Backyard Wedding /// The Best That You Can Find /// Morgan + Ben, the full film

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 "For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul." -Judy Garland

Morgan is calm, kind, and warm-hearted.   She told us that Ben, the groom, is smart and focused. We have to agree after hearing their engagement story!  Morgan was apparently under the impression that Ben was going to wait a few months to propose--her sister (the maid-of-honor-to-be ) was about to leave for a four month trip around the world, after all.  Morgan had planned a party to celebrate Ben's 30th birthday, his best man's MBA graduation and her sister's MBA graduation, which all happened to be on the same night.  You see this coming, don't you? Friends in town, Family in town, unsuspecting bride.  You bet Ben is smart!  He surprised her at a private dinner beforehand, proposed, and then they went out to celebrate with all of their friends and family!  Morgan told us "it was a perfect night."

Enjoy their full wedding film!

This loving bunch rejoined together to celebrate Morgan and Ben in Texarkana at the historic victorian family home belonging to Morgan's grandfather.

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Our favorite moment:

We can tell you this much about this wedding film:  We won't forget the tender tears of joy that Morgan shed as she triumphantly held up her hand with her wedding ring after being pronounced husband and wife.

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The Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal dinner took place at The Silvermoon Great Hall on Broad.  The authentic mexican buffet was  accented with table decor of extremely vivid roses in orange, yellow, mango, and the toasts were just as vivid.   Ben's brother joked that although the lessons he's learned  from his brother growing up came in the form of a choke-hold, Ben had taught him what it meant to be a good man, and, he was looking forward to Ben and Morgan teaching him what it meant to be a good family in the future. (see minute 5:50 in the video).  The toasts went long into the night, joyful, loving, hilarious, and full of honor and respect.

We really enjoy being able to add these kinds of moments into a wedding film, because these are the stories of a bride and groom's life--both before and after they met and fell in love, and a wedding is a symbolic representation of all of the work that it took to get to that day.  Being able to interweave the stories told by friends and loved ones into a film adds a strong emotional and story-telling element to a wedding video, almost like a time capsule.

The Wedding Day

When we arrived for the day, morgan's dress was hanging in the front bedroom, waiting for her, and the activity outside was cheerful.

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The beading detail on Morgan's lace wedding dress had ivory magnolias, perfect for a southern bride. Morgan's entrance to her wedding was epic--she came sweeping around the white picket fence into view of friends and family with her father.  The sun was gently glittering through the trees.

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Morgan also made some stylistic choices with her wedding that we thought were so artistic:  Watercolor signs.  The rehearsal dinner table decor was a more saturated version of the wedding day colors. The wedding dinner plates were a collection of different china patterns.  And at a backyard wedding, all of the other table  service was (so elegant) silver.  A ruffled white wedding cake with natural, real flowers on top.

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screen grab of Morgan's dress from Morgan and Ben's wedding video

Morgan and Ben, many thanks for sharing your special day with us and for allowing us to film your rehearsal dinner for your wedding video. It was a pleasure and an honor to meet the fine folk in your family.

Photography: La Dolce Vita Rehearsal Dinner Location: Silvermoon Great Hall on Broad Street Floral: Scooter Raney Reception Entertainment: All Funk Radio Show Rentals: Ducky Bob's Event Branding: Gatsby Event Branding

If you enjoyed the music in this film, you should check out the following:

Adrina Thorpe - 'Give You My Love' Chris McLeod - 'Julian' Freak Owls - 'Little Things' and 'Deciduous Tooth' Ten Summersets - 'Gold'

Super 8 Film: A Vintage Wedding Movie | "You Add to His Life" - Mara + James, part 1 of 2

Filmed by Chris P. Jones
Edited by Kourtney Amelia Schopper

Your wedding day is both something you look forward to, enjoy the experience, and remember with great fondness.  Personally, I recommend that you try to approach all three phases surrounding your wedding with the same level of care and consideration that you give to the actual wedding day experience.  That being said, the ways you plan to help yourself remember the day are truly important.  Whether that is through tokens and gifts that you exchange on a wedding day or your wedding film and photography, it is important for you to be true to yourself and select things that reflect you as a couple. 

