Cotton Club Party

Around Christmas time as a child, I’d sit near the brightly lit tree and squint my eyes slightly as to make it all a little out of focus so the lights would glimmer just a little bit more. I’d imagine I was swimming amongst these twinkling lights.

Recently, I shot a birthday party with a fun theme … imagine Harlem’s Cotton Club of the 1920’s and 30’s. In piecing the opening sequence to this video together I was trying to come up with a way to help squint your eyes so you can imagine being elsewhere. Although, I don’t typically grunge up footage the way I did with this video, I thought I’d have a little fun and help transport you to a different time.

Also, I’d love to take you into the party a little bit more but once you see who threw the party maybe you’ll understand why I have to keep it on the DL … fo shizzle.  ;)

Coordination: Andrinique Events
Sweets: Candee by Sandee
Location: The Kress Hotel
Invitations: Richie Letterpress & Design
Dessert: Christopher Garren's Let Them Eat Cake

J + A | Trailer

Texans J + A chose Southern California for their destination wedding and they nailed it. They must have called ahead for perfect weather because the day couldn’t have been any nicer. From their ceremony site at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes you could clearly see Catalina Island. From the reception site at La Venta, you could see all the way up to Malibu on the west and downtown L.A. to the east. It served as quite a backdrop for their first dance … and the surprise flash mob.

Of course you say flash mob and you don’t exactly think shy and reserved. Quite the contrary … this wedding had fun written all over it … and I hope this trailer reflects that.

J + A: Congratulations. If your first day as a married couple is just a fraction of what you’ll have in the future, I say you’re gonna have a good ol’ time.

Cast of characters:

Coordination - Resha Zazueta, Something To Celebrate

Ceremony Location - Wayfarers Chapel

Reception Location - La Venta

Photography - Craig Davis, Studio 563

DJ - Tribe DJ

Hair/Makeup - Design Visage 

Clark's Dad & Tons of Smiling

I recently edited a wedding video. There is nothing unique in that since I edit often and for many hours …

                      but there was something that struck me on this edit. It was a moment that under most circumstances may have gone unnoticed.

Attention was on the action - the bride and groom being hoisted up into the air during their hora. They clumsily reached out for each other's hand as one chair was being going up and the other was going down. Lovely, lovely moment. Off to the side, however, there was another camera rolling. What it captured, in my eyes, was beautiful and sweet. The father of the groom … a man not strong enough to dance around the dance floor is in the foreground, slowly waving his arm at his son who was a good 20-25 feet away on the dance floor. Whether it was to get his son's attention or simply to celebrate and join in his son's joy, it doesn't matter. It was a sweet, simple moment.

And the rest of this party sequence is an exercise in smiling. Everyone is smiling and, I don’t know about you, but I can’t help but smile myself. It’s like a virus. That’s the kinda virus I can get behind.