Capturing weddings; to make it possible to relive some of the most important (and fleeting) moments in a couples life. |
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Creating short films that are stirring. |
2010 was a fabulous year! Thanks to all of you who helped make it so 
2011 is shaping up to be even better… Drop by our booth at the Dallas Bridal Show on January 29 or 30 to get a sneak peak at some of our new offerings, such as custom video invitations!
Watermark Community Church opened their new chapel a few months ago. Leigh Montgomery, a member of Watermark’s staff, and Adam Sandwick chose the Watermark Chapel as the setting for their wedding. If I could describe their wedding in a few words, it would be: simple, earthy, beautiful, and one of a kind.
watermark chapel leigh and adam
The pond area out in front of the church served as a great setting for the photographer to capture all of there smiles. The chapel is conveniently situated next to the Loft, which is a large room overlooking the pond area that served as the reception room.
While many brides and grooms choose a traditional route and serve cake and punch or wine, Leigh and Adam went a totally different and delicious route! Cupcakes, M&M’s, Skittles, cookies, and hot tamale candies were just the beginning. The also had a yogurt shop bring in their cart of frozen yogurt and serve each guest from a variety of flavors and toppings!
Probably my favorite part of their refreshment options was the coffee bar. Crooked Tree Coffeehouse (crookedtreecoffeehouse.com) brought their crew and took orders ranging from regular coffee to rich caramel macchiatos. I just love the smell of coffee….
Overall, Leigh and Adam’s day was delightful and they really make a beautiful couple. Best wishes to them! And here’s some highlights from their day:
Blue and yellow flowers, vintage lace dress, cowboy boots, and even a kilt adorned the bride and groom as they were married on March 6th, 2010. Many ears perked up as they heard the familiar sounds from the Braveheart soundtrack as Garrett and his groomsmen walked across the stage.
The white sheer fabric cascading in the background provided the perfect backdrop as Garrett stood still and smiling, awaiting his lovely bride. With soft brown curls falling across her shoulders and the perfect lace neckline to frame her smile, Alana walked down the isle to marry the love of her life.
Yellow lemons filled the vases on the tables and homemade picture frames painted in blues and yellow sat nearby. Each table had a couple of disposable cameras for the guest to take candid shots.
The Bride’s cake had a homey and soft feel as it was decorated with blue and yellow flowers over the ivory icing. Garrett’s cake, however, caught everyone’s eye. A 3 foot block of gray icing resembling the texture of a rock wall was the bottom half. On top laid a cake in the shape of a guitar. The whole thing resembled a rock climbing beast with fake moss and pebbles decorating it. A small figurine was even strategically placed to represent a rock climber. It was impressive and quite a sight to see!
Overall, the wedding day was filled with lightheartedness, tender moments, lots of laughter, and the fun and goofiness of Garrett and Alana. Cody and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting their wedding. The most important thing was for us to capture them enjoying this day as it really happened and I think we did well.
This past weekend was a whirlwind, but nonetheless filled with fun. Cody, our friend Jonathan (who happens to be an up and coming photographer and graphic designer), and myself traveled down to Camp Highland Lakes near Austin, TX for the Hot Hearts Conference 2010. Each year, youth from all over Texas come for a 2 day retreat filled with worship, concerts, sports, hanging out, and messages shared about Jesus Christ. All photos are courtesy of Rod Cordsen. He is an amazingly talented photographer and you can find him at: cordsenphotography.com
This camp is really where Cody first began his training for being a videographer. He worked there an entire summer back in 2006 and filmed and filmed and filmed and edited and edited and edited. It was a tiring, almost never ending process, but the joy it brought to the many smiling faces that came through that camp made it all worth it.
Now, he and Jonathan have been recruited each year for the Spring Hot Hearts gathering, and I got to join them for the first time! It’s quite entertaining to observe the array of responses a videographer receives when he or she surprises those to be filmed.
Some of the teenagers eat it up entirely. A camera is pointed at them and it becomes their chance to flip their hair, smile from ear to ear, and wave hello like a celebrity. It becomes their opportunity to playfully push each other around and wrestle around on the grass….maybe do some handstands or in a non chalant manner, pretend like they don’t even care we are filming them.
For others, this moment is frightening and they literally run away from us as if we smell like we haven’t showered in a week. Like I said, while the weekend is tiring and intense, it remains quite entertaining.
The best part of the weekend is to know that these youth are getting an opportunity to hear messages about Christ, and learn about their worth in God’s eyes. I am sure these teenagers come from all kinds of backgrounds, and many are desperate to find purpose for their lives and know that they are loved. They learn about this here…they hear great truths.
After arriving late Thursday night, we spent the Friday storyboarding, began filming lots that evening, Cody and Jonathan stayed up to 3 am editing, and then Saturday we burnt the DVDs and it was time to show these youth awesome moments from the weekend before we all parted ways.
