Destination Wedding Videos

Sonia+Mike // Palm Event Center Wedding

11/7/2023

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.