Videography Wedding Dallas TX Captures Callie and Drew’s Big Day

Callie and Drew at Grandview Church of Christ

Drew and Callie went on a mission trip together nine years ago and last June Drew called Callie to rekindle the acquaintance. He said he knew Callie was the one he’d marry, “If she’d have me,” because she was “the best woman he’d ever met” and “pretty good looking.” He credited her parents for his bride’s fine upbringing and appreciated the way her easy-going manner balanced his more intense emotions. Callie and Drew were married at Grandview Church of Christ in Grandview, Texas, (link to church and city).

Callie wore a chic white gown with a sleek modern look. The unadorned white satin hugged her torso and flared out into a full skirt. Tiny buttons trailed down the back and the straight bodice featured a beaded cuff at the top, set off with a small white satin bow. The simplicity of the ensemble was enhanced by the fingertip tulle veil trimmed in crystals. Her bouquet featured gerbera daisies in pink and white. Her bridesmaids wore short black dresses and carried white hydrangeas.

The couple chose to enjoy a First Look before the festivities began. Drew was so spellbound by the appearance of his bride that he had to be reminded to stand up. Gathering Callie into his arms all he could do was comment on how beautiful she was.
The charming little church was beautifully decorated for the occasion. The aisle was lined in white petals and candles. The pews were hung with bouquets of white flowers. The front of the church was hung with swags of sheer white drapes. To begin the ceremony a trio of young boys carried a sign warning their Uncle Drew that his bride was on the way.

After the vows the families gathered for a photo session full of fun and laughter. A reception followed in the church’s social hall. The wedding cake was a confection of white buttercream icing swirled around and around the tiers to resemble ribbons. An accompanying chocolate groom’s cake was topped with chocolate-dipped strawberries. Surrounding the cakes was a buffet of other treats provided by friends and family. Everyone had joined together to create a special day for Callie and Drew.

Callie and Drew fed one another first bites of their cakes and toasted one another with flutes of pink punch. The single women showed a lot more interest in the bouquet toss than the guys did in the garter. The couple said farewell to their guests under a shower of white petals.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

On Callie and Drew’s wedding day, two of our videographers made their way to the small town of Grandview. After unloading their gear and setting up in the sanctuary of the church, they roved the facility to capture the pre-ceremony activities like The First Look. Since Callie knew her brief reception in the church’s facilities would not take up as much of our time as we usually contract for, we agreed to arrive earlier than usual to make time for shots of downtown Grandview. We like to work with our brides to customize our services to their needs.

We’d been warned by the bride that her photographer liked to shoot with ambient light and we weren’t supposed to get in his way. We weren’t surprised to hear the warning, because many photographers are concerned about vying with videographers for the same space during a wedding. We weren’t worried, because photographers love us and many of our referrals come from photographers who have worked with us. We assured Callie everything would be all right.

Callie’s photographer discovered he was actually glad we were there. We allowed him to take the lead and set up the First Look. That’s when he discovered the lamps on our cameras filled in the light he required without the need for flash. Flash has no depth of field, but our lights mimic ambient light. During the ceremony, we had one camera at the back of the church and another hiding between the sheer drapes. The photographer happily shared our lights for his shots during the ceremony and during his photo session afterwards, he even asked us to keep our lights on to help the quality of his shots.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

LeniCam Video Productions – Videography Wedding Dallas TX

Cindy and Nop at Buddhist Center of Dallas and Crescent Hotel in Videography Wedding Dallas TX

The Buddhist Center of Dallas is a tranquil retreat from the hustle and bustle of the Metroplex.  Gardens, ponds, waterfalls, fountains and statuary create a peaceful haven for worship and meditation.  Visitors are greeted by a golden statue of Buddha set between a pair of large stone elephants.  On the day of Cindy and Nop’s ceremony the tusks of the elephants were draped in colorful floral offerings.

The beautiful bride wore a lovely long-sleeved lace cheongsam in a rich golden color.  Around her neck was an elaborate gold necklace with large stones, sometimes called a khau.  The groom chose a white Khmer jacket for the ceremony.  The couple enjoyed welcoming their guests to the serene garden.

Before entering the temple, everyone took off their shoes.  Even the bride removed the pretty high-heeled pumps which matched her dress.  Inside the temple, every surface was decorated with beautiful paintings and carvings of Buddhist traditions.  Cindy and Nop approached an altar and prayed for a blessing of their union.

