Backyard Father-of-the-Bride Themed Wedding /// #TheHandsomeHowards /// Meredith + Anson, the intro

We have been excited to film this wedding ever since we met Meredith, the bride, in our offices on South Congress in Austin. On a golden afternoon, she sat on our couch with the sunlight in her hair and described to us what her wedding would be like in magical detail--dripping in magnolia garlands, filled with gratitude, and conducted in the place that she loved most--her childhood home. She told us about how special her parents and siblings are to her, and how much fun she and Anson, her groom, have while hunting--so much so, in fact, that the groom's cake was going to be a life-like chocolate-sculpted replica of Anson's hunting dog (Gunner!) going after some unsuspecting chocolate-carved quail. We couldn't wait to see the Marines' saber arch at the ceremony, the choraleers performing in front of her home at cocktail hour, or the boat-neck wedding dress which Meredith designed herself.  While at her rehearsal dinner, we learned during the speeches that her family even has their own vernacular:

fellowship:  (noun) a party, a gathering boppers:  (noun) a person of quality with whom anyone would love to spend time

Their wedding was most certainly a fellowship of boppers if ever we saw one!   Enjoy this introduction to their full film we are creating for them. This little sneak peek video we are sharing today is a highlight of Meredith's love for the movie 'Father of the Bride,' a feature of her own father's poetic story-telling, and a tribute to the future that #TheHandsomeHowards will share together.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/108540656[/vimeo]

This gorgeous groom's cake was created by Finale by Glenna based in Houston.  Featuring a pointing hunting dog, it was surrounded by chocolate sculpted tree branches with quail perched all around.  The groomsmen were in such awe of the cake that they couldn't even fathom the idea of cutting into it!  Now, you know it's gorgeous if men are hesitant to take a knife to this cake. :)

The Proposal: "Our favorite thing to do together is hunting and spending time outdoors and drinking champagne! At Anson's Ranch in Christoval, Texas (The Head of the River Ranch), we were on a turkey hunt, and Anson slipped the ring into my glove!" --Meredith

Meredith also told us that she was most looking forward to showing her friends and family how wonderful Bay City is, and having the opportunity to give back to a town that has been so wonderful to her. She couldn't wait to see Anson in his Marine Uniform for the first time, and to show off her wedding dress to her friends since she designed it. She also couldn't wait to dance with all 19 of her bridesmaids to the amazing performances of Simply Irresistible Band, a party band so great that Meredith's family brought them to Texas all the way from Atlanta, Georgia!

Event Planning:  Katy Priesler with Keely Thorne Events Event Design & Production:   Elizabeth Copeland with Swift + Company Venue: Private Estate + First United Methodist Church Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Bay City Country Club Skeet Shooting Venue: Evan's Ranch Photographer: Chris Bailey Caterer: Swift + Company Events Bakery: Susie's Cakes Groom's cake: Finale by Glenna Band: Simply Irresistible Lighting: Lite Productions & Aztec Magnolia garlands: Magnolia Company Transportation: Karr Transportation Ceremony Performance: Divisi Strings Dress: Casa De Novia Tuxes: Al's Formal Wear

Rhode Island Kay Chapel Wedding /// To the Moon and Back /// Kristel + Austin, the full film

"I love you to the moon and back"

Taken from the words of her favorite childhood book, Kristel and Austin felt that this phrase was the best theme for their wedding as a way to express to all of their friends and family the depths of their love.  Austin met Kristel while he was rooming with her twin brother in college.  While he quickly won her heart, their  love was tested through 6 years of long distance relating.  Throughout the wedding weekend, we heard their friends and family repeat a familiar theme as they spoke about Austin and Kristel-- what tied them together through that long journey of courtship was the strength of their love for each other and their love for making the lives of their friends and families better.   As Kristel's brother so poignantly said: finding love isn't like finding $20 on the ground--it takes a thousand acts of bravery and and a thousand victories over the course of time.

Now, that is worth celebrating.   Enjoy their full film below!

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/106278942[/vimeo] musical soundtrack licensed through The Music Bed or Creative Commons: "Devote" by Monako Davis "Border Blaster (Instrumental)" by Josh Woodward "Love You Strongly" by Amy Stroup "That Kid..." by Chris Zabriskie "Walk in Season" by Kelly Latimore

For this Texan filmmaker, traveling to Rhode Island in the middle of the flaming hot Texas summer was like a ticket to paradise--every blade of grass in Newport was the most vivid shade of green, bunnies roamed unafraid across the lawns of the mansions on Bellevue Avenue, and the quiet roar of the ocean  was so calming as the waves gently kissed the shore and yachts gracefully made their way in and out of the port each morning.  Newport is certainly a perfect location to gather for a celebration!

