The Team
Venue: Blackstone Country Club
Photography: Natalie Walker Photo DJ: Apollo Productions Floral: Bee Wild Designs Hair: Alexandria Grace Bridal Makeup: Stephanie Nault Makeup
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The Team
Church: St. Juan Diego Chandler
Venue: Pera Club Photography: Ciara Grace Photography DJ: All Pro Dj's
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Venue: Villa Siena
Photo: Carly Raes Photography DJ: Ray the DJ Floral: Garden Gate Flowers Officiant: Brittany Shulla Cake: Piece of Cake
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Check out the Feature Film from Nick and Arielle's gorgeous wedding day at Tenque Verde Ranch in Tucson.
The Team
Venue: Tanque Verde Ranch
Photo: Brianna Gomez Photography DJ: Raza Entertainment Floral: Sway Studio Hair & Makeup : HVH Artist's
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Check out the feature film above from Amanda & Christian's stunning destination wedding at the Scott Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Team
Venue: The Scott Hotel
Coordination: Kristi Marie Events Photography: Luna Lion DJ: C West Entertainment Floral: Poppy & Pomegranate Hair & Makeup: Superstition Makeup Company
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With the weather finally cooling down and the leaves changing color, the fall stage is set for this colorful celebration. I arrived at the property nice and early, and with a few different wedding options on the property, I wanted to be sure I was arriving at the correct location. I walked into what looked to be the reception site and found several family and friends transforming an ordinary hall into something fit for a celebration. I quickly pulled out my camera to catch some of the action. I love to capture this kind of content not only to create a perfect intro for the wedding film but also to show the couple a behind-the-scenes look at their wedding day. As I surveyed the grounds, there were so many personalized touches. From the book centerpieces on the cocktail hour high tops to the customized string pennants hanging over the dessert table and stage. This group was very creative. Our bride Alison soon arrived, bridesmaids in tow, and took a look around the venue at what im sure was months of hard work for her. I introduced myself and told her I would give her a few minutes to settle in before starting her getting-ready process. I was lucky enough to work with a familiar face, their photographer TJ. TJ was actually one of the first photographers I had the pleasure of working with after moving from Northern California. We chatted for a bit before heading to the bridal suite to collect details. TJ set up some fantastic flat lays while I opted for the more candid-looking detail posing. The ceremony site provided a perfect tree to hang the dress as TJ and I wrapped up our coverage of details. Back inside, Rick, the groom, arrived with his groomsmen not far behind. We took the opportunity to film their getting ready process before returning to the bridal suite for Alison. The couple had opted to skip a first look, so we instead used the time to stage separate bridal and family portrait sessions. This is where we are introduced to possibly the cutest ring bearer of all time. Guest soon began to arrive and make their way to the ceremony site at the rear of the property. Music was definitely a big theme at this wedding. Guests were welcomed to the venue with a 3-piece band, an album-inspired seating chart, and a live band set to open up the dancing portion of the night later in the evening. Guests took their seats as the groom and bridal party made their way down the aisle. Since Rick and Alison opted not to do a first look, I had to be sure to capture the moment they saw each other for the first time. No tears, just smiles this time as Alison and her father made their way down the aisle. The ceremony was officiated by Reverend Sara, who spoke on the couple's relationship thus far and gave some advice for their future. She also gave me some excellent sound bites on the meaning and importance of love. The couple had some additional readings by some of their guests before starting their personal vows to one another. These two truly wowed the crowd with their words to one another. Rings were exchanged and I do's were shared before the two were invited to share their first kiss as a married couple. Following the ceremony, we whisked the couple away to chase the setting sun, getting some stunning sunset portraits. We ended the session at the VW photo booth van the couple had rented for their photo booth. The owners were nice enough to allow us to stage the couple behind the wheel for a few shots. Guests transitioned inside for the dinner portion of the evening. The couple and bridal party were introduced, and Rick and Alison shared their first dance before dinner service began. Dinner service concluded with speeches from the best man, maid of honor, father of the bride, and a thank you from the couple. The couple also shared a first dance with their parents before heading outside to start the party. This was the moment I was most excited for. As well as being the bride, Alison is also a talented musician. And as the band took the stage, she grabbed her electric guitar and joined them onstage for a few songs to kick off the party. I really get the coolest couples. Her set concluded with the garter and bouquet toss, off the stage, of course, before joining her now-husband in the crowd to watch the remainder of the set. The last event on the agenda was to cut the national park-themed wedding cake and open up desserts to the guests. While the couple did have a small personal wedding cake to cut for the cameras, guests were most excited about the assortment of pies the couple had ordered. So excited, in fact, that there was already a piece missing from one when we arrived for the cake cutting. The two cut the cake, shared a bite, and shared another kiss as guests queued up to get a slice of their favorite pie. A perfect end to this sweet wedding celebration.
