Venue: The Summit House. Fullerton.
Photographer: Aileen Secord Photography

Back at the Summit House in Fullerton for the second time this year. First time for a ceremony venue and we were amazed by the nice view it provided for this wedding. Our couple are from back East and we only got to know them through phone calls and e-mails, ’til this their wedding day, but we always thought they were a nice looking pair, very sweet too. Sure enough, we were right…quite a beautiful pair and they were just pleasant to work with. Congratulations Jennifer and Brian. Big props to the team of Aileen and second shooter, Jonathan, of Aileen Secord Photography for the beautiful stills. Do check it out in her blog, and here’s the Same Day Edit we showed at their reception.

Cinematography:
Mon Villacorta
Neil Rosales
Robert “Beebo” Benitez

Editing:
Mon Villacorta

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Venue: The Langham Huntington. Pasadena.
DJ: Eugene Macala

We’ve known Gessica since she was a baby. Making us feel ancient! Gel’s always been that sweet, adorable, witty, bright kid who topped her class every year, a pride to her Mom and Dad. The always polite, always delightful and cheerful, and of course, very beautiful girl we all called Gel is now 18 and is heading off to college (not far though, much to the delight of her parents).
In Filipino culture, when a girl turns 18, more often than not, a big lavish party is thrown for her to, sort of like, introduce her to society. This was what it’s all about, the debut of Gessica, now a woman and about to enter a new, exciting phase of her life as a young adult.
Thanks of course to the Mom and Dad, Ge & Che, for having us as part of this milestone in her life. I’m sure they would like to thank all their great family and friends from here and out of state, specially those from Hawaii and Jersey, who came to to celebrate with us. To the amazing DJ from San Jose, Eugene Macala, for bringing down the house (OH YEAH!)…. and to everyone who made this possible for our sweet Gel.
Unfortunately, the special video/same day edit we presented at the party is only for private viewing. If you know Gessica well enough, then you should know her Mom’s maiden name, which is the password to our video.

Happy 18th birthday again Gel and good luck with college!!

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Ceremony and Reception: Hyatt Newport Beach
Event Planner: Mele Amore Events
Photographer: Lauren Hillary
Band: Wayne Foster Entertainment

We feel so blessed to be a part of this very special event. Jessica and Chad’s wedding tops the chart in elegance and style. We were in awe as we entered the reception ballroom of the Hyatt in Newport Beach with the magnificent preparation and planning of one of OC’s premiere wedding planners, Mele Amore Events. The setting was just absolutely perfect for our lovely enamored couple. FUN and PARTY was the theme of the night, as our couple and their guests rocked the night away with awesome live performance from Wayne Foster and his band.

Cinematography
Mon Villacorta
Neil Rosales
Robert “Beebo” Benitez

Editing
Mon Villacorta

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Ceremony and Reception: The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel
Event Coordinator: Jessica Kaufman, Just Chic Events
Photographer: Sarah Rico
DJ: Ian Gotler, Red Shoe LA

When our bride sent us a list of possible songs to use for their Same Day Edit, I was excited to see one of my favorites on their list. While it was a list of five, I somehow knew already which one was on top of that list, “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain. And in my thought, it had to be the acoustic version…and definitely my own remixed one too. Though excited to work on the edit, this was one of the toughest to pull off. The ceremony finished late at almost 7pm with our SDE showing scheduled at 10:20pm. We managed to finish 20 minutes late…what?!!! Yes, 20 long minutes behind. But seeing our couple and their guests’ reaction after the showing was both a relief and comfort. They’re happy, we’re happy. Thank you Cristina and Roger for bearing with us. Yours was a beautiful celebration filled with beautiful people and a great atmosphere.

Again, we thank our jolly and beautiful couple, for putting their trust in us and the wonderful accommodation from their families. Lots of thanks to Jessi Kaufman of Just Chic Events. Also, very grateful to Gary of Swank Audio-Visual at The Ritz Carlton for being on the ball and for setting us up for our presentation.

It was a great evening of a beautiful union. Here’s Cristina and Roger’s Same Day Edit.

