New Prequel Online and Happy Earth Day!

Hello again! The Gering wedding prequel is now online in their post, check out some of the amazing footage we captured for them in Mexico! Let us know what you think by leaving your comments at the link at the end of the post!

Happy Earth Day, be sure to do your part to conserve our earths energy and make it a great place to live!
Coming soon, the Walker/Carney Wedding Day update from April 19th!

Remember if you haven't scheduled videography for your wedding, Fat Cat still has some 2008 dates available and 2009 has been opened for bookings! Book early for the best deals and destination packages!

Steph

Reibenspies-Gering and the Fat Cat's Mexican Adventure!

Well, what can we say? It was an awesome trip to Mexico this past week. We had been looking forward to this trip for quite some time. Our bride and groom, Stacey and Greg booked a destination package with Fat Cat to document their oceanfront wedding in Puerto Morales, Mexico near Cancun. We also were able to double up the trip making it a vacation of sorts for us. I'll try to give you all the rundown without being too winded.

Our flight was booked out of Kansas City direct to Cancun on the 5th so we went up the night before to be ready for a 7 am flight on the 5th. It seemed we'd never get out of town and we arrived to KC around 9:30 pm, then needed dinner and a Wally World run. Needless to say we had about 3 hours sleep that night. We headed to the airport that next morning only to find Cancun airport delayed our flight an hour. This was not welcome news as we had a Scuba diving certification to get to at 1 pm Cancun time. So after waiting as patiently as we could, we were off and landed in Cancun only to find ourselves waiting in line at baggage. Customs was a breeze. Then the 20 minute cab ride to El Cid Resort. We barely walked in the door and met up with the bride and groom who'd been there for 2 days already, sunburnt but relaxed. Our room was not ready so we dumped the baggage in their room and we all headed off together to the dive shop immediately; making it in record time!

The ocean was gorgeous, but it was very rough and terribly windy. There were 5 of us, as the bride was unable to dive that day, and needless to say we were all a little nervous about the huge waves bouncing us around in the boat! I've been on Cheney Lake on a good windy day, but this was something else! We geared up and sat on the edge of the boat entering the water backwards! Once I realized I was going to survive, I tried to get to the bottom (only 8 or 9 feet down) and never could as I was having problems with my vest. The current carried my unhappy self to a place in the ocean the boat was just barely able to get to in case we needed rescued :) and Barry and Greg came up trying to help me. The boat headed my way was a welcome site. The dive master said had we gone much further his boat would not have been able to get to us- GREAT! Nice way to start the trip. I was frustrated and mad and wanted back in the boat ASAP. So, we decided we'd try another day if the weather cooperated more.

Heading back dissapointed but happy to not have been washed out to sea, we finally got checked into our room and got to spend some great time with the bride and groom at the pool, at dinner, and elsewhere.

The second day we decided to head to Playa del Carmen just down the road for some shopping, great food, and some great laughs with the rest of the group. It was a good thing the groom spoke some spanish to help us all out! After a phenominal dinner back at the resort, we headed to bed and the next day geared up for our next adventure to the Island of Isla Mujeres! This was again a phenominal time. We ferried over then split our group of 8 up (9 counting the brides daughter) onto two different golf carts and drove all over the island looking for adventure. The island is only 7 miles long and everyone rides mopeds and golf carts, with some very small cars on the road as well. Most all the ladies decided we all wanted to go swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Discovery. I had done this once before on our cruise to Mexico at an aquarium, but this was completely different in the ocean! We all were able to interact with Louis the dolphin and get a belly ride and a foot push. Awesome critters. After drying out we had a little bit of time to return our golf carts and head to a great dinner on the beach near sunset and headed back to the resort via the ferry. I wished we'd had time to visit the turtle farm, but maybe another trip :)

The bride and groom decided they would like to come back to the island after the wedding for a photo shoot.

Tuesday was the big day for Stacey and Greg, and what we had come all this way for. Everyone was excited. We all met for breakfast and then headed to the spa while Stacey did a run through on her hair for the evening. Her friends surprised her with a bottle of champagne for the ladies and bridal gifts. Stacey was also surprised receiving a massage of her choice after finishing her hair that all the ladies pitched in to get. I was able to enjoy an 80-minute therapeutic ts'aak massage. All I can say is, that is something I could quite easily make a habit out of! Why was I not pampering myself before!? Anyways, afterwards there was no time to spare gathering equipment while Barry hung out with Greg and I followed Stacey to her room while she prepared for the wedding. She wore a white, sheer, strapless gown she purchased in Kansas City from Amore Bridal. White flip flops completed her beach look! The groom donned a casual tan suit with dark brown flip flops, but went barefoot for the ceremony. Stacey's flowers were provided by the resort and were vibrant oranges, creams, and other spring/summer colors. Stacey's daughter, Maddie was the flower girl in a simple white sundress and flip flops carrying a matching bouquet of flowers.

The resort sent an escort at a quarter to 6 to Stacey's room. Stacey, Maddie and I all rode on a golf cart to the beach. I was dropped off early at the beach and Stacey was escorted to the end of the pier to make her walk down this very different "isle"! She was preceded by Maddie.

It was a small private wedding, with no wedding party, and only 9 guests including Barry and I. A friend of the groom's came all the way from Iraq, where he lives and works. The crashing waves of the ocean were our backdrop with a bit of wind carrying pelicans and seagulls above us. A very short ceremony followed with friends signing the marriage license and the couple sharing in a unity sand ceremony with daughter Maddie. After the wedding, we had a chance to get some fun ocean shots on the beach and on a beached catamaran with friend and photographer, Dr. Matt Moll.

Dinner followed at the Alcazar at the resort and lots of champagne and toasts! I even got to sneak up to the newlyweds room before they did to get a shot of rose petals scattered throughout!

The next day several of Greg and Stacey's friends had to leave for the states, but we were able to stay and have a grand time with the newlyweds. We started out the day meeting Greg and Stacey at the pool to have some fun and "take the plunge" from the diving rock at the pool. We also conducted our on camera interviews with each of them since they will be receiving our new style of editing and storytelling- we like to call it a "cross-over"! It's similar to a Love Story and wedding video rolled into one, we can't wait to show you! Then we again headed into town to get that much awaited scuba certification! The seas were much calmer and we geared up and rolled out into the waves over the edge of the boat. Effortlessly gliding down to 30 feet below the surface to kneel on the sand below, the certification and skills went much smoother than I expected. After a practice emergency accent, we were done! And wishing we had more time to spare to follow the fish around and enjoy the time a little more. But we had to dry off and head back to El Cid to pick up the bride and groom for their photo session on the island of Isla Mujeres!

