Balboa Bay Club / Arthouse Feature / Melissa & Chris
March 6, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Ok so I'm a little behind on the Marathon. That means I will be posting today and tomorrow to catch up! See... sometimes things in life can't be planned. Like having to figure out at the last minute how to lug a Shoutoutbooth to Vegas when I don't own a truck. What is a Shoutoutbooth you ask? Details to come soon...Anyway for today's entry, check out the beautiful wedding of Melissa & Chris from the Balboa Bay Club! Enjoy!
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vows - Bridepower’s GI Gown Giveaway!
March 3, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Last December we were asked to film this incredible event in Boston. I can't tell you what an honor it was to be involved in this amazing project! Leslie & Rick who own VOWS (a bridal gown outlet center) wanted to give back to their community. They sat around the dinner table with their family and decided to give away THREE HUNDRED DESIGNER GOWNS (yes you read right) to US Military Brides who are serving our country. They partnered up with the USO in New England to arrange a day where brides who were either in the military or marrying someone in the military could come in, try on as many gowns as they wished, and walk out of the store with their dream gown COMPLETELY FREE. How amazing is that?? We were there to document it all and I can tell you from personal experience that it meant the world to these women - and their families. It was a very moving experience!
Vows - Bridepower’s GI Gown Giveaway!
March 3, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Last December we were asked to film this incredible event in Boston. I can't tell you what an honor it was to be involved in this amazing project! Leslie & Rick who own VOWS (a bridal gown outlet center) wanted to give back to their community. They sat around the dinner table with their family and decided to give away THREE HUNDRED DESIGNER GOWNS (yes you read right) to US Military Brides who are serving our country. They partnered up with the USO in New England to arrange a day where brides who were either in the military or marrying someone in the military could come in, try on as many gowns as they wished, and walk out of the store with their dream gown COMPLETELY FREE. How amazing is that?? We were there to document it all and I can tell you from personal experience that it meant the world to these women - and their families. It was a very moving experience!
Arroyo Trabuco / Wedding Highlights / Stacey & Stefan
March 2, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
I can't wait to share this lovely highlights with you all! Stacey kindly wrote up a guest blogging post for us. This is the last guest blogging post for awhile since March Madness started yesterday so enjoy! Here it is!I moved out to California from Philadelphia in August 2005 to start a career in Event Planning. Shortly after, I kept on running into Stefan around town. Our dating began slowly and I was convinced we were just friends – but hey, I didn't know anyone out here so I needed friends. We did lots of fun things – mini golfing, bike riding, snow tubing, Duffy renting, and the list goes on. It was easy to just be together. Our friendship was the foundation of our amazing relationship today. I can honestly say he is the best friend I have ever had.
Every Sunday, Stefan and I talk about our upcoming week and what's on tap. Stefan volunteered to make dinner for us one particular Thursday night. When I came home, Stefan greeted me at the door telling me he had gotten me a surprise. I saw a white box on the kitchen table and went over to open it. It was a cupcake (my passion/obsession) and a note saying "I love you". Before I could process what was happening, Stefan grabbed my hand and got down on one knee. He told me how much he loved me and loved our adventures together and then asked me to marry him. My response was "yeah". I was so shocked and nervous (giggling and all) and speechless and excited at the same time. We kissed and having been caught up in the moment, I finally put the ring on. He walked over to the table and uncovered the camera that he had hid to tape the whole proposal! It was the best gift he could have given me. Then he took me out to dinner and when we arrived our friends were there to join us! After the excitement died down, I got to hear the whole backstory of the proposal – secret phone calls, emails and IMs to my parents. Hearing how hard Stefan worked to make it perfect made it that much more special.
Stefan and I got engaged in February and wanted a summer wedding but we didn't want to wait till the following summer, so we planned our wedding in 6 months. As a planner, I was very systematic in our to-do list – researching all options (ex. seeing 19 venues when we really knew Arroyo Trabuco was perfect), calendaring tasks, detailing timelines, focusing on thematic details. But the most important part of the planning was that we did everything (except dress shopping) together. Our wedding was a day for us about us by us. And everything that went into it showed that – our self-written vows, music we chose, cupcakes over cake. I guess you'd say the theme was US. That is our tip to future brides and grooms - if you remember what it's all about (the two of you) then everything will be perfect. We worked together each night on a task – printing menu cards, putting together out of town guest gift bags, creating table tents, choosing songs. My favorite details were that the tables were denoted by places Stefan and I had visited together, the escort cards were postcards from these various places, and the favor from Carroll Promotions was a pen (engraved with Signed, Sealed, Delivered – our first song) to write a note of advice/encouragement on the postcard to us to be mailed throughout the year. We tied in a color scheme of chocolate brown, latte, cream and bright green – this was in our invitations by Formal Impressions, linens from Fusion Linens, floral décor by Lavender Hill, in the groomsman's ties, and even in the cupcake tower by It's All About the Cake. Seeing all the details come to fruition and knowing that we worked together on it all made our day that much more meaningful.
As cliché as it sounds, our big day really did fly by. I remember being very present at the ceremony but after that it is just a blur. We wished that it could have lasted longer so that we could have danced to N'Demand through the night. The biggest thing I remember is smiling. Tiffany and Berit made me look and feel beautiful and all I did was smile – we were both so happy and our pictures from Joel Maus with Studio EMP and our amazing video from Elysium Productions show this. Our favorite moments were taking pictures and video of just the two of us after the ceremony. It was very important for us to have photos and video that captured the essence of the emotions of the day. The day does truly go by quickly and there is no way savor it without photo and video. It's the only thing left after your biggest day fades away. And each time we watch our video, we get to feel the wonderful emotions of the big day all over again (and huge smiles come back to our faces).
