CONGRATS! Ashley & Drew

 So here it is -- our last wedding.  And I like I said in the post below, we couldn't have picked a better family to have done it with.  Ashley and Drew were great, and it was truly a fun day. 

We started the day with the prep and photoshoot at Longview Mansion, then moved to Scarritt-Bennett for family photos and the ceremony.

I seriously think they may have had some of the prettiest flowers I've ever seen!

After the ceremony, everyone joined the couple to celebrate at The aVenue.  Everything there was beautiful, and guests spent most of the evening on the dancefloor.

And this was definitely my favorite moment of the evening -- the bride, her mom, her aunt, and her grandmother on the dancefloor with James Brown.  Loved it!

Thank you, Ashley and Drew.  We were honored to spend our last wedding shoot with you.  Best wishes to you and your families.

(More stills pulled from video footage are posted on Ashley & Drew's page.)

Our Last Wedding . . . Ever

Well, that's it for McNeal Wedding Films!  We shot our last wedding on November 16.  And I've got to say that we could not have chosen a more fun couple or wonderful family to end our 10 years with. This family holds a special place in our hearts (since this is the 4th wedding we've done for them), so we felt like family as we spent our last shoot with them.  (I'll put up a blog post with lots of pics and info about Ashley & Drew's wedding day soon.)

Everything about the day was perfect -- the weather, the bride and groom, the families, the flowers, and the reception.  And, to make it even better still,  James Brown was the wedding planner.   I wonder if McNeal Wedding Films would've been as successful if James had not been one of the first planners we worked with -- he was always supportive and someone I could trust.

Thank you to all our previous clients.  We enjoyed spending time with each and every one of you.  Thank you so much for trusting us with such a special event in your life.  This has been a special year for us - every wedding we shot was with a repeat client; we feel honored, and it was the perfect way to spend our last year.

While there will be no more shooting for us, there is still wedding footage on my Mac waiting to be edited.  Five more weddings to be exact.  So stay tuned - I've still got lots more to show you.  And they're all gorgeous!

CONGRATS! Lauren & Mark

We were delighted to cover a wedding for another repeat family this past weekend.  Lauren and Mark were married in a beautiful ceremony at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville. (I posted a few stills pulled from video footage below, but there are many more posted in a slideshow on Lauren and Mark's page, so be sure to check it out.)

We were tickled to find out that Lauren would be wearing a birdcage veil . . . its something we've been wishing for awhile now and I'm so glad that Lauren fulfilled that wish for us before we close up the business.  And just look at how lovely she looked in it!

After the ceremony, everyone headed over to Hillwood Country Club for the reception celebration. The newlyweds were surprised by a special guest during the evening.

Congratulations Lauren and Mark!  Thank you for inviting us to be a part of your special day.  Best wishes to a great couple!

 

WEDDING MOVIE - Ashley & Jarvis

Ashley and Jarvis' wedding movie has been posted on their page.  You can view it here.

Mr. Kisses

For the past 17 years, this little guy was always at my side - he was literally my shadow.

The house feels so empty without him. :(  My heart hurts. . . He was the sweetest kitty ever.

CONGRATS! Kelly & Drew

Kelly and Drew were married on July 21.  The ceremony and reception were held at The Livery Stables, and they were surrounded by many friends and family members as they said their vows. 

One person that wasn't there, however, was me.  I had looked forward to celebrating this day with the wedding couple for months, but the loss of our father made it impossible for me or Cheryl to be there.  Fortunately, Jon and Kelsey of FocalPoint Cinematic were more than happy to step in and shoot the wedding day in our absence.  George joined them for the shoot, and everything went as planned. :) 

I found myself smiling and even laughing out loud while going through the footage they shot; what a fun day it was!  Kelly was without a doubt the happiest bride I've ever seen.  Ever!  And she looked amazing! 

I've pulled alot of stills from the footage -- a few of them are here, but there are many more in a slideshow that can be viewed on Kelly and Drew's page.  Click here to view them.

If you didn't know, Kelly has written a series of "Kelly Plans A Wedding" blog posts that are posted on the Studio Wed-Nashville blog.  If you are planning a wedding, you will definitely want to check them out - there's lots and lots of excellent advice there. 

Again,  I thank FocalPoint Cinematic for being there to help out a friend; they did a great job on short notice, and I am sure that Kelly and Drew were excited to have them there.  I am looking forward to editing the footage -- this will really be a fun one!

My Daddy

I lost my dad last week.  He was 83 years old, and for some reason I thought he'd be here forever.  Heros don't die; or so I thought.

My daddy was a modest man.  He worked hard all his life.  He could do anything he set his mind to.  He was the guy you called if you needed help or if anything needed to be fixed.  He worked with his hands - he built things. He repaired and restored old cars.

