Many of you will recognize Kim and Josh from my little promo video that Vaness McKellar did for me. If you have not seen it before, grab some popcorn and take a minute to watch it. You’ll see just how much fun the two of them are.

(Mini Rant 1: Vanessa was there filming the wedding since her and her husband are so great to work with and I believe EVERY couple should have their wedding filmed we are offering a little deal for future brides. Stay tuned to the blog for details coming soon.)

Anyway, I had such a great time at Kim & Josh’s wedding. I was there for a little over 10 hours and loved being able to capture the day form beginning to end. Rather than me blab on and on, Let’s get to the images.

The Villa was as always… a perfect place to have a wedding.

In true Aggie fashion, they brought this and basically tailgated before the wedding. It was pretty awesome.

Kim was a perfect bride in the sense that she let others help her and pamper her, but still took time to make sure everyone else was having a good day.

So I brought this chair in from outside for the flower girl to sit on and someone shouted “Frog!” We had yet to see Josh, so could this be a Magical Disney Moment?

Those of you who know Josh and his fondness for the color burnt orange will appreciate this photo. ;)

About 2 weeks ago Kim called me and said. “OK, Josh and I have decided to see each other before the ceremony. I thought I’d tell you so you could be excited.” :) I was giddy.

(Mini Rant 2: Unless you go a wedding weekend after weekend there really is no way of describing how hectic and “un-romantic” SOME of them can be. There are literally hundreds of people around, all of them are wanting to talk to both the bride and groom, there is a timeline that we have to stay on or guests start to bolt for the doors, and every now and then people are running late from the get go. Every time couple choose to see each other before hand I love it. Not because it makes my job easier, or because I’m ready to get the pictures over with, but because I know that you will have some time alone. Time to reflect on the day, time to enjoy each other’s company, and time to whisper nice things in each other’s ears. If it really is a day about just the two of you, then having some moments like these guarantees that it turns out that way. Oh by the way, we’ll also get TONS of super great shots of the two of you.)

Kim had been “fine” all day, but the second she stepped into that chapel, she started tearing up.

One of my favorites form the day.

Kim’s family is not normal. Josh is.

Kim not being a big cake fan, decided to have Josh feed her chips and salsa.

Casey Brown, the best DJ in the area, was there making sure everyone had a good time.

The Vendors
DJ: CMB DJs
Flowers: Michele’s Flowers by Ela
Venue: Villa di Felicita
Videography : Vanessa McKellar Productions

One new thing I plan on doing is posting regular tips and little ideas for your upcoming wedding. Some of these will be ideas from weddings I’ve attended and other may just be random things I have found or come across. Either way it will be a great little place to just toss ideas around.  I thought I would kick it off with a topic I know a little bit about: Video. Since I’m officially out of the video business I thought I would share a quick thought on having your wedding filmed.

YOU HAVE TO GET THIS DONE! NO QUESTIONS ASKED! DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT NOT DOING THIS!

Seriously, this is a no brainer. I get so sad when I work a wedding and see “Uncle Bob” over in the corner as the designated videographer. If this is one of the most important days of your life, don’t you think getting someone who knows what they are doing with a camera might be a good idea? I can’t tell you how many times I would have a bride come back to me after the wedding and tell me how much they loved their pictures but they wished that they had also set aside some budget for video as well.

One thing I want to be super clear on is that I totally “get” wedding budgets.  There is only so much money to go around, but this really is one area where you don’t want to short change yourself.  I LOVE making albums for couples, they are a great way of showing off just a few of the hunders of photos you get from your day, but if you have to decide between spending money on a fancy album that may end up collecting dust or getting a talented person to film your wedding, then I would encourage you to forget the album and hire a videographer.  You will never regret it.

I was talking to Vanessa and Brent McKellar about this a few weeks back and they also wished that more people could get the value of this service. This is not a “home movie” with a camera on a tripod at the back of the church. The stuff they put together is like something you want to see in a theater. Wonderful editing, a great musical score. It’s something you and your kids will want to watch more than once. You also get something that even the best photographer can’t give you. SOUND. As amazing, incredible, and awe-inspiring as my photos are, getting to actually hear what you each were feeling on that day just adds a whole new level of emotion.

They recently got some fancy shiny new HD cameras as well so your video will look extra pretty. In fact, I got together with them a few days ago and took some shots of them with their new “baby”. :)

Such a proud father.

Anyway, I’ve rambled enough. Here are two pictures of a bride and groom who most of you probably don’t know.

Now that you have started at it and thought “so what”, take a look at this quick video The McKellars posted and see if all of the sudden you feel their joy, emotion, and a bit more of a connection with the couple.

Laura and Greg’s Pre-Wedding Thoughts from Vanessa McKellar Productions.com on Vimeo.

After you do that call Vanessa ASAP (903.596.7977) and see if you can still get her for your wedding date.

UPDATE: I can’t believe I forgot to mention that if your guy is not the super sweet say something meaningful type guy that it’s ok.  It’s still a good idea to have a videographer.  You never know when a music video might break out. 

So a few weeks ago I had Vanessa McKeller film me while I did an engagement session. I book so many of my weddings from couples who are out of town or can not meet until the day of the engagement/bridal session that I thought it would be fun to let you all come along on a session to see what they are like. This will give you kinda a behind the scenes look at what goes on and what to expect.

So here it is… the world premiere screening of my engagement session video. Get your coke and popcorn ready, have a seat, and enjoy the show.

(Also be sure to watch it in yummy HD when you have more time.)

Alex M. Photography from Vanessa McKellar Productions.com on Vimeo.