- Stacey
Elysium Productions: Contemporary & Stylish Wedding Video in Orange County & Beyond!
Invitations: Formal Impressions
Hair: Tiffany Monday
Makeup: Makeup by Berit
Groom's Suit: Ralph Lauren
Bridal Gown: Galina Signature
Venue: Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club
Cake: It's All About the Cake
Florist: Lavender Hill Wedding & Event Floral
Linens: Fusion Linens Fusion Linens http://fusionlinens.com/
Ceremony Music & Band: N'Demand
Photography: Studio EMP
Event Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
Favors: Carroll Promotions
Bride and Bloom / Silvie & Stan
March 1, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Well it's March 1st! You know what that means on the Elysium Blog... MARCH MADNESS!! The time when I go crazy insane trying to blog a post every weekday during the month of March! Wish me luck! Here's the first...I wanted to share the most beautiful spread from Silvie & Stan's wedding in Bride & Bloom magazine. Brides... go out to the store and buy this magazine at once. It's sooooo beautiful!
I'm currently in the process of editing our new demo reel (way overdue) and I can guarantee there will be a lot of clips from this wedding as everything about it was gorgeous and the couple is super sweet. I especially love their advice in this article. Major props go out to the super talented Ira lippke (fab photog), Nisie's Enchanted Florist, and Carolyn Chen (amazing designer/planner) for making this day so cool!
Montage Laguna Beach/ Original Series Highlights/ Kacey & Stan
February 23, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Kacey and Stan had a gorgeous wedding at the always beautiful Montage Resort & Spa. Take a peek into their day through the Original Series Highlights portion of their film!------------------------------------------------------------------
Elysium Productions: Contemporary & Stylish Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
St. Regis Monarch Beach/Arthouse Feature/Iliana & Sebastian
February 18, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Today's guest blogger is Iliana. Iliana and Sebastian's intimate gathering was filled with those who love them most. Here is their beautiful day with a few tips from Iliana...------------------------------------------------------------------
how did you meet?
WE FIRST MET IN CHICAGO WHILE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO GRADUATE
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WHERE WE WERE BOTH COMPLETING OUR MBA DEGREES.
SEVERAL YEARS AFTER GRADUATION, SEBASTIAN MOVED FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW
YORK CITY. AFTER INSISTENT BEGGING, SOME MINOR BRIBERY (ON SEBASTIAN'S
PART), ON MARCH 18TH OF 2007 ILIANA MOVED FROM CHICAGO AND INTO A TRIBECA
APARTMENT WITH SEBASTIAN IN THE BIG APPLE.
AFTER ALMOST 8 MONTHS OF PLANNING, SCHEDULING, MANEUVERING, COMMISSIONING,
APPRAISING AND SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATING THE ONSLAUGHT OF HER BEST FRIENDS'
EFFORTS AND SNOOPING, SEBASTIAN PROPOSED TO ILIANA ON NOV 16TH 2007 IN THE
PRESIDENTAIL SUITE OF THE HOTEL DE CRILLON IN PARIS, FRANCE. THE TRIP WAS
REALLY THE RESULT OF A RUSE TO GET AN UNKNOWING ILIANA UNDER THE SAME ROOF
WITH SEBASTIAN SO THAT HE COULD PROPOSE TO HER. THE GUISE WAS A LAST MINUTE
WORK TRIP THAT HAD UNFORTUNATELY MESSED UP THE YOUNG COUPLE'S TRAVEL PLANS
TO ATTEND A CLOSE FRIEND'S WEDDING IN MEXICO.
INSTEAD OF A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND IN MEXICO, SEBASTIAN OFFERED ILIANA, IF SHE
WANTED, TO COME WITH HIM TO SPEND A QUICK BUSINESS-RELATED WEEKEND IN PARIS.
THE GIG WAS ALMOST UP UPON ARRIVAL AFTER SOME 'CONSPICUOUS', UNINTENTIONALLY
OVER-THE-TOP PRIVATE ESCORTING THROUGH DE GALLE AIRPORT & CUSTOMS AND BEING
CHEUFFERRED THROUGH THE CITY. SOON AFTER CHECK-IN THE YOUNG MAN PROPOSED TO
HIS WIFE-TO-BE AND THE REST IS NOW HISTORY (SHE SAID YES).]
what was your favorite part about wedding planning?
[THE PLANNING PROCESS IS LIKE WORKING OUT - YOU HATE IT AT FIRST BUT THEN AS
YOU START SEEING SOME RESULTS, YOU GET PRETTY JAZZED ABOUT DOING IT; BECAUSE
EVERYTHING WE WERE DOING WAS LONG DISTANCE IT WAS PRETTY TOUGH COORDINATING
EVERYTHING; THE BEST PART WAS TAKING OUR SWEET TIME WITH IT AND COMING OUT
TO CALIFORNIA TO VISIT THE PROPERTY AND THE VENDORS SEVERAL TIMES - THIS WAS
NOT ONLY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL WAS GOOD, BUT IT CREATED A SWEET ANTICIPATION
OF HOW THE LOCATION WOULD TRANSFORM TO HOLD ALL THOSE GREAT PEOPLE ON THAT
ONE DAY ... IT WAS A BIG TEASE]
how did you decide on the venue?
