Backyard Wedding /// The Best That You Can Find /// Morgan + Ben, the full film

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 "For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul." -Judy Garland

Morgan is calm, kind, and warm-hearted.   She told us that Ben, the groom, is smart and focused. We have to agree after hearing their engagement story!  Morgan was apparently under the impression that Ben was going to wait a few months to propose--her sister (the maid-of-honor-to-be ) was about to leave for a four month trip around the world, after all.  Morgan had planned a party to celebrate Ben's 30th birthday, his best man's MBA graduation and her sister's MBA graduation, which all happened to be on the same night.  You see this coming, don't you? Friends in town, Family in town, unsuspecting bride.  You bet Ben is smart!  He surprised her at a private dinner beforehand, proposed, and then they went out to celebrate with all of their friends and family!  Morgan told us "it was a perfect night."

Enjoy their full wedding film!

This loving bunch rejoined together to celebrate Morgan and Ben in Texarkana at the historic victorian family home belonging to Morgan's grandfather.

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Our favorite moment:

We can tell you this much about this wedding film:  We won't forget the tender tears of joy that Morgan shed as she triumphantly held up her hand with her wedding ring after being pronounced husband and wife.

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The Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal dinner took place at The Silvermoon Great Hall on Broad.  The authentic mexican buffet was  accented with table decor of extremely vivid roses in orange, yellow, mango, and the toasts were just as vivid.   Ben's brother joked that although the lessons he's learned  from his brother growing up came in the form of a choke-hold, Ben had taught him what it meant to be a good man, and, he was looking forward to Ben and Morgan teaching him what it meant to be a good family in the future. (see minute 5:50 in the video).  The toasts went long into the night, joyful, loving, hilarious, and full of honor and respect.

We really enjoy being able to add these kinds of moments into a wedding film, because these are the stories of a bride and groom's life--both before and after they met and fell in love, and a wedding is a symbolic representation of all of the work that it took to get to that day.  Being able to interweave the stories told by friends and loved ones into a film adds a strong emotional and story-telling element to a wedding video, almost like a time capsule.

The Wedding Day

When we arrived for the day, morgan's dress was hanging in the front bedroom, waiting for her, and the activity outside was cheerful.

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The beading detail on Morgan's lace wedding dress had ivory magnolias, perfect for a southern bride. Morgan's entrance to her wedding was epic--she came sweeping around the white picket fence into view of friends and family with her father.  The sun was gently glittering through the trees.

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Morgan also made some stylistic choices with her wedding that we thought were so artistic:  Watercolor signs.  The rehearsal dinner table decor was a more saturated version of the wedding day colors. The wedding dinner plates were a collection of different china patterns.  And at a backyard wedding, all of the other table  service was (so elegant) silver.  A ruffled white wedding cake with natural, real flowers on top.

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screen grab of Morgan's dress from Morgan and Ben's wedding video

Morgan and Ben, many thanks for sharing your special day with us and for allowing us to film your rehearsal dinner for your wedding video. It was a pleasure and an honor to meet the fine folk in your family.

Photography: La Dolce Vita Rehearsal Dinner Location: Silvermoon Great Hall on Broad Street Floral: Scooter Raney Reception Entertainment: All Funk Radio Show Rentals: Ducky Bob's Event Branding: Gatsby Event Branding

If you enjoyed the music in this film, you should check out the following:

Adrina Thorpe - 'Give You My Love' Chris McLeod - 'Julian' Freak Owls - 'Little Things' and 'Deciduous Tooth' Ten Summersets - 'Gold'

Escondido Golf & Lake Club | All You Need Is Love And A Dog - Sidni & Jay

Reception fireworks at Escondido from Austin Wedding Video

We here at Mason Jar Films love when dads take advantage of the wedding day to put on a display of love for their daughters.  Speeches. Toasts, encouraging words, dances. We especially love when a father of the bride plans a huge surprise for their daughter, like FIREWORKS.  At their swanky outdoor reception, Sidni's dad gave a really sweet toast, and afterward, he surprised Sidni with a firework show.  As you can see from her facial reaction, she was genuinely surprised, and even shed a few happy tears. It was really beautiful.

What a day--from cowboy boots& cufflinks to fireworks. Sidni's bridesmaids heroically made sure everything was in order in the dressing room, and as soon as Sidni arrived, everything was in its place.    She gleefully opened a wedding day present from her groom, Jay--monogrammed cowboy boots!  I'm not sure if that is a tradition all over the country, but here in the south, many brides and grooms send a surprise gift to their spouse-to-be by way of a member of the wedding party.  Sometimes they include a letter, or something that can be worn that day, i.e. jewelry, cufflinks, shoes, earrings, a necklace. 

 Sidni's hairstylist and makeup artist worked quickly, and minutes before the ceremony, Sidni was serenely standing in front of her bridesmaids in the most beautifully detailed lace wedding dress.  All that was left was to happily hug her dad and to begin their walk down the aisle. 

