's been built I've wanted to film there. And Jenni and Andrew's event did not disappoint! These two are one of those classic couples- handsome and in love, making each other laugh, and just so in tune with each other. They really were a pleasure to watch together.

Their highlights features the special personal vows that they wrote for each other. They were nervous before the ceremony about speaking so much in front of a crowd, but it sure paid off, didn't it?

Jenni said, "Andrew and I love, love, love the video!!!! Love the song!! Perfection!!! Thank you soooo much for your beautiful work!! I'm sooo glad we decided to get a video!!!"

All I Want for Christmas is a Puppy

2010-12-25T00:24:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! My gift to you dear readers is a cute little video. I got to spend the other evening with four 3-week-old french bulldog puppies and I couldn't help filming their adorable-ness. Enjoy.

The Maldonados | A Family Film

2010-12-20T10:48:00.004-06:00

It was so much fun making this film for Alex M, who happens to be an amazingly talented photographer and our good friend, and his family. This is one of those families that is such a pleasure to be around- they laugh and learn and get along swimmingly with each other. We tagged along on their annual holiday tradition, enjoying an afternoon of burritos, ice cream, and Christmas cheer in College Station.

Alex M & Family 2010 from Vanessa McKellar Productions on Vimeo.

These family films are something we offer so get in touch if you'd like one for yourself or someone you know!

Ode to Mum

2010-12-12T19:44:00.012-06:00

Today I wanted to take a moment to honor the woman who has known me the longest, taught me the most, and loved me the best: my mom. So in no particular order, here is what I appreciate the most about you, Mumsy:

Man oh man can you cook! Granted, I haven't always appreciated your avocado sandwiches and sauteed tofu, but now as an adult I can say you're the best cook I know this side of television. I enjoy coming home and seeing what exotic thing you've cooked up (Indian Thanksgiving, anyone?) and what variety of unique foods you've got stocked in the fridge (lemongrass and jalapeno cheese?). And your biscuits...don't even get me started on those. Oh, the biscuits...

You're the only person that can tell me all about the day I was born, how you and Dad walked the streets of East Dallas that night in your big unflattering robe, but your were so excited and when I came out I was quiet and soft-skinned. And you tell me these things with tears in your eyes because they are precious to you.

You more than anyone else have taught me kindness. You're never mean to anyone. You have long conversations with strangers even when I am far past the point of interest. You smile liberally and laugh loudly. And speaking of your laugh...well, sometimes I find that I laugh entirely too loudly, and I know exactly who I got that from.

Thanks for teaching me how to apply make-up, sit up straight, eat veggies, ask good questions, clean, take care of my skin, plant a flowerbed, be assertive, start a business, and countless other things.

You've told us that you always dreamed of being a good mom, that it was your life goal. Well, I'm here to tell you once and for all that you have been a wonderful mother to me and Marek and Nicole.

I know Grandma is getting older and that you cherish every single moment you have with her. I know you store the moments up in your heart. And I listen to you talk about her, and of course it makes me think about you growing older. And it's so bittersweet: it breaks my heart, but I look forward to the sweetness of the years to come and the memories they will hold. With babies somewhere on the horizon for us, I'm excited for a new generation to get to know you and Dad and all you have to offer.

And lastly, allow me to express my appreciation for your silliness. You've got silliness out the wazoo and it cracks me up. Love you.

To my readers, here is a quick little lo-fi video I made on my iPhone 4. Every year my mom and I take a weekend and go somewhere and have fun together. This year it was Dallas, where we ate wonderful food and stayed at a hotel downtown. Beware, there is lots of silliness here- my mom loves to have fun and be crazy.

Annual Getaway with Mum Shot on iPhone 4 from Vanessa McKellar Productions on Vimeo.

Props to whoever can name the most restaurants that appear in the video.

Our Wedding 2007 | The Bridals

2010-12-07T18:18:00.005-06:00

Previously in this series: "The Invitations"

After I got my ensemble together, I thought it'd be neat to get some bridals taken by Casey Benson. I picked up my beautiful bouquet by Garden Style (which actually got me a little teary-eyed when I first saw it), then we took a day and went to a pretty residential area, then downtown Tyler, then our studio (we shared a studio at the time!) It was super fun for me and I love the images.

The experience actually made me a big proponent for doing a bridal session, because it's a test run for your outfit, hair, and make-up. The biggest thing I learned was that my dress was too short in the front. So I had a tailor take the little lace jacket that came with the dress and sew part of it onto the front hem of my dress, thus adding a few inches of length. We also learned that my eye-liner was too heavy and we should avoid that on the wedding day. Now my hair...well, I didn't want to spend tons of money on it (I knew whoever I used in Tyler wouldn't be doing it the actual day of, so it didn't count as an official investment-worthy trial). I went down the road to the beauty school and had a chick do it for $12! In hindsight maybe not the best idea, but oh well. It looks pretty weird in some of the pictures!

Another great thing about bridals is that it gets you totally comfortable in your dress. At the beginning of the session I was super stiff and was half-laying across the back seat of the SUV so I wouldn't mess anything up. But by the end, I was running, sitting on the floor- totally comfortable. I wouldn't have liked using half my wedding day to get accustomed to my outfit.

(This photo is a little embarassing for me because it's so dramatic and such, but I do think it's kinda cool!)

So we got one of these printed, but alas we forgot to put it out at the wedding reception. So while we didn't get to display it like it deserved, it was so worth the session for the experience and fun.

La Tee Da - Flowers on the Square | Tyler, Texas

2010-11-29T15:34:00.005-06:00

Allow me to introduce you to the best florist I've had the pleasure to work with - not only in Tyler but of all Texas: La Tee Da. Owned by Barbara and Thomas Tidwell and located in Tyler's downtown square, La Tee Da has really set the bar high for floral design in East Texas. They are transplants from California and they've brought with them a standard for quality and freshness (both in ideas and flowers) that's outstanding. I've done tons of weddings with Barbara and the arrangements are always gorgeous. I can arrive at a wedding and glimpse the flowers and pretty much instantly know if it's La Tee Da or not.

And it doesn't stop there- Barbara and Thomas are just the nicest folks! I consider them not just fellow wedding professionals but also true friends. It's been so fun getting to know them over the last several years.

If you're in the market for flowers look no further. When you invest in La Tee Da's services I can assure you that you will be satisfied. Here's their contact info:

Blog

Web Site

903-566-1566
email: la.tee.da@hotmail.com

And here's a quick little video we put together that showcases Britian's wedding flowers and decor. The little fairy satchels were created by Thomas too!

Felix 2010: A Family Video

2010-11-22T01:44:00.007-06:00

Little Felix is Heidi and Sean's adorable son. Heidi and I go way back- we've been friends ever since elementary school. I remember going to her and her twin sister Karah's house many times and playing with their pugs, dancing to the classical music they used in their ice skating routines, and laughing so hard that chicken noodle soup came out of my nose. Yep.

Heidi and Sean live in Singapore now and love it. When they knew they'd be returning to Texas for our high school reunion, they asked me to film a family video for them to give their parents and sisters for Christmas. I was thrilled and immediately started thinking about location ideas. We settled on Fort Worth's Modern Museum because I felt it fit the "aesthetic" of their lifestyle, if you will. They are world travelers (Felix has flown 100,000 miles), live in a modern house, and love photography. The location was great because it gave us lots of little options for video ops. We also threw in some Super 8 film with the HD footage to add a little nostalgia.

You'll notice a few shots of airplanes in the video. That's because Felix is super into watching planes fly in the air because Singapore is a no-fly zone with no nearby airport. You'll also see some walking shots. Heidi called me the day before the shoot and told me that Felix had just started taking a few steps on his own. I can barely express what a privilege it was for me to capture those tentative first steps on film. Truly priceless.

What a lovely family Heidi, Sean, and Felix are. Thanks you three for being the perfect subjects and making me love my job even more.

Heidi said, "absolutely amazing!! we LOVE it!! give me chills & tears everytime I watch it- and then my vision gets blurry so i have to watch it again... and again :) thank you so much. its really so special to us. when can we make our next video!? give our thanks & love to brent too xx"

By the way folks, these family videos are something I offer to anyone, so get in touch with me if you'd like to talk more about it!

Eunice & Daniel's Amazing Wedding

2010-11-15T13:23:00.009-06:00

I came across this wedding on Hello! Lucky's Facebook page. It's absolutely one of the best, if not the best ever, wedding's I've seen. Eunice is the co-founder and Creative Director of Hello! Lucky, a company specializing in social stationery and letterpress. The photos were featured in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine Spring 2010 issue, and no wonder! The amount of time, energy, and creativity that went into this event is staggering.

There are too many highlights for me to write about, but I think my favorite elements are the big airy openness of the location, and the layers upon layers of frothy ruffles in Eunice's dress (which to me has an Old West saloon feel to it.) You can check out all of Hello! Lucky's blog posts about the wedding here.

(Photos by Adi Nevo (stationery), Gia Canali and Sara Remington.)

On another note, Mrs. Frozen Yogurt has concluded all of her posts for Weddingbee. Her last five recaps featured excerpts from her wedding video by yours truly; have a look-see here.

Style Ideas for Your Showers and Rehearsal Dinner

2010-11-08T12:53:00.030-06:00

Today we have a very fun and informative post! I stumbled upon personal stylist and owner of My Best Foot Forward Noelle Cellini's videos on YouTube and found them to be quite helpful. (Check out "How to Wear Patterned Tights" and "How to Wear Belts".) From there I found her on Twitter, and then Facebook. Eventually I asked her if she would write a wedding-style-related blog post for me, and she was kind enough to oblige. She has great taste and incredibly useful tips for how to put together outfits. Thank so much Noelle!