We crammed in a taxi, wedding dress in tow and after the ferry ride across the ocean, Stacey was a trooper changing into her dress in the tiniest, near to next dirtiest bathroom we've seen and promptly jumped on the back of a moped rented by her new husband! We followed in a golf cart getting shots of them riding through the streets of Isla Mujeres while bystanders clapped and cheered. It was also quite commical with one of the many stray dogs in town jumping onto the moped with NO prompting wanting to go for a ride! So off they went! Too hilarious. Time went by so fast we headed to the beach for sunset pictures and a dip in the ocean!

After an incredible meal at a local restaurant, we again climbed aboard the ferry and headed for a well deserved rest before the flight home early the next morning. We again, got about 3 hours sleep by the time we shared drinks with Greg and Stacey, rinsed and repacked scuba gear and cameras. Flights again were delayed but we were finally able to make it to the states and smooth sailing through customs. We were still so tired on the drive home from KC we stopped in Emporia for a good nights rest before sailing the rest of the way in.

To Greg and Stacey, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your spectacular day and your trip. We are very excited to put the edit together. We look forward to your reception here at home and most importantly, a long friendship in the future. LET'S GO DIVING!

Enjoy the photos we have posted here of the trip and check out the prequel at the end of the post!

Here's Barry saying hi at the pool, working on the tan that quickly turned into a sunburn in about 15 minutes! This is a view of the resort beach from the pier the wedding was held at. Stacey reads a letter handwritten from her daughter Maddie at the salon, Maddie also presented her with a beautiful necklace and pendant. Maddie playing with our underwater housing in the waves, look out everyone, she could be our future competition! Pelicans sun themselves on the rock ledges at the Garrafon Dolphin Discovery. Pelicans were absolutely everywhere! Another critter sunning himself at the restaurant near the beach we snorkeled at on Isla Mujeres. Hmmm. What is that? Another animal getting some sun, that's Bear picking up in the "Jaguar" after our first scuba diving adventure. We ended up snorkeling near the beach here and saw baracuda! Ya, you guessed it, my silly mug snorkeling at Isla Mujeres trying to get some shots with my new underwater housing (good to 17 feet!) but I had a little issue with moisture and leakage, so we'll have to check that out. Haven't looked at the footage yet, I hope to soon! There's the camera (it stayed dry, but I didn't want to push my luck!) These pictures were taken with our still camera and underwater housing by Barry. He saw lots of cool critters- check them out!
This is some sort of ray, not sure what kind, but isn't it cute!? A closer look at the unknown sea creature!
The prized photo from the trip! Here is a sand ray Barry caught a glimpse of, I never saw him and I'm jealous! Isn't it awesome? This the Dolphinarium at Garrafon on Isla Mujeres. I thought it was neat to swim with the dolphins in the ocean instead of an aquarium like our last adventure in Mexico, both experinces were awesome though! That's our group lining up getting ready to enter the water.

So check out the prequel below and let us know what you think!

Pretty good for a Kansas kid huh?

Cox-Koehn

We didn't have much time to rest after our trip to Mexico and we were right back to filming locally last night for Jessica and Andrew! (More on that soon) We had filmed Jessica's cousins wedding last year (Close-Wilbert) and Jessica had already booked photography thru T&J Studios. They saw us all working Melissa and Jace's wedding together and hadn't thought much about video, then came in to talk to us and booked a couple weeks later. To sum it up, we are so happy we had the chance to work with them and to see the Wilbert's again!

So the day started early at Progressions Salon on the west side of town. Jessica had originally purchased a package from us that did not include salon coverage. She had mentioned to her mother that she would have liked to have done that and her mother secretly contacted us to set up the surprise. We were at the salon for Jessica with Tyff and Jeff bright and early at 8 am! She had a HUGE smile on her face and it never left her all day. Most of the ladies showed up to the salon as well to get their hair fixed and everyone looked absolutely amazing. The bride was thrilled with her hair but had a little giggle when a few minutes after everything was done, realized the veil was in backwards. No worries, it was fixed in a flash. Then they were off to the church, St. Francis of Assisi to get dressed. Jessica had her cousin Melissa apply her make up and she did several of the ladies applications. It looked phenominal!

Meanwhile Barry was hanging out with Jeff documenting the guys preparing and assisting on their photo session. I hear they were quite the group, literally climbing the walls of the church! Can't wait to go thru that footage!

The bride and groom chose to see each other prior to the ceremony to complete all the photos so they would have more time for visiting with guests at the reception. We think Andrew was quite in awe of his bride when he turned to see her. She looked stunning in her gown. I don't dare describe this one for fear of not doing it justice. It was amazing. You'll have to check out the prequel to get a peek.

Photos went quick and smoothly. And we all had fun with the shoes at this wedding. After Jessica saw some photos that Jeff took in California of a bride with a white dress and bright red heels, she decided she wanted the same. She wore maroon heels with her gown and the bridesmaids had on red heels with black dresses, and not to be outdone, the flower girls in white, wore ruby red sparkling slippers! The men also stood out in traditional stark black tuxes. It was a phenominal looking wedding party!

The ceremony was a full catholic mass. The brides father Gino shared the readings and a string quartet performed along with the organist. After the ceremony, the newlyweds were whisked away in the River City Trolley for a quick photo opp at Sedgwick County Park and were back in record time to be announced by the brides father at the reception. The church hall was full and the bride and groom enjoyed visiting with all their family and friends at dinner. There were guests from as far away as Minnesota and even Italy!

The bride and groom will be spending their honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexcio! We tried to get them to take us along, but apparently there just wasn't enough time to plan! Bummer! Andrew and Jessica, thank you again so much for having us, we had a wonderful time with you and your families. We know you will be extremely happy in your life together and we wish you many years of happiness and joy! Take lots of photos in Mexico, we sure would like to see them when you return. PS- want to wear that dress again? We can always hook you up with an extreme session! :)

Check out the video below of their wedding day prequel!

Happy Easter and Fat Cat prepares for an adventure!

We hope everyone was able to enjoy the Easter Holiday with their families today and remember the reason for the day. Nope, sorry not chocolate, although it comes as a nice fringe benefit! We had a great time hanging with the Shay clan this afternoon and enjoying a great turkey dinner prepared by my brother and his wife. We totally blew our diets with my homemade ice cream cake dessert and pre-made Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory! (YUM!) But we'll make up for it tomorrow on the treadmill and with additional crunches. Speaking of the treadmill, we are not only trying to keep ourselves healthier, but build some stamina as well the last month or so as we prepare for the start of the traditional wedding season and our big adventure in Puerto Morales, Mexico in just a few short weeks! We finally thawed out from Colorado in January and barely snuck in some time to fake bake recently to get that pasty white skin tan so we don't burn like lobsters while we work our way a bit closer to the equator!

