Brent and Vanessa


Brent and I tied the knot in the middle of nowhere in Central Texas. The ceremony took place in an abandoned chapel that we fixed up, and we partied afterward at my family's ranch house backyard. It was a lovely day, and so special to be able to vow the rest of my life to the best man ever. We totally love being married. Forever is a long time, but there's so much security in knowing that there's someone that likes you enough to want to be with you that long. And vice versa.
 
If anyone would like to to get in touch with me, my email is mail @ VanessaMcKellar.com
 
My blog: www.VideoBrideBlog.com

All photos are by the amazing CaseyJayBenson.com


Brent and Vanessa
Getting Ready
Formals
Ceremony
Reception
Vendor Info
Planning Bio
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Getting Ready
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What we do when we're excited.








She offered to feed me...therefore I am not a diva!









 
 
 
 
Formals
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Since I'm a videographer I know the importance of motion, so I had us run around a bit.










Kiss her! Kiss her!









 
 
 
 
Ceremony
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For the prelude we had a cellist playing classic hymns. Guests mingled among the old pews we put outside and were served fruit kabobs and sparkling cider. The lecturn from the chapel served as the guest book table.
 
Since we essentially had free reign over the chapel, we were able to replace the light fixtures with candeliers. We painted an existing table brown and covered it with candles, and hung a gold cross on the wall. The pew arrangements also served as centerpieces for the reception tables. Our family dog Rose insisted upon being in on the action and it was a suprise joy to have her around.
 
The ceremony was the absolute best part of the day. We had tears in our eyes the whole time, and several people have told us how spiritual and "sacred" it felt.
 
The Music:
 
Prelude: A medley of instrumental music I edited together, including Yo Yo Ma and Ennio Morricone
Seating of family: "L'echec" by Yann Tiersen
Bridesmaids: "I Love N.Y.E." by Badly Drawn Boy
The Bride: "Redford (For Yia Yia and Papau)" by Sufjan Stevens
Communion: "Holy Holy Holy" by Sufjan Stevens
Recessional: "Fresh Feeling" by Eels














I could hear the song I love start to play and everyone rise out of the pews for my entrance. I was crying before the door even opened.










I surprised my parents with a reading of a verse that has been instrumental in keeping their marriage together.


I wanted us to have a moment at the beginning of the ceremony when we could turn around and look at everyone and just soak in the moment.


We also had a "10 Things" segment when the pastor read a list we had each created of our favorite things about each other.




I was telling him what I'd had engraved on his ring.


This was a very emotional part of the ceremony for me. When the elements touched my lips I was so grateful for what the Lord had done for me.






Hitched and Happy.



Some alone time in the cemetery.



 
 
 
 
Reception
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After the ceremony we headed down the road to our property, "Pleasant Places", for the party. The weather and food and music and company were great, and we danced the night away.













Groom's mini pecan pies served with milk.





She's the oldest unmarried cousin.





He likes to dance.


And entertain the rest of us.







 
 
 
 
Vendor Information
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Ceremony Location - Bethel Chapel
It's located in Katemcy, which is between Mason and Brady, Texas. It was a mess when I first saw it, but it was love at first sight. So we used a bunch of elbow grease to make it presentable, and I love the way it turned out.
 
Officiant - Brent's Dad
He did a great job, and of course it was so meaningful to have him do it.
 
Reception Location - Pleasant Places
Our family ranch- 50 acres with a house and big backyard. The wildflowers were riotous.
 
Caterers - Barbara Bolton- Brady, TX
One of my best vendors- yummy food and affordably priced. Only drawback is that we had to hire someone to make the table pretty because we had heard that's not her specialty. Bar-B[at]centex.net
 
Cake Creator - Cakes-U_Neek- Brady
Well, I don't know if it's her fault or the humidity's, but I was disappointed with the way the cake looked.
 
Florist - Brady Floral
Very good at following instructions and they care a lot about doing a good job. Frankly, I wonder if they had the refrigerator space to accomodate my wedding flowers. I was disappointed with the price we paid for the amount of flowers we got. But maybe I'm just naive.
 
Photographer - Casey Benson- Tyler, TX and beyond
I share a studio with him, so in addition to being a great photographer, he's also our close friend. So it was such a pleasure to have him around. No complaints whatsoever. We also just found out the 4 or 5 of his images won excellence awards in an international competition.
 
Videographer - Crescent Video- Austin
Better than most but disappointing for me. Just didn't seem quite as good as the clips on his site. But more artistic than the average videographer.
 
Disc Jockey - Tracy Pitcox
 
Invitations - Bridesmaid and local printer
I commissioned my artist bridesmaid to paint of watercolor of a flower. Then I scanned it and added the wording in Photoshop. Paid way too much money to have them printed, then added a gold vellum background, rounded all the corners, and used a custom stamp to mail them in gold envelopes. Very pretty but a lot of work and way over budget.
 
Rental Company - Class A Rentals- Fredericksburg
Had everything we needed, but there were some unexpected costs due to misinformation.
 
Jeweler - Our Families
My rings come from my great grandmother, and his is from his dear late grandfather.
 
Tuxedos - Joyner Fry- Tyler
We bought a custom suit and had it tailored to Brent's exact specifications so it had a little bit of a rock star look to it. We loved this store.
 
My Dress - Ebay
It's by Harriet de Prag, French couture.
 
Bridesmaid Dresses - Netbride
Great vendor. Can't think of any reason to buy your dress from a local shop at a premium price.
 
Hair Stylist - Jessica Ray- DFW area
She did my bridesmaid's updo's. Very unique, not for the traditional bride. Jessica7Ray[at]yahoo.com
 
Makeup Artist - Jessica Ray
 
Honeymoon Destination - Central Texas
If you want a mini-getaway, I highly recommend Diamond Belle in Frederickburg. It's an ultra-romantic cabin outside town, and our time there was dreamy. We also stayed at Hotel Valencia on the Riverwalk and that was a nice urban experience.
 

 
 
 
 
Planning Bio
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