Mason Jar Films is a premier wedding, special event, and commercial videography company located in Austin, Texas.
Beca & Marcus are just adorable. These two literally light up any space they walk in to and when they are in that room together it’s electric. They are both fun hearted, full of joy and devoted to not only one another, but the amazing people that surround them. Whether alone or simply faces in a crowd they draw you in, which is quite simply remarkable.
Read MoreKendall & Heath are truly special. As individuals they are warm, faithful, and kind. Each bring so much joy to those around them. Combined they are a force that elevates and lights up a room. We saw firsthand the love and undying loyalty that family and friends have for this remarkable pair.
All Texans grow up learning the significance of the battle for the Alamo. Here at the Mason Jar Films studio, we have a special tie to it that goes beyond being Texans. Jones participated in the filming of Baylor Alum John Lee Hancock's The Alamo for several months, and he co-produced a documentary about how the extras in the film researched so much Alamo history in their spare time on set that they unearthed previously unknown portraits of Alamo defenders.
The battle is so engrained into the public psyche of Texans that an entire series of festivals and parades has grown out of remembrances of the event. In 1891, a group of citizens decided to honor those who fought and died in the battle for the Alamo and San Jacinto with a battle of flowers, and the tradition of Fiesta in San Antonio was born. For friends of Tara and Alex, 2010 was the year that the celebration took on a new meaning. Enjoy their full film below, and find out why.
Tara's the kind of girl that a lot of guys were going after, according to reports from her brother, but when Alex came along, her entire family was thrilled that he was the one she ended up dating. After getting to know them, it is obvious that they are a generous and extremely thoughtful pair of people who like to go above and beyond normal expectations to truly express their love and friendship. The entire weekend was filled with very personalized gifts for family and friends, and a panoramic view of the Texas hill country.
The Westin La Cantera is perched on top of one of the highest hills in Northern San Antonio, and despite being pretty close to the city, it manages to feel very remote, with its modern, minimalistic take on mission style architecture and very wooded surroundings. Tara and Alex both began their day with friends in separate casitas on the ranch resort. Tara gave her sweet bridesmaids monogrammed bags filled with many goodies, including the extra-large silver monogram necklaces that they can be seen wearing with their bridesmaid outfits in the wedding video.
Alex gave us a little preview of what he had written in his note to Tara about their future, and he had a surprise for her--a Cartier love bracelet that she had wanted for many years. She also surprised him with a gift--a Montblanc pen. Its significance is very powerful--Tara wrote to Alex that when she looked at the pen, she could envision the future milestones they would go through together as a married couple--buying their first car or house together, signing children's report cards, and more.
Tara also had very special gifts for her mother and father. For her mother, she had purchased a diamond cross necklace from Moretti's in San Antonio, and each diamond represented a person in their family. For her father, Tara knew how much he loved taking the family on trips, so she surprised him with the promise to take him on one last daddy-daughter trip to anywhere in the world that he would want to go.
------Later that night, the band put on the most amazing party--one of our favorite moments was the fun, upbeat & impromptu dance circle that gathered around Alex and his mother. There was also a fun group that made a "limbo pole" out of napkins tied together, and everyone got in on the act!
Editor's notes:
Within their film, I chose to edit these gift-giving moments within flashbacks during the ceremony, because I felt that these gifts are tokens similar to a wedding ring--although they will not be worn on the hand, they are symbols that the bride and groom chose to honor the powerful impact that those relationships have had in their lives.
I think my favorite moment in the entire film is when Tara walks down the aisle, and as she walks toward Alex, the story flashes back to the moment that they first saw each other at their private first look. Often, during the ceremony as a bride walks down the aisle, she is at first smiling and nodding to the people around her, but then her eyes are quickly drawn to her groom, and both of them will lock focus onto each other. All else fades away as they walk towards one another, just as their hearts are united as one during the wedding ceremony. Because of how precious that moment can be, I wanted Tara and Alex to be able to simultaneously remember the emotions they felt during both the walk of the first look and the walk of the aisle during the ceremony. For those of you who are Jane Austen fans, I'll confess that the way I chose to edit this part is a little bit of an homage to the dance scene in Pride & Prejudice between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, where at the height of emotion in their conversation, the scene suddenly shifts as all others in the room suddenly disappear.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBMteBVnhZw[/youtube]
Alex' father opened the rehearsal dinner with these words, and throughout the weekend, we truly learned what it meant to this family.
Reception Venue: San Antonio Resort Westin La Cantera 16641 La Cantera Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78256 Ceremony Venue: Trinity Baptist Church 319 E. Mulberry | San Antonio, TX 78212 | 210-733-6201 Officiant: Dr. Leslie Hollon Design: Morris Goen with Goen South Weddings Photography: David Sixt Reception Entertainment: Sauce Wedding Videographer: Mason Jar Films
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We are so thrilled to share this wedding film with you. Their wedding was both a touching experience and imaginatively designed to create a delightful soiree for all of their friends and family. Not only do Erin and Andrew have a delightful sense of style that is both tailored, preppy, and bohemian all at once, but their joyful spirits are extremely infectious. In fact, while I was editing their film, my face was sore from smiling so much. And now that we're sharing the film, your face can be sore because of extended amounts of smiling, too!
