So we ended 2009 at a casino and jumped straight into 2010 with our first wedding of the year in yet another casino – Pala Casino Spa Resort, located here in Southern California! The sky was clear blue, and the weather; warm and comfortable – a perfect setting for Abby + John’s intimate and elaborately detailed wedding.
When I first met with Abby last summer, she came to our meeting with a gift for us – a Red Velvet bundt cake from “Nothing Bundt Cake.” I was surprised because we don’t usually receive gifts on our first meeting with a couple, but Abby insisted for us to take it. Needless to say, the cake was delicious! And every time we met with Abby from then on, she had always had some kind of fancy dessert to give us! :)
Obviously then, the wedding reception would be complete with the most delectable array of mouthwatering cuisines! And we were definitely not disappointed! I would say that the salad served was the best salad I have ever had – poached salmon salad with watercress and frisee lemon oil dressing. Mm’m! The main entree was chicken marsala with asparagus, artichokes, marsala wine, and rosemary. And dessert was plentiful, ranging from the strawberry mango bavarian, and the flowing belgian chocolate fountains, to the bar of candies and assorted sweets!
Not only was the food very detailed. The decor itself was an amazing sight to be seen. In both the ceremony and reception, every corner of the rooms were lavishly decorated by Fancy That! Designs – truly amazing and awe-inspiring work by the groom’s sister, Christine.
The whole setting of the venue was indescribable, so perhaps the video can speak for itself…
Abby + John \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony & Reception: Pala Casino Spa Resort
Photography by Atrero Photography \\ DJ/MC by Sound Prodigy \\ Coordination by Beverly Calalay
Hair & Makeup by Raschel Borja \\ Floral Creations & Decor by Fancy That! Designs
Song \\ “Smash Into You” by Beyoncé
Last week when I checked to see how cold it was going to be for our weekend stay in Las Vegas, I thought we prepared well enough for the 40°-50° weather. Apparently, since coming from warm and sunny Southern California, we weren’t as prepared as we thought! On the first night, we decided to do some time lapse sequences with our Canon 5DmkII. After visiting the famous “welcome” sign and getting some footage there, we drove around looking for a good vantage point for our time lapse. We ended up atop a parking structure just outside the Strip, overlooking the bright lights of Las Vegas Boulevard – somewhere past midnight. It took about an hour to complete the time lapse, and boy was that hour cold! It was so well worth it though!
The day of the wedding was so much fun. We had the privilege to work with Marcel Cabrera and his team at Studio 64 Photography – Marcel is one of the warmest personalities you’ll ever meet.
Sandra + Ray’s two sons, Bryce & Nathaniel, were so adorable! They remind me of my son – so curious and full of energy! They definitely helped add personality to the video. I was amazed at how welcoming they were to the cameras. I loved the footage we took of them throughout the day – priceless.
The outdoor wedding ceremony began at 6:00pm at the Angel Park Golf Club. As cold as it was again that evening – maybe even colder – the images we witnessed in that ceremony were truly heartwarming. From Sandra’s brother, Marvin, walking her down the aisle on behalf of their father who had passed… and Ray’s eyes welling up as he watches Sandra walk that green path of the golf course towards him… to the two little boys looking on as their parents renew their love for each other… Like I said earlier, standing in the cold was so worth it!
Sandra + Ray come from a very small town in Alaska called Akutan; population – right under 1,000. However, their love for each other and their two boys are way bigger than Vegas itself.
Sandra + Raymond \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony & Reception: Angel Park Golf Club
Photography by Studio 64 Photography \\ DJ/MC by Untouchable Entertainment
Song \\ “Fireflies” by Owl City
When I first met with Chor + Davey, they had told me that they originally were not going to have their wedding filmed. GASP! I obviously believe that no wedding should ever go undocumented, and when they described what their wedding was going to be like, I was shocked that that thought had even crossed their mind.
