As Yankee fans, sometimes we have to set aside our differences and embrace a couple whose affinity lies with another team.  There is one team that is harder for us to swallow than the rest.  The Boston Red Sox.  With this particular couple, we weren’t the only ones with the challenge.  You see Emily’s family hails from the Chicago area and they love the Cubs.  Daniel is a die hard Red Sox fan.  Somehow these two were able to see past their differences and fall in love.

Emily and Daniel had a beautiful day.  Nestled at the Fess Parker, just steps from the beach, these two were ready for this day.  Their love for one another was ever present throughout the day.  It was obvious that they steadied one another.  Even more evident was the support they received from their families.  It’s always so special to see two families embrace one another and integrate.  Emily’s father, who officiated the ceremony, tasked the guests to support Emily and Daniel in their journey of marriage together, and that type of love and care are clearly what has made Emily and Daniel the people that they are today. 

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 We love when couples make the day unique to them.  When they pack the day with as many personal, unique things is the best.  Tracy & Dustin did not disappoint.  Every single detail you see during this film was carefully designed and deliberately placed at the wedding.  It was amazing.  (Bonus points to Tracy and Dustin for taking time during dinner to walk around and taking a look at all the details.)  But more than the details, we love when they personalize the events.  The major moment that we are talking about was their Secret Vows.  Dustin & Tracy are pretty shy people and don’t like being the center of attention.  So saying their personally written vows in front of all of their guests was a bit overwhelming.  Instead, Tracy & Dustin opted to read their vows to each other prior to the ceremony.  Dustin didn’t want to see Tracy until she walked down the aisle, so they did this back to back, grasping their hands and hearing each others’ voices.  It was one of the coolest moments of the day.

 

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We love when we get to film our first wedding of the season.  We’ve had a nice off season to edit feature films, spend time with family and friends, and do some personal projects.  But it’s always nice to get back to the wedding day.  No matter how many weddings we’ve filmed, there is always something magical about the first wedding of the season.  That was no different for Ryan & Alli.  We were so thrilled to document this day for them.  Ryan & Alli chose the beautiful Villa 46 Wines (also known as Calipaso Winery) in Paso Robles to become one.  This venue is so gorgeous and reflected Alli & Ryan so perfectly.  Thanks for letting us be a part of your day!

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We are so thrilled to see Ashley & Brett’s Beverly Wilshire Hotel Wedding featured over on Style Me Pretty’s California page!  We loved filming this wedding with exquisite details and most importantly a fantastic couple.  Check out the feature HERE!  And while you’re there, please take time to enjoy the amazingly gorgeous work from Jordana Hazel of Hazelnut photography.  Jordana is one of our favorite photographers to work with on the day of the wedding!

 

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Ian and I have been enjoying a wonderful off season of no weddings, locked in our edit cave editing feature films, and spending time with family and our pups.  But there’s one thing about the off season that we don’t enjoy and that’s the absence of blogging and putting our couple’s films up on the blog.  Ian and I were trying to figure out how we could continue posting in the off season that would offer something to our brides and grooms, future engaged couples, and really anyone who likes to read about wedding related topics.  We talked about how much we loved our (now married) couples and wish we could involve them in more beyond their wedding day.  That’s when thought we’d love to create a community where our previous couples could offer advice to future brides.  So many brides (myself included) have things we learned after the wedding.  Things we loved about our wedding day, things we would change, things we didn’t even think of.  And we want to pass along that wisdom to others.  That’s when we thought, “Why not have our past brides share this advice online on our blog?”  And that’s how our “Reflections” post came to be.

Our first guest blogger is my friend Meagan.  Meagan and I go waaaaay back.  We have known each other since our freshman year in college and grew closer over the years as we pursued our degrees in Theatre at Cal State Fullerton.  Since graduating college Meagan has had an awesome career in television and film and I’m constantly impressed by her.  Since graduating we often get together over wine and cheese (or any other delicious food) and connect on all facets of life, including our weddings.  Meagan got married back in 2011.  I was beyond grateful that Meagan said yes when I asked her to be our first Bride Blogger.  Thank you so much Meagan for offering your wisdom to couples who have yet to take that walk down the aisle.