This is a still shot from the wedding after Sidni & Jay were pronounced "man and wife."

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I was really touched by how thoughtful the groom's cake was that Sidni had prepared for Jay as a surprise.  On top of the cake, Sidni had a custom cake topper made to look like each of their three dogs, and the cake was surrounding by a display of quail feathers and river reeds.  The couple loves to hunt and fly fish together, so it was a great dessert idea.

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wedding video

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Sidni and Jay, thanks so much for having us to your wedding.  We loved being a witness to your devotion to each other and to your creativity during the reception.

-kourtney amelia

Photography: Cory Ryan Photography

Venue: Escondido Golf And Lake Club

Floral: Freytag's Florist

Reception Entertainment: Pardi Gras

Private Ranch | "Montesito Ranch: The Virginia Invasion" - Liz & Mark, the full film

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Liz & Mark

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     Liz & Mark have the kind of love that seems like something from a fairy tale or a movie--but it is even more encouraging because it exists in real life!  It is probably every girl's dream to hear a man promise her father that he will do his best to take care of her, and Mark did exactly that. 

     At their rehearsal dinner, Mark, the groom, took the stage at the end of the night andgave the most heartfelt speech to thank his parents, to make vows to his community of friends and family that he would love Liz forever, and to especially thank his in-laws for their blessing.   "I'm going to be making vows to Liz tomorrow, but tonight I'm making a vow to you all," he told them.   

     Because we had filmed Liz's sisters wedding just 6 months earlier--we had already known to expect speeches that would inspire both laughter and tears from Liz's dad (the father of the bride) and from Liz' brother (an extremely skilled wordsmith), but we were floored by Mark's honesty and vulnerability toward his family, friends, and to Liz.   Liz is a gorgeous bride (as you can see!), and her parent's homestead, Montesito Ranch, is breathtaking to look at in a wildflower-filled spring, but to work with such a kind and loving family was truly an honor.  We were thankful to be given the task of creating an artistic wedding film for this couple.

You can watch their full film here (be prepared to laugh and cry!)

On top of all of the romance at this wedding, there were some hilarious moments (& amazing decor details): 

The BBQ rehearsal dinner (a texas wedding tradition) was held at a historic auction house in New Ulm, Texas, complete with pies for dessert.  This was where family members told wild and crazy stories of Liz and Mark's hilarious antics from growing up and from college.   Liz' Dad had us rolling with his Steve Martin-themed Father-of-the-Bride toast. 

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RECEPTION

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While the guests enjoyed cocktail hour under a linen-wrapped white tent, the wedding party took pictures in the field where horses stood grazing nearby.

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The bride and groom danced their first dance during what filmmakers refer to as "golden hour"  (sunset).   This can create lovely golden colors in the images on your video and in your photos!  If you decided to do this at your wedding, make sure to check the exact times that golden hour happens, because right after the sun dips below the horizon, even though it is still light, the colors of light turn an ashy blue.  If that kind of hazy grey light is exactly what you'd like for your dance, have at it!  Just make sure that you understand what your light will look like at different times of day, and you'll be able to set your schedule to fit the kind of imagery you want.  (Your wedding coordinator will know just what to do!)

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 DANCIN' Y'ALL

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Again, if you haven't watched the dance sequence in Liz & Mark's wedding video,

you're 100% missing out on amazing dancers and old school hip hop.  Get to it!

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CONGRATULATIONS, LIZ & MARK

You can watch more of our films on vimeo or catch up with us on facebook.   We'd love to hear from you!

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Barton Creek Resort | "219 to 1" - Leslie + Andy, the full film

"Was it love at first sight?" The officiant, Dennis Prager, humorously asked Leslie and Andy to describe whether they felt this way the moment they met. The lovely Bride Leslie answered in 219 words.  Andy, an ever stoic groom, answered in one.  We wrote about it in 600 words, but we think you should just watch our video and see it for yourself.

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If you've watched several of our films, you'll notice that sometimes they open on a quiet note, and sometimes they open with a bubbly song, and other times they begin with a fast frenzy.  We try to make our films match the excitement, tone, and energy of the couple and of the day itself.  It didn't take us long to see that Leslie and Andy love upbeat, big band style music, and they love having a good time with their families.  The couple had traveled from Houston to Austin for their wedding at Barton Creek Resort, and their families joined them from all over the country.  Before the wedding, Leslie had told us that quite a few of her family members would be some serious fun on the dance floor.   (you can read more about that here)  As you can see, they really were!  We left the wedding with just as much energy as when the reception began--the dancing was just so fun.

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here

to see dozens of their amazing official photos by Stacy Cross.  below are screen grabs

from their

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Barton Creek Resort is nestled in the Texas hill country outside of Austin, and the ballroom has a great view of the foothills.  The resort is also famous as both a golf club and where Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey were married.  The building proudly boasts of its Texas locale by hanging revolutionary Texas artifacts throughout the hallways, historic photos, flags, and other items of Lone Star State Pride.

