Jason & Janelle first contacted us a year and a half ago, just days after they got engaged.  We were so thrilled they wanted to work with us because they were a laid back, creative, awesome couple.  We couldn’t wait to start filming their story.  It started with them coming to Bakersfield to film their Save the Date, which you might remember watching.  It was a blast to collaborate on such a fun film and great to hear that their guests enjoyed their inventive way to announce their wedding.  Then we went on a road trip up to Sequoia Valley to film their Love Story.  We went ice skating with them (which Megan enjoyed), we went snowboarding with them (which Ian enjoyed), and we played with their fantastic dog Shortee in the snow (which we all enjoyed).  They showed this film at their reception, sharing their story with everyone.  At this point we had spent several days with Jason & Janelle, and when their wedding day rolled around in Clarksburg, it was like watching our friends get married.  Our friends who we have traveled all over California with.  We were overjoyed to see these two people get hitched at the ridiculously cool venue at the Old Sugar Mill.  And as a huge bonus we got to work with photographer and friend Scott Andrew for the third time.  So happy for you Jason & Janelle!  When we are in northern California next we will hit up the slopes (not Megan), do some ice skating (not Ian), and throw back some courage juice (all of us)!

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We met Erin & Neil via Skype a while back, a necessity when they live in DC and we live in CA.  We were so excited to work with them as we could tell that their day was going to be impeccable.   Held at the beautiful Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, the day could not have been more perfect.  The weather in Santa Barbara was on its best behavior as Erin & Neil celebrated with their friends and family.  They had people travel from all over to share in this moment.  And I really mean all over.  Thanks to a fun poster we learned that 60% of the guests traveled from outside of California.  20% of the guests were Dartmouth alums.  And one guest traveled almost 18,000 miles to be there!  That’s one dedicated friend.  Erin was absolutely stunning and no one could keep their eyes off of her, including Neil.  And I have to say that the design of the reception is one of my favorites that I have ever seen.   A big thanks to Kristin over a Joy de Vivre for all her help.  Congrats Erin & Neil and thanks for letting us be a part of your day!

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Music licensed from The Music Bed

Esther and Jay are just perfection.  We met them on Skype a while back and from that first meeting Ian and I knew that we were incredibly lucky to work with them.  Esther was able to describe our style shooting and films better than we every could, and this made them our ideal clients.  They understood exactly what it is we do behind the camera and in the editing room and they sat back and trusted us to do what we do.  This freed them up to be completely captivated with each other on the day of their wedding.  (Hint to all you future brides and grooms. That is the secret to a great wedding film.)  The depth of their love speaks for itself.  During the ceremony we had to fight back the tears as we saw Jay’s reaction to Esther coming down the aisle and as we heard some of the most beautiful vows.  The whole day was just perfection.

{wedding day details}
Brookside Equestrian Center: venue
Kurt Boomer Photo: photography
This Is The Day: coordinator
Rose Wade Events: caterer
Pauline Chang: flowers
Cake Fiend by Tiffany Wang: cake

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Music licensed from The Music Bed

What makes a wedding perfect?  Is it the details?  The pretty dresses, the perfect venue, delicious food?  If everybody has a fun time and dances all night long, is that it?  Maybe heartfelt vows and eloquent speeches?  Think about it for a second.  What do you think makes a wedding perfect?  My guess is that the perfect wedding in your mind does not involve torrential rain, or a possible venue change 3 hours before the ceremony.  For most people that would be a disaster.  Not for me, not for Megan, and not for Tim and Nikki.

This is what I think makes a perfect wedding.  Two people that truly love one another.  Two individuals that have chosen to stand up in front of the most important people in their lives and proclaim that through good times and bad, their love with keep them on course.  That is what a wedding is all about.  It is a single moment in time where you stop living your life alone and dedicate yourself to sharing everything that you are with another person.  The power of that commitment is incredible.  It fills us each up with hope and joy.  That is why we celebrate, because we know that the bride and groom have embarked on the journey of a lifetime.  They have become the beginning of their new family.  Details can be beautiful, food can be delicious, and weather can be perfect, but the only thing, and I mean ONLY thing that matters is the purity of your love and the sincerity of your commitment.

In case I have not convinced you what makes a perfect wedding, please watch Tim and Nikki’s film and tell me that it was not perfect.  Watch their faces as they share their first dance and tell me that you do not find yourself wishing that you were there, right in that moment.  And listen to Tim’s words at the end and feel as if he has put words to your own feelings towards your loved ones.  And to Tim and Nikki, thank you for loving one another wholeheartedly.  Without the two of you, this day would have been a very sad story.  Instead it is one of the happiest stories we have ever had the honor of telling.