Unlike Western traditions, Buddhist priests do not actually marry the couple.  Instead they bless the union which the couple has formed privately.  At Cindy and Nop’s ceremony there were nine monks chanting and praying for the union’s blessing. Cindy and Nop thanked the priests with large offerings of food in gorgeous metal bowls.  After the religious ritual there was a live performance of traditional music with authentic antique Cambodian instruments.

Later a reception to celebrate the union was held at the Crescent Hotel.  The radiant Cindy changed into a gorgeous white brocade gown with a scoop neckline, cap sleeves and a large decorative bow.  Nop changed into a handsome white military uniform.  The couple created an impressive image together.

The tall wedding cake on a silver cake stand had pink roses and white hydrangeas between the layers.  Surrounding tables were also decorated with elegant displays of roses and hydrangeas.  Other tables were graced by three tall crystal candle sticks with crystal beaded votives.  A live band entertained the party and a delicious plated dinner was served.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

With the hundreds and hundreds of weddings we’ve recorded we’ve learned language, custom and tradition are windows, not barriers. An exhaustive list of all the types of ceremonies we’ve captured would be a long list indeed.  Yet regardless of the ethnicity, race or religion, when we deliver the finished videos to our couples, the result is always the same – they love it.  That’s why Cindy and Nop chose us to capture their special day.

Cindy saw our huge library of videos and appreciated the way handled diverse circumstances.  She liked that we discussed her event with her to develop our plan for her day, rather than trying to squeeze her day into our template.  We loved the beauty and serenity of her ceremony’s venue and we always love filming a beautiful bride.

On the special day we arrived early to set-up our cameras and capture pre-ceremony events.  Throughout the day we were everywhere, recording everything, while doing our best to be invisible.  When the event was over, we took the audio and video recordings back to our studio and pored over them to edit and mix a unique video of their ceremony and celebration.

When Cindy hired us to videograph her wedding, she thought she’d be satisfied with the more economical DVD, but when she saw how good the DVD was she was so excited by it that she upgraded to BluRay.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To 

LeniCam Video Productions – Videography Wedding Dallas TX

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Kelly and Ben at Perkins Chapel at SMU in Videography Wedding Dallas TX

On the SMU campus, rain fell on bright yellow daffodils, bedecking them with jewel-like droplets.  In a room nearby, a bride stepped into her wedding gown.  Her attendants wore yellow chiffon dresses, every bit as bright as the daffodils outside.  Branches of yellow forsythia filled vases inside the chapel.  White roses in the bride’s bouquet surrounded a splash of yellow peonies.  The bridesmaids carried fresh nosegays of white daisies.  Spring arrived at Perkins Chapel on Kelly and Ben’s wedding day and Videography Wedding Dallas TX proves it..

Joy, as noticeable as the spring shower outside, permeated the chapel.  Ben’s tuxedo-clad groomsmen ducked into the vestibule shaking off the damp.  Nearby, Kelly waited for her cue.  She looked stunning in her strapless white sheath, encased in a sleeveless lace overdress.  Her radiant smile outshone the crystal chandelier earrings dangling from her lobes.

The large wedding party formed two rows at the front of the chapel as grand music from the pipe organ filled the air.  Kelly entered the chapel and walked down the aisle to Ben.  He’d known she was the one for him ever since their first date.  In fact, he was still wondering why he waited three days to call her, once he had her number.

As Kelly’s father gave his daughter away, he told Ben to “Love her always.”  After readings of poetry and scripture, The Lord’s Prayer was sung by a talented vocalist.  The ceremony included a unique floral ritual where the bride and groom added flowers to vase, symbolizing their lives being joined together.  The sincerity of the couple could be seen on their faces as they made their vows to love one another forever.

After the ceremony, Kelly gathered her dress into her arms and huddled under an umbrella with Ben as they made their way to the waiting limousine.  The simple act seemed to suggest that together  this couple could face whatever life rained down on them.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

We tell brides that no matter what happens on their wedding day, good and bad, they are going to love their wedding video.  Instead of trying to hide the rainy weather, our LeniCam videographer included the spring shower, making it a highlight of the day.  The raindrops on the daffodils intensify the sunshine-like effect of the yellow chiffon dresses and yellow floral displays Kelly chose for her wedding.  When Kelly’s mother watched the video for the first time, it was the couple’s walk in the rain, together under one umbrella, which brought tears to her eyes.

During the wedding we captured everything around us.  A videocamera was only one of our tools.  We also used a variety of microphones and audio feeds to record the sounds of the day.  Rain falling, a father’s whispered words and flourishes of magnificent music were just as important as wedding dresses, flowers and tuxedos.