Leslie's Bridesmaids wore a very formal royal blue dresses with champagne gold shoes of their choice. The colors were a preppy contrast with their tightly gathered and uniform rose bouquets.

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A wedding just dripping with beauty

Sally Fields may have blown off Julia Roberts' colors of 'blush and bashful' as 'pink and pink' in Steel Magnolias, but one look at the pink hues in Leslie and Andy's luscious floral and reception design makes even the adjectives 'blush and bashful' seem incapable of describing the delicate rosy and romantic hues that surrounded the couple on their wedding day.  Classic, elegant, and dripping with crystalline beauty, the wedding was a formal affair from the rose and curly-willow covered chuppah to the glass chandeliers in the reception. 

The CEREMONY

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Doesn't this chuppah take your breath away?  It has a very fairy-tale quality.   David Kurio designed the decadent florals, and Jessica Moore was the event designer/planner.  My favorite element is how David Kurio's team hid lights inside of the chuppah.  Because the wedding happened at sunset, the challenge was to keep the bride and groom well lit throughout the ceremony, even after dark.  The team had the perfect plan for the lights to continue to adjust throughout the solarium as the sun went down.  The wedding began lit by the ceiling-to-floor windows, and by the end, the lovely spotlights inside of the chuppah and beaming from the ceiling kept the bride and groom's faces well lit enough that the guests, the photographers, and the videographers could still see their faces perfectly well.

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THE RECEPTION

As guests gathered for cocktail hour, they found their place-tags organized in a table-wide bed of pearls.

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The round reception tables were covered with alternate and varying sprays in mirrored vases and glass chandeliers.  The light reflections on mirror and refractions through cut glass sent light dazzling through the reception. Hats off to Jessica and David for the gorgeous display, and to Leslie and her mom for selecting such a lovely theme.

Love is Sweet

Jessica, the planner, worked diligently with Leslie to create the perfect dessert buffet that extended for several tables with all kinds of sweet delicacies in bite sizes--allowing guests to sample several lovely treats.

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Leslie and Andy, thanks for letting us document the goodness of your Austin wedding.

Mazel Tov!

Wedding Coordinator: Jessica Moore, Something to Celebrate

Venue: Barton Creek Resort and Spa

Floral: David Kurio Designs

Photographer: Stacy Cross

Music Agent: Emerald Entertainment

Ceremony Music: High Island Hepcats

Officiant: Dennis Prager

Reception Music: Collector’s Item

Linens: BBJ

Chairs: Marquee Rents

Lighting: Ilios

Photobooth: Say Cheese

Hair: Pamela Donnellan

Makeup: Maris Malone Calderon

Rehearsal Dinner: The Salt Lick

Academy of the Sacred Heart | "Look at You, Baby!" - Celeste & Michael the full film

"Home, let me go home.    Home is wherever I'm with you."

-from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

While many will choose to unite their lives with a destination wedding, sometimes, there's just nothing like coming home...literally.

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While Celeste's bow on her Vera Wang wedding dress (courtesy Mimi Nola) proved to be the most challenging part of her morning as a bride (have we mentioned how much we love that our brides are the most laid back, relaxed chicas in the world?), nothing was quite as sweet as the moment her dad, dressed in tux, stood on the staircase and took in the sight of his daughter as a bride.   "look at you, baby. Look at you," he said lovingly.  Wow.  Those moments where a father of the bride expresses so much pride in his daughter are really special.   The family gathered up the bridesmaids and headed to the Academy of the Sacred Heart, wherein the chapel, Celeste would be married 2 hours later.

Celeste grew up attending the school, but upon graduation, many of Celeste's friends went their separate ways. Celeste ventured to the University of Virginia, then to the LSU school of Law, then back to New Orleans to further her career.

Michael, from Lake Charles, followed a similar trajectory.  After attending the University of Virginia, he made stops in Dallas and Birmingham before the pull of home led him to settle in New Orleans.  Home is where the heart is!

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With "home" being another character in their story, it was only fitting that the arc of the wedding day run through the locations that embody that sense of place.  From Celeste getting into her dress upstairs at her parents house, to walking down the aisle at the chapel in the academy, to taking her first dance with Michael in the backyard of her childhood home, there was a rooted-ness in family history throughout the day's events that few couples experience.

Celeste and Michael, thanks for inviting us to come home with you.

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Photographer: Elizabeth Dondis Dress: Vera Wang, from Mimi Ceremony: Academy of the Sacred Heart Reception Entertainment: Sauce Band (from Austin!) Makeup: Tisa from Tisa's Beauty Bar Event Planning and Flora: Ted Viator, The Gardenaire Catering: Audubon Tea Room