It may be easy to decide what to wear to a wedding (since you know you have to dress up), however, showers and rehearsal dinners can be a bit tricky. Usually these occasions, style wise, are just a step down from the wedding. Here are some suggestions:

I still love a dress for any of these occasions because it’s feminine and it says celebration. Here’s a dress by French Connection, which is cotton, so it’s a bit more casual. Since it’s shorter, I love it with a dressy flat or low heel. I would pair this with a fun cocktail ring and some simple earrings (so as not to fight with the puffy sleeves). It’s still dressed up and fun, but not satin, taffeta or silk – save those kinds of things for the wedding.

I love this BCBG dress because it’s dressy, but without the usually suspects of satin, taffeta or silk. A one-shoulder dress always looks chic without trying too hard. I also love that you can wear this again – pair it with tights in the cooler weather, layer a blazer for an easy out-to-dinner look or opt for a different belt. This dress won’t sit in your closet waiting for another special occasion.

Dresses aren’t the only option for a shower as I love to change up the typical silhouette and opt for a fun top. The top below from Ann Taylor is actually very simple, but I love that they accessorized it with a fabulous necklace. In this picture, the jewelry is helping dress up the outfit.

From my wardrobe, I would choose a pair of black slim ankle pants and a pair of platforms, but this top would look fantastic with a skirt – straight, A-line or pencil (choose what works best for your body type). This is also something that can be worn again and look totally different – wear one shoulder up and one down, pair it with tuxedo pants, try a skirt and pattern tights and a pair of booties – the options are endless!

I also think something flowery always works – it just says shower! A flower print is upbeat and is nice because it’s usually very colorful – everyone looks better in color. If you’re looking for something in a print, be sure to keep it in proportion to your body. Hold your fist up against the fabric. If the pattern is the same size or smaller, then it’s okay. If it’s bigger, it will overwhelm you.

Of course you always want to keep in mind the venue for the shower and the dress code (if there is one). A shower or rehearsal dinner at an upscale restaurant or country club will be a bit more formal and conservative, while one at someone’s house may be more casual. Whatever you decide to wear, do dress up as this is a special time and you don’t want the bride to feel that this day isn’t important.

A few other notes, the bride should be the only one wearing white on her wedding day. I would also advise guests from wearing white during the other event as well. White just says wedding and it’s best to just do touches of white, not a white dress.

If you don’t like your arms, then opt for a dress or top with sleeves. I’ve been through hundreds of closets where women have specific cardigans, wraps or cropped jackets that they wore over a dress, but never with anything else. Stylish items with sleeves are out there, it just may take some extra time to find them!

Choose something fun, something that’s comfortable and appropriate for the evening. However, never forget the accessories – they bring an outfit together, but could also dress up something you already own! Have fun and happy shopping!

Noelle Cellini
Personal Stylist
www.mybest-footforward.com
Twitter @NoelleCellini
youtube.com/user/NoelleCellini

Be sure to "Like" My Best Foot Forward on Facebook because Noelle regularly posts super informative articles and tips.

Castle on the Lake - Jacksonville | Britian & Bryan

2010-11-03T11:45:00.005-05:00

Britian and Bryan had a gorgeous wedding at Castle on the Lake in Jacksonville, Texas. Britian and her parents own and operate the venue, and she pulled out all the stops to make it spectacular. Every time I turned around, I noticed something special- another flower arrangement, a pair of cooing doves, a hanging bird cage, customized wine glasses. It was clear Britian knew how to utilize the space perfectly. Guests were escorted by horse-drawn carriage to the entrance, which is where most of the ceremonies have taken place. They signed in there and then walked down a sidewalk lined with Britian's birdal portraits to the brand new ceremony spot. It's so cool- a large stone wall that looks like the facade of an old castle; it even has a beautiful wooden door that can open up to a view of the lake beyond. After the ceremony, guests were treated to a delicious dinner, dancing with a dj and funk performer, and a fabulous fireworks display.

This is a video we created for the Castle's web site. Enjoy!

Venue: Castle on the Lake
Photographer: Photography by Dena
Bridal Portraits: Matthew Hogan Photography
Florist: La Tee Da
DJ: Boogie Butt Productions

Krista & Erik | Kansas City, MO

2010-10-24T13:57:00.006-05:00

What a beautiful, heartfelt wedding this was! The bride Krista is my sister Nicole's dear friend, and I was honored to be Nicole's wedding gift for the happy couple. It was so fun for me to spend the day in a beautiful city hanging out with great company. Krista was super calm and super excited too. She got ready in a hotel suite with all this pretty morning light streaming in and a view of downtown through the windows. Doesn't Krista look gorgeous? I loved her jewelry, and her hair, which was done by the matron of honor, was so sophisticated.

There were some great moments between Krista and her father that I was thrilled to capture on film. There's just nothing quite like the sentimental dad crying when he sees his "little girl" in full wedding regalia. And nothing like the look he gives her as he's walking her down the aisle. Speaking of the walk down the aisle, check this one out! There was barely a dry eye in the building.

We did all the photos in the windtunnel (aka alley) that had great texture and light; rather unorthodox but perfect. Everyone was silly and kept me laughing. And what a group of dancers! For an early afternoon wedding I was so impressed with the unabashed and enthusiatic dancing.

Another fun thing for me was that Erik was super duper excited about the video. I think he actually clapped like a little kid at one point when we met. :) When Krista was getting ready, Band of Horses' "No One's Gonna Love You" came on the ipod and she said that Erik had mentioned how cool it would be to have a wedding film set to it. I've been wanted to edit to that song for years now, and so it was an easy choice for the trailer.

Venue: The Boiler Room, Kansas City, MO

Krista said, "This is so wonderful. I have already watched it 7 or 8 times! Thank you so much. You have an incredible gift that artfully and beautifully represents the people you are filming. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We loved having you there, and there's no way to express how much this video means to us and our family. We will always be able to watch it and remember our day, thanks to you."

Elizabeth Anne Designs Featured Vendor

2010-10-18T17:28:00.003-05:00

We were so happy to be asked by Elizabeth Anne Designs wedding blog to become one of their featured vendors. Last week they published an introductory post about us, and we also have a featured vendor page. This is a great blog to add to your wedding reading list; it's chock-full of pretty real weddings, inspiration, galleries, vendor info, and more. They also have local sections, including one for Dallas. Head on over and give it a look-see!

Hannah & Brian's Wedding | Ennis, Texas

2010-10-11T15:12:00.001-05:00

Hannah called me a long time ago after she saw the trailer for Erica's wedding, in which she was a bridesmaid. We talked and she ended up feeling like the videography wasn't something she was comfortable asking her parents for, in addition to everything else. Fast forward several months when I received a call from Hannah's mom, who wanted to surprise her with our services. We got everything nailed down, and waited for one of Hannah's showers. Her mom put our card in a photo frame, and Hannah opened it and didn't even see the card; she just thought it was a nice frame! It wasn't until after the shower when her mom suggested she call me that she realized what she had received. Of course she was excited and I'll bet her mom was relieved!

I was excited to film this wedding because it was going to be a huge Czech affair, and because I knew I'd see Erica and Jess again. It's always fun to experience different cultures at weddings. The day started out at the church where everyone got ready and the groomsmen goofed around a lot. Hannah looked gorgeous and I love the purple bridesmaid dresses. After some photos, the Catholic ceremony, and another fun photo session, we headed to the reception. Family members helped cook and serve the Czech food (sauerkraut, anyone?) to the 600 or so assembled guests. We took Hannah and Brian outside for a quick sunset photo session, in which we were able to take advantage of the tattoo that Brian got three days before the wedding.

Then the dancing kicked off with the Grand March, with music by a Czech band. Brian and Hannah led all their guests in a weaving line throughout the dance floor, then an arch of arms, and then ended with a dance surround by rings of their loved ones. It was long and somewhat complicated and a total blast. They also hired a DJ to play between the band's sets, so there was something for everyone. The dancing lasted well into the night.

Here's their trailer; we love the way it turned out.

Church: Saint John Nepomucene Catholic

Reception: KJT Auditorium

Photographer: AO Photography

Hannah said, "I absolutely love my video!!! Y'all are amazing! It's PERFECT and I can't wait for the full length video!!! Thank you so much for everything...y'all are very talented!"

Maranda & Josh's Wedding | Jacksonville, Texas

2010-10-05T10:13:00.004-05:00

Maranda's mom hired us as a surprise for her daughter, and told her about it at the rehearsal dinner. What fun! We had a great time filming the event at The Legacy; it was my first time to do an entire wedding there. There were lots of funny moments during the photo session, including a groomsman falling, Maranda's little brother doing the moon walk, bridesmaids being silly, and even a sinister-looking wolf-like dog making an appearance outside. I love the dusk shots we got of Maranda and Josh with the blue sky behind them. (And don't you just adore Maranda's ensemble for the reception with her chunky black necklace and flower hairpiece?)

Here's their extended highlights. Thanks again Marli for choosing to give your daughter and son-in-law such a special gift!

Location: The Legacy
Photographer: David James

Maranda said, "We just watched it and LOVED it!! Thank you sooooo much! I am extremely happy with the way it turned out... you did an awesome job! Everybody loves it... I've gotten calls and texts and facbook messages all week about it :)"

And Marli said, "Money WELL spent!!!! I absolutely Love it!"

Our Wedding: The Invitations

2010-09-27T11:13:00.003-05:00

For our big day, I decided to take on the task of designing and assembling our invitations. I knew I would enjoy the project, because I had created my high school graduation announcements and had fun with it. But boy, did this turn out to be quite an undertaking! And let me tell you, it was not cheaper than purchasing my own. I think I paid over $600 for 150 invites. But as I've said before, our wedding was my ultimate creative outlet, so I was happy to incur the trouble and cost if it meant having fun and making something entirely unique.

