July 30, 2013

The South Warehouse | Nascar + Casablanca - Callie + Reid, Part 3 of 3: the full film

July 30, 2013/ Kourtney Amelia

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Peyton Manning. Alligators. The Michelin Man. An accountant with an alter-ego as a wrestler. A Mid-drift wearing Pink Power Ranger. A skit set to the Sound of Music. Southern Gentlemen in White Tie dress code. The Gossip Girl “100 button” Vera Wang wedding dress. Jackie Kennedy’s wallpaper. A Bacon buffet filled with bacon delicacies. A party band with a stamp of approval from Donald Trump.

Why aren’t you watching this film yet?

You’ve just watched the full film from Callie & Reid’s entire wedding documentary. Their documentary includes coverage of both their exquisite rehearsal dinner banquet and their wedding extravaganza the next day. If you haven’t read our first post about this lovely couple, you should definitely get acquainted with them here, and watch the highlight film we created for them here.

The weekend began with an elegant banquet designed by Wendy Putt of Fresh cut Catering and Floral with silver candelabras, succulents as table placecards, and soft dusty roses set in gold vases. The chargers were crystal and lined with gold rims. It was certainly a treat for the eyes, but even more goodness was to come as we sat down to listen to the toasts delivered by Callie and Reid's witty and loving families. We knew we were in for a treat as soon as we walked in the door of the rehearsal dinner. With the decadent display of flowers, curly willow, and string lights hanging from the ceiling over the main banquet table and the goofy pictures of the bridal party hanging on the wall, we knew we were going to be experiencing a weekend festivity hosted by a family with both a bold style and personality. The dashing groom and gorgeous bride lead their merry party in some zany poses with moustaches and red lips.

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Callie's bridesmaids planned a really funny shoe game where the bridesmaids asked questions like "who will be the one to take out the trash?" Callie and Reid had to answer by holding up the shoe that best fit either the bride or groom.

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Although plenty of stories were told claiming that Callie was a tomboy growing up, her grandfather exclaimed "you can tell she's a girl now!" as he boasted about her beauty. We can't get enough of this family, their humor, and this couple's passion to honor their family and friends. We are so excited to be sharing this film, but we are sad to be closing the project down on our computers, because every minute of this edit is just so rich with love.

Callie and Reid, we truly wish you the best in life. Many people would be blessed to experience the love that you have and the family that you two share. We hope to hear some more of your funny stories in person again someday soon.

-kourtney amelia

Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church Jackson Reception: Country Club of Jackson Rehearsal Dinner: The South Event Design: Wendy Putt of Fresh Cut Catering and Floral Event Coordinator: Crisler Boone Event Styling: Shanna Lumpkin Events Photographer Bryan Johnson Reception Band: Party On The Moon

July 25, 2013

Bullock Texas State History Museum | "Proposal Delivered by Dog" - Kathleen + Joe, the full film

July 25, 2013/ Kourtney Amelia

"that video is exactly what I would have expected from your wedding. It is a perfect match between fun stories and faithful love."

--from a friend of Kathleen

Fun stories and faithful love, indeed. Those two things perfectly describe Kathleen and Joe, and it makes us happy that the film we made for them reflects just that. When Jones called me before the wedding to tell me about what Kathleen and Joe were like, I became really excited to film this project. "Joe had one of the dogs that he trains deliver the proposal poem to Kathleen on a weekend their families were in town" he told me. I immediately knew that 1. Joe is going to be a creative and sentimental groom, and that 2. he must be an amazingly excellent trainer, because my dog is still a mystery to me, and could never be trusted with such an important task!

To celebrate the canine's role in bringing the two into this happy union, the groom's cake was created by Coco Paloma Desserts to fit the occasion.

The day began for us at Riverbend Church here in Austin. When we arrived, Kathleen's mom (in a stunning dress that looked like something out of The Great Gatsby) pulled me aside and gave me the scoop for the day: be sure to watch those flower girls and ring bearers--one of them is sure to run down the aisle and jump into the Grooms' arms during the ceremony. It had happened during the ceremony rehearsal the previous day, and she said that all the adults were hoping it would happen again, because it was just that adorable. And, just as she said, they did! If you think you can handle the cuteness, you can see it in the video at 2:04.

Austin architecture is famous for stunning rock exteriors, and although Riverbend is a huge church, they also have a gorgeous natural stone cathedral called Smith Chapel, and this is where the wedding ceremony took place. Smith Chapel has rustic red oak beams and clean cream-walled interior that emphasizes the intricate stained-glass windows.

The on-site coordinator at Riverbend's Smith Chapel mentioned to me that lots of Baylor alumni love to get married there because it resembles Truett Seminary's Chapel on Baylor Campus. (see for yourself)

The subtle, vintage, and sweet florals were provided by Rosehip Flora, an Austin based floral company. Their designs are absolutely luscious, unconventional, and filled to the brim with personality.

Kathleen is an Ole Miss graduate (Jones would expect me to insert a Hotty toddy! in here), and she's an Austin native. I love that she and Joey also chose the Bullock State Museum for their reception, which was pretty amazing. With its stunning ceiling and descending spiral staircase, the rotunda is a perfect spot for cocktails, and the opening foyer makes for a great dining hall and dance floor, complete with local maps carved into the marble floor.

The wedding cake by Coco Paloma Desserts was topped with peonies and novel greenery, including ivy. Its "white on white" theme of lace, damask, scrollwork and dotted swiss was both charming and elegant.

