Hey there! So you found the most interesting page on my site. This is my recent Oahu wedding, Hawaii wedding page. Honestly, it's a blog. The story behind this blog, well, it started out purely about Hawaii weddings, then it evolved into everything and "all of the above." Basically, ITS MY THOUGHTS!! So I write about anything on here. I updated this blog quite frequently. You can learn more about me, my quirks, my style here. And of course, you'll get wedding tips as well.
Call me if you want to make me richer..I mean, book my services! 1-877-WED-IN-HAWAII or email me at info@dreamweddingshawaii.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Just finished watching 2012, the movie
Director Roland Emmerich again shows us how to waste 100 million dollars MOVIE REVIEW: 2012 Entertaining but stupid
I finally got to see 2012 and all I have to say is that I'm glad that I didn't buy this DVD, and I'm glad I didn't waste ten dollars to see it in the movie theater. 2012 is a movie directed by Roland Emmerich, the man who brought us great movies such as Independence Day, The Patriot, and Stargate; three really great movies. Unfortunately, Emmerich also brought us awesome computer generated flops such as Godzilla, 10,000 BC, Eight Legged Freaks, The Day After Tomorrow. Funny observation here, but is it just me or does this guy have some sick fascination with destroying the earth?
It's not that I didn't enjoy 2012, because I thought overall, the movie was entertaining. But there were so many stupid parts in here, that got your head turning and mouth yelling "REALLY?!!!!" One part that really got me yelling was during the finale of the movie where the ships motors wouldn't work until the bay doors were fully closed. Now if I'm not mistaken, you can fly an airplane with it's doors open, you can pilot a boat with it's doors open, hey you can even drive a car with the doors open. But you can't pilot a multi-billion dollar boat with it's doors open? Come on...Really?!!!
I just wish movie directors and screenwriters, especially for these high-effect-big-budget-movies, would just do a little homework and come up with a better reason for suspension. I mean, just do a little research, to make it believable.
I also didn't really care for the love monologues that happened right before the final action sequence. Why do directors do this? It's completely unrealistic. Do you remember the Lord of the Rings and when those stupid Hobbits kept bringing up "The Shire" every time they got into the a near death fight.
"Mr. Frotto, lets talk about the Shire..." the fat Hobbit would say DURING THE ACTION, then they'd flash back to the Shire for 18 hours and you fall asleep and wake up the next day.
Who cares about the frigging Shire, I know it's awesome, but geez...just throw the damn ring into the volcano already! Same-same with 2012. You're yelling at the "hero" as the ship is filling with water, and he's busy there professing his love for his ex-wife for a good 3 minutes. Hello? The ship is going down! Geez....
This should have been the movie of the year
District 9 is my pick for the movie of the year. It blows away "The Smurfs" a.k.a. Avatar. It's a lot more powerful than the Hurt Locker. District 9 gives us a rather realistic point of view of what may happen of aliens were to land on earth. I don't want to give away any parts of the movie, but lets just say it's good.
NOW THIS WAS A GREAT MOVIE
I also just saw "How to Train a Dragon" tonight in 3D. I have to say, the 3D was much better than Avatar. More so, the story was much more original and honest. The directors did their homework here. The fight scenes were great, and the ending...well, there's a surprise there that you think is honest for a children's movie.
Now I know that you're probably thinking I'm being a bit too harsh on 2012, or Lord of the Rings, or Avatar, and maybe some of that has to do with me being a former screenwriter. But I am not that much a hard grader when it comes to movies. I realize movies are fictional, but with that being said, there's a way to navigate the fictional world to make it believable. Take for example, Ghostbusters. Fake, but hey, the director makes a very believable argument for it to be realistic. Back to the Future, again...was there any part in the movie where you uttered "Yeah right?" or "Shut up and do your job?"
"HOW ARE THOSE SHOES?" ...Gina emailed to Michael Don't you love great love stories?
