November 11, 2012

St. John the Evangelist | "It's Good to be Heather!" - Heather & Beau, the full film

November 11, 2012/ Kourtney Amelia

The air was so thick with humidity, the clouds finally let loose with rain right before Heather had to head out for her wedding ceremony. Just as we had resigned to figuring out how to get Heather to the Limo through the light patter of drops under a lace umbrella, the shower ceased and we swept out the door of her parent's estate home and hopped into the limo.

Heather's mom had exclaimed that "it's good to be Heather!" earlier that day as she opened gifts from family and groom, and we agree. Not only did she look gorgeous in her luxuriously hand-embroidered wedding dress, but the joy her parents expressed as they headed toward the cathedral truly set the tone for the day--I could see it as Heather's mom chatted with Beau, the groom, on the phone from the limo and as Heather's dad smiled with joy that things are just going to continue to get better and better for Heather and Beau. Heather's parents truly doted on Beau throughout the day, crying during the cake cutting, and as Heather and Beau hugged friends and family goodbye at the end of the evening, her parents danced together cheek to cheek, wiping away happy tears. My heart felt like it was being squeezed, and it was hard not to cry a happy tear just watching not only this bride and groom, but the entire family as they erupted with joy during this celebration.

<screen grabs from the

wedding video

St. John the Evangelist, where the ceremony was held, is a catholic cathedral in the Dutch Romanesque architectural style. The interior nave consists of a series of arches supported by columns, a blind story, and a clerestory. Oil paintings of Christ the King and Apostles decorate the vaulted ceiling. The Italian marble main altar displays mosaic representations of wheat and grapes, symbolizing the bread and wine of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

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Heather smiles brightly at her groom as she is escorted down the aisle by her loving father.

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Her floral colors were creams and dusty rose.

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Beautiful flambeau stained glass, made in Munich, Germany, portray the life of Saint John the Evangelist, the patron of the Cathedral.

I now pronounce you — St. John the Evangelist

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-kourtney amelia

Event Design and Floral: Ted Viator, Viator and Associates

Ceremony: St. John the Evangelist

Reception: Lafayette Petroleum Club 111 Heymann Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70503

Photographer: Elizabeth Dondis

Reception Entertainment: Jesse's Girls

Cakes and Favors: Sucre

Photobooth: Freeze Frame Photobooths

August 20, 2012

Lafayette Petroleum Club | "It's Good to be Heather!" - Heather & Beau, Part 1 of 2

August 20, 2012/ admin

Bridesmaids bustled through the mahogany classical living room as they finalized their makeup the morning of Heather and Beau's wedding. Outside, the humidity gathered on the windows and the petals of the honeysuckle outside the front door, as if it wanted to peek in on the house's festivities. A grand chandelier loomed over the dining room table where a lace-covered umbrella waited to find if it would be required to shield the bride in the event of rain.

"It's good to be Heather!" said her mother as Heather opened presents from Beau and family right before she slipped into her wedding dress. Smiling in agreement, Heather nodded her head. And it is good to be loved by Heather, we must add. By the time you finish reading this, you'll agree, too! Heather and her parents created an event with Tod Viator (designer) that would knock the socks off of everyone in town. It was filled with heavenly surprises for the guests around each corner.

For example, Heather had handkerchiefs made for each bridesmaid to remind them of her love for them. Below is pictured the one she carried along with her own bouquet.

<screen grabs from the

wedding video

Truly, the details of this wedding will stun you--but the love of this family will also leave your heart feeling so full.

Heather made sure there was room for both her photographer and for me, her wedding videographer, to ride with her family to the wedding ceremony from her home where she got ready. I loved the anticipation in that limo--the air was thick with joy and excitement. This still is from the moment when Heather and her father caught sight of the church, where a harpist played under a canopied entrance to greet the guests.

Gasp! That steeple is gorgeous!

The pink roses (in shades of Steel Magnolias blush and bashful) adorned the aisleway of the cathedral and the front. For the ceremony, Beau wore a cream tux jacket, and he slipped into a darker coat with white bow tie for the evening party. Very formal, and very fashionable!