It started with the idea of having a flower be the focal point of the invite. This is where my bridesmaid Mary entered the picture. Mary is a super talented watercolor artist and she can paint a mean flower. So I commissioned her to paint one for me and she happily obliged. We went to Garden Style florist and picked out a big lush garden rose (Mary said she always needs an image to go off, and live flowers are better than photos.) Mary ended up pulling the rose off the stem and letting the petals fall open a bit, and then she set to work to quickly paint it before it wilted too much. Of course she primarily used my wedding colors: peacock blue and coral.

Here's what she delivered to me. Pretty isn't it? (I have since trimmed it down and framed it for wall art.) She also painted a "frame" for me in the same colors that I could use for my reply card and wedding web site insert. So that was phase 1. Now I had to design the invite. I scanned the painting and opened it in Photoshop. At this point I spent several days searching for the perfect combo of fonts. Whew, this was hard! I finally decided on Porcelain for our names (remember this was four years ago before Porcelain became annoyingly popular) and another less scripty one for the rest. I came up with the wording (which was also hard!) and painstakingly formatted it. After the design passed the family/friend inspection, it was on to phase 3: printing.

First up: paper selection. I decided I needed to get the invite image printed professionally, which was a good choice. Printing on an inkjet at home = big headache. I found a company near my home that does all the printing for one of the big hospitals here in Tyler, and they let me puruse through all their paper sample books. I wanted something with as much texture as possible, kind of like watercolor paper. They didn't have anything perfect but I did finally decide on something with a fair amount of visual interest to it. I emailed the printers the files and came back a week or so later to a big stack of cut invites, reply cards, and web site inserts. Up next: embellishment and assembly.

At this point Hobby Lobby became my second home and my home became a small factory. I had to buy lots of scrapbooking supplies, including a pretty gold vellum paper. I trimmed this a little bigger than the printed invites, rounded the corners with a decorative punch, then glued the invite to it so it had a pretty gold frame. Every item in the suite had rounded corners so needless to say my hands were super sore from all the punching.

I found pretty gold invites online, and took them to yet another printer to have my parents' return address printed on the back flap. I also had custom postage stamps made with a discount code from Zazzle. I addressed all of them myself, which was something I battled doing because I don't have the greatest handwriting. (But it's better than my mum's so whatcha gonna do?) At long last they were complete and I sent my little babies out into the world to do their job.

Would I do it all again? For me, the process is just as enjoyable, if not more so, than the finished product, so yes. But I know I could have found some really cute ones somewhere online and spent about the same amount and had great invites. But they wouldn't have been one-of-a-kind, either.

For a less labor intensive but still custom option, you could go the route my sister did for her beautiful invites.

And on another note, if you are one of my brides, I would love it if you'd mail me one of your invitations. They can really give me a feel for the look and tone of your day!

Nicole & Chase's Wedding | Tyler, Texas

2010-09-20T13:11:00.005-05:00

Sweet.

That's the best word to describe Nicole and Chase's wedding day. It was full of pink, and lace, and fluffy flowers and little girls and dolls and tears, lots of tears. Nicole was brimming over with excitement and emotion all day. There's even a moment after the ceremony when Nicole says "We're married guys! I'm so excited. Just so excited," and I believe her because she looked so happy I wouldn't be suprised if she fainted or burst into tears. And not only was Nicole happy, she was incredibly kind. Since I've edited their video, there have been times when I've thought to myself that I need to be more like Nicole- positive and upbeat with no hint of cynicism or impatience whatsoever. She's an elementary teacher and I know her students must adore her. I wasn't around Chase quite as much throughout the day, but I know they are perfect for each other. They've been dating a long time, and Chase seems like a rock, but tempered with tenderness.

I love this highlights because there is so much genuine emotion, starting with the opening shot, which to me demonstrates perfectly the appeal of video. (Nicole and Chase chose to have their wedding on Nicole's grandparents' anniversary.)

Location: Eagle's Bluff Country Club
Photographer: Donna Cummings
Dress: Weddings A to Z
Florist: La Tee Da

Nicole's mom said, among other things, "I do believe that the money for your talented video, and Nicole's dress, is the best money that was spent."

Wedding Films as Heirloom & History

2010-09-14T10:24:00.002-05:00

When you get your wedding filmed, you're not just doing it for you and your spouse, or even your parents or friends. Ultimately, you're doing it for your kids, and their kids, and so on. It not only helps you relive your big day, it shows future generations what you, and your big day, were like. Think about it: what would you give to be able to watch your grandparents' wedding video- to see grandma putting on her dress with her mother, and hear grandpa joking around with his groomsmen? What a priceless treasure that would be!

Did you know that that film reels can last at least a century? For example, check out this 105 year old wedding film!

It's not very often that we get to watch a snippet of real life from 1905, much less a royal wedding! The above video clip was included in an interesting article by BBC News about the value of seemingly-mundane family films and the clues they give us about our collective and individual history. Whenever you get your wedding filmed in Super 8, in addition to your edited DVD's we also give you your actual film reels. So if you store them in a safe, cool, dry place, your grandkids and great grandkids, etc. will potentially be able to watch it.

And speaking of kids, I'd like to share again my parent's 1975 wedding film. This was shot by a family friend, and for their anniversary my dad hired me to have it digitized and then edit it. As you can imagine it was an incredibly fun and rewarding project for me.

I don't want to get all sales-y on you here, but I do want to encourage you to consider the long-term value of having your wedding beautifully filmed. You're not just having the event documented, you're creating a family heirloom.

Laura Lacey & Brandon's Wedding | Monroe, Louisiana

2010-09-08T12:51:00.001-05:00

When I first arrived at the church to start filming, I found Brandon, who was in the hallway and introduced himself as "Brandon's brother". Not ever having met Brandon, I greeted him and then asked if I could meet the groom. At which point Brandon walked into a room and closed the door, then came right back out and introduced himself as Brandon. A very confusing moment for me ensued, but I quickly figured out that what I had on my hands was a sneaky teasing groom. (Who also nearly tricked me into believing that his scruffy old New Balance tennis shoes were his shoe of choice with his tux and held great sentimental value.)

So needless to say it was a fun day. Laura Lacey and Brandon were excited to have us there in Monroe, and it was a pleasure filming an event that clearly had lots of thought poured into its planning. Plus these two are so clearly in love. I just get the impression that they are very close. I loved their first look, where they just embraced each other and then spent the next two minutes forehead to forehead gazing into each other's eyes whispering who knows what to each other. It was like we weren't even there. Then the ceremony featured really lovely handwritten vows, and some tears, and a salt pouring ceremony, and some laughter. And the reception, which was beautifully decorated, had as its entertainment a recreation of the Newlywed Game. After that we headed outside for a photo shoot overlooking the river at sunset. Laura Lacey's "Just Married" parasol was the perfect accessory.

Thanks you two (plus Brandon's brother) for having us with you on your big day!

Church: Forsythe Church of Christ

Reception: Ouachita Grand Plaza

Florist: Rebecca's Floral Designs

Laura Lacey said, "Wow! The video is awesome! We love it! It definitely came unexpectedly and at the best time (we had just gotten frustrated at hanging crown molding). They are beautiful and we will probably be ordering more for parents and the like eventually. I want a whole Vanessa McKellar library with those fancy albums lined up with my favorite weddings. Ha. I can't say enough wonderful things...thanks Vanessa...you just gave us something we can cherish and share with our families."

Unbridled Boudoir

2010-09-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

I want to introduce my readers to my friend Tammy and her company Unbridled Boudoir. You may already be familiar with boudoir photography; basically it's sexy pretty pictures of yourself that you typically give as a gift to your husband. Super fun for the both of you! Tammy is a really talented photographer, and one of her biggest strengths in my opinion is making you look good. I know this because she has photographed Brent and me and I really like the way I look in the pics. Plus she's creative, friendly, and fun!

Here's what her we site has to say about boudoir pics; you can visit the site for more FAQ's:

Boudoir photography is a wonderful experience, a true confidence builder. Though you may have a few nerves when the session starts, you'll feel like you owned it by the time the session is over! Many women find that boudoir photography makes a wonderful gift for a special occasion. This could be for a wedding gift, special birthday or anniversary, or simply for yourself. There is no better reason to celebrate yourself than by bringing out your inner supermodel!

If you're looking for something special for yourself and your honey, don't hesitate to give Tammy a call and set up an appointment; I know you'll be happy you did!

Melissa & Cace Wedding Video | Longview, Texas

2010-09-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

This is one of those weddings where I kinda don't know where to start, it was just so great. I guess I should start with the bride and groom: these two are awesome. First off- super sweet and willing to try anything. I'd ask Cace to do a little something and he'd cheerfully say, "Yeah, sure! Whatever you want!!" Dream groom for me. And dream groom for Melissa I'm sure. He was so happy he was borderline giddy, especially right after the ceremony when he couldn't stop laughing. It's obvious these two are smitten with each other, and perfect for each other.

For your enjoyment, here is their highlights montage:

Melissa was ravishing in her dress. Oh, the dress. When I saw it, my first reaction was, "I want it!" which is entirely ridiculous. But the texture and glow of the fabric, the poofy flower under the bust, the unique cut, plus the veil and flower in her hair...gorgeous! It was a perfect centerpiece to the "look" of the day- rustic country done with lavish elegance. Passionflower Designs executed the theme and did such an overwhelming job tying it all together. There were so many details; I want to share some of them with you:

- You saw her programs and a favor in my recent video post.

