Still in California for the summer wedding season, this stop takes me to the East Bay Area for day two of my double wedding weekend. Even though I only try to film one wedding a week, double headers always find their way into my calendar each year. This venue, The Palm Event Center, has become one of my favorite venues to film at over the years. Not only does the palm tree-lined driveway and the vineyards that surround the property offer stunning scenery, but the staff is truly top-notch. This wedding in particular offered an extra layer of excitement as I would be spending the day with one of my favorite photographers, Nicola, and my old high school friend turned wedding coordinator, Jenny. I arrived at the venue bright and early, beating the couple by about an hour. Fantasy Sound and Lighting Design was busy transforming the space into the magical reception venue it would later become. I love filming setups as it allows the couple to see some of the behind-the-scenes action that took place before they arrived. It also gives me the perfect content to introduce the feature film. Cole and his groomsmen were the first to arrive and got set up in the lounge area. I introduced myself and got started filming details. Knowing Cole would be the first to arrive, I had him bring the flat lay details. Nicola was still busy capturing the morning off-site with the girls, so I was left to my own devices to stage the details.... My photographer friends are always SO much better at posing details and are typically nice enough to allow me to capture their arrangements. Lucky for me, Nicola soon arrived, and we got started capturing Cole's getting ready process. Cole and, well, really his whole family were so fun to work with all day, but in this moment he and his brother Ben were too much fun. Ben helped Cole into his suit before giving him the most awkward hug I've ever captured. I headed over to Sabrina, who was patiently waiting in the barrel room. Palm offers two spaces for ceremony, the outdoor lawn and the barrel room. When the couple opts to have their wedding on the lawn, I always have my brides use the barrel room for their getting-ready process. The chandeliers in the barrel room offer a stunning location to film the dress, and by opening the barn door that leads outside, the sunlight transforms the space into a perfectly lit option for the bride to get ready in. With the help of her mother, Tina, Sabrina finalized her wedding look before putting her scent on for the occasion. Filming perfume being sprayed into sunlight creates a really cool, dreamy effect in slow motion. Cole, not to be outdone, later found out about that effect and wanted to also have his moment with his cologne. He also threw in a hair flip for good measure. This had to be one of my favorite shots of the day. Sabrina, now in her wedding dress, shared a first look with her bridal party before stepping out to have a private first look with her dad, Kevin. Guests soon started arriving as Cole gathered his groomsmen and his parents for a final toast before the procession. I will always choose natural sunlight over artificial, but one of the challenges with natural light is not having control of it. Palm typically offers a challenging ceremony predicament. Half of the aisle is usually in full sun, where the other half is shaded. In order to maximize the time in proper exposure, this is one of the rare venues where I capture the procession from the back of the aisle instead of the front. This allows me to capture each group as they walk from the doors to the reception, to the back of the aisle, maximizing each group's time in consistent light. If I filmed from the front like I normally do, each member of the procession would only be properly lit for a few seconds. The rest of the ceremony went on without a hitch as the two shared their traditional vows and exchanged rings before sealing their commitment to one another with a kiss. Cocktail hour was underway as the couple got started with their family photos. I like to jump around during this time between filming the reception space, candid cocktail hour guest interactions, and filming a bit of the in-between moments from the family portrait session. Following cocktail hour, guests were invited to take their seats for the reception. Cole and Sabrina were introduced through the barn doors to the barrel room and made their way to the dance floor for their first dance. This has to be one of my favorite first dances I've captured. The dreamy Christmas esc uplighting and the spotlight I used to backlight the dance floor really made the moment extra visually captivating. Cole then formally welcomed guests to the reception before being whisked away for some bridal party and couple portraits outside. Palm truly delivered and even went as far as to give me a gentle breeze. Wind and slow motion really go hand in hand. We staged our bridal party photos along the palm tree-lined driveway before moving Sabrina and Cole to the vineyard for their couple photos. The sunset was magical and gave us just enough light to get through their couple photos. Back inside, a few speeches were deliverd before the couple shared another dance with their respective parent. The dance floor officially opened and was never empty again; this group loved to party! I ended up staying well beyond my coverage capturing the action and may have had a fresh donut from the flambe station set up for some late-night snacks before officially departing. What an awesome two-wedding weekend this was! The Team
Venue: Palm Event Center
Photographer: Nicola Leigh Photography DJ/Lighting: Fantasy Sound Event Services Florist: Delford West Floral Company Cake: Primrose Bakery Rentals: Pleasanton Rentals
