Michael and LaDonna’s Blog

My cousin David got married!  I was so proud to do the video for him and his lovely bride, Magaly.  Family and friends are important to them, and the video was a ‘must-have’ for those moments they wanted to share with those who couldn’t attend.  Magaly’s brothers were readers at the ceremony, and her children the ring bearer and a flower girl.  David’s Best Man was his twin brother, Aaron.  The  wedding and reception was held at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship Church in Carrollton.  A BIG thank you to the families who worked so hard to make this day beautiful, and congratulations David and Magaly!  Love you.

photographer:  Celina Gomez with Captivating Simplicity Photography

Fun, elegant, charming! The ceremony took place at the beautiful Fort Worth Presbyterian Church. Courtney and Barrett had a special moment together before the wedding, when they got to see each other for the first time. The anticipation and emotion just fills the room, and we were so happy to capture that! There were SO MANY great moments! The Ashton Depot was the perfect reception site. As you can see from the video, it has vintage elegance. Darren Moll has created a unique and stylish venue! Creme de la Creme created the attention-getting cakes (the groom’s cake is a Wakeboard!).

Photographer Edward Ramirez and his crew from BluDoor Studios set up a photo booth, which was a BIG hit with the guests. They were able to take home fun pictures of this special day! Amazing floral decor by Judy Berry at Sahana Foral Design. Their wedding planner, Micki Novak of Dream Weddings, made this the perfect day!



Wedding Planner: Micki Novak
Photographer: BluDoor Studios

Stephanie and Brian had a “Dream Wedding”! Not only was the ceremony at First Baptist Church Dallas beautiful, and emotional for all involved, the reception at the Fairmont was unforgettable. Stephanie’s mom (Cyndi Merritt) and their wedding planner (Micki Novak of Dream Weddings) worked tirelessly to create the perfect day.

As a special treat, we were able to do a “Wedding Day Edit” for the couple. This is a creative and touching overview of the day, right through the first dance, that is shown at the reception. Very high on the “WOW” factor! And not only are the guests amazed, the bride and groom have a DVD to take with them on their honeymoon! Many thanks to Mark Von Lanken (of Von Wedding Films) and his crew. They were able to get the shots they needed and pull the edit together for this special presentation. There are SO many beautiful scenes from this wedding… look for more when we post their highlights video!

Joe and Stephanie and their crew at Joseph Mark Photography have a beautiful slideshow of the entire day! Check it out here: http://www.josephmark.com/MorrisKellyPreview

It’s common for brides (especially here in the South) to have a special Bridal Portrait done before the wedding. I love shooting this along with the photographer, because we get incredible shots of the bride in her beautiful dress, with plenty of time to catch every detail, every facet of her beauty. Stephanie had her bridal portrait done at the Meyerson Symphony Center, by Joseph Mark Photography. Amazing dress, veil, tiara… amazing Stephanie! This video is like, liquid beauty!

I was honored to be asked to present my seminar called “Beautiful Women” to the North Jersey Videographers Association. The NJVA is a special group for many reasons. Special thanks to Robert Allen, who was a great inspiration for me when he visited Dallas in 2000, and to NJVA President Anthony Francese, and VP Dave Marion. AND to my terrific host, Julie Conway! Here’s the write-up:

SAVE THE DATE! Exciting Meeting July 9th!

July 9th we’ll have an exceptional meeting, featuring LaDonna Moore-Aiken from Texas. Her workshop is entitled “Beautiful Women“, and it will help us discover the true beauty women look for in their videos, with an in-depth look into the minds of real brides. Learn the number one fear for most brides, and how to overcome challenges in your shooting and editing. With this insight, you can create a video they’ll rave about!
-Also, just added! Hal Slifer from Newton, MA, will present a workshop entitled “Profiting from Biography Presentation in a Down Economy” at the July meeting. Hal has been an event videographer (he prefers to be called a video historian) for 20 years. Eugene DiFrancisco will present “Tips Like you Read About”, an entertaining workshop that brings a common sense approach to multiple facets of business and production. There will also be a panel discussion with LaDonna, Hal, Eugene, Tim Ryan and Steve Wernick on the state of the industry.