If you're looking for a unique idea for your wedding video, maybe you should consider having it documented on actual FILM. There are several choices that filmmakers like us can offer to you--from 8mm, super 8, to 16mm, the images will take your breath away.  My goodness! No matter how long we have been filming on Super 8 film, I am always amazed at the beauty of the images we get back from the developers.   This video is beautiful! (I can get away with bragging about the footage because I didn't film it, Jones did.)   We love the look of film--we always have.   It gives both a rustic and timeless quality to a wedding film--a vintage style that can't be replaced.   Film handles light differently and more organically than the way that digital cameras do, and because of that, the quality of the moving images is always breathtaking and surprising.

If you're not familiar with super8,  the process is simple, but different than digital filmmaking: with digital, we have all the footage that instant--which is what allows us to do fun things like same-day-edit films on site at a wedding.  But film takes time.  After we come and film with you on your day, the film has to be processed at a developer (just like the old days!), who then digitizes it at the highest quality so that we can put together a video that has the true look and feel of film, but doesn't require you to own a projector. Win-win. 

Another bonus that you'll have over your parents 1960s film is that we can record audio during your day and sync it up--so you still get to hear your vows, toasts, and other moments that matter to you.  Win-win-win.  So, if what you like is the vintage look and the feel of film,  this is for you!

The couple left in a sparkler exit.  Make sure to watch this moment in the video---sparklers produce a really cool effect on film.

Some couples are best reflected in an energetic, fast-paced HD video, and others in a reflective, personal film on super8 film, and still more enjoy a mixture of both. We do our best as filmmakers to honor your personality and your community in the artistic style that we edit your film, but the format and style in which we actually film your wedding are up to you in many respects--you only need to share your vision with us.

-kourtney amelia

Escondido Golf & Lake Club | All You Need Is Love And A Dog - Sidni & Jay

Reception fireworks at Escondido from Austin Wedding Video

We here at Mason Jar Films love when dads take advantage of the wedding day to put on a display of love for their daughters.  Speeches. Toasts, encouraging words, dances. We especially love when a father of the bride plans a huge surprise for their daughter, like FIREWORKS.  At their swanky outdoor reception, Sidni's dad gave a really sweet toast, and afterward, he surprised Sidni with a firework show.  As you can see from her facial reaction, she was genuinely surprised, and even shed a few happy tears. It was really beautiful.

What a day--from cowboy boots& cufflinks to fireworks. Sidni's bridesmaids heroically made sure everything was in order in the dressing room, and as soon as Sidni arrived, everything was in its place.    She gleefully opened a wedding day present from her groom, Jay--monogrammed cowboy boots!  I'm not sure if that is a tradition all over the country, but here in the south, many brides and grooms send a surprise gift to their spouse-to-be by way of a member of the wedding party.  Sometimes they include a letter, or something that can be worn that day, i.e. jewelry, cufflinks, shoes, earrings, a necklace. 

 Sidni's hairstylist and makeup artist worked quickly, and minutes before the ceremony, Sidni was serenely standing in front of her bridesmaids in the most beautifully detailed lace wedding dress.  All that was left was to happily hug her dad and to begin their walk down the aisle. 

This is a still shot from the wedding after Sidni & Jay were pronounced "man and wife."

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I was really touched by how thoughtful the groom's cake was that Sidni had prepared for Jay as a surprise.  On top of the cake, Sidni had a custom cake topper made to look like each of their three dogs, and the cake was surrounding by a display of quail feathers and river reeds.  The couple loves to hunt and fly fish together, so it was a great dessert idea.

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Sidni and Jay, thanks so much for having us to your wedding.  We loved being a witness to your devotion to each other and to your creativity during the reception.