- The altar was decorated with dozens and dozens of candles, so it looked liked fireflies twinkling up there among the flowers during the ceremony.

- There were groupings of paper cut-out birds tied to twine dangling from the reception tent. Plus small round glass vases with single flowers in them. Plus a huge "chandelier" hanging over the dance floor decorated with candles and flowers.

- The cake table was beautiful: a scrolled rusty-metal cake stand, and pretty fabric overlaid with a paper tablecloth with butterfly cut-outs in it, plus silverware in the shape of branches.

- The groom's cake was actually several bundt cakes in the barn, in the same room with the espresso bar and classical guitarists.

- They created a sign post that they put outside that pointed the way to "dancing", "java", "Waco" etc.

- On two walls were strings of photographs of Melissa and Cace and their friends and family.

- Also in the barn there were small tables with lampshades suspended from the ceiling over the floral centerpieces.

- Outside of the tent they created yet another eating area by building a maypole-like structure out of poles and lights, and setting up tables underneath the warm glow.

- The table settings in the tent were amazing: flowers surrounded by ceramic candle holders and votives, green glasses, table numbers made out of branches, wire, and moss, stylish green chargers topped with mini bird's nests filled with aqua Jordan Almonds, and my perhaps my favorite detail: large chilled S. Pellegrino water bottles, with a bottle opener and cork tied to the neck with string. Seriously, can you say "Attention to detail?!?"

I enjoy the aesthetics of weddings and like to share these things with my readers so that they might be inspired for their own event. I know that weddings aren't about the details- it's about celebrating a new life together. It's the memories made: the laughter, rituals, kisses, music and singing, words spoken, the culmination of dreams, and the creation of a happy new family.

And if you still want more, you can watch their feature length film:

And in case you missed it before, you can check out their trailer here.

Melissa said, "WOW! Cace and I were pleasantly surprised to find your package on our doorstep this week. From the amazing packaging to the deleted scenes, we were so impressed with your work. Thank you sooo much for such a gift. As we watched we laughed, we cried (with joy!), and were perfectly reminded of what a special day that was. We have been enjoying married life sooo much. We are so happy to feel like we are constantly falling more in love with one another and your beautiful video added to this even more. THANK YOU! I can't say thank you enough!

It was amazing and we can't wait to show our friends and family! It was so special and you captured every moment. We are so happy and thankful.
God has given you an amazing gift of capturing such special moments in such a creative way. Thank you again for sharing your gift with us.

THANKS AGAIN.. and WOW!"

Coordinator: Pam Gosschalk, gosschalk@sbcglobal.net
Photographer: Sam Smead
Church: First Baptist Longview
Reception: Flying Feathers Ranch
Band: D owntown Fever, Dallas

Shannon & Jason's Super 8 Feature Film | Houston, Texas

2010-08-21T14:47:00.005-05:00

You've seen their highlights, and now you can watch Shannon and Jason's feature-length wedding film, shot entirely in Super 8. It has such a different vibe than a video feature, and I must say, I'm quite in love with it!

Shannon said, "It was beautiful. Such fun to see some of the moments that we missed the first time around! And, it was pretty darn funny to see the friends and family interviews - people got funnier and funnier as the night went on!

Great music selections - loved them! All in all, it was great fun and we just loved it. I'm actually most looking forward to forgetting all about the wedding, the video, all of it and then one day - maybe down the line when we have kids :) - pulling it out to watch all over again! I suspect, however, that I won't be able to forget and that we'll be watching every anniversary for quite a while!

Thank you!!!! Amazing work and such fun taking a Super 8 adventure together! Thanks for your all around awesomeness!"

Well thank you, Shannon and Jason!

Marissa & John Wedding Video | Longview, Texas

2010-08-06T13:51:00.004-05:00

Marissa and John were married at a beautiful ceremony at Trinity Episcopal Church in Longview, then danced the night away at a rockin' reception at Pinecrest Country Club. We put together this short trailer for them, which features The Spazmatics, a super fun 80's cover band.

Church: Trinity Episcopal, Longview

Reception: Pinecrest Country Club, Longview

Photographer: Brandi Burkett, Tyler

Band: The Spazmatics, Austin

Invitations & Programs From Three Weddings

2010-07-29T23:12:00.004-05:00

I have gathered up some wonderful paper products from three recent weddings and wanted to share them with you here. First we have Kelsey and Sean's invitation, which was created by Curious & Company. You can read more about the invites here. Next you'll see Shannon and Jason's invitation suite designed by Hello! Lucky, and also their program which was designed by Emily Kehe and then printed at Kinko's. And lastly we have Melissa and Cace's fab program and a few favors.

Enjoy!

Flawless Face Make-Up Tips

2010-07-19T20:58:00.003-05:00

Today I have a guest blog post from Sarah, an aesthitician. She's sharing some tips on how to work with your skin and make-up to achieve the best look for videos and photos. And to read about my own experience and tips with make-up, check out my post on the topic.

Your wedding video and photos hold some of the happiest memories of a lifetime, so be sure you consider all the angles when preparing to be filmed and photographed on the big day.

In the weeks and months leading up to the wedding…

Plan your procedures ahead- it’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of tastings, fittings and appointments and forget to schedule facial treatments until the last minute. Don’t be tempted to get microdermabrasion or chemical peels within at least a month of the event, depending on the exact type of laser or peel. Laser resurfacing "heals within days and normal color returns within a few weeks- if that long" according to Dr. Edward Lack (Chicago liposuction). Even a simple facial shouldn't be considered in the last few days leading up. Call well ahead of time and discuss this with the technician.

Practice good skin health- stay hydrated and eat healthfully leading up to the event. Don’t try new skincare products, or anything that may irritate your skin. Anticipate your skin’s history, and treat it accordingly depending on changes your skin may experience in the climate or weather that’s expected at the venue.

(Angela Duncan Photography)

For the big day…

Start with a good base- be sure that your foundation is the right color and formulation for your skin. You may feel like you should use a heavy cream or stick foundation since you’re being photographed, but heavier formulas will look caked on and are more likely leave a line of demarcation around the neck and hairline that’s tougher to blend away. Just stick with the liquid or powder that works for you, and be sure it’s properly matched to your color. No one wants to look washed out, but it can also age you a bit if your base is too dark for you. Color correcting concealers, like green or yellow for redness, and peach or yellow for undereye circles are a much better choice than simply layering on more makeup. Remember that redness will be easily picked up in photographs so take care to balance that out, and stay away from more pink based foundations.

Avoid the shiny look- glitter will reflect too much on camera, and shouldn’t be worn to a nice event like a wedding anyway. Radiance-enhancing or shimmery foundations make faces look too slick and shiny for photos, so if you must, only keep the sheen on cheekbones and the cupid’s bow for highlighting purposes. Always finish the t-zone with powder, which is especially important to balance any highlighting applied. If you know you’re more oily, pop pressed powder in your bag so that you stay shine free.

The eyes have it- keep in mind that darker eyeshadows and heavy liner make eyes look smaller. A matte or pearl shadow formula will be universally flattering and especially in warm, earthy tones. To keep eyes looking big and bright, highlight the inner corners and brow bone with an off-white, light pink or pale gold shadow or crayon. The older you are, the more important it is to stay fast to the no shimmer rule, as it tends to bring attention to fine lines. Black eyeliner can also look too harsh for older women (same goes for liquid liner) and fair blondes are more suited for eyeliner and mascara in the brown tones. Don’t forget to make sure brows are properly framing the face- everyone looks better and younger with defined brows. Fill the arches with powder or if using a pencil, blend with a brush. Brow color and size are important considerations here, so don’t forget to use a light hand and blend.

Consider your venue and lighting- do take the time to stop and think about if the event/ photos will be taking place indoors or out, and at what time of day. Indoor photos will be taken with flash, so it’s important to use powder to combat shine and to also be sure foundation is matched well. If outdoors, soften makeup a bit as it can easily look too heavy or harsh. Also, adjust your makeup look for more formal locations, and later times in the evening. When considering these factors, you will want to use more color and definition over simply adding more makeup.

Keeping these ideas in mind, remember its always most important to look like yourself and feel comfortable on your wedding day. These techniques will help ensure you look flawless both in person and in your video and photographs for years to come.

Content provided by Sarah Logan on behalf of ASI (beauty schools, NY). It offers aesthetic certification classes and specialized coursework in microdermabrasion certification and paramedical esthetics.

Kelsey & Sean's Feature Wedding Video | Dallas, Texas

2010-07-10T10:59:00.008-05:00

You've seen their trailer, now you get to watch Kelsey (aka Mrs. Frozen Yogurt) and Sean's feature length video! Enjoy the beautiful day as it unfolded.

Kelsey said, "We got our video yesterday and we love it!! We were SO happy; thank you so much! Since then I've already watched it about 3 times, and called and texted my friends to remind them about funny stuff that happened at the wedding. Thank you so much for letting us relive that. It's wonderful. :) I was reminded of how happy I felt that day and that's a great feeling. And, the way it's packaged is awesome! "

Shannon & Jason's Super 8 Wedding Highlights | Houston, Texas

2010-07-06T12:46:00.022-05:00

Ni hao, y'all!

That was the greeting du jour at Shannon and Jason's wedding, which celebrated the uniting of two folks with very different heritages- Shannon grew up in Texas, while Jason was born in China. The event took place at the family's ranch outside of Houston, where Shannon spent most of her childhood. It was a very festive, colorful affair, with a Mexican fiesta theme. The night before and morning of the wedding brought sheets and sheets of rain, but things cleared up beautifully in time for photos. We started out with the sweet first look on the old railroad trail, then moved out into the field of yellow flowers for the gorgeous photo session. The guests were then escorted by horse-drawn carriages to the ceremony, which was originally meant to take place next to a river but was moved under a tent by the the rain.