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Back to Viansa Winery for the second leg of a 3-wedding adventure at the property. This time to capture the wedding of Jackie and Miguel. Getting the opportunity to revisit a venue (especially so close together) allows me to lean into the things that worked and avoid any of the things that didn’t. This really comes into play when shooting portraits, knowing what spots work and what the best time is to visit them. This also came into play when I arrived on the property, as there is a secret parking lot at the top of the hill large enough for a few of the vendors. While you can't park there for the entire day, it definitely helped not having to lug my gear up the hill to the ceremony and reception venue. I headed inside and ran into a familiar face, Sara, the coordinator from last week’s wedding. Orchard Avenue has really been too kind recommending me for so many events last year. It’s truly an honor. Once unpacked, I got started filming the property. I tried to stay fresh with my content knowing I had the ability to use any of the shots from the previous wedding that didn’t include any of the custom wedding decorations and theming. Miguel soon arrived with the guys up at the reception hall. I introduced myself and offered to snap some pictures of him and his groomsmen. We headed downstairs to the groom getting ready area. I was excited to film here again as the lighting and footage came out great the previous week. The contrast between the bright sun and the dim room creates a very unique contrast and edge in the footage. Miguel opted to have some custom embroidery done to his jacket, so we made sure to work in some candid-looking staged shots to capture those details. Wine was poured, and a toast with his groomsmen was delivered as the guys settled into a card game. Before too long Jackie and the bridal party arrived. If you read through my last blog, you’ll know that this venue can get a little tricky when the bride arrives after the groom. The guys getting-ready space, while conveniently located next to the girls, offers little privacy to the outside world. This requires some careful planning to make sure the two don’t see each other before their first look. Surrounded by his groomsmen, we had Miguel face the wall as she passed by. My attention shifted from the guys to the girls, and I headed into the wine cave to the bridal suite to start my coverage with Jackie. I grabbed the dress and details and got to work. The wine cave offers a gorgeously framed staircase to film the dress. Last week I was so captured by how perfect the shot looked wide that I completely forgot to grab some closeups. not today! I passed off the dress so that Jackie could step into it while I wrapped up with the rest of her details. We opted to stay in the suite for the bride prep photos this time instead of heading into the cave this week. While I was a bit nervous about the dimly lit warmer lighting, I actually think it turned out pretty cool looking in the end. The bride's mother gifted Jackie a card, which Jackie attempted to read before realizing it would be too tear-inducing. This moment was a great emotional warm-up for the two first looks to follow. The first with her dad, this still is my favorite wedding day tradition. The next with her groom. After the two shared a private moment together, we moved on to portraits with the family and bridal parties. Guests soon began to arrive, so I made my way back upstairs to capture the ceremony site and get my audio all set. I always like to film the transition of guests arriving at the ceremony site and taking their seats. It builds the anticipation for the ceremony ahead. One by one the groom, bridal party, and bride made their way down the aisle. As a solo shooter, one the groom, bridal party, and bride made their way down the aisle. It’s helpful when the couple has a long walk. It allows me to capture a few reaction shots while the bride makes her way down the aisle. During the procession, filming the groom's reaction is always the priority; however, I also try to get some additional reactions to really build the moment up. The two opted to share private vows; I truly wish every couple opted to do this before exchanging rings and a kiss. Cocktail hour was officially underway. For some additional entertainment, the couple had hired a mariachi band to play some music while guests enjoyed a beverage and some appetizers. Once the couple wrapped up with some additional family photos, they joined their guests for cocktail hour. This is something I always recommend doing. It allows the couple to actually interact with their guests. It may seem strange to say, but on your wedding day the amount of time you actually get to spend with your guests is limited. Everyone transitioned inside, and the couple was formally introduced. It’s always a race against the sun, so unfortunately we had to immediately whisk the couple away to capture their portrait session. Lucky for me, having just shot this venue the previous week, I was able to take the lead on the locations for our sunset session. This really is a venue that you can't go wrong staging since each location is so stunning. Back inside, the couple sliced their cake and shared their first dance with each other and their respective parents before sharing a Hispanic tradition. I actually have no idea what the tradition is called, but it involves the couple standing on two chairs, stretching the veil between the two, creating a tunnel of sorts. Guests are grouped into guys and girls, forming two lines. the train of guests then sprints around the venue, holding hands, passing through the tunnel, bumping the couples chairs as they pass through. While I would not want to be the one holding the veil on the chair, this was a super fun moment to shoot. With vibes high, open dancing was kicked off. I stuck around late enough to capture some sweet dance moves before saying my goodbyes and departing. See you once again next week, Viansa!
