cathy + william | trailer

More often than not I’ll give you a back story as to my bride and groom’s wedding and the happenings of the day. In this case … hmmm, maybe not. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot going on – beautiful flowers, serene location, glowing bride. But as I edited this piece, I was drawn to what Anthony Yuro, the officiant, said during the ceremony. And what he said went beyond the “I Do’s” and the beauty and details of the day. It was about the couple’s future and the possibilities. As I painted this picture that is Cathy & William’s trailer, I’d like to think that I could see glimpses of their future … and let me tell you, it looks sweet.

I hope you see it too.







Lest me not forget about the stellar cast of characters …

Flowers & Planning: Stephanie Grace Designs
Venue: The Langham Hotel
Photography: Roberto Valenzuela
Officiant: Anthony V. Yuro
DJ: DJ Denkym
Cake: The Langham Hotel
Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Strings by Reiko
Hair: Shelby Pence shelbypence@gmail.com
Make-up: Lisa Le Lelisa1111@gmail.com
Linens & Chairs: Elegant Designs

summer + julian | trailer

Summer and Julian wanted to transport their guests to a different time and place … and that they did!

With the help of their event planner and designer, the ever-fab Amber Gustafson, we were off to the swingin’ land of cigar girls and pin up dolls. And the perfect backdrop for the festivities … well, Cicada off course. Everything turned out beautifully. From the bride’s gift to the groom – a necktie with an image of herself in pin-up attire to the vintage photo booth to Summer’s surprise performance with the singer/dancers of Satin Dollz. And you can’t go back in time without a little Super 8 film for that dreamy nostalgic feel, right?

It was oh so fun but don’t take my word for it. Check it out.






Cast of characters:

Planning and Design: Amber Gustafson - Amber Events
Venue: Cicada
Photography: Natalie Moser
Band: Dave Damiani & the No Vacancy Orchestra
Floral: Holly Flora
Cake & dessert buffet: Fantasy Frosting
Entertainment: Satin Dollz
Photobooth: Paper Moon Vintage
Lighting: Aspect Lighting
Cigar Girls: Ron Rubin Events

And a special thanks to guest filmmaker Kat Small.

khali + potsch

Hey izzy!!

Khali and I just watched our wedding video. I think the whole thing was out of focus. ... Oh wait that was me CRYING through every minute of it!! We loved it!! Thank you SO MUCH for capturing our most important day (to date) so beautifully and with such honesty and dignity.

Loved it loved it loved it.

-P



That's the email I received from the groom. Nice, right?

So what can I tell you about their wedding day? It was fun, sweet, full of laughter and full of tears. Khali and Potsch? Well, I love them. I straight out love them. They're creative, loving and incredibly open. Their day was full of whimsy and a down-to-earth-no-putting-on-airs vibe here.

There were lots of special moments ...

Such as the guests passing the wedding rings on a rope made out of fabric remnants all the way up to the altar creating a chain of friends or the processional song that includes lyrics like "she thinks all my jokes are corny, convict movies make her horny" or the sausage station for dinner ... it was all downright good stuff.

That's enough words. Enjoy the some moving pictures. (Super 8 film was the cherry on top.)



Don't forget to let the video load completely before watching for smoother viewing. Coolio?


Cast of characters ...

Bride: Khali
Groom: Potsch
Event Planner: Angel Swanson of Events of Love and Splendor
Photographer: Kelty of Steep Street
DJ: Ian of Red Shoe
Oh yeah .. and me! Isabel, Event Filmmaker. :)

Did I forget to mention that Khali and Potsch create and sell some really cool stuff online? Check it out ... HERE.

**************

lauren + nick | highlights

Lauren was just the cutest, silliest thing. There was no hiding her enthusiasm during her vows. And why should she? She's in love! Yay! Shout out to the L-O-V-E. 

She and Nick had plenty to be happy about on their wedding day. Hmmm, where do I start? The location was stellar - The Grand del Mar in San Diego. She didn't have to worry about coordinating anything because Gianna SanFilippo of Chic Celebrations had everything moving smoothly ... like buttah. Photographer Jonas Peterson flew in from Australia to shoot the event. If you haven't seen his work, I highly suggest it. The flowers? Tres tres chic and designed by JL Designs. Musical prowess by Blue Skies Entertainment. The party - bangin' thanks to Martin Felipe & Victor Guiseppe of Invisible Touch Events. The pièce de résistance was a performance by the Jersey Boys ... yup, aha ... as in Broadway's Jersey Boys. 

With all these talented folk milling about, I had to remind myself to close my mouth as my jaw was in constant drop mode.  :)

lauren + nick | a grand del mar highlights from Isabel Gonzalez on Vimeo.

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.

srivitta + steve | highlights

So, I’ve decided I want a Thai water blessing for my wedding. I’d also like a Hora and I’d like my Irish uncle to give us a nice blessing. Oh yeah, while I’m at I think the groom and groomsmen should wear kilts. Hot.

Seriously … does it really matter that I’m not Thai … or Jewish or Scottish or have an Irish uncle? Ok, fine … I’m not getting married either but come on! I’ve seen so many wonderful traditions over the course my career that I’d love to incorporate them all.

Srivitta and Steve didn’t quite do all that I listed above but they did have a Thai water blessing. Lovely.