[WE WANTED TO GET MARRIED APPROX 1 YEAR AFTER THE ENGAGEMENT AND SO WE
SETTLED ON NOV 15TH 2008 ... BUT WHEN WE WERE IN PARIS IN NOV 2007, IT WAS
AS COLD AS MOSCOW, SO WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON SOMEWHERE WARM WHERE WE COULD
ENJOY SOME R&R WITH OUR GUESTS; WE MADE A SHORTLIST OF 5 OR 6 HOTELS/RESORTS
IN CA AND ONCE WE REACHED THE 3RD ONE, WE KNEW WE WERE DONE - THIS WAS THE
ST. REGIS RESORT AT DANA POINT.]
what kind of personal touches did you add to your event?
[BECAUSE WE HAD ONLY THE CLOSEST OF CLOSEST FRIENDS & FAMILY ATTENDING THE
WEDDING, MY HUSBAND CREATEDA SLIDESHOW THAT INCLUDED ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE AT
THE PARTY; HE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF REELS OF PHOTOGRAPHS, THE INTERNET AND
PHOTOSHOT; MOST OF THE PICTURES WERE EITHER OF HUMEROUS EVENTS OR SOMEWHAT
'COMPROMISING' BUT IT SET THE MOOD FOR THE RECEPTION AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL
CHRONICAL OF OUR HISTORY TOGETHER WIHT EACH OTHER AND OUR FAMILIES AND
FRIENDS ... IT WAS LIKE A GIFT TO EVERYONE]
what was the best decision you made during the planning process?
[BESIDES PICKING THE PERFECT SPOT AND RIGHT VENDORS ... WE KEPT IT QUAINT -
WE HAD PERSONAL PET PEEVES ABOUT SPREADING OURSELVES THIN AND FOR OUR
SPECIAL DAY WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD ENOUGH TIME WITH THE SPECIAL
PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES; OUR BREAKDOWN WAS THE FOLLOWING ... SAY YOU HAVE AN
EVENING CEREMONY AT 4 PM AND THE PARTY ENDS AT MIDNIGHT ... SO THAT'S
BASICALLY 7 HOURS OR TIME SPENT WITH YOUR GUESTS. THEN TAKE 1-2 HOURS OF
THAT FOR CEREMONY + PICS + ANOTHER HOUR FOR DINNER; YOU REALLY HAVE 4 HOURS
TO SPEND ENTERTAINING GUESTS AND TO GET AROUND TO EVERYONE AND ENJOY THE
PARTY. IF YOU HAVE 240 GUESTS, THAT'S A MINUTE PER GUEST, WHICH WE FELT WAS
NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR US - THAT'S HARDLY HALF A SLOW JAM PER PERSON.]
what are your best memories from your wedding?
[SINCE IT WAS QUAINT, EVERYONE REALLY KNEW EVERYONE ELSE VERY WELL - AND
WHEN YOU COMBINE OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH ALCOHOL ... BOUNDRIES TEND TO
GET CROSSED - SEE THE ATTACHED PICS; IT WAS UNFORTUNATE (& FORTUNATE) THAT
EVERYTHING WASN'T CAUGHT ON VIDEO ...]
what advice can you give to other brides?
[TO BRIDES: MAKE SURE YOUR HUSBAND HAS A HEART LARGER THAN A BULGARIAN
LUKANKA
TO GROOMS: PICK A GOOD VENUE, A GOOD CREW AND A GOOD WIFE (WHO LAUGHS AT
ALL YOUR JOKES)
-Iliana
Elysium Productions: Contemporary & Stylish Wedding Video in Orange County & Beyond!
probably our most viewed video ever
February 17, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | 1 Comment
I just received an email from one of our awesome brides who was married a couple of years ago about the launch of her new family portrait business. I clicked on her blog and there was a post about this video from her wedding. We had put it on youtube shortly after her wedding and it has had over 1,300,000 views!!!! And... it's still the most awesome first dance I've ever seen. The sheer length and talent it took to accomplish this is pretty incredible!
Calamigos Ranch / Arthouse Feature / Romy & Ryan
February 16, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Meet Romy, today's guest blogger. Her fairy tale occasion is nothing short of magical. Take a peek into her and Ryan's dream wedding...------------------------------------------------------------------
"Everything happens for a reason" has always been a personal motto for me when it comes to life, and meeting Ryan—at least in my opinion—was very much a matter of destiny and fate. There were several occasions when Ryan and I had nearly "met" during my four years of going to college with his high-school friends, but since he was attending a different college that was well over 700 miles away from me, we are now very realistic in conceding that it probably wouldn't have worked out for either of us. So, you can imagine that after four years of being told by mutual friends that we'd be perfect for each other, it seemed a little surreal that I would ever actually see this man face-to-face, much less spend the rest of my life with him.
When I finally met the fabled "Ryan" at a bar—ironically the very first day I moved home from college and we were finally living in the same city, AND completely by chance—my awe was a little more than love at first sight and probably a little influenced by the legend that had preceded him. Not only was he extremely handsome, intelligent, and clever, but he was kind and extremely chivalrous--the Prince Charming I had always dreamed about as a girl worshipping Sleeping Beauty had actually come to life! Two years later, our fairy tale romance continued when he swept me off to Italy for two weeks and proposed at sunset in our hotel room that overlooked the Italian Riviera, followed by renting our own private villa in Tuscany with (surprise!) our families. It was more romantic than anything I could have ever imagined or even dreamed of!
