Fat Cat's version of "Emergency!"

The last two days have literally been a whirlwind of activity for the Fat Cat Crew. Back in January we filmed the graduation ceremony for the Hutchinson Community College Paramedic Program. With our backgrounds in EMS, and myself being a graduate of Hutch Community College Paramedic Program in '93, we knew many people there and had a good time visiting with friends. We were also asked back then if this August we could film this years class "Field Operations" Day. We were so thrilled to combine two of our loves and jobs, EMS and Videography! Being a student at Field Operations many years ago myself, I knew what to expect- organized chaos, but fun and an incredible learning experience for the students! This is a two-day intensive exercise involving multiple paramedic classes and emergency response agencies working together to create very realistic scenarios for students to learn how to run an EMS call. There were approximately 46 students from 3 area programs and EMS agencies from all over the state assisitng.

Yesterday, the students were dispatched to 88 calls in nearly a 12 hour shift at various locations around the South Campus of the College. They learned to manage a scene and care for one or two patients. Today they were immersed in what we EMS folk call MCI's (Mass Casualty Incidents) that have multiple patients on a single scene to be treated.

Both Barry and I were able to capture the students going to the calls in the ambulance, giving patient care at scenes and transporting them to a simulated ER. Simulated calls included falls, overdoses, heart attacks, subjects not breathing, allergic reactions, assaults, seizures and more. Even a house fire complete with smoke bellowing from the doors and windows- thanks to DJ Cain, whom we have worked with before at the DJ convention earlier this year who is also a Paramedic himself, who provided a very cool smoke machine!

The MCI included a motor vehicle crash and plane crash simulation! The areas two medical helicopters were also involved and came to the scene to airlift out critical patients and allow the students to learn to load a patient while the rotor blades are turning (we call it a "hot load"). One of the highlights of my day filming was due to the hospitality of the Life Team Flight Crew allowing me to get aerial shots of the MCI scenes in flight! Thanks to my friends Greg, Brenda and Mike and also the pilot Ed for a great experience and some cool footage! This was no big deal to Barry as he used to be a flight medic for years, but I'd never flown in a helicopter before! All that practice hand held shooting really came in handy!

If time allows we will post a tiny bit of footage from the day at a later date, but for right now it's back to the wedding edits!

Hey guys, "FIELD OPS ROCKS!"

Bridal Show '07

It was an extremely busy week with two weddings and the bridal show this past Saturday and Sunday! With a wedding on Saturday, Barry's sister from Dallas came up to help staff our booth at the 2007 Bridal Expo at Century II. A big thank you to Amy and also a former bride Ashley! Both did a superb job of visiting with all the brides that came to the booth! We were able to meet many brides on Sunday ourselves and are already getting geared up for some new ideas for the January show! So come and see us then!

If you are considering booking FCP, we suggest you call and set up a consultation. We have been booking into 2008 prior to the show and a few brides were dissapointed that we were already booked for their date. We only take one wedding per day so don't delay- we'd love to meet you!

More exciting news from Fat Cat coming soon so check back!

Steph

Close- Wilbert

Saturday we got to spend the day with Melissa and Jace, what a great time! Melissa asked us to join her at the Salon with her bridesmaids, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to get hair and make up done. You could tell Melissa was getting excited and we had a good time starting off the day! It was only hours before I had seen Tyff and Jeff from T&J Studios, who also shot this wedding as well! (I got to see some of the shots, they were great!)

After hair, the ladies made their way to The Scottish Rite to drop off vehicles and climb into a limo to head to The Grand Chapel to finish getting ready. Melissa handled herself like a trooper despite the heat that you couldn't escape. Her gown was one of the most gorgeous I have seen to date, with a strapless bodice and intricate beadwork, almost silver in color with a low cut back that fit her perfectly. The train was elegant but not overwhelming. Souffle skirt with beadwork finished the look. Her tiara was gorgeous and she had the most unique accessory, an arm band with detailed beadwork that fit around her upper left arm, similar to a bracelet. Very cool.

She chose to see Jace before the ceremony so they could get all of their photographs out of the way and have time to enjoy their party and guests afterwards.

The ceremony, although very hot, went off without a hitch. Jace and Melissa opened with personal vows they wrote for one another they read aloud as tears streamed down their faces. Traditional vows followed and the celebration began.

Two limos were waiting after the ceremony, one for the bridal party and one for the bride and groom. The limos took the newlyweds to The Castle Inn Riverside so Jace could check in for the night and so Tyff and Jeff could get some shots of them on the bridge across the street. Then off to the reception.

The wedding party was formally introduced coming down the grand staircase by Steve Walsh of Advanced Mobile DJ Service and the couple promptly cut the cake. They enjoyed relaxing and mingling with guests as Corporate Caterers finished getting dinner ready.

