Nothing Sweeter than Childhood Sweethearts

Whitney & Josh celebrated their marriage to one another in the church where they grew up, surrounded by family & loving friends... :)

Pitfalls of Modern Weddings

Everybody is a photographer at weddings these days! Surely you have noticed all the glowing screens from cameras & smartphones at events as everyone records their own view of the magic. I certainly have! I truly don't begrudge anyone taking pictures, but there are now SO many glowing LED screens at events, it can be hard to frame them out of shots and prevent them from becoming a distraction! The photo above is a prime example of what I'm talking about. It's a sign of the times I suppose, and ultimately a good videographer will work around the activities of the guests to produce your keepsake video. Even with these distractions, I'm still very proud of Alan & Joana's video. Even more so in this case, because my secondary camera was stolen right out of the church at this wedding and I had to put the project together without it!

Party Like a Rock Star!

Perry & Elyse had a simple ceremony & dinner reception on Friday night, then kicked it into high gear with a Fire & Ice Gala reception on Saturday. All the cool kids were there... Don't miss the firecracker hats at the end...

Waverly Manor Wedding

Sarah & Brian celebrated their wedding at Waverly Manor on October 15th, 2011. This elegant facility features a beautiful outdoor gazebo & pond setting for your ceremony, the manor house, and a convenient reception hall! I also started developing a new service on this project. I pulled still pictures from the video & gave them to the couple as additional photos, which they loved. Several clients have asked me if I also do photography, to which I say no, because I see the photographer's and videographer's jobs as being quite different. However, I do get some very good images while shooting, and so I am now offering this as an add on service to pull photos from your video.

Country Club Wedding

Regina & Navi concluded multiple days of wedding celebrations on 9/24/11. After getting ready at CK Day Spa & Salon, the bridal party moved on to Riverbend Country Club, which provided a sunny & beautiful setting for the ceremony followed by a seamless transition to an elegant & fun reception.

Complete Edit vs. Highlights

What the heck am I talking about? I find that most clients do not initially understand the difference between a "complete edit" and "highlights only" service. So I thought it might be good to take a few minutes to explain.

No matter what package you choose, I always want to deliver the best wedding video that I possibly can for my clients. And really, I shoot the same way regardless of the level of editing that is chosen with the client's package. But choosing "complete edit" vs. "highlights" has a huge impact on what your finished wedding video will be like. With my less expensive "highlights" packages, you still get an edited ceremony, and you get a one song highlights edit that summarizes your entire wedding day. Most clients are very happy with this, as it is fun, short, and convenient to share online. But because the highlights format is short, there is less time to spend with your friends and guests in the storytelling. You still get all of your source video, so you can go back and watch everything. But it is not completely trimmed & cleaned for presentation, and even though you can skip through chapters on the DVD, some clients may find this raw presentation a bit tedious.

The "complete edit" on the other hand, makes a fully polished movie of your day. This longer format presentation has more time for details, footage of guests, and complete storytelling. It is simply the best way to relive your day, and is what I recommend since it is much more fun to watch when everything is cleaned up & set to music.

When I first began making wedding videos, complete edit was how I thought it should be done! I started offering the highlights packages so that I could offer a lower price point for my clients, and I have had a very good response, but it still is not the same as having a fully polished presentation of your day. I do also include the shorter highlights with the complete edit, so choosing a package that includes the complete edit really is the best choice. Please take a look at my website for more package information & pricing.

June wedding at Belle Elegante

I had the pleasure of commemorating Jaqueline & Derek's wedding on video this summer. After a touching ceremony & fun pictures in downtown Houston, they partied into the night at Belle Elegante. This was my first visit to this hidden downtown gem. I was impressed by the seamless integration of the facility, with on-site parking & every amenity built in!

Ah, Young Love!

Adorable Julia & J.T. had a very sweet family wedding to celebrate the start of their lives together. Though I am based in Houston, this wedding took place in the DFW area. So if you really like my work but aren't getting married in Houston, don't worry. Calico Wedding Videos is available to travel & preserve your wedding memory!

May Weddings Delivered

Every project I create feels like my baby, so I was very happy to deliver these two May weddings recently. Brittany & Steven had their reception at posh Hotel Zaza, while Juliet & Nick had their elegant soiree at Artista in Hobby Center.

Wedding Channel Deal on May 27th!