Here at FCP it is totally a myth that cats hate water...this week we embark on our first underwater adventures! We learned to snorkel on our honeymoon many years ago in the Carribean and this last year enjoyed it even more on our anniversary cruise in the Pacific along the Mexican coast! But at that time I desperately wanted to follow some of the fish so badly that instead of swimming straight ahead I followed them DOWN below the surface and sucked in seawater down the snorkel! It was time to learn to SCUBA DIVE! After that trip, life, work and editing happened so the class never materialized for us. Well now that we have a chance to use the skill again, we decided to go for it and finally learn scuba!

So the weeks schedule has been jam packed with appointments, deliveries, editing and other personal stuff, now we get to make time to read the home study portion of the scuba class and watch the training DVD before Thursday's instruction and then pool time at the beginning of next week! It will be a nice break from the hustle and bustle we've been dealing with and we think we are going to have a great time to boot- we'll be taking class with the bride who will be married in Mexico and her friends! Too fun! Maybe I'll even get some underwater video on my trip! Can't wait to put THAT in her wedding video! That is the plan anyway, watch for it in the coming weeks! We'll keep you posted! And we'll get some pics back up on this blog eventually, I know how reading books without pictures is- boring! :)

Until next time blog stalkers.......

Fat Cat goes GREEN! And the latest episode of Honey I Shrunk the Truck!

It's been busy as always at Fat Cat, including things of a personal nature, not just all business. We've spent some time the last several weeks car shopping as I refuse to continue giving the gas companies any more money than I have to. My trusty little Element turned 5 this year and was out of warranty and I knew anything that went wrong with it would soon eat me out of house and home, plus I've had this nagging desire to go greener after I replaced the lightbulbs in the house to more energy efficient models and such. So the hunt began for several vehicles, and we ultimately decided on a Toyota Prius! :) After waiting nearly a week to have it delivered, I've been playing with all the crazy new features my old car never dreamed of having! The Element was pretty basic, as I don't require many bells and whistles to keep me happy. It had 4 wheel drive, heat and a/c, a radio and CD player, power windows and locks and that was about it. Now I am totally confused trying to learn to drive without the assistance of a traditional key, not freak out when it seems the car dies at a stop light and keep my eyes on the road instead of the touch screen display on the dash that monitors everything from my radio and temperature controls to the energy efficiency of the Hybrid electric and gas motors! But it is pretty cool, I totally love it and I've already laughed driving by a couple gas stations. I know I have to fill up eventually but it sure is nice not having to do it as often as I was used to! I'm already getting nearly 48 miles to the gallon!

On the same subject of gas, Barry's big Dodge went bye-bye too, with diesel fuel already at $4 per gallon for a little while now, it was time to downsize. We never have needed that big of a truck, nor the gihusic Ford we had before that, so Barry traded to a Toyota Tacoma. It's quite fun to drive, we still have a 4 wheel drive vehicle for any more projected snow next winter like we had this season, and both vehicles will be much easier to keep clean now as they are both white! :) It's not as fuel effiicient as my car of course, but it makes up for that in the "cute" factor! Wave the next time you see us zooming by!

FCP Blogger Spotlight: T&J Studios

We see Tyff and Jeff alot at our studio and on assignments at weddings, extreme sessions and other jobs, but when we see them, this is usually what they look like! Hard at work. Jeff recently returned from Las Vegas where he and Brett spent the week at the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) Conference. They had a blast. WPPI is similar to what WEVA (Wedding and Event Videographers Association) is for videographers. Their heads are now full of new ideas to streamline and improve their business (and I'm sure when we hear all the stories we will get some great ideas ourselves!) So if you want to know more, check out Tyff and Jeff's blog on their website located to the right. In the meantime, we have chosen T&J Studios to be the first vendor and photographer to be in the new FCP Blogger Spotlight! We had a few questions for Tyff and Jeff and their business....

How long have you been in business? 7 years

Describe your style. Unique and fresh

How did you decide to get into photography? One class and I was hooked

What types of photography services do you offer? Weddings, babies, seniors, pets, corporate, families

Who is involved with T&J? Tyffany, Jeff and partner Brett

Best part of being a wedding photographer? Getting those detail shots that everyone forgets about after the fact. Also allowing the bride relive her day that might bring back happy tears. Bridal prep is one of my favorite parts of a wedding day and documenting all the prep that goes behind all the planning of the big day. There is so much happiness in every wedding and being able to document people laughing and celebrating is wonderful.

What products do you offer that are unique to clients? framing, custom albums, custom cards/announcements and more that our customers come up with that we can create

Advice for future brides regarding professional photography? Lots but a personal one we say is You want to enjoy your day and that is why we are unlimited time and document it as if it was our own.

Where do you get your inspiration? God

What is the best compliment you have received with your photography? When a bride calls asking for a date being available and we are booked leading to the bride wanting to change her date so she can use our services.

Check back in the coming weeks for more FCP Blogger Spotlights with our favorite vendors!

New Prequel Online!

Well, after a prequel withdrawl, here is a new prequel for all you blog-stalkers! The Oehmke-Collins Prequel is finally up. Jessie enjoys the 70's so we tried to pick something appropriate, hope you like it! Scroll down to their blog entry to find it! Sorry no more prequels for about a month again as we will soon be headed to Mexico for Stacey and Greg's beachfront wedding in April! In the meantime we will be editing and sprucing up the new site for release SOON! We will be encoding new videos to share with you in the gallery as well, we will keep you posted. Stay tuned!

FCP Blogger Report: Camcorders

Our first in a series of reports on tips and tricks in wedding planning, etc. So many of our friends come to us when they are shopping for a camcorder..."which one is best? what do I need to look for?" etc. So we decided to post a little information that we end up passing along to our many friends and family. Enjoy. Hope it helps you.