Okay, I'm going to put myself out a limb here, but I have to confess something. I enjoy romantic comedies, chick flicks, and teeny-bopper feel good movies. I know it may sound rather fruity, especially to all my friends out there, but what can I say? With that being said, I think learning of how wedding couples met and fell in love keeps my job interesting and fun.
So in steps my couple of the hour, Michael and Gina. A couple whose story began at the shoe store, of all places. Yes, you read that correctly, the shoe store. Now I'm not sure what you're thinking, but I never thought of a shoe store as a place to meet women. That is of course, until now.
I'll let Gina take it from here:
"Michael and I met in 2002 at Bass Shoe Store in Upstate NY. I was working there part time while going to college. He came in and asked for some help picking out some dress shoes. After picking out some shoes for him, he preceded to keep my attention by asking for help picking out a golf outfit. All in all, I probably spent an hour with him…that is what I call customer service. As I was checking him out at the counter, he was filling out the “how are we doing” card. Upon completion of the sale, he handed me the card and left. I looked at the card and saw that he put his name, email, and phone number. I did not quite know what to do with this, I was not looking for a relationship at that time. Two weeks later, I was sitting at home and decided to email him. The email was a simple “How are the shoes”. He responded immediately and we set a date night for the upcoming Saturday.
Our first date was not what you would expect. Michael took me to a Barber Shop Cortet, where his best friend’s father was playing at a local high school. It was weird, but fun. From then on, we just continued to hang out…not getting really serious until 2004.
Michael and I had built a relationship that many envy over the years. I can easily say we are the best of friends. Many would ask us, why we were not yet married, being together for 8 years…to some it was not normal to not make that next step. Our response simply was, why change a good thing…our relationship just worked. That was hard for some to understand.
Then eight years later we decided to change the rules and he proposed!
We were engaged on 18 July 2009. My job has me traveling a lot and I was sent to Alaska for 6 weeks. Upon my return, Michael set up a sunset picnic at our favorite spot at the Ko’Olina, the Hidden Cove. This is where he proposed. I was not expecting this, so it was a wonderful surprise. "
Hey that looks like fun
"We set a wedding date for June 2010. In December 2009, I was asked to relocate to San Antonio, TX from Hawaii. It was an opportunity I could not pass up. So, we thought we would have to post-pone the wedding, which we actually did. We were set to leave the island on 14 February 2010. Late January, Michael and I were talking about what we have yet to do before we leave the island. That was when we decided to just get married. We contacted Steve and set the new date for 6 February 2010…it was the best decision we ever made. There are so many people that dream of having their wedding in Hawaii…we had the opportunity to do so and we took it.
--Gina--"
The storm clouds moved in right around sunset, but the shot was still great
One thing I forgot to ask is where on the beach did Michael propose?
Gina blinked in the original picture. A quick computer touch-up solved everything.
Comment about Michael's watch...very nice.
And they lived happily ever after...
Okay, this blog of course, is not over. I can't finish this blog without putting my two cents in about Michael and Gina. Isn't their love story cool? I mean, the odds of finding love are extremely low to begin with. But in a shoe store? This is one to remember. I have to say though that Michael was pretty smooth in slipping his phone number to Gina.
One more comment here before I go. I wish both of Michael and Gina my very best as they both take on new opportunities away from the islands. Gina is a military contractor and Michael will be coaching football at a new school....exciting to say the least. Stay cool you two, but more so, never forget to keep dating each other so you can keep that love you found at the shoe store...alive.
MY TWO CENTS ON THE HEALTHCARE BILL Taking a break from wedding blogging
I'll come out and say it. I'm not a fan of Obama's Healthcare plan. My stomach literally sank when I learned that the Senate passed the bill. Now, it's official. Obamacare has arrived, and I feel that we are all in trouble.