The tent was decorated with hanging paper lanterns and birds, flowers, and cut-paper flags. The couples' siblings served as attendants, officiants, and readers, and Shannon and Jason recited super sweet and funny vows to each other. There was an interlude in the middle of the proceedings when the guests were asked to toss a handful of wildflower seeds out into the grass, to serve as a reminder in the years to come of the special occasion. I loved that because it made everything seem less formal and more communal.

After the ceremony and family photos, everyone headed to the barn for the cocktail hour. A mariachi band serenaded everyone while they enjoyed margaritas and an avocado bar. Then a guest from each table was invited to have a whack at a pinata, and the team whose pinata burst first got to start in on the buffet! How fun is that? So ensued a fajita dinner, wedding cake and tres leches for dessert, and dancing under lighted lanterns. After their "getaway" everyone retired to the big bonfire, where I presume stories were told late into the night.

It really was a wonderful wedding hosted by a wonderfully sweet couple. Check out the highlights Brent and I put together for them to show at their reception in Hong Kong. The entire wedding was filmed in Super 8 and I had so much great stuff to choose from, it was hard to make it less than four minutes long!

Photographer: The Nichols
Coordinator: Aimee Capra, Clink Events
Catering: Pappas
String Quartet: Divisi Strings
Mariachi Band: Mariachi Viajeros
DJ: Groove Labs
Flowers: purchased from Billabong Fresh Flowers; arranged by cousin

Invitations: Hello!Lucky
Hairpiece: flower fascinator made by the bride; veil from Etsy

Shannon said, "I hope this video will be as much a family memento and ranch keepsake as it is a record of the wedding itself. Even the highlights already did an AMAZING job of that - thank you. I've had so many people tell me that they cried watching it. Including people I barely know - so you guys captured some core emotions that universally resonate with everyone..."

The Maresch Family '10

2010-06-22T14:25:00.007-05:00

Every year I get asked to make a video of five of my favorite people ever- The Maresch's. This was a special year for the family, because they bought their first house! Part of the video is the kids showing me their new home (they were so excited) and then working off some of that energy dancing together in the living room. We also captured them on Super 8 film before they made the big move, goofing around at the football field near their old place.

Isn't the affection they all share for each other palpable?

Vanessa's '09 Edit
Brent's '09 Edit
'08 Edit

I would like to take a moment just to talk about J*, the oldest daughter. Ten years ago (three months after they got married) M* and R* told me they were pregnant while we were driving out to the country for the weekend. I screamed so loud R* bit his tongue; I couldn't believe it. I took pictures of M* once a week as her belly grew, and then the day came when I got the call that the baby was on its way. I raced to the hospital in a near panic, fearing I was too late. Lucky for me, I wasn't, but not as luckily for M*. R* and I together proved to be rather annoying during labor- we were excited and therefore rambunctious, joking, and not paying perfect attention. Not how you should be around a woman giving birth :) We still laugh about that today. (M* says the epidural was the only thing that saved her from ripping R*'s head off.) I was asked to document the event, so I took photos on my old still camera; I didn't even own a video camera at the time. That was my first time to witness a birth, and I've been privileged to document the other kids' births too.

So now little J* was in the world and she was of course precious. I paced the large front porch of M* and R*'s big old rental house in Austin's west campus area, holding J* and murmuring to her in Spanish because I wanted to prep her mind to be bilingual. I remember the day she was baptized in her beautiful white little gown.

Not too long after that, they moved away from Austin (taking a little bit of my heart with them.) Now I'll be frank- as J* grew up, she went through a phase where she didn't have the most sugary-sweet temperament, and I was a little disappointed. But lo and behold, a few years ago that mean streak just melted away and left pure sweetness it its wake. "Sweet" is simply the best way to describe this girl. She's also funny, clever, caring, silly, and loving- everything you hope for in a little girl. I think you can see in the video above just how sweet she is.

Tonight J* is spending the night at our house and I'm really excited about it. We're going to make brownies together. She eats really well, but she's also a huge sucker for junk food. After we eat dinner and brownies, and maybe watch a movie, I'll show her this post on the computer. And hopefully she'll understand just how much her Auntie loves her.

Macy & Mayes Wedding Highlights Video | Houston, Texas

2010-06-22T12:01:00.001-05:00

What better way to start off the new year than kissing your brand new husband or wife? When the clock struck midnight, Macy and Mayes had been married for about twelve hours, and they were surrounded by everyone they loved. Happy New Year indeed.

The day started out at Middleton Methodist Church (Middleton also being the groom's last name) right outside of Houston. This quaint little church had been lovingly restored by Mayes' father, and it felt like its own character, it just had so much history. The sweet ceremony was complemented by a bevy of talented musicians, and I love how Macy's faced just glowed throughout. After some photos and a quick dress change, we all drove down the road to Mayes' father's home, a beautiful gingerbread-esque Victorian. All the guests were treated to a yummy multi-course meal under the tent while a jazz band played. It was all very lovely.

After a several hour break, it was time for the party! Three times as many guests gathered at Tony's restaurant for a night of dancing, eating, photo-boothing, and celebrating. It was such a pleasure to document all the events, and I think you'll enjoy their highlights as much as we do!

And here is the trailer we put together for them the week after the wedding:

Macy said, "Mayes and I received our wedding video package yesterday and immediately popped the DVD in. Within the first 2 minutes I had tears rolling down my face and Mayes was grinning ear to ear. It is absolutely fabulous. We loved getting to relive our wedding day and you captured it all perfectly. Thank you for your beautiful work - we will cherish our wedding video forever. Can't wait to watch it again..... tonight!"

Church: Middleton Methodist Church, Wallisville
Reception: Tony's, Houston
Photographer: Casey Benson, Tyler
Photo Booth: Annie Ray, Austin
Band: Sauce, Austin

Our Wedding: Brent's Ensemble

2010-06-17T13:59:00.008-05:00

Previously in this series: "Our Wedding: The Hair and Make-up"

Surprisingly enough, finding the perfect suit for Brent turned out to be harder than finding the perfect dress for me. Brent had a pretty specific idea of what he wanted, and stores at the time (2007) just weren't carrying it. (We quickly ruled out renting a tux after we saw what our options were- not that there's anything wrong with tuxes!) Brent wanted a two-button jacket, in the style of his grandfather, and he didn't want pleats in his pants. And he wanted the jacket to fit tightly, (about two sizes too small, in fact.) We just kept striking out.

After seaching high and low in Dallas, we finally ended up in a little local men's store near downtown Tyler called Joyner Fry. I'm pretty sure their primary demographic is the age 50+ bracket. But lo and behold we were able to order a custom suit for $400. (Yes, $400 is considerably more than a tux rental, but what guy doesn't need a classic black suit?) We picked out the fabric, specified no pleats, and asked for it to fit small. A week or so later the suit came in, and alterations were included. So we showed them a picture of an indie rock band in a magazine and asked them alter the pants to be like the ones in the pic- with a very short inseam and a narrow leg. It came back perfect!!

We picked out a beautiful crisp white pique shirt with french cuffs, and we even found Brent's shoes there too! We love those shoes- a very unique boot that I think will be in style forever. We wanted a skinny tie, and of course we couldn't find one anywhere! So I bought an inexpensive black shiny tie at Steinmart and had my alterations lady narrow it. And lastly, Brent's grandma gave him a pair of nice gold cuff links that were his grandfather's. They matched my gold jewelry and were super special.

(photos by Casey Benson)

Now I know most guys don't care this much about how they look on their big day, but Brent's got a bit of fashion sense and wanted to get exactly what he envisioned. It took a ridiculous amount of work, but as his bride, I can say it was totally worth it. In my opinion, he looked scrumptious.

Mary Margaret & Jeff's Wedding Highlights Video | Longview, Texas

2010-06-08T11:00:00.005-05:00

This wedding was an editor's dream. There was just so much energy, excitement, emotion and love suffused throughout the day. I really enjoyed how close Mary Margaret was with her sisters and parents, and I especially enjoyed how into each other Mary Margaret and Jeff were. Seriously, their guests would tease them about how much they kissed! One of my favorite moments is when Mary Margaret's sister is signing the marriage license right after the ceremony, and in the background there are the two lovebirds in their own little world, talking with their heads thisclose, rubbing noses, and just generally loving being married.

The reception is one of my favorites ever. They hired lighting designers and that always adds a lot of interest to my footage. The dance floor was packed all night, the space was beautifully decorated, and Casey's photo booth provided lots of entertainment for the guests. And the getaway was just classic with all these cute and funny moments.

Thanks you two for letting us be there to capture it all!

And in case you missed it, here's the trailer we made for them a while back.

Jeff said, "Thank you Vanessa for all of your hard work, the highlights and full videos are amazing! It was a pleasure sharing our special day with Vanessa, and the emotions and detail she captured will bring us back everytime. Her artistry is clearly far from the standard wedding videography. We look forward to working with her in the future!"

Bullard High's "Shattered Dreams" Video

2010-06-02T12:10:00.003-05:00

Bullard High School recently called us to see if we could film their "Shattered Dreams"

program, which is a series of staged events that deters students from drinking and driving. We were thrilled to oblige. Brent and I had a great time getting to know some new folks, and it was really enjoyable being able to direct the action instead of simply documenting it. When we put the finished video online, it received a lot of positive feedback and people were saying that it truly affected them. So, even though it's not wedding related (and has quite the opposite emotions of a wedding) I still thought I should post it here. If you know someone who might benefit from its message, please pass it on.