SG

Choosing A Camcorder

So your wedding is quickly approaching and you are all geared up and excited for the honeymoon that follows so you can relax and unwind after months and months of planning and a super hectic day. . . now you want a video camera to remember that special once in a lifetime trip to ____ (Grand Cayman, Paris, Tahiti, etc) you fill in the blank! But there are so many camcorders out there to choose from, you’re confused and overwhelmed. It seems like you are planning for the wedding all over again doesn’t it? Never fear- Fat Cat to the rescue! Well, choice number one, you could always hire Fat Cat to tag along with you to see the sights and document your awesome time, or secondly, you could just use these handy hints to choose a nice camcorder to take with you and leave us here with a long face :( Boo.
First, do you want a camcorder that shoots Standard Definition or High Definition (HD)?
The big differences are the format the camera shoots, Standard Def. will provide you with a square picture of good quality and High Def. will provide you with a widescreen picture with much more clarity and detail. Plus, with all the TV’s these days being of a widescreen format and dimension, it would probably make sense to shop around for a High Def. camera. There aren't many standard definition cameras left it seems like! We have two palm sized HD camcorders we have used for trips and events, just beware of what things you will be shooting with your new camera. Interiors of buildings? All outdoor footage? The largest drawback of HD is its struggle in low light conditions. They rock outdoors in good light. For example, I got absolutely beautiful footage from our camcorder on our cruise to Mexico at the end of 2006. Wish I had time to post a clip for you! It works great and they are small and lightweight enough to keep as carry on for air travel. If you are shooting indoors, for example a museum that has low light and does not allow for flash on cameras, that footage will end up looking quite grainy. No getting around that without an additional light source.
What is your price range and what will the camera mostly be used for? Cameras aren’t cheap, let’s face it. But there are many models of cameras really coming down in price that do an outstanding job for the average consumer who just wants to take short videos of the kiddies growing up, at birthday parties, vacation and the like. You really don’t need a camera with every bell and whistle on it if you will be mainly filming the young’ens school concerts on a tripod or the family reunion. For example, one can get a great HD palm sized camera starting at about $399 from B&H Photo. You can get a ‘refurb’ model for under $200.
What else do I need besides the camera?
Well, depending on the media it records to, tape or DVD, memory cards, etc (Mini DV is the most popular), you will need to invest in that. Mini DV tapes run about $4 each if purchased separately for approximately 1 hour of tape. Depending on how much you use your camcorder, a good supply of batteries is imperative. Most cameras come with one small capacity battery that last about 1 hour of run time, but the larger capacity batteries can run $50 and up depending on the camera make and model. Unless the camera comes with several accessories, you will need an A/C charger to recharge those batteries. Those can run about $35 and up. To protect your investment, get a good carry case or bag for your camera and supplies. Another $50 and up, depending on the quality, how many compartments, is it waterproof, shock resistant, etc?
So where do I go? Who has the best deals?
We don’t endorse any one company, nor a brand of camcorder, but one of the largest online suppliers is as mentioned, B&H Photo (www.bhphoto.com). You can also try the larger electronics stores from some great deals from time to time. Best Buy, Circuit City and even Wal-Mart. When you find a model you like, shop, shop, shop. Read online reviews. Are there online coupons? Price compare and ask if there are any upcoming sales on the product. Will buying it local save you on shipping a product you found via the internet? If the model you think you like is on display at an area store, go look at it, pick it up, feel it. Does it look like it will hold up to the type of recording you will be doing? Turn it on, look at the picture you get with it, is it what you expected? (Please note most the displays with the flip out screens are quite deceiving until you connect your camcorder to a TV to replay your footage. The footage usually looks better on a good TV!)
Extended warranties? That’s a matter of personal taste. Depending on how much you are spending on the camera, sometimes the price of the warranty doesn’t hardly make sense to purchase if something ever breaks on the camera. There are times it’s cheaper to just go buy a new one. On the other hand, cameras nowadays are lasting longer and longer and it may be well worth a few extra dollars on an extended warranty. That is strictly personal preference.
In our family, we are the go-to people for questions about electronics, just as we are with medical complaints and ailments and animal training! But these are the usual questions we get when they are shopping for a new camcorder and some of the advice we give them. Hope that helps a little bit.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the FCP Blogger Report!

The Latest at Fat Cat!

Sorry for the laziness with the blog recently, we have been very busy, shooting, editing, and planning for upcoming weddings and destination travel! We wanted to fill you in on some new things happening here at Fat Cat though-

From time to time this year Fat Cat will be adding some new diverse things to the blog to go with our upcoming new website! :) We will be sharing several new articles of interest instead of just videos and “what’s up” with us. For example, we will be posting several articles on choosing a camcorder (for you honeymooners), picking other wedding vendors, including interviews with our local faves (photographers, florists, etc) and other juicy little tidbits of information to help you in your wedding planning and more! If there is something you’d like to hear about or a question you’d like answered here in the blog, please send it our way via email to info at fatcatrocks.com :)
Of course, there are lots of folks also anxiously awaiting the online studio tour…that will actually be posted in the coming weeks, the studio is getting the final touches this next month and then sometime late in April we will finally be able to share that with you. Everything is looking quite nice! We are so excited to have our Open House as well, we are hoping will be about the same time or May. Things just took longer than we anticipated so don’t lose hope just yet! We can’t wait to launch the new web site as well which will have a few new features, including our new online gift registry! Stay tuned!

Collins Wedding in Colorado

We arrived home Sunday from the wedding in Breckenridge, what an adventure!

We left early on Wednesday evening to try to get out to Western Kansas to beat some of the weather we heard was coming! We had dinner with friends Jason and Deanna in Salina who were also traveling to Colorado to go skiing for vacation at Keystone just down the road! We made it to Hays before we were utterly exhausted and hit the hay about midnight. We were then up early on Thursday to drive to the Rockies. We made a stop at Outdoor World in Denver when we got a call from Deanna who was ahead of us at that time stating we had better get a move on as there was white out conditions near the Eisenhower tunnel. I fired off a shot of the stuffed lion and off we went. In good time, too. The conditions were starting to deteriorate, with truckers required to chain tires, etc and the tunnel closing a few hours after we made it through! When we arrived, we stayed at River Mountain Lodge. The weather remained blustery, cold and snowy for the next two days. I had started to wonder if there was a back up plan for the "outdoor" ceremony! After a little shopping, we met up with the bride, Jessie, and her family and friends at the same restaurant we chose for dinner, Mi Casa! So we visited a while before dinner and at that time Jessie chose not to do the Love Story so we decided to film the rehearsal dinner instead. No problem. The Oehmke's are pretty laid back folks! After a really great dinner, including a brief power outage from all the snow they'd received and great service from our waiter Kevin, we were off to bed. The next day we ran around town, well walked, at 10,000 feet to get our bearings and shoot some B-roll. Beautiful town. The rehearsal dinner was fun at a place called Eric's Downstairs, the best pizza in town. The grooms parents were wonderful hosts driving all the way from New York! Everyone was given gift baskets thanking them for coming, as well as party favors of chocolates in the shape of skiis and ski boots! The actual rehearsal did not take place till Saturday morning. So off to bed we went.