Before I start my rant on this bill, let me just state that I realize that there are many problems associated with the health insurance industry. Out of all the bills I pay in my life, I hate paying my health insurance the most as I usually don't take advantage of it. I pay a pretty penny per month, and I have at the time, zero health problems. But I never know what can happen, especially since I mountain bike, play football, and do a lot of extreme sports. Do I want to pay more for health insurance? Hell no. Do I want the price of insurance to come down? Hell yes. I want it to come WAY DOWN. So as you can see, I am all in favor of health insurance reform and getting prices lower for everyone.
I also believe that there is a problem with insurance companies dropping individuals when those individuals health and age are in question.
Fixing our health insurance industry doesn't require a politician or a degree in rocket science. In fact, there are just two simple things Obama could do to fix this problem:
He could sign a bill that would allow inter-state, even inter-country, purchasing of health insurance plans. By opening up the free market, there is no doubt that insurance companies will pop up throughout our entire country. You may have a company that specializes in health insurance for college students, pregnant women, those with cancer in their 60's, etc...etc... At the moment, there is no free market system in the insurance industry. This is why prices are so high.
He could sign a bill that would include tort reform. Tort reform would cap lawyers from suing doctors and surgeons into the stone-ages for making a mistake.
The Obama healthcare bill does not do apply any of these common sense changes that would likely lead to fix the health insurance industry. In fact, his plan does the opposite, and does everything to burden the U.S. economy and the small business man.
Under this new law, I will have to pay a "Cadillac Tax" of around 40% just because I can afford my health insurance plan. I personally have two options to cover this loss of income. I can either downgrade my insurance plan to a cheaper one, or I can raise the prices of my wedding packages. I ask, is this fair? Now I'm not rich, I'm middle-class.
Under this new law, citizens of the United States will also be required to purchase health insurance from a private company. Never before in the history of the United States has the government forced anyone to purchase a service or product. Supporters of the bill compare this law to the mandatory purchase of car insurance when you buy a car. But car insurance is not a mandatory purchase of any citizen. If you don't want to pay for insurance, you simply don't buy a car and ride the bus. Now, Americans will be fined up to $2000 by the IRS for not purchasing insurance. I ask, is this fair?
The true cost of Obamacare can be seen not through the cost of the bill, but more so, through the destructive tidal waves it will carry throughout the American economy for decades to come. American companies are literally coming out by the hour, telling their employees that this bill will increase their overhead by millions, and even...billions, and will also decrease their health benefits. These companies will either raise the cost of their services, or lay off workers, or they may do both.
The healthcare bill totaled over 1000 pages, creating literally a maze of new taxes and kickbacks only a lawyer would understand. Healthcare reform should have never been this complicated...
To make things worse for our economy, Obama and Congress, are now focused on pushing through a cap and trade tax program, in the same forceful way as they did with their healthcare bill, in an attempt to stop the earth from warming. Cap and trade is a complete b.s. tax program where you will literally buy the air from your neighbor or friend, so you do your part, to stop the world from warming. This tax will literally kill the economy. For your wedding, you will now be charged a carbon tax for every guest. If you have a bbq pit at your reception, yup...you'll pay a carbon tax. I can go on and on. This tax will most likely increase your budget by at least 20%, if not more. Ughh....
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Obama ran on the notion that he was working for the middle class American. But since taking the reigns of the United States, he has done nothing to help middle class America. To date, he has given billions to Fortune 500 companies that he deemed to big to fail. He took over AIG, Mortgage Companies, Car manufactures, and Banks. He does blow his own horn and tout that he gave tax cuts to 90% of America, which laughably averages out to $15 per middle class American. Last I heard, AIG got billions of your tax dollars.
Times are going to get tough, is all I have to say. Right now, I fear, these will be the good times. If you must travel, do it now. If you want to get married in Hawaii, truly, do it now before these taxes kick in. Save your money as much as you can, and have at least a 6 month reserve just in case everything hits the fan. I'm serious here. If Obama gets his full agenda in motion, we are all in trouble.