-kourtney amelia

Photography: Cory Ryan Photography

Venue: Escondido Golf And Lake Club

Floral: Freytag's Florist

Reception Entertainment: Pardi Gras

Private Ranch | "Montesito Ranch: The Virginia Invasion" - Liz & Mark, the full film

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Liz & Mark

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     Liz & Mark have the kind of love that seems like something from a fairy tale or a movie--but it is even more encouraging because it exists in real life!  It is probably every girl's dream to hear a man promise her father that he will do his best to take care of her, and Mark did exactly that. 

     At their rehearsal dinner, Mark, the groom, took the stage at the end of the night andgave the most heartfelt speech to thank his parents, to make vows to his community of friends and family that he would love Liz forever, and to especially thank his in-laws for their blessing.   "I'm going to be making vows to Liz tomorrow, but tonight I'm making a vow to you all," he told them.   

     Because we had filmed Liz's sisters wedding just 6 months earlier--we had already known to expect speeches that would inspire both laughter and tears from Liz's dad (the father of the bride) and from Liz' brother (an extremely skilled wordsmith), but we were floored by Mark's honesty and vulnerability toward his family, friends, and to Liz.   Liz is a gorgeous bride (as you can see!), and her parent's homestead, Montesito Ranch, is breathtaking to look at in a wildflower-filled spring, but to work with such a kind and loving family was truly an honor.  We were thankful to be given the task of creating an artistic wedding film for this couple.

You can watch their full film here (be prepared to laugh and cry!)

On top of all of the romance at this wedding, there were some hilarious moments (& amazing decor details): 

The BBQ rehearsal dinner (a texas wedding tradition) was held at a historic auction house in New Ulm, Texas, complete with pies for dessert.  This was where family members told wild and crazy stories of Liz and Mark's hilarious antics from growing up and from college.   Liz' Dad had us rolling with his Steve Martin-themed Father-of-the-Bride toast. 

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RECEPTION

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While the guests enjoyed cocktail hour under a linen-wrapped white tent, the wedding party took pictures in the field where horses stood grazing nearby.

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The bride and groom danced their first dance during what filmmakers refer to as "golden hour"  (sunset).   This can create lovely golden colors in the images on your video and in your photos!  If you decided to do this at your wedding, make sure to check the exact times that golden hour happens, because right after the sun dips below the horizon, even though it is still light, the colors of light turn an ashy blue.  If that kind of hazy grey light is exactly what you'd like for your dance, have at it!  Just make sure that you understand what your light will look like at different times of day, and you'll be able to set your schedule to fit the kind of imagery you want.  (Your wedding coordinator will know just what to do!)

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 DANCIN' Y'ALL

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Again, if you haven't watched the dance sequence in Liz & Mark's wedding video,

you're 100% missing out on amazing dancers and old school hip hop.  Get to it!

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CONGRATULATIONS, LIZ & MARK

You can watch more of our films on vimeo or catch up with us on facebook.   We'd love to hear from you!

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Bell Tower on 34th | Sarah + John Forever & Ever

Sarah & John's wedding day started off very calm--while the girls got dressed, the guys played soccer in a courtyard outside before making their way to the hotel bar.  Sarah's bridesmaids were very helpful in taking care of everything Sarah needed as we headed out from the hotel to the Bell Tower on 34th.  The venue is pretty cool--with ballrooms, atriums, and rustic inspired spanish architecture. The warm colored walls and columns are inviting and regal, the perfect setting for a classy event.

Sarah and John very sweetly visited each table during their reception, and their friends stayed til the wee hours dancing their hearts out, as you can see in the preview.

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Sarah and John's name card

Sarah's wedding dress - Vera Wang Houston Video

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A Tiffany engagement ring nestles in with the set of wedding bands.

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Wedding Cake

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Poker Game

The groom & his groomsmen played poker to wait out the final minutes before the ceremony.

First Dance

  Sarah & John kiss in an open courtyard just before the evening's end.  Behind them was a beautiful waterfall that spanned the entire exterior wall of the courtyard.

Sarah and John's Final Image

Sarah & John, your day was sweet and spunky, and we wish you many more years of fun to come!  Thanks for having us to Houston to help capture your memories.