Saturday morning we loaded the truck and headed to the ceremony site for rehearsal. Afterwards, I documented the ladies at lunch and getting their hair and make up applied. It was a very relaxing morning with close friends and family. The bride's sister, Jenny was her maid of honor, whose wedding we filmed a few years prior. She wore a strapless dark brown two piece gown with heels and the bride was stunning in a strapless champagne gown that gathered to the sides on the bodess, replacing any intricate beadwork. She had a mid-length train that bustled into a bow in the back and to stay warm outside - a fur shawl/throw and to complete the winter look, killer cream colored snow boots with a bow in the front from Zappos.com.

Barry was able to spend a few minutes with the groom prior to the ceremony before having to set up equipment. Scott was very calm before the wedding and had enjoyed his week-long stay skiing the black diamond slopes with friends!

Before we knew it, it was time to head to the tent for the ceremony as the sun started to come down over the mountain. It ended up being a gorgeous day, with a clear view of the ski slopes in the background, not hardly a bit of wind. The bride walked between Christmas light adorned trees and into the clear tent with both her parents, with music from a talented Native American musical artist, Leon Littlebird, playing in the background. A friend who lives in Denver made the trip to be the officiant and read a part of the brides favorite childrens book in her homily, The Velveteen Rabbit. Friends and family read scripture and prayer after the vows and exchange of rings. Before we knew it Jessie and Scott were husband and wife and exited the tent for some photos as the guests remained inside the tent for cocktail hour.

The couple was soon announced into their reception hall that was beautifully decorated with white toule and shades of blue and brown. We played a photomontage, the couple toasted, cut the cake and enjoyed a great dinner. Then we saw a familiar face with the catering staff, Kevin, our waiter from dinner our first night there! The dancing went into the evening and our hats off to everyone who braved the dance floor all night long at 10,000 feet when nearly everyone was from out of town (and a much lower elevation)!

We wrapped up the evening exhausted but very happy we made the trip for Jessie. The Oehmke's have always made us feel like family.

To Jessie and Scott, thank you very much for letting us capture your day, we had a great time with both of you and your families. It was great seeing everyone again, please stay in touch! Click below to see the wedding day prequel!

Go West Fat Cat!

Exciting things going on here at Fat Cat! We are off today to head West into the Rockies! We are shooting a wedding in Colorado this weekend in 6 feet of snow, outside, in a tent (heated thank the Lord!), with a view of the mountains at sunset! Should be an exciting adventure! We are going a bit early to film a Love Story for the couple as well, look for that this summer! I've got my new snow boots laced up and ready to forge ahead. Tyff and Jeff will be holding down the fort at the office in the heat :) We will be excited to show all of you the prequel for this wedding, so check back and look for it here!! Here is the link to where the wedding will be held: Hyatt Main Street

After that we get 2 months to unthaw here at home before taking Fat Cat International! We are off to our first beachfront destination wedding in April! We will be near Cancun, Mexico for a 5 night stay at El Cid, we couldn't be more excited. Thanks to our soon to be newlyweds, Stacey and Greg, for making that trip come together! Stacey is a brave one, too- beachfront/ocean extreme session here we come! If you are getting married later in '08 or even into '09 and are heading out of town, or even out of the country, and thought you couldn't take Fat Cat with you- think again!

Have camera. Will travel. :)

We also will be launching our new web site soon! We are excited about that and thanks to Jeff for all the work on it over the last several months amidst his already hectic and busy schedule. We are encoding new video for the gallery/visuals page as well. We'll post as soon as the new site is HOT! So, lots to do. Now I must finish packing, we'll check in with you all soon!
SG

Hackler Prequel Online Now!

The Keller/Hackler Wedding Day Prequel is now online! Scroll down to learn about their day and view it! Be sure to leave your comments about it or for Stacy and TJ in the post! Don't forget to sign up to subscribe to the blog (to your right) so you can receive notices about the most recent happenings at Fat Cat!

Another Prequel Online Now!

Scroll down to the Kramer/Thome Wedding entry to find Kassy and William's wedding day prequel! Up next is the Keller/Hackler Prequel coming soon! And stay tuned for more exciting news this week! Things are starting to, well... continuing to be crazy here at Fat Cat!

Blanding/Humphreys Prequel Now Online!

Sorry the blog has been dead lately, but we are trying little by little to bring it back to life! It's been so busy! We are happy to announce that the Blanding/Humphreys Prequel is finally online! Scroll down to their blog entry to find it! If you have been enjoying the prequels and our other work here, be sure to sign up for our free subscription service in the tab to your right! You will receive an email only when the blog is updated and your email is not given to anyone. Go ahead and sign up some friends, too (be sure to ask permission first!) Lots of exciting things happening this year we will be announcing very shortly! Enjoy! SG

New Prequel Online (and other stuff!)

Scroll down to the Wild Weekend #2 post to find Matt and Aspen's Wedding Day Prequel now online! We hear there was much anticipation for this one from their friends and family! So you can all now enjoy and rest and let poor Matt sleep :)

Next prequel due up is Blanding/Humphreys. We'll let you know as soon as it goes online, too!

Lots coming up in the blog as soon as we get time to post...the Hutchinson Community College Field Operations Documentary from last August is now complete and we will be previewing that with the Program Director this week and sharing bits of it with you on the blog as soon as we can! It's a very different kind of edit for Fat Cat and it was a fun one! Unfortunately we are unable to post the entire project due to the time frame, but we'll give you a little flavor of what the program is like!

The studio is coming along nicely and we are starting to finally put more finishing touches on the building, anticipating our Open House, which apparently isn't going to happen in January due to scheduling and all the craziness going on, but stay tuned we will announce it shortly! There was more painting...guess what we painted orange? :) You'll have to come see and find out! OK, the crazy guys over at T&J actually painted it orange- blame them! :) There is heat in the photography studio now and new sets being built as we speak so Tyff and Jeff can continue to wow you :)

We are excited for our upcoming weddings and the new opportunities that are opening up for us! In February- Breckenridge, Colorado here we come! Brr, it's going to be a cold one! We'll be practicing for the Denver wedding in August :)

We'll let you know more exciting news as it comes in the next few weeks! Stay tuned!