After dinner was served, Jace's uncle from Milan, Italy called on his cell phone, whose voice was piped loud through Steve's speakers for all to hear! The dance floor was cleared of the buffet line and the party began! Jace and Melissa danced well into the evening and I don't think they ever stopped! It was obvious they truly enjoyed their day and all of their friends and family that came to celebrate with them.

To Jace and Melissa, thank you for choosing us to document your day, we feel very privileged. We hope you enjoy your honeymoon and your new lives together, you were both a treat to get to know through the day, best wishes. Barry and Steph ~

Shay- Voshell Wedding

Well the big moment finally arrived this past Friday, my little sister got married :)
The main things you need to know is that I, as the Matron of Honor, did not fall walking down the aisle in 4 inch heels and I didn't cry!

Just kidding, the week started out for Ally with a whirlwind of activity. Friends came in that week from all over out of town and even a friend from Germany she met in High School as an exchange student! My best friend was also in town from Indiana who was with me at the hospital the day Ally was born almost 20 years ago! It was so nice to see family and friends I had not seen for a long time!

On the wedding day Ally and I went to get our hair done at Hair Perfections and we had a great time razzing each other about various subjects over the years and Ally went on to get her make up done at Sola Salons before heading to the church to get ready and take pictures.

Tyffany and Jeff from T&J Studios were the photographers and yours truly (Fat Cat) got wrangled into doing the video of course! Barry got a little help from my colleague Judy Handley as I had to actually be in the wedding and assist Ally. Thanks Judy!

Ally wore her dream wedding gown. Strapless with a heavily beaded bodice and a soft layered tulle skirt with a train. She said she felt like a princess! (She looked strikingly similar to one, too!)

Her colors were deep red with navy blue to match the groomsmens US Marine Corps Dress Blue Uniforms.

All the bridesmaids were in simple elegant floor length strapless red gowns, with the waist pulled to the left side with a rhinestone broch. Ally also was given a surprise by one of her bridesmaids, Tina, who told her as a gift, the bridesmaids and many of her friends had pooled together to give her a night in The Castle Inn Riverside this weekend to make her fairytale wedding complete with her prince :)

The wedding was an evening wedding at 7pm at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church and Ally entered with my Dad to see Aaron for the first time. Aaron was also in Dress Blues complete with a USMC sword he carried. Readings followed from close friends and family. The ceremony was over before we knew it and Ally wanted to remain on time so took the last remaining family photos before getting in the Excaliber Limo from Executive Limosine to go to the Knights of Columbus Hall to party! Aarons mother and my mom rode along as well as Tyffany and myself to document that (Yes, I actually filmed some that day, I couldn't help it!)

Ally and Aaron were introduced by Scott Ward from Accent Mobile Music and started the evening off by cutting the cake in a way I had not seen before, with Aarons sword! The cake was multi-layered and four different flavors made by our sister-in-law who used to own a cake business! I hear it was great! They moved right along into the bouquet and garter tosses, father/daughter dance and into their first dance bloggers might recognize from the Proposal Video we did for Ally last year, "You had me from hello" by Kenney Chesney because they had such a long distance relationship and mostly over the phone due to Aaron being in the Marines. Ally made a killing on the money dance as well. I thought I got a tip from that!

Ally made it clear she wanted to party and party she and her friends did all night long. We had to leave early to get cameras turned around for a wedding on Saturday and I am sure the party lasted well close to midnight.

Congrats to Aaron and my kid-sister on her her fairy tale wedding day. I wish you years of love and happiness and tell Aaron to keep his head down on his second deployment to Iraq in just a few short weeks. We will all be praying for you both!

Click below to watch Ally and Aaron's Wedding Day Prequel!

WIN A WEDDING!

KSN has announced the start to the "KSN Throws A Wedding" Contest this week! Check the KSN website for all the details and a list of all the participating vendors and what they are donating towards the October 26th wedding!

Fat Cat Productions has been chosen as the cinematographer and the winning couple will be receiving a High Definition Wedding Movie Package valued at $2599!

If you are planning on getting married and are looking for an exciting and unique planning experience enter to win today! Deadline is August 13th! The winning couple will receive an entire wedding and reception valued at several thousand dollars!

Watch KSN Channel 3 and watch the Fat Cat Blog for details on the contests progression each week starting when the winning couple is chosen! GOOD LUCK!

Blankenship- Voegeli

Yesterday we spent the day with Ashley and Jonathan for their wedding and reception at the Church of the Magdalen here in Wichita.
Ashley looked phenominal in her dress, an intricately beaded bodice with a soft toule skirt with a splash of beadwork on the skirt and train. It looked as if it were made especially for her. The ladies wore an all black dress with a broche on the belt. Her flowers added a classy splash of color, they were stunning orange roses and lily's with various shades of pink. One of the flower girls was Ashley's daughter wearing a dress full of soft ruffles.

