Tucker/Kramer Wedding

One word describes our day with Gary and Jazmine yesterday- Wow! It was a great day. We met Gary and Jazmine this past summer while they planned their wedding party and reception. The two were already married and wanted to have a big celebration for all their friends and family. We were honored to be a part of it.

I met Jazmine at Don Michael Bannon Salon downtown where she and the ladies were given fabulous hair styles and make up for the day. Don gave them updos with a similar styling to look fabulous for the photos and video. Everyone was stunning. After a fun and relaxed morning, the ladies met back up with me at the Wichita Marriott to get dressed for the day. Jazmine chose a gorgeous blue for her color. She wore a classic white strapless gown with my favorite souffle skirt and a dark navy blue ribbon wrapping around her waist. The bridesmaids wore matching navy blue strapless gowns. The flowers were a wintery light blue and complimented the dresses quite beautifully. Jazmine isn't the biggest flower fan and saved her budget for other things of "something blue"! (Read further).

As the two were already married and the wedding being an evening event, they chose to see each other before the ceremony. Her photographer, Tim Davis, set up a great place in the hotel lobby for them to meet and share a special moment together then knock out the traditional photos prior to the ceremony. But this photo session was quite fun and not-so traditional!

In the meantime, Jubilations Events were putting the finishing touches on the ceremony and reception rooms, turning them into a white and blue winter wonderland. Scott Ward from AMM DJ Service added the last blast of color with 20 different sets of LED uplighting filling both rooms! The lighting itself really was a centerpiece. Absolutely stunning. Stunning + Gorgeous= Wow.

6 pm fast approached and Jazmine made her way down the aisle with her father to meet Gary. They reaffirmed their vows, shared a unity sand ceremony and a comical early kiss as husband and wife! The ceremony was short and to the point as the couple wanted to spend their time with friends and enjoy time at the reception.

Tim, the Jubilatoins staff, Scott, and Fat Cat all had a chance to take pictures of the reception hall prior to the guests entering during the cocktail hour (a rarity for us) and everyone was just in awe. The bride and groom got a first sneak peak as well. Then the guests entered and you could read their lips "Oh wow!"

The room was completely transformed with white draperies and table linens, white chair covers with light blue sashes, white table tops trees with irridescent crystals and votive candles hanging in them, drapereies framing the dance floor with uplighting and several other white and blue decor touches. The bridal party entered and the bride and groom got right to it and cut the cake, started the buffet line and moved right into their first dances.

The night was a fantasy come to life, we cannot wait to show you the pictures from Tim and the prequel in a few weeks.

Thank you Jazmine and Gary, we had a great time spending the day with you. It was a great day, and it is obvious you are loved by many! Good luck to you on your new life in California and enjoy the Vegas vacation!

New Prequel Online!

The Peaster Prequel is finally online! You can check it out at the following link or scroll down to the blog entry. Enjoy!

Hathaway Wedding

Back on December 5th we spent the day with Emily and Luke. It was a little bit different as the couple were already married just prior to Luke leaving for a deployment in the US Army. But they still wanted to have a big celebration with their family and friends and that is exactly what happened on the 5th! I started the day in Newton with Emily at the Hair Company Salon on Main Street. The bride had a very special stylist- her mother-in-law! She did a wonderful job and hooked Emily up with tons of curls and made sure there wasn't a single hair out of place! A few of the bridesmaids also had their hair done at the salon. They were quite impressive not allowing Emily to worry about a thing. They made sure all last minute phone calls to vendors were made for her, all decorations were in place at the reception site, made sure she stayed on schedule, ate, and also made her get a good nights sleep the night before! Then off to the church for make up and getting into their dresses. The wedding was held at First Presbyterian Church in Newton and I followed the ladies as usual as Barry hung out with the wild and crazy groomsmen in the basement. We shared the day with Brian from JDB Photography and had a really good time. Brian got as many photos as he could prior to the ceremony as Emily wanted to save the surprise of her in her dress for Luke as she came down the aisle!

Her dress was a stunning Maggie Soterro. It was a champagne color with layers of lace and angled ruffles. Topped off with a brown short fur coat it was incredibly unique and fit Emily like a glove.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and it was great that the couple reaffirmed their vows, but never taking off their wedding rings. One of the bridesmaids, Megan Small, sang a beautiful rendition of the Lord's Prayer. You can't beat an Opera singer at your wedding!

The couple then took photos after the wedding while we gathered equipment and headed to the Ville in Andover for the reception. The bridal party made their grand entrance down the staircase and everyone wasted little time getting dinner. Emily and Luke chose not to have alcohol at the reception but instead use those funds to cater in Marble Slab Creamery for desert complete with 5 different flavors of ice cream and 20 delicious toppings! Luke was first in line to get it moving!

Toasts followed and the couples first dance, then a surprise from Emily and her father during their first dance. They started out visiting quietly during a slow ballad and one wave to the DJ started the show in motion! It was a fabulous take off of some couples first dances breaking out into different styles of dancing but between the bride and her dad! It was so awesome. No words can describe it. The crowd was roaring. The party followed with everyone having a really great time. We for one, had a great time spending the day with Luke and Emily!

Luke and Emily, thank you so much for having us and thank you for dinner and ice cream! We appreciate that! We felt more like friends or family at your wedding than a working vendor- just the way we like it! :) You two are a gorgeous beautiful couple inside and out. We enjoyed capturing every minute for you! Click below to see the Hathaway's prequel!

New Prequel Online!

After a much anticipated long wait, the Friess/Ruth wedding day prequel is now online! You can view it by clicking here connecting you to the blog entry for the day! We do hope you enjoy it- be sure to leave us your comments! More prequels on the way, we have a few more to catch up on! Until next time.... SG

McCurry & Krol

Today we spent the day with Cori and Noah. Cori and her mother were referred to us by other brides the past few years and it was now Cori's turn to tie the knot! I started the day with Cori at Eric Fisher Salon in west Wichita to have her hair and make up done with her mother and bridesmaids. After some confusion with her original stylist, the folks at EFS jumped right in to help fill in missed gaps and Cori took it all in stride. "I'm not worried at all" she reassured the ladies. And she wasn't. It was a relaxed morning filled with chatting, catching up, giggling and mimosa's. Many of the ladies were even tag teamed with the time schedule with one stylist working on their hair as a friend of Cori's applied all the make up by Mary Kay. It looked like they were all high fashion models ready to hit the runway!

We met back up at the church parish hall to finish getting the ladies dressed, as well as the bride. The groomsmen arrived ready and headed straight to their picture session while the ladies finished. Cori wore a beautiful strapless white gown by Maggie Soterro. What else do you say about a Maggie Soterro? Just gorgeous. The ladies wasted no time getting into their dresses either and everyone was off and ready to finish pictures and get to the ceremony.

The ceremony was held at St. Joseph's in Andale, Kansas. It went by in a flash. Cori marched in with the biggest smile on her face with her father and I don't think it left her face until she left with a different man on her arm! :) Mr. and Mrs. Krol left the church under a barrage of flower petals thrown by guests outside leading to the awaiting trolley. The photographers took them to a few spots in town for a few photos and we met back up with them at the reception at the Airport Hilton in west Wichita where they threw quite the party!

The couple was announced as husband and wife into the room and started the traditions with the cutting of cake, an awesome dinner buffett and toasts from the maid of honor and best man. The newlyweds took time to visit with their guests and treated them to a "candy bar" and digital photo booth to capture some spontaneous fun moments! It was a complete hit- I don't think the booth was empty all night long! The couple shared their first dance together and honored their parents with their special dances and then cut the dance floor loose to family and guests. It was a fun but relaxing time for the bride and groom!

Thanks to Cori and Noah for having us at your wedding, it was great to see familiar faces as well! What a small world! We hope you thoroughly enjoyed your time on your honeymoon and we can't wait to hear about what a wonderful time you had! We enjoyed ourselves at the wedding and feel very honored you chose Fat Cat! Congratulations!!!

Hunter- Pippin Wedding

Yesterday we had a great wedding with Matt and Gabby! Matt contacted us earlier in the year to film the wedding after learning from his Dad that we do wedding videos. His Dad, Bob, had worked with us many years at EMS prior to retiring. Matt followed in his dad's footsteps and is a wildland firefighter from New Mexico. Gabby is originally from England and wanted a video of the wedding to be able to share the day with friends and family that were not able to attend "across the pond". The wedding was held in Andover, Kansas, so the couple had friends and family from all over attending.