Good times, great people, all equaling to quite a swell weekend.
Last week Kasey and I went out to try some new equipment, and the video below is the result! The park we found is right up Belt Line in Richardson, or maybe in addison. Its a great place, and I think we’ll be taking a few couples there for shoots of the story!
Enjoy! And leave some comments to tell us what you think!
The Wedding Dress from Cody Mahan on Vimeo.
Hi all – I was doing a bit of research online and came across this useful article on How to Hire a Wedding Videographer.
From the article:
Most brides spend months, if not years, dreaming about their wedding day – visualizing an event that will be as unique and sparkling as a snowflake, dazzingly unlike any wedding before or yet to come, utterly fresh and magical. They may invest hours upon hours searching for the perfect wedding ring.
Yet when those brides look for a wedding videographer — to capture a living record of that remarkable day, which they will be looking at as long as they’re looking at their wedding rings (even if not as often) – most brides follow a very predictable pattern:
- They lump their search for a videographer along with shopping for other vendors, such as caterers, florists, and limousine companies.
- They wait until after choosing a photographer before locating a videographer.
- They give little thought to what they want their wedding video to actually be like; they just want to know it will be done.
- They make their final choice by price.
There is an old axiom in entrepreneurial circles: “Observe the masses – then do the opposite.” That also is good advice for any bride who wants a quality video of her wedding day. Hiring a videographer isn’t just a matter of ticking off a check box somewhere on the prenuptial To Do list. For that matter, settling on the lowest bidder is no formula for securing a video that enthralls generations of viewers.
Sounding good? Read more of the article here.
We’ve been upgrading our equipment of late, and I decided to try my hand at some custom builds. This baby is a shoulder mount, glide track, and tripod mount all in one, and it makes me happy. It took me a couple weeks to come up with the design and to build it, and I had a little help from a fine fellow at Lowes!
We got a chance to use it for the first time this past weekend for a wedding, and the ability to go hand-held in a ceremony is wonderful. Some of the angles we achieved were astounding, and although not as steady and a tripod, still vog worthy!
Good times this past weekend! On Saturday, we hung out with one of our couples getting married in July at the Old Red Museum in downtown Dallas. Cool venue! We got to see all its insides while we mapped out the videography.
Afterward we spent some time at starbucks with some friends and played scrabble – they insisted that they hadn’t played in years, but they still owned us. Then, I took Kasey out to get some sushi from one of our favorite places in celebration of our love. This had nothing to do with Valentines day…
That night a buddy from San Angelo crashed at our place, and spent the next day with us, which was awesome! We went to church, made some lunch, and then packed up to head to a Chinese New Year celebration at a friends house in Grand Prairie. The main tradition is to eat, and I was very traditional. Gonna have to work out a little harder this week.. Homemade dumplings and various kinds of seafood which we individually cooked in a hot pot in the center of the table – amazing. We sang, played on the piano, and I did some handstands. Good times were had by all, and now I really want to go to China.
We had some record breaking snow in Richardson this past week! It was beautiful, and after snowballing each other and building an obligatory snowman on top of my car, we decided it was time to film a little video we’ve been wanting to do for a few weeks now.
Some background; we love Glee – its one of shows that we can both appreciate in full together. And, I’ve been told in the past that my life is basically a Disney movie, and its true; you won’t go a day in the Mahan house without hearing one of us bust out in song for some reason!
Enjoy!
Degying Fravity from Cody Mahan on Vimeo.
And the fast version….
A couple of weeks ago, Kasey and I got to go and hang out with some friends from India! They cooked us some authentic spicy food, and we ate it with our hands in the Indian style. Delicious!
When one of the fellas, Gaba, learned that I had my camera in the car, he pleaded for a spontaneous video to be made. Spontaneous usually equals ridiculous with me, but we had a lot of fun with it. Watch and be entertained!
Total Eclipse from Cody Mahan on Vimeo.
Hello friends,
So, it looks like we have another exciting “goodie” to offer you. Pencil Portraits.
When Cody and I got married, we decided that instead of having a classic photograph of me in my bridal gown marking the entrance to our ceremony location, that we would have a pencil portrait for all to see. As beautiful as an elegant bridal portrait can be, we simply wanted something a little different.
I have been drawing pencil portraits for years, often giving them as gifts, and selling a few from time to time. Our pencil portrait still hangs up in our living room as a unique work of art for our guests to see. It has proven to be quite a conversation piece.
Here are another couple of examples that we have in our home. All celebrities…the couple is from a tear-jerker movie you may remember entitled, “The Notebook”. The other portrait…well, do you recognize her?