The full mass and wedding went off without a hitch, led by Fr. Ben Nguyen. The couple finished pictures after the ceremony and the reception was held in the Parish Hall. The brides sister made the multi-tiered rasberry wedding cake and the grooms cake was a mouth watering German Chocolate with Calvin and Hobbes on the top! A delicious dinner was catered by Fred's Smoked Meats.

The dance started off in Catholic Tradition with the Grand March and flowed straight into Ashely and Jonathan's First Dance as they were surrounded by family and friends. They danced all night and visited with many family and friends.

Ashley and Jonathan, it was nice to get to know both of you and your families, thank you for letting us be a part of your day.

Humbled. . .

From time to time we receive letters and cards from previous, current and future clients about our work. Some appreciate the time we spent with them after they see the finished product and drop us a line, others are excited just to book and drop a note about their excitement to have a wedding video. We feel very humbled to receive many of these, but the most recent really made us blush :)

We'd like to share it with you. This was sent to us shortly after posting Jessica and Jason's Prequel you can scroll below to see. It is from the Mother of the Bride.

"Oh my gosh!!! I have seen Jessica & Jasons prequel over & over & over!! This I think by far is your best work yet! You two captured every emotion known. You definitely have the eyes for the unusual visual, which is what everyone wants for their video!! I especially love the editing of how you seem to capitalize the words of the song to the scene in the video! I can't stress this enough. You two are the BEST investment we made for the kids wedding!!! Thanks to you we will always be "Lost in the Moment" and be able to stay there at the wedding when watching the video over & over & over!!! I especially loved the end part when Jessica was trying to get Barry out on the dance floor. I hope in the final version Stephanie is included somewhere because you two felt like you were part of our family!! We had so much FUN, and I hope you guys did as well. Again THANK YOU Barry & Stephanie! I can't wait to get together again! I just got to think of a reason for an event. hahaha- Love you guys!"

To Brenda: We love you, too- very much! We had an absolute blast with your family and Jason's. We were definitely treated like family and feel quite humbled by your kind words. We feel very blessed you chose us to document the day. You rock.
Steph

Lucky in Love 7/07/07

Well, that big day of the year has come and gone. Triple Sevens.
Today our 7/07/07 was spent with Jason and Stasi.
They started their day at the Church of the Magdalen getting dressed and completing their portrait session with Marcia Morrison and her photographers.
Stasi wore a beautiful Maggie Soterro strapless gown with soufle skirt and train. The bridesmaids had matching deep red strapless dresses. Stasi wore, as part of her something old, borrowed and blue, a garter her mother wore on her wedding day. Stasi was very intune to her and Jason's families and their marriages, displaying photos of their parents and grandparents on their wedding days on a table next to a board that had a montage of photos of Jason and Stasi as children, growing up and dating.
Jason and Stasi saw each other prior to the ceremony so that they could take all their photos ahead of time and have time to visit with friends and family after the ceremony.
The ceremony was beautiful and personal. Stasi's father sang two songs during the ceremony to his daughter and new son-in-law. One was the Hawaiian Wedding Song, as Stasi is Hawaiian. The guests sent the newlyweds on their way to a private photo session with Marcia Morrison at Bradley Fair by way of cascading bubbles outside the church.
While we were gone at the photo session, the guests were entertained at the reception hall at the church with the Love Story we shot several weeks ago. We made additional copies for them so they could pass them out to family and friends.
When Jason and Stasi returned from the photo shoot, they were able to cut their wedding cake and Jason's groom cake, which was cheesecake and grab a bite of dinner. Fazoli's catered.
After their first dance as husband and wife, the parents dances and such, Stasi's aunts performed a Hawaiian Hula Dance. But Stasi had a surprise of her own. She had been taking Hula Dance Classes prior to the wedding and sat Jason in a chair in the middle of the dance floor and danced for him. All the guests roared with applause!
It really was a great day for Jason and Stasi. They are now off to enjoy their honeymoon in Jamaica!
Stasi and Jason, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your day, we totally enjoyed getting to know you during the course of shooting the Love Story and had a wonderful time at the wedding. We wish you years of happiness together, you guys are really great and we appreciate you choosing Fat Cat to document your day!
Jason and Stasi's Wedding Prequel can be seen here in about 2 weeks. We will also post the Love Story as well! Thanks to Marica Morrison for sharing her pictures!

Click below to view their Love Story

Click below to view their Prequel

Gearing Up!

Well, we are officially in the midst of the "busy season". Busy with not only shooting weddings all summer and catching up in the edit que, posting new prequels, but also gearing up for the upcoming Bridal and Prom Expo at the end of the month at Century II! Come see us at the booth! The show runs July 28th and 29th, we will have representatives there to talk with you on Saturday due to a wedding, but we will be there to meet all of you on Sunday!