I snagged this video shot of Kathleen's bridal ring set atop some of the mossy table decor, which also included some towering fig tree branches. Pretty cool! The Argyles played lots of classic Sinatra and Latin music that kept guests dancing late into the night.

Some of my favorite moments from this event include the toasts by Kathleen's maid of honor (Chandler) and Joey's best man (his younger brother). They gave such hilarious speeches, the room was filled with lots of riotous laughter and happy tears. I also loved how Kathleen's entire family rounded up to do a dance they created when Kathleen was a child. Kathleen's smile lit up the room as she led every guest in dancing along to "Friends in Low Places," a popular country song.

Kathleen was a cheerleader at Ole Miss, and so their family and friends cheered traditional Ole Miss chants for their departure--and as you can see, it was the kind of rowdy fun that everyone finds agreeable. :)

Congrats to Kathleen and Joe--may your lives continue to be filled with "fun stories and faithful love."

-kourtney amelia

p.s. I also want to mention that this was our first time getting to work alongside Shannon Cunningham, who is an extremely talented, creative, and kind photographer. We always do our best to stay out of a photographer's way so that we don't ruin a shot by being in the background, and she was just as thoughtful towards us. We love teamwork!

Wedding Ceremony Venue:

Smith Chapel at Riverbend Church

4214 Capital of Texas Hwy N. | Austin, TX 78746

Wedding Reception Venue:

Bullock State History Museum

1800 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701

Event Planner & Design: Aimee Villa from

Lizze Belle Events

and Robyn Chovanetz from

Buttoned Up Events

Photographer:

Shannon Cunningham Photography

Cakes:

Coco Paloma Desserts

Florals:

Rosehip Flora

Catering:

The RK Group

Reception Entertainment:

The Argyles

Videographers: Mason Jar Films

July 23, 2013

First Presbyterian Church Jackson | "Nascar + Casablanca" - Callie + Reid, Part 2 of 3: the highlight

July 23, 2013/ Kourtney Amelia

You’ve just watched the highlights from Callie & Reid’s entire wedding documentary. Their documentary includes coverage of both their exquisite rehearsal dinner banquet and their wedding extravaganza the next day. If you haven’t read our first post about this lovely couple, you should definitely get acquainted with them here.

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Calle's sister (her maid of honor) is a distinguished vocal performer, and she sang with the orchestra during the wedding ceremony.

I love how Callie and Reid filled their wedding day with so many items that were steeped in the history of their own families.

For example, Callie and Reid met in the exact same place that her mother met her father on the Ole Miss campus, on the steps of his fraternity house. Callie and Reid also happen to share the same birthday. Callie's gift to her groom for their wedding day was a set of sapphire and gold studs and cufflinks--blue and gold for the colors of the fraternity, and the sapphire is special because it is their shared birthstone. Reid's gift to his bride was a set of sapphire and diamond earrings, for her birthstone, and the diamonds came from the same ring which had once belonged to Reid's grandmother, which Callie now wears as a part of her wedding band set.

Pretty sweet, right?

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Reid's brother, the best man, holds the gift that Callie would open minutes later.

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The lovely florals at the church were designed by Wendy Putt of Fresh Cut Catering and Floral.

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If you're wanting to see the full film we created for Reid and Callie, head back to our blog on Tuesday, July 30. But you better make sure you have some tissues handy!

-kourtney amelia

Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church Jackson

1390 N State St Jackson, MS 39202

Reception: Country Club of Jackson

345 St. Andrews Drive Jackson, MS 39211

Rehearsal Dinner: The South

627 East Silas Brown Jackson MS 39201

Event Design: Wendy Putt of Fresh Cut Catering and Floral

Event Coordinator: Crisler Boone

Event Styling: Shanna Lumpkin Events

Photographer Bryan Johnson from A Bryan Photo

Reception Band: Party On The Moon

July 19, 2013

Westin La Cantera | "Handshakes and Hugs" - Tara + Alex, the intro

July 19, 2013/ Kourtney Amelia

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.

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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.

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The wedding band shown with the Cartier bracelet that Tara would wear as a bridal accessory.

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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

p.s. join us on facebook! We'd love to hear from you.

July 18, 2013

Houston Fairytale Wedding /// Bring on the Magic /// Sunday + Bruce, the Memory Tin

July 18, 2013/ Kourtney Amelia

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Fantastical is really the best word that can describe this fairytale Houston wedding. When Bruce let his bride, Sunday, plan the entire wedding as a surprise for him, little did he know she would include all of his favorite things in one wildly themed, wonderful event. Set in the museum home of the Texas Flying Legends, the entire airplane hangar was completely transformed into a fairytale forest--complete with walls that twinkled with starlight, castles, and pink trees. As guests arrived, they were treated to century-old tunes merrily playing from a victrola, and the entire ceiling featured floating flowers. Batman, Legolas, Gandalf, Catwoman, Trekkies, and many others danced, posed for pictures, and interacted with the children in attendance. The bride herself wore an authentic crown hand-crafted by a Scottish designer. Why all this magic at a wedding, you might ask? Well, Bruce was a self-proclaimed "committed bachelor" when he met Sunday---as he sat across from her in a business meeting, her sparkle, wit and kindness won his heart at first sight, and the rest is history. He is known to have said that she always brings the magic to his life, so she did her best to do just that for their wedding. Enjoy their film!