I started the day with Gabby and the girls at Planet Hair downtown with photographer-extraordinaire Tim Davis. One thing that stuck out in my mind was that one of the bridesmaids was from Hawaii- she had beautiful dark hair with a few small swatches of hot pink in the back. While she got her hair done, she left the hot pink showing amidst the curls and hoped it was OK with the bride whose colors were black, white, midnight and pale aqua blue. With Gabby's relaxed demeanor, of course it was alright, she said it was a "splash of fun!". I have now coined a new phrase, stealing it from Gabby! All the ladies hair had some splash of fun to it, flowers, braids, etc. All were just stunning. Gabby stayed to have her make up done at the salon and we met back up at the church to document everyone finishing getting ready and heading down the aisle.

The wedding was at the United Methodist Church in Andover, Kansas. The ladies had classic black dresses with a "splash" of white. The guys were of course in black tuxes with their own splash of white- Converse Chucks shoes! Too fun. Everyone remained relaxed and comfortable. Tim got as many photos as possible before the wedding of the men and women separately, even a classic...perfect... "Charlie's Angels" impromptu pose that left everyone in tears laughing.

Soon guests were arriving and everyone was taking their place in the sanctuary. Gabby had a huge smile on her face as she came down the aisle with her father. Matt returned it likewise. The ceremony was really great. The pastor poking a little fun at the couple but still giving a great personal and meaningful sermon on love. The ceremony was short and sweet and the couple left through a tunnel of guests showered with rose petals. Matt's dad is the Asst. Fire Chief in Andover and arranged for an awesome getaway vehicle- the couple was whisked away red lights and sirens on Engine 1 from the Andover Fire Department! So cool. After a ride around the block, the couple returned for group shots at the church where more fun and hilarious times ensued. The firemen were gracious enough to stay and take the couple to the reception afterwards at The Ville.

The bridal party was announced into the reception hall down the grand staircase and cut the cake to start the festivities. They wasted no time enjoying dinner from B&C Creations BBQ in Wichita! Spending time with friends and family was important. They shared a photomontage on the big screen, the bridal party toasted the couple and shared their first dance and dances with parents to open the dance floor to guests. It was really a great time with "splashes of fun" throughout the entire day.

To Matt and Gabby, thank you SO much for letting us spend the day with you, we appreciate that very much and its so great to work with families as relaxed and is fun as yours, it makes the day so much more fun and like we aren't even working! (Ya, ask my feet that last night!) Have a fabulous time in Hawaii and bring home tons of photos- good luck in New Mexico, stay safe and we wish you a life filled with waves, not splashes, of fun!

Winter / Hanson 11-7-09

Cecilia and Sam heard about us from relatives whom we filmed a year ago, Lauren and Brad. They also met up with us at last years bridal fair and booked our newest package, the "Wedding Story". It is becoming more popular in our package selections with more personal editing after the fact including narration from the bride and groom about the day. We actually only met Cecilia in person a few days prior to the wedding as she lives out of town. We had a great time talking about the details of the day and what we all had in common. We hit it off right away and were excited for the weekend to arrive! I started at the salon in west Wichita, Mary Kate and Company, where all the bridesmaids had their hair done in up-dos and Cecilia stayed to have her make up done. Everyone had a great time. Everyone was relaxed and most importantly, the bride. Her hair was pulled all up in curls with an orange flower accent to the side and a blusher veil. When everyone was finished, we met up at the church, St. Joseph's in Andale. The bride wrote a letter to her groom before the ceremony and checked out the beautifully decorated hall adorned with fall colors again and a special favorite touch of mine, goldfish in bowls.

The couple chose not to see one another ahead of time. The bridesmaids were great coming down the aisle all in navy blue and different styled dresses that fit each ones figure and personality both. Of course, Cecilia was stunning a strapless Maggie Soterro lace overlay and short elegant train as her father escorted her into the church.

They celebrated a full mass with Fr. Eck officiating. This was especially important as Fr. Eck had baptized Cecilia as an infant in that very church. Her cousin Lauren sang during the ceremony, sounding like an absolute angel! After the mass, photographers Josh and Jenny from Kansas City let me ride along as we took the bridal party down an old country road for some fun photographs. We couldn't have ordered a more gorgeous day in November! After pictures, we headed back to the church's reception hall where the couple was announced by AMM, cut the massive cake, and enjoyed another great dinner by Corporate Caterers. The first dance, parents dances followed and soon everyone let their hair down and partied into the evening. It was a fabulous time. Thank you Cecilia and Sam for letting us tag along for the big day! We so enjoyed hanging out with you all day! Please keep in touch and we hope we can be friends for a long time to come in the future! God bless!

McKinney / Peaster 10-24-09

We met Trish and Daniel at one of the area bridal fairs while they were deciding on a videographer. We were graciously referred to them by AMM. They had quite the day planned for their wedding! Jason was my assistant shooter that day with our crazy recent schedules! We started the day at the church, University Congregational in northeast Wichita, for a simple yet elegant fall ceremony. Trish arrived ready, as well as the men, and had the church adorned in beautiful fall decor. Colored pumpkins and gourds, fall colored leaves and flower arrangements really added to the charm of the church. The ceremony was quick as the couple was ready to share their time with the guests at the reception.

As soon as the couple were announced as husband and wife, they formed a receiving line at the back of the church prior to entering the limo for the ride to Tallgrass Country Club. This is what Trish and Daniel wanted to spend the most of their attention focused on for the day. The country club was beautifully adorned in fall motif. The entrance was draped in golds, rust and orange towers of fall leaves, and stacked pumpkins greeted you. The couple was announced into the room and enjoyed a wonderful dinner, toasts from members of the bridal party, and joined in their first dance together prior to the party. Everyone enjoyed themselves alot and Trish and Daniel thoroughly enjoyed their time spent with friends and family. Thanks to Trish and Daniel for letting us follow you on your day! We had a good time and wish you the very best as husband and wife!

Scobee-Cotter 10-16-09

We first met Camille when she was the Maid of Honor for another bride several years ago. when it was her turn to walk down the aisle she found us again online and at the bridal fair. We were more than happy to see even ore familiar faces again and help Camille during her big day! Camille and Ryan started their day at St. Anthony's church in downtown Wichita. The bridesmaids gathered in the newly remodeled bride's room to don their dresses and accessories. Beautiful plum. Their hair and make up were already done when they arrived and everyone was excited to get the day rolling. The men got ready at the church as well i the sacristy. The bride and groom chose to have a few moments together in private before the ceremony and then to take as many photos as they could ahead of time in order to enjoy the party afterwards. Gina and Lindsey from Gingeroot Photography did a great job of setting up the first meeting and we had lots of fun working with them all afternoon and evening! I then tagged along with the photographers as the entire bridal party were great troopers and headed downtown for some fun urban shots! We all arrived on time for the ceremony. And like clockwork, it was gorgeous. As soon as Camille and Ryan were introduced as Mr and Mrs., they exited the church to the cheers of their guests and whisked away in an antique limousine, a surprise courtesy of Camille's mom! Then it was on to one of the most interesting reception sites we have been to- The Museum of World Treasures. We took some time for a few more photographs before the couple had their grand entrance. Where else can you pose with a giant dinosaur in the background!?

When Camille and Ryan entered, the guests were treated to a violin duo for music, toasts, dinner by Corporate Caterers, and cutting of cake. The couple shared their first dance, tossed the bouquet and garter and then in lieu of a dance, chose to spend their time mingling with each and every guest to thank them for coming.

To Camille and Ryan, it was so nice to see you again and get to know you even better- please stay in touch! We had a wonderful time with you and thank you for letting us share the day with you- we feel as part of the family! Good luck to both of you!

Friess and Ruth 10-10-09

Desiree and Ryan found us via the bridal fair and online last year. Desiree had her heart set on an October outdoor wedding at Fort Hays State University. While we spoke on the phone, and again via email many times to go over the details as the date approached quickly, it was a good thing Desiree came up with a back up plan in case of weather. Barry and I headed to Hays the night before as the temperature started to drop quickly with a light mist on the road and the Kansas wind picking up steam. It was decided earlier that afternoon to move the wedding indoors to the Memorial Union. Even though the weather started to change the plans made months in advance, Desiree and Ryan did not let it dampen their spirits.

I started the day with the bride at a local salon (Salon 8) along with the bridesmaids and other family members documenting the events of the morning and preparations. As always, everyone looked great and we then made our way into the cold to meet the bridal party at the FHSU campus.

There, the men and the ladies got dressed and attended to the remaining details of the day. Desiree had a gorgeous classic white strapless gown that fit her to a T and the ladies looked stunning in red.