If you are considering booking Fat Cat for your upcoming Fall 2007 wedding or for the busy 2008 wedding season, contact us now as we are booking steadily into the 2008 season and will continue booking at the Bridal Show. FCP only shoots one wedding per day, so don't delay-secure your date today!

To update you on our latest projects, the edit-bay has been hoppin'! We have been shooting two love stories the last couple weeks, editing those, working on old projects, and of course booking new weddings. Personally in our lives it was that time in life where we had to clean up the basement floor and lug an old water heater out of the house and replace with a new one (don't you just love that?) and then there is a new addition to the Guinn Family...

Barry purchased a puppy this week and he is settling in nicely, I obviously haven't had too much time to play but I get some snuggle time in when I get the chance! His name is Bruno, he is a Rottweiler from Florida and we are very happy to have him here in Kansas! Although he won't replace our Gunther, we hope he gives us years of happiness!

(He so rocks.)

The second picture here was taken by his breeder Theresa Robinson of Darkstarr Rottweilers and Canine Photography.

Stay tuned for more of what we've been up to, we will be posting one of our Love Stories in about a week after it debuts at the couple's wedding first. More info to come this month regarding the "KSN Throws A Wedding!" contest and there's a new web site announcement coming we are very excited about, so check back soon!

Jessica and Jason

My, my, what can we say? What a day! Yesterday we spent the day with Jason and Jessica. The day started at St. Anne's Catholic Church in Wichita where the wedding party prepared for the day. The ladies wore classic black dresses and the men were in tuxes with bright electric blue vests for a splash of color. After applying her make up, Jessica donned her beautiful strapless gown with souffle skirt and intricate beadwork throughout.
A special moment was when her mother and father came into the room with Jessica and gave her a photo of the day she was brought home from the hospital. It was accompanied by the bonnet she wore and a touching poem about the bonnet one day turning into a handkerchief for her wedding day that her mother read aloud. It was at this point Jessica tested the "waterproof" claim to her make up.
The ceremony was not the traditional Catholic wedding but beautiful all the same with rose petals lining the isle on the floor at the ends of the pews. Most all the flowers were made by Jessica and her mother. Jessica also designed her own programs for the day which doubled as hand held fans for a warm June day!
The bride and groom bid farewell to their guests by running through a tunnel of bubbles the guests blew their way and with the help of two "bubble guns"!

They took some photos at the church with photographers Gary and Amanda McCool and then a limo took the entire bridal party to Botanica for more photos as well as the Keeper of the Plains downtown! Everyone was great sports with the temperature rising!
Onward to the reception that was DJ'ed by Ryan Funck of Absolute Sound and an even more special surprise for Jessica during the toasts. Her best friend, Amy, was to be in the bridal party but the US Army had other plans for her and she could not attend. But after the happy couple was toasted to by the Matron of Honor and Best Man, Ryan introduced a special guest toast, via cell phone...Amy. He piped her voice loud and clear through his speakers and I don't believe there was a dry eye in the house.
The couple then shared their first dance and partied on into the night where the bubble guns made another special appearance!
To Jessica and Jason, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your very special day, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We hope you enjoy your honeymoon and have a great time starting your lives together, you rock! Thank you Gary and Amanda for sharing your photos!
Check out the wedding day prequel here!

A Game of Cat and Mouse!!!

Today was fun. We were edit fools in the morning then had a Love Story Shoot this afternoon with Tamaira and Jonathan who will be getting married this September. What a fun couple! We started out at Bradley Fair for some B-roll, made our way to Tamaira's workplace for some shots and ended up at Riverside Park for the interview portion of the story. We set up in the area with the large stones and the sun dial, so we had a really unique backdrop. We had an even more unique subject to film. Although Tamaira was great, her pets stole the show!

Tamaira brought her cat Phoebe and some of her pet mice. Yes, I said mice, like as in M-i-c-k-e-y, why? Because she loves them! They are actually fancy mice and not at all like a "wild" mouse. Yes, they were all outside and well behaved! After the shoot, being the critter lover that I am, I couldn't resist getting to "play" with the cat and mice! (They actually get along!)

So I posted some fun shots before we called it a night. The animals are pretty integral to their story, but you'll have to wait till this Fall to see the completed story! The black and white mouse you see is "Split Decision" and the gold mouse is "Niblit", I'm sure I spelled it wrong, sorry Tamaira!

We still get to hang out with Tamaira and Jonathan again before the wedding to get more needed footage, we'll let you know if anything interesting happens then! And yes, I actually kissed the mouse....

Stay tuned!

Reflections of Greensburg

We've recently finished up the Greensburg Graduation ceremony from last month and it will be shipping to the students at the school any day now after we complete all the packaging. Since posting about our trip there last month, I thought we would share the Intro to the Senior's Class Video. We used text from the programs they distributed and I grabbed soundbites from the featured speakers, including the Class President, Valedictorians, Salutatorian, and the dignitaries present that day as well as a sound bite from President Bush's letter to the graduating class. Congratulations Greensburg High School Class of 2007! May you be blessed in all your future endeavors!