Cinematography:
Neil Rosales
Zara Villacorta
Mon Villacorta

Editing:
Mon Villacorta

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Ceremony: St. Denis Church. Diamond Bar
Reception: Westin Hotel. Costa Mesa
Photographer: Jason Zalameda
Event Coordinator: Serenity Events

“They look so young, and so beautiful..” Heard that a few times at the wedding and…true, very true! Aleli, in her lovely Vera Wang gown, and Randy, with his boyish good looks, made for a very charming couple. The church and reception venues were also very nice locations. St. Denis, though strict, is still a favorite. Big props to photographer Jason Z and his team, Jason Zalameda Photography, for picking a nice spot for our couple’s pictorials at the Santa Ana Train Station. Thanks to Caroline Cheng and Serenity Events for working patiently with all of us all day.

Here’s the couple’s Same Day Edit shown at the reception.

Cinematography:
Mon Villacorta
Neil Rosales
Robert “Beebo” Benitez

Editing:
Mon Villacorta

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Ceremony: St.Elizabeth Seton. Rowland Heights
Reception: The Summit House. Fullerton
Event Coordinator: Michelle Groom. Melle Amore Events
Photographer: Casey & Andrea Figlewicz. Figlewicz Photography
Make-up: Sharleen Carlos
DJ: John Villa. Dance Syndicate Entertainment

I know we’re a week late in posting this and I truly apologize, it’s been a real busy week. Specially to our couple (probably coming back from Costa Rica as I’m posting this) who’s two of the sweetest and most sincere people we have ever worked with. It was a great day with the remarkable coordination of Melle Amore Events, lead by one of our favorites, Michelle Groom. A nicely secluded La Habra Heights mansion was the location for our bride’s preparation. Photography was exceptionally handled by the husband and wife team of Casey and Andrea Figlewicz with first-rate make-up by Sharleen Carlos and crew. And not to forget, DJ John Villa’s mastery of bringing down the house with excellent hosting and control of the dance floor as our couple and their guests partied the night away at The Summit House in Fullerton.

Josah and Ronnie, we had a great time working with you both. From the making of your love story film to the actually wedding day. Thank you for your complete trust in us. We wish you the BEST and here’s your Same Day Edit again….

Cinematography:
Mon Villacorta
Neil Rosales
Robert “Beebo” Benitez

Editing:
Mon Villacorta

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Ceremony: Queen Of Angels Catholic Church. Riverside.
Reception: Green River Golf Club. Corona.
Photography: Jan Garcia Photography
Event Coordination/DJ: Shawn Vasquez

A nice day in the inland empire as we celebrated our beautiful couple’s heartfelt ceremony at the Queen of Angels in Riverside. Reception followed at the Green River Golf Club in Corona with the masterful coordination and hosting of DJ Sean Vasquez. Photography by the amazing Jan Garcia.

Here’s the highlights of Brenda and Albert’s wedding to the tune of their first dance song.

Cinematography:
Zara Villacorta
Robert Benitez
Mon Villacorta

Editing:
Mon Villacorta

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Ceremony and Reception: The Center Club. Costa Mesa, California
Photographer: Janet Wheeland. Wheeland Photography
Cinematographers: Zara Villacorta
Ralph Benitez

Lisa and Greg met in college 20 years ago and were re-connected through social networking. The couple’s ceremony and reception, held at The Center Club in Costa Mesa, was a very private and intimate celebration. Truly heartfelt.

We would like to thank the couple for giving us the opportunity to capture their special day and the wonderful staff of The Center Club, mainly Angie, Andrea, and Chris, for the wonderful accommodation and a great coordination. Also to the remarkable photography team of Janet Wheeland of Wheeland Photography.

Here’s the Same Day Edit shown at the reception..

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Ceremony: St. Joseph Church
Reception: Furiwa Restaurant
Photographer: Wai Reyes

We start off what will be a very busy 2011 wedding year with a sweet couple..Sharmilan and Patrick (Megz). Sweet families too, totally accommodating! Our groom, Megz, is an absolute photo buff with exceptional talent. I would seriously love to put a link to some of this guy’s work, and I probably will if he lets me…will ask so stay tuned. When your groom is an avid photographer, you can expect that a lot of his friends will be one too. And sure enough, most of guests were. I have never seen so much DSLRs in a wedding.. professional camcorders too! I will surely be checking the couple’s facebook pages all week for posts of their friend’s pictures and video.
Sharm is a lovely nurse and our bride that holds the record for the longest veil! Fabulously complimenting her gorgeous gown. Not to mention her beautiful bridesmaids and flower girls. Working alongside virtuoso photographer, Wai Reyes, was also a treat. And of course, special thanks again to our team of Neil Rosales and Beebo Benitez.