As guests entered the ceremony site, they signed the guest book and were asked to pour a bit of sand into a large vase at the door symbolizing the unity of friends and family. The couple then finished filling this during the ceremony in place of a unity candle.

The ceremony was personal with family and friends reading poems and singing songs as well as the parents being presented with flowers before the couple exited the ceremony as the new Mr. and Mrs. Ruth!

Guests were given balloons as they left for the reception site and formed a line outside, braving the cold for the couple :). As Ryan and Desiree left to get in the limo (as the horses were cancelled due to weather), the balloons floated away into the sky with cheers from the crowd! Then of course no one wasted anytime getting to the party!
The reception was held at the Schenk Building at Ellis County Fairgrounds. The couple had a great time greeting each of their guests, cutting cake and enjoying a catered meal. The couple shared their first dance and then in great Western Kansas Catholic Tradition, the Grand Wedding March started the festivities and I do not believe there was a single soul left in their seat! Needless to say, everyone had a great time that evening and we were happy to be a part of it! Desiree and Ryan, thank you so much for letting us share in your day with you, we were so very honored to have met and gotten to know you! Check out their prequel below!

Patton/Blair 9-27-09

Hillerie found us on the web while she made wedding plans for a Wichita wedding while living in Las Vegas, Nevada. We corresponded via the phone and email about all the details and what type of coverage she wanted for the day. She settled on the new "Wedding Story" complete with voice overs of the couple's thoughts about the day. I had a friend, Deanna take my place that day with some unforgiving scheduling. The day started at the Hotel Old Town for John and his groomsmen, relaxing and having lots of laughs. The ladies met up at the Courtyard Marriott to get ready. Hillerie chose a traditional white gown with ruffled sleeves and sweeping train. The highlight, my favorite, was the peacock feathers in her head piece that matched the reception decor! Very unique! I must admit Hillerie was almost out-done by the two flower girls being pulled in a wagon for the processional. Although Hillerie was a little late getting going, it didn't rattle her and the ceremony went off without a hitch with a room full of family and friends in attendance at the All-American Indian Center.

During the processional the groom's sister prepared a special interpretive dance prior to the bride's entrance. The groom had also prepared a personal song to the bride but was so stunned with how great she looked and how excited he was, that he could not finish it all....A close family friend acted as officiant and without delay vows were exchanged, the couple was announced as husband and wife and the party was officially started! Dinner was served and the couple shared their first dance as husband and wife shortly after. The guests were eager to get the party started and they kept the music up loud until it was time to leave the building!

Thanks to Hillerie and John for asking us to be there with them on their special day! We appreciate that very much! I do hope I can meet you soon! Steph
The Blair's prequel is posted below. Please enjoy.

New Prequel online now!

After much anticipation, the Crandall Prequel is now online, you can find it by scrolling below to the Sharshal/Crandall Wedding post or you can find it by clicking here . Please enjoy and let us know what you think. Stay tuned- still comig tonight is the Patton/Blair prequel!

In Memory of our Fallen Firefighters...

Several weeks ago I was asked if we could film the 8th Annual Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial on South Braodway at the Kansas Fire Museum. It came as a two-part request; Fire Photographer Craig Hacker and the Sedgwick County Fire Chief, whom Barry and I both know through our many years of EMS work. I was available for the shoot and asked our friend Deanna to help out yet again, which she happily agreed to and did a great job! The Memorial consists of a gorgeous slate wall engraved with the names of those killed in the line of duty across the state throughout the years amidst a park like setting. The statue "Final Call" overlooks the reflection area and fountains dance in the background during warmer summer months. It's a very fitting memorial situated immediately next to the Kansas Firefighters Museum. The ceremony started with a processional of bagpipers and honor guard from across the state, guest speakers, the placing of a memorial wreath at the wall, and the reading of the names of the fallen firefighters with the ringing of bells. As each name was read, an empty antique fire bucket was filled one by one with a red rose honoring the firefighter. Family was later encouraged to take a rose in rememberance of their loved one. The video below is the Highlight of the memorial service.

Catching up to do!!!!!!!!

As you can see the blog has pretty much been MIA the last few weeks and I do apologize to everyone for that! To bring you up to speed, our life has been filled with ups and downs recently and we've had to juggle multiple things.

As most folks know Barry is now attending nursing school full-time, and still working full time at EMS (now has 25 years on! YAY BARRY!) and amazingly finds time to help me turn discs in the business. Our awesome friends Jason and Deanna have helped us on more shoots than we can count during times Barry has had clinical work and we thank them SO much! Also, in thanks for them shooting for us, we try to shoot for them if they need help as well.

As for me, I've been finishing the last pre-reqs for nursing school which starts for me in January, I've gone back to work full time at the hospital and between homework, life, shooting weddings, and other events (school programs, montages, EMS videos, Speaker Jared Estes, and the firefighters memorial), have found it difficult to keep up with some of the edit queue lately! We have also had to find time to take care of our immeditate family members and other usual "life" happenings.

So, drumroll please....

Slated to be posted to the blog this week are the write ups for the missing weddings from October through this month! Wow, has it really been that long! Time really flies.

Later this morning, the memorial video for the Fallen Firefighters and tomorrow two prequels for the Sharshel/Crandall and Patton/Blair weddings. Sometime in the next two weeks we hope to build in the remaining prequels amidst the ususal edit queue for those waiting on updates to their delivered videos or those that are still patiently waiting in line for the finished product! We are told it's worth the wait, so we humbly thank you in advance! Bear with us a bit more.

Love and Peace to all as we enter the new Holiday season as Thanksgiving and Christmas SO quickly approach us! More to come- (Wow, do I have to work in Christmas shopping and housework into my to-do list now, ugh)....Ba Humbug.

White Love Story

A couple months ago we had the pleasure of meeting Katie and Scott. They were interested in shooting a Love Story after seeing a friends at one of our recent weddings. We first filmed Scotts interview at his church and then set a date and off to Tulsa we went to film Katie's interview and also some b roll to fill in the story. What a great time! Scott and Katie were married over the Holiday weekend and we'd like to share their story with you. Scott and Katie, thanks for letting us share your story! Congratulations to you and many best wishes for years to come!

Pete & Erin Crandall

Last weekend we were able to spend the day with Pete and Erin for their wedding here in Wichita. I started the day with Erin at Elements Salon with her bridesmaids, mother and mother in law. Everyones hair was pulled up and in curls and looked wonderful including bright orange fresh flowers in some of the hair arrangements. Erin was going for a sophisticated garden look and the stylists at Elements really nailed it. Erin's dog even joined in the festivities! After hair and make up, the ladies took a break for lunch and I met back up with them at Botanica where the ceremony was to be held. The bridesmaids all wore beautiful navy blue dresses, each a different style chosen by her friends and family. It was a gorgeous contrast with the bright orange floral arrangements and bronze accent colors of the day. Perfect for a fall wedding. Meanwhile the guys prepared at the Hyatt downtown, donning navy blue tuxes prior to heading off to Botanica for photographs. The photographer was the brides uncle, Jack Hartin, a professional photographer from California (hartinphoto.com) We had a great time working together and as soon as Jack has time, we will try to share some of his photos here from the day!

After photographs, the bridal party headed down the aisle in the meadow near the main fountain outside. Nearly sunset gave us some beautiful shots of light rays streaming through the trees! Erin's father and step father walked her down the aisle to Pete and they had a perfect ceremony.

They included family and friends and everything went off without a hitch. Prior to being announced as husband and wife, the guests passed small baskets down each row full of orange and white rose petals. When Pete and Erin were officially announced as husband and wife and exited the meadow, they were showered with the petals by their guests!

Cocktail hour followed for the guests inside the reception hall while the wedding party took sunset photographs. Ron Brown from Another Dimension DJ announced the couple into their reception and they were able to have dinner, catered by Corporate Caterers, cut the beautiful multi-tiered cake made by the bride's aunt and shared in their first dance together. Pete shared a dance with his mother while Erin shared a dance with both her father and step father prior to the start of the party! After a night of dancing and mingling with guests, the newlyweds were wisked away by Jack in a Hummer to start their new life together and have spent the past week enjoying the gorgeous weather in Aruba!

Congratulations to you, Pete and Erin, it was a pleasure to work with you and capture your day! We hope you had just as fabulous of a time in Aruba! We wish you the best in your new life as husband and wife! There will be many happy years to come!

The prequel is posted below, please enjoy!

SUMMER SPECIAL ALMOST OVER!

