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New Family Built in Love at The Pfister

sweetpeacinema August 6, 2017

When you’re blending a family, the strongest foundation is built with love.

And that was the case for Angie and Bob, who married before close family and friends at The Pfister Hotel in mid-July. Everyone who gathered could see the joy and love between these two, who found each other after many ups and downs in life.

Angie’s son, Joey, captured the mood with a beautiful toast to his mom and newly minted stepfather in which he highlighted the best of bringing two families together: The more the merrier. We couldn’t agree more, Joey! And it’s why we made his comments the centerpiece of Angie & Bob’s Sneak Peek.

A Poem For the Moment

But there’s even more to explore from this couples lovely day, that was also represented by the poem “Uncommon Love,” by Terah Cox that was read by Angie’s uncle during the ceremony.

May you have the love only two can know.

May you go where only two as one may go.

May the sun rise and set in your bonded hearts and the moon never find you too long apart.

May you cherish each other’s dreams as your own and turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones.

May you brave life’s mountains and miles together.

May there be no storm your love cannot weather.

May you be lovers and allies and friends.

May your soul’s conversation never end.

May you capture on earth what’s in heaven above.

May your hearts know the rapture of an uncommon love.

Color and Charm

The reception in the Imperial Ballroom couldn’t have been more beautiful with its sparkling chandeliers and ornate carved mahogany ceiling. Floral designs by Esther at Impressions added another splash of color and charm to the space. Milwaukee Airwaves got the whole room dancing by asking guests to join the couple at the end of their first dance.

We couldn’t be more thrilled for Angie and Bob, and we wish them the best as they continue to build their lives and families together.

Cheers!

The Team

Wedding Cinematography: Sweet Pea Cinema

Photography: Leo & Jenny Photography

Planner: Let’s Have an Affair

DJ: Milwaukee Airwaves

Floral: Impressions – Floral Consultants

Venue: The Pfister Hotel

Bride’s attire: Jovani from Nieman Marcus

Bride’s hair & makeup: The Establishment

Once a Crush, Now a Wife at Legends

sweetpeacinema July 29, 2017

When a crush hits, there’s really no way of avoiding it.

Amanda and Andrew met when they were very young. So young, in fact, that the ideas of dating, or becoming engaged on the beach or getting married at the beautiful Queen of Apostles Catholic Church or hosting a fabulous reception at The Legend at Brandybrook were nowhere to be found.

But something sparked at that very first meeting of these two.

You see, from the moment he laid eyes on Amanda, Andrew he harbored this tiny little flame of affection for her, but never let anyone know. Then, when their paths crossed again as young adults, that crush grew into full-fledged love.

You’ll get to hear just a bit about this crush in today’s Sneak Peek, because it was such a beautiful story that we captured on their wedding day. And we’re so honored that Andrew trusted us enough to share that private little story.

Delafield Hotel: It’s a Favorite

Of course, there’s so much more that will come in their full film, like their always amazing prep location, the Delafield Hotel. It really is on the top of our list for bridal party getting ready locations.

Why? First, because it’s on a stunning location and has a smart brick exterior that serves as a sturdy base for it’s crisp white spire that can be seen for miles. Second, because the wedding suites are gargantuan with separate living rooms and bedrooms. And the bedrooms are filled with glorious natural light. (Little tip here folks: Natural light will make you look FABULOUS on your wedding day, just like it did for Amanda and Andrew.)

And then there was the meaningful wedding Mass at Queen of Apostles presided over by Fr. Chuck Hanel. We love how he personalized the sermon and somehow masterfully linked Andrew’s job as a Supply Chain Analyst at Harley-Davidson with the Creation story. Indeed, he did! Fr. Hanel found parallels with Andrew’s responsibilities of making sure that nothing is missing from Harley plants, so that motorcycles can come rolling off the assembly lines without a hiccup, with God’s plan to create the first woman so that Adam would not have anything missing in the Garden of Eden. When Fr. Hanel started his analogy, we weren’t sure how he’d weave those threads together, but he most certainly did!

Reception Fun: On to the Party!

After the ceremony, the day’s celebration got into full swing at The Legend Clubs at Brandybrook. If you haven’t had a chance to view this picturesque country club and golf course, you should. It’s beautifully set in 428 acres of the rolling terrain of the Kettle Moraine, one of Wisconsin’s most treasured glaciated areas. The ballroom, which is on the second floor, takes full advantage of that height with vast views of the grounds and golf course. (Again: That natural light is wonderful to shoot in!)