Worth the Wait!

We thought we would take just a minute to share why we do the work we do.

We love helping people relive their memories of special events. We really put our heart and soul into our work. We think it is important to document special days accurately and we owe it to our customers to edit and deliver an exceptional product that reflects the details and the day as beautifully as we can. They will have their video forever.

So we thought we would post a few comments from a few people who were kind enough to take the time to tell us what they thought of their videos.

We recently delivered a wedding to a bride who was married in Hutchinson and now lives out of state in Minnesota. We were humbled to have received the following email after she had waited to see her video for the first time:

"We were very happy with the outcome. Thank you so much for the work you put into this video- it absolutely exceeded our expectations. If you have potential customers looking for a reference, I am more than happy to give one for you." Annette M.

You can view a piece of Annette's wedding below. This is their dance party segment.

Wayne and Angela said:

"I wanted to express gratitude of a groom who was overwhelmed by the professionalism and quality of your work. Angela and I were beyond pleased about how you bent over backwards for my father. Seeing my father get misty-eyed over the wedding video gave me an immense sense of satisfaction of the results. I cannot express enough how pleased we are over your work. Thank you Barry for everything you did in making our wedding very memorable. "

Watch Wayne and Angela's prequel here.

And finally, from Sandi:

"Barry and Stephanie, I just wanted to tell you how thrilled I am with the prequel. You are the best! I hope I don't lock up your website by watching it too many times. It makes me laugh, smile, cry (happy tears). We knew from the beginning we were so excited to have been able to book you for the wedding but you have far exceeded our expectations and that is with just the prequel. I can't wait for the video. Thanks so much for so beautifully capturing my daughter and new son's day!"

To view Sandi's daughter's prequel, click here.

Now accepting 2008 bookings!

If you are planning a 2008 wedding or know someone who is, NOW is the time to lock in your photographer and videographer for your special day. We have started booking into 2008 already and this week have received numerous requests for the popular summer months and are in the process of setting up some consultations. Fat Cat only books one wedding per day, so when the date is closed, it is closed. Don't wait! You can check our availability online. Click here to check your date now!

We are also gearing up for the July Bridal Show at Century II, and dates will definately start to fill up at that time for next year. Give us a call or drop us an email if you have any questions about our services!

Check back in the coming weeks for that "big announcement" we keep promising, too!

Summer of Love

This year we have several of our Love Stories scheduled for brides and grooms. Love Stories are a video biography if you will, documenting how you met, fell in love, who proposed and how and your thoughts on your future life together as husband and wife. These are generally projected on the big screen for your guests at the wedding reception. These have become very popular add-ons in our packages this year.

Many of our brides tell us that they like the stories because it gives them a chance to introduce their spouse to the other side of the family. Many times the bride and groom have not met many of the relatives in their new families. For example, last fall we flew to Little Rock, Arkansas to film the story of Thomas and Jenny for their wedding this past January. They are both very involved in their church in Arkansas and the proposal took place in Arkansas, so it only made sense to go to Arkansas to complete the filming. You can check out thier story in the Gallery under "Upgrades".

In March of this year Kayla and Austin showed their story for guests at their reception. Many friends and family had no idea they met over the Internet, through Yahoo personals to be exact!

Another twist on the Love Stories is for currently married couples to document their life as well. We will be working with Shannon and Joe this summer. Joe and Shannon met us a few years ago after we filmed the wedding and Love Story of Joe's brother. This December, they will show their Story to guests at their 5th wedding anniversary party! We can't wait to post this one later this year, they are a phenominal couple full of life and the most carefree attitude of anyone I know!

So this past Wednesday we spent the day filming with Anastasia and Jason who will be married 7/7/07. We completed the interview portion of the story but the most fun part of the day was getting the casual shots we overlay in the video. We went downtown to the river where Jason proposed and reinacted it, and spent some time around the Hyatt where the two started feeling adventurous and played in the water-wall fountain! A stop at the newly renovated Keeper of Plains was also great! Playing softball was important to their story so we headed east to get some great shots of them pitching to each other, etc.

If you are interested in a Love Story, give us a shout, we'd love to talk to you!