Erin's dress was stunning--mermaid cut with a fluted skirt that extravagantly trained behind her. Not only did she wear a dress made of the most luxuriously draped gauzy tulle that we've ever seen, but her accessories were stunning-- something bleu shoes accented by white feathers.
The hill-top Christian ceremony was breath-taking, and Erin descended through a stair-case linked arms with her father. The modern, romantic music selections for the wedding ceremony included songs by The Arcade Fire. Listening to the songs they chose for their wedding day heavily influenced the music we selected for the film--the opening song is a lilting, hopeful song by siren singer-songwriter Holly Maher filled with soaring tones of violin and cello with lilting melody created by a light piano.
Erin's mother is doting, and her father is hilarious--which created that same combination in her siblings, who totally ham it up with Erin throughout the photography sessions.
Matchmaker Band kept the party hopping through the night! They have several 'front singers' to cover a variety of musical styles, and their growling vocals and energy is always top notch! Watch it here.
As we mentioned in a previous post, we were thrilled to work alongside noted fashion photographer Christianne Taylor at this wedding. She's based in California, but she often returns to her native state of Texas to document special projects. We've worked with her before at Sarah & Colby's ranch estate wedding, and it was delightful to work with her again.
In our first post about Erin & Andrew's wedding, we told you the story of how they almost didn't have a wedding cake, which is a precious story, but now, I want to tell you about what Andrew's dad said.
As guests sipped from glass soda bottles with these adorable DIY soda straw flags, Andrew's dad gave a heartfelt speech thanking the people who brought Erin and Andrew together, and how he felt that Erin and Andrew were like arrows shooting through the sky. Psalm 127 speaks of how children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands, and how they will return to bless their parents.
"we also feel excitement at watching these two young people start their flight together," he said.
We could tell that Andrew's dad was already so thankful for the blessing of his son, and of his new daughter-in-law. Congratulations to you both, Erin and Andrew. We hope you are always able to reflect back to the joy of this celebration and how it was just the beginning of new laughter and adventures in your life.
Ceremony and Reception Venue:
77 Boot Ranch Cir, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (830) 997-6200
Photographer: Christianne Taylor Videographer: Mason Jar Films Band: Matchmaker Band Music by Holly Maher & Amy Stroup licensed through The Music Bed
We were nodding our heads in agreement when Alex's father opened the rehearsal dinner with that magical description of what a wedding is like--the handshakes, the hugs, the rekindling of friendship and fraternity that reminds us why we've gathered together. The families of Alex and Tara gathered on friday night at Maggiano's to eat, share stories, and reminisce. We heard tales of Tara's world travels, and of the banquet where Tara met Alex. One groomsman even used his toast as an opportunity to confess to a prank he'd pulled on the groom over two years ago. Uproarious laughter ensued.
The story of the wedding proposal was just as surprising--Alex had hired a photographer to take some photos with Tara while they were on a trip, and he proposed to her there on the shores of the river overlooking the Chicago skyline.
We spent most of the wedding day at The Westin La Cantera. The talented team lead by Morris Goen had put together the most stunning display of flowers, crystalline candelabras coupled with purple florals and textured green moss. Each corner of the room was flanked by an enormous chandelier overhanging a lounge set of white leather sofas. The lounges were surrounded by tall glass votives with floating candles and purple orchids. As filmmakers, we can gush even more about why we like Morris Goen's design: he has a background in photography, and because of his unique understanding of photographing events, he knows how to design lighting that allows for beautiful, well lit shots all throughout the ballroom, and he also lights the cake in such a way that the bride and groom's faces aren't too dark while they're cutting the cake (this can happen if the spotlight on the cake is too harsh, leaving the bride and groom's face in shadows). Needless to say, not only was the ballroom gorgeous to the eye, but it translated on to the camera really well!
After spending the past weekend filming with Tara and Alex, we were struck by how prepared Alex and Tara were to shower their guests and their families with love. The bride and groom are cheerful and adventurous, but what really stood out to us was how openly they express their gratitude and love to those around them. From the gorgeous monogrammed necklaces that Tara hand-selected for her bridesmaids to the Cartier LOVE bracelet that Alex had bought for his bride, the weekend was full of meaningful tokens to honor their joy. Tara's dad even joked about tucking an entire tissue box into his jacket pocket to be prepared for all of his happy tears.
The wedding band shown with the Cartier bracelet that Tara would wear as a bridal accessory.
Tara, Alex, and all of San Antonio were definitely good to us. Here's a list of the vendors from the weekend:
Reception Venue: San Antonio Resort Westin La Cantera
16641 La Cantera Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78256
Ceremony Venue: Trinity Baptist Church
319 E. Mulberry | San Antonio, TX 78212 | 210-733-6201
Officiant: Dr. Leslie Hollon
Design: Morris Goen with Goen South Weddings
Photography: David Sixt
Reception Entertainment: Sauce
Wedding Videographer: Mason Jar Films
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Mason Jar is a film production studio based in Austin, Texas. Our compact team of dedicated filmmakers travels internationally to capture stories of a lifetime, including weddings, documentaries, and commercial projects for video marketing.