This was absolutely a delightful wedding to start of our year! Thanks for having us Megz and Sharm.

Here’s the Same Day Edit video shown at the reception.

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Ceremony: St.Vincent de Paul. Los Angeles
Photographer: Lito Sy
Event Coordinator: Uyen Nguyen, Sassy Girl Weddings and Events

Now our favorite Catholic ceremony venue in busy downtown LA. St. Vincent de Paul Church was simply beautiful! Loved the long aisle, ambience, and character of this 1920′s built church. It was also the location for scenes in the Schwarzenegger movie “End Of Days” and Keanu Reeve’s “Constantine”. As for us, it was the scene for one of our more dramatic bridal walk ever. We just can’t wait to edit the final sequence of it…but for the meantime, you’ll see what we’re talking about in the Same Day Edit made specially for the lovely couple Pauline and Mike.
Special thanks to Ms. Uyen Nguyen of Sassy Girl Weddings and Events for organizing the day and to the team of renowned wedding photographer Lito Sy. Big thanks to Neil Rosales for the amazing Steadicam/DSLR shots and Beebo Benitez for the solid second shooting.

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Ceremony and Reception: Paradise Point. San Diego, California
Photographers: Deberriz Photography
Event Coordinator: Ann Strobel, Ann’s Plans
Hair & Make-up: Marlou Colina

A new chapter in Char and LA Dep. Andy’s beautiful love story. We did a love story video for the couple and were charmed by their romance. The wedding day itself also had a very special vibe. It was cloudy, with a slight drizzle…but absolutely perfect for the Hawaiian tropical feel that the couple wanted to convey when they chose to have their exchange of vows at this enchanting place called the Paradise Point in the heart San Diego, right across Sea World. Yes, it felt somewhat like actually being in Hawaii. We heard that was the couple’s original plan but decided to just have that Hawaiian wedding ambience to make it more accessible for their guests. We have to say, they did a great job in bringing the Islands to the Mainland. Aloha!

Again, it was another great shooting experience for our team. The Same Day Edit was really tight with the 5:30pm ceremony, but we managed to pull it off. Special thanks to our exceptional team of Robert, Ralph, and Zara <3. Compliments to the excellent coordination of wedding specialist Ms. Ann Stobel of Ann’s Plans and to the artistry of Marlou Colina for making our beautiful bride even more stunning. And of course, the always poised and totally amazing team of Zal and Linette of Deberriz Photography for the awesome stills!

Here’s their Same Day Edit video shown at the reception..mahalo!

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Ceremony: St.Pious Church. Buena Park
Reception: Orange Hill
Event Coordinator: Mele Amore
Photographer: Mark Brooke Photographers
DJ: John Villa, Dance Syndicate Entertainment

We’ve been blessed with some of the best grooms a wedding cinematographer can wish for this year. Don’t get me wrong, our brides are just as awesome, but our grooms gave us some of our best footages (or at least my most favorite ones to date). Why? They CRIED, or most of them did. Hey, I did too when I got married=), that’s LOVE…
Franco is your real sensitive, romantic guy. I saw that in our first meeting and thought this guy’s the real deal. He was more into the planning than his bride, and Abby is just the sweetest thing…that it brings out the best in her man.
Our couple’s very nice ceremony took place at the St.Pious Church and a lovely reception dinner with a breathtaking view of Orange County atop Orange Hills followed after. This was a night to remember with the wonderful coordination of Michelle Groom and her Team of Mele Amore. Photography by Candice and team of Mark Brooke Photographers. And again, thanks to my awesome team of the Benitez brothers, Beebo and Ralph.
Here’s their Same Day Edit.