While there are many moments of their reception that will be highlighted in their feature film, we had to include Amanda and Andrew’s entrance and cake-cutting. As they entered the ballroom, you could feel the love and excitement from the guests, and Andrew’s dip of Amanda at the end of their slicing through their four-tiered confection (which will have a very funny moment in their final film, too) was the romantic “frosting” on the cake, if you’ll allow me that pun!

Plus, we love that Amanda whispered those three special words to her newly minted husband to seal the scene.

Congrats to the newlyweds!

The Team

Cinematography: Sweet Pea Cinema

Photography: Cream City Weddings

Prep location: The Delafield HotelCeremony: Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church

Reception: The Legends at Brandybrook

Florist: Jess Fleur Fun

Bride’s gown: Hayley Page from Bella Bianca

Groom’s attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Cake: Simma’s Bakery

Bedrock of a marriage at Grand Geneva

sweetpeacinema July 17, 2017

What forms the bedrock of a marriage? Love? Steadfastness? Faith?

For Ashley and Lenny, all of the above make them a great couple, and these qualities are symbolized in a hand-sized rock that played an important role in their engagement story.

When Lenny popped the question, he set a beautiful scene: a gorgeous and private spot on a California beach, a bottle of wine and a little red blanket held down by four sturdy rocks to protect his future wife from the unrelenting wind. Both had been praying for this moment, and when Ashley said yes, it set into motion a whirlwind of wedding planning.

But Lenny wanted to savor that quiet moment on the beach. And so he managed to stow away one of those sturdy little blanket-holders into his backpack.

Planning for the Future

You see, this thoughtful gent was already looking into the future, months down the road when their wedding day would arrive.

That simple rock from California made a return appearance among the gifts that Lenny bestowed on his bride on the day of their marriage at the Chapel on the Hill in Lake Geneva. He had it engraved with the date of their wedding and penned the most beautiful note, explaining how this sturdy element from nature perfectly symbolized how rock-solid their marriage would be. Ashley was moved to tears and we know that humble stone will find a place of importance in their home.

It’s one of the most beautiful gifts we’ve ever had the pleasure of filming, and so it became the centerpiece of their sneak peek.

Reception’s Magic Mix

There’s so much more to come for their beautiful ceremony and stunning reception at the Chalet at Grand Geneva: devoted family and friends, gorgeous scenery, delicious food and drink and great entertainment by Felix and Fingers.

We hope you enjoy this little Sneak Peek as their full wedding films are edited over the next couple of months.

Congrats to the newlyweds!

The Team

Cinematography: Sweet Pea Cinema

Photography: Leujay Cruz Photography

Ceremony: Chapel on the Hill

Officiant: Pastor Jeff Quinto

Reception: The Chalet at Grand Geneva

Reception coordinator: Jessica Wellick

Reception entertainment: Felix and Fingers

Florist: Lilypots

Cake: Grand Geneva

Bride’s gown: Martina Liana from Carrie Karibo Bridal

Kaleidoscope of Love at Marcus Center

sweetpeacinema June 30, 2017

The world is kaleidoscope of religions and cultures, but when love pulls two people together, suddenly we begin to see colors that unite us all.

This was exactly the case for Diksha and Nikhil, two Marquette University graduates whose family and friends came from nearly every corner of the globe to witness the joyful joining of two families and two religions at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Milwaukee.

Hindu Wedding Traditions

Love and tolerance were the themes throughout the three days of celebrating, which started with the traditional mehndi ceremony, which is an ancient Hindu tradition of applying henna to the bride’s hands and feet in intricate and beautiful patterns, symbolizing the strength of the union of the couple. We were amazed at the artwork by Moniza Abbasi, who spent more than six hours creating sophisticated lines and floral patterns that resembled a fine reddish-brown lace adorning the bride.

On Friday, the party began to heat up for real with a jubilant Sangeet ceremony, which gathers both sides of the family and as many friends as can attend for an evening of celebration that includes singing, delicious Indian food and sweets and choreographed dances that entertained all the guests.

But then the big day arrived on Saturday. We joined the couple at the noon ceremony, although bride and groom prep had begun many hours before. Father Michael Bertram of St. Francis conducted the ceremony, which graciously featured several Hindu rituals that made all feel welcome and included. Again, the overall themes of the day — love, tolerance and joy — were heard in the sermon and readings.

Wardrobe Change

Following the wedding Mass, the newlyweds retired to Hotel Metro for rest and wardrobe changes: Nikhil in a stunning tux and Diksha in a resplendent red lehenga from Frontier Raas purchased in Delhi, India. We didn’t think the bride could outdo her Bianca Bridal wedding gown, but when she donned her red lehenga, she seemed to be destined for a Bollywood feature film!

