Destination Wedding Videos

Jackie+Miguel // Viansa Winery

12/16/2024

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!