Chor + Davey wanted to highlight their cultural backgrounds in their wedding – Chor being Chinese and Davey, Filipino. So, of course, they had to have two ceremonies. In the tea ceremony, I loved how Chor wore a traditional Chinese formal gown while Davey wore the traditional Filipino formal attire known as the “barong tagalog.” After a fun photo shoot with the incomparable Chaz Cruz, and a quick dress change, Chor + Davey walked down the aisle atop the beautiful Omni Hotel – set to the backdrop of Downtown San Diego for their traditional American wedding! Their anxiety and enthusiasm was infectious.
Afterwards, the guests moved from the Palm Terrace down to the Grand Ballroom where the reception was held. As I sat in my little corner editing the same-day edit just outside the ballroom, I was constantly tempted to sneak back in because of all the fun and commotion I kept hearing inside. The guests were treated to a first-dance serenade by popstar, Ashley Robles! Later in the evening, I was startled when I heard a loud cymbal crash followed by a steady, energetic rhythm of a drum. I quickly rushed inside and saw two lions dancing amongst the crowd – performed by the Lucky Lion Dancers! Incredible!!
So what’s the moral of this story? Don’t ever count out cinematography for your wedding. Otherwise, this is what you’ll be missing…
Chor + Davey \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony & Reception: Omni Hotel
Photography by Chaz Cruz Photography \\ DJ/MC by Allan “DJ Rage” Reyes \\ Coordination by Ojesa Clark
Floral Creations by Jocelyn Cancel \\ Officiant Aline Rozok
Song \\ “Breathe” by Angels & Airwaves
Karen + Mikey \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony & Reception: Bel Air Bay Club, Santa Monica
Photography by Gloria Mesa Photography
Song \\ “Heart On My Sleeve” by Michael Johns
Kathy + Ruben’s wedding greeted us with familiar faces! When I arrived to the bride prep, I was greeted by the one we dubbed “Best Man of the Year 2007″ – MJ Toledo! Always a good start to the day when MJ greets you at the door. Heh heh!
I also found it funny when the other half of my team got “kidnapped” to go to the mall to “pick up something real quick,” only to find pictures of them later on Facebook hanging out at a restaurant. (*Nudge, nudge* Sarah and Adam, I saw you guys in the pictures too – tsk tsk). Oh well, I guess it was fine since there was such a large gap between the ceremony and reception. But I digress…
And what’s with all the body rolling??
Kathy + Ruben \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony: Holy Name of Mary Parish, San Dimas \\ Reception: Hyatt Garden Grove, Anaheim
Photography by Charles Ng of Time On Film Photography \\ DJ/MC by J&M Entertainment \\ Make-up Art & Hair by Kimi.V
Song \\ “Closer To Love” by Mat Kearney
09 Sep, 2009
the man who can’t be moved \\ heidi + joe’s same-day edit
by: Chris Dumlao | 
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I spoke to Joe before the wedding ceremony and asked him how he was doing and how he was preparing himself for the big moment. On the outside, he seemed to be doing okay – very calm and prepared. Then he told me how nervous he was for his vows. Since they each wrote their own vows, he was worried that he might get emotional and sound weird. I told him not to worry about that, and just focus on his words – let the moment take him in, and everything should sound fine.
So he got up there, pulled out his paper with his vows written on it, and began with these words, “I’ve spent many nights writing this, but what it says on paper is not what is important.” Then he folded it back up again, and began to freestyle his vows. What he ended up saying was one of the best vows I have ever heard – simple, emotional, and from the heart…
Heidi + Joe \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony & Reception: Mission Bay Hyatt
Photography by Richwell Correa Photography \\ DJ by DJ Flexander
Song \\ “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” by The Script
Last weekend, we were reminded of how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful city as San Diego! We filmed back-to-back weddings on Friday and Saturday – both with ocean-front views!
The first wedding was Ester and Rainier’s. The first half of the day was spent getting ready at the beautiful Manchester Grand Hyatt in Downtown – which happened to be the place where Rainier proposed to Ester! Then after the bridal party was all ready, we headed downstairs and walked right into Seaport Village (so convenient) for photos.