Keller / Hackler Kansas City Wedding!

What a weekend! We just got things packed up after the bridal fair and a wedding last weekend to roll right into another wedding this weekend in Kansas City!

We met TJ and Stacy after they booked us for their wedding several months ago when we filmed a Love Story for them in KC they purchased in their wedding package. They were alot of fun and we were excited to actually get to the wedding after spending the day with them! We will encode their Love Story for you to see here soon!

We were excited to work with Tyffany and Jeff again from T&J Studios also. Stacy had T&J and us to document her bridal preparation at the hotel as part of her package and it was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone in her Suite. She had several hair stylists in the room to tend to all the girls and a make up artist as well. Her hair was crafted and sculpted by the family stylist that came in from Hutchinson. She was surrounded by a multitude of friends and family. After her hair and make up were done, she and the ladies took their dresses to the church to finish getting ready. Tyff and I met up with them there at County Club Christian Church. It's a gorgeous old church made of stone and a huge bell tower, it made for some great photographs.

As Tyff and I went with Stacy, Barry and Jeff were hanging out with the guys getting photos outside in the snow- snowball fights included! The girls weren't as brave, it was bitterly cold out, the coldest day of the winter thus far in Kansas City, a smoldering 8 degrees! Family and friends came from all over both in and out of state, Hollywood included, and co workers of Stacy and TJ, too as they are both in the medical fields.

Stacy was excited to see her groom for the first time in a private moment together, wearing a gorgeous strapless gown and train with floor length veil. TJ very handsome in a killer pinstriped tux. After some photos at the church, the bridal party, T&J and myself hopped in a limo bus to go to the Plaza for some very quick and cold photos while Barry set up at the church. We were back in record time for a very elegant ceremony.

The couple was introduced as husband and wife and wasted no time heading back out to the cold for the guests to shower them with red rose petals before getting back on the limo bus and heading to the Hampton Inn Ballroom for the reception.

Ron Ruth of Ron Ruth Wedding Entertainment was the MC of the night and hosted a great party. He kept everyone of all ages entertained through dinner and then started the party with the wedding party toasts, very emotional parents dances, a unique start to the money dance and then the newlyweds took to the floor for a very unique first dance as well. Starting out traditional, they quickly moved into a choreographed potpourri of different dances wowing the crowd and using the entire dance floor and letting their very fun and spirited personalities shine through! Throughout the evening, they joined their guests on the dance floor with dance offs and other crazy displays!

Stacy and TJ- Thank you once again for having us with you on your big day, it was a grand occasion and we had lots of fun. Please keep in touch, hope you had a great time in Jamaica! It's better than 8 degrees isn't it!?

Click below to see their wedding day prequel!

New Prequels Online!

After a long weekend at a wedding and the bridal fair, we are happy to announce the Enegren/Dick, Courtney/Eyster, Ledford/Woodruff, and the Duling/Mohr prequels are all now online! Scroll down below to our Wild Weekend posts to find them! We'll be adding a few pictures soon as they come in!

Thome/Kramer Wedding!

Friday night we set up at the Bridal Fair at Century II and then off to bed and off to our Saturday wedding of Kassy and Willie! We are getting to be pretty well versed at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Schulte and we enjoy it there! We filmed Willie's sister's wedding there almost 2 years ago and it was nice to see familiar faces! We arrived just before the bride and groom to catch their preparations at the church with Marcia Morrison who was their photographer. Barry hung out with the guys preparing while I shadowed Marcia and her assistant Gina with Kassy as she surrounded herself with many friends and family as she got ready. Her dress was a gorgeous strapless with moderate length train that flowed beautifully as she walked as well as a stunning tiara and waist length veil. Her bridesmaids also equally gorgerous with royal blue strapless floor length gowns and an ice blue sash at the waist. Kassy had snowflake accents throughout the day as a winter theme. It was all perfect together.

The bride and groom chose not to see each other prior to the wedding and Willie wore the classic black tux with a big smile as he saw Kassy for the first time that day come down the aisle with her father to start the ceremony. They celebrated a full mass as husband and wife as Fr. Pat York officiated. They finished their formal pictures after the mass, some inside the sanctuary and even some outside with the newlywed couple braving the cold for some great shots! They also had two limos waiting on site to take everyone to the Airport Hilton for the party!

Scott Ward from AMM (Accent Mobile Music) was the MC and DJ for the evening, keeping the party hopping! The couple was announced into the room and the usual festivities began! A snowflake decorated cake was cut, wedding party toasts followed and then a little change of pace with the couples first dance, and then the parents dances leading into a fabulous plated dinner for all of their guests!

Happy hour continued as the dance got rolling and the bride and groom enjoyed every moment dancing and visiting with their guests throughout the night!

Kassy and Willie, thanks again for asking us to film the wedding! We had a great time working with you, and seeing friends and family we don't often get to see! You both have awesome families and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Thanks to Marcia for the photos! Click below to view their wedding day prequel!

Don't Forget the Bridal Show!

We've been so busy lately we've almost forgot to mention the upcoming bridal fair at Century II Expo Hall on Saturday and Sunday. If you are a bride to be or you know of someone who is a bride to be, don't miss this show! There are tons of great vendors to give you ideas for your big day and of course, you'll have a chance to meet the Fat Cat Crew! We will have representatives at our booth on Saturday -due to the nature of weddings :) but we would love to meet all of you on Sunday. As you come in the main door, go straight down the first aisle and you can't miss us, we'll be right next door to our friends (and slumlords) T&J Studios. (Sorry Tyff, couldn't resist!) And new this show, we will be showcasing the eXtreme session(tm) at it's very own booth right next to ours! We'll be hogging up booths 4-8!

Don't miss it! 2008 bookings are filling up quick again, so secure your date soon!

Blanding- Humphreys Wedding

Yesterday we were back at it again. After almost a year on the books, Andrea and Dwan finally were able to enjoy their day!

We started by meeting Andrea and Dwan at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Schulte where they both prepared for the wedding. Dwan arrived first with his two groomsmen and started right away with pictures with their photographer Tony from GS Memory Maker. Andrea and I hung out in the brides room relaxing. She and her girls enjoyed lunch and getting ready while the guys took photos. The girls wore deep royal blue dresses with beautiful pleated skirts and the bride chose a champagne colored strapless gown with a sweep train. The bodice had beautiful embelishments of beads, sequins and embroidery work. The grooms daughter acted as one of the two flower girls and a nephew played the role of ring bearer. Andrea was ready in record time, but being careful not to forget her finishing touches of her snowflake necklace and earrings. She also took time for photos with the ladies before the ceremony, but chose not to see her groom until she walked down the aisle. Tony also took advantage of the large arched double doors to the church to snap a shot of the bride and groom holding hands on opposite sides of the door without seeing each other, as we did a few weeks ago. We just love that shot.

