This wedding was so much fun! I’ve known Danielle for years and getting to film her and Andrew tie the knot was such an honor. It’s weird to think that their venue Carmel Mountain Ranch Estate is no longer around. We have been filming there for so many years and hate to see it go.

We just loved their personal vows and the story of how they met. We always tell people that personal vows really make the wedding so much more unique and memorable. In a strange twist in the ceremony the officiant accidentally forgot to have them read their vows. Whoops. Luckily, we were able to take a moment after the ceremony and film them reading them to each other which we actually edited nicely right into the ceremony.

It was so clear that both their wedding parties were so tight and enthusiastic for them, which is apparent from the wonderful toasts and the charming rendition of “Going to the Chapel” that Danielle’s bridal party sang on her wedding dress reveal. We loved filming this wedding video.

It’s always a pleasure to film at Ethereal Gardens in Escondido and Chelsea & Toby’s wedding was especially great. We just love the lush hanging gardens of the ceremony area and overall greenery, like all the other Trademark Venues. The father of the bride made an extremely heartfelt speech and even recorded his own song for the toast. It’s amazing what effort people put into weddings. 

As wedding videographers we are especially lucky to be able to capture these special events for so many great couples. It’s funny people often say they didn’t plan on getting a videographer, (which is weird to us since video seems more ubiquitous than ever now in our lives) but they’re often very glad they did. 

Clearly the couple put a lot of thought and planning into their wedding which always makes our jobs as videographers so much easier. In fact, there are a lot of little things that can provide lots more opportunities for great video and photo moments. Planning a first look for the couple is huge and we always advocate for that if possible. It provides a beautifully calm space before the inevitable hectic events for the couple to have a little moment in time away from the crowd when they can be themselves. This really shows in the photos and video too. We have all the time and planning we need to capture that first raw emotional moment when they see each other for the first time dressed to the nines and filled with anticipation and love.

Chelsea also did a first look with her Dad. This another opportunity to capture some great moments, especially if the Father is pretty emotional and tears up seeing his daughter, which is often what happens whether they like it or not :-) The tougher they are the harder they fall. LOL.

Although we didn’t include the recording in this one, a card reading and gift exchange before the ceremony can also be really profound for capturing a little snap shot of your inner thoughts and feeling on this momentous day. You may look back later and recapture some of that passion and emotion of the day. This is also especially helpful if the couple doesn’t write personal vows. It gives us a nice voice over track to bring more personality to the wedding video and make it more tailored to you, which what we always strive to do.

All in all, we had a blast capturing this amazing wedding they put together so beautifully. We wish them all the best!