Mug Machine

2010-05-23T22:29:00.018-05:00

Today I want to tell you about Alex M Photography's new(ish) Mug Machine. I want you to add this to your wedding reception because a) I like Alex b) I like photo "booths" like this and c) you and your guests will love it! They're super fun, and they give you a great keepsake to remember all your friends and family by. According to Alex, The Mug Machine "is a little space at your reception where guests can go crazy. It’s a spot for your friends and family to get together and have some photos taken. It’s also a great way for you to document who came to your wedding."

Here are some examples of the types of shots you can expect from your Mug Machine.

Melissa & Cace's Wedding Trailer | Longview, Texas

2010-05-15T00:16:00.005-05:00

Wow, there's so much to say about this wedding that I don't know where to begin. Suffice it to say it was nearly sensory overload for me, and I loved every minute of it. The style and details were astounding. Plus, Melissa and Cace are a dream couple to work with- down-to-earth and friendly and oh-so-in love. When I post their highlights later I will write more specifics, but for now I'll let you get a sneak peek in the trailer we made.

Coordinator: Pam Gosschalk, gosschalk@sbcglobal.net

Photographer: Sam Smead
Church: First Baptist Longview
Reception: Flying Feathers Ranch
Band: Downtown Fever, Dallas

Ruby & George's Wedding Video | Longview, Texas

2010-05-10T19:05:00.003-05:00

Ruby and George had a lovely wedding in the sweetest white chapel on the campus of LeTourneau in Longview. You can tell these two are super close with all their friends and family, and especially their wedding party. They just know how to have fun together! I loved how the day was full of all these little candid, authentic moments, like when George sweeps Ruby into his arms to carry her through the grass after the ceremony, and when Ruby and her bridesmaids are just cracking up together during the photo shoot, and when Ruby's mom kisses the back of her neck after she puts on her necklace. It's moments like those that make each event I film unique, and also reveal the personality of the bride and groom and their peeps. Really, it's what makes my job rewarding. (Then you throw in a bagpiper, a guest who looks like Abraham Lincoln, three hilarious sisters of the groom, and a groom who likes to kiss his bride's cheek, and it's just a great day.)

Congrats Ruby and George!

Church: Speer Memorial Chapel
Reception: The Summit Club

Erika & Phil: What It's All About

2010-05-04T20:28:00.014-05:00

Soon after my dear friend Erika's wedding to Phil, I asked her if she wouldn't mind writing down her top three favorite moments of her wedding so I could blog about them. I got her email yesterday, and as I read it I was reminded again why this woman is one of my favorite people on earth, and why Phil is one of the luckiest men on earth.

When Vanessa asked me to write a guest post about my top three favorite moments of my wedding day, I felt ecstatic and at ease, like I could just sit down and the words would tumble out with clarity, and I could effortlessly choose the top three moments.

Here’s where I struggle to choose just three: my wedding day was perfect. It rained. My bangs stuck to my forehead. We momentarily lost power right before I walked down the aisle (an old dirt road), so we almost had a ceremony with no music (the horror!). The cake was ugly. The lace on my dress ripped, right across the belly. Like I said, it was perfect. And here’s why.

I married a real man, one who knows how to love and cry and have fun, one who knows how to build furniture and fix things, one who knows how to encourage me and push me to be my best self, one who is creative and smart, one who will do whatever it takes to provide for me and our future family. I married a man who makes me laugh and makes me think and questions me when I’m wrong. I married a partner who understands that a partnership—a marriage—at its best, is about making each other better and more fulfilled.

That alone made the day perfect. How could anything, anything at all, put a damper on such a glorious occasion as committing to spend the rest of our good and bad days together?

It rained. We love the rain. Instead of crouching beneath umbrellas, everyone—all 13 of us—danced wildly into the night with the rain pouring down on our beautiful clothes.

My bangs stuck to my forehead. It doesn’t look pretty in pictures, but it reminds me of the humidity and helps take me right back to the feeling of the day.

We momentarily lost power right before I walked down the aisle. While my brother-in-law scrambled to repair the connection, it gave me a couple of moments to collect myself and my thoughts and be present in the moment, and an instant with my dear videographer friend who adjusted my veil and hair to make sure I would look beautiful when my dad presented me to my then-fiancé.

The cake was ugly, but it sure did taste good!

The lace on my designer dress got caught on my husband’s belt buckle as he twirled me around the dance floor, and it ripped, a big major rip, right across the belly of the dress. I had to leave the dance floor immediately and began to cry, but my dad and brother comforted me by saying, “You just ripped a dress you’re never going to wear again while you were dancing with your new HUSBAND,” which immediately put it in perspective. It’s now a story I can tell when my daughter and granddaughter gaze at my wedding dress, imagining their own fairy tale wedding days.

So none of these less-than-perfect aspects are my favorite moments, but all of them add to my memory of a completely perfect wedding day.

If I could tell all brides-to-be just one thing, it would be this: Amidst all the planning and any unfortunate circumstances, keep your focus where it should be—on the love that made the day possible, on the person you're going to marry, and on the choice you are both making to spend the rest of your lives together. After the guests have gone home, the chairs are folded, and the flowers are wilted, it’s the only thing that matters.

Kelsey & Sean

2010-04-29T21:07:00.001-05:00

Kelsey (aka Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, of Weddingbee fame) and Sean wanted a "beautiful, vintage yet modern" wedding and boy did they get just that. The events took place at Marie Gabrielle, a restaurant and gardens nestled among the skyscrapers of downtown Dallas. Branches, trees, and leaves were everywhere: the invitations, the centerpieces, tables numbers, guest book- I loved it. You could tell that there was a lot of thought and planning that went into every detail. The colors were green, grey and cream, very understated and classy. The bridesmaids were able to pick their own grey dress and super cute shoes, and the guys looked dapper in grey suits and green patterned ties. And of course Kelsey was a vision in her beautiful dress and striking blue Manolos.

Now, I can't talk about this wedding without talking about the rain. Not because the rain was a big deal and it ruined everything- not at all. But it did make me think about a bride's best laid plans, and how it can be if things don't go the way she hoped. Kelsey, being a contributer for the most popular wedding blog in the world, was probably under no small amount of pressure to have her big day unfold perfectly. Thousands of readers had been following her planning process for months, and I think it's safe to guess that she was rather invested in a certain image of her day. And that image didn't include moving the ceremony indoors to avoid a storm. Needless to say, she was disappointed.

But it was Kelsey's attitude despite her disappointment that made an impression on me. That's why I included her quote at the beginning of her sneak peek here: "I don't care that it's raining, and I don't care that things didn't go perfect. I just love you and I'm excited to be your wife." Ladies and gentlemen, that is what it's all about.

Here is a sneak peek we put together for the two, and it even has a little Super 8 thrown in for the vintage effect. Stay tuned for their feature film.

Location: Marie Gabrielle
Photographer: Modern Life Studios
Florist: Haute Events and Floral Design
DJ: Doug Biter with DoubleTake Productions
Officiant: Ken Byrd with Love Notes

Kelsey said, "Oh. My. God! I love it!! I've already watched it about 5 times and I'm at work!! I am giddy over it, it's seriously perfect. You captured everything so beautifully. :)"

You can read Kelsey's blog post about her trailer here.

Erica & Jess' Highlights

2010-04-19T13:14:00.004-05:00

Erica and Jess had a beautiful sunset ceremony out at The Villa, followed by fireworks and then a night of all-out dancing. Boy can this bride cut a rug! She has great style and such fantastic energy. And if Jess looks familiar to you, it's because he's a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. (If you're a Texas Rangers fan, you might notice your first baseman in the wedding party.)

And in case you missed it earlier, here is their super fun trailer:

Location: Villa di Felicita'
Photographer: Lisa Marak Photography
DJ: CMB Music Productions

Erica said: "Thank you for doing such a good job. I cry everytime I watch it. The songs match us perfectly, I cannot thank you and your husband enough! It is honestly the light of me and my family's life."

Susie & Jack's Highlights

2010-04-12T18:24:00.002-05:00

When we were driving home from Jack and Susie's wedding, Brent turned to me and said, "Those two are in love." I, having been distracted with filming (and also being the less observant of the two of us) asked him how he could tell. He said Susie was sitting down on the bench at one point, and Jack was walking toward her to sit down, and Susie was looking at Jack with this totally enraptured, captivated look. Brent was touched. In fact, we've both been touched by this wedding. These two have been through a lot in life, and you can tell that they are each other's rock. When you watch their highlights, you can see the excitement just oozing out of them. You could not wipe the smiles from their faces if you wanted to, and laughter rang throughout the day. And they both adore little Annie to pieces. They baptized her during the ceremony, and that was a truly beautiful moment.

And the wedding was beautiful too! It was in Susie's sister's backyard, and there were bright colors and flowers everywhere. Jack works in Bali sometimes, so he was able to bring back some beautiful textiles for draping, and cute woven baskets, and fans for party favors. They custom designed their programs in the bright emerald green color and had them printed there, and Susie had her cowboy boot "bedazzled" in Bali too. Jack was into planning this affair as much as his bride was, and that's always fun to see.

Thanks you two for allowing us to be a part of your day.

Susie said, "We watched it together for the first time and I laughed and cried, and thought you did the most incredible job imaginable. Pure art. You incorporated all of those diverse music suggestions into a video that appears to be made especially for us. I don't have a clue how you did that, but, Thank you. I am truly a blessed woman.

Love Ya'll"

Awesome Vendor Interview: Alex M Photography

2010-04-07T12:46:00.023-05:00

Here's an interview with one of my favorite wedding photographers (and a good friend of mine and Brent's) Mr. Maldonado of Alex M Photography. This guy is great to work with: he's funny, relaxed, creative, caring and obviously very talented. If you want, you can watch this little video I made for him a long time ago.

