Often times. . . .in our moments of deepest struggle, trial, and tribulation. . . . . we find a sign, a moment, an event. . . . that often changes our lives forever. Morgan was thousands of miles away from home studying at Pepperdine University when she made a trip back home to Texas her freshman year. With defeat in her face, she confided in her parents to the extent of which she missed Texas, her family and what she knew to be home. Offering encouragement and words of advice, her parents told her to stick it out for one more semester on the west coast and if she still was unhappy, she could come home. . . . .

Sure enough, as everything happens for a reason, Morgan found a man named Stefan just a short while after that conversation where else, but on campus at Pepperdine. As their journey began and the relationship grew and blossomed, they built not only their bond, but a bond with friends and family from all over the country along the way. It seemed as though so many of the people we found surrounding this couple the day of their wedding had stories to go along with their friendships. . . . all the way to the point that the lovely woman doing Morgan’s hair happened to be the same girl that did her hair the first night Morgan went out with Stefan their sophomore year at school. No coincidence that all this time later, she was there the morning of Morgan’s wedding to make sure her hair was just right for the moments to come.

And finally, the backbone and narrative to the trailer below. . . . Morgan’s father. We have been afforded to privilege to share in so many couple’s wedding days, yet we never fail to take a deep breath and fight back the chills that are brought when we see the unyielding love and compassion that a father has for his daughter. . .and never is it more evident and glowing then on the wedding day. Morgan’s dad was gushing in his own way during his toast at the reception and rightfully so. For it was a big day for he and Morgan’s mom as well, yet such a tough day at the same time. Giving away your daughter (albeit metaphorically at most) is no easy task, for the Mother or the Father, but sometimes it’s in those tough moments where true joy can ultimately be realized.

We truly enjoyed spending the day with two brilliant individuals and there is no doubt that you two, Stefan and Morgan, have a fantastic future and journey together. 🙂

Thumbnail Image Courtesy of The Youngrens

A VERY MASSIVE shout out to Cassandra Santor of Cassandra and Company Weddings for introducing us to this killer couple. Working with Cassandra is truly a joy as we get to focus on the things that are important to our couples, which ultimately makes for better films! Also, a Very Special THANK YOU to the Youngren’s, both Jeff and Erin who not only are incredible photographers to work with, but also happened to be kind enough to let us use this wonderful photograph as the thumbnail image for the trailer. Thank you again for letting us do that!

Sometimes it takes us a little time to muster up the courage to ask the tough questions in life. In the case of Edward, it took him a little over 7 years. . . . at least to get to the second question.

As you’ll see for yourself, Olivia and Edward’s love for one another is playful and full of exuberance. No coincidence that we found the imagery from the back bay and Balboa fun zone where their wedding took place to be the perfect compliment to their personalities. The anticipation and excitement from these two was so overwhelming and apparent to us that we had to reflect that energy in their trailer. . . . and as you’ll see for yourself, when the ceremony was finally underway, Edward simply couldn’t wait.

Also, a very large, in fact somewhat OVERSIZED shout out to Melissa Hsu from Me-Events and Design for introducing us to the lovely Olivia and Edward! Melissa and Elsa, the dynamic duo and event planners extraordinaire are always a blast to work with and we love you both!

We often tell our couples to stick to their guns and have the wedding day unfold the way they want. . . . after all. . . . it is THEIR wedding day, right??? So what the heck??? Live by their rules, and that’s exactly how Stephanee and Wenzell did it.

Rule# 1: No bride should have to get ready without her wedding donuts. Thus, it was with box in hand that Wenzell’s best man delivered the sweet treats along with one heck of a hand written note to Stephanee on her wedding day.

Rule# 2: just reference rule# 1 if you are ever confused. . . .of course there were other fun rules, but why tell you all about it when we can just show you??

We had a blast working alongside Joe Latter from Joe Latter Photography and the one and only Vanessa Valenciano Vazquez from V3 Weddings and Events! Super pumped to share this one with you. . . . Stephanee and Wenzell // Wedding Donuts and a SDE:

As the reception drew closer and we caught Brandon at an off moment, he randomly proposed an interesting question – “What are we going to do every weekend now?”

That basically sums up the amount of man-hours that went into what will go down as one of the most customized and hand-crafted weddings we have ever had the joy of documenting. Rachel and Brandon, along with Rachel’s parents. . . as well as various family and friends. . . . spent well over a year preparing everything for this wedding. In true “weekend warrior” fashion, these two built this wedding with their hands from the ground up.

From the place cards that dangled from the distressed wood hand-made place card frame, to the table numbers, no two alike, all made from various pieces of wood and doo-dads. . . .to the reception bar that was hand-made by Brandon himself, WITH built in beer taps. Perhaps, had there been enough time, Brandon and Rachel may very well have built the tables and seats that their guests sat on. . . we suppose some things have to give, or these two weren’t willing to put off the wedding a minute longer in full anticipation for the big day. . . . this entire wedding was crafted from scratch.

Thus, it was not surprise to us to find Rachel’s father setting up umbrellas the morning of the wedding as he pulled them out from the toy hauler he drove up the central coast full of goodies, gadgets, signs, and home made creations specially tailored for the day’s festivities. It was no surprise to see Rachel’s sister-in-law and mother baking hand made individual apple pies in the kitchen downstairs at the reception. It was no surprise to see that not only did Brandon’s buddy serve as the officiant, but he doubled as his morning-of barber and his partner in crime as the two got ready for the wedding day.

This wedding was special, not just for the two people it celebrated, but for how everyone involved. . . . and we mean EVERYONE involved came together at the one and only Spanish Oaks Ranch to be a part of what was truly a handcrafted wedding.

A HUGE shout out to Nick Radford from Nick Radford Photography for being kind enough to share some of his images with us for this blog post. If you like what you see below, you can check out the full post with a TON more images on his site by clicking HERE.

The stunning backdrop for the ceremony

The bar that Brandon built from scratch

Mason jars that served as the guest’s glass for the evening.

The place cards tied around the neck of the mason jars so you didn’t lose your drink.

“Styled Shoot” attention to detail

Each table number was handcrafted by Rachel and Brandon, with the help of family and friends.



One of our favorite shots of the day

For many of us, our pets are the world. Those with children may beg to differ, but there truly is nothing like the unconditional love that our four legged friends (and many other legs. . . or perhaps no legs at all depending on your tastes) can provide to us. So it goes without saying that when they become sick or have a medical emergency, it can become a situation that tests the limits of our being. Our pets are our family, as they should be. We want the best for them and finding the right veterinarian is just one of the steps to ensuring their overall well-being.

When we were approached by our veterinarian to create a bio film for their practice we jumped at the opportunity. Having seen firsthand the magic of the Alicia Pet Care Center and everything that they do for their clients, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to tell their story. The approach to this film is simple. . . .serve the story and convey the sense of family that this practice instills into their team, which ultimately exudes out of their pores and into the animals and the people who encounter the Alicia Pet Care Center.

There is no doubt that every animal at this practice is cared for and it goes without saying that we were this close to taking a couple of the furry friends you’ll see in the edit home with us. All the animals in this piece are available for adoption and eagerly awaiting homes. Bailey. . . . you almost had a couple siblings to contend with.

It is with humility and true appreciation for a business that blurs the lines between service, family, and true passion for what they do. . . . that we share with you the story of the Alicia Pet Care Center. Also, if after watching what you see, you feel inclined to help. . . . please visit the philanthropic arm of their organization, The Pet Rescue Center, where you can seriously make a difference and help some animals in need.