If you are considering a wedding video and haven't jumped yet for different reasons, one being monetary, it always helps when you can find deals and specials! So a friendly reminder about our Summer Bridal Fair special that runs through the end of August for our wedding movie packages. Book now through August 31st and get the bridal show discount. If you wait to book until next month, during the month of September, the special decreases slightly. So grab a demo and contact us for our package pricing, we'd be happy to talk with you. Aside from the wedding movie specials, we do also offer wedding documentaries starting around $500-$1000. Give us a shout, it doesn't cost anything to ask! :) Steph

If you need more coaxing to get a video....

I recently sent a copy of a wedding we did in Kansas City last year to the DJ of the event, Ron Ruth of http://www.ronruthweddings.com/. After I posted the note from our bride and groom, Jace and Melissa, recently I thought I would post a note from a vendor once I received this kind note back from Ron. I am sharing it with his permission.

"I finally watched the Hackler video and I love your style. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. The party collage was awesome. The guests best wishes over dance video was very clever and keeps those from becoming boring. I was particulary impressed with the way you captured the parent dances. Made me cry."

So, if you are still on the fence about getting a wedding video, jump off the side with greener pastures, and not just the one with visual appeal, but audio appeal as well. Video is the best medium to capture all the moments of your day. A florist told me recently "you don't even get to see your own wedding day". It's SO true. How many of the brides are hidden away from the groom and guests before the moment the doors to the church are swung open? There is so much you miss. Then it's a big blur after that. More testimonials to come; in the meantime check out the videos in our online gallery and in this blog (Sort to the right). Hope to see you all down the aisle! SG

A story of "It's so expensive, I don't need a wedding video"

I received a note a couple days ago from a previous bride and groom from 2 years ago. It made me smile and blush at the same time. I asked the couple if I could share it on the blog and they graciously agreed. It is as follows:

"Hi Stephanie and Barry! Yesterday was mine and Melissa's 2nd wedding anniversary! Time flies, right? All is well with us. We're expecting a baby any day now. A boy, Dylan. In fact, Melissa was due last week so more like any minute now!Anyway, we watched our wedding video last night in celebration of our anniversary and we just wanted to let you two know how much we enjoyed watching and re-living that day. You both worked so hard on that video and it shows. It is so well done. We feel very fortunate to have had you guys shoot our wedding. That day is so beautifully preserved forever. Ourselves and our families will enjoy watching it for years to come!Just wanted to say thanks and that we hope all is well with you guys! Jace and Melissa Wilbert

After writing them to ask permission to post this note, they responded with the following:

"You can definitely use my words in your blog. And feel free to use us as references if need be. The video turned out to be by far one of the most important details of the wedding. Seriously, there were big things, seemingly major things that we would have done without rather than go without having the video. Tell people that no one remembers what they ate or what the bridesmaids' hair looked like, spring for the movie!"

I couldn't have said any words any better to convince brides and grooms how important wedding videography is. If I am able to get a file ready for the blog of the Wilberts wedding movie, I will post here for your enjoyment! Thank you Melissa and Jace for sharing your thoughts on the video with me and Barry- but also future and current brides. Good luck to you both- keep in touch and if we are able to do a baby announcement for you, we will post it proudly on the blog as well!

BRIDAL SHOW!

Hi all, the Bridal Show was lots of fun this past weekend! Thanks to all who came out to say hi and pick up the demo!! It was fun seeing past and future brides! Don't forget if you are checking out the website and the videos on this blog (sorted by category to your right), the Bridal Show special is in full swing! Call or email for more details!!! Thanks everyone! It was fun! SG

John Deere Green

Congratulations to the Estes family in Greensburg for achieving LEED Platinum status for the building of their new John Deere dealership! We have done both wedding and corporate work for the family and were excited to share in their excitement! You can check them out at http://www.btiequip.com/ ! More to come about our recent work with John Deere in the coming weeks! Be sure to check back! SG

BRIDAL FAIR 2009!

Don't forget the next Bridal and Prom Expo is coming up quick! July 25th and 26th we will see you at Century II! Come one day or both and browse a great assortment of wedding and prom/party vendors -and of course stop by to see yours truly! :)

We'll have our newest demo on hand, pick one up and SEE THE DIFFERENCE!

Talk to past brides about how they liked their Fat Cat Experience!

Check out the Bridal Fair special as well! Dates for 2010 are starting to fill in, so don't delay!

Check out new trends including destination weddings- don't forget to take along your videographer and photographer! Check if your date is available for 2010!

We would love to meet you, stop by for your chance at some wonderful prizes at the show including a free Lasik surgery!! Talk about getting some great video on the wedding day without the glasses or those pesky contacts! Come on down to the show for more info. See you there!

Nikki and Andrew!

Congratulations to Nikki and Andrew! We spent last weekend documenting their wedding day for them! It was a very relaxed time and we met some new photographers, Becca and Jewel of Wirken Photography at http://www.wirkenphoto.com/ . The couple booked our new Documentary package, unfortunately no prequel to post this time. Thank you Nikki and Andrew! It was a pleasure meeting you both! SG

White-Brocato Prequel Now Online!

After a long wait- the White-Brocato prequel is now online! Scroll down to find it! We do hope you enjoy Bridget and Ryan's Day, be sure to leave your comments! You also might be wondering where all the pictures on the blog went? We have requested photos of recent weddings from the photographers but they have become pretty overwhelmed with the season and not been able to follow up :( Boo. Hang in there, we'll get to them when we can! Stay tuned for more antics! SG

More gore and carnage!

Ok, ok, so the gore and carnage wasn't real- but it looked like it! Was it REALLY that time again? Yes, it was. We just completed a long, hot, muggy, sunburnt, bug bitten, muscle-aching, and dehydrated two day long shoot this week in Yoder, Kansas for Hutchinson Community College's Paramedic Training Program- Field Operations 2009! This is now the third year we have helped with capturing the event! It is always terribly hot and tiring, but super rewarding. Not your average wedding-fare! This year we gathered additional footage and b-roll to be edited into next year's documentary edition. We are very excited for next year when the number of students grow exponentially and the scenarios get increasingly wild and realisitc! I was grateful again to my friends at Life Team Aeromedical Transport for the wonderful ride along again!!! Thanks guys! Thank you to Deanna for being on stand-by on Tuesday. Maybe next year- it's gunna be a wild ride! Footage is now being captured for edit in several weeks-lots on our plate right this very moment! If we are able to post video, we will- hang in there. But that's what we've been up to lately after a brief vacation to Grand Lake in Oklahoma and now back to school as well for the summer session. It really never ends around here! More to come- stay tuned! SG

New Prequel Online!

The Mercader Prequel is now online! Scroll down to the Mercader Wedding Post to view it! Be sure to leave your comments! Stay tuned for the White-Brocato prequel soon! SG

Kind Words-

As we gear up for our two newest prequels to be posted shortly, I ran across an older email while cleaning out my Inbox today. I'd like to share it with you. Chelsey Shackelford, married this past March, writes:
OH MY GOSH I LOVE THE PREQUEL! I have cried every time I watch it, because of how beautiful it is! I absolutely can't wait to see the whole video. All of my friends at work are so impressed. Two of my girlfriends even cried a little bit - You guys are just amazing! I am so impressed with everything. I am so thankful to have found you as my videographers! It's just so cool to watch the clip because I didn't get to see any of it! I know I'm rambling, but words can not describe how excited I am about this! You and Barry are the absolute BEST IN THE WORLD! Thank you SO much for everything again! I can't express my gratitude for how special you made my day! Chelsey and Ryan

I must admit I was blushing! It was such a wonderful day, we couldn't get anything but great footage! I'm always very humbled to hear these comments from our brides, but also very excited to share that excitement with others. If you are on the fence about getting a wedding video, jump off! What Chelsey said really hit the nail on the head- you miss so much, it's a wonderful keepsake of the day. Don't forget the summer special this month!
Thank you Chelsey for letting me share your note! Thanks for your patience in getting to see the rest of the video! We'll make it great!

White-Brocato

We first heard from the bride, Bridget, after the January Bridal Fair and viewing our demo. She lives in Kansas City and first contacted us via phone and email asking about what we had to offer for her day. She was going to be getting married in her hometown of Salina. We talked quite a bit and finalized everything by phone, or online or in the mail. We had hoped to meet her a few weeks prior to the wedding, as we really enjoy meeting our brides and grooms prior to the day; it just helps everyone be more relaxed on the wedding day. Well, Bridget and I could never get our schedules to synch up and we officially got to meet the moment she strolled through the door at the salon on the wedding day! No worries though, Bridget is the type of person who you just feel like you've known for a long time. She was so realxed on her day even though the excitement was building. She and her bridesmaids met at Hair Affair in Salina for hair and make up. Bridget had chosen to put her hair all up in curls and in the back placed a unique hair clip adorned with gold and jewels that was simply gorgeous. She found it at a KC bridal shop. She waited until it was time for photos to put on her veil.