He built a boat.  By himself.  In our basement. 

He was a man of few words . He was strong; he was dependable.  He was honest and fair; a good friend and neighbor. 

Most of all, he was a loving husband and father to 4 children, 4 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. 

He was always the one who opened the "too tight" jars, fixed our cars, changed the light bulbs, carried off the trash, lifted the heavy stuff,  took care of the property and protected us. He was always there whenever we needed him. 

As a teenager, it distressed me somewhat that he was not very friendly to my boyfriends, and he wouldn't let me leave the house if he thought my skirt was too short.  But he and my mom let me host an unusual high number of noisy slumber parties, so it wasn't too bad.  :)

In my 20s, I enjoyed Saturday afternoons riding with him on his Harley. 

Never in my whole life did I ever hear him utter a curse word.  Ever. 

It hasn't been quite a week yet since we lost him - it all still seems so surreal. We appreciate all the comforting notes and flowers we received; and we enjoyed talking to everyone that visited us at the funeral home.  I was touched at how many people took time to stop by, and it did my heart good to hear all the nice things that people had to say about him; I will never forget someone telling me that he was the "finest man they had ever known". 

They were right.  I'm proud he was my daddy - and I loved him.  Still do.  Always will. 

Life Is A Great Big Canvas

Almost ten years ago, Cheryl and I began shooting weddings on video.  It didn't take us long to fall in love with the wedding industry; we made friends with other vendors, and each wedding we worked became more fun than the last.  To this day I am convinced that we, without question, worked for the best brides and families in Nashville, and I am proud of every wedding movie we produced. 

But now, we're calling it quits. 2012 is the last year that McNeal Wedding Films will be in business.  Its time to move on and find out what is new and exciting that is waiting to catch our attention.  Time to relax a little, and spend more time with family and friends.  And I need to clean out my closets.

I made the decision at the end of 2011, so many of you were already aware of it. The original plan was not to shoot at all this year and to concentrate on editing all of the projects from the year before.  But. . . you know what they say about best laid plans . . . several previous clients requested our service again for another member of their family, and I am happy that we will be there for them one more time before closing shop.

We've already shot two weddings, and have three more this year, which means I will be editing into 2013. But it will be at a much less stressful pace since other wedding projects won't be piling up behind them. 

I am thankful to everyone who supported us in this dream of mine -- every single client, all the team members who worked with me over the years, industry vendors and friends, and my wonderful husband who spent many a lonely Saturday night. 

I know that we will miss it, but it feels right, and I'm looking forward to a slower pace of life and some free time to enjoy it.   But first, we've still got some great weddings on our calendar that I look forward to sharing with you.   :)

WEDDING MOVIE - Talia & Kevin

Talia and Kevin's wedding movie has been posted on their page.

CONGRATS!! ERIN & KYLE

Erin and Kyle were married last weekend at the Hillsboro Church of Christ, followed by a reception at Hillwood Country Club.  The photos above are from their first dance.  It was really sweet to watch - they sang to each other through the whole dance.  :)

I had been looking forward to this wedding for many months; this was another repeat family for us . . .actually, this was a THREEpeat family since we previously covered the weddings of Kyle's sister, Beth, and twin brother, Clay.  This is one of the nicest families ever, and we are so blessed to have been there for all 3 wedding celebrations!  Another benefit is being able to see other former clients when at their weddings, since we've been there for many of their friends.  (Six of Kyle's groomsmen & ushers were former grooms of ours, and I visited with several other former brides and grooms at the reception -- how fun is that??? It was like "old home week" for me and Cheryl!)

Another thing that made the day so enjoyable for us is that their photographer was Angie of Gambill Photography and the event planner was James Darrell Brown.  We always enjoy working with both.

After Erin was dressed, she and Kyle had their 'first look'.  As I said in my previous post, this is one of my favorite parts of the day, and this was one of the sweetest ever! 

In this photo, Erin is showing Kyle the lace wrapped around her bouquet.  It was the collar of an outfit that he wore as a baby.

They did several other really sweet personal touches.  Kyle wore his grandfather's tuxedo (his grandparents were married on the same date in 1951) and Erin wore her mother-in-law's wedding veil.  It matched her dress perfectly!

The flowergirls (Kyle's neices) put on quite a show as they made their way down the aisle.  Its one of those "sometimes only video will do moments" - photos simply don't do justice.  So take a couple of minutes to watch the cuteness.  :)

The ceremony was lovely. And the reception was fun.  There are a few photos posted here, but there are lots more for you to look through on Erin and Kyle's page - I've pulled lots of stills from video footage - click here to see those pics.  You'll also find the video of the photo montage there.

