What a great day. Even though it was a little warm, Michelle and Ken had smiles on their faces all day. They were just so comfortable with one another. As they walked through the woods for their photos you could tell that they just belonged together. For our first wedding in Washington, we had a great time.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
Lily was studying in snowy upstate New York at Hamilton College. Ethan was also in some snow. But Ethan was all the way in Boulder, CO getting his undergrad. At this point Lily and Ethan had not met. After both of them had gone through some relationship troubles they both decided they needed a change of scenery. As fate would have it they individually chose Tokyo as their next destination. They enrolled in the same study abroad program. Lily and Ethan finally met in remote Hakone. Outside a 7-11 on a park bench was where Lily and Ethan became enamored with one another. They needed a change of scenery and found each other on the other side of the world. If this isn’t fate, I don’t know what is.
Their wedding day went off without a hitch. A huge shout out to an amazing team of vendors who made it happen. Kelley and her team at Picture Perfect Events could not have been more amazing!
{wedding day details}
The Langham Huntington in Pasadena: wedding venue
Picture Perfect Events: wedding planner
Bonnie Tsang: photographer
DJ Orbit: dj
Fleuretica: florist
G2 Audio & Lighting: lighting
Theresa Huang: hair & makeup
One of the hardest things for a Bride and Groom to do on a their wedding day is to speak eloquently to their guests, and even each other. It is a whirlwind day, full of a lifetimes worth of anticipation. They have seen movies and heard songs and watched relatives and friends go through the ritual, only adding more pressure to their own special day. And when the day finally arrives they can very easily succumb to the thought that they do not have something to say that would be worthy of this momentous day. But there is a secret to speaking with gravity and meaning on your wedding day. The secret is the truth. Tell the truth. Dig deep down within yourselves and say something that you believe, something that you feel is an emotional truth. Meagan and Arron did just that. They put words to their emotions throughout the day. They expressed themselves and noted how they felt and they allowed us to capture that. It certainly does make our job easier, but it also makes the day more potent for those experiencing this powerful moment. This idea of putting words to feelings culminated at the end of the evening with Arron’s thank you speech. It started, as most speeches do, with a few thanks yous. At that point Arron took the opportunity to say something to Meagan, in front of all his guests, that he has probably said to her countless times before. Yet, these simple and honest truths came flowing from him with such sincerity, that no one listening could help the tears from welling in the corners of their eyes. Sure, we’ve all hear I love you before and will probably hear it another million times before we die… but this is his wedding day. This is her wedding day. There is only one wedding day, and Arron took that day and used it to its fullest glory and splendor. He told her he loved her… and he meant it. It was a beautiful moment. They are a beautiful couple, and it was a delight to film their day and to capture their experience for them. We are so excited for Meagan, our old friend from college and our new friend Arron.
{wedding day details}
United Methodist Church of Pasadena: ceremony venue
Pasadena Museum of California Art: reception venue
Just Chic Events: wedding coordinator
Love Me Sailor: photographer
Paloma Blanca: bride’s dress
Christian Louboutin: bride’s shoes
Next: groom’s tux
Dream House Productions: dj
The Little Branch: floral design
Takes the Cake: cake