We now offer you, brides and grooms, to have your pencil portrait drawn too! You pick your favorite photo (with a little artistic advice from me as to what works best!) and I will draw your portrait. For more details on options and pricing, check out the “other goodies” section on our pricing page.
Oh, and I don’t just draw portraits for newlyweds, but also for families. Children, mothers, daughters, sons, babies, grandmothers…no limit.
Using quality strathmore 500 2ply acid free paper, graphite pencils, time, and care, your pencil portrait will last for years and years to come. It will truly be one of a kind.
Kasey and I met a few vendors who stood out to us at the Dallas Bridal Show this past weekend, and we wanted to pass along their info to you guys! This will happen in the course of a few posts, so stay tuned for more…
Second up, in the category of DJs, is Astounding Sounds
From their website:
Born out of the desire to offer a new level of service and professionalism to the mobile DJ industry, we are committed to co-hosting events with our clients that require a full-time professional in the industry to “obsess and own” the entertainment aspect of their event, no matter how large or small.
We met Colby while setting up for the show on Friday. He gave us some advice from his years of experience, and we spotted him a few more times cruising through the crowds during the rest of the event : ) He’s down to earth, personable, yet professional – the same qualities we strive for.
Check them out at www.astoundingsounds.com
Kasey and I met a few vendors who stood out to us at the Dallas Bridal Show this past weekend, and we wanted to pass along their info to you guys! This will happen in the course of a few posts, so stay tuned for more…
First up, in the category of Day-Of Planners, is Wedding Day Bliss LLC
What is a day of planner you ask? To quote their website:
Wedding coordinators – or “day-of” coordinators, as they are often called – are the perfect option for the do-it-yourself bride who plans her own wedding to save costs or who simply desires to design every aspect of her wedding.With the internet, brides are able to do most of the planning themselves but on the wedding weekend they need a coordinator to make sure their day is THE DAY they have dreamed of all of their lives.During the wedding weekend, we are there to implement those plans and handle the last-minute surprises that inevitably pop up.Less-stressed, brides and their family, can enjoy the wedding and be with their guests. They are not worrying whether the gifts make it from church to reception, if the bows are on pews, has the photographer arrived, were the flowers handed out – and so on. As coordinators, we can also handle awkward family situations with grace and poise to eliminate stress for the bride.
Admittedly, I haven’t had contact with a ton of day of coordinators, but these three ladies, Kathy, Beth, and Karen, were kind, warm, good-natured, and generally filled with southern hospitality, as they like to say. One of the things we’re big on at Videos of Goodness is a stress free wedding day. Its ridiculous to go through months of planning and then still be stressed and unable to enjoy the huge party going on around you! We do our best to contribute to a stress free environment, but they specialize in it! Check them out at www.myweddingdaybliss.com
Kasey and I wanted to say thanks to all of you who dropped by our booth at the bridal show this past weekend! It was intense, but a lot of fun – and talking to you all made all the standing around and the low back pain bearable : )
We’ll give a 10% standing discount to everyone we met at the show who books before Feb 28th! Just mention the bridal show when u contact us and we’ll apply it.
Towards the end of last year I came up with an idea for a little add on to any package, called The Story. Soon after, I filmed the very first one, and I finished editing it just last week! It was a hit at the Dallas Bridal Show this past weekend, and I look forward to doing several more of these soon.
Garrett & Alana’s wedding is on March 6th, and I believe they’ll be showing this at their Reception. Check it out – they’re goof balls – you’ll love it : )
Incidentally, this is my first post with a video in HD 720p! Be sure and watch it in high quality if you’ve got a fast connection..
Yay for delayed posting! – Our good friends Cory & Kristina Huffman got married back in October, and I’m just now getting a post out about it
It was a beautiful traditional wedding, both ceremony and reception held at the Chapelle Des Fleurs in Lewisville. The Huffman’s had a friend of the family from South Africa officiate, and my brother hilariously pointed out afterward that he wished HE could get the Geico Geckco guy to do his wedding…
Here are some of their wedding highlights, done a little differently, in a 1920’s old film style. Hope you like it!
Kasey and I went to hang out with some friends a couple nights ago and I wanted to try out my new camera, so we made a really really ridiculously good looking (maybe simply ridiculous) video with the first plot we could come up with. Actually the location (on the roof of Opening Bell Coffee) would be excellent for other types of video… maybe I’ll take a couple or two up there to shoot their story.
Hey Friends, we’ve been putting together a brochure for Videos of Goodness this past week, and in the process have come up with some new ways to do the packages for 2010. I like it, and think you will as well. We’ll be updating the Weddings page soon, but until then, check these out…
These prices are good for 2010!
Kasey and I are exhibiting at the Dallas Bridal Show in a couple of weeks, and they sent us this nice little 1-dollar off coupon to give out to people – so feel free to snag this, print it, and bring it to the door to get hooked up. You can print off multiples for your friends and family!
