The Olana Wedding Videographer | Mike + Emily’s Cinematic Wedding Film
Mike and Emily’s wedding at The Olana had the setting of an elegant estate celebration—and the personality of a couple who came to have fun. There was a basketball competition in the groom’s suite, an enthusiastic pet dog, and a dance-floor twerk-off between the bride and photographer.
It was also one of the first weddings ever filmed at the property. But my time with Mike and Emily at The Olana began months before their wedding, with a portrait session that eventually became part of their highlight film.
As a Dallas wedding videographer, I love when there’s an opportunity to get to know a couple before the wedding. For these two, that extra time together became an important part of both the experience and the finished film.
Why We Met at The Olana Months Before the Wedding
Mike and Emily wanted a chance to meet me, get comfortable in front of my camera, and understand how I shoot before their wedding day arrived.
They also wanted time to capture beautiful shots together around the property without feeling rushed. Rather than trying to fit every portrait into a busy wedding-day schedule, we met at The Olana a few months beforehand for a separate session.
That gave us time to work together at an easier pace. They could get a feel for my direction and what filming portraits actually involves, while I got to know how they interacted with each other.
The session had a purpose beyond getting extra footage: when the wedding came around, we wouldn’t be starting from scratch.
Portrait Footage That Became Part of Their Wedding Story
The Olana, located in Hickory Creek in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, gave us plenty to work with during that earlier visit. We filmed portrait moments around the property, using the estate as a setting for footage focused on the two of them.
Those shots didn’t become a separate video tucked away from the wedding film. I later sprinkled them throughout the main highlight, bringing moments from that earlier session into the story of their celebration.
Some of the footage viewers see alongside the wedding-day moments was actually captured months beforehand, when we had time set aside specifically for those portraits.
For couples who value that kind of footage but don’t want their wedding day to feel like an extended portrait session, it’s an option worth discussing. It doesn’t replace capturing the wedding itself—it gives us another opportunity to create something together.
If you’re still exploring locations for your celebration, take a look at our guide to Dallas wedding venues for cinematic wedding films, with more insight into how different settings can shape the look and feel of your video.
Basketball, Their Dog, and an Upstairs Ceremony
When the wedding day arrived, there was no shortage of personality to capture.
The groomsmen held a basketball competition in the groom’s suite, giving the preparations a little friendly rivalry. Mike and Emily also had their pet dog with them, who brought plenty of energy of its own.
Then everyone gathered for their indoor ceremony upstairs at The Olana.
Those different parts of the day gave the film a natural range: playful preparations, the significance of the ceremony, and time with the people—and pet—they wanted beside them. The polished portraits were one part of their story, but so was a basketball contest before the ceremony.
An Elegant Estate With a Very Playful Reception
The reception delivered one of the most memorable moments of the wedding: Emily and the photographer having a twerk-off on the dance floor.
It’s not the first thing you might picture when you think of a wedding at The Olana, which is exactly why it belongs in this story.
The property provided an elegant backdrop, but Mike and Emily never needed to fit a formal mold because of it. Their celebration had room for both beautiful portraits and a completely unfiltered dance-floor moment.
That contrast is what made this wedding fun to film. The setting was grand, but the personality was entirely theirs.
Bringing the Two Visits Together in the Edit
When I edited Mike and Emily’s highlight, I had footage from two very different experiences at the same property: our unrushed portrait session and the energy of the wedding day.
I worked the earlier portraits throughout the film rather than keeping them in one separate section. They gave the edit quieter moments between the activity of the celebration, while the basketball, their dog, and the reception brought its playful side back into focus.
Looking for a Wedding Videographer at The Olana?
If you’re planning a wedding at The Olana, I’d love to hear what you have in mind—including whether a pre-wedding portrait session might be part of it.
You can explore more of our Dallas–Fort Worth wedding films and inquire about your date. From the first conversation to filming the celebration, the goal is to create something that feels like you—whether that means quiet portraits around the estate, a packed dance floor, or a little of both.
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