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Remember Jerry & Natasha and the awesomeness that was their day?  I mean how could you forget.  To this day we still talk about the amazing design and the extraordinary team behind their day.  So we were overjoyed to see the stunning images by Heather Kincaid featured in California Wedding Day.  Take a look at these images people!  Heather is amazing.  And while you’re at it, watch Jerry & Natasha again!

 

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We have been  blessed to film a lot of special couples since starting this business. We have formed a lot of connections & beautiful friendships. But this wedding was so much more than one special couple on one special day…

When Eric and Jess got engaged, they decided that they wanted an intimate wedding.  One where their closest friends and family could join them in a three day long celebration of life, love, and marriage.  To do this, they needed to find the perfect venue.  And let me tell you, they found their perfect venue.  Rancho Pescadero is a small 27 room boutique hotel near the tucked away town of Todos Santos in Baja Mexico.  After a two hour dirt road drive from the airport you eventually reach wedding venue Shangri-La.  Within feet of its own private beach, Rancho feels like it is in the middle of nowhere, outside of time and space.  As you cross its threshold, an invisible force field eradicates every aniexity and stress and troublesome thought you have and leave you in a buzzing sense of bliss. It was at this garden of eden that Eric and Jess decided to have their wedding.

It was here that they decided to invite about 45 of their closest friends and relatives to participate in their three day festival of marriage.  Luckily for us we were friends of the bride and groom.  (Megan toured with Eric.)  Because we were friends and because we were at Rancho for three days with the bridal party and all the guests, we got the chance to experience this celebration from a much more visceral position than usual.  If words could describe the experience then I would write you all a novel… but it just would not suffice.  It was the feeling that we were all left with that encapsulates this joyous occasion.  To truly share in two people’s love is intoxicating.  To spend three days giving them your support and in return being granted the opportunity to be part of who they are and their experiences is a grace that I wish you could all experience.  Rather than crack open my thesaurus and try and relate to you in words who these people are and they experience that they had, I will let the words cease.  Watch this film and maybe, just maybe you can be transported back to 11.11.11 with us to participate in the wedding of Eric and Jessica.  Hell of a way to end our 2011 wedding season if you ask us…

{wedding day details}
Rancho Pescadero: venue
Nicole Miller: bride’s dress
Laura Marie Duncan: photography
Cabo Flowers: cake & flowers

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Music Licensed from The Music Bed 

As event filmmakers, we have a very unique perspective on these incredible days.  For the bride and groom there is typically a very long build up and then the actual day tends to blur by.  They are left with a vague impression of what the day was actually like and what they experienced.  Our view point is completely the opposite.  We show up the day of and then for weeks and months afterwards we pour over every last second of film we created.  We analyze each and every moment so that we can find the right shots to put into the wedding film.  In many ways, we have a much better perspective on what happened and how the bride and groom felt than they do themselves.  I would like to take this opportunity to tell Jerry and Natasha that they experienced their wedding day with utmost perfection.  It can be very easy to succumb to the pressure of this day, but Jerry and Natasha did not.  In fact they soaked up each and every moment.  The amount of moments that we captured was so staggering that it took us twice as long to go through footage than it normally does.  They lived their day.  They experienced and appreciated how beautiful all the details were.  They shared their love with their families and loved ones.  And most importantly of all, they looked into each other’s eyes and connected with one another.  The ceremony is what is supposed to unify two people, but Jerry and Natasha were inextricably bound well before they ever said, “I do.”   As we watched the footage of them from their wedding day, we could see it.  In each and every frame.  The sheer delight at the sight of one another.  The open and supportive arms as they held each other.  The tone of their voices as their volume dropped so that no one could hear them but each other.  These two were meant for one another.  I could probably write a book on what love is and only use these two as examples, but I’ll stop right here because I can say it all with much more eloquence and pathos with a film.  Watch.  Experience.  Enjoy.

P.S. We would very much like to thank Jerry and Natasha for finding us.  At the time that we first met them we were not going to take on any more clients due to some serious family medical issues.  With the help of Jodi Cohen at JOWY Productions we met with them despite our reservations.  Upon meeting them we knew that we would love to work with them.  They are passionate people and their passion fueled our passion.  Working with them and creating this film have opened us up to our creative fire.  They have allowed us to live in our imaginations and to remember that this is why we do this.  So thank you.  Speaking of creativity…if you haven’t watched Jerry & Natasha’s Love Story then you absolutely MUST!  This film is a perfect example of our dream collaboration with a couple!