(right click -> save image as -> print!)
Maybe its because I grew up in West Texas with fairly with a high population of Mexicanos, many who were my friends, or because of the many trips across the border as a kid with my parents, but I’ve always had a fondness for Latin American culture. Spanish is the first language on my list of 7 (high hopes!) that I want to become fluent in.
A few years ago I found out about a trip that a family out of College Hills BC back in San Angelo was taking to a children’s home down in Monclova, Mexico. They had been going for years, and had built strong relationships with the kids and adults there. I went with them that time, fell in love with the people, and went a second time over Spring break. The children’s home is the realized dream of a Mexican woman named Betty, who established it 10 years ago with the name Casa Hogar Galilea. It’s funded with support of various churches in the area, as well as a few in the states, and they are always in need of more.
I went back over Christmas break this year along with several of the crew from preceding years, and this time Kasey came with! The Christmas trips are laid back; there was a little work to do on replacing one of the bathroom ceilings and shower heads, but other than that, we just got to hang out with the kids non-stop, playing basketball, giving gifts and eating a ton of delicious Mexican foods.
We had some good discussions with our buddy Mark about next steps for the kids here. After they turn 18, they have the option of staying and helping at the home if they can go to school, or just leaving. While trying to figure out ways we could help with this, more than just monetarily, we decided on making a phat video. So sometime in the next few months we’re gonna head back for a shoot… but more on that later!
We set Kasey to work with Mark’s camera, and here’s some shots she got…
Kasey and I have been married for 5 months now, but two months in, we joined a small group of young married couples that meets often to do life together, work through tough issues that are common to all couples, and have a ridiculously good time. Its called a foundation group: http://www.watermark.org/get-connected/community-groups/
Its been wonderful! For any of you young marrieds or old marrieds or about to be marrieds, I recommend checking it out!
Here’s some pics from a recent Christmas shindig with the group:
Tim, Horrified at our tacky sweaters…
Kasey, chewing and whatev’ing Tim…
The Bakers, in all their glorious tacky sweater-ness…
Scott, washing it up…
Our fearless leaders, exchanging some lovin!
Hey friends, I just put together this ad for the west texas bridal show and magazine! I like the looks of it, so thought I’d share…
Kasey and I will be at this Bridal Show Jan 31st for sure, hopefully exhibiting alongside 350 other wedding professionals!
We traveled up to the Greeneville area the weekend of November 7th for my cousin Kassi’s wedding. It was to be an outdoor affair, and the setting was in a little wooded area of the Lone Oak Ranch and Retreat, which is ridiculously beautiful and serene. Brides searching for a venue? I’d recommend it for sure – they take care of everything from housing to banquet hall to horse-drawn carriage to bring you in on.
I was there to be the videographer, but got volunteered to be the audio guy for the ceremony and the dj for the reception as well! I haven’t worked that hard in a while – but on the plus side, if any of you need a dj, I now have the experience…
Kasey, in case some of you didn’t know, is also a talented musician, and she sang a pretty righteous opera piece for the ceremony.
Family came in from all over, and I got to see my parents and sister and bro in law. We all stayed together in one of the many ranch houses. Overall, it was a splendid weekend!
I don’t have any excellent pictures of the reception, but then, that was the job of the photographer, Elizabeth Higgins, who shot the whole afternoon alongside us.
These two make me happy – glad I get to be around them the rest of my life
Here’s their wedding story, compliments of youtube:
On October 23th we traveled to the small town of Borger in the Texas panhandle to film the wedding of Hannah and Stephen Frost. About a 6 hour drive, but Kasey and I listened to Ender’s Game on audiobook to pass the time.
Ender’s Game = awesome = you should go read it.
We got there on Friday afternoon, and helped the bride and groom with some last minute preparations before the rehearsal. I got some good candid shots of silliness. Personalities always come out in the rehearsal, before everyone puts on their super serious faces for the ceremony. 
Afterward I joined the fellas for a bachelor’s party while Kasey hung out with the ladies. Stephen pulls off wearing a cow suit with much dignity.
The next day we got set up for the ceremony nice and early, and I got a little development in on some of my iPhone projects. They had a nice looking wedding arch, which I was able to mount one of my cameras to, and got some killer shots of the couple from the front during the ceremony.
It went off without a hitch and we joined everyone at the reception, which was at a home nearby. Stephen and Hannah are definitely one of the more laid back couples we’ve come across. They wanted a quiet exit, but we sent them off with yells and sparklers anyway.
We have a ton of videos up on youtube.com/videosofgoodness. Over time, we’ll be blogging about some of them individually, but for now here’s a playlist of some of our favorites.