The Wright-Weber Wedding

Say that ten times fast! Yesterday we spent the day with Kyleen and Ben.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day for the first part of June! Kyleen started her day at Botanica getting ready with her 8 bridesmaids. She had 4 hair stylists on site to help the ladies with their up-do's and everyone looked absolutely stunning. They completed their make up and got dressed wearing gorgeous strapless floor-length purple dresses. Kyleen wore a beautiful strapless gown herself with intricate beadwork and a layer of organza that fit her perfectly.
She chose to see Ben before the ceremony and had a portrait session with photographer, Marcia Morrison and her assistants. With not much time to spare the couple then headed to First Baptist Church in downtown Wichita for the ceremony. The church glowed with the altar nearly surrounded in candles. The flower girls were a big hit, walking a few steps and then stopping to throw rose petals. They were adorable in white sleeveless gowns with a bright purple sash. After the ceremony the couple were sent off by their guests through a cloud of bubbles!
The reception was held back at Botanica. The entire reception hall was filled with fresh flower arrangements at every table. The couple took a few minutes for more formal portraits with Marcia and then were introduced into the room. After the bride and groom cut the cake and toast to each other, Kyleen donned a white apron sporting an embroidered "Bride" on the front to 'christen' the chocolate fountain! They fed each other chocolate dipped strawberries- and the biggest strawberries I'd ever seen to date just for your information!
It was a very nice day for Kyleen and Ben, they had a chance to relax at the reception with many family and friends. Kyleen dedicated a song to her parents at the dance for their Anniversary the day before her and Ben's wedding and to thank them for all the work they had done to make their day so special.
Thanks Kyleen and Benjamin for letting us also spend the day with you, we've enjoyed getting to know you both very much!
Thanks to Marcia Morrison for the great photos for our blog post!

Smith- Hodge Wedding

What a day! We just returned from Melissa and Ryan's wedding tonight. The ceremony was held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in northwest Wichita. The day started for Melissa about 8 am arriving at the church for various tasks, then she was off to lunch and to have her hair and make up done. We arrived shortly before 1 pm getting detail shots of the church, flowers, dress, etc. Melissa returned to the church about 1:30 pm to continue getting ready with her bridesmaids, mother and mother-in-law and four of the most adorable flower girls we have been around to date! Ryan was sequestered to the childrens nursery to get ready with his groomsmen.

Melissa wore a beautiful strapless gown with intricate beadwork on the top of the bodess and along the edge of the hem of the dress and train. It was the first dress she tried on when shopping and she's had it for nearly a year! It looked perfect. She chose to see Ryan before the ceremony for photos and they had a private moment together about 3 pm.

Guests poured into the sanctuary and the ceremony started shortly after 5 pm. Afterwards, the bride and groom released all the guests by row from the sanctuary and had a chance to say hello to many friends and family. The bride and groom left the church through a barrage of bubbles and took an awesome limo to the newly opened Keeper of the Plains on the Arkansas River for some quick photos before heading to the reception at Exploration Place.

Their last dance concluded at 10 pm and they were off to start their new lives together! They drove off in Ryan's pick up which surprisingly escaped shoe polish, streamers and tin cans tied to strings hanging off the hitch!

Ryan and Melissa, thank you so much for choosing us to document your wedding day, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you both and your wonderful families! Enjoy yourselves in Hawaii and take lots of pictures and video because we want to see it when you get back!

Greensburg, Class of 2007

We just returned a short time ago from Greensburg, Ks. As everyone knows now, that is the town about 2 hours west of Wichita that suffered the EF5 tornado a few weeks ago on May 4th.

This was my second trip to Greensburg in two weeks.

The first trip was May 5th when I was called to assist in the search and rescue efforts with my search and rescue dog, Clarice. I felt I was helping in some small way and I hope it helped to set some people's mind at ease that we cleared areas and everyone had been accounted for. My dog was worked by another team member on the 6th as well as I stayed home tending to more business projects.

As I went about completing projects here the last few weeks, the town of Greensburg had a Commencement Ceremony they were planning with little notice and no school left to host the ceremony. Shortly before our wedding of Chase and Ashley yesterday, we received a phone call from the local DJ's Association here in town asking our Videography Association if someone could donate their time to film the graduation today. FCP was one of the few videographers available and we felt we needed to help more. We wanted to give the graduates something to take with them when everything or most everything they had before was lost.

Working off of 4 hours sleep and recharging batteries as fast as possible overnight, restocking camera bags with tape and charging remaining batteries on the way there, we made it in time this morning to clear security checkpoints, set up and film the ceremony for the 8th Grade Graduates and the Senior Class of 2007. Several Dignitaries were present giving what advice and encouragement they could. President Bush sent a letter of Congratulations which was read and a private reception followed for graduates, friends and family only, no press.

Those that set up the ceremony were very gracious to us and allowed us free reign to get shots of the class that national media was not allowed to get. Every student will receive a copy of the graduation when it is completed.

FCP would like to thank Mark Miles of VideoVisions for volunteering and assisting us by operating a third camera- thank you!

If you would like to help in the efforts at Greensburg, follow this link to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and see how you can help financially, by donations, or in other ways.

Congratualtions class of 2007!

The Wedding of Ashley & Chase!

