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Emily + Pete: A night of extraordinary fun

sweetpeacinema August 3, 2014

Can you imagine having 400 adoring fans?That’s the only way we can describe the guests at Emily and Pete’s wedding last night. The Milwaukee Ale House was packed to the hilt with people who are devoted to these two. And here’s why.They are so genuine and loving, so filled with a sense of adventure and fun, that people are attracted to them like moths to a glowing source of light. We were all bathed in that luminescence last night, basking in their humor, kindness, care and faith. It showed in everything they did, from the prayers they had before the Mass of Matrimony, to their carefully selected bridal party, to the jam-packed Milwaukee Ale House, where not a seat went empty.Everyone wanted to be near them and help them celebrate the start of their lives together as husband and wife.While their sneak peek is a few weeks away, we couldn’t help but pull a few stills from the footage because, simply put, these two are beautiful inside and out!Enjoy these stills and stay tuned for more loveliness to come.Congrats to Emily and Pete!

Courtney + Tom: A sneak peek to their wedding film

sweetpeacinema July 25, 2014

I knew the Schneider and Ockwood families would be wonderful to work with when I began interviewing Courtney Schneider’s dad, Bill, and her mom, JoAnn.With his signature stogie in hand, Bill readily agreed to chat so that we could find out more about Courtney and how this father of the bride was feeling on her wedding day.Joy. Tears. Laughter. Bill had it all covered. JoAnn, too.And Tom’s mom, Ann, was gracious with her time to give us several insights into her witty son, Tom, during the reception.That openness extended to the couple, their bridal party and friends. And having people willing to share really helps add depth to a wedding film.Courtney and Tom’s wedding had several firsts for Sweet Pea. Number one was Courtney’s bridal gown, from the incomparable Vera Wang in Chicago. That mermaid silhouette with layer after layer of tulle on the bottom third made it seem like she was floating as she walked down the aisle at Holy Family Catholic Church.Their bridal party, and especially best man Derek Hoppe and matron of honor (and sister-in-law) Annie Schneider, had a ton of energy and great stories to tell about the bride and groom.The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake pulled off another stunning meal and beautifully decorated ballrooms. We can’t say enough about the quality of service the Osthoff provides. Top notch.And let’s just talk about the band again. The Connexion Band out of Chicago. Brilliant. Amazing. Rockin’. Everything from ’80s dance tunes to rock to Icona Pop’s “I Don’t Care.” The floor was packed. We haven’t heard a better band yet this season.

The team

Let’s just give you a rundown of the rest of the pros that helped make Courtney and Tom’s big day come together!Dress: Vera Wang, ChicagoBridesmaids dresses: Bliss BridalTuxes: Vera Wang via Men’s Wearhouse Florals: Patrick at Botanicals (Really gorgeous flowers throughout!)Bakery/cake: Bryanna’s Bakery (one of the best cakes Sweet Pea has sampled this year!)Hair: Renaissance SalonMakeup: Megan at the M SpaString quartet: Allium String QuartetMusic: The Connexion BandCheers to the newlyweds, and stayed tuned for their full film later this year!Cindy

Betsy + Doug: A spectacular Door County wedding

sweetpeacinema July 23, 2014

This is one of those rare moments in time when everything comes together: great people, an outstanding venue, super talented wedding professionals and, miraculously, spectacular weather.Betsy and Doug’s Door County wedding at Gordon Lodge hit on all those notes, and in fact, we’re still swooning over the beauty of it all. As we’ve been downloading and backing up our footage, we couldn’t help but pull a few screen grabs to share the awesomeness, even though you’ll definitely want to check the stunning images captured by Erin Jean of Erin Jean Photography when they arrive. (Love Erin and her shooting partner and husband, Adam, who were among the most gracious and collaborative photographers we’ve worked with.)We’ll give you all the details about flowers, location and the rest once their sneak peek is up. Until then, we’re hoping the newlyweds are relaxing on the beach as they planned and please enjoy just a few snippets from their big day!Cheers,Cindy

Courtney + Tom: It all adds up for this wedding

sweetpeacinema July 15, 2014

Ok, ok. I sure hope Courtney and Tom have a great sense of humor, because the title of this blog is a little tip to their profession, but it also speaks directly to their connection as a couple.That’s to say that this couple has it going on. Gracious hosts, fun-loving personalities and a solid game plan for their future.Plus, they know how to throw one heck of a party!We are in the midst of editing their “Sneak Peek” film trailer, but we couldn’t help sharing a few freeze frames to show the incredible beauty of this wedding. (Please stay tuned for a link to the high-quality images that will be coming from Gueller’s Photography by the talented team of Mary and Ryan, who are absolutely a dream to work with and whose photographs will blow these little frame grabs out of the water!)All the details will be coming soon, but let’s just say that we adored Courtney’s whole ensemble, and we think Tom had a similar reaction. The venues — Holy Family Church — was as light-filled and welcoming a worship space as anyone could ask for, and the always-amazing Osthoff Resort delivered on topnotch decor, food and service.And the band? Knocked our socks off! Best wedding band we’ve ever filmed. Ever! We’ll be talking a lot more about The Connexion Band out of Chicago when the Sneak Peek video drops.So stay tuned and like us on Facebook if you want to see all the beauty, action and fun from Courtney and Tom’s big day.Cheers!Rockin’ it.

Casey + Nick: When details really matter

sweetpeacinema June 20, 2014

We absolutely love it when couples show their inner selves in the small details of their wedding.Casey and Nick did just that two weeks ago at the Miller Room on Milwaukee’s lakefront, part of the Zilli Hospitality Group. Craft beers, bride and groom Muppets, a Tardis (from “Dr. Who”) ring box, Irish dancers, a rainbow of colors and so much more really made this celebration vibrant. Even a “Star Wars” storm trooper — that’s right a real person in full regalia — brought The Force to the party. But we can’t forget all the traditional elements either: gorgeous flowers, a super fun wedding party and a fantastic and meaningful toast from Casey’s father, which you’ll see just a snippet of here.We adored Casey’s bridal prep location: her aunt and uncle’s condo in the Third Ward. Flooded with beautiful light and plenty of room to show off her dress and carefully selected accessories. For groom prep, Dean discovered the couples’ treasure trove of action figures and art pieces. Because of their sense of playfulness, it was fitting for Nick to give his groomsmen Converse Chuck Taylor shoes with laces that matched each bridesmaid’s unique color.Because Casey and Nick had so many fun details in their wedding day, we couldn’t help but give them an alternative ending to their “sneak peek.” Let’s just say it offers a little more than what’s expected. You can see that video here … stay tuned to the end. That’s all I can say!And, lastly, we can’t wait to edit Casey’s full film because her dad, Bruce, told the most wonderful story about the gorgeous gemstone necklace that Casey wore. His thoughtful words will definitely help us tell the story of these two lovebirds’ wedding day.We absolutely loved working with Jadon Good Photography, too. Jadon is not only a crazy-talented photographer, but a super nice guy, too. A great collaborator!In case you see something that catches your eye, here’s the what’s what on the wedding experts who helped Casey and Nick have a wonderful day:

Jadon Good Photography

Hair and makeup by Bella with Studio 890Dresses from Savvy Bride

Flowers by Mayflowers

Jewelry re-imagined by Lake Country Jewelers

Reception venue: The Miller Room, Zilli Hospitality Group