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One of our weddings was featured today on Style Me Pretty, the world's best wedding inspiration blog!
Here is the link: http://www.stylemepretty.com/california-weddings/beverly-hills/2015/05/01/glamorous-wedding-at-the-four-seasons-beverly-hills/
Here is the full story:
From Charles Lauren Films… This is a small part of Brittany and Aaron’s story, married on June 7, 2014 at the Four Seasons, Beverly Hills. Sometimes the sacrifices a bride endures for her groom is a magical thing. Take Brittany, for example. The dress she chose to wear for most of her day wasn’t exactly her taste, but she knew that Aaron would simply love it!
Little did Brittany know, however, that she could wear anything for Aaron and he’d be happy! During their wedding day, she claimed that she does everything for him. After being there and seeing them interact and react to each other, this is true. Out of the corner of our eye, however, we came to notice that Aaron does everything for Brittany as well! That’s probably why they fit so well together.
This is why we think it is so cute that Brittany also chose a second dress to wear, just for her, during the cake cutting and reception. This dress was just fun, nothing formal. In fact, using her exact words, “this dress is just more comfy!” Oh, yes Brittany, that’s right! But did we mention super cute and adorable? We love this dress! It shows off her shoes, her jewelry and her bright style.
One word for this wedding could indeed be white. That’s what Brittany and Aaron were looking for on that fateful March day when they met up with Natalie Sofer, their wedding planner. That simple statement fused into something more. It’s the feeling you get just thinking about a white wedding; graceful, romantic and simply classic. All of the details were spun into a web of emotions, that cascaded down from the orchid centerpieces onto the gold-plated dinnerware that they ate their wasabi mashed potatoes on! Simply delectable.
The feeling of design was everywhere. We love Brittany’s touch of creating an area for their parents’ wedding photos in the foyer. Of course this is a common feature in many weddings these days, but after meeting their families and hearing every one of them give a toast, this wasn’t just a routine style choice. This was a heartfelt design, making every guest think that they were part of the family. The reception felt like it was just a big dinner party at a friend’s house. A house that happened to be the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.
Also, what about their uncle who is a CPA-turned-officiant? Thanks to Google and $23, he became their wedding officiant. A joke he was quick to point out! He was a bit nervous to start with, but he found his stride when Brittany and Aaron gave each other their personal vows. In fact, at that moment we all found our stride. From the very beginning, this wedding was about the one thing you can never live without…living for love.
Adding to the delightfulness of this day was the wedding party. Watch the video and count them….if you said 23, then yes, you’re right! Brittany and Aaron had 11 groomsmen and 12 bridesmaids – we told you this day was about family!! But the main charm of having all of these friends, brothers and sisters by their side came twofold. One, the wedding day landed on Brittany’s sister’s birthday – part by chance, but also partly because it was a Saturday in June. In the morning, lavender roses were promptly delivered to the bridal suite to start off the occasion with style. This was taken very well and we think everyone should do something this fantastic when a sisters’ birthday falls on your wedding day, of course!
The second awesome factor that set their future in the right direction was that just about two weeks later, it would be Brittany’s parent’s wedding anniversary. Her father didn’t want to steal the limelight, but he did go so far as to say that after 11pm, the party was really for their anniversary! Talk about tying the knot and ending the night right, nothing could have been a better blessing than that!
Photography: Lin and Jirsa Photography | Cinematography: Charles Lauren Films | Event Planning:Natalie Sofer Weddings and Events | Floral Design: Flowers in Beverly Hills | Lighting: Dashing Events | Band: Bob Gail | Ceremony And Reception Venue: Four Seasons Los Angeles At Beverly Hills | Rentals:CMC Party Rental
Most California's are sunny people, I am wedding wise- but for days of editing and just hanging out in my woodland backyard, the rain suits me nicely. Which brings me to Tip 3, for coming up to Valentine's Day! Since we are almost in the month of LOVE! Brining on the rain means bringing on the cloudy, which means you'll need a little more light than usual to brighten up a room!! Nothing says it better, than giving your loved one a candle and a jar of matches! Not following me? First, pick their favorite scent and get that candle - Vanilla is one of the # 1 scents for people, so that's a win win choice. However, for myself I like the Yankee Candle Pacific Coconut candle. It has a gorgeous smell to it! Okay, so we have our candle, now get some matches and tie a note to them saying- "We're the perfect Match!" and you've got a winner! At least in my book! Now all we need is some rain! ;-)
It's almost here! Yes, we are 23 days out until Valentine's Day!!! So, from now until Valentine's Day we will be offering some tips and fun to make the most of Valentine's Day 2015! No matter if you're off to the Empire State Building to meet Tom Hanks, or sitting down to watch Gable and Colbert fall in love, or even heading off to the carnival with Ryan Gosling- we are here for 23 days of love.