Fr. Andy Kykendall was the celebrant of the ceremony. And right on time the double doors opened and Andrea and her father came down the aisle to see Dwan. They chose not to have a full mass and all the traditions continued at a quick pace so the bride and groom could head to the reception as soon as possible.

We met up again after photos in the church of the entire bridal party, at Eberly Farms where the couple was introduced and everyone was treated to a wonderful dinner of smoked chicken, pulled pork and sausage with all the great sides and fixin's. Andreas cake was traditional white with snowflakes in the frosting. Dwan ended up wearing some of those snowflakes as embelishments to his attire after the cake cutting! The grooms cake poked fun at his new father in law and his love for his favortie football team!

After the couple shared their first dance, they enjoyed the party through the night and visiting with numerous family and friends who came to share their day. It was a really nice relaxing day, in the world of weddings. No rush, no fuss, only a great time at the pace of the bride and groom enjoying all their guests.

Dwan and Andrea- thank you again for letting us share the day with you and trusting us with your memories, we are quite honored. We had a wonderful time and we thank you again for a quite awesome dinner, we appreciate it very much.

Click below to see their wedding day prequel!

WILD WEEKEND #2!

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

Ledford/Woodruff

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

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

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

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

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

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

Duling/Mohr

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

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

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

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

Ukens/Balthazor

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

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

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

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

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

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

WILD WEEKEND #1!

The Enegren/Dick Wedding
On Friday we got a real treat! We spent the day with Tina and Ryan. OK, so what's the big deal you say? We always think it's a treat to be a part of someone's wedding! Well, this wedding was no different except it was our third for the Enegren family! When we first started our business several years ago, we were blessed to get to know the Enegren's first through their son Danny and then son Nate, who was married last year in Kansas City. Now, we are so thrilled whenever we see the family at many weddings at their church, we feel so very lucky! Well Friday we were able to get to know their daughter Tina just a little bit more! It was her big day. Busy in Nursing School, her mother planned much of the wedding. Jeri- you're an angel! The groom was equally busy, recently taking a job as a full time firefighter. Tina's day started at Charisma Salon with her 7 bridesmaids, 2 junior bridesmaids, flower girl and her mother. They took over the whole place! With that many ladies, the salon had them all looking fabulous in record time! Afterwards, they headed to the church (Glenville Bible Baptist) to apply make up and get dressed. The ladies wore sleeveless lavendar dresses and were quite the troopers with the snow threatening just hours away! Tina's gown was strapless with beadwork accenting the top of the bodice and down the back forming a gorgeous split down to the modest length train. Just stunning.

The bride and groom chose to see each other prior to the ceremony so they could get all the pictures out of the way before hand to enjoy the reception later (good thing, too with questionable weather!) Kate Cass of Absolute Expressions was the photographer. The flowers were various shades of lavendar and purple, done by the Music Director of the church, Nate Harmon, who also sang with his wife during the ceremony.

The ceremony began as the snow storm hit and friends and family from everywhere braved the weather, including many firemen in dress uniforms from the Newton Fire Department to support Ryan. Everything was of course gorgeous with metallic candles lighting the stage and matching part of the backdrop for the Christmas program only a few days away. Other vocalists included a previous bride, Randi Ludwig, and M'Lisa Alonso who also sang at a previous Enegren wedding- both have voices of angels! Everything went by rather quickly and before we knew it Ryan was allowed to kiss the bride and promptly dipped her as well! (Good work Ryan!)

The couple was applauded as they left under a cloud of bubbles from the guests into the cold air and into the limo. The reception was held in Goddard at the Tanganyika WIidlife Park. What a great place. Although we were there in the dark, the snow was covering beautiful landscaping and I only wish we could have gotten a glimpse of the animals. I can't wait to work there again in the daytime!

Dinner was catered by Corporate Caterers and Scott Ward from AMM (Accent Mobile Music) was the DJ and MC for the night. The couple wasted no time after dinner getting down to business- partying! Despite the weather and snow mounting by the second, the majority of their guests showed to celebrate with them and the room was packed!

Thank you again for having us as a part of your day, we feel so blessed! It was so great to see SO many familiar faces and previous brides, we had a great time! Please stay in touch even though all the kids are married off now, remember we do Baby Stories now! :) Ryan and Tina, congratulations!

Click below to see their wedding day prequel!

The Courtney/Eyster Wedding

On Saturday, it was a blessing that the day started a little later than usual because we were pretty tired! But what a great day it was! Let me just say Cinnamon has really good taste right from the start! Beautiful invitaitons, great taste in fashion and decorating, too. We started our day with Cinnamon at the Wichita Scottish Rite downtown. She had already braved the weather and had her hair styled by a good friend and co-worker. It was all pulled up with a gorgeous flower placed in the back with her veil and tiara set perfectly. When I saw her dress, I wished I could get married all over again myself, it was gorgeous with souffle skirt and champagne lace over the top, heavily beaded bodice and a modest flowing train that seemed to float as she walked! Cinnamon and her 7 bridesmaids all got ready together in the bridesroom and it was one stunning bridal party! The ladies dresses were all black but different styles to match their own style, some with a red sash. The maid of honor wore an all red strapless floor length gown.

When Cinnamon was ready, she wasted no time in going to meet her groom for the first time with photographer Marcia Morrison and her assistant Amanda. We think James was pretty much speechless when he saw his bride. But a big smile is all that was needed and spoke volumes! They got as many pictures ahead of the ceremony as they could, but didn't brave the weather with the dresses! Then everyone took their places on the steps in the main assembly room for the ceremony.

The bridal party filled the entire staircase and the Minister took his place at the bottom of the steps so the couple could face out to their crowd at the top of the landing. The ceremony was short but personal and none too soon they were announced as husband and wife! The bridal party was announced at the top of the steps and into their reception, held there at the hall. Cutting the cake and toasts followed. The bride tossed the boquet from the top of the steps as well as the groom slipping off the garter, like a gentleman, on the steps also. Dinner was catered by Corporate Caterers and as soon as the dance floor was cleared of the buffet, the newlyweds had their first dance, as well as dances with their parents and also special dances dedicated just to their parents. It was a fun night and James and Cinnamon really enjoyed their friends and family's company.

