WILD WEEKEND #2!

Ah... it's so nice to be sitting down and blogging! This past weekend was Wild Weekend #2 with three weddings to tend to! As best I can I will try to recap them below and then get to posting the prequels that are due from the weddings 2 weeks ago! Stay tuned to the blog for more great announcements coming soon!

Ledford/Woodruff

We started our Friday with Tyffany and Jeff of T&J Studios meeting Courtney at Central Christian Church in East Wichita to prepare for her big day. I don't think anything bothered Courtney at all that day, she had all the planning behind her and was ready to be married! She was surrounded by many friends, 8 bridesmaids to be exact! She chose a gorgeous champagne dress that flowed gently over her shoulders, covered in lace and sequin embellishments with a lace-up back and beautiful train. The bridesmaids wore all black, and the dresses were all different styles to match their personalities. Her flowers were some of the most unique I've seen in a while, arranged by her grandmother, full of deep oranges, burgandy's and even pheasant feathers adding a gorgeous accent!

While Courtney touched up make up, her groom to be (Justin) was with his groomsmen getting ready in a separate part of the church so they could not run into one another. Courtney wanted to see her groom for the first time when coming down the aisle! Prior to the wedding, when we were having a photo session in a prayer room with Courtney, we heard the groomsmen horsing around on the opposite side of a door- playing football! I had seen Tyff and Jeff's photos before where the bride and groom do not wish to see each other before but stood on opposite sides of a door and only held hands. I had my opportunity...

I had never captured this on video before (and wanted to!) and made the suggestion to Jeff, if the bride and groom were up to it, to try it. They were game! It was truly a touching moment and each shed a few tears, excited to see one another in a few short minutes. They shared a prayer before they parted and we all finished last minute preparations for the ceremony.

The wedding was certainly full of praise, worship and music, as Courtney is a music teacher! The theme was "Come and see what God has done" and it really was a touching ceremony. After their vows, they shared a private prayer with family and then took communion together before being announced and husband and wife.

A trolley then shuttled the wedding party, Jeff and I to the reception at The Ville at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Andover. All the traditions then followed, cutting of cake, first dances and then the party! Dinner was great, italian catered by one of Courtney's favortie restaurants- Sweet Basil! As they left the evening as husband and wife, the guests were all given jingle bells of silver, gold and red and as the couple rushed by, they were wished well by an almost deafening ringing of bells!

Thank you Courtney and Justin, we have really enjoyed you guys since we met you at last years bridal fair! We are so happy you came to us and trusted your wedding day to us! We are excited to edit the entire video in documentary style- it was really a great day and planned perfectly! Good luck and best wishes in your life together!

Duling/Mohr

After Fridays wedding, dumping audio files at the studio till 3 am, we were still feeling pretty spry and headed off to St. Peter's in Schulte for Katie and Eric's wedding! We were able to work with Brett Schauf of T&J Studios this time, so that was fun. The groomsmen arrived dressed and ready to go for pictures and I followed Katie and her many bridesmaids as they prepared. Can we say "gorgeous dress"? Katie chose a beautiful white gown with multiple lace cut outs running throughout her cathedral length train. It was incredibly elegant. The designer name escapes me! She was also surprised with a beautiful white cape to wear in the snow. The ladies wore strapless gowns of a deep red and the flowers were also a perfect match from Moore's Flowers. The bride carried her rosary with her that was intertwined into her bouquet. She also chose not to see her groom prior to the ceremony and took as many photos as they could prior to the wedding.

When the doors of the church opened to reveal Katie and her father preparing to walk down the aisle, she wore a huge smile excited to see Eric! Several priests concelebrated the wedding, several of whom are family friends of the Dulings, which made for an even more personal ceremony. A full mass followed and the couple was finally introduced as husband and wife and after finishing pictures, they made their way across the parking lot through the snow in a horse drawn carriage. Just beautiful.

The reception hall at the church was beautifully decorated with red and white toulle and red spotlights. The cake, complete with icecicles was the centerpiece along with an ice sculpture of a snowflake and the couples monogram inside. The groom's cake was one of the most interesting and creative I've seen yet. A gray beer bucket but full of real beer bottles! Guests were treated to a chocolate fountain before dinner catered by Syl's. The party was DJ'ed by Scott Ward from AMM and it was a great time!
The couple put a spin on the traditional first dance and after a romantic beginning, broke out dancing to "Do ya think I'm sexy?" by Rod Stewart. The party then started after the parents dances and the bouquet and garter tosses. Again, the St. Peter's crowd knows how to party! We saw several familiar faces and that was nice to see previous brides (and future brides and grooms, too!).

Katie and Eric, we had a great time at your wedding and were honored to share your special day, all the best to you, you deserve it!
Click below to see Katie and Eric's Prequel!

Ukens/Balthazor

Now that our feet were killing us and we'd been running on very little sleep it was time to get up early for wedding #3- Matt and Aspen. We were very much looking forward to this wedding though with now Tyff, Jeff AND Brett from T&J Studios! We first met Matt and Aspen on a Love Story shoot for another couple and we had no idea they were friends. Matt, being a police officer, had arranged to propose to Aspen near his parents home in an unusual way (see the Love Story link below) and we met the couple for the love story at Matt's parents home after the proposal party in July. Oh how we wish we could have filmed the proposal! But, Matt and Aspen visited with our friends soon after and they referred them to us for their wedding and then they, too booked a Love Story that you can see here below.

Aspen's day started at the Courtyard Marriott in Old Town getting her hair and make up done by the hair dresser who has styled her mother's hair for nearly 20 years. All the bridesmaids met her in their matching pink robes given to them by Aspen. Aspen had her nails painted and was quite proud of the paint job on her toenails, a nail on one foot sporting a "KU" emblem and on the other an "OU" for their loyalty to her and Matt's favorite college teams!

While Tyff, Jeff and I documented the brides preparations, Barry and Brett were at The Alley in east Wichita with the groomsmen meeting for lunch and driving go-carts in their tuxes! So Matt got his fast driving fix in. Afterwards we met up at the Grand Chapel where Aspen got dressed and touched up make up and prepared with the ladies. Her dress was a gorgeous strapless, lace up back and souffle skirt in a cream to champagne color, complimenting her beautiful skin tone perfectly. Her veil and tiara were stunning.

They chose not to see each other prior to the ceremony as well. Wichita Police Officers acted as Ushers. When the wedding began, the bride was escorted by her father to see Matt, and by Scottish tradition, a bagpiper preceded her. Some family also sported the traditional kilt and Scottish attire. The wedding, of course, was great and prior to leaving behind the bagpiper again, Matt had a little surprise for Aspen. Just as the couple was announced as husband and wife, one of Matt's friends on the Police Department ran on stage and promptly handcuffed them together to the laughter of the crowd!

After photos, the couple was announced into the reception, after the guests viewed their Love Story, by the bagpiper. After dinner, toasts, and cutting of cake, the couple had their first dance and the traditional parents dances. When the night came to a close, the remaining guests formed a tunnel out of the chapel with sparklers as the couple ran through to a waiting antique car. It was really a fun day.

Thank you Matt and Aspen for letting us share this awesome day with you, even though we were a bit tired we had an absolute blast! We can't wait to see pictures from the honeymoon, so please call and share! Keep in touch- as you said, we must go hang out with you and all our mutual friends! Click below to see their wedding day prequel!