Introduce yourself to my readers!
Hello, I'm AlexM. I've been married to an amazing woman named Danielle for almost 8 years. We made 4 little people: Joseph, Sara, Luke, & Eli. I take fancy pictures at weddings for a living. We homeschool our kids and I can't believe I get to work from home and spend all day with my family. It's a great job and it still seems like a dream.

You're pretty quick to talk about your family and personal life on your "professional" site. Why is that?
I feel like weddings are a very personal and intimate event. If you are having someone spend your whole day with you, you should know a bit about them and maybe even like them. Since my couples trust me enough to invite me into their lives, I feel it's only fair that I should let them be a part of mine.

Do you want your kids to grow up and all be wedding photographers?
I don't want my kids to grow up at all. I would totally freeze them at these ages and play with them forever. If they have to grow up, then based on their current personalities, these are the careers I would pick for my kids:

Joseph: Professional Lego-er (He likes to build)
Sara: Mom (She loves to cook, dress baby dolls, and tell people what to do.)
Luke: Boy Band (Music & dancing make his day. He has a little Bro-mance going with Zac Efron)
Eli: Dinosaur (He is large and likes to eat and crush things)

Tell us one thing your clients should know about you.
I like black t-shirts. In fact, they're basically all I wear. It's one less decision to make everyday. They are slimming and comfortable. :)

If you could get married again, what would you do differently?
We were engaged for about 4 months and the whole wedding planning process was not that big a deal to either Danielle or I. We really just wanted to get married. But a lot of people around us insisted that the wedding be this big ordeal. We really "fought" for our right to have a small ceremony with few guests. We are both glad we did that. The only thing I would have changed was not seeing Danielle before the ceremony. The whole day really is a blur and I wish we could have had more time together to really soak up the day. [Check out Alex's series on First Looks.]

What is your favorite part about your job?
I love meeting my couples and getting to know them. It's amazing how after only a few hours together I feel like I know them, and by the time their wedding rolls around I feel just as invested in their relationship as the rest of their friends and family. I'm laughing and crying along with all the guests and love knowing that I get to capture and document the day for them.

Describe your ideal couple?
I love clients who can give me a bit of direction on who they are as a couple. Then they sit back and let me run with it. I love really tapping into the uniqueness of my couples. I want all my sessions to be different because my couples are different. I try very hard to not make every engagement session about standing on a railroad track or dipping a girl and kissing her.

What is one thing all brides should know?
Your fiance' is putting on a show. Once you get married he will be slightly ruder, spend less time with you, and get on your nerves more. :) But it's OK because you are doing the same thing to him. We all put on a bit of a show and try to impress each other. Once you say "I do," a new level of security enters the relationship and you feel like you can let another layer of walls down. Once this happens, if you are willing to work through these new changes together, you'll be fine and end up falling more in love with each other.

What are some of your favorite photos you've taken and why?
Lauren mentioned she wanted a cool photo with the guys. So rather than have them pick her up or something cheesy, we went with a Marilyn Monroe-ish pose with the groom's brother crawling under her dress. I LOVE this shot.

Erika and Phil chose to only have immediate family at their wedding. They ended up with 11 people total attending the wedding. It was such an honor to share the day with them and I knew I was capturing something that her friends and family would be using to experience the day for the first time.

Brides, if you're in the market for a photographer for your wedding contact Alex right now. Here's his email: alex@AlexMPhotography.com. And here's his phone number: 903.729.4884.

Candice & Alex Highlights

2010-03-31T15:20:00.004-05:00

Candice and Alex were married under a huge tree, next to a shining lake on a windswept afternoon. It was a beautiful wedding for two beautiful and kind people. Really, Candice and Alex were one of the sweetest couples we've had the pleasure of working with. They just radiated friendliness and made Brent and me feel so welcome. And their families were great too. Alex's mom wanted their wedding filmed so that she could show something at their reception in Connecticut several months later. I put together this highlights for them and was pleased to know that it would allow non-attendees to experience the day, and the love, as well.

Location: Castle on the Lake

Photographer: Allen Arrick

Alex's Mom said, "Vanessa, thank you so much for such a beautiful job with the video. Gus and I just finished watching it. You are amazing. Your choice of songs were perfect. We absolutely loved every minute of it. You truly captured the spirit of the day. You are so talented. Thank you again."

Our Wedding: The Hair & Make-Up

2010-03-26T13:15:00.003-05:00

Getting your hair and make-up done on your wedding day with your girls can be one of the funnest parts of your entire day, if you have talented people working for you. And if you don't, it can certainly be one of the most stressful. I know this.

First off I'll say that my make-up artist Jessica did a great job and I have no complaints there. But my hair stylist, that's another story. To make a long story short I didn't get a trial run with him (not that I didn't drive all the way to Dallas one afternoon in order to, but I digress.) So the day of the wedding I showed him my inspiration photo (which he had seen before, BTW) and he proceeded to make me look like Farrah Fawcett in the 70's. I wanted a kind of natural looking almost "hippie-esque" wave, and he made these horrible huge feathery curls. Really it was atrocious and I was becoming increasingly appalled.

So then in steps my savior, aka my sister Nicole. She had to literally tell this guy step by step how to style my hair. He would curl it and then try to brush it out and Nicole would yell, "Stop! Don't touch it!!" I'm laughing now but at the time...not so much. So finally we get it acceptable. I think it looks pretty decent in the pictures below. (I'm showing those pics primarily because they show my hair the best, but also because I think it's a funny progression. Mary offered to feed me yogurt, and then we laughed about how ridiculous it was, then I saw that our photographer [Casey Benson, he took all of these] had taken pictures and I threatened him lest he make me look like a bridezilla. But I digress.)

I wore my hair down because that was what Brent liked the most, and for that I'm glad I wore it that way. However, I did have an outdoor, Texas reception and so as the day wore on it just became progressively more unkempt looking. I think if I had it to do over I would have worn it in an updo. But more importantly, and this is the moral of the story, I would have insisted on a hair trial. But this is just my experience, and it's the worst I've heard. I don't recall hearing many of my brides complaining about their hair, so maybe either I'm super picky or I picked a super unskilled stylist.

I have one more important tip to share with you. Brides, take note. Half-way through your reception, steal away to the bathroom with a little make-up and check yourself in the mirror. I went to the restroom right before our getaway and I remember looking in the mirror and being so surprised with how bad my make-up looked; it did not wear off gracefully. I was in desperate need of a touch-up and I wish I would have seen it sooner. You might put a bridesmaid in charge of reminding you to do this.

Here are a few pics from Nicole's hair and make-up session, which was a wonderful experience because we were working with true pros. (Nicole and I both used hair extensions to beef up our do's a little, another little tip you might look into.)

My mum invented an ingenius little contraption for storing your lipstick, and I'm happy to share it with my dear readers. During the alterations of her wedding dress, Nicole had her seamstress sew a tiny pocket into the inner lining of a layer of her skirt, so she could just lean down and pop it out for touch-ups. I love it!

Brooke & Matt's Highlights

2010-03-17T00:18:00.006-05:00

Allow me to (re)introduce you to Brooke and Matt, one of my favorite couples of all time. Brooke and I shared a table with two other girls in our 8th grade English class with Mrs. Maples. We had a great time together, gave each other nicknames, all that stuff. Over the years we lost contact, but through the wonders of Facebook we reconnected. She checked out our blog, fell in love with our work, and was able to book us shortly before her wedding in Fort Worth. Matt went to the same school as us, but he was two years older. I never really knew him, but after chatting with him for 30 minutes (!) on the phone one day before the wedding, we felt like old buddies.

You've probably seen their trailer here before, so you know how much fun their wedding was. What was so fun for me was just how much into her wedding film Brooke was. There was one moment after the ceremony when everyone was hugging, and Brooke paused, glanced at me, and said to Matt, "I'm so glad Vanessa is here documenting this." And when she was getting ready, she even quoted things that I had written on my blog. That was certainly a treat for me!

When you watch the highlights below, you'll see what a stunning woman Brooke is. The camera just loved this girl! We got some beautiful and fun shots during Kristin's photo shoot before the ceremony. During the ceremony, you'll see everyone cracking up- that was when the officiant realized half way through that he had forgotten to tell everyone to be seated. After everything was official, and group photos were taken, Brooke and Matt changed into cowboy boots and jeans, respectively. They then walked hand in hand through downtown Fort Worth to the rooftop of Reata restaurant. These two are super into country music (in fact, their relationship blossomed on a back porch, talking and listening to music over wine), and so it was only fitting that the entertainment for the reception was the uber talented Max Stalling. In spite of the chill and rain, everyone had a blast.

The ending to this highlights is perhaps my favorite yet. After their getaway to the sound of cowbells, Matt and Brooke had a passionate, excited, relieved kiss in front of the elevator. Down on the sidewalk they shared yet another happy kiss. With the hem of Brooke's wedding dress soaked and muddy, they turned and set off together into the city night. Happily ever after.

Got the video and watched it this weekend with the hubby. We love it so much!!!! You incorporated our favorite songs so perfectly and that was SO important to us. I must have seen every clip on your blog but nothing prepares you or compares to it being about your day. It's truly magical and very emotional...

I am so, so glad we decided to have you guys work with us...we will treasure this video FOREVER. What a better way to celebrate each anniversary than with a "movie night" :-) Thank you a million times over for a wonderful gift and congratulations at being so good at your job :-)

Love,
Brooke & Matt

April & Ben's Highlights

2010-03-09T12:14:00.002-06:00

April and Ben had a lavish affair in Longview and I was thrilled to be able to document the whole day for them. Their reception took place at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, and Barkley Creative outfitted the whole venue with custom lighting, chandeliers, wheat grass, toile fabric and tons of other pretty blue and green accents. April and Ben are totally in love with each other, and it's clear that their friends and family love them to death too. It was a joy to be around a group of such friendly fun folks.

