The minister summed it up best when he described this wedding to the guests as “the best thanksgiving weekend of your life.” I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Let’s talk about how I ended up spending my Saturday after Thanksgiving filming this day.
It all started when I agreed to film Bailey and Joel’s wedding way back in March 2013. Courtney is a good friend of Bailey and when Bailey mentioned she was having me film her wedding, Courtney gave me a call too. After whirlwind of conversation including how her and Mitchell invited 650 people to a venue that holds 400, his proposal in front of 10,000 people, and a lot of talk about Jesus, we were booked and ready for the day. You ever hit it off completely with a total stranger and find yourself completely at ease like an old friend? That’s how it feels talking to Courtney and Mitchell. Yes, both of them. And now they are married.
So I showed up with my crew that Saturday morning after Thanksgiving at Pecan Springs in Brookshire, Texas – just a little ways west of Houston. Incidentally, I’ve shot at the Springs Events wedding venues four times now, and they have always been great! But back to the story; one of the purposes of a wedding is to celebrate a joining of two people while they are surrounded by their family and closest friends. This celebration is normal and I see it every time I film a wedding. What was abnormal about Courtney and Mitchell’s wedding was just how vocal their friends and family members were about their love for them. I couldn’t go five minutes without one of the family members saying something great about them, how much they loved them, and how they were admired.
The minister continued this trend when he spoke about how they would change the world through their love of Jesus and his plans for them. He was echoed by Mitchell’s father telling them, “You will change the world, and through your children the world will be further changed.” The weight of that statement was felt by every person in the room, and I believe it only added to the excitement and joy of the day. The guests at this wedding were attending far more than just a normal wedding ceremony, they were witnessing the union of two world changers. That may sound cheesy, but if you meet Mitchell and Courtney you would believe it in a second.
On a less serious and more technical note, there were a lot of things that made this wedding fun to film. The weather was beautiful in a way that only an outdoor Texas wedding in November can be. The air was cool but not cold, the clouds streamed by quickly overhead, and the alligator played in the pond behind the venue. The venue owners said that a flood brought the gator to them, but I am still holding out hope that they name it and make it a venue mascot. “Gator Springs” has a nice sound to it! Incidentally, I brought my Konova motion controlled slider along to film timelapses, and managed to capture some really great ones of the venue. In the night timelapse of the pond with the stars overhead, you can actually see the alligator swimming around.
This is the first full wedding edit I have posted on my blog. I feel that it is one of the best stories I have told through my wedding films, and I didn’t want to lessen the message by sharing only the highlight film. That said, if you would like to watch the highlight film too, you can watch it below.
Special thanks to Taylor Stanley and Kylie Best for helping me film this wedding.
Download Courtney and Mitchell’s wedding film and highlight at whoismatt.com.
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Sue and Jong were married at The Hall of State, which I later learned is a museum of all things Texas and not a dance venue, although it felt like one by the end of the night. While there wasn’t any fried food, their love for each other made for an amazing day, with heartfelt vows, notes, and moments spent together.
