The first thing I always notices is that smile you see on Jessica’s face in pretty much every moment of the video. The excitement, love, and energy in her smile makes it one of the most contagious I’ve seen. The way she looks into Joe’s eyes tells you why they’re such an amazing couple. That’s love. And immense pride.

Also, if you missed it the first time through, I’d say you should re-watch this video and look at the colors! Their wedding ceremony was just packed with color! Blue sky, green grass, golds and pinks and reds. What a magical place. You’ll also notice some vintage camerawork in the video, which I added to create the feel of a classic, small town wedding. I felt like it was a beautiful addition to the fresh air of their wedding, and of course, or signature style.

A major shout out to One Love Photography for being amazing to work with (as always) and for Solage in Calistoga for being such a wonderful venue to work with! Jessica and Joe, keep those smiles goin’

Aside from being two of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet; they also have great taste in pretty much everything. The colors, setting, and little details all came together to create a wedding full of cinematic eye candy. Their wedding was held at the Brazilian Room in the Berkeley Hills, which was located a short walk from the Tilden Botanic Gardens. I have to say, those gardens were one of the most beautiful places we’ve shot in. Everywhere we looked, there was beauty.

We had the pleasure of filming alongside our fav photographer, Ashley Maxwell. As always, she rocked it! Also, we had a wonderful time working with Melissa from A Touch of Grace. Vitalie, Ted and I really appreciated everybody’s hard work in making Gabbie and Shay’s wedding the perfect day. And it was just that.

Gabbie and Shay, we’re SO happy for you guys. Congratulations on a beautiful wedding and such a strong connection with each other. Can’t wait to hear how your lives progress

Vitalie and I spent a beautiful Saturday with them; hitting up Union Square, Maiden Lane, The Palace of Fine Arts, and Cavallo Point. What struck me about Nafiseh and Ehsan was two things. Number one, pretty good looking eh? Number two, my goodness they are in LOVE. It’s got to be so hard to be living away from your loved one for so many years. And now, they’re finally coming together, which makes that union even more powerful. You can see that love coming out in 100% of the video. It’s in their eyes, their hands, and definitely their hearts. What an wonderful couple.

And what was that thing I said we’d never done before? How about that super slow motion?!? I knew Nafiseh’s hair would look gorgeous with the wind in it, and I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to capture that through our lens. Another thing, we used two Coldplay songs! Well, Nafiseh told me that a very big part of their relationship was bonding over Coldplay’s music. So I knew we HAD to get it in there, or their video wouldn’t be as meaningful. I’m happy to say that we’ve created a film for them that truly speaks to their relationship, and I’m incredibly proud of it.

We love filming these. We wish we did more of them. They’re such a powerful way to capture that anticipation before the wedding, and also to tell your guests about the magic in your relationship. Plus, we get to be extra creative

Ruthie and Ian’s wedding weekend was held in Napa Valley. The rehearsal dinner was at the always gorgeous Tra Vigne and their wedding ceremony and celebration were held at Z Modern. What a place! And you couldn’t have asked for better weather!

This film was a special one for Sandbox Love. Because of Ruthie and Ian’s loving attitude, and their fun style, I felt like we were able to make a film that really focused on the joy of their wedding. The music, editing style, and soundbites were all picked to join the feeling of nostalgia with a little bit of quirkiness. I’d say that this style of wedding film isn’t something you see everyday, and neither are Ruthie and Ian. The two of them are truly unlike any other, and I believe this film honors that.

Finally, it was once again a huge pleasure and joy to work with Laurie Arons and her super-star crew. We also got to shoot alongside Jose Villa for the third time this year. What a treat to hang out with such an expert group of vendors! Oh, and one last thing. To whoever made that lemonade/tea before the ceremony: that was the most refreshing drink I’ve ever had. Srsly.

Sandbox Love was lucky enough to be picked by Amy and Rob to capture their multi-day wedding event in Hana, Hawaii. Amy and Rob rented out the whole Travaasa resort for 5 days to create a feeling of intimacy for their wedding guests. The first day Vitalie and I arrived in Hawaii, we couldn’t help but start shooting immediately. On the drive to Hana, we decided to take the long way around, to get a bunch of scenic island footage. We checked in at Travaasa and met up with the wedding party at their Thursday night Luau which was an event I’ll never forget. Hula dancers, fire dancing, and a dance party right on the ocean. It was a rager.

The next day was a beachside chill sesh. Amy, Rob, and their friends got together to enjoy the sun and relax. Equipped with boogie boards, shaved ice, and frisbees…there was plenty to do. Definitely a day activity done right. That evening was the Rehearsal Dinner back at the resort where the main hall was decked out in candle light. Our cameras really couldn’t get enough of the beauty. And of course, all the other events were blown out of the water by the Wedding Day. You can tell from the film that every single detail was perfect.

It was said at the Rehearsal Dinner that Amy and Rob have surrounded themselves with loyal, wonderful, caring people. And we could really feel it while we were there. Everybody we met welcomed us into the experience of the wedding, which allowed us to get moments we wouldn’t have got otherwise.

We also got to work with an ALLSTAR wedding staff for this. The event was put together by Marianna Weiman-Nelson who owns Special Occasions in Beverley Hills. I’m incredibly impressed by the staff there (Tabitha and Bill). We also got to work along side one of the world’s best photographers, Jose Villa, which was an absolute pleasure. Lastly, we have to thank the people of Hana who must be some of the sweetest, most accommodating people I’ve ever met. You really don’t find people like that anywhere else.

We’ve done a few SF weddings, and they’re always magical.  This time, Vitalie, RJ and I got to film right on the embarcadero and in the Ferry Building (I have been wanting to shoot there for ages).  After their first look, we skipped across the water to Treasure Island where they had their ceremony and reception.  I have to say, my new favorite reception venue in the bay area is the Winery SF.  The look fit so well with the warm tones that Sandbox Love is known for, and the textures of the wooden barrels had that slightly rugged, vintage feel.