The groom had started getting ready at the Ramada with his groomsmen, both his brothers, prior to seeing his bride for the first time. Barry grabbed a few shots there prior to the big moment!

The bride snuck into her suite at the hotel as well to get dressed herself, adorning a gorgeous gown she also found in KC. Light weight material blew in the breeze and covered with a layer of champagne colored lace and a very elegant sweeping train. A strand of pearls from her new in-laws-to-be completed her look!

The photogaphers, Gary and Amanda McCool (also from Wichita), set up the first meeting near a fountain in the commons area of the hotel. One of the couples nephews, a candlelighter covered Ryan's eyes until it was time to see his bride for the first time. From my vantage point, Bridget sure had a huge grin across her face! They exchanged cards for one another and posed for a few photos before grabbing a quick bite to eat and off to the park for more photos.

Then the bridal party headed to the church, Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Salina. It was a very uniquely designed church. Concrete walls were engraved with the stations of the cross and huge stained glass windown towered to the ceilings. The ceremony started at about 2:30 pm and the newlyweds took part in the full Catholic Mass sharing communion together. After they were announced as husband and wife, they were congratulated by their guests who were outside lining the steps blowing bubbles as they headed to the limo to take them to the reception. Artisitc limousine came from Wichita to help the newlyweds celebrate in style!

The reception was back at the Ramada hotel so it was convenient for guests who had come from Kansas City and other parts of the country. Bridget had the entire hall decorated beautifully in brown, black, white and pink. DJ Rick Raynes introduced them to the room where they had a receiving line to personally say thank you to all the guests!

After dinner, the couple cut the cake, had their first toast and guests dove into dessert- wedding cake and the biggest assortment of cookies I had ever seen in my life. It spanned two 8-foot banquet tables and a large round banquet table. As I snuck a few to indulge in, I asked one of the guests if they knew anything about the cookies, were they homemeade or storebought? I was surprised to hear that a few people in the family made every last one. She stated it took about 35 pounds of flour to get the feat accomplished! All varieties except for two I believe were all Italian in tradition, from the groom's side of the family! They even had pink take home bags for you to fill up with goodies and enjoy for later!

Once everyone got plenty to eat for dinner and dessert, the couple shared their first dance and the party had begun! The DJ had plenty of fun planned for the evening and kept everyone on the dance floor and entertained, even a great dance contest!

The newlyweds are excited to head to SanFrancisco for their honeymoon this week and we wish them well in their future lives together.

Bridget and Ryan, thank you again for your hospitality throughout the day, we appreciate it very much- you had a wonderful day and we enjoyed ourselves! You are a wonderful couple with great families, please keep in touch! Good luck to you- have a blast in California!

Stay tuned for the wedding day prequel in the coming weeks! SG

Mercader Wedding

This past weekend, we were able to spend the day with Trinh and Jun Mercader. We were pretty excited as we got to learn more about other cultures. Trinh is Vietnamese and Jun is Phillipino. What a great couple! We knew we liked them and the day would be a lot of fun when we first met. It was a bit surprising when they were ready to sign the contract when Trinh mentioned, "I should probably tell you we are already married"! The day was an official celebration of their past 5 years together! They were making it official with a big celebration with both their families.

On Saturday I was able to film Trinh's Tea Ceremony at her parents home. This was a great learning experience for me. Trinh was great making me feel comfortable and making me aware of what was to happen next as everything was in Vietnamese.

On Sunday, we started the day at Wichita Country Club for preparations with the bride, groom, and bridal party. Trinh chose a beautiful strapless dress made of the lightest material that blew beautifully in the wind for photos, lightly adorned with beads on the bodice. Spring colors in the bouquets were gorgeous with the bridesmaids spring green strapless dresses. Hair and make up artists help make all the ladies look stunning! Not that they needed much help!!!

Trinh chose to see Jun prior to the ceremony to get as many photos out of the way as possible. We had a fabulous day working with some new friends, Ryan and Paul of Versluis Photography out of Kansas City. We set up the first meeting outside under a large shade tree near the golf course. It was great to see ear to ear smiles from the couple! Photos followed and then it was time to set up for the ceremony that started shortly after 3 o'clock. An area judge acted as the officiant. He gave some words of advice for many more additional years of marriage and congratulations for the previous five as they renewed their vows in front of approximately 100 family and friends who traveled from far away as California, Hawaii and the Phillipines.

We were able to steal away the couple with the photographers for a few minutes on the way to the reception to get photos at Bradley Fair.

The reception was held at the Olive Tree Banquet Hall. It was very nicely decorated with bright spring greens and white and festive balloons. A cocktail hour allowed the couple to visit with each of their guests as they arrived prior to starting the festivities. Dinner was a fabulous family style 5 course meal consisting of a variety of great food, steak, salmon, chicken and more. Dessert of course was the fabulous wedding cake and lime sherbet. The maid of honor and best man toasted the bride and groom early on and later during the meal the bridal party accompanied the couple to each table thanking them for attending and in tradition, guests toasted the couple and presented them with gifts and cards.

Later the spotlight was again on the couple during their first dance before they cut loose to dance party music provided by the DJ. It took a bit to get the dance floor warmed up, but the guests had a great time once they were out!

Thank you to Trinh and Jun for letting us share in your special day. Congratulations on five wonderful years together, we wish you many, many more! Enjoy your trip later this year, what an incredible experience! Take tons of pictures! Check back in the coming weeks for the Mercader Wedding Day prequel!

This weddings vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Venues: Wichita Country Club and Olive Tree Bistro

Photography: Paul Versluis Photography, Kansas City

Catering: Olive Tree Bistro

Cake: Eleanor Belen

Floral: The Flower Factory

DJ: DJ Miko

RIFFEL-BEECH PREQUEL NOW ONLINE!

After a long anticipated wait, the Beech prequel is finally online! Please scroll down to the "Lifes A Beech!" entry to find it! A perfect song chosen by the bride we think you'll enjoy it. We think it really shows this couple fun loving relaxed personalities! Be sure to leave your comments and let us know what you think! Enjoy! SG

SIZZLING SUMMER DEAL!

Let's face it, the economy isn't what it used to be today as it was last year. More and more brides and grooms are being forced to cut wanted and needed items out of their budgets when planning a wedding. Fat Cat strongly believes that preserving your memories on video, no matter how much you spend on the wedding, or not, shouldn't be one of the items to be ousted immediately from the budget. It's still an immensely important day that should be well preserved for the future. That said Fat Cat knows brides need a wedding video and we'd like to help.

So if you or someone you know is looking to book Fat Cat as their wedding videographer, please contact us for our new special running now through the end of June! Take a gander at our samples in the gallery and pick up the phone and give us a call. We'd be happy to help!
SG

Pauly Prequel Online Now!

The Prequel of Kristy and Nolan is now online, scroll down to "Kristy & Nolan" wedding entry to view it. Kristy gave us a sampling of songs she liked and to our surprise, I found a new artist that's soon to be one of my favorites! Take a listen, we think you'll like the flowing springtime romantic sound! Congrats to Kristy and Nolan, be sure to leave your comments! SG

John Deere "Green"

Many years ago one of our first weddings was for a great couple Paige and Jared Estes. They always held a special place with us as they were the "first" to book the new guy in town at the time for their wedding day. We delivered the video (in now record time by todays busy standards) and they loved it. We were completely shocked and saddened to say the least when we heard Paige was killed in a drunk driving accident about 6 months after the wedding. We then got to know the family a little bit more from some private things we had done for them during this horrific time. Then last year we ran into Mr. Estes, Jareds father at Greensburg when we filmed the graduation with President Bush as the featured guest. They were celebrating the one year turning point after the tornado. Mike expressed to us he would like to have us film some things for the family pertaining to the rebuilding 'green' of his dealership that was destroyed in the tornado, BTI Greensburg John Deere. We were proud and honored to -and promised! Greensburg also holds an important place for us as well as I searched with my dog as part of the rescue efforts immediately following the tornado then again filming the graduation ceremonies when the school had been destroyed.