At the end of the day our job had just begun.  We took the recorded material back to our studio and went over it time and time again.  We sifted through every frame, mixing the video and audio, to create a video which represented the overall experience of the day, along with the visual and audio details.  We created Kelly and Ben’s unique wedding video to preserve the moments of their special day for enjoyment throughout their life together.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

LeniCam Video Productions – Videography Wedding Dallas TX

In a splendid wedding showcase, merging Hispanic and Nigerian wedding traditions, the radiantly beautiful Jennifer married the happy and handsome Casanova in a Catholic ceremony celebrated at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Downtown Dallas.

When the glowing Jennifer stepped out of a Hummer stretch limousine and onto the church’s steps, bright sunshine filled the streets of Dallas, igniting her white satin gown and bouquet of white roses. A gentle breeze teased at the edges of her cathedral-length veil.  A short-sleeved lace bolero complemented the strapless, empire bodice of beaded and sequined lace.  The rusched satin of the skirt was pulled up to her hip on one side by a bouquet of satin roses, revealing a beaded and sequined lace skirt underneath.  The train of her gown exploded into puffy ruffles below the corset closing.  Waiting at the altar was an eager bridegroom looking spectacular in his black tuxedo.  The beauty of the united couple was matched by the magnificent accoutrements of the historically-significant cathedral.

The bright colors of Nigerian bubas (tops), iro (skirts) and elaborate geles (headdresses) were sprinkled among the sea of guests, as were garments and accessories of deep sapphire blue, marking Jennifer’s family and attendants.

The love the couple felt for one another was easy to see as they vowed their lives to one another.  When the priest prompted Casanova with, “I will love you and honor you all the days of my life,” Casanova firmly added an “always” before “love”.  After the ceremony, the wedding party stopped on the portico of the cathedral for formal photography and there were so many attendants, they filled the stairway.

Jennifer and Casanova held their reception at the lovely Marriot Quorum where guests were greeted by a mariachi band.  The bride and groom were led to a stage, where they sat on thrones while being showered with blessings and prayers, some in the Nigerian native tongue.

Gorgeous floral displays adorned the tables and at each place setting guests found a gold favor box and a water bottle with the couple’s picture.  Each place setting also had a champagne flute and a shot glass, making guests aware that they could expect to have a good time at this party.  The guests showed their appreciation by showering the couple with money throughout the evening, going far beyond the boundaries of a money dance.

The couple stood next to the huge multi-tiered wedding cake, which was covered in silver flowers with white icing foliage, for the cake cutting ceremony.  Afterwards Casanova dipped Jennifer for a dramatic kiss.  Crystal monogrammed flutes waited for their toast.

After sharing a few more moments like the First Dance and the Bouquet and Garter Tosses, it was time for a wardrobe change.  Casanova appeared in a sapphire buba with intricate silver and gold embroidery in an emblem on his breast.  Jennifer wore a sapphire kaba (single-pieced dress) with a shawl and crown of kola nuts.  By appearing in these cultural clothes on their wedding day, they established their own colors for the new family they were beginning. Even Jennifer’s parents embraced the Nigerian tradition, wearing matching Nigerian cultural clothes in their own colors. Eventually the time came for Casanova and Jennifer to say good-bye and start their life together.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions –  Videography Wedding Dallas TX

What a special day we had with Jennifer and Casanova and their unique celebration.  We were excited about capturing everything from the glowing bride on the cathedral steps to the beautiful panorama of Nigerian cultural clothes.  The trick is to be everywhere all the time, recording the sights and sounds of the day, while remaining invisible to the guests and participants.

Experience allows us to move quickly from the bright sunlight as the bride arrives, to the dimmed interior of the cathedral, all the while making adjustments on the fly to the lights and cameras.  Inside, we know where to stand between the huge columns, to record the bride as she walked down the aisle with her father, because we’ve done many weddings at this venerable old cathedral.  Experience has taught us to put a wireless mic on the groom, so that we can capture important phrases like Jennifer’s exclamation of “My husband,” as their car headed to the reception.

At the end of the day, we take all our footage and recordings back to the studio where they can be woven into a cinematic memory Jennifer and Casanova can enjoy in the years to come.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To

Here’s what  Jennifer had to say about us on The Knot: “Best Way to Remember the Day – by far one of the best investments we made to capture all our memories on our wedding day! LeniCam Video Productions is BEST OF THE BEST in my opinion and I will use them again for other special events. My husband and I ordered extra DVD’s and gave them as Thank You Gifts to family and friends: all of them couldn’t stop talking about the quality! I would recommend to any bride or to those who want to get the Bride/Groom a special gift! Worth every penny!!!!!”

LeniCam Video Productions – Videography Wedding Dallas TX