Attended a great wedding this weekend. Erin & Mike were married at Thanksgiving Lutheran Church, with a reception at the new Embassy Suites in Lavista (126th St between Harrison and Giles, by the new Cabellas).
Their ceremony was in the chapel at the church, and was just the right size for their guests - I think it is cozy and more intimate when the sizing is right. I hadn’t been to the new Embassy Suites before, and it was very nice - and the food was fantastic!
Erin & Mike chose our new “Modern Bride” package - we did a Same Day Edit of their ceremony, and they opted for reception coverage added to that package. Normally, we would deliver 50 DVD’s of the Same Day Edit that evening, to be handed out to the wedding guests as party favors, but Erin had already told me she planned to send them to members of the family that couldn’t attend the wedding - so instead, we will include the reception on the DVD’s and will get them to Erin & Mike when they return from their honeymoon.
I do have to say the most humerous moment of the day for me was when we interviewed 2 of Mike’s brothers - they were a walking comedy routine! I’m glad that the famliy members that receive the DVD’s will get a chance to hear what they (and other family and friends) had to say about this really great couple!
Bonnie & GJ met at UNO, and decided to celebrate their marriage at Joclyn Castle in Omaha, before flying to her native India for a large, family wedding.
The Joclyn Castle is a lovely venue - built in the early 1900’s, it is beautifully decorated in a historical fashion. Caterers of both Indian and American style foods provided an absolutely delicious meal!
Bonnie was radiant in an ivory satin gown, and GJ was quite “GQ” in his tuxedo with pearl grey accessories. His children stood as attendants and the family lit a family unity candle to celebrate the formation of their new family.
Their cake was georgous and had a miniature Eiffel Tower on the top - tribute to GJ’s proposal to Bonnie in Paris France! How romantic!
I’m looking forward to seeing photos from their Indian wedding - I’ve never been to India or participated in a full Indian wedding, so it is both personal and professional interest that I hope to see pictures!
Wendy and Chad had a lovely wedding at St. Columbkille in Papillion, with a reception at St. Robert Bellamine in Omaha. It was a big family celebration, and really fun to be a part of!
Between the ceremony and reception, Wendy, Chad, the wedding party and family members went to the park to shoot - a music video (one of our most popular choices among brides). When they initially contacted us about selecting us as their videographers, they had their song already picked out. Could we, they asked, recreate the “Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party” ? Sure!
This was definitely our most complex music video to date. We made a list of the shots that needed to be filmed, and the “cast” we would need. Wendy and Chad picked the people to be specific “cast members” based on their personalities, which was great. We used 2 shooting crews and captured all of the shots that we needed in under an hour. They loved the results!
One of my favorite parts of Wendy and Chad’s wedding was how very family-oriented everyone was. I saw the teenagers in the family looking after the smaller kids, and always an open arm for a crying baby or sleepy toddler. It was so nice to be surrounded by such a great family.
And - something that amazes me (I am not known for my domestic skills) - her mom made her dress! It just blows me away how beautiful it came out. We filmed part of the process for a “bridal elegance” session that we will be producing - soon!
Sunny and Josh got married on a very fitting day - a sunny afternoon in October! Their ceremony was at a beautiful church in Gretna - St. Patrick’s - that has undergone a beautiful restoration in the last few years.
Sunny and Josh opted to shoot a music video - one of our most popular options with our brides and grooms - to the song “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness - a really rockin, fun song (that we had never heard of). We spent about 1/2 hour shooting the shots we needed at a park in Omaha, as well as some at the reception. We also had fun shooting a few bits at the salon and groom’s house that morning. We don’t have that one on our website yet, but we will soon - check back!
Her bridesmaids’ dresses were very striking - the dresses were a dark brown, with a hot-pink beaded trim around the top of the strapless bodice, continuing down the dress. Her flowers were multi-colored fall colored flowers, a really pretty effect.
Overall - a really fun day with a really fun couple!
Attended a lovely wedding this weekend in Logan, IA. The bride and groom had known each other - literally - since nursery school (I had a photo of them together in nursery school in their photo montage). After 5 years of dating, it was time to tie the knot! Their wedding was on a golf course, outside, overlooking a lovely lake. The weather was cooperative - clear skies, sunshine, not too hot - and the ceremony was beautiful. The DJ provided a sound system so that the vows, readings, and soloist could be heard well by all the guests. The bride’s aunt sang several songs during the ceremony, giving it a special personal touch. And the photographer had been friends with the bride’s mother since Kindergarten! Bandstand Music (Curtis) was the DJ for the evening, and he did a great job of keeping it hoppin’ on the dance floor. And - I have to say - probably the yummiest wedding cake I’d ever tasted - I am going to have to contact the bride and see who baked her cake - I’ll post it when I find out. All in all it was a great day - very friendly people, calm bride and groom, just a very pleasant day for us!
Went to a wonderful wedding this weekend ! Heather and Jeff had a lovely ceremony at St. Augustana church. They had written their own vows, and memorized them, and it was such a romantic moment, as they spoke from their heart as they promised themselves to each other. The flowers at the church were lovely - the pews were decorated with bouquets of flowers and wide ribbon bows, very striking.
Really unique attendant dresses - black dresses with rose colored sashes - the sashes wrapped from the top of the back, around the front in a cummerbund-type effect, then back to the back, in a knot, with long graceful sashes to the floor. Very striking effect.
The reception was at Indian Creek Country Club. The decorations were lovely, and the catering, by Abraham Catering, was delicious - the apricot chicken was my favorite. (www.abrahamcatering.com)
Adam Davis, with Complete Music, was the DJ - what a fun DJ to work with. He had the guests up and dancing all night, and everyone at the party was having a really good time.