They are off to Florida for a warmer honeymoon! James and Cinnamon- we wish you all the luck in your new life together, we had a great time getting to know you! Thank you for letting us share your day.

Thanks to Marcia for sharing some of her photos! Click below to see their wedding day prequel!

McIntosh-Mendenhall Prequel NOW ONLINE!

Scroll down to the next post to see Katie and Nick's Wedding Day Prequel and Katie's Bridal Elegance Video as well! We think both show their personalities quite well. Thanks again for your patience Katie and Nick, you guys are great! Leave us your comments!

Check back soon for info on Wild Weekend #1 to be posted soon!

McIntosh-Mendenhall

Our sincerest apologies to Katie and Nick! We've just realized before the prequel goes up here shortly that we failed to make a blog entry about their wedding day a month ago! It was our intent to post the blog entry the next day when we rendered the Bridal Elegance Video that Katie surprised Nick with on the wedding day. Well, with the move into the studio, etc about that time, the render did not get completed and thus the blog entry slipped our minds! Thanks to Katie and Nick for being so understanding and patient! You guys are truly wonderful!

But we still wanted to share with you all some of the details about the wedding day! Nick and Katie were wed Nov. 10th, 2007 in Mulvane at First Baptist Church. I started the day with Katie at The Salon at College Park in Derby with all her bridesmaids getting updo's and having a great time. Everyone looked great and were more than ready to get the show on the road! After a quick bite for lunch, the ladies met up at the church to get dressed, including the "Best Person" Shilah, a friend of the Groom who replaced the traditional "Best Man". Katie chose a champagne colored dress with sequin bodice, and a modest train. It didn't take her long to get dressed as she was ready to meet her groom for photos prior to the ceremony. Katie also received a special surprise about this time- her younger brother was able to attend the ceremony acting as a Groomsman after being released from the hospital that morning!

After Katie met her Groom and they took as many pictures as they could, time was flying and the ceremony was fast approaching. Their guests filled the sanctuary and were entertained with a photomontage of the bride and groom growing up made by the grooms mother. Parents were seated and it was time for Katie's Dad to walk her down the aisle. The ceremony was performed by the Senior Pastor at the church and after the newlyweds exchanged vows they had a symbolic ceremony of Hand Fastening or Tying of Hands to symbolize their committment to one another. They were soon pronounced husband and wife and exited the church under a flurry of bubbles blown by their guests. Just a few photos left to take before they headed off to the reception at Hidden Lakes Golf Course in Derby. The festivities were MC'ed by family, who is actually Scott from AMM (Accent Mobile Music)! Everyone was able to grab dinner and sit back to enjoy the photomontage we prepared and the surprise from Katie to Nick, the Bridal Elegance Video we shot at Botanica about 2 months earlier. The dancing lasted into the night and it was a great day for Katie and Nick. Check out their prequel here to get a sneak peak of the day!

Katie and Nick, again we apologize about not sharing the details of your day sooner, we did have a wonderful time and enjoyed your entire family. Congratulations!

Finally!

Well, finally we are moved in (sort-of) to the new studio in Valley Center! We've been working from this location for a few weeks now and have been meeting customers in the new Media Room (AKA The Private Theater) that was completed last week. We currently still have some supplies sitting around in boxes, etc that are waiting to find their permanent home, but all in all, we are up and running! We even got our first UPS delivery here this morning of much needed supplies-it was like Christmas a whole two weeks early! So to get you all up to date, we've posted some pictures for you to give you a little bit more of a sneak peek prior to the Grand Opening after the New Year rolls around. (Still no date yet!)

We've also been incredibly busy with the Holidays approaching fast again and the shopping that goes with it that we haven't even started! Catching up on the edit que is another never-ending project. The following weddings are due for delivery prior to Christmas: Gruetter, Millen, Gerlach, and Doyle. In addition, the McIntosh/Mendenhall prequel will be posted sometime later this week as well. We also have 2 Love Stories due up in the next few weeks as well as multiple photomontages and an exiting documentary for our friends at the Hutchinson Community College Paramedic Program. So, needless to say, we've been putting in some late nights at the studio and will share with you some of these projects as they are completed right here on our blog (just give us time). Let's not forget about the five weddings we have yet to film between now and the end of the year! We also have an extremely exciting project in the works with our friends Tyff and Jeff here at the studio that we will be announcing around New Year's. We will definitely fill you in sooner if we are able, but you won't want to miss this announcement!

There will be many exciting new things in the blog after the first of the year and some other changes regarding online communications as well. Shew, I'm tired thinking about all this stuff already! There just aren't enough hours in the day anymore! Be sure to subscribe to the blog (to your right) to keep up with our latest happenings! It's free and you only receive an email when the blog is updated, no annoying sales pitches or us selling your email address to those that will annoy you! :)

Be sure to leave us your comments (the "comment" text below each post) so we can hear what you have to say about the latest announcements and work posted in the blog! Also, don't forget to submit a name in our "Name our Building" contest! Comment in the blog or drop us an email to submit your idea! We've had a few trickle in. Scroll down to see what we are looking for below, entitled "HELP!"- Stay tuned! Until next time bloggerheads!
Steph

Pictures, starting from the top are: The Lobby, decorated by Tyff, complete with Christmas Tree, giant fake presents and letter to Santa- not to forget our stylish hanging balls! Ally and Barry help me tackle the edit que, and networking issues! (ARG!) Me and Bear finally get dinner after one of our late nights at the studio at Buffalo Wild Wings (the only place open at that hour!) Then there's 'the flying dog'...it's not a bird, plane, or superhero to the rescue, it's Lucky Dog breaking out of his confines to catch a nap in the Fat Cat Quarters! Jeff, Barry and his nephew tackle new flexible track lighting in the theater- it's way cool by the way! There's my goofy mug helping Barry put together the new screen for the theater room- the company sent white gloves so we wouldn't get oil from our skin on it! (They better have- it wasn't the cheapest of our recent purchases!) Next, Barry snaps one of 53 fasteners for the screen! After the screen was hung, Barry went fishing for wires in the wall for the speakers, but Jeff caught Barry instead! Tyff and Jeff join us on our late dinner out discussing the big project we have coming up soon! There's me working hard at my new desk :) Not. I caught a quick pic of Ally being a cheese shortly after. See, she's working! How could I forget the latest crisis to slow us down? The water leak in the basement. We installed a new faucet and well, let's say the connections weren't quite perfect. We came home to a lake of water ontop of the sheetrock that had to be fixed! Have I mentioned my husband LOVES plumbing? HA!