It will come as no surprise, given our story, that the general theme I envisioned for our wedding was a romantic, overgrown forrest. I believe my exact instructions to our florists at The Hidden Garden were "like something out of a fairy tale"—and boy did they deliver it! Calamigos Ranch in Malibu provided our venue (beneath a beautiful oak tree) and catered the reception. Our 12 member band, Entourage (from DeBois Entertainment) kept the party going all night, and of course, the finishing touch was our beautiful—and quite delicious—4 tiered cake from The Bread Basket. All of the events were captured by our favorite photographer, Drew B and immortalized by Elysium.
Leading up to the big day, the one piece of wisdom that every wedding veteran had given us was, "Try to enjoy and remember as much as you can—it all goes by so fast!" But hearing it and actually experiencing it are two totally different things, and as hard as I tried, much of the day was a blur. There is so much excitement and anticipation on the day of—and any one of my bridesmaids will tell you that I was an extremely calm and carefree bride-to-be—the moment I started walking down the aisle with my father a tidal wave of emotion swept over me and I became part bride, part zombie. I mean, I DID remember all of the big details—like seeing every single person who was meaningful to me in my entire life sitting in the audience and smiling, and the look on Ryan's face as he said his vows—but all of those tiny details I had spent an entire year agonizing over to get just perfect, they all just became part of the background. And that is why I am so grateful that we decided to hire a videographer to capture all of those special little details that all of the guests got to enjoy, but you barely have time to even glance at. Ryan had fought the idea at first saying, "but we're having a photographer. Why do we need a video, too?" That is, of course, until he discovered that they could film in HD, and the idea of having any moment of his life commemorated specifically for his precious flat screen became very appealing. Elysium, you may be getting a call about our first born child in the future...
My advice to other brides-to-be is: don't skimp on the details. I know planning a wedding can be really expensive and there are certainly ways to cut back, but don't forsake the only piece of the entire celebration that will last for years to come. By the time you get back from your honeymoon your flowers will have wilted, your cake will be eaten, you may not even be able to fit into your dress anymore (I know. It's frightening, isn't it?), but you will always have your wedding video to watch—perfect and timeless, and just as you hoped to remember it!
And now, it's my turn: enjoy every single moment of your engagement, planning, and the wedding itself—it really does go by SO fast!
~Romy
Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel/Arthouse Feature/Lin & Jonathan
February 11, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Check out Lin & Jonathan's Arthouse Edit! The day started out slightly overcast, but it ended up being a beautiful day anyway. It was a gorgeous event at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel where Carolyn Chen made sure the day went perfectly and Amelia Lyon captured it all through her lens. Their band was awesome and the dance floor was packed all night long!Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel / Arthouse Feature / Lin & Jonathan
February 11, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Check out Lin & Jonathan's Arthouse Edit! The day started out slightly overcast, but it ended up being a beautiful day anyway. It was a gorgeous event at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel where Carolyn Chen made sure the day went perfectly and Amelia Lyon captured it all through her lens. Their band was awesome and the dance floor was packed all night long!Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Langham Pasadena/Arthouse Feature/Noelle & Matt
February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Meet our guest blogger Noelle. Noelle and Matt's special day was celebrated with friends, family, and an awesome band! Their ceremony decor was especially beautiful- check out those unique centerpieces!------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt and I met through work. At the time we were working in the same industry, but at different companies. We had several phone conversations while working on a transaction together, before finally meeting in person. After two years of dating, Matt proposed and the process of planning my dream wedding finally began.
The first step for us was to understand what we wanted most from our big day, which was (I) to have a meaningful and traditional ceremony and (II), follow it with a fun and elegant reception that our family and friends would remember. Since we already had the church and reception site selected, the first thing we did was focus our search on a great wedding coordinator. After interviewing a few firms, it was clear that International Event Company (I.E.C) , was without a doubt, the most qualified and capable of delivering our vision. They did not disappoint.
For us, a huge part of what makes a wedding memorable is a great band that is able to really get the guests on the dance floor, so our next priority was to find the best band around. Through I.E.C's recommendation, we met with West Coast Music who contracted the Rick Cowling Band. There were hands down, the best band we've seen and our guests still talk about the band today.
The day of our wedding was everything I ever dreamed of since I was a little girl. With I.E.C there to make sure the day ran smoothly, we were able to be in the moment and enjoy every minute of it. Now, one year later, guests still remember it and we wish we could experience it all over again. While we can't do it again, we are able to re-live it by watching the amazing Arthouse film that Elysium created for us. The way they were able to capture the moments was really unbelievable to us – and it still gives us chills every time we watch it.
If I could offer advice to future brides, I would say three things – make a timeline, do whatever is important to you and HAVE FUN!
-Noelle
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vendors:
Wedding Planner: International Event Company
Church: San Marino Community Church
Reception: Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa
Florist: Mark's Garden
Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
Photographer: Aaron Delesie
Invitations/programs/menu: Sugar Paper
Linens/Chairs: Tabella Décor
Band: West Coast Music – Rick Cowling Band
Ceremony Music: Ladies Choice String Quartet
DJ: Dream Team Entertainment
Favors: Truffles for a Cause
Hair/Make-up: Prive Salon
Wedding Gown: Amsale
Grooms tux: Canali
Jewelry: Mon Ami Jewelry, Chicago
Langham Pasadena / Arthouse Feature / Noelle & Matt
February 9, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Meet our guest blogger Noelle. Noelle and Matt's special day was celebrated with friends, family, and an awesome band! Their ceremony decor was especially beautiful- check out those unique centerpieces!------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt and I met through work. At the time we were working in the same industry, but at different companies. We had several phone conversations while working on a transaction together, before finally meeting in person. After two years of dating, Matt proposed and the process of planning my dream wedding finally began.