We just finished up a wedding tonight for Ashley & Chase! Even though it was a long day, it was a great day! The day started early afternoon at Westlink Christian Church in northwest Wichita. Ashley arrived with her bridesmaids to get their nails, hair and make up done clad in hot pink flip flops to match the bridesmaids dresses-and get ready for the day. Ashley was very excited but a calm and hospitable bride who accomodated our every request to get great shots of her throughout the day! Her biggest worry of the day was deciding which pair of four sets of earrings to wear! For the record, her final choice was striking, classy and perfect in every way! She wore a stunning strapless fitted gown with an elegant train.

Ashley and Chase chose to see each other before the wedding and had a private moment a few hours before the wedding. They then took a variety of pictures with Tyffany, Jeff, and Netanya of T&J Studios to save time after the wedding. It was obvious they were very much in love and made for each other.

The ceremony itself went off without a hitch and afterwards they left the sanctuary dancing to "This will be an Everlasting love"! Not to miss a beat, the Pastor followed suit to the crowds laughter and applause! They were then sent on their way through a rainfall of rose petals and into a limo. I was able to ride along (and Jeff, too) and we stopped at Reflection Ridge Golf Course and Sedgwick County Park to grab some fun shots of them with the sun going down and then on to Camp Hiawatha for a reception and dance. It was a great time. Ashley and Chase were surrounded by their closest family and friends and we hope it was a great day they will have happy memories of for a long, long time to come. Watch for their prequel to be posted here in the next two weeks! (And T&J Studio's Debut on their website as well!) Photo above is courtesy of T&J Studios, Inc.!

To Ashley and Chase- you were an absolute joy to work with and we wish you all the luck and happiness life can bring you! Thank you for giving us the priviledge of capturing your awesome day!

Southern California Workshop!

This Monday I left for California for a Videography Workshop hosted by Blue Skies Cinema in Corona, California. I returned last night exhausted but full of great ideas and new strategies to impliment into the business here at Fat Cat. Unfortunately, I traveled alone, as the edit que did not allow both Barry and I to go- someone had to stay behind to continue work on several of our projects and weddings.

But it was nice for me to get away from rain and tornadoes and see the sun and the sand of Corona Del Mar Beach in Newport Beach, California! It was a quick trip. Everyone met Monday night to get aquainted and Tuesday/Wednesday were the actual workshop days filled with information on shooting and editing techniques and other topics. Jeff and Andee of Blue Skies were awesome and some of the most gracious, hospitable people I've met.

We were spoiled with munchies whenever we wanted from the concession stand while we had class in Jeff and Andee's private theatre where we held class. They also treated us to all our meals including a steak and lobster dinner on the patio by the pool and a few other hot spots in Newport while we were at the beach shooting. (Great job on the grill, Jeff!)

Although I met some great folks from across the country, it wasn't a socialization-only trip, it was business for sure and we practiced several filming techniques throughout our two 14 hour long days. So much so that my thighs were feeling the burn on the way home yesterday. I still ache. :)

With what I came away with from the workshop, I am sure it will help us in our upcoming weddings and only serve to help Fat Cat grow even more. There's lots more exciting news on the horizon for our business, but we have to wait a while to announce it, so stay tuned to keep informed! Back to the edit bay! All photos are courtesy of Tom Young at Lakepoint Films. THANKS TOM!

The group climbing on rock formations looking for the perfect shot!

Tom Young with Jeff and Andee (all photos courtesy of Tom from Lakepoint Films)

Talking shop with Eric and the gang on the patio waiting for our steak and lobster dinner!

Just hanging out.

A gorgeous view of the Corona Del Mar beach we shot at.

Trash Your Dress!

Fat Cat Productions and T&J Studios were featured today on the hugely popular website www.trashthedress.com! Check it out!

Tyff and Jeff sent in some really fun pictures of our eXtreme session we did last May with Brian and Amber Koch. Fat Cat submitted the video link of the session, which is linked at the very bottom of the post.

Trash The Dress is another photographers website that promotes photography of preserving your wedding gown/dress in an entirely different way- through photos (and our case, videos). After all, you only wear it once!
We were pleased to have someone in the MidWest be featured on the site as there are many photos of beautiful beach trashing sessions, so T&J submitted our own "beach" shots on the banks of the Arkansas River!

Be sure to give Fat Cat a call to schedule your eXtreme session now! Who knows, YOU might just end up on Trash The Dress! Awe, come on, just go for it!

KSN Throws a Wedding!

Fat Cat Productions and KSN team up!

We are very excited to announce our most recent news! Fat Cat Productions has been asked by KSN (Channel 3) in Wichita if we would like to participate in their latest project, “KSN Throws a Wedding!”.

The project has been in the planning stages for several weeks now and we are excited to be a part of this special event for one lucky couple from the KSN viewing area!
Starting at the end of July, KSN will be announcing the details of the contest that will run concurrently with the national competition hosted by the Today Show on NBC.
We feel very honored to be the exclusive cinematographer for this event!