I missed the garter toss!  First time ever in all the 10 years I've been doing this (I ran out to the car to get another battery).  But all is fine - Cheryl managed to cover everything with only her one camera.  Maybe its because I didn't see it "live" that I find the footage to be so cute.  It's another "sometimes only video will do" moment, and the raw footage clip is on Erin and Kyle's page.

They said goodnight to everyone after running through sparklers, then left for their honeymoon and the beginning of their life together. 

Erin and Kyle:  Much love and best wishes to you both - thank you so much for including us in your wedding day.  The two of you make a great couple and I wish you a future with many happy years together.

CONGRATS! ALLISON & DAVID

 We shot our first wedding of 2012 earlier this month; Allison and David were married on May 29.  The photos above are stills pulled from video footage, taken during their "first look" (one of the things I enjoy most while covering the day).

This was a repeat family for us, and that always makes the day more enjoyable.  (We covered Allison's sister's wedding a few years ago, and it was nice to see Natalie and Michael still looking so happy.)  Adding to the enjoyment of the day was working with Whitney and Peter of Dove Wedding Photography, and wedding planner Marcia Husband.  On top of that, we had one very happy bride; her smile was contagious.

The ceremony was lovely and took place at Brentwood United Methodist Church. During the service, Allison and David shared communion with their wedding party and guests.

BUMC doesn't allow photographers/videographers in the sanctuary during the ceremony, so Cheryl, Kelsey and George shot from the balcony and I shot through the window of the door - I think it makes a pretty shot.

The reception was held at the family farm.  As you can see, everything was beautiful and everyone had a great time.

We knew from the last wedding we shot for the Renfro family that this would be a dancing group, and they did not disappoint.  The dancefloor was packed.

At the end of the evening, the band closed it out with a dance-off.  I've always said that "sometimes only video will do", and this is certainly one of those times.  I've posted a raw footage clip of the dance-off on Allison and David's page, (I also posted a slide show with lots of photos) so be sure to check it out. 

The newlyweds left the affair under a shower of rose petals and fireworks.  Congratulations Allison & David - You were so much fun to work with; thank you for sharing your day with us.  Best wishes for a wonderful life together!

WEDDING MOVIE - Allison & Marty

Allison and Marty's wedding movie has been posted on their page.

WEDDING MOVIE - Natasha & Keith

Natasha & Keith's wedding movie has been posted on their page.

The Smart Bride Wedding Planning Workshop

Congratulations!  You're engaged!  This is an exciting time for you.  It can also be confusing; there are so many decisions to be made while planning your dream wedding. This is the first time you've had to do this - you've never planned a wedding before so you don't really have any experience to fall back on to help you make all the decisions that will determine what your wedding day will be like. 

Check this out!  The Smart Bride is a wedding planning workshop designed to give brides and grooms the education they need to effectively plan the wedding of their dreams and avoid common pitfalls.  It's a once-a-year opportunity to get insight from recent brides, wedding pros and Ashley (love her!!!) of Ashley's Bride Guide. 

I was one of the panel members at the workshop last year.  I have posted an edited/abbreviated clip of the photographer & videographer session held on the last day of the workshop. 

 Left to right: Noel of McCoy Made, Donald of Donald Yeager Photography, me, & Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide

The clip above represents only a small part of the three day workshop (scheduled over a period of three weeks).  This workshop covers every aspect of wedding planning, and I feel confident that last year's attendees left with a new perspective on the process and felt much more confident about the decisions they would make to shape the day of their dreams.

Dates for this year's workshop are March 13, 20 and 27. I think its beneficial to attend all of the sessions, but it's not required.    Click here to register.

Tuesday, March 13      Location:  Noah Liff Opera Center

BEFORE YOU HIRE ANYONE, SET YOUR VISION, PRIORITY AND BUDGET

Tuesday, March 20      Location:  Nashville City Club

HOW TO HIRE YOUR VENDORS - PART 1 - THE "MUST HAVES" FOR YOUR DAY

Tuesday, March 27      Location:  Houston Station

HOW TO HIRE YOUR VENDORS - PART 2 - WHO YOU NEED, WHAT TO ASK, HOW TO DECIDE

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is my yummy breakfast for Valentine's Day.  My husband knows me soooo well!  :)

Wishing you a great Valentine's Day too!

WEDDING MOVIE - Nikki & Bryan

Nikki and Bryan's Feature Film is posted on their page.  Click here to view it.

 

Unplugged Weddings

More and more I am astounded by the number of wedding guests that feel the necessity to capture the wedding day for the bride and groom.  I can almost guarantee that if you talk to your photographer and videographer about the subject, you will hear many tales of how shots were ruined by over anxious guests. This is not just a problem for your vendors; I can't help but wonder how much of the ceremony your guests actually enjoy.  How can they possibly be tuned in to what is occurring before them when they are concentrating on their lcd screen? 