Their ceremony was held on the lawn of the Admiral Kidd Club. They said their vows to a view of the San Diego bay behind them! Immediately after, guests walked straight into the Skyline Room where the party continued ’till the end of the night – the sun went down, and the lights of Downtown San Diego lit up the sky!
One of the highlights of the reception definitely had to go to Chaz Cruz’s “photo booth”! I’ve heard about this prior to the wedding and saw how much fun it was. Of course, we weren’t going to pass up the opportunity to try it ourselves!
Ester + Rainier \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony & Reception: Admiral Kidd Club \\ Photo Session: Seaport Village
Photography by Chaz Cruz Photography \\ DJ/MC by Sound Illusions
I have known Melanie & Greg since they were high school seniors in 1998 at Mt. Carmel HS. And ever since then, I have continued to always know them only as “Melanie & Greg.” They have always been a couple – with a relationship as strong and unwavering since they first met in high school. And how appropriate it was that the Mt. Carmel class of 1999 10-year reunion happened to be on the same day as their wedding!
One of the most memorable toasts of the evening came from Melanie’s mom when she described her first thoughts of Greg when he visited her family for the first time. She peered in the living room where Greg was standing and thought to herself, “Who is that good-looking dude?” :)
Melanie & Gregory \\ Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony: Immaculata Church, USD \\ Reception: Island Club Coronado
Photography by Dale Wilcox Photography \\ DJ/MC by Shall We Dance Entertainment \\ Coordination by John Cabigon \\ Hair/Makeup by Crystal Bernal
For this short film, Bernadette and Donald gave us no restrictions or limitations to the script we were to write for them. From noticing their personalities, they reminded me of the couple from the movie “Knocked Up” (directed by Judd Apatow). So with this as our inspiration, we set out to produce a comedy that places these two in a situation that is recently familiar – their wedding planning!
And per their initial direction, we wrote a script that did not hold back – uncensored and unashamed – through an inebriated first encounter to an unabashed and exposed Donald! But throughout all the silliness of production, the frustration of getting through takes without laughing and/or flubbed lines, and in between the multitude of production set-ups, I happened to catch a moment of peace between our star couple… the way they really are… in a loving embrace, and proud of each other’s efforts and commitment to the film.
Synopsis: A pair of unlikely people meet during one intoxicated evening, only to find themselves suddenly engaged the very next morning. Seeing no other option but to get married, Donald and Bernadette go through a hysterical and heartwarming journey through the process of wedding planning, while at the same time attempting to find compromise with each other’s differences.
Hooked Up from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
The wedding itself was even more fun to film! It was no doubt a celebration for Bernadette and Donald, and their family and friends. We presented three videos that evening with “Hooked Up” and the following same-day edit and photo montage:
Bernadette + Donald : Same-Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Bernadette + Donald \ Photo Montage from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Afterthought: Bernadette and Donald is the kind of couple whose personalities clashed but yet, these differences is what makes them perfect for each other. And with all relationships, they prove that love can only be achieved with equal compromise, trust, and patience.
Venue \\ Ceremony: Immaculata Church, USD \\ Reception: Coronado Marriott Resort
Photography by Tony Eisenhower Photography
We drove up to Hollywood last weekend to film Tiffany and Harvey’s wedding with the venues starting at the grand Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown, Los Angeles… and ending at the Sheraton Universal in Universal Studios, Hollywood. Both these venues, to say the least, was both breathtaking and overwhelming! They were both beautiful locations to have a wedding ceremony and reception!
And although same-day edits can be quite stressful to put together at times, the view I had sitting atop the Sheraton Universal overlooking the Universal Studios backlot was worth it all. Very inspiring!
And for those Conan O’Brien fans out there, I swear we caught a tram tour driving off the lot and heading towards the streets that day. Circle! Circle! Circle!
Tiffany & Harvey : Same Day Edit from Starcross’d Creative on Vimeo.
Venue \\ Ceremony: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels \\ Reception: Universal Sheraton
Photography by Ja Tecson