The first step for us was to understand what we wanted most from our big day, which was (I) to have a meaningful and traditional ceremony and (II), follow it with a fun and elegant reception that our family and friends would remember. Since we already had the church and reception site selected, the first thing we did was focus our search on a great wedding coordinator. After interviewing a few firms, it was clear that International Event Company (I.E.C) , was without a doubt, the most qualified and capable of delivering our vision. They did not disappoint.
For us, a huge part of what makes a wedding memorable is a great band that is able to really get the guests on the dance floor, so our next priority was to find the best band around. Through I.E.C's recommendation, we met with West Coast Music who contracted the Rick Cowling Band. There were hands down, the best band we've seen and our guests still talk about the band today.
The day of our wedding was everything I ever dreamed of since I was a little girl. With I.E.C there to make sure the day ran smoothly, we were able to be in the moment and enjoy every minute of it. Now, one year later, guests still remember it and we wish we could experience it all over again. While we can't do it again, we are able to re-live it by watching the amazing Arthouse film that Elysium created for us. The way they were able to capture the moments was really unbelievable to us – and it still gives us chills every time we watch it.
If I could offer advice to future brides, I would say three things – make a timeline, do whatever is important to you and HAVE FUN!
-Noelle
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vendors:
Wedding Planner: International Event Company
Church: San Marino Community Church
Reception: Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa
Florist: Mark's Garden
Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
Photographer: Aaron Delesie
Invitations/programs/menu: Sugar Paper
Linens/Chairs: Tabella Décor
Band: West Coast Music – Rick Cowling Band
Ceremony Music: Ladies Choice String Quartet
DJ: Dream Team Entertainment
Favors: Truffles for a Cause
Hair/Make-up: Prive Salon
Wedding Gown: Amsale
Grooms tux: Canali
Jewelry: Mon Ami Jewelry, Chicago
Destination Photographer Promo
February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Last year around this time we were in Anguilla shooting the amazing wedding of Ashley & Jamie. Although we had seen their photographer's work online (awesome stuff) we had never met them and were excited to work with them. The fabulous part? We totally clicked. Matt & Enna Grazier are super cool people and ultra talented photographers located in Boston. We became fast friends and will be working together again this year also in Anguilla! (A reunion!!) Because we had three cameras for Ashley & Jamie's wedding, we were able to shoot some behind the scenes footage of them at work during the "trash the dress" session and were able to create this promo:
Destination Photographer Promo
February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Last year around this time we were in Anguilla shooting the amazing wedding of Ashley & Jamie. Although we had seen their photographer's work online (awesome stuff) we had never met them and were excited to work with them. The fabulous part? We totally clicked. Matt & Enna Grazier are super cool people and ultra talented photographers located in Boston. We became fast friends and will be working together again this year also in Anguilla! (A reunion!!) Because we had three cameras for Ashley & Jamie's wedding, we were able to shoot some behind the scenes footage of them at work during the "trash the dress" session and were able to create this promo:
Hyatt Huntington Beach/Arthouse Feature/Sophia & Denby
February 4, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Happy Thursday! I would love to introduce Sophia, our guest blogger today. Sophia and Denby's wedding celebration was filled with tons of friends, family, and culture. Their pink color scheme was incorporated throughout the entire wedding; evident in Sophia's second dress change!------------------------------------------------------------------
My husband Denby and I met back in 2000 in college through mutual friends. A few months later, we ran into each other at a rave and spent the entire night talking because we were just glad there was a familiar face. A few months after that, we started to spend more time together at school and outside of it as well. We slowly fell in love and spent nearly every waking moment together. If one was working, the other would go there and hang out. After 7 years, Denby was going to propose on a cruise that we planned to take with my cousin and her husband, but since my mom sort of ruined the surprise, he had to change his plans. He got me off work early the night before the cruise and took me to dinner. After dinner he said he was taking me to look at a really nice house in Pasadena but actually took me to the Langham Hotel. He proposed on their famous Picture Bridge and after saying yes, he took me to our room, where he decorated the room with rose petals and candles. There was a bubble bath waiting for me, along with sparkling wine and fresh cut strawberries.
After Denby and I got engaged and decided to take our engagement photos in Taiwan, we started to worry about all the other stuff that needed to be done: flowers, music, attire, etc. Our first priority was to find a coordinator and luckily I came across Carolyn Chen from The Special Day. After meeting with her, we decided to book her even without meeting with other coordinators. It helped a lot that she spoke Chinese because our parents do not speak a lot of English. Carolyn helped us choose most of vendors because she has worked with them before and trusted their work. Planning came easy after that because Carolyn was able to tie up all our loose ends into a pretty bow. I have always loved pink and Japanese Cherry Blossom flowers so this was the perfect time to bring all of that together.
Since Carolyn had worked with Elysium Productions before, it was easy for us to understand how important it was to have the best of the best for everything in our wedding. We saw a video for the Arthouse Edit and loved it. We loved how it looked like a movie, instead what we've seen in the past, which was hours of unedited footage with all the background noise. We wanted our friends and family to experience something that they've never experienced before, and since we are one of the first to get married, it was easy to set the standard. Everything about our wedding was modern and fresh, and Elysium captured it in a way that will allow our friends, family and us to enjoy it for years to come.