From Holder…
As a former bride planning her wedding filled with checklists, to-do lists, guest lists and registry lists, I can honestly say that in spite of all the planning, anticipation, occasional meltdown and “lists”, my wedding was the best day of my life to date. I asked myself after the wedding was all said and done…”Why?” Why had the day I planned meticulously for 2 years (yea…2 years…) NOT flown by the way I had heard or why in our amazing wedding video were they able to capture so many unexpected moments that I could only have dreamed up? Answer: I let go. The day of, I made an internal pact to myself not to let anything bother me that especially took focus off of why I was able to experience this day in the first place: my groom. Our story. Our families that allowed us to build the story. Our friends who witnessed us live out our story that ultimately led us to this big day. Let it be known, I am not a particularly “go with the flow” person. I love lists; I really love color coordinated lists. I love inspiration books with tabs and corresponding photos behind the subject of those tabs. I love schedules and love printing out said schedules even more. You get the point. “Letting go” isn’t exactly a simple thing for someone like me. But on my wedding day and especially in hindsight, the pay-off of letting go was huge. My biggest advice to brides, whether an especially enthusiastic planner like myself, or someone who flies by the seat of their pants, is to trust whomever you’ve hired for the day (I’m not a fan of the term “vendor”) to carry out any plans, big or small, you’ve made in preparation. What that allows for is a completely enjoyable experience as a guest of a party you happen to be guest of honor at, rather than as the host. How much fun is it to attend a dinner party (or any party) where you don’t have to cook or clean up and simply get to say thank you and goodbye when the party is over? Think of your wedding in the same way. This means, and I strongly encourage, that you set aside some amount of money in your budget to hire a friend or professional to allow you to relax and enjoy the day of. If you’re like me, you had a budget and from that budget you did your best to hire the people you felt would make your day everything you imagined. Trust that. Things will go wrong. For example, my hairstyle was definitely not what I had planned, the table numbers were accidently misprinted by my wonderful husband to be (ha) and the large shuttle bus we hired to transport the wedding party broke down…while we were in it. But, in keeping with my pact of “let go”, none, and I honestly mean none, of these events affected how happy I was to get married to and celebrate with my best friend. The proof will be in the memories both recorded (thank you Couture Motion Pictures!) and in the inner peace you have knowing you fully enjoyed your “big day”. Also, keep in mind that while our wedding day should be the “best day of our lives”, we all have many, many more “best days” to look forward to.
I wish you happy planning and an even happier, peaceful wedding day!
Sincerely,
Meagan
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Music Licensed  by  The Music Bed

Born worlds apart, they found each other.  Jordan was born in Los Angeles, CA and Tom in Kinglsey, U.K.  But their paths would cross in 2011 in London.  As they walked towards each other and locked eyes they knew in an instant..they had found their soul mate.  Their whirlwind romance brought them here.  To this unbelievable wedding.  This is the kind of wedding that makes Ian and me love our jobs and count our blessings.  Not only was this wedding the most beautiful we have ever seen, but the people behind it all were amazing.  It’s so wonderful to work with friends/colleagues like Heather Kincaid and the ladies at JOWY Productions.  And we can’t say enough about Jordan and Tom.  They are our dream clients.  Authentic.  Hilarious.  Emotional.  Beautiful.  Vulnerable.

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Music Licensed  by  The Music Bed

We get to witness some pretty amazing things in our business.  Amazing locations, beautiful details, some of the most elaborate celebrations that have ever existed.  But all of that pales in comparison when we get to witness two people that care about each other and support one another on the deepest of levels.  It literally brings a smile to our faces and a tear to our eyes.  Dani & Matt did just that.  Seeing how they locked eyes while delivering personally written ardent vows, we witnessed a pretty amazing and beautiful thing.   Take away the stunning dress, take away the flowers and chandelier, remove the chairs and the little details.  This still would have been an amazing moment for Dani & Matt.  And we were honored to witness that.

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We have been so eager to share this new love story with you all!!  Dani & Matt rocked this one out.  We loved hearing about how opposite they are, yet completely the right fit for each other.  Check this film out now before we post their Casa Real Wedding later today!!

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Music Licensed  by The Music Bed

It’s another family wedding!!!  Brian is my cousin and Andrea has been a part of our family for a long time.  Although Brian grew up in CA and Andrea grew up in NY, they met and fell in love in beautiful Vail, CO.  So that’s where they decided to tie the knot.  They returned to CO back where it all began, but this time they brought their closest friends and family to help them celebrate their new lives.  This location could not have been any prettier.   My gramps made a short speech at this wedding (that of course reduced me to a puddle of tears behind my camera).  This was a momentous occasion for him and my grandma as Brian was their final grandchild to get married.  They have made it to every single wedding, all 10 of them!!  Ian and I then realized that we have had the privilege of filming 6 of those weddings.  We have been so honored to be a part of so many of our cousins and siblings wedding days.

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Music Licensed from The  Music Bed

 Family.  If you were to ask us to sum up this day in one word, that is the word we would choose.  Ian and I could not have felt more honored and humbled to be a part of this wedding day.  We felt so lucky that this was the first wedding of our 2013 season, and that we got to hang out with Anabel & Joey and their families.  Forty of their closest family and friends traveled from Texas to the amazing Montage Laguna Beach in California.  While the details of this wedding were spectacular and breathtaking, it paled in comparison to the love and emotion that was emanating from everyone.  It was palpable.  This reminded us that this is what the wedding day is really about.  The love between to people with the support and love from their families…this is what we film.

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