Pageo Lavender Farms. This venue will always be special to me. When I was first starting out as a wedding videographer in 2012 I shot a wedding at this venue and met a photographer who has since become a great friend in the industry. She got her wedding featured on a site called Style Me Pretty. and the wedding got a lot of publicity. The video I shot was also featured on the blog. It was my first sense of accomplishment in this industry. Fast forward several years later, the groom Thomas, reaches out to see if I am available to cover he and his fiance Estephanie's big day at Pageo. I jumped on the opportunity. It was as if I was visiting a lost friend, the property had changed in some ways but maintained the same charm I remembered from years past. I entered the bridal suite and noticed the room was empty. The bride was running a few minutes late. I took the opportunity to roam the venue and get some establishing shots. The bridal party arrived first and showed me to the details I needed to start my coverage. This detail box had some unique Items including the glass monogramed ring box I used to stage my ring shots. Its always fun to be surprised with unique details like this. While filming Estephanie had arrived and begun her makeup process. I grabbed some shots of her as well as her bridesmaids preparing for the day ahead. Estephanie was planning on using her mothers cathedral length vail, and her motherMaria, was busy steaming away making sure it would be perfect for her daughters big day. The photographer, Sierra, arrived and we began the process of capturing the brides getting ready. After a grand reveal to her bridesmaids, it was time to head to the church for the ceremony. Catholic ceremonies offer unique challenges as a videographer. Especially for a videographer who solo shoots all of his weddings. Catholic church's typically have built in audio systems, rules about how and where we can film, and often times uncooperative priests. Luckily for me the priest Luis, was excellent and super helpful. Estephanie made her way down the isle escorted by two honorary bridesmaids (her nieces) with her vial in tow. Her groom awaited at the top of the isle in awe. The ceremony was underway. For all the challenges a catholic mass may bring, one helpful quality it does offer is time. Ceremonies seem to be getting shorter and shorter, and with it comes the challenge of getting all the necessary shots in a short period of time. However there is no shortage of time with a catholic mass. As a videographer I am able to not only get the typical shots I need, but experiment with all kinds of different shot options. Having filmed many catholic weddings, I know what moments where I need to capture the action at the alter, and other moments when I can focus on guests or creative shots. Before too long the guests lined up to take communion letting me know the ceremony was coming to an end. The couple shared their first kiss and made there way to the back of the church while they waited for their guests to exit. When everyone was ready outside, the couple exited to a full mariachi band and their awaiting cheering guest. Estephanie and Thomas were officially married. I made the short drive back to Pageo and found the venue completely transformed by their coordinator Lexi and her team. I got to work capturing the reception while the guest began to trickle in. The reception was kicked off by the DJ Moses Martinez (the best last name if you ask me) and the couple shared their first dance. The first dance was followed by a special choreographed dance by the couple before the rest of the guest joined in. Pageo offers spaces for both the dancing types, as well as the more mingling types. Outside the couple was gifted a live painting by the wonderful artist Gwyneth Boon. This is a newer trend which I absolutely love. The chosen moment for this live painting was the couples first kiss and Gwyneth crushed it. Following the gifting it was time for the couple to head back inside and cut their cake. This was the last event on the timeline for me, but I hung around a bit longer in hopes of capturing the couple on the dance floor. Thomas and Estephanie gave me the content I needed and my night was done. Until next time Pageo! 

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I've often been asked what my favorite venue is of all time. Well here it is. Palm Event Center. It's not because its in my hometown of Livermore California (well technically Pleasanton), It's not because of its beauty (though it is), Its because it has hands down the best staff of any venue I've ever been to. That's not a knock on anybody else, they are just wonderful to work with as a vendor. They have a welcome cart with water, snacks, and copies of the timeline when we arrive, special spaces for us to stash our gear, and they feed us when the couple eats so we don't ever miss a moment. They are just professionals and I'm always excited for the opportunity to work there. When I arrived at the AC Hotel for the getting ready portion of my coverage, I was met by the brides lovely mother Lisa, who showed me the dress, details, and to the room where her daughter Sonia was getting ready. Our correspondence up to this point had been virtual, so an introduction was in order. After formalities, I began covering the details. When shooting details I often look for a cool streak of light to lay out the invitations. Typically my coverage starts during the high noon sun making lighting a bit flat. In this case, I was able to find a unique piece of light streaking across the air conditioning facade (I know weird place, but it worked) and got to work with my automated slider. After shooting the rings and invitations I moved onto the dress. This room was going to be tricky with the bridal party having makeup setups in both the main space and bedroom of the suite. The room had a two way door to the bathroom that caught my eye. The door to the bedroom had lots of natural light pouring in so I opted to hang the dress on that door while shooting through the other door toward the dress. This technique worked well and I was able to get a totally unique dress shot. The photographer Marissa soon arrived with her partner Lizzie and the collaboration began. We grabbed some shots of Sonia wrapping up her makeup process before piling the bridal party onto the bed for some bridal party content. Moving over to a suite down the hall I was introduced to Mike, our groom today. Mikes room had great lighting but was a bit smaller then Sonia's. We kindly asked his groomsmen to hang in the hall for a few minutes while we grabbed the necessary shots. We made a pit stop on our way out of the hotel to film Sonia's getting ready moment with her mom. This is always a beautiful moment. It was then time to head to the venue. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Erin, the coordinator for this wedding, who was busy making sure every detail and floral arrangement was perfect for the couple. Palm had undergone some renovations since I last filmed there so I took a second to take them all in. After some bridal party photos guests began to trickle in. I made my way over to the DJ to work out audio. Kevin was great and got my audio in order for the ceremony. Though I always bring my own lavaliere microphones, its always nice to have a solid backup in the DJ. The ceremony was officiated by the couples friend Josh who walked guests through the traditions of a Jewish ceremony. After some readings, vows, and a exchanging of rings it was time for my favorite part, the breaking of the glass. Though it took a few stomps, Mike managed to get the job done and the two shared a laugh and their first kiss before making their way back inside. Cocktail hour is probably my favorite time of the day. The lighting is good, the interactions are pure, and its really easy to get those beautiful candid moments my business is all about capturing. After some drinks it was time for the couple to be introduced to their awaiting guests. They made their entrance through the iconic Barrel Room double doors and made their way to the dance floor to share their first dance and parent dances. The real party then began. A tradition that most other religions are seriously lacking is the hora dance. Sonia and Mike made their way to the dance floor to two awaiting chairs and were then picked up by their bridal party. Surrounded by all of their guests the simple lyrics were repeated as their chairs bobbed up and down. This is always such a fun moment to capture. After some additional dances were shared, it was time to cut the cake and close out the evening. I said my goodbyes and made my way to the exit. My time with Sonia and Mike had come to an end. 

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