The end of our film is one of the coolest party sections we’ve ever done: slow motion, fire, and borderline crowd surfing.  When I met with Kirsten and Jon a few days before their wedding, I asked them, “On a scale of 1-10, how raging is the reception party going to be?”  They responded with a modest 7.  Ya right, this reception was one of the most high energy, rocking parties I’ve seen at a wedding.  I loved at the end, their AMAZING photographer Siang from Lightphoria, shot this amazing photo.  I’m personally in love with sparkler footage, even when it’s crazy dark out.  So cinematic.  Also, major props to their DJ Norris Lee for spinning an awesome party.

Kirsten and Jon, congrats on such a wonderful wedding and in taking the next step together.  We loved hanging out with you and learning about the story of your relationship.  Maybe it’s time I picked up guitar

Unfortunately, I won’t be posting the video to the blog.  The last thing a celebrity wants is to have one of the most important days of his or her life put on display for the world to see.  Gotta respect that.  But I will tell you a few general things about the wedding.  First, the weather was stunning.  Golden sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, with a beautiful view of Mount Tam in the background.  Second, Amber and Barry were beaming the entire day.  Their happiness filled the house, and everybody could feel their love.  Third, it was packed with touching moments.

Barry and Amber picked our Signature Film for their wedding, which means I got to sit down and interview each of them.  I was totally impressed by how charismatic and thoughtful they were.  Sitting across from Barry and having an intimate conversation about his relationship was an honor I’ll never forget.  To think… this guy is used to being surrounded by fifty thousand fans chanting his name… and here I am on his porch, talking about the most meaningful part of his life.

Shannon Leahy and her team did a wonderful job planning the wedding.  It was a huge success.  And I have to say, the wedding film is amazing.  Almost as amazing as Zito’s curveball.  A huge congratulations to Barry and Amber.  Thank you for choosing us to tell your wedding story.

There’s a history here that you don’t get with many weddings. From the film, you can see that they have been through some pretty hard times together, and they’ve pulled through to become the wonderful couple they are today. Because of their experiences, they have wisdom beyond their years.

Kathryn runs the award winning event planning company Dream A Little Dream Events (one of our personal favs). So of course, expectations were high. And I can say that the event was perfect. RJ, Nick and I agreed that it was one of the most intimate ceremonies that we’ve been to. So much emotion and humor. Loved the venue… table settings were rad… and the band, Wonderbread 5, kicked ass.

Thanks to Adrianna, Brittany, Kate Harrison Photography, and all the other wonderful folks who made Kathryn and Joe’s wedding everything she hoped it would be. We’re really proud to have been a part of such a beautiful experience.

This was another really fun one for us (they’re all fun). When we got there, Vitalie, RJ and I took a stroll down Michigan Ave and bought a bunch of warm clothing from H&M. Even though there wasn’t snow yet, it definitely felt like a real winter wedding. The first night was Jordan and Jay’s rehearsal dinner in a truly epic location. It was inside of the clock tower in the Whirlpool Room, right above the Chicago River. I’m pretty sure after the rehearsal dinner the wedding party went out for a crazy night on the town. Nothin’ like a wedding to get everybody siked up.

The following day both Jordan and Jay were getting ready at The Drake. We were all staying there, but not nearly as luxoriously as Jordan in the “Princess Diana Suite.” Ya, that was quite a hotel room. Easily big enough for a few cartwheels, as you can see from the video. Both the ceremony and reception took place in the same grand ballroom at The Drake. Breathtaking. One of those rooms you don’t see very often. And because this was at the Drake, you knew it had a lot of history.

Jordan and Jay were a dream to work with. And so were all of their vendors. Especially Cara and Scott from Carasco Photography. Check out their wonderful wedding photos here. It’s always fun to shoot with great photographers, and I’m really excited to have met them. The live band was also amazing. Like, REALLY good. The lead singer did an acoustic rendition of “Wonderwall” by Oasis that had the whole room singing along.

To Jordan and Jay, it was an absolute pleasure. We met so many great people while we were there, and wish we could have stayed longer to hang out with all of you! We’re SO happy for you. Thank you for inspiring us with your easy going attitude and your deep love for one another. Congratulations!

Priya and Veeral are like the coolest couple. They mention it in the video, but Priya has this great energy about her. Being on West Coast time and having an 8AM shoot on the East Coast can be rough. But the second we met up with Priya, it was all good. Her enthusiasm and excitement are contagious and woke us right up. Veeral, by contrast, is a really chill guy. I guess the best way to say it is “collected.” He’s extremely well spoken and is probably one of the most charismatic folks I’ve ever met. When you see the two of them together, you really get how right they are for each other.

Also, gotta mention how stylish they both looked. Veeral, being the President of J. Hilburn, one of my favorite men’s fashion brands, knows what it means to look sharp. And there isn’t any disagreement, Priya definitely looked like a princess in her various dresses, bangles, and jewels.

My favorite moment was at their Sangeet. It’s the party where the families rejoice and spend time together before the wedding. One of the most impressive parts is how the families actually perform choreographed dances for each other. I loved how when all the families were done, Priya got up in front of everyone alone and started a beautiful dance solo. Then, to everybody’s surprise, Veeral hopped on the dance floor and the two of them went into a choreographed dance. The whole room went wild.

I can’t believe how lucky we were to be a part of this multiple day event. By spending all this time with Priya, Veeral, and their families, we really got to know each other. In fact, there’s some footage of me getting Indian dance lessons from some folks in the wedding party. Another awesome experience I won’t forget, and neither will they.