Since I only had less than 4 hours of sleep in the 2 days before the wedding, wedding day was nearly a blur. In a way, we were glad that our final day has finally come so that we could sleep and not think of payment due dates, schedules, and anything wedding. Our eyes were open and seemed to comprehend everything but both of us were really sleeping under that, haha. We followed Carolyn's timeline even though we didn't know it well. We didn't get to eat most of our meal but that was expected. My favorite memory of the day was when I pulled Denby into the photo booth so we could take some pictures together. We went in there twice because I had 2 different dresses. It was the only part of our day where we had to ourselves with no one around, even if it was only minutes at a time. The wedding looked and felt better than I expected. Everything and everyone I loved were all in one area; the pink, the cherry blossoms, the friends, and the family, even the family who came from other countries. Like I said before, Carolyn pulled all the strings together and made it into a pretty bow. Everything ran smoothly and couldn't have been more perfect.
Tips for future brides: Find out how much you can afford to put into the wedding. If parents are helping to pay for it, make sure you guys agree on who gets to make the decisions and whether or not whose money it belongs to will affect that decision or not. Choose your wedding party wisely. Just because she is your best friend, she may not be the most qualified because she may be unreliable, irresponsible, or just may not have the funds to help with events. Choose your guest list wisely as well. I'd like to say that everyone I invited to the wedding are going to be people that I will continue to keep in contact with, but that is not always the case. And lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help. I didn't want to burden anyone and by doing that, we hardly had any sleep the week of the wedding. We were bickering with each other because we were tired, irritated and frustrated.
-Sophia
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vendors:
Venue: Hyatt Huntington Beach
Wedding Coordinator: The Special Day
Photographer: Travis Hoehne Photography
Event Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
DJ/Lighting: Honored Occasions
Photobooth/Projector: Cheesy Photobooths
Linen: Wildflower Linen
Chairs: Chiavari Chairs 4 Rent
Flowers: Fragrant Flowers in San Gabriel, CA
Hyatt Huntington Beach / Arthouse Feature / Sophia & Denby
February 4, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Happy Thursday! I would love to introduce Sophia, our guest blogger today. Sophia and Denby's wedding celebration was filled with tons of friends, family, and culture. Their pink color scheme was incorporated throughout the entire wedding; evident in Sophia's second dress change!------------------------------------------------------------------
My husband Denby and I met back in 2000 in college through mutual friends. A few months later, we ran into each other at a rave and spent the entire night talking because we were just glad there was a familiar face. A few months after that, we started to spend more time together at school and outside of it as well. We slowly fell in love and spent nearly every waking moment together. If one was working, the other would go there and hang out. After 7 years, Denby was going to propose on a cruise that we planned to take with my cousin and her husband, but since my mom sort of ruined the surprise, he had to change his plans. He got me off work early the night before the cruise and took me to dinner. After dinner he said he was taking me to look at a really nice house in Pasadena but actually took me to the Langham Hotel. He proposed on their famous Picture Bridge and after saying yes, he took me to our room, where he decorated the room with rose petals and candles. There was a bubble bath waiting for me, along with sparkling wine and fresh cut strawberries.
After Denby and I got engaged and decided to take our engagement photos in Taiwan, we started to worry about all the other stuff that needed to be done: flowers, music, attire, etc. Our first priority was to find a coordinator and luckily I came across Carolyn Chen from The Special Day. After meeting with her, we decided to book her even without meeting with other coordinators. It helped a lot that she spoke Chinese because our parents do not speak a lot of English. Carolyn helped us choose most of vendors because she has worked with them before and trusted their work. Planning came easy after that because Carolyn was able to tie up all our loose ends into a pretty bow. I have always loved pink and Japanese Cherry Blossom flowers so this was the perfect time to bring all of that together.
Since Carolyn had worked with Elysium Productions before, it was easy for us to understand how important it was to have the best of the best for everything in our wedding. We saw a video for the Arthouse Edit and loved it. We loved how it looked like a movie, instead what we've seen in the past, which was hours of unedited footage with all the background noise. We wanted our friends and family to experience something that they've never experienced before, and since we are one of the first to get married, it was easy to set the standard. Everything about our wedding was modern and fresh, and Elysium captured it in a way that will allow our friends, family and us to enjoy it for years to come.
Since I only had less than 4 hours of sleep in the 2 days before the wedding, wedding day was nearly a blur. In a way, we were glad that our final day has finally come so that we could sleep and not think of payment due dates, schedules, and anything wedding. Our eyes were open and seemed to comprehend everything but both of us were really sleeping under that, haha. We followed Carolyn's timeline even though we didn't know it well. We didn't get to eat most of our meal but that was expected. My favorite memory of the day was when I pulled Denby into the photo booth so we could take some pictures together. We went in there twice because I had 2 different dresses. It was the only part of our day where we had to ourselves with no one around, even if it was only minutes at a time. The wedding looked and felt better than I expected. Everything and everyone I loved were all in one area; the pink, the cherry blossoms, the friends, and the family, even the family who came from other countries. Like I said before, Carolyn pulled all the strings together and made it into a pretty bow. Everything ran smoothly and couldn't have been more perfect.
Tips for future brides: Find out how much you can afford to put into the wedding. If parents are helping to pay for it, make sure you guys agree on who gets to make the decisions and whether or not whose money it belongs to will affect that decision or not. Choose your wedding party wisely. Just because she is your best friend, she may not be the most qualified because she may be unreliable, irresponsible, or just may not have the funds to help with events. Choose your guest list wisely as well. I'd like to say that everyone I invited to the wedding are going to be people that I will continue to keep in contact with, but that is not always the case. And lastly, don't be afraid to ask for help. I didn't want to burden anyone and by doing that, we hardly had any sleep the week of the wedding. We were bickering with each other because we were tired, irritated and frustrated.