So surprise surprise, today is my birthday. I turn 33 years old today...or that I "turned" 33 years old today. For my birthday, I'm not doing much. I'm actually cooking a prime-rib for myself, family, and a few friends. I do make a killer prime-rib by the way.
Other than being my birthday, did you know that today is:
Quentin Tarentino's birthday! - Oh yay....not really a big fan of his.
Mariah Carey's birthday! - Doesn't her talking voice sound like Scooby-Doo?
The day Viagra got approved by the FDA - Not going to need that anytime soon.
Today is "National Fly a Kite" day - I always knew there was a reason why women told me to go fly a kite.
Today, Rodney Dangerfield was honored with the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - I get no respect...no respect!
Dudley Moore died on this day - Now he was a funny comedian.
This week is "Egg Salad Week" - Doesn't egg salad look like puke.
In 1997 39 cult members committed suicide on this day - that's crazy
Rush Limbaugh married his 3rd wife on my b-day - Really...only 3?
U.S. Navy was formed on this day - awesome...
New Kid, Donnie Wahlberg, was arrested on arson charges in Kentucky - hahahaha.... I knew those New Kids were always up to no good.
All I have to say that this week has been a busy and hectic week. Not so much with weddings, but more back-end business stuff. I'm just happy this week is over, and I can ring in my birthday in peace...
I'll talk to you all soon. By the way everyone, thanks for all the birthday wishes! This old man is going to need it!
Hey, just letting you all know that I've been resting my brain a bit so I laid off on the blogging this Monday and Tuesday. I had weddings almost every single day last week, and I had to unwind for a few days. I'm still working, just not blogging in depth about weddings at the moment.
I'm going to blog tomorrow about choosing wedding locations, as I think that's a common question that all of you have.
So how have I been relaxing a bit? Playing video games, and practicing some football down at the park with my team. I won't be able to play this year, but hopefully next year, I'll be ready to go. I'm just too busy this year with work that I can't do it. Anyway, I better get some shut eye...talked to you soon!
Jesse James, cheated on Sandra Bullock A LITTLE BIT ON CHEATING Ugh...
For as long as I can remember, I've always have been disgusted by those who cheat. Cheaters of course, come in all shapes and sizes. From the kid who cheated on his history test, to the celebrity who cheated on his beautiful wife, to the business partner who embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from his long time friend. Their lack of having a moral standard paints them as the lowest common denominator in society, in my non-humble opinion.
So the latest headlines is that Jesse James, husband to Sandra Bullock, cheated on her and his kids, and hurt Sandra so much, that she couldn't attend the promotional tour of her movie "The Blind Side," in Europe. Of course, James did what you'd expect any celebrity would do in this situation. He called his agent, then called a press conference. This press conference, even though it included a public apology to Sandra and his kids, truly had nothing to do with them but everything to do with holding onto his existing endorsement deals and entertainment contracts. The next obvious celebrity-step for James is for him to check himself into some type of therapy. Two weeks of therapy, he'll be good as new right? Worked for all the other celebs, why not for him.
Hey look, another press conference
We all know that cheating is not limited to celebrities. Why, we all personally know family, friends, teachers, and even pastors who tow the company line of immorality. And, we've all been victims as well. Personally, I had friends who stole money from me; family members who snatched my credit card from me, and I even had a few wedding couples who walked out from paying their entire bill with me!
I've always asked myself, "What motivates a cheater, a swindler, a trickster, to act? And moreover, how can I spot one?" I'm still trying to figure out that answer.
Cheating politicians
Now I'm sure this a very sensitive subject for many of my clients, brides and grooms. But I'm sure you asked yourself at one time or another, "Is this a man or woman, a person who will stay committed exclusively to me, like I will be to them?" And I'm 100% sure that you answered "Yes, he or she is that person." But don't all wedding couples begin their life together with that mentality?
How can a couple go from loving each other, to cheating on each other in the future, whether near or far? And is there anything a couple can do to make sure that this doesn't happen?