Well time passed and we hadn't heard alot about the project, until I received a call from one of the planners of the Grand Reopening, just a few weeks prior to the Beech-Riffel wedding. They had a date and it was on the wedding day. I scrambled to find a second shooter for each of the events so I could fulfill promises made to both parties! Our friend Deanna helped me at the wedding and our friend Alan was able to help with the corporate shoot with Barry. The bride was very gracious and understanding about my dilemma! (Thanks Jessica) and soon Barry and Alan were headed to Greensburg.

It was a big event during a whole weekend of celebrations and reopenings for many places in Greensburg trying to put their town "back" on the map. A celebration with ribbon cutting, tours of the "green" building itself, musical entertainment, prize drawings, and brief statements of congratulations from area and state dignitaries. We were there with Discovery Channel and other media outlets, but our focus of the story in the edit will be the celebration for the family, as a documentary heirloom piece. We are very excited to have the opportunity! We will also be going back to Greensburg in the coming weeks to finish up shooting for this project.

We were also able to get footage recently in Greensburg of the new Eco-Silo home for a building company out of state. Very interesting and exciting what they are doing in Greensburg.

What a weekend it was! Thanks to everyone from the Estes family for inviting us as well as our bride and groom (see below) for being flexible with us in order to help everyone! Not only are we told "Fat Cat Rocks" but we only rock because our friends, our brides and grooms and our other clients ROCK. Thank you.

Life's a BEECH! (AKA: The Riffel-Beech Wedding)

Not exactly the kind with beautiful white sand, gorgeous sunshine or fruity drinks with miniature umbrellas- but the kind with two of some of the best folks in the world tying the knot last weekend! Last Saturday Fat Cat was pretty busy. We first met Jessica and Chris after Jessica saw our Baby Announcement on Facebook we did for a friend. They came to meet us and booked a wedding movie package that included a Love Story. It was great fun getting to know Chris and Jessica during the Love Story. We shot it at Jessica's fathers hangar in front of his awesome blue and gold biplane. Then we were able to get some great b roll shots the following week (after a snow/rain delay!) at Prairie Pines Tree Farm. We pieced the story together just in time for the wedding day!

Jessica chose to get ready at home where she was most comfortable, with her family and friends with her. Jessica was really calm and just ready to finally be down the aisle! No worries even when printing last minute programs. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. Jessica did hair and make up at the house then headed to the church (East Point Church of Christ), dress in tow to finish up there and meet Chris prior to the ceremony for all the pictures. The bridesmaids were dressed in black and carried an assortment of brightly colored bouquets that showed off a great contrast with the dresses for spring time. Jessica chose a Maggie Sattero strapless with souffle skirt (one of my favorites!) with accompanying tiara and veil.

In the meantime, the guys were being guys hanging out at the Alley and enjoying some friendly competition on the go-cart track! Our friend Deanna pitched in as second shooter at this wedding and got right in the middle of the action riding a go-cart herself to pull off some fun shots! (Thank you Deanna!) After letting off some steam the guys headed back to the church to get into their tuxes. Chris's son Kyler was ring bearer and just about upstaged the groom in his perfectly fitted tux!

Chris was admittedly nervous before seeing Jessica for the first time, but a big sigh of relief and relaxing smile covered his face when she finally came in to tap him on the shoulder!

Pictures followed, as many as possible dodging a quick rainshower and then the ceremony took flight at 6 pm. One of the neatest things about this ceremony I thought was the music. Chris is in a barber shop quartet and he rocks! He sang to his bride during the ceremony and had incredible back up! They didn't waste any time though, the ceremony lasted about 30 minutes and they were off with bubbles and cheers to the purple K-State bus and on to Exploration Place for the reception after being announced as husband and wife!

There we got to get some fun shots at the Keeper of the Plains prior to the grand entrance of the couple. The couple was able to sit down for a few minutes for dinner while guests watched the Love Story. There were plenty of laughs, but more hilariously gasps as the crowd reacted to the story when Chris dropped the bomb that they had already eloped in Vegas! You could see relieved looks on their faces shortly after when Chris then followed it up with a "just kidding!". They had completely punk'd their guests!

The couple then cut the cake and received toasts from the Maid of Honor, and Chris's Best Man, his brother, who stole the show with one line punches and stand up comedy!

The first dance quickly followed and special dances with parents prior to the party. The big hit of the party was the Flip Flop Bucket provided by Tinley with brightly colored flip flops so the ladies could ditch the high heels and cut loose! The newlyweds completely enjoyed their time with friends and family and at last Facebook check were thoroughly enjoying themselves in Hawaii!

To Chris and Jessica, thank you so much for having Fat Cat as a part of your day and being so flexible with crew changes for part of the day! We are very happy for you and your families, it was great to get to know them as well! We hope the long awaited trip to Hawaii was worth it and please do tell us all about it when you return! Hope you were able to partake in many fruity drinks with mini umbrellas! Keep in touch, we must do OC again when you are able to make it back to town. Chris, good luck with the remainder of school, you'll do awesome, must come see you for an adjustment when you are all done! :) Congratulations!
Come back to the blog in the coming weeks for the Beech Prequel!

This weddings vendors:

Venues- East Point Church of Christ and Exploration Place

Photographer- Milly Rose Photography

Floral- Stems

Catering- Corporate Caterers

Planning- Tinley Innes, Jubilations Events

Cake- Artistic Cakes

DJ- Scott Ward, Accent Mobile Music

Kristy and Nolan

We met Kristy and Nolan when they also booked T&J Studios for photography when we were in the old studio last year together. Kristy had her heart set on an outdoor spring wedding. She settled on Botanica and we were all very excited to get some great outdoor shots. But the closer that the day approached, the weather looked as if it were going to be Kansas through and through - and not cooperate. Kristy held out hope.

We started out at the Hyatt downtown where both Kristy and Nolan were getting ready with their bridal party. The ladies hung out in the Sunflower Suite with some killer new remodeling, very modern and hip. The ladies hair and make up were awesome with some help from the ladies from the BeeHive Salon! While Kristy was getting her hair done, a special gift from Nolan came in. She was given an Opal ring, a family tradition in the Pauly family to the ladies on the their wedding day. After Kristy dried her tears, she had to laugh at the gift she gave Nolan "Mine wasn't as nearly sentimental!" When asked what it was, she admitted she gave him a gift certificate to drive a race car at the Kansas Motor Speedway! Still, it was a gift we all thought was pretty darn cool.

The men all wore black suits with lime green accents and the ladies wore black dresses of two different styles short and sleeveless, appropriate for spring. The weather was only overcast all afternoon and when Kristy got dressed, it was looking up for the weather to hold for a 7pm ceremony! Her dress was from Davids Bridal and very unique. Classic white, strapless, a very soft lightweight flowing fabric was perfect for an outdoor wedding with the slightest breeze giving it some flow and character. A few lace and ruffle accents adorned a short train.

They chose to see each other before the wedding since it was late in the evening and they wanted time to enjoy their guests. The first meeting was outside the Hyatt just in time for the sun to come out!
Afterwards, the bridal party headed down to a sandbar on the river and ditched the dress shoes and heels for some fun in the sand! Everyone in the bridal party were great sports with the photo and video shoot! As the afternoon went on with shots at Botanica, the sunlight hid behind the clouds and it was slightly overcast, but the set up continued outside in the meadow. At approximately 6 o'clock, Ryan Funck the DJ approached us and the groom worried about the weather, a brewing storm looking as if it were starting to cup around us. As we all dialed up radars on our iphones and blackberry's, then almost immediately everyone scattered like rats to the sound of "oh no!" and the large rain drops started in. Everyone ran for cover in the approaching darkness and took all electronics inside as fast as possible, the DJ's sound board, speakers, our cameras on tripods and mp3 players, etc.

By the time we all reached the overhang on the back patio, the sun was coming back out, the rain had stopped and it looked as if all the bad weather had cleared! Good ole Kansas. So another discussion took place with the groom and his family, consulting iphones and radars again. It looked as if there was a window of opportunity for the time of the wedding and another storm approaching on the back side. We set up again and were off and running about a quarter to 7.

The bridal party entered and lined up in their places, Kristy and her father rounded the corner of some trees for their entrance when the raindrops started in again. Not quite as hard, but guests grabbed umbrellas and used their programs to shield their heads. We leaned over cameras to protect them from water and the DJ spread his coat over the sound board and off Kristy went! I ran to the end of the aisle to get their expressions as they marched in, Nolans mother was very gracious and stepped out lightly to share her umbrella with me! When Kristy's father gave her away, the rain stopped, the sun came out and the rest of the ceremony went off without a hitch! Her father was also the officiant which made it quite personal and they wasted no time with a short scripture reading and went straight to the vows. Before we knew it, in less than 20 minutes they were announced as husband and wife! We took a few fun shots immediately after the wedding, and you guessed it, the thunder rolled and I apologized to Kristy and took off tearing down the rest of our equipment and headed inside to set up for their grand entrance. Just in time, too, the storm had arrived! It was pouring down torrential rain as we ducked under the overhang! Kristy had gotten her perfect outdoor wedding! Everyone was safe and equipment was saved!