-Sophia
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vendors:
Venue: Hyatt Huntington Beach
Wedding Coordinator: The Special Day
Photographer: Travis Hoehne Photography
Event Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
DJ/Lighting: Honored Occasions
Photobooth/Projector: Cheesy Photobooths
Linen: Wildflower Linen
Chairs: Chiavari Chairs 4 Rent
Flowers: Fragrant Flowers in San Gabriel, CA
Montage Laguna Beach / Arthouse Feature / Ashley & Jason
February 2, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Our guest blogger today is Ashley. Ashley and Jason came down to Southern California for their coastal destination wedding. Check out their special day, Ashley even had a special song written just for her from her dad- so sweet!------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason and I had been together 8 years before we got married. We beat the odds and are high school sweethearts still in love. In March 2008, Jason and I had a vacation planned in Cabo San Lucas for our spring break. At that time we were both going to Santa Clara University and were about to graduate in June. The second night Jason took me to a hotel where there was a private cabana and dinner set up on the beat with torches surrounding us. After a wonderful dinner and a surprise gift to throw me off, we laid in the cabana talking and he asked me to marry him! I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and meaningful proposal.
Once we got back home, I started looking into venues right away. We both knew that we wanted to have the wedding down in Southern California and somewhere overlooking the ocean. People always ask why we did it down there and it was simply because the weather is always beautiful and the locations with a ocean view are more plentiful than in the Bay Area. San Diego was our first choice, but there wasn't any location that fit exactly what we were looking for. I then started looking in Orange County and that is when I found the Montage Laguna Beach . I had never heard of it before, but we pretty much knew once we saw the wedding location at that hotel it was the location of our dreams.
Once we traveled to see the Montage and a couple of other locations we knew that it was the place where we would get married. We then went on to find Brooke Keegan formerly with Details Details to be our coordinator. She pretty much helped us find all of our other vendors after that. We trusted her opinion and taste so we only had to meet 1-2 vendors for each category before we chose one. I had been immersed in wedding magazines, websites, and MANY wedding shows like Platinum Weddings when we got engaged so I was able to take things we liked from multiple sources and put them together to create our dream wedding.
Our wedding was a 3 day event. Most of our guests arrived on Friday (the day before the wedding) for our cocktail reception which was held on one of the outside lawns at the Montage. This gave our guests a change to mingle and meet other guests and it also was Jason and I's time to greet our guests and chat with them before the big day. I guess the theme of our wedding would be modern/elegant. The ceremony had a simple structure with transparent blue and purple (wedding colors) draping and hanging crystals. The ballroom had draping all around it with LED lights that could change colors. One third of the ballroom was the lounge with our dj, ice luge, and water bar which was revealed after the father daughter dance. I ordered bulk flip flops to put in baskets which were labeled "dancing shoes" so our guests (mostly women) could get out of their uncomfortable shoes and dance the night away in some comfy sandals. Sunday we had a farewell brunch out on the main lawn at the Montage to say goodbye and thank you to our guests for coming.
The wedding day was perfect. I thought I would be nervous, but I was so calm throughout the day. I guess I had been waiting for it so long that I was just happy we finally made it. The most important moment of the day was when we said our vows to each other. We both wrote our own vows which made it so incredibly meaningful. Many of our guests told us afterwards that that they had never been to a wedding where they felt so much happiness and true love. Another memorable moment was the father daughter dance because my dad wrote a song for the dance and had it produced by one of his friends who is a singer. We danced to that song while a slideshow of the both of us was playing; there wasn't a dry eye in the entire place.
For us, we didn't even think about not having a professional filmmaker to document our wedding. We also didn't have to think twice about choosing Elysium Productions. Not only did my coordinator, the hotel, and every other vendor recommend them but they were doing all of the beautiful weddings that I had seen from different websites. One look at their videos and we were sold. When we got our wedding video back we could not asked for a better video compilation of our wedding. As we showed it to our friends and family, people were amazed and said that they felt as if they were watching a tv show. To quote my dad "this is the best movie I have ever seen". haha.
My Tips:
1. If you have the opportunity to have some kind of welcome reception the day before the wedding you should do it. Not only do your guests get to mingle and meet new people, but you get your thank yous and chit chat done with the night before so you don't have to worry about doing it the night of your wedding. We were able to enjoy our wedding day to the fullest and soak in every moment of it without worrying if we said hello to so and so.
2. The one thing I would tell all couples to consider (mostly for destination weddings) is a guest welcome bag. We had one waiting for each of our guests (1 per family) at the hotel they were staying at. In it I put an itinerary of all the events, times and locations as well as things to do in the area and restaurants that we recommended and some snacks as well. I had so many people come up to me and said it was so thoughtful and it meant so much that I had taken the time to make everyone feel special and welcome.
3. Don't stress about the small stuff on the day of your wedding. It won't matter in the long run and you won't want to regret being able to just take it all in.
