Stella + Armstrong || Give Me A Hug (Erin's first blog post)

This is it - my very first blog post! Oh this is so exciting! Before I begin, I feel like there are a few things you all should know about how I write: I write like I talk, and I am faaaaar too expressive when I talk. I love me some caps lock and can't get enough dashes - you know, for when I would normally pause when I'm talking. I don't always believe in correct spelling and I lo-OVE exclamation marks! Annoying? You should meet me. I use my face way too much - my eyes NEVER close and my mouth is in a constant open smile… ew... How am I married?! Well, here goes nothing - be nice - its my first! Two weekends ago we filmed Stella and Armstrong's incredible backyard wedding! Let me tell you a few things about this couple: 1) Stella is quite possibly the most adorable woman I've ever met and Armstrong is a total babe; 2) vintage inspired and followed down to the last detail; 3) there was so much style at this wedding I felt like Mac and I should have gone home to change so we could fit in better; and 4) restored vintage mercedes and a convoy of harley's - need I say more?

Stella and Armstrong are both from Taiwan where Stella owns a chocolate cake and ice-cream shop and Armstrong has a clothing business. The couple really wanted to showcase these two loves and had sewing and baking details EVERYWHERE! (make sure to look closely at their incredible arch - hand crafted by Armstrong's father and decorated by the couple). Each table had multicoloured flowers in tin cans with vintage labels printed on them, vintage china plates and tea cups all with different patterns and even vintage chairs! Mac's favourite part was the fact that they served fresh flame cooked pizza, and MY favourite part was the desert table… I spent waaaay too much time there… This wedding was not only beautiful but SO much fun! Thank you Stella and Armstrong for having us share your special day - we had the best time and are so happy to have met you!

Erin + Lucas || You Touch Every Place In My Heart

Ok let's just jump right in. About a year ago I received an email from a girl named Erin. She had some really kind words about our work and was emphatic on booking with us for August 2011. We had the date available and said we'd love to take her out for coffee to learn more. One small problem… she lived in Australia (where she met and fell in love with Lucas). So we talked over Skype and little did I know that Erin and I had some mutual friends and she had seen Tegan + Dan's Highlights and loved it. She told me all about the big day and everything that was in store. It sounded amazing and we were ecstatic. We met with Erin's mom and got some more details about the big day. A vintage themed wedding at Alpine Meadows Resort, a gorgeous resort in the interior of BC. It was great to talk with Erin's mother but we couldn't wait to meet Erin and Lucas in person. So a few weeks ago, both Erin and Lucas arrived in Vancouver. We immediately setup a time to meet with them. We all hit it off straight away and ended up hanging out at crescent beach for a couple hours. They took us to the spot where Lucas had asked Erin to marry him last year and it was awesome to see them just light up thinking of all the memories. That is exactly how they looked on their wedding day.

When we arrived at the resort our jaws dropped. This place is stunning. The perfect backdrop for the wedding. It was really fun to watch the day unfold. Erin and her bridesmaids were up early getting their hair and makeup did, when the guys, in true Aussie fashion, headed out to the lake for a quick dip only a couple hours before the ceremony. When Erin walked down the aisle, Lucas was fighting back the tears (then again so was everyone else). These two have such a touching story and are two incredible people. We count ourselves blessed to have be able to create their wedding film.

We had the pleasure of working with Paparazzi Photography. Check out their site!

||TECHY NOTE||

So since this is Summer in BC there were tons of mosquitos out and about. So when you hear that little zap in the audio during Lucas's speech at the beginning, that is not the mic problem but a bug zapper close by.

Bonnie + Christopher || Let's Go See My Man

Two new highlights films in one week!?! Whaaaa?! Yup it's true! Bonnie and Christopher (aka Denman) are two incredible people and we go way back. I first met Denman while I was in film school as he was a good friend of my classmate Joshua (of Joshua + Bonny Jo). We got along great but didn't have a whole lot of time to hang out as he was visiting from Texas. The next time I had met him was when I went to Dallas to film Joshua and Bonny Jo's wedding. Denmand was Joshua's best man so I was able to spend a few days with him and all day at the wedding. He had just started hanging out with this girl Bonnie that Joshua had set him up with. I was lucky enough to meet Bonnie and she was a joy. Super fun and a great fit for Denman. They were both smitten pretty quick. Fast forward 6 months and I'm flying back to Dallas again to film Candi and Daniel's wedding and next thing I hear they're engaged. They didn't want to waste any time. Denman was nice enough to take me out one night for a bite to eat at a classic Dallas drive in burger joint. He asked me if I'd be willing to fly out to Dallas the following year to film their wedding. I was beyond excited and honoured. So last week I flew out to Dallas. What you may not know about Texas in August is that it's hot… and I don't just mean a little uncomfortable… I mean it's hard to breathe it's so hot and humid. And on top of that, Dallas apparently was going through a worse than normal heat wave and has been setting heat records. We're talking 110 degrees fahrenheit at 11pm. Oofta! So I arrived a few days early to spend some time with Joshua, Bonny Jo and Denman. I was able to go along to the rehearsal dinner and check out the venue and it was amazing! It was looking over a nearby lake where Denman and his family have a cabin. I was later told that Joshua and Denman have this old pastime of Canoeing on the lake early in the morning and they said they were planning on doing so before the festivities started on the wedding day. I immediately asked to tag along as I thought it would be a great way to start their film. The wedding day was beautiful. It was hard not to have a smile on my face the whole day, being surrounded by such incredible scenery and seeing the joy and love on Bonnie and Denman's faces. I was so happy to be able to create their wedding film.

||Techy Stuff||

Ok so there are a few shots in here that I was thrilled to be able to get. During the morning I was able to take my mkii and glidecam and head out on a small boat with Joshua and Denman. I wanted to get some shots of the scenery and of the venue where the ceremony and reception was to be held. Having the glidecam while on the boat allowed me to get some extremely high production value shots. See if you can spot them in the film.

Also another note about this film is that it was shot entirely with one shooter. We don't often shoot one shooter weddings but this was a rare exception. Fortunately the preps, ceremony and reception were all held at one location. I had to be very aware of the schedule throughout the day to make sure I could capture what I needed. It's cool to see that if you have a vision for the story, you can be where you need to be and make it appear to be that there was more that one shooter. The gear used was the 5D and 7D with L series primes 50mm 1.2, 35mm 1.4, and the 135mm 2.0. For the ceremony and speeches I set the 7D up on the tripod and then used the 5D on the monopod to get other angles. It turned out great. Obviously not my preferred way to shoot as it can be a little hectic, but I was happy to see the footage turn out so well.

Sharon + Anthony || Be Mine Forever

This was probably the most fun we've ever had at a wedding. Sharon and Anthony are two incredible people who love to enjoy life and that's exactly what happened on their wedding day. Often times when creating a wedding film, we look for heartfelt personal vows to help tell the story. Sometimes we use a speech or two from the reception. While putting this film together I had such a hard time trying to decide which to use. Sharon and Anthony's vows were so beautiful and heartfelt and all of the speeches throughout the reception were so amazing and thoughtful. The entire wedding day had so much heart and laughter and it was infectious. At the reception there was so much dancing. The wedding party danced to "Party Rock Anthem" as they arrived at the reception, people danced in lieu of tinkling glasses to see the couple kiss and there was even a flash mob. Yeah… a flash mob! So awesome!

We had an incredible day and loved creating Sharon and Anthony's highlight film. Check it out below! Be sure to watch to the very end to see a special something from Anthony's nephew.

We loved working with the photographers Rina and Anton of Infused Studios out of Edmonton. Check out their site!