The Team
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It's always nice to find an amazing venue so close to home. This will mark my first trip to The Venue at the Grove, but hopefully not my last. A stunning property that really comes to life once the sun goes down. Especially if you shoot with anamorphic lenses. I arrived early to scope out the property and was immediately greeted by staff who were kind enough to show me where the photo and video teams typically store their equipment. The photographer, Andrea, had also just arrived and was unpacking her equipment. Being a preferred vendor at the property, Andrea was kind enough to walk me around the property and show me some of her favorite locations. As we were heading back to the main area, our bride, Lindsey, was just arriving. Wanting to give her some time to settle in, I started capturing the venue's staff putting the tables and ceremony together. I love capturing this kind of BTS content. It offers a perfect opening to my feature films. I checked in with Lindsey and the bridesmaids to grab the flat lay details and got started, or should I say passed it off to Andrea to get started. Photographers have an eye for posing details that I just don't have. Luckily, they are typically nice enough to lend their creative genius long enough to allow me to capture a few of their arrangements. One area I excel in, however, is hanging the dress, mainly because I am tall enough to reach areas where the dress can hang without touching the ground. We try to keep the dress as clean as possible for as long as possible. Returning the dress, I stumbled upon the mother of the bride, Stacy, telling a story of a special heirloom locket she was passing down to Lindsey. Coming into the day, I knew about this detail; however, having supporting audio like this allows me to build out an otherwise simple moment into a storied point in the final film. Wanting to keep things ahead of schedule, Lindsey stepped into her dress, and with the help of Stacy, put on her various pieces of jewelry. Once ready, I had Stacy and Lindsey tie the gifted locket to Lindsey's bouquet. A perfect moment to complement the audio captured earlier. On the other side of the property, Ryan, our groom, had arrived. I headed over to introduce myself and ask that we recreate his getting ready moment for the camera. I pride myself on filming 90% organic real content on the wedding day, but this is one area I bend the rules. The content is just too important for the storyline of the film, and the guys typically always arrive on property completely dressed. Ryan was nice enough to comply with the request, and with the help of his best man and brother, Travis put the suit he had just taken off back on for the cameras. Back over at the bridal suite, Lindsey's father Todd was patiently waiting for his first look with his daughter. This is my new favorite wedding day tradition. Not only did Todd give me a fantastic reaction, but he also gave an amazing speech later in the day that complemented the moment perfectly in the edit. We then gathered the girls together and headed to the back of the property for some bridal party photos. The couple opted to forgo a first look so we would be shooting the bridesmaids and groomsmen separately. The property really shined for these midday portraits, offering us plenty of shade to pose in. Guests soon began to arrive, and before long, the ceremony was underway. The wedding was officiated by the groom's uncle, Brian, who delivered a fantastic ceremony mixed with some funny and sweet sound bites. I always love when an officiant starts the ceremony off with a lighthearted sound byte; it gives me a perfect opening for the film. The couple opted to exchange fantastic personal vows, both of which ended with the same final line, "I love you infinity times infinity.". Judging by Ryan's reaction, I think it was an unplanned line. After a kiss and pronouncement, we led the couple out for some sunset photos while the rest of the guests headed to the cocktail area. The forecast had called for rain all week, but what we got instead was a perfectly stunning Arizona sunset. Having about 30 minutes after we wrapped with portraits, the couple decided to join their guests for cocktail hour as I headed to the reception to capture details. I still had a bit of sun in the sky and managed to capture some of the most stunning detail shots of all time. Still geeking out over them. After some hilarious introductions from the bridal party, the couple was introduced and headed to the dance floor for their first dance. Dinner and speeches followed, and this crew absolutely delivered on speeches. Good audio is the mark of a good film, and this project had so much good audio! It's probably why it ended up being one of my longer feature films to date. Like I said earlier, this venue truly comes alive at night. The grove of trees that encompasses the property is covered in lights, giving the background of every shot a beautiful bokeh. Stunning. The couple shared a dance with their parents and a slice of cake before starting the real party! DJ Sterling crushed the dance floor, and the crew partied the night away. The evening was set to conclude with a final sendoff, so guests grabbed a sparkler and headed to the front of the property as the couple shared a final dance alone on the dance floor. Sparklers lit, the couple made their way through the cheers and the glow of their guests, concluding a truly beautiful wedding day.