-Ashley
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vendors:
Venue: Montage Laguna Beach
Wedding Coordinator: Brooke Keegan
Event Designer: Christopher Aldama
Photographer: Joe Photo
Event Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
String Quartet: Enchanted Evenings
DJ: Kyle Richards
Entertainment/Flamenco Dancers: Emilio Castillo and Band
Officiant: J.P. Reynolds
Cake/Groom's Cake: Sweet Gems
Invitations: Marizette Paperie
Montage Laguna Beach / Arthouse Feature / Ashley & Jason
February 2, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Our guest blogger today is Ashley. Ashley and Jason came down to Southern California for their coastal destination wedding. Check out their special day, Ashley even had a special song written just for her from her dad- so sweet!------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason and I had been together 8 years before we got married. We beat the odds and are high school sweethearts still in love. In March 2008, Jason and I had a vacation planned in Cabo San Lucas for our spring break. At that time we were both going to Santa Clara University and were about to graduate in June. The second night Jason took me to a hotel where there was a private cabana and dinner set up on the beat with torches surrounding us. After a wonderful dinner and a surprise gift to throw me off, we laid in the cabana talking and he asked me to marry him! I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and meaningful proposal.
Once we got back home, I started looking into venues right away. We both knew that we wanted to have the wedding down in Southern California and somewhere overlooking the ocean. People always ask why we did it down there and it was simply because the weather is always beautiful and the locations with a ocean view are more plentiful than in the Bay Area. San Diego was our first choice, but there wasn't any location that fit exactly what we were looking for. I then started looking in Orange County and that is when I found the Montage Laguna Beach . I had never heard of it before, but we pretty much knew once we saw the wedding location at that hotel it was the location of our dreams.
Once we traveled to see the Montage and a couple of other locations we knew that it was the place where we would get married. We then went on to find Brooke Keegan formerly with Details Details to be our coordinator. She pretty much helped us find all of our other vendors after that. We trusted her opinion and taste so we only had to meet 1-2 vendors for each category before we chose one. I had been immersed in wedding magazines, websites, and MANY wedding shows like Platinum Weddings when we got engaged so I was able to take things we liked from multiple sources and put them together to create our dream wedding.
Our wedding was a 3 day event. Most of our guests arrived on Friday (the day before the wedding) for our cocktail reception which was held on one of the outside lawns at the Montage. This gave our guests a change to mingle and meet other guests and it also was Jason and I's time to greet our guests and chat with them before the big day. I guess the theme of our wedding would be modern/elegant. The ceremony had a simple structure with transparent blue and purple (wedding colors) draping and hanging crystals. The ballroom had draping all around it with LED lights that could change colors. One third of the ballroom was the lounge with our dj, ice luge, and water bar which was revealed after the father daughter dance. I ordered bulk flip flops to put in baskets which were labeled "dancing shoes" so our guests (mostly women) could get out of their uncomfortable shoes and dance the night away in some comfy sandals. Sunday we had a farewell brunch out on the main lawn at the Montage to say goodbye and thank you to our guests for coming.
The wedding day was perfect. I thought I would be nervous, but I was so calm throughout the day. I guess I had been waiting for it so long that I was just happy we finally made it. The most important moment of the day was when we said our vows to each other. We both wrote our own vows which made it so incredibly meaningful. Many of our guests told us afterwards that that they had never been to a wedding where they felt so much happiness and true love. Another memorable moment was the father daughter dance because my dad wrote a song for the dance and had it produced by one of his friends who is a singer. We danced to that song while a slideshow of the both of us was playing; there wasn't a dry eye in the entire place.
For us, we didn't even think about not having a professional filmmaker to document our wedding. We also didn't have to think twice about choosing Elysium Productions. Not only did my coordinator, the hotel, and every other vendor recommend them but they were doing all of the beautiful weddings that I had seen from different websites. One look at their videos and we were sold. When we got our wedding video back we could not asked for a better video compilation of our wedding. As we showed it to our friends and family, people were amazed and said that they felt as if they were watching a tv show. To quote my dad "this is the best movie I have ever seen". haha.
My Tips:
1. If you have the opportunity to have some kind of welcome reception the day before the wedding you should do it. Not only do your guests get to mingle and meet new people, but you get your thank yous and chit chat done with the night before so you don't have to worry about doing it the night of your wedding. We were able to enjoy our wedding day to the fullest and soak in every moment of it without worrying if we said hello to so and so.
2. The one thing I would tell all couples to consider (mostly for destination weddings) is a guest welcome bag. We had one waiting for each of our guests (1 per family) at the hotel they were staying at. In it I put an itinerary of all the events, times and locations as well as things to do in the area and restaurants that we recommended and some snacks as well. I had so many people come up to me and said it was so thoughtful and it meant so much that I had taken the time to make everyone feel special and welcome.
3. Don't stress about the small stuff on the day of your wedding. It won't matter in the long run and you won't want to regret being able to just take it all in.
-Ashley
Elysium Productions: Stylish & Contemporary Wedding Video in Orange County and Beyond!
Vendors:
Venue: Montage Laguna Beach
Wedding Coordinator: Brooke Keegan
Event Designer: Christopher Aldama
Photographer: Joe Photo
Event Filmmaker: Elysium Productions
String Quartet: Enchanted Evenings
DJ: Kyle Richards
Entertainment/Flamenco Dancers: Emilio Castillo and Band
Officiant: J.P. Reynolds
Cake/Groom's Cake: Sweet Gems
Invitations: Marizette Paperie
It’s not just about the pretty shots…
January 30, 2010 | Filed Under Elysium Productions | Leave a Comment
Today I'm in the studio working on our new demo (which is WAYYYYY overdue) and I came across this clip while looking through about three year's worth of footage. It just reminded me that THIS is why we do what we do. Yes, playing with all the really cool gear and being artistic is fun, but what is most rewarding is capturing moments that will be treasured forever by our couples. It's not just about the pretty shots... it's about the people and the moments they create. This is from a wedding a few years ago and even though it's a 4:3 Standard Def clip, you'll see why it is so priceless...