Couples who are interested in letting KSN throw them a wedding can learn how to enter to win later this summer. Watch KSN for those details. The station will choose finalists and after a winner is announced, the viewing public gets to help in planning their big day this fall!

By online voting, viewers will choose most everything for the couple, from the tux, to the wedding gown, to the rings, to the cake and honeymoon location! It will definitely be a very exciting time for the lucky couple and we cannot wait to meet whoever that might be! Other area wedding vendors will also be involved from floral design, to wedding and reception venues and entertainment.

Fat Cat Productions role will be in providing the couple memories on video of the event from the salon to the party! We hope our blog readers will follow along with all the excitement later this summer as the contest kicks off and we are able to post more information!

Stay tuned to the Fat Cat Productions blog and KSN Channel 3 for more updates as we get closer to the event!

Fat Cat Goes to the Dogs!

Yesterday and today we spent some time in the morning filming for a very different type of project. J. Mannebach of Oz Cow Dogs in Colwich, Kansas has asked Fat Cat to produce a working dog training video for them. The video will cover how to choose the right working dog and specific training methods to work a dog on stock (cattle). This is not the type of herding you see at AKC competitions with cute little geese, fluffy white sheep, and bouncing baby goats running circles and pretty patterns through gates in record setting times. This is training for real working ranch dogs. High drive dogs. The kind that will run the cattle all day if you would let them, think on their own, get rolled by and kicked at by 800 plus pound cows and they keep on going, live and breathe for the opportunity to chase after and nip at a cow- and love every minute of it. They are the take charge type dog that will bite at the heels and nose of the cows to get them to move and not blink an eye. They aren't your pretty competition show dogs either, after a good work out with the cattle they enjoy rolling in the mudholes for a job well done!

So off we went with our nice clean shiny tripods and expensive cameras we spent our hard earned money on, into a pasture full of cow pies and mudholes and about 6 or 7 head of cattle to film the dogs at work, hoping the dogs were in control enough to not cause a stampede right over top of us. Needless to say it was the most fun we've had in a while! Being the avid dog lover and trainer that I am, I even picked up a few pointers!

Filming will continue for the next couple of weeks off and on, as weather permits and this summer we will be editing the complete DVD Training Video Set, target completion date is sometime this fall. When it is completed, we will post a short clip to show you how exciting it was. Unfortunately I wasn't able to take pictures as I was busy filming!

Until then, it's time to keep Moo-ving on in the edit que. Things never seem to slow down around here!

Adam and Jena

Yesterday we were able to share the day with Adam and Jena. What a great couple! The wedding was held at Central Christian Church in Wichita with the reception at the Broadview Hotel.

It was another twist on our destination weddings in Wichita. Jena is from Wichita, but Adam is originally from New York and family was present from all over including New York, Florida and Canada!

Jena prepared at the church with her 6 bridesmaids. The bridesmaids all chose different dresses to compliment their own personal style and they looked fabulous all in a bright beautiful red. Jena was then taken to the prayer room where close family shared a prayer of blessing upon her before she walked down the isle to see Adam for the first time that day.

Stems provided beautiful flower arrangements and candles adorned the altar area for the ceremony.

After vows were exchanged, they chose to symbolize their coming together with Unity Sand instead of a Unity Candle. After being introduced as husband and wife, pictures were taken and they were wisked away in a stretch SUV limo to the Broadview hotel for the party hosted by Scott at AMM (Accent Mobile Music)!

Very touching toasts blessed the couples new lives together and they danced the night away!

It was a pleasure to work with both Jena and Adam, we hope you enjoy their wedding Prequel, set to the music that Jena marched into the church to!

New Website Launch!

We have said for some time that we had exciting news coming about a new sister site to Fat Cat Productions.

We’ve finally got things up and running with all of the hub bub around here and are proud to announce a new web site totally dedicated to… babies! So after the wedding when little ones start arriving, don't forget to keep capturing life!

www.announcemychild.com

This site is to share and promote our newest venture, Baby Stories and Video Birth Announcements! There are samples in the gallery to give clients ideas, you may have seen them here in our blog already. We can film from the first time parents perspective, existing children looking forward to a baby brother or sister, etc. It’s totally up to the client and what they are looking for to document the arrival of their child!

Thanks to Tyff and Jeff again for the great layout and design work! Not to mention some adorable baby pictures from their amazing Progressive Sessions! What a great keepsake for when your child is grown, a Progressive Session, a Baby Story, and a video Birth Announcement.

The site is not chalk full of information yet, but it has enough to go live. The more projects we are able to do, the more we will be able to share with you!
If you know of someone who would be interested in this exciting new venture, pass the info along and call Fat Cat to schedule Baby Story planning today!