Then, the couple arrived at their reception at the Marcus Center, which had been made even more gorgeous with a luxurious seating area for the couple that gave everyone a perfect view of the newlyweds as well as thousands of gorgeous purple and pink flowers by Impressions by Esther. Of all the lovely toasts, we can’t forget the moving tributes to their children that the father of the bride and father of the groom shared with guests. Each told of their deep love and respect for Diksha and Nikhil, and that together the two could surmount any challenge, including making a successful marriage between Hindu and Christian families.

Showcase of Smiles

After an exquisite meal of roasted lamb, chicken kabobs and delicious vegetarian dishes, dancing became the goal of the night. And that’s when the newlyweds really let their smiles showcase their happiness. We don’t think they could have smiled any more brightly!

We couldn’t be more honored to have filmed Diksha and Nihkil’s wedding. Meeting their gracious family and lovely friends was icing on the cake. We know we’ll be keeping in touch with these two for many years to come!

Please enjoy this Sneak Peek as just a taste of the full meal that is to come of their feature films.

Cheers, Cindy

The Team

Bride and Groom prep location: Hotel Metro

Ceremony venue: St. Francis of Assisi

Officiant: Father Michael Bertram

Reception venue: Marcus Center

Caterer: Sazama’s Fine Catering

DJ: Matt Peer of Double Platinum

Photographer: Erin Calfa Weide of Ari Rosenthal Photography

Florist: Impressions by Ester

Cake: Aggie’s Bakery

Bride’s gown: Bianca Bridal and Frontier Raas (Delhi, India)

Bridesmaids attire: Frontier Bazaar (Delhi, India)

Groom’s attire: Dubois Formalwear

Bride’s hair and makeup: Nadia Tikki

Bride’s Mehndi: Moniza Abbasi

Planner: Karen Hurley, Sazama’s Catering

‘Tennessee Whiskey’ at Makray Memorial

sweetpeacinema June 16, 2017

We had the honor of watching Chris Stapleton play at Summerfest last year when he brought the house down with “Tennessee Whiskey,” a song he serenaded to his wife on stage.

Don’t be fooled by the alcohol-infused title, because this melody is 100-proof romance.

“You’re as smooth as Tennessee whiskey

You’re as sweet as strawberry wine

You’re as warm as glass of brandy

And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time”

You can pour me another glass of that any time!

And thanks to newlyweds Lucy and Chris Weidner, we were treated to that lovely song on their wedding day because they chose it for their first dance as husband and wife at the beautiful Makray Memorial Golf Club.

It was perfect for them: sultry, loving and all kinds of romantic.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to license “Tennessee Whiskey” for their Sneak Peek, but like nearly all music heard on the radio these days, it’s nearly impossible to get those rights (unless you’ve got a music budget of $40,000+. Which we don’t. LOL!)

So, I searched and I searched and I searched to find something that gave me that slow burn heaven that I get from Stapleton’s masterpiece. I think I found it with a cut from “Fools in Love,” by Nathan Angelo, an up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Greenville, S.C., licensed via SongFreedom.com

“Fools in love, after all this time

No rhyme or reason, but sure as the sun

You’ll forever be, forever you and me

We’ll forever be fools in love”

I just discovered Nathan’s work, and I can guarantee that I’ll be finding ways to use it in our films, as well as the full version of his song in the Weidner’s Feature Film. What a voice!

Enough about whiskey

But let’s get back to Lucy and Chris. We met these two at a wedding we filmed last year, where Chris was the best man and delivered a very heartfelt toast to the newlyweds (Hi, Whitney & Blake!!!). So, we knew Chris would be able to help tell his own story of falling in love with Lucy and what it meant to be getting married to the love of his life.

But, boy oh boy, we weren’t prepared for his truly authentic message to Lucy on their wedding day. It moved me to tears the first time I saw it, and I knew that it would be the foundation of their Sneak Peek.

That morning, Lucy — who has a super dry wit and is hilarious — also wore her emotions on the sleeve of her cute custom bride robe, but she landed on the more nervous side of excitement. We think you’ll get that in the sneak peek, too.

There’s so much more coming in their full film, that we could go on and on. But we know you all want to get to the Sneak Peek.

But one last thing we have to share about this day: We absolutely loved that these two decided to to make a donation to a local animal shelter instead of giving guests party favors. We didn’t know a thing about this act of generosity until we arrived at the reception and found cards on the place settings explaining the move. And I don’t think a single guest was bummed out! In fact, I think everyone supported that choice!

We hope you enjoy this little cut from their gorgeous wedding day, and we wish the newlyweds a long, happy and healthy life together!

Cheers, Cindy