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.