Both the rehearsal dinner and reception were held at Castle Hill Inn which faces the sunset.  On the wedding day, #teamrago (lead by Michelle Rago) were out early preparing the reception site, while Kristel and her bridesmaids prepped in an upstairs cottage overlooking both the reception lawn and the harbor.

With yellow and navy as the guiding colors, a gorgeous and very fragrant assortment of florals graced each table and surface--daisies, sunflowers, hydrangeas, and more!

Ringbearer and bridesmaid--joking around just before the ceremony.  The bridesmaids wore classic, navy tea-length a-line dresses with pearls and a beautiful variety of repurposed antique earrings.

The reception began on the lawn with fruit-infused specialty lemonade varieties and "dark and stormy" signature Newport cocktails.  Guests were able to play rounds of lawn games like corn hole and croquet, wander to a canopied cigar lounge, sit and listen to a string quartet, and watch the boats as they slid silently across the water.

Kristel and Austin,

Congratulations on this next step in your journey through life together.  You are truly beautiful people with an inspiring story, and we can't wait to see more of the wonderful things you bring to the world with the light of your love.  Here's to many thousands of victories in your future!

love, Mason Jar

Planning & Design: Michelle Rago Destinations Confections & Cake:  Marie Soliday Decor: Stone Kelly Events Music & Entertainers: Vali Entertainment Venue: Castle Hill Inn Wedding Photographer: Brian Dorsey Studios Transportation: Rockstar Limo Wedding Videographer: Mason Jar Films Hotel:  Hotel Viking

Escondido Horseshoe Bay || #JustHooked || Kailey + Travis, the full film

Driving out to Horseshoe Bay, the developments around the city of Austin begin to fade away to untouched hill country densely covered in trees and low shrubs. There, amidst the deer and the armadillos, the sleepy retreat of Horseshoe Bay emerges as the road rises to meet the lake.   It was in this beautiful hidden garden area of Texas that Kailey and Travis chose to spend their wedding weekend with family and friends.   Pulling away from distractions, focusing on the ones they loved dearly, they gathered at Escondido, which is spanish for "hidden," where they could share their hearts and their love in a joyous celebration.  Enjoy their full film:

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/105481475[/vimeo]

Soundtrack licensed through The Music Bed "Oh My My" by Act As If "Love On The Run" by Kerry Muzzey "Little Bit" by Perrin Lamb "Celeste" by Les Enfants "Just You" by Amy Stroup "Still Here" by Kerry Muzzey

Kailey wore her sister's wedding veil for the ceremony. The classic getaway car belongs to Kailey's grandfather and was outfitted with a special backplate for the occasion that read "Just Hooked!"

We owe a big thank you to many people -- to Kailey and Travis for allowing us to create this heirloom film for them, to Kailey's father for allowing us to film him while he worked on something as important as his wedding speech, to Kailey's mother for telling us where he had hidden himself to write the speech, to Cristen Meehan and the entire design team and vendors who worked with Kennedy Weddings for creating such a gorgeous setting.  Lastly, we want to thank Kailey and Travis' family and friends for opening your hearts and letting your joy overflow--these are the moments and images that will stand as testimony to the beauty of Kailey and Travis' love --not just through our film, but through your love and support toward them as they journey through the rest of their days together.  We wish you all much joy and many great games of golf.

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Escondido Golf & Lake Club Event Design, & Consulting: Kennedy Weddings, Cristen Meehan Venue, Catering & Beverage: Kelly Aldridge Wedding Photographer:  Don Dickson Photography Lighting: Ilios, Wade Ratliff Reception Band: Ice House Lounge/Decor & Florist: Events In Bloom, Rob Smith Bakery: Simon Lee Bakery

Musical track licensed through The Music Bed

Horseshoe Bay Resort Wedding //// Best. Wedding. Ever. ...Ever. ...Ever. //// Astrid + Darren, the full film

Astrid & Darren have had a beautiful, whirl-wind kind of romance, and in planning their wedding, Astrid told us that she wanted her wedding video to capture all the joy of both of their families and how much fun their community can be.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/111578896[/vimeo]

Musical Tracks Licensed through The Music Bed "Always Been You (Cinematic Version)" by Marie Hines "Oh Clara" by Riley & The Roxies

At the ceremony, we could tell the love Astrid had described was truly present in both families--from the way her sisters doted on her to the moments that Darren's mother wrapped her own great-grandfather's pocket watch around the clasp of the bridal bouquet (a family tradition).  In fact, we were told that Astrid would be the 9th bride to carry that watch down the aisle.   What a lovely way to incorporate a "something old" into your wedding!

Astrid also told us to look for all the fun that would be going on with her nephews and nieces at the reception.  By the time La Hora Loca had begun, the dance floor was packed with guests rocking out to the Spazmatics and having fun in the open-area photo booth.