The Team
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Back in Arizona to cover this week's wedding in Mesa. My day started at the couple's home, where Brian, the groom, was getting ready with the couple's four boys. I knocked on the door and was greeted by some friendly barks and Brian, who showed me inside. Brian was in the middle of crafting his vows with the help of his friend and officiant, Chad. I grabbed my camera to capture the moment and, of course, film the pups who were also wandering around the yard with us. I love candid moments like these, and I have recently started using them with their natural audio in the film to break up the much more crisp, clean, formal audio from the ceremony, speeches, and other mic'd-up moments. I feel as though it adds a raw feeling to an otherwise polished film. Back inside, the boys started to change into their custom blue-lined suits as Brian floated around the room helping as needed. After they were all dressed, Brian got into his matching suit with the help of his dad and best man, Bill. A perfect circle of life moment. After everyone was dressed, I made the short drive over to the brides getting-ready location. As I walked in, Becci, the bride, was just wrapping up her makeup process. The makeup artist knocked it out of the park, going as far as gifting the bridesmaids touch-up makeup kits and a bottle of tequila. Not wanting the gift to go unused, Becci gathered her girls for a quick toast. Bethany, the photographer, soon arrived, and the two of us got started shooting the dress and details. Becci decided to lean into the something blue tradition with a beautiful blue pair of heels for the occasion. After wrapping up with the dress shots, we handed it over to Becci to step into it in private. As she stepped into another room to change, her boys arrived. The plan was for Becci to share a first look with the three of them after she was all ready. We ushered them into another room as Becci stepped out. With the help of her mom, Mindy, Becci got all buttoned up and put on her jewelry. We tucked Becci back into a spare bedroom while we placed the boys for the grand reveal. Eyes closed, Becci gave the boys a three-count before opening. This was truly such a sweet moment to be a part of. I quickly packed up and made the last short drive of the day to the venue just down the road. As I made my way into the venue, I was greeted by two familiar faces. First was the DJ for the wedding, AJ Campbell, of Lubelle Entertainment. AJ is always so fun to work with! The second was another DJ friend, Gilbert of Genuine DJs. Gilbert was running the cold sparks and photo booth for the wedding. Awesome! It's always so fun to work with vendors you already know! Time was limited, so I quickly got started filming the ceremony site before guest arrival. The couple had originally met in high school, where they both ran track together. Although their romantic relationship didn't start there, their story did. Guests soon arrived and took their seats, and the ceremony was soon underway. Brian's boys escorted the bridesmaids down the aisle before Becci, flanked by her two sons, made her way down the aisle. Certainly a sweet procession I'll remember forever. Chad guided guests through their fun relationship story before the two exchanged their personal vows to one another. The two also opted to sign their marriage license during the actual ceremony, a fun touch I had not seen before. A kiss was shared, and the couple made their way down the aisle before sharing another halfway down. The second kiss is a great way to get a big group shot with all of your guests. Cocktail hour kicked off with a champagne tower poured by the couple. Pro tip: If you decide to do a champagne tower, pre-fill the lower glasses. This helps the champagne level in each glass be consistent. The reception kicked off with a sparkler grand introduction and first dance before we rushed the couple out to grab some shots in the last bit of daylight. We were shuttled around the area by Brian, who smartly brought the couple's golf cart to the venue. Arizona sunsets never disappoint, and we got some truly breathtaking content. We returned back to the reception where AJ had been keeping guests busy with his signature wedding scavenger hunt. Speeches were shared before the couple shared a dance with their parents and cut their wedding cake. Open dancing carried us into the night, and before long, the last dance was shared with Brian and Becci. I said my goodbyes to my friends and the couple before officially departing. Another perfect wedding in the books!