This wedding was beautiful, and simply infused with LOVE. These families were a joy to be with, and their hard work and planning really showed. After the ceremony at Park Cities Baptist Church, The Project Band rocked the house at Dallas Country Club (which looked amazing!). Junior at Garden Gate Floral provided the flowers, and veteran Dallas photographer Larry Sengbush and his wife Terri captured all the fun. Catherine and David’s coordinator, Kay Watson, kept everything running smoothly, which is so important for the wedding you dream of!

This preview has a very romantic feel, and also includes some of the real audio, which gives it an authenticity I love. At the end of their first dance, David dips Catherine for a dramatic kiss, and the guests went wild (I love that scene!). The beautiful dress (designed by Patti Flowers) looks even more amazing during that first dance. The wedding cakes were gorgeous and delicious. Enjoy the preview Mr. and Mrs. Howell!



Coordinator: Kay Watson
Photographer: Larry Sengbush

We were honored to be a part of Erin and Tony’s beautiful wedding! The highlights posted here are just a mere peek (in widescreen!). This bride has such refreshing ideas and style! Stephanie Luttrell is the meeting and events coordinator at the Ritz-Carlton, where everything is simply impeccable. Sally Jones, Erin’s wedding coordinator, attended to the details behind the scenes, with flawless results. Darel Mowry (Install 2525, LLC) worked with Darren Lekar from Fete des Fleurs for the amazing flowers, and Darel staged the lounge area and room setting. They used the color RED to just envelope the ballroom for the reception. It was a breathtaking presentation! Ritz-Carlton Pastry Chef Morgan Wilson created his own magic with their cakes. He can create whatever you dream up! This was a fun, stylish, one-of-a-kind wedding!

Enjoy these pics from their photographer, Thisbe Grace. Thisbe and her husband Mark had lots of energy, and the creative sparks were flying! Erin was model perfect.



Coordinator: Sally Jones

A breathtakingly beautiful Spring day for Natalie and Ken’s wedding at Perkins Chapel! I loved the vibrant reds Natalie chose, which were brilliantly displayed in all the flowers by Pamm Meyers at Bridal Blooms and Creations. Bent Tree Country Club was the perfect setting for the reception, with lots of windows, a balcony, and lush grounds. The groom has a slight Oreo addiction, which explains the cake! Yumm!! (Kitchen Kakes by Linda Oldham 972-517-4827). Stephanie, Joe and Mark, with Joseph Mark Photography, got some creative, amazing shots of the day. Here are a few to enjoy:

Enjoy the Highlights!




Joseph Mark Photography

Those few hours before the wedding are usually filled with emotion and anticipation, and downright giddiness! It’s so much fun for the bride to spend time with ‘her girls’. Make-up, snacks, hair styling, beautiful dresses, jewelry, flowers… all the things we like! And the men are busy with their own agenda as well. So the great thing about the ‘wedding preparation’ part of the video is getting to see all those special moments for each of you.

This is an example of a ‘documentary or journalistic’ style of prep editing, where you have the moments as they happened, as well as the ‘beauty’ shots that tie everything together. The excitement is undeniable! I love Rowena’s glorious smile throughout the video.



Coordinator: Gsquared Special Events

Lindsay and Brad’s wedding plans were true to their personality. Unique, unpretentious, fun, and vibrant. Their rehearsal dinner was a blast! Karaoke at the Lakewood Theater. This theater is a fully restored 1938 Art Deco Movie Palace, and it was so much fun for everyone!

The day of the wedding, everyone looked beautiful in the Fall colors Lindsay picked out, with shades of bronze, deep purples, yellows and browns. During the preparation, the girls were keeping up with college football scores and enjoying their time together all morning. Lindsay wore cowboy boots for the wedding, which proves you can look like a princess and still be true to your Texas roots! Darren Lekar at Fete des Fleurs did an amazing job with the flowers, from the church to the reception at The Starlight Room. The colors, selections and overall look were rich, lush and bold. Cozy rooms, dramatic lighting and lots of versatility made The Starlight Room the perfect reception venue…. Great location, too! (downtown Dallas in the West End). The South Austin Jug Band had everyone on the dance floor, enjoying their unique sound. We set up a ‘confessional room’ upstairs, so guests could share memories and good wishes for Lindsay and Brad on video. Julie Smathers, at Tie the Knot, knew just what to do to make this wedding day exactly what the bride and groom wanted.



Coordinator: Tie the Knot
Photographer: Karen Campbell