So here's our 1st tip! Take this link: http://days.to/valentines-day/2015 and make it your homepage for the next 23 days! Nothing will get you in the mood more and perhaps give a hint to that special someone that Valentine's Day is almost here! Once you do this you are ready for Tip 2!
Since that was relatively easy, we will give away Tip 2, just to get the ball rolling. Nothing says it better than a love note! I was recently reading the February issue of Country Living , yes I am a country girl at heart! In the section of "What Is It Worth?" I found a delightful idea. I had originally thought of this idea as well, due to a Hallmark Card- but that's beside the point! What's important is this reader from Georgia says, "My Boyfriend gave me this working typewriter- complete with a carrying case, manual and love note- on our first Valentine's Day." This is a fabulous idea boys, especially if your girl likes to write! Also, in the CL magazine there is a picture of one and it's pink!
It is to say the least very adorable! So if you are looking for something a little less rosy and better for the figure, why not a typewriter with a love note?! Or maybe you can do all three, after all, it is Valentine's Day! Oh btw, where can you get a pink typewriter? As always, Etsy my favorite online shopping spot- here's a link to help you find the write (get it?) one! Enjoy!
And if you want to see a typewriter in action at a wedding, check out the beginning of Xiaomi and Andrew's video:
When we were in Venice for a wedding, we had a great time walking around the streets of that amazing city! We finally processed a few of the photos and wanted to share them with you! If you are having a wedding in Venice and need a videographer, just contact us. The flight is pretty quick, and the water taxi from the airport to Venice is so easy :-)
A really nice HDR picture from the Dorsoduro area of Venice.
We really liked the smaller canals in the Cannaregio area. Just a few streets over from the main drag and vaporetto stops are hidden churches and people having dinner on their boats!
We were so happy to see that there is still room for backyards with gardens in the dense buildings on the islands.
Love the lighting in Venice. It glows everywhere.
Q and A with Patricia from BestManSpeechWriter.com
Today we are catching up with Patricia, the owner of Best Man Speech Writer. As one of our new trends for 2015, we wanted to start a dialogue with fellow industry professionals. This way we can bring thoughts, ideas and a little more fun to our blog so you can look to us not only as a Wedding Cinema site, but as a valuable resource. There are so many things going on in the preparation of a wedding day, and we wanted to spend more time focusing on those little things! So to start the New Year off right, we're going to talk about speech writing, specifically, Best Man Speech writing! Here’s our interview with Patricia:
Q: So Patricia, you’re living our fantasy - writing in New York! Specifically, you are writing Best Man toasts, how did this happen?
A: For once, I can actually blame my brother without getting into trouble! I’m kidding. But my brother is the inspiration behind my business because a few years ago, when it was his first time as best man, he reached out to me for help with his speech. Our collaboration went so well that we did this same song-and-dance number once again. It was after his second best man speech, when the DJ and wedding planner congratulated him on a job well done, that I realized the existing need for best man speech help and that I was pretty good at helping best men with their speeches. So, all thanks to my brother, the proverbial seed was planted in my mind and here we are.
Q: It’s been said that the best speeches are from the heart. We've been in the industry for bit of time now and have noticed that the best man usually does a killer job, in fact, their speeches are often the soundtrack of our films. So why should a best man want to hire you if that’s the case?
A: Best man speeches are, indeed, often used as part of a wedding film’s soundtrack which is why a great best man speech benefits not just the best man but also the clients of wedding cinematographers. And great best man speeches almost always come from the heart. But the problem for many of our clients is taking what's in their hearts and putting it into words. Add to that that the average best man will spend about 15 minutes to prepare for his 15 minutes of wedding fame and you have a recipe for disaster. We are speechwriters but in a lot of ways you can consider us interpreters. We take the stories, feelings, emotions, and everything else the best man shares with us and we help them to put it down on paper in a way that conveys the message they want to send. We recognize not every best man requires us in their corner. However, there are a great many others who would significantly benefit from our help and expertise. If a best man is unsure of whether or not he needs our help, we suggest that he asks himself certain questions. For instance, best men who are on the fence about hiring us should consider the following:
Have you spoken in front of a large crowd before?