The party was great fun with some unique twists, after dinner and the cutting of cake, the couple shared their first dances together and with parents but the bridal party dance was a surpirse with a mix of slow dancing and party pieces to cut loose and have a little fun. The money dance was also a surprise to those guests standing in line, Ryan would play the Jeopardy theme and then the guests were surprised by either a fast party song or a romantic ballad! No one knew what was coming next! It really was a great day and Kristy and Nolan had a wonderful time.

The newlyweds are spending their honeymoon in the Bahamas where I'm sure the weather is much nicer!

Thank you Kristy and Nolan for a great day, you are great sports, even with the rain it never "dampened" your day nor your spirits. We wish you all the best in your new life together, we know you'll do just fine! Take tons of photos in the islands and do share online soon! Thank you for having us, we appreciate it very much- stay in touch!
Now enjoy their wedding day prequel!

RUMOR MILL. . .

Seems the last couple weeks I've been running into folks who have been telling me "So, you aren't doing Fat Cat anymore?" Needless to say I was somewhat shocked, but not surprised. Please let me clear the air for my past, current and future brides, vendors and friends.

Fat Cat is not going away.

Here is how I believe the nasty little rumor started and was contorted to the above statement: This past year and a half we were blessed to have the business doing well and we were very excited about a move into the studio in Valley Center with T&J Studios Photography. It was a great place. Wonderful friends and atmosphere, a killer media room we put together and lots of space to shoot when needed in the back studio. It was great to have the business out of our home where I didn't need to ask my brides and grooms if they were allergic to cats prior to coming for a consultation. During the end of summer of 2008 and well into the fall Fat Cat started feeling the effects the economic situation we hear so much about on the news. Bookings began to slow down for us and in order to keep serving our brides at the capacity we are and turn a great detailed product for them, we decided to move the business back home where it all began. This does not mean we are quitting. Quite the contrary. We are simply moving the location of where I do my work. There are pros and cons to this so bear with me as I readjust again!

Although many of you know Barry and I are both taking our pre-reqs for nursing school, but the business remains full time for me at this time. We are just going through those growing pains of life and business and moving back home was the best choice for us at this point in time. If you need to contact us, we are now moved back home and I can be reached via email or cell phone.
I continue to work to get the edit queue turned around eventually, but in the meantime for our current brides I am taking care on each wedding to assure it is the product you paid for when you booked us and not rush through them. My assitant editor, Allyson, continues to help me keep my head above water with the pile of weddings I have sitting before me :)

We are still booking into summer and fall of this year and are starting to book into 2010. So if you or someone you know are looking for a great wedding video, look no further than Fat Cat. If anything to do with our status changes, our customers, friends and brides will be the first to know. Thank you all for your support of Fat Cat and allowing us to do what we love, spending the day with the best brides and grooms on the planet! Until next time- Steph

Fun behind the scenes. . .

So we shoot this wedding with our photographer friend Kevin Brown a few weeks ago right? Well, being the nice guy that he is, he decides he'll take a few pictures of us at work. It's a luxury we don't get too often and appreciate it when we do get it. T&J Studios has done the same for us too as well as a few other photographers. So we just decided to post a few to show you how we get some of the shots we do. A post just for fun, talk to you all soon! SG

Photo captions: The first shot is Barry getting the wide shot of the groom and groomsmen practicing the "Can't Touch This" choreograpehd dance at the Ludwig-Empson wedding.

The Glidecam rig at the father-daughter dance. I make Barry carry it- it's too heavy!

Kevin catching Steph at precisely the wrong moment :) when I saw the groomsmen "poledancing" on the Party Express Bus- what a riot!

Steph grabs a creative shot of the pole in the foreground of the bride and flower girl sharing a quiet moment together.

Don't ask me what Joey was doing in the next shot, I'm really not sure! I think it was a pole dance gone wrong!

Don't ask me what Barry is doing in the next shot either. I have no idea. I didn't even know he did this at weddings!

Robbin was kind enough to let us grab some cake at the reception and Kevin caught Barry during a moment of hypoglycemia! :)

New Prequel Online!

It's that time again! Robbin and Richard's wedding prequel is now online! Scroll down to Ludwig-Empson to view it. Please leave us your comments and don't forget to subscribe to the blog to your right! It's free and we don't bug you or give out your email! :)

You will receive an automatic reminder when the blog is updated, nothing more, nothing less.

Have fun with it! More to come! Steph

NEW PREQUEL ONLINE!

Hi everyone, while I listen to the sleet hitting my office window, I am trying to think about the beuatiful day we had a few weeks ago with Ryan and Chelsey! Their prequel is now online as well as photos from GP's Photography. Scroll down to check it out. Go to Eckerman/Shackelford. Be sure to let us know what you think on the commnets tab below and forward to your friends with the email link! Have a great day! Spring will be back before we know it! Next prequel due up some time next week! Steph

Ludwig - Empson

This past weekend we had the pleasure of working with another great couple, Robbin and Richard. We first met Robbin about 4 years ago at her brother Rick's wedding, now it was Robbin's turn! Saturday we started the weekend early on Friday- I took time to go see the ladies at Fashion Nails in West Wichita where the bride, her mother, grandmother, bridesmaids and flower girls all received pedicures in preparation for the big day. I then met back up with them on Saturday morning at Eric Fisher Academy for the bridal party to have their hair done. All the girls had a completely different style and all of them looked awesome! They each got a thumbs up as well from Mr. Fisher. Robbin was very pleased. During this time, Barry met the groomsmen and groom at the church while they hung out playing guitar hero and foosball prior to donning the tuxes and taking as many photos as they could prior to the ceremony.

The ladies then arrived at the church, Glenville Baptist, and finished make up and got dressed. I was completely impressed by the spring green bridesmaids and flower girl dresses - ALL handmade by the brides mother. Had she not told me, I would have sworn they were purchased at a bridal store! Patti did an amazing job, plus she also made the brides dress, a very unique and striking design on Robbin. The bodice was covered in floral embelishments with a halter type top around the neck and a sweeping flowing train. So cool.

The couple chose to see each other prior to the ceremony, so after everyone was ready, their photographer, the talented Kevin Brown (http://www.kevinlbrown.com/ ) brought Richard into the sanctuary for the big moment. He faced the alter wearing a classic white tux and his ball cap waiting for Robbin's dad to escort her in. She then approached and tapped him on the shoulder. Big smiles followed and some private prayer time as well prior to getting some of the formal shots out of the way.

The ceremony started right on time at 3:33 pm. You have to understand the group at Glenville to understand the unusual ceremony times there :) We love it. There was also special meaning with the chosen scripture of Jeramiah 33:3. It was a great ceremony with the couple not only sharing vows, but pouring unity sand together, sharing communion together as well as a prayer circle with family and a solo by the brides sister in law.

The couple exited the church to the Party Express Bus through a barrage of bubbles from the guests. It was a crazy ride to Starwoods for the reception! Scott Ward from AMM was master of ceremonies and the DJ for the night. He introduced the bridal party and then the bride and groom, maid of honor and best man broke into a choreographed rendition of "Can't Touch This" to the roar of applause from their guests!

Dinner was catered by close friends Nate and Rochelle from Ohio whom also did the flowers- amazing work Nate, as always! There were toasts and the couple cut the cake after dinner and the events flowed nicely into first dance, parents dances and the party began.

Robbin and Richard had a great time but was a little worried at the end of the night realizing their keys were locked in their car for the getaway! All turned out well though and the couple left Monday for their new life together in New Jersey!

Thanks to our friend Kevin Brown for the use of some of his photos!

To Robbin and Richard, thank you for letting us be a part of your day, we enjoyed ourselves so much! Thank you very much for dinner as well and enjoy yourselves up north! Come home to visit often and give us a shout!

Click the file below to watch the Empson's wedding day prequel! This is a flash file and requires the most recent version of Flash to view.

Enjoy!

Chelsey and Ryan!