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Their magical entryway.

Below, Beau had a parrot-themed cake. His mother explained that he loves parrots and chose that animal as a part of his email as a young man, and has never changed his personal email account since.

Quite fantastic!

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One of my favorite moments occurred when Heather's mom shed a happy tear as she watched Heather and Beau cut the wedding cake. It never fails--every parent has a moment during their child's wedding where the blessings of the gathering of friends and family is so overwhelming. We're just happy to be there to help you remember those blessings in the future. Heather and Beau, thanks for choosing us to document your day.

-kourtney amelia

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Event Design and Floral: Ted Viator, Viator and Associates

Ceremony: St. John the Evangelist

Reception: Lafayette Petroleum Club 111 Heymann Blvd, Lafayette, LA 70503

Photographer: Elizabeth Dondis

Reception Entertainment: Jesse's Girls

Cakes and Favors: Sucre

Photobooth: Freeze Frame Photobooths

March 02, 2012

Academy of the Sacred Heart | "Look at You, Baby!" - Celeste & Michael the full film

March 02, 2012/ Kourtney Amelia

"Home, let me go home. Home is wherever I'm with you."

-from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

While many will choose to unite their lives with a destination wedding, sometimes, there's just nothing like coming home...literally.

While Celeste's bow on her Vera Wang wedding dress (courtesy Mimi Nola) proved to be the most challenging part of her morning as a bride (have we mentioned how much we love that our brides are the most laid back, relaxed chicas in the world?), nothing was quite as sweet as the moment her dad, dressed in tux, stood on the staircase and took in the sight of his daughter as a bride. "look at you, baby. Look at you," he said lovingly. Wow. Those moments where a father of the bride expresses so much pride in his daughter are really special. The family gathered up the bridesmaids and headed to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, wherein the chapel, Celeste would be married 2 hours later.

Celeste grew up attending the school, but upon graduation, many of Celeste's friends went their separate ways. Celeste ventured to the University of Virginia, then to the LSU school of Law, then back to New Orleans to further her career.

Michael, from Lake Charles, followed a similar trajectory. After attending the University of Virginia, he made stops in Dallas and Birmingham before the pull of home led him to settle in New Orleans. Home is where the heart is!

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With "home" being another character in their story, it was only fitting that the arc of the wedding day run through the locations that embody that sense of place. From Celeste getting into her dress upstairs at her parents house, to walking down the aisle at the chapel in the academy, to taking her first dance with Michael in the backyard of her childhood home, there was a rooted-ness in family history throughout the day's events that few couples experience.

Celeste and Michael, thanks for inviting us to come home with you.

Photographer: Elizabeth Dondis Dress: Vera Wang, from Mimi Ceremony: Academy of the Sacred Heart Reception Entertainment: Sauce Band (from Austin!) Makeup: Tisa from Tisa's Beauty Bar Event Planning and Flora: Ted Viator, The Gardenaire Catering: Audubon Tea Room

October 17, 2011

New Orleans Wedding | "Look at You, Baby!" - Celeste & Michael

October 17, 2011/ admin

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/59886923[/vimeo]

Trip no further, pretty sweeting,

Journeys end in lovers meeting.

-from Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"

While many will choose to untie their lives with a destination wedding, sometimes, there's just nothing like coming home...literally.

As Celeste gathered with her bridesmaids at her house for some pre-ceremony champaign, Celeste's father, the only other man in the room, eased on over to me and pointed out that many of those in the wedding party knew Celeste since their first days of school at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, wherein the chapel, Celeste would be married 2 hours later.

After the rehearsal the night before, Celeste related to me how she had attended weekly chapel services in that very room for 13 years. As the semesters ticked away, while her friends moved into different classrooms and wings of the campus, they would always come back to this one edifice, week after week. Only her childhood home was a place of more consistent refuge.

Upon graduation, many of Celeste's friends went their separate ways. Celeste ventured to the University of Virginia, then to the LSU school of Law, then back to New Orleans to further her career.

Celeste and Michael, thanks for inviting us to come home with you. I trust that this clip from your wedding video will continue to bring you back there, time and time again.

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