Do you know with what, or how, to start your speech (often times the beginning of a best man's speech sets the tone for the entire speech)?
Is this your first time as best man?
Are you confident in your writing ability?
Do you think it would be helpful to have a professional speechwriter review your speech?
Regardless of the best man's answers to these questions or choice to retain our services, we're always rooting for the best man.
Q: Do you write the entire toast?
A: Yes. Typically we're hired to write a best man's entire toast from start to finish.
Q: If the best man has trouble writing a speech, wouldn't he also have trouble presenting it? You might be able to write a bang on speech, but what about on the big day, when the best man is alone in front of 200 people? Does your company provide coaching or any performance help?
A: Let me first say this: A good presentation/performance can make an average speech a good speech, but a bad speech will always be a bad speech regardless of the performance/presentation.
Stage fright is a valid concern for even the most confident best man and it can only be resolved through practice and coaching. Our services often include coaching (along with the great best man speech we've prepared, of course) and the main goal of our coaching sessions is for the best man to become comfortable with his speech and, therefore, be confident presenting it. The sessions involve the best man mock-presenting his speech to us and we coach him on what improvements, if any, are needed. Our advice is tailored specifically to each client and we make certain to arm them with the tools they need to deliver an exceptional best man speech. A list of some of the tips we share with our clients are available on our website here - please feel free to share with your clients and readers.
Q: How involved does the best man need to be? In our experience, the best man is pretty busy, so how does he find the time? Do you do it over the phone or email?
A: We require very little from our clients because we understand that they hire us for our expertise and to remove from their already-filled plates the task of writing their speech. Therefore, besides answering some questions, responding to follow-up questions when necessary, and practicing their speech with us, we ask for nothing else from the best man. In addition, so as not to disrupt their busy schedules, we communicate with them virtually - email, text message, Skype, FaceTime, telephone, etc. We believe these virtual methods of communication are less obtrusive and better suited time- and geography-wise for our clients.
Q: What has the general feedback been from your speeches and do you see professionally written speeches as an upcoming trend in weddings?
A: We've received positive feedback for the speeches we've written and wedding speech writing is still a fairly unknown service in the U.S. However, given how best man speeches have rapidly grown to become an integral part of receptions, I believe that our services will become a wedding industry staple. Furthermore, as more and more best men seek originality for their speech, they’ll look beyond Google for speech help and turn to us for a speech written especially for them.
We wanted to say a Big Thanks to Patricia for her time, we thoroughly enjoyed learning about her company and what she does to Capture the Story!
COMPANY: Best Man Speech Writer
Looking for the perfect white wedding dress for 2015? Well, wait a second, I said white right? How did that trend even manifest? In Victorian times, women just wore their “Sunday Best” dresses and that was that! It wasn’t until 1839 when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert that a new style was set. As you may have noticed this style has lasted more than 170+ years, leave it to the Brits! Queen Victoria’s dress was made of white satin and was trimmed with orange blossoms. The train was 18 feet long gals- I’m glad that that trend didn’t stick or we’d have a rather dull reception. Just imagine the time it would take to bustle that up- geesh! All in all the white gown was a hit and we are improving on the idea ever since!
If you haven’t found that perfect dress yet, fear not it’s out there for you! But in case yore getting desperate and before you fly off to Filene’s Basment in Boston- Oh wait they aren’t there anymore- maybe look to Pasadena! After all, it’s the city that starts the New Year off for everyone with their gorgeous Parade- why not look for a gorgeous dress there! I was filming a wedding with Sean Mason and he told me about his wife’s dress shop- the Ivory Boutique. I checked it out- a fun place! It’s at 803 Meridian Avenue, in South Pasadena. So go for it and maybe you’ll have you’re Steve Martin Father of the Bride moment- heheh. Gotta love Pasadena!
Hello Everyone! This Year we are starting a new trend! On our Blog we are going to start a chit chat about wedding fun. Every weekday we are going to have a post, the posts we write will offer meaningful ideas, products, suggestions and of course a lot of fun! We are Wedding Cinematographers, but also realize that there is a bigger picture here and we want to be a part of that. Maybe a DIY idea of ours will spark your interest or a joke will make you laugh, or maybe not! ;-) But we intend to roll with it and see what happens. Because, it is a New Year and Charles Lauren Films wants to continue to inspire, delight and excite you for years to come! So let’s begin!
We've always loved Pete Carroll - We knew him when he was just a little guy ;-) Congratulations Seahawks! Weddings are relevant everywhere, and no matter where you go!