The Team
Venue: Mountain Bridge Owners Club
Photographer: Bethany Longmire DJ: Lubelle Entertainment Photo booth/Cold Sparks: Genuine DJ Entertainment Hair/Makeup: Lisset Cuevas Artistry
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Back in Northern California for this week's wedding to revisit a venue I've had the privilege to film at a few times in the past, Vine Hill House. A stunning property with sprawling views of the winery it sits on. Before we get to the venue, however, my coverage of Mika and Eric's wedding weekend takes me downtown to the Crooked Goat Brewery. The couple decided to host their family and friends at the brewery for a welcome party the night before their big day. During the party the couple had planned to have an open mic, allowing guests to come up and say a few words. Never wanting to turn down the chance to grab some additional audio for their film, I jumped at the opportunity. The evening went flawlessly, with what seemed like half the party wanting to say a few words to the couple. A testament to the people they are. With my gear packed up, I headed back to recharge and prepare for the wedding day ahead. Arriving on property the next day, I unpacked my gear and got an early start on coverage. Having filmed the festivities the night before, the group was already comfortable with the camera's presence. First stop was the main house, where Mika and the girls were wrapping up the hair and makeup processes. I checked in with Mika before grabbing a few shots of the process and heading outside with the details. With the groom not far behind, I and Roberto, the photographer, got started with the flat lay and dress shots. This venue is not short on cool locations and lighting for this type of content. We were alerted that the groom was ten minutes out, so we quickly packed up, not wanting to spoil any surprises. While this venue offers a wonderful getting-ready area for the girls, the groom hangs out outside in what will later become a cigar lounge during the reception. I headed over to meet up with Eric and start his getting-ready coverage. As much as I love to shoot real moments as they occur naturally, groom prep is one area I bend my rules. Typically the guys already come dressed, but I still need the content for the film. With the help of Eric's best man, we got Eric undressed and redressed for the camera. Back inside, the hair and makeup process had wrapped up, and we headed to the front of the house to grab some bridal party photos before Mika stepped into her dress. Rather than tuck ourselves into a bedroom for the moment, the front of the property was completely shaded and offered us a perfect location. Luckily, it didn't take much convincing, and Mika was on board. With the help of her mom, Mika stepped into her dress. With her wedding look complete, the bridesmaids were led out of the house so Mika could show off her dress. These reveals are becoming a popular trend, and I'm here for it! With the bridal party first look out of the way, we moved onto the more important first look, the one between the bride and groom. With Eric in place, Mika approached from behind, and with a tap on the shoulder, Eric laid his eyes on his bride for the first time. The couple decided to share private personal vows to one another before moving on to portraits. Personal vows add so much to the wedding film. It seems strange, but the opportunity to capture quotable audio from the couple on a wedding day naturally is pretty limited, so it's always exciting when a couple decides to write their own vows and share them for the camera. Guests soon began to arrive and take their seats for the ceremony. The couple opted for a short and sweet procession, reserving the aisle for the two of them, their parents, the ring bearer, and the flower girl. The ceremony was led by rabbi Dean, who walked the couple through the different traditions of the Jewish wedding ceremony. This culminates in the most iconic Jewish wedding tradition, the breaking of the glass. Following the ceremony we snuck the couple out for their sunset portrait sessions. The sun decided to put on an absolute show for us that afternoon, and the session was one for the ages. Dinner took place on the lawn in front of the main house and was capped off by some amazing speeches from the couple's closest family. We headed back over to what was once the ceremony site but now had been transformed into a dance floor. Mika and Eric kicked off the evening with their first dance, which started as a slow classic and transitioned into a fast choreographed number ending with an invitation to the guests to join in. The dance floor was never empty again, and the party raged deep into the night, blending Jewish traditional dancing with the mainstream hits. With my cards full, batteries drained, and a long drive ahead, I said my goodbyes to the couple and northern California. Until next time!
The Team
Venue: Vine Hill House
Coordination: Chelsea Events and Floral Design Photography: Roberto Chavez Photography DJ: AMS Entertainment Floral: Vanda Floral Design Hair & Makeup: Devotion Studio Catering: Trends Catering Music: Duo Gadjo Photo Booth: Selfie Booth Co. Transportation: Thunderstar Charter
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AuthorSteven Martinez // Cinematographer Archives
May 2025
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