{wedding day details}
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel: venue
JOWY Productions: planning
Heather Kincaid: photography
Eric Buterbaugh: flowers
The Butter End Cakery:cake
James Gang Encore: reception band
Jasmine Alise: makeup
Shann Beeman:hair
Kenneth Pool: bride’s dress
Vince Camuto: bride’s shoes
Dolce & Gabbana: groom’s tux
Salvatore Ferragamo: groom’s shoes
Amsale: bridesmaids’ dress

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Weddings aren’t perfect.  In fact 99% of the time something will go wrong that’s completely out of anyone’s control.  BUT we always tell our couples, “As long as you get married, nothing else matters.”  We truly believe this and so did John & Carolyn.  The day of their wedding the clouds opened up and rained on San Diego almost the entire day.  But that didn’t matter to Carolyn & John.  Nothing could ruin this day.  Even though their ceremony had to be moved inside, that did not damper their spirits.  The only thing John & Carolyn were concerned about was marrying their best friend and partner in life.  Elation and excitement was what everyone witnessed in John & Carolyn.  During the ceremony, John came alive when he saw Carolyn walk down the aisle.  I dare say he became giddy!  And it goes without saying that Carolyn was just as giddy as John, if not more.  You could almost hear their hearts fluttering…for reals.  In their Love Story, they talked about how they couldn’t wait to start their lives together and being there on the wedding day, I can say without a doubt, that they really couldn’t wait.  In fact John and Carolyn were so eager to kiss during the ceremony that the officiant broke the rules and let them kiss right away!

 

{wedding day details}
El Cortez Don Room: venue
Jim Hjelm: bride’s dress
MaxStudio: brides shoes
Perry Ellis: groom’s suit
Ann’s Plans: coordination
Betwixt Studio: photography
Artistic Productions: dj
Artquest Catering: catering
San Diego Flower Patch: flowers

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Where do I even begin about Jerry & Natasha?!  These two people are spectacular people.  They have a spectacular relationship.  And they have a spectacular love story.  (You will see what I mean when you watch the film.)  Since Jerry & Natasha were having a red carpet, Hollywood themed wedding extravaganza they wanted to star in their own film as well!   They collaborated with us every step of the way to create an amazing film that really got to the heart and soul of their relationship.  They premiered this film on a huge screen at the rehearsal dinner that was at the Sony Pictures Lot.  Everyone who was invited to the wedding was at the rehearsal dinner, so every guest was able to see how Jerry & Natasha came to be.

I really could go on and on about them and their wedding that was last Saturday, but I won’t.  Instead I ask you to make sure you have an uninterrupted 11 minutes to watch their film.  Close your door, put on those headphones, grab a box of tissues and watch this.  You won’t be sorry.  We are so proud of Jerry & Natasha for opening up to us, trusting us, and allowing us to capture their story.

And while you’re at it, don’t you want to watch Jerry & Natasha’s wedding highlight film?

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It’s always fun getting a chance to interview our couples.  Sure, it’s a way to get to know them better and for them to have an invaluable keepsake of their relationship… but with Taryn and Todd, it was just plain fun.  I’ve never laughed so much during an interview.  The camera was literally shaking.  Todd is just a total riot.  They are also both honest and frank people.  We loved them both the moment that we met them.  And when we got a chance to hear their story, it was as moving as any.

They met over 10 years ago at a party.  It was nothing too memorable, but at Todd says, “She left an impression on him.”  A few months later was September 11th, and the first person that Todd thought of was Taryn.  He called her to make sure she was okay, and that was the beginning…

The wedding day itself was tons of fun and absolutely stunning.  If you are getting married in Long Island (or anywhere in the TriState area) I highly suggest checking out Oheka Castle.  It’s a magnificent backdrop for one of the greatest days of your lives.  On this particular day there wasn’t single detail that wasn’t perfect.  And the most important detail of all, was fun.  They had a great time.  And thanks to Kenny Ford band, the most amazing band we have ever seen at a wedding, for keeping the music pumping.  So thank you Taryn and Todd for allowing us to be part of your day.

{wedding day details}
St. Agnes Cathedral: ceremony location
Oheka Castle: reception location
Turn Loose the Art: photographer
Simone Carvalli: bride’s dress
Dessy Collection: bridesmaids’ dresses
Kenny Ford Band from Hank Lane: band
Dynamic Entertainment: lighting
Gaetano Florists & Gardens Inc: flowers
Oheka Castle: cake & catering

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