The Team
Venue: Viansa Winery
Planner: Orchard Avenue Events Photography: Esme Franco Photography DJ: Fog City Entertainment Florist: Vanda Floral Design Hair: Viviana Perez Makeup: House of Glam Officiant: Diego Mariscal Catering: Rays Catering Photo Booth:PicStar Cake: Flour & Bloom
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Sonoma, California. This venue is becoming a regular stop for me during the summer thanks to the amazing team of planners with Orchard Avenue Events. Viansa Winery is a piece of Tuscany nestled in the foothills of the Napa Valley. Perched on a hilltop overlooking the sprawling vastness of vines below. This place is truly breathtaking. I arrived on property bright and early, where I met Sara, our lead planner, in the ballroom laying linens and setting up the decor for the evening ahead. We chatted for a bit as I got my cameras set up. I typically arrived much earlier than necessary, this time before the bride and groom. I used the extra time to get some establishing shots of the property. This place isn't short on photogenic content. David, the groom, soon texted me that they were 10 minutes out, so I made my way down to the courtyard to film their arrival. There are certain small details that a venue can have that make my job extra easy. One of the biggest is location proximity, whether that be the location of the ceremony to the reception, or cocktail hour to the portraits, or in this case, the bride and groom's getting-ready areas. Luckily, this venue checks all of those boxes, and every location is just steps away. I captured David and his groomsman as they made their way to their getting ready area. I laughed as David immediately broke the fourth wall, smiling and waving at me as he approached. For those of you wondering, the fourth wall is when the subject of the shot acknowledges the presence of the camera. I know the term "nicest person on earth" gets thrown around a lot, but I think David actually could be the heavy favorite for nicest person on earth. It's pretty perfect that his soon-to-be wife is named Joy, but we will get to her in a bit. The groomsmen wasted no time in pouring a glass of champagne, and David toasted to the day ahead. David's father, Milos, helped David with his tie and into his jacket as I wrapped up my coverage with the guys. Joy soon arrived at the venue, and this is where things get a little tricky. As I mentioned earlier, the bride and groom's suites are located just a few feet from one another. Being so close, the bride has to walk past the groom on her way to her suite. With the help of a wall of groomsmen, we made sure no peeking from David would transpire as Joy made her way to the bridal suite. Along with the bride, the photo duo of Willow and Ben had also arrived. I introduced myself before Willow and I made our way to grab the bride's dress and details. I typically try to mix up my locations for detail shots, but the wine cave at Viansa is just too cool of a location to shoot the dress. We passed the dress back to Joy so she could step into it. Once covered up, we transitioned out of the suite and into the cave for the rest of the process. With the help of her mom, Ling Ling, she completed her bridal look. Tucked away once more, we placed Joy's father, Jeremy, for my favorite moment on a wedding day, the father-daughter first look. There is something about the raw emotion from this moment where it seems the entire life of the bride flashes through her father's eyes as he sees his girl in her wedding dress. Outside, David patiently waited for his bride's arrival for the other, more traditional first look. Joy made her way across the courtyard, and the two shared their first look with one another. There are some first looks that are quick and lack emotion, and then there are first looks like this one where it would seem the two could spend the rest of their lives living in that moment. Luckily we had a furry trick up our sleeve to move the moment along, Pua. Pua, for the record, is the couple's ADORABLE dog. Pua was released and was eager to have her own moment with the couple. I'm seriously considering a doggy discount on my services if you choose to bring your dog to your wedding. After some photos with the bridal party and family, guests began to arrive, and the couple was tucked away for the ceremony. The couple chooses to blend a traditional American wedding ceremony with an Asian tea ceremony. Following the procession, the couple shared a glass of tea with each of their parents in exchange for a gift. Sometimes these tea ceremonies happen really early in the morning, so I'm always thankful for the sake of coverage when it's incorporated into the main ceremony later in the day. The couple also opted to write their own personal vows, which turned out to be some of the best I have ever had the privilege to witness in my career. I know they are good when I start building the edit in my head while they are delivered. I think this is one of the rare instances where I didn't cut the vows down to a manageable length. They were just too good! Following the vows, Pua made her triumphant return with a full zoomie sprint down the aisle with the couple's rings in tow. Adorable. The two shared their rings and a kiss before the conclusion of the ceremony. Cocktail hour kicked off as the couple finished up some portraits and signed their marriage license. Before their grand entrance, they shared their first of many champagne towers with a quick message thanking their guests for attending. I must add, the light for this moment was absolutely breathtaking from a creative nerd's perspective... but I digress. After making the rounds outside on the patio for a bit, the couple gathered for their formal grand entrance as guests took their seats inside. David and Joy entered in full hype mode before taking part in one of the most creative photo dashes I've yet seen. At each table there were two bottles of Champagne and a tower of flutes. David and Joy sprinted from table to table pouring the bottles of Champagne down each tower while snapping a photo with each group of guests. As fun and creative as this was, it was a bit exhausting! With all the glasses filled, the couple shared a formal toast with their guests. We rushed outside to take in the last of the sunlight before making our way back inside for, honestly, one of the most anticipated moments of the night. The couple's first dance. If you watched the film, you would notice the couple practicing their first dance several times throughout the day. Luckily I was able to capture a few of these moments and include them in the film. The practice paid off because the two absolutely nailed their first dance together as husband and wife. DJ Angelo seized the energy left by the first dance to kick off the open dancing, which brought my coverage to a close. Don't worry, I'll be back to Viansa VERY soon for the next adventure :)
The Team
Venue: Viansa Winery
Planning and Coordination: Orchard Avenue Events Photography: Willow and Ben DJ: Blue Line Music Florist: Vanda Floral Design Hair and Makeup: Design Her Image Catering: Liberation Foods Photo Booth: Elite Captures Photo Booth Rentals: Encore Event Rentals
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AuthorSteven Martinez // Cinematographer Archives
January 2025
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