We started off shooting this wedding season with a great couple! Chelsey and Ryan. It was great for us because we felt right at home right away. We knew alot of the bride and grooms family and friends already and had a great time all day! I started the day with Chesey at Urban Image Salon in Old Town. Chelsey and her bridesmaids were all getting hair and make up done there. Chelsey chose to style her hair all up with tons of curls. Add the tiara and she was ready to go.

After a quick lunch, we met up again at Olivet Baptist Church where she got ready with all her friends. Barry followed Ryan and his friends as they donned their tuxes and started pictures before the ceremony. The ladies enjoyed sandwhiches and were excited to get dressed.

Chelseys colors were very bright and appropriate for springtime; purple, lime green and bright orange! Love it! Moores Flowers did an exceptional job - as always! All the bridesmaids ditched the purple sweatshirts that Chelsey's Maid of Honor, Lauren gave to them and they donned their strapless purple dresses. They had a white bow around the waist. After they were ready, they helped Chelsey prepare. She chose a strapless gown with a souffle skirt by Maggie Sottero that laced up the back. She has such good taste! Then the ladies headed out to the sanctuary for their pictures with Greg of GP's Photography. Thanks to Greg for the use of his photos in the blog post!

The bride and groom wanted to wait until the ceremony to see each other for the first time. The ceremony started at 4 pm and it was very personal. From the music to handwritten covenants, Chelsey had planned it all beautifully. During the lighting of the Unity candle a song was played that Chelsey had recorded herself to her new husband, and what an outstanding job she did!!!! It was all a surprise to Ryan.

After being announced as husband and wife, the newlyweds hid out and then finished pictures in the sanctuary before heading to the reception in a stretch limo.

The reception was held at the Petroleum Club downtown and Kathy did a phenominal job of holding the large amount of guests that attended. Dinner had to be split onto two different floors of the building to accomodate everyone! Talk about standing room only! It was difficult for Ryan and Chelsey to get to visit with everyone!

They were then introduced by Mark Mazuur of Signature Sound and then cut the multi-level, multi-tiered and multi-colored cake, which covered the entire cake table and the groom even had one of the most awesome grooms caskes we have EVER seen, a Chopper style motorcyle resembling his own bike complete with orange airbrushed flames and a working headlight ! The bridal cake was made by Connie's Cakes and Cookies and the grooms cake was crafted by Cameo Cakes!

They shared their first dance together with Van Halen playing in the background! After the remainder of the traditional events the party went into the night and didn't let up. Everyone had a fabulous time despite the tornado warning looming outside! I always get nervous when the floor there starts bouncing to the beat of the music!

Ryan and Chelsey plan to spend their honeymoon far away from tornadoes in Aruba! We really think they should have had that trip documented on video too, seeing how that is the new big "thing" in wedding video- but no such luck Ryan said! Darn, maybe of our our future brides this year! Any takers?

Thank you SO MUCH Ryan and Chelsey for letting us share the day with you, we had a great time and we hope you did as well. We had a great time getting to know you both and hopefully we can always stay in touch! You guys are tons of fun! Please share those Aruba pictures when you return! Congratulations! Barry and Steph

Click the video file below to see their wedding day prequel!

Thank You!

Spring has sprung! Is it not beautiful out today everyone?! It has definitely put alot of brides in the mood for planning their upcoming weddings and getting their videographer booked early.

I wanted to send a shout out to our most recent brides and grooms who have booked our services for this year or next and say thank you!

Jessica and Chris -Bridget and Ryan - Trish and Daniel - Emily and Luke - Bibi and Wade - We are looking forward to working with all of you. I do not mean to leave out our other fabulous brides who have booked earlier in the year or last year. THANK YOU!

If you or someone you know is getting married, pass the word along about Fat Cat, we still have some great dates for this year available. We are also booking into 2010!

The blog will start rocking again soon, so stay tuned. Robbin and Richard's wedding is this weekend, so we will be excited to get the prequels up and running!

Video Birth Announcement!

Congratulations to Ivan and Ashley Moore on the birth of their first child, Tatum! We were happy to help an anonymous source (wink , wink) help welcome her to the world! This video was a gift from a friend, who asked to remain anonymous (just for fun!). When I arrived at the hospital to get footage of the new little one, I discovered that Ivan had some absolutely AMAZING footage of the moments immediately following his little girls birth. He asked if this could be incorporated into the video and I think I said "YES! I'd LOVE to use that!" before he even finished asking the question! What was awesome was that the footage was HD so it matched ours, thanks to his new Christmas present, used for the first time! :)

The footage Ivan was able to capture was amazing, as well as grandma and a nurse helping out to capture Ivan cutting the cord! We mixed it with footage we took the day after Tatum arrived, and this is what we put together for the happy new parents. Grab the Kleenex! Everyone says they get teary eyed!

If you are interested in a Baby Story, or Video Birth Announcement, please check out our sister site www.announcemychild.com and give Fat Cat a call! They make fabulous keepsakes and very unique birth announcements!

Fun to Share...

Last October we helped T&J Studios when they hosted their second Keep'n it Fresh seminar featuring Corey McNabb. We followed along to capture some of the fun and Corey wanted to spice it up a bit by having all the attendees choreograph a dance together. He chose a song fitting for Halloween approaching and impromptu rehearsals began in between shoots :)
We got so busy with wedding edits, this video was late, but we thought we'd share it with you just for fun and something different other than weddings :)
More to come, enjoy...

Thanks to all who attended Open House!

It was great meeting everyone today at the open house! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to come and meet us, view our work and check out some of our friends businesses as well! We were flattered at the compliments we received from our guests- thank you so much. (Blush :)

If you missed the open house, you can still call or email for an appointment to meet us, view a completed wedding movie to see our style of work and what is included in the packages. We would love to meet you and give you more information. We love what we do and hopefully that comes across in our work!

Thanks again, have a great week, keep in touch!

SG

Bridal Open House SUNDAY February 8th!

It's not too late to stop by the Bridal Open House Sunday, the 8th!

If you are a bride to be and looking for your venors in videography, planning, DJ, floral and a photographer- look no further than Studio 142 in Valley Center.

Sunday the 8th, from 1-5 pm come by to visit vendors and talk one on one about ideas for your wedding! It's free!
Light refreshments will be served.

Pick up our latest demo DVD and pricing information, watch some of our wedding movies on the big screen in the theater! Check out photography decorating the halls of the studio and head to the shooting area to talk with some of the best DJ's in town and more!

We hope to see you there!

142 S. Meridian, Valley Center.

Whirlwind Start for 2009!

Hello one and all, an update here on all-things-Fat-Cat! I have finally added pictures to the long year end post below if you care to take a gander at a few dog pictures :)

Things have been moving along here at Fat Cat, slowly gaining on some of our delivery times with a slower winter as far as the shooting schedule goes, so if you are waiting on your spring wedding, we are working on those currently. Editing begins when we receive the final payment scheduled. We will be in touch with our brides as soon as their video is up and ready for edit.

The bridal fair was insanely busy. We passed out 400 of our newest Demo DVD's, all hand made, very personal and unique. The calls are starting to come in for the remainder of the 2009 wedding season. We only book one wedding per day, so if you are waiting to contact us don't wait any longer! :) Dates fill on a first come-first serve basis.

Come join us on FACEBOOK! Fat Cat has a new group! FAT CAT ROCKS! We will be posting some info on the business from time to time and you can see what we are up to personally as well in our crazy lives! :) Thanks to our past and current brides who are logged in, we really enjoy seeing what you are up to! Also, a big congratulations to several of our brides on new babies arriving or learning that they are expecting and on the way! Wow! So many! So don't forget about our sister website http://www.announcemychild.com/! A NEW Baby Announcement will also be online this week, so check back!

You can finally see the complete 28-minute Broadcast version of the work we have done for Hutchinson Community College Field Operations at this link from Paramedic TV! The video is getting great playback and increasing a wonderful stir for the college, agencies from as far away as the Bahamas are contacting the college to try to participate this year and see what all the fuss is about! Thanks to our wonderful friend Chy, YOU are the Bomb-Diggity! We can't wait to film this years installment in June!!!!

We mentioned at years end that Barry is pursuing higher education and is finishing pre-reqs for a nursing degree. Well, now I have the bug, and I have also recently enrolled and am finishing my pre-reqs as well! So please be patient with us as we now work school into our evening schedules!

Don't forget our Bridal Open House is quickly going to be upon us Sunday, February the 8th from 1-5pm here at the studio. 142 S. Meridian, Valley Center. So if you've hesitated about why you need a wedding video of one of the single most important days of your life, come see what all the fuss is about. This ain't your Uncle Charlies wedding video! :)

Everyone have a great 2009! More updates are on the way!

SG