April said, "Vanessa - I got the video in the mail this morning before work. It was so hard for me not to watch it. I had to wait until 7 tonight when we both got home!!! It was the longest day ever. We feel so lucky to have such an amazing video of our special day!! We can't wait to share it with our friends and family. The memories are priceless. Thank you for all your hard work... we LOVE it!!"

Church: First United Methodist church, Longview
Reception: Longview Museum of Fine Arts
Coordinator & Flowers: Jack Barkley, 903.758.9500
Photographer: Donnna Cummings
Band: Zuzu Peddals, Dallas

Bouquet Treat

2010-03-04T14:36:00.003-06:00

I titled this post "Bouquet Treat" because not only are the images of these flowers a little treat for the eyes, I also could almost eat this bouquet. It's that yummy to me.

This is Janie's creation, posted on The Bride's Cafe, and photographed by Abby Jiu Photography.

Here's what Janie has to say about it:

"I love the bright colors of this bouquet...I used Ranunculus in shades of orange, yellow, burgundy and peach....hot pink Parrot Tulips....Jasmine Vine.....and Queens Anne Lace. I love using Queens Anne Lace in my bouquets...it truly gives it the "just picked from the garden" feel....and for the finishing touch, I tied it with a tiffany blue ribbon....I think the blue mixed with all the "sherbert colors" of the florals really made the bouquet "pop".......after making this bouquet, I really wished I had a bride that could have carried it down the aisle...such a pretty color palette for a spring wedding!"

Featured on The Bride's Cafe

2010-02-27T15:07:00.003-06:00

I'm pleased to say that Erika and Phil's Super 8 Film is currently featured on The Bride's Cafe this weekend! I've said it before and I'll say it again: this blog is a must-add to your reading list if you're planning a wedding (or if you just love weddings in general). It's updated almost daily with beautiful real weddings and is chock-full of eye candy. It even won "Most Charming Blog" by the Wedding Blog Awards.

Erika & Phil: Their Feature Length Film

2010-02-12T10:44:00.005-06:00

I absolutely couldn't resist posting Erika and Phil's entire video. Of course I understand that not everyone will watch the whole thing, but for those of you that are so inclined, pop yourself a bowl of popcorn and make yourself comfy. And bring the tissues.

A few things to keep in mind:

- This wedding was essentially a destination wedding for everyone, so I wanted to take some time to really convey a feel for the location and the drive up there.
- It's fun for me to start coverage really early and see what kind of interesting things take place before the rush of the day begins (yoga, anyone?)
- Erika and her mom have a code word for when they're about to cry too much: "Boing!"

- Erika's older brother was the officiant for the ceremony

- Erika provided just about all the music. I used a total of 20 songs in her entire DVD.

Erika said, "Vanessa, our video came yesterday. Somehow between teaching last night and working this morning, we have still managed to watch it three times already. I love getting to see all the moments that I missed, all the precious expressions on the faces of our families, and hearing us say our vows to each other again made my heart swell with joy. I also LOVED the dance scenes in Super 8, especially David. Doesn't he look like he's famous? And I loved how you captured the anticipation preceding the ceremony, the heart of the ceremony, and the pure joy following. You've got real talent. We are so grateful. I only wish there would have been another videographer there who could have gotten special *you* on film."

Erika & Phil: The Invitations

2010-02-06T17:16:00.003-06:00

If you follow this blog, you know that I've been featuring videos and tidbits from my dear friend Erika's wedding to Phil. Today I made a simple little video showing you her gorgeous invitations! Have a look and be prepared to be inspired.

Here's a link to the poem she used: Oriah Mountain Dreamer's "Invitation"

Stefani & Rob Highlights

2010-01-30T17:51:00.000-06:00

Laughter was the name of the game for this crowd, and what a fun and relaxed day it was. Stefani and Rob and their wedding party and family loved to be a little silly and let loose, and of course I always enjoy that. I made their highlights montage upbeat yet relaxed in order to really convey how it all felt. In it you'll see the antique hose that were worn by Stefani's grandmother decades ago, the beautiful chandelier crystals that were hung from the gazebo to catch the golden late afternoon light, and some other fun things like headbanging and little girls hamming it up for the camera.

Thanks Stefani and Rob for letting us capture it all!

Ceremony and Reception Location: Richardson Women's Club

Photography: Phase 3 Photography

DJ: Professional DJ's

The Votes are In: We're a 2010 Best of Weddings Pick!

2010-01-26T17:11:00.006-06:00

Brent and I are proud to announce that Vanessa McKellar Productions has been rated by Texas-area brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 Pick!

Thanks Knotties! You make us feel like we rock, therefore you rock!

Some Things Never Change

2010-01-22T15:34:00.004-06:00

My mom recently reminded me of these old circa 1994 sketches (I thought I was seven years old when I made them, but much to my chagrin it turns out I was 13), and I thought it would be funny to post them here on my blog. I consider it convincing evidence of my early fascination with all things wedding. They crack me up. I really remember them being much cuter than they actually are (although I think the top right one bears a striking resemblance to this BCBG dress.) I love how the bottom left one says the veil is "butt-length". And how painful is that heart cutout in the top left? And the headpiece for the sheath dress is quite ridiculous and screams early 90's.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I believe I chose the right profession. Vera Wang can heave a sigh of relief.

Photography versus Video

2010-01-10T14:45:00.015-06:00

Special thanks to Alex M Photography for the images and the idea for this post.

Let me start by saying that this post isn't going to be downplaying photography or anything- I love photography and we love our wedding photos to death. But I just wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the differences between these two media, and I think a good way to illustrate that is with imagery from a recent wedding that Alex and I shot together. Davi and Jonathan wisely decided to have a first look before their ceremony, and I loved documenting it.
This girl was so excited, it was adorable! And the groom was sufficiently nervous, which was also adorable.

Look at the series of Alex's photos below. They're great, skillfully shot with a good eye. They show what happened and they're truly a pleasure to look at.

Then watch the video below. The exact same events are portrayed, but there is a certain richness present, and I would like to think that you're left with a strong impression of the emotions of the moment. Video has 30 frames per second, so in a way you could say that this short clip contains 3,450 photos.

You get to see Davi turn around toward my camera and grin widely at me; she really couldn't contain her excitement. The "hide and seek" lyrics are a playful and subtle nod to the "reveal" concept. I love how we get to just follow alongside Davi as she walks toward her groom, with the bushes sliding past and the anticipation building. We get to see Jonathan inhaling nervously (in Super 8, which creates an interesting contrast to the crisp digital video). When he turns around you can hear Davi squeal. And then a few moments later you hear Davi exclaim, "We're getting married!" These are all things that video can offer and it makes me so thrilled to be able to use this amazing medium to capture and present people's most cherished moments. Not to mention how important these moments will be in 20 or 50 years to future generations. Really, just imagine being able to watch your grandfather horse around with his best buddies, or your grandmother hug her mom as a little girl for the last time. Priceless.

*Update: I just received this heartwarming email from Davi. I think she really "gets" video so I wanted to share it here:

"We received the DVD tonight and just finished watching it. I don't even know what or how to say what I am feeling. It was absolutely the best decision we made about the whole day. I cannot believe how you captured our special moments and such thought went into the music and special effects. I loved loved loved the video. Vanessa, you have such an amazing talent...we literally got to see the wedding from another point of view and it was amazing. Also, with my obsessive personality (haha) I have been really stressing and having a hard time letting go the fact that I got sick in the middle of the wedding and that we missed some of the pictures because of it. You put my mind at ease....everyone really had a good time and I don't even think you could tell I was sick!

Thank you so much for all you have done. I wish I could say something more effective or witty and clever....I am just literally so happy right now all I can think of is "thank you." I cannot wait for my children's children to watch it, and to know that my precious parents and grandparents will forever be preserved on that little
round piece of plastic made by you is priceless."

Mary Margaret & Jeff's Trailer

2010-01-06T12:37:00.004-06:00

Mary Margaret and Jeff had a beautiful holiday-themed wedding and reception in Longview, Texas. These two were so sweet, and so excited to be married. You can tell just by looking at their faces as Mary Margaret walks down the aisle- it was very precious. And I suspect Mary Margaret's sister's were nearly as excited as she was! I think it's so cute how they kiss each other other on the cheek when the bride and groom have their kiss at the altar. The festivities continued with a night of dancing and fun, and ended with the most adorable getaway.

Here's their little trailer we made.

Mary Margaret & Jeff's Trailer from Vanessa McKellar Productions on Vimeo.

Church: Trinity Episcopal Church
Reception: ETBA Events Center
Coordinator: Jack Barkley, 903.758.9500
Photographer: Casey Benson
Photo Booth: Casey Benson

Mary Margaret said, "Everybody that has seen the video RAVES about it! :) Thank you!
Jeff said to tell you he loves it. We showed it to all of our family and relatives and have gotten a lot of messages back from people saying how much they enjoyed the video...thank you for all of your hard work. You've really brought a lot of joy to a lot of people with the trailer. Also, I just wanted to say thank you for being there and capturing all of these sweet moments without me really even noticing. I was so stressed out that day before the wedding, but you caught all of these beautiful shots and I'm just very thankful to have such happy, beautiful memories on video. Thank you, thank you!"

Megan & Mark's Highlights

2009-12-25T13:43:00.003-06:00

You saw their trailer, now you get to watch their highlights montage (with a little Super 8 thrown in for effect.)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Megan & Mark Highlights from Vanessa McKellar Productions on Vimeo