A quality wedding video preserves and shapes the memory of your wedding day in a way that can't be matched by photos alone. Calico Wedding Videos is offering a "Package Upgrade Coupon" through Wedding Channel Deals. For $99, this coupon entitles the bearer to an upgraded wedding videography service package, a value of $250 - $1000. Receive a discounted price when you book one of our service packages & get more premium service for your money. You pay for the next less expensive package on our service menu.

Please view some of our samples & contact us to check date availability. We look forward to preserving your wedding memory!

Wedding at the Houston Arboretum

Last year I posted about wanting to do a wedding at the Houston Arboretum, and on March 19th, I had the pleasure of attending the French-Clements wedding at that very location! Andrea & Clay said their vows in an intimate ceremony on the deck overlooking the pond & meadow. I hope you enjoy these highlights of the celebration, which was expertly coordinated by The Party Architects.

Wedding Dance

Are you anxious about dancing at your wedding? Allow me to recommend fabulous private ballroom dance instruction with The Dance Whisperer. My husband & I have been enjoying lessons with Rebecca since Valentine's Day and it's really fun. We wanted to become comfortable enough to dance socially, and we are well on our way. The private studio & expert instruction have certainly put us at ease. We feel we will be ready to "trip the light fantastic" in no time!

Promotional Videos

I do more than just weddings! I also make promotional videos, commercials, PSAs for charities, dance events, instructional videos, personal video editing, and more. This short sample is a promo video for the website of a henna artist I am acquainted with. If you haven't ever experienced henna, I highly recommend it. Henna, or mehndi, is a traditional element in the wedding festivities of many cultures, and is a fun and relaxing way to spend time with girlfriends. The natural dyes color the skin for only 1 - 2 weeks, and the application isn't much different from icing a cake.

Another enjoyable way to spend time with girlfriends is to take up belly dance! I have been dancing for over ten years, and the connections I have developed sometimes cross over into my video work. Here is another example of a promotional web video I have recently created for 3rd Coast Tribal Belly Dance Festival.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you'd like to discuss what I can make for you!

A Holiday Wedding

The Christmas season is now even more special for the Ramirez family since Pedro & Luisa celebrated their wedding on December 18th!

Livestream Your Wedding!

Are you disappointed that some of your family and friends can't make it to your wedding? Then you should consider broadcasting your event over the internet so friends and family around the world can watch online. Not only can your viewers watch online, they can participate in live chat and truly share the experience from home. Call us & ask about our live streaming service with IDoStream.com today!

Play Your Video at Your Reception

With technology available today, it is possible for a skilled wedding filmmaker to deliver same-day edit service. You can have an artfully prepared video of your wedding day screened at your wedding reception, even available as favors for your guests to take home on DVD.

It was my pleasure to create and screen this same-day edit video at Shahin & Noorddin's reception this past weekend.

An Affair to Remember

Stephanie & Timo were married December 11th, 2010 in the home of a family friend. The elegant ceremony was followed by an intimate reception at table seven. The couple was married by the bride's grandfather, and he used the lyrics for the song "Glory of Love" as part of his message of wisdom to the bride and groom.

Give the Gift of Video!

Have you ever considered giving the gift of video as a wedding present? Lucky bride Lauren & her groom Travis received their wedding video as a gift from her maid of honor & best friend. Now every time they relive their wedding memory, they will also remember this thoughtful & touching gift.

Calico Wedding Videos offers gift certificates for all of our wedding services. Contact us when you want to give a gift that will be remembered for years to come!

What is a Concept Video?

Wedding video can be anything you want it to be. It really depends on what's important to you. If you want to remember the events of your special day & be able to relive that experience, then "Day of Wedding" service is right for you. But if you would really just like a short & romantic video to commemorate the occasion, a "Concept Video" might be right for you!

In the example above, Joel & Michelle Seymour celebrate six years of marriage by spending a romantic morning reflecting on their wedding. A concept video can be a less expensive alternative to a traditional wedding video because they are more straightforward to produce, requiring only a couple of hours for you & your sweetie to play in front of the camera. They can be produced anytime - as a "Save the Date" video before the wedding or as a "Trash the Dress" video after the fact. If you have a creative concept, you can produce the video around that idea, or you can take the "Bridal Glamour" approach. Either way, you may want to keep a concept video in mind as an alternative to the traditional wedding video.

Just the Party, please!

Destination weddings are popular these days for lots of good reasons, but some people still don't want to miss out on partying with friends and family when they get home. Justin & Amanda escaped to Napa Valley for their nuptials and then celebrated at the Pelazzio with a karaoke reception afterward. DJ duties were handled by Unique Celebrations, and we made this fun video to commemorate the occasion.