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Ceremony and Reception: The Alumni House. University of Redlands

Hidden in the University of Redlands campus, the Alumni House was a gem, as our couple had described it. The weather was a bit on the warm side, but absolutely perfect for Mabel and Franks special day.
We just love it when couples write their own vows! Gives a wedding that personal touch, that’s why we decided to finish off the Same Day Edit with that. The choice of song was a last minute thing, actually did a small poll on Facebook on the morning of the day to decide what to use. And by popular demand, it had to be Filipino-Puerto Rican Bruno Mar’s latest hit. Worked well for our Hispanic-Filipino event. The words also fitted well with our beautiful bride.
To Mabel and Frank, thanks to you both and your family and friends for making us feel very much at home and most specially to the maid-of honor, Roxanne. You rock!

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Ceremony and Location: The Center Club. Costa Mesa, California
Photographer: Stephen Cheng

Our couple started getting ready at 3:30pm, ceremony at 05:15pm, first dance at 07:30pm. I’ve seen some pretty tight wedding time line but this one tops ‘em all! Oh, and the SDE presentation at 09:30pm. First time we ran 2 MacBook Pros for an SDE! Got it done @ 09:35pm.

We don’t normally do this and always ask our couples to give us enough time to do a Same Day Edit for them. But, this couple is very, very special to us. We had a great opportunity of witnessing Norma and Christian’s beautiful love story. We’ve only known them for more than 20 years okay. Now, they even gave us the privilege of capturing their union. Thank you very much for that Boguy and Christian..Your time line almost gave me a heart attack, but we loved every single minute of your DAY!! Zara loved being a bridesmaid again too!

Kudos to our awesome team of the Benitez brothers, Ralph and Beebo.

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Ceremony and Reception : Our Lady of Angels Cathedral. Los Angeles
Cinematographers :
Mon Villacorta
Neil Rosales
Robert “Beebo” Benitez

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A Bay Area wedding…

Ceremony : Santa Maria Church. Orinda, California
Reception : Mira Vista Golf & Country Club. El Cerrito, California
Photographer : Alfred + Emma Salom
Event Planner : Joanna Pattugalan
Hair and Make-up : Wowpretty Jira
DJ : Eugene Macala
Song : “I’d Rather Be With You” by Josh Radin

Working with this couple was an absolute blast! Totally made my trip to the Bay Area a very fulfilling experience.
Mike’s a huge toy collector and that he actually had one of his Star Wars action figures help him propose to Angeli, was just too cute not to mention.
Angeli considers Mike as a “gift”, a birthday gift. They met at a dinner with friends nine years ago celebrating her birthday and the rest is history.
(see the couple’s full story here)
We would like to thank all the vendors who made Angeli and Mike’s special day a very memorable one. The super creative photography team of Emma and Alfred Salom ( yes! it’s Emma first! jk..mr.ASP ), event coordinator Joanna Pattugalan, DJ Eugene Macala, make-up artist Jira and crew of Wowpretty Jira, and the guys who helped me shoot the day, Bay Area event filmmakers Ryan Sarmiento and Nelson Nunez.

SPECIAL THANKS to the bride and groom’s family and friends for the warmest accommodation. You made us all feel like we’re family!!!

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Ceremony and Reception : The Park Plaza Hotel. Los Angeles, California
Photographer : Aileen Secord Photography

An intimate wedding of a Hong Kong based couple at the historic Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. She’s a model and he’s a finance executive. The ceremony was officiated by the father of the groom and stills were captured by Aileen Secord with second shooter Jonathan Ruiz. A TV crew from TLC was also filming the wedding for a new reality TV show…=)

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Ceremony : Precious Blood Catholic Church. Los Angeles
Reception : USC Town and Gown Hall
Photographer : Desi Baytan Photography
Planner : Leomar Jimenez
Song : “I Will” by The Beatles

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Ceremony : Holy Family Catholic Church. Artesia, California
Reception : Electra Cruises. Newport Beach, California
Photographer : Desi Baytan Photography
Make-up : Marlou Colina
Florist : Erin Abolencia

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A wedding that we shot in Las Vegas on October 23rd was featured in the November 14 weekend issue of the US Filipino newspaper “Balita”. The marriage of former Philippine actress Bunny Paras, Saira Velasco Pribhdas in real life, to Tom Greenway was billed as “Balita’s Wedding Of The Year” on a full-page spread in the tabloid!

See video highlights of their wedding in our previous posts!

Photos by John Mateos Ong.

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