Their photographer, Jeremy Johnson (www.jeremyjohnsonphoto.com), was really great to work with. I’d seen his work, and had been looking forward to working with him. The engagement photo of Heather and Jeff that was displayed at the wedding and reception was just gorgeous - perfect color, lighting, really a beautiful effect overall. I am frequently (by older relatives at the wedding) mistaken for the photographer, and at this wedding, I would have had to take that as a compliment!
We wish Heather and Jeff many sunny days and romantic nights on their honeymoon trip this week.
Tricia and Marc had a lovely ceremony this past Friday night at the Joclyn Castle in Omaha.
What a beautiful place to hold a ceremony and reception. They had a harp and trumpet duet during their ceremony, and Tricia’s longtime friend composed and sang an original song in their honor. The cake, from the Cake Gallery, was delicious - or should I say cakes? 6 cakes, each with a different (and yummy) flavor were served for a wonderful dessert. Their DJ, T-Roy, did a great job of MC-ing, getting guests out on the dance floor and overall creating a fun atmosphere for the reception.
Tricia and Marc had moved their wedding date from December to July at the end of May. She realized fairly quickly that that was a difficult thing to do - and that scheduling her wedding for a Friday night made venues, wedding professionals, etc. much more available than trying for a Saturday date. Sunday afternoon weddings are another nice option when short planning times crop up. (And, sometimes a bit of a discount will apply on off-dates as well - ask your professionals about that if you’re minding a budget).
Tricia had included her family in every aspect of the wedding - from her son “giving her away” along with her parents, to having siblings and relatives as the members of the wedding party and the other “supporting roles” for the day. This made for a very special and personal day for all of them.
Really enjoyed ourselves this past Saturday night as Jamie and Zach, together with family and friends, celebrated their marriage.
Their ceremony was lovely. A humorous moment occurred when the moms took the lit tapers and lit the unity candle - we heard the bride and groom saying “what are they doing?” over the wireless mic on the groom’s coat. Her mom blew it out, and the bride and groom went and lit the candle a second time.
Their reception, at the Embassy Suites in downtown Omaha, was really lovely. Their DJ, from Complete Music, did an excellent job keeping the party moving along and fun - and was very tactful about taking requests from the children at the party - but not playing them 
Jamie and Zach had requested our “Ultimate Reception Entertainment Package” - a photo montage, love story, and instant edit from their wedding day, projected at their reception. This shared their story with all of the guests at the wedding - growing up, meeting, falling in love, and committing their lives to each other. Most guests at a wedding only know one person in the couple - this is a great way for them to get to know the other person better.
We had the honor this past weekend of capturing Amber and Lada’s wedding.
Their ceremony was held at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral, which is a truly beautiful church. The stained glass windows, ceiling paintings, and statues all combined for a lovely, majestic setting for their ceremony. A traditional mass, including beautiful music in their liturgy, really captured the love and happiness of the day. The priest was friends with the couple, and had traveled to the Czech Republic (Lada’s home) with them, and it really added a lovely, personal touch to their ceremony.
Their reception, at Karen’s Fireside in Papillion, was very nice. The food was excellent !! not something I have come to expect when a hall does their own catering - so many reception halls don’t give you a catering choice, and thus may not be as motivated to prepare truly excellent food for the “captive audience” - but their catering was really exceptional. The bride and her family and friends hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries as table favors at each place, including a note thanking everyone for sharing their special day. (I confess to eating one of the extras while I was with Amber doing pre-ceremony coverage earlier that day, they are my favorite!)
The first dance for Amber and Lada was really special - Amber’s father is a musician, and wrote a song for their first dance, and performed it at the reception while they danced. Boy, as a videographer, that makes it tough - show the first dance, show the dad, ?? Since we shoot with 3 cameras, we have great footage of both, but it will be hard to edit - I may need to include it twice
One of the reasons I was so glad that Amber and Lada chose us to help preserve their wedding day memories is that Lada’s family, who live in the Czech Republic, was unable to travel to Omaha for the wedding. I am really glad that they will be able to take their wedding DVD to show his parents when they visit them this winter.
Amber was on a very well defined budget when she planned her wedding - and I picked up a number of great tips on saving a bit here and there from her - feel free to contact me and I’m happy to pass along any hints that I can to help with your wedding planning!
Wow - what a beautiful wedding we were privileged to be a part of this past weekend.
Michelle and Ryan were married at her grandparent’s home in Waterloo. Their house is on a lake, with a large deck/yard/beach area in their back yard. Wedding consultant Dominique Frost (www.fromthismoment.biz) did a wonderful job planning the logistics of the wedding - building a large platform on the beach for the bride, groom, and wedding party to stand on - arranging seating on the lawn, a sound system so that the minister and bride and groom could be heard well, and the decorations and flowers - just lovely. Nature cooperated, and it did not rain, and was not as warm as it could have been in June - appreciated by everyone outside.
As nice as the environment, seeing the love and connection between this couple was even better. As I spent time with the bride during her pre-ceremony preparations, I realized how deep their love and spiritual connection was - the groom had moved from the East coast to live closer to the bride in the time leading up to the ceremony - and had lived with the bride’s parents during his time in Omaha before the wedding. The bride told me about how she had thought about her future and her husband, before she met Ryan, and it was clear that he had brought her dreams to life.
A lovely reception at Omaha Country Club followed their ceremony. The caterers had set up what is becoming a trend at buffet-style receptions - food “stations” rather than just 1 long buffet line. They had Mediterranean food at one, seafood at another, and an excellent roast beef at last station. This is such a great way to present a variety of tastes to your guests, and the sooner your guests eat, the sooner the rest of the party can begin!
Michele and Ryan left the reception to a shower of sparklers as they embarked on their new life together.