It used to mostly be guests using a small handheld camera, but it has recently escalated to full DSLRs (with zoom lenses), iphones, and ipads.  Yes . . . ipads.  I actually had to ask a guest once to remove his tripod with a video camera on it. He reluctantly agreed to do so, but it was still a problem since he seated himself in an aisle seat and proceeded to shoot the entire wedding handheld.  (We refer to these guest-videographers as "Uncle Charlie".)

Last summer, The Offbeat Bride focused on this subject with a couple of posts instructing brides how to have an "unplugged wedding".  If you are planning a wedding, you need to read these posts!  Your photographer will thank you.  Your videographer will thank you.  And, your guests will have a more enjoyable experience too.

I have not posted any example pics because I don't want to embarrass any of our past clients or their guests, but there are several "Uncle Bobs" that I will never forget.  Picture this:  The bride and groom are at the alter saying their vows.  Its emotional.  There are tears.  I'm in the front (shooting towards the guests) with a closeup on the faces of the wedding couple - when slowly another face creeps into the screen - centered perfectly between the bride and groom.  Oh look!  He has a camera too!  This guest just ruined the video of the vows for this couple.  If he were to ever see the clip, I know he would be mortified, but the bride and groom will see it each and everytime they watch their movie.

I have many video clips of bride and grooms during the recessional where our camera is blocked by guests stepping out into the aisle in order to get a better shot.  The result:  our shot is ruined - what we have on film is the back of the guest holding a camera in front of you.  And when that guest steps back into his seat, another guest takes their place.  We don't actually get the happy faces of the bride and groom until they are at the end of the aisle.

A solution to this is to have an UnPlugged Wedding.  It can be done!  And it can be done without hurting anyone's feelings.  One of our past couples handled it by making this request on their website and printing it in their program. 

It worked; guests honored their request. The couple confided to me prior to the wedding date that they were also speaking to some people personally, but I really don't think that would be necessary if you use some of the suggestions made on The Offbeat Bride site. 

Kelly Plans A Wedding

This cute couple is Kelly and Drew.  They're getting married this summer, and we're excited about being their videographer. Kelly is the Studio Manager at StudioWed-Nashville; she also works as an Assistant for A Delightful Day.  When it comes to weddings, Kelly knows her stuff!! 

Kelly is currently writing a series of posts for the StudioWed-Nashville blog where she shares her thoughts as she plans her upcoming wedding.  If you are engaged and making wedding plans, its a "must-read". 

I have enjoyed reading all the posts of this series (its always enlightening to hear some of the thoughts that go through a bride's head), but I particularly enjoyed her most recent post as it is about videography.  If you are questioning whether you need to budget to have a videographer capture your wedding day, you owe it to yourself to read it.  And I bet that afterwards, you'll probably want to go back and read all of the earlier ones.  This link will help you catch up from the beginning.  It's good stuff!

Thank you, Kelly, for choosing us to be with you on your wedding day.  We're looking forward to it!

Welcome 2012!

Happy New Year and welcome 2012! What took you so long?? -- I thought you'd never get here!

I am aware that alot of people are currently reflecting on the past year and all the wonderful things that happened to them, but I gotta tell ya . . . I'm glad to see 2011 go. The new year couldn't get here quick enough for me.

We began last year with the death of my father-in-law in February. He had been ill for awhile so while it wasn't a complete shock, it still hit hard. My husband is the executor for the estate and has spent more time than you can imagine trying to close everything out while still running his business. Everytime he turns around, there is another bill from the IRS. The word "stressful" doesn't even begin to describe what he has been through the past year -- It still hasn't been settled.

While Team McNeal covered many fun weddings with wonderful couples, I spent most of my time editing -- I was determined to catch up and defeat the backlog. I worked day and night and missed many events in which I wish I could've participated. But work doesn't get done if you're not at your desk, so that's where I spent most of 2011. (All work and no play makes Lynette a very tired girl!)

Then, a couple months ago, my aunt Sandra died. It came out of nowhere and was completely unexpected. I broke. It is still hard to believe that she is not here with us anymore...but life goes on.

Most people think of the beginning of a new year as a fresh start, but I expect 2012 to be a transitional year for McNeal Wedding Films. I am excited about the weddings that are on our calendar, and I look forward to implementing some planned changes for us. I'll keep you up-to-date in future posts. :)

Yes, 2011 was a tough year for me, but I know that I am blessed; and I am thankful for all the blessings in my life . . . I just look forward to enjoying whatever 2012 holds, and I'm anxious to find out what that is. :)

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!