Clink Events designed a beautiful setting for Astrid and Darren.  The ceremony was filled with only white-based bouquets filled with dusty miller and many textures of white flowers, including white larkspur, dahlias, lilies, orchids, and white majolica roses.

In contrast, the cocktail hour added pops of deep lilac, purples and smoky grey to the color palette.  As guests chatted under khaki umbrellas, they found relief from the Texas summer heat with beautiful wooden hand-held fans and cool beverages.  In addition to the bar, guests were treated to lemonade and tea in apothecary style jars, and water bottles rested in ice baths in galvanized buckets.

Astrid & Darren chose a very unique way to commemorate the concept of a guestbook at their wedding.  They selected their favorite wines to open on  each milestone anniversary, and asked guests to sign their names to the bottles so that as they celebrated their marriage in the future, they could reflect back on all of the people who have loved and supported them throughout their lives.

At the reception, Ice chiavari chairs surrounded each guest table, while the head banquet table was a lucite table with a mirror top, mirror and silver finished chargers, ghost lucite chairs, and beautiful floating candles in glass vases.

In lieu of a cake, Astrid & Darren chose to have a dessert buffet loaded high with single-serving delicacies.

How could you pick just one?  :)

We are so happy to have joined Astrid and Darren for this day of celebration and love--with a crowd of friends and family who can dance into the wee hours of the night, we're sure it's always  a good time wherever their smiles are present!  Many thanks also go out to Jessica and Katie at Clink Events who kept the day going so smoothly.

Ceremony Venue: St. Paul the Apostle Chapel Wedding Coordinator:  CLINK Events Reception Venue: Horsehoe Bay Resort - Yacht Club Ballroom Catering: Horseshoe Bay Resort Bakery: Barbara Garza Rentals/Linens:  Premiere Lighting: Ilios Lighting Hair/Makeup:  Rosa Riviera Ceremony Music:  Barton Strings Cocktail Music: Mark Cruz Reception Music:  Spazmatics Reception DJ:  DJ Kit Ketterman Officiant:  Marcelo Aravena Florist: Prive Photographer: Cory Ryan Photography Videographer: Mason Jar Films Transportation: Transportation Consultants Photo Booth:  Le Photo Booth

Barton Creek Resort Wedding /// That's a cake!?!?! /// Kathryn + Hunter, the preview

It's not very often that we start telling you about a couple by describing their cake, but when it comes to Kathryn and Hunter, who are both Aggies, huge fans of cake, and totally committed to wowing each other with surprises, well, then, the cake is almost as perfect a symbol of their relationship as the wedding rings! We've seen Aggie cakes before.  We've seen Field Cakes before.  ....but we've never seen a cake like this one.  It was so amazingly large and ornate that when Hunter, the groom, first saw it after the wedding ceremony, he exclaimed incredulously, "that's a cake!?!?!" This groom's cake was a perfect model of the new Kyle Field that is currently under construction, and it was so large that it filled up almost a whole wing of the Barton Creek Resort Ballroom, and the rest of the room was filled with wonder, awe, and of course, lots of laughter.  All of the Texas A&M fans in attendance beamed with pride when they saw it!

Enjoy Kathryn & Hunter's preview to their full wedding film:

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/104021088[/vimeo] "I love you, I do" by Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors; Licensed through The Music Bed

Barton Creek Resort, where the wedding was held, sits perfectly nestled on the edge of the capital city of Austin and the rolling hill country that lies to the west of this Texas metropolis. The suites have a lovely view of one of the greenest areas in Texas, and that's where Kathryn got ready with her bridesmaids and family on the wedding day.

The Proposal:

"On a Tuesday in December I decided I wanted to get my very own Christmas tree to have in my apartment where I lived alone. I expressed my interest to Hunter and he was a bit overly excited about this idea.  So, later that night we got a Christmas tree and I decorated it with gold and silver stars.  After placing what I thought was the final ornament, Hunter handed me a little stocking and said there was one more for me to hang. I glanced down at the stocking to see a brown box. Hunter took the box out of the stocking got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!" --Kathryn

Wedding Coordinator: Samantha Rosenberg Ceremony & Reception Venue: Barton Creek Country Club Band: Matchmaker Band Cake: Bride's Table Ceremony Musicians: Monte Vista Strings Favors: Tiff's Treats Florist: Westbank Flower Market Hair: Jen Hoover; Adore Salon Iron Cross Rental: Mancino Iron Rentals Makeup: Denise Vasquez Officiant: Mac Richard Photo Booth: Live Oak Photo Booth Rentals: Monarch Event Rentals Lighting/Stage/Drapery: Strong Events Transportation: Transportation Consultants Wedding Photographer: Jennifer Lindberg Wedding Videographer: Mason Jar Films