Well, I'll give you the plain straight up answer: Yes, there is something you can do, and the solution is quite simple. If you want your marriage to last, you need to keep dating your spouse even after you marry.
Bernie Madoff, swindled billions with no remorse
"Huh? Dating Steve? What do you mean?"
Well, I mean exactly what it sounds like. Date your spouse! I hear this from Dr. Laura all the time, and it makes complete sense. A wife should be their husband's girlfriend and a husband, should be their wife's boyfriend. I want you to remember when you first started dating. The effort you went through to romance each other. You did this because you didn't take your love for granted.
Don't take your love granted, even after your married. Date, romance, laugh...there always will be competition out there, and you should always know that you have to fight for your partners love. Now you don't have to fight a lot because you have a great home field advantage. You just need to try...because in the marriage arena, effort counts as a win. I don't want to dive further into this answer because I am not an expert. But I do recommend that you pick any of Dr. Laura's books for the in-depth solution to keeping marriage healthy.
Dr. Laura, the relationship guru, best sums up the "Proper and Feeding Care of Marriage" in this video:
This simple answer though, does not apply to jerks. So in Tiger's case, it wouldn't help that situation. He was cheating on his wife at his bachelor party, he never committed to her in the first place. He conned her.
Is a cheater always a cheater? I don't think so. People can change, for the better or for worse. Tiger can change. But that's not the point. Trust is the point. Can Tiger's wife ever trust him again? Only time will tell.
Well, I'm outta here. See...I blog about anything. I'm not afraid to attack any subject on here!
AN ALL-OUT VOW RENEWAL Michelle finally gets the wedding of her dreams
For Michelle and Jobe, it all started at the mall one day. Jobe, then a young man, was with his friends cruising through the mall when he spotted Michelle from a distance. Instantly, he was moonstruck. In fact, Jobe had been stuck so hard by the moon, his jaw and body failed to make a move on her. Was he paralyzed by fear? Paralyzed by her stunning looks? Or did he forget where he put his wallet? Whatever the reason, Jobe's future was in danger. Luckily, his friend, possibly...a friend from the future, possibly...the owner of a DeLorean, (and possibly...his unborn son?) took the initiative to get Michelle's phone number for him, for he knew Jobe and Michelle would get married... Wait a minute...did I just plagiarize Back to the Future? Holy Batman, I'm gonna get sued.
Days passed and the paralyzing affects from Michelle's smile wore off, so Jobe finally gave his future a call. And after warming up to her with a handful of great conversations, the two unknowingly destined souls decided to meet at Tower Records. As if love were a blind joke, Michelle and Jobe passed each other in the record store as they forgot how each other looked. It took just a few simple rings on the cell phone to find out who was who.
From there, the rest was history.
The sepia look gives it a rustic look doesn't it.
I saw a pose like this in an old western magazine before. Or was it in Back to the Future III?
Walking shots, old fashion style.
Michelle and Jobe soon tied the knot there after. She had always dreamed of having a fancy wedding with great wedding photos, but budget restraints forced her to put those dreams on hold. Plus, I wasn't in business then. I was a screenwriter. If I were in business, I'm betting she would have hired me then too.
Time passed and I opened Dream Weddings Hawaii. On Michelle's side, time passed, and three kids later, those dreams came true when they renewed their vows at Queen Emma's Summer Palace and called me to deliver the goods.
Queen Emma's Summer Palace
About an hour before their ceremony was to start, the rain started to pour and a decision was made to hold the vow renewal under the tent. I take complete responsibility for this as I had performed my usual ritual sun dance, wrong, the day before their vow renewal. But as the time drew near their ceremony start time, the rain stopped, and the muddy weather disappeared. Everyone quickly helped move the chairs back, and the ceremony was held outdoors as originally planned.
More kissing at the Summer Palace
Queen Emma's Summer Palace is exactly what the title says it is. It was the summer retreat for the wife of King Kamehameha the Fourth. More information on this site can be found by clicking here. The location is quite photogenic, and perfect for small receptions. Most of all, it's extremely affordable. On a side-note, every wonder how Queen Emma looked? Click here She's uhh.... I guess money made one more attractive back then?