Congratulations Srivitta & Steve! And thank you … every time I watch you feeding each other cake, I can’t help but smile. Srivitta, you are the loveliest of goofballs.

Coordination: Ida Gardner Events

DJ: Vox DJ's

Location: Shutters on the Beach

Flowers: Lily Pad Floral Design

Photography: Yoshi Ohara

Make-Up: Joyce Luck Style

cassie + robert | trailer

Before I begin the editing process, I like to get a little input from my clients as to the overall style and vibe they’re looking for in their video. Cassie and Robert’s instructions were, and I quote, “We want the video to capture the excitement and joy of our day, so that when our hair is white and our faces are wrinkled (more than they are now) we can watch the video and feel warm and fuzzy.”

Well, number one … what wrinkles now?

Number two, the wedding was so full of joy and laughter, it made my job way easy. So, to Cassie and Robert … thank you. And fifty years from now, as you’re watching your video, take a self-shot/facebook-style photo and send it to me. It would bring a smile to my wrinkly face to see your wrinkly faces and know there’s some warm and fuzzy stuff going on there. :)

Photography: Jason Q Tran Photography

Venue: The Ebell Club, Long Beach

Officiant: Alan Katz

DJ: Station Identification

erin + adam | trailer

Yes, I’ll readily admit it ... I get writers block … and I get it often. Many times it has to do with the fact that I don’t know what to write, that I don’t have enough material. ‘Tis not the case here …

Erin and Adam’s wedding: sweetest couple … smiles that lit up the room … the love they shared – tangible … the day – beautiful … lovely family (I’ll begin my adoption proceedings soon) … the photographers and vendors – so talented … clear skies when rain was expected … and lest we forget – sexy shoes. =)

What an amazing day it was. Take a gander.

• Photography: Next Exit Photography
• Coordination/Flower Design: Trisha Haner, The Hidden Garden
• Location: Sheraton Delfina
• Lighting: The Lighter Side
• Linens: Tabella Design
• Makeup Artist: Monique Powers

From A Father's Perspective

Last night I wrapped up my last official wedding of the ’09 wedding season at Pasadena’s Rococo Room (congratulations Caryn & Mike!). This fact didn’t really dawn on me until I was putting my equipment away, crossing my T’s and dotting my I’s. So, I decided to take a walk down memory lane and I pulled out my list of clients for the season … to remind myself of where I’d been and who I’d shot. I suddenly felt like a post-nuptial bride. How did it go by so quickly? It’s all just a blur.

Amongst my list of clients, there was Bridget and Bjorn married back in May. Just the sweetest, cutest couple … beautiful wedding all around. They also had very memorable toasters – the bride’s father being one of them. When it came time to put a recap together of their day, Bridget’s father’s words stuck in my head. Because those words were so incredibly touching I decided to let the father tell the story for the recap video.

So here’s a wedding story told from a father’s perspective.





Photographer: Scott A. Nelson

Why a videographer?

I remember my mom showing me old Super 8 films on a clunky old projector off of our living room wall as a child.  I remember staring at the little figures that were being projected on the wall.  I could make out my mother as a young person … my grandfather – with hair!  Wow.  How special to see what they were like back in the day.  How I wanted to jump into the picture to experience even more of what it might have been like for them, what they must have felt.  

I also remember that the projector had to be handled just right otherwise the film might melt due to a too-hot bulb or snap in half due to a weakness or small tear in the film.  I knew then how important that film was.  It was my glimpse into my family’s life.  I glimpse I could have seen no other way. 

 

Fast-forward several years. 

I stand in a church as a bride and groom say their vows as I watch them thru the viewfinder of my camera.  This time I’m the one creating the images that will be experienced by this couple’s family, future children, grandchildren, etc.  Maybe no longer projected on a wall, maybe now on a 42-inch flatscreen.  Old switches now replaced by remotes. 

What draws us in has less to do with the technology used but everything to do with the story.  The medium has changed, the emotions haven’t.

Not everyone considers video a necessity for his or her wedding.  Whether it is because they remember cheesy star-wiped videos from the 80’s or because the budget just doesn’t allow for it.  All valid.  People may have a dozen reasons why they shouldn’t have a video but sometimes they fail to remember why they should…

       ... to hear the emotion in your spouse’s voice as he or she utters their vows to you

       ... a grandparent smiling at you and your new spouse as you begin your new life together

       ... your parents’ heartfelt toast telling you how they've never been prouder

All these moments plus many, many others come together to create a story that is uniquely, sublimely yours.   Your story is not a solitary point in time but many weaved together to include the sights, sounds and emotions of the day.

An experienced videographer knows how to capture these moments, knows how to piece them all together to evoke an emotion.  Aside from the obvious benefits of hiring an expert – professional equipment, experienced eye, dedicated shooter, editing skills – a wedding video has the magical ability to make those ethereal moments tangible all over again and what was once tangible is now ethereal. 

As I watched those old Super 8’s, I poked fun at my mom’s high-teased hair, all the time thinking how beautiful she was.  I don’t know if your children will tease you about anything but I can guarantee they will see their parent’s beauty and the love they share in the video that captured it all.

Today’s videographer goes by many titles … filmmaker, storyteller, visual artist.  Whatever you want to call them, they all have their own unique way of telling a story.  Matching the talents of the artist with the vision and story of the bride and groom will be covered in an upcoming blog on finding the right videographer.

oxox,

iz