Even though this was a vow-renewal for Michelle and Jobe, they put the pedal to the metal and went all out. For them, this was the fancy wedding they never had. Here is their wedding video in all it's glory. It's one camera coverage, un-edited:
Michelle and Jobe booked the patriot package with me, which consist of digital photography. She did want to go with eloping package (film photography) but to keep the budget under control they went digital. The pictures though, still came out great. From a photographer's standpoint, it was a challenge to truly get clean shots here as there were a small amount of tourist walking around in the background. If you noticed, I did a lot of sepia shots because their attire fit the historical backdrop.
Hey look, a color shot!
There's not much more than I can add other than saying I wish my very best to Michelle and Jobe. Destiny. It's funny how it works... A regular trip to the mall can truly change ones life forever.
I'm going to go deep here for a moment.
Think with me here. If I were to take a sample of all of my wedding couples, I can tell you that every love story I hear is so unique, so mathematically impossible, that you would think that falling in love, finding the one, would be just as difficult as winning the lottery. But it happens every single day in our world. Someone, somewhere is finding the one...that's how I stay in business. Now, people don't win the powerball everyday, so how can people find "the one" everyday. Well...it just goes to show me, that destiny truly isn't a game of chance or mere coincidences. It's driven by something that we can't explain.
Now personally, this is where I think the hand of God comes into play. But that's purely my opinion. Just something to think about.
Brenda and Rob making it legal, their blog...coming soon!
FURLOUGH FRIDAYS How local over spending in Hawaii affects your wedding
Let me put it to you bluntly. Our state is broke, our city and county is broke, and the outlook doesn't look good. Here in Hawaii, we got word this past week that our tax income returns will be delayed a few months. So this means, like California, Hawaii residents will most likely be issued I.O.U.'s instead of a check. NICE. How did we get in this mess? Well, to the politician, it's rocket science, to you and me, it's common sense. The State of Hawaii simply spent and borrowed too much. It's insane to see how out-of-shape old sacks in government mirrored the spending habits of a teenager with their first high-limit credit card, but that's exactly what happened.
Primarily, the finger can be pointed toward the legislative branch of the State of Hawaii, as they created the out-of-control budget. They literally flung the numbers onto our governors desk and said, "Fix it, we're broke." Since the Governor is incapable of controlling the budget, the only thing she, Linda Lingle, could do was force the state to take Fridays off. Her decision affected schools, state offices, including the Department of Health.
Kids, used as pawns to protest furlough Fridays.
The Department of Health is primarily the main office where you will get your marriage license from. Now, at first glance, you would think that furlough Friday's would greatly affect your ability to apply for a marriage license on Fridays. Well, relax, it doesn't. Although the Department of Health is closed on Fridays, this means that you just have to your marriage license from independent wedding agents on Fridays.
When you get your license from an independent wedding agent, the entire process is the same. You'll need $60 in cash, an official means of identification (driver's license), and that's it! The only difference between getting your license from an wedding agent vs. the Department of Health, is the location. Instead of heading to the Dept. of Health, you'll be heading to the agents house. And just to add, these agents work at nights, holidays, weekdays, you name it.
So relax my brides. There's no need to lose sleep over government stupidity....yet...haha.
I do have those independent wedding agents phone numbers, but won't post them on the internet for obvious reasons. IT'S THE INTERNET! HAHA.... I those numbers to you by default when you book with me :)
My two cents on this entire furlough Friday fiasco. I honestly don't see it getting better. I wouldn't be surprised if another day were added to the rotation. Government waste is still very rampant here. Why, just the other week, yet another blatant "stimulus" road construction project was created down the street from were I live. They are adding "calming circles" to stop racers from drifting through that street. The cost of the project, $100,000. Have there been any instances of racers drifting through these street? Nope...none. There are no skid marks, and the road there is too rough to drift on. The real reason for the project is simply to create jobs. Although, they are only creating jobs for a month for union members. $100,000 could supply year long jobs to at least two individuals right?
I also find it rather funny that the legislature is pointing their finger at our governor. This is equivalent of a teenager running up some outrageous credit card debt and then blaming their parents for not having the responsibility to keep an eye on them. It's just frustrating to say the least!
With that being said. I'm outta here. Remember brides, even if we added another day to the furlough, it will not affect your ability to get a marriage license.
I NEED TO GO SLEEP...HAHA What am I doing up at 3:33am?
If you are a regular follower of my blog, you probably know by now that I am an aspiring night-owl. I love the night, I do most my work at night, and it's been this way for quite awhile. I say I am an aspiring night-owl because I don't think I truly am one. See, since I don't have a regular job, I just work when I need too, and that could be at any time. I like to call it, TIME-ZONE COMPLEX.
My crazy working habit leads me to work later and later as each day passes by. Each day, I work a little later into the night. Days past, and I'm working a little later into the morning. Weeks pass, and I actually have a regular sleeping schedule and I become a person who wakes up early in the morning! Technically, I'm giving myself jet lag without even leaving Hawaii.
What has been keeping me up lately? Well, I've had a lot of inquiries, not to mention, funeral slideshows to get done, on top of my usual busy wedding schedule. Plus, my computer crashed, and the process of reinstalling everything has been a headache. You throw in football practice, working out, and video games, well...why isn't there 48 hrs in a day right?
So, here's the update before I hit the sack. I think I'm going full HD video delivery by the summer. When my computer crashed, I upgrade my editing software to handle HD editing. I'll also be purchasing a Blue-Ray disc burner. Camera wise though, I'm waiting a bit. As of now, I have my eye on the amazing HDC-TM3000. The quality is amazing, and it's portability is a plus. This camera comes pretty darn close to rivaling the Canon 7D in quality. To me, this camera is better than the Canon 7D because it can shoot for longer than 12 minutes at a time.
I'm also thinking about purchasing a fish-eye lens for these cameras and for my film camera. I just want to add a little more variety to my shots.
That's basically my update for today. I have some interesting topics to talk about this weekend. So if you have time, stop on by to read my blog.
FROM THE LAND DOWN UNDER TO THE ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE The Hawaii Wedding of AJ and Kylie
I'm betting a million dollars that you have figured out that love works in mysterious ways. I'd like to read a quote from the famous retard Tom Hanks. "Life is like box of chocolates, you never now what you're going to get." Well, love is also a lot like that chocolate box isn't it. You really never know whose going to steal your heart...and in my case, my heart and wallet (but that's for another topic)
Hey, you've seen this shot before!
So AJ and Kylie, my couple of the hour, met at the most romantic place in the world, the gym. AJ had it bad for Kylie, as she was a looker. Kylie on the other hand, like most women, was very cautious. But persistence paid off for AJ, as after a year, she warmed up to him and the rest was history. AJ got his chocolate.
I promise, Kylie and AJ insisted on a digi pic of them and my truck.
Since my couple didn't have a car to head to Ko'olina I offered them a ride in my ultra safe, TOYOTA. Till today, it has yet to kill me (knock on wood). They accepted my offer and I picked them up from their hotel and headed west! I don't pick up my couples regularly. For the most part, I tell my couples to rent a car and to navigate their own way down to the beach. Of course, I give all my brides very easy to follow directions to my wedding locations. The only difficult part of the trip is the area where you have to hit 88.8 mph with your dodge neon and generate 1.2 JIGGAWATTS to be transported back into 1985, while on the way to Ko'olina.
All joking aside, it was a pleasure to play limo driver to AJ and Kylie. We talked about everything under the sun, from finances, to rugby, to my Philadelphia Eagles. See, my Eagles have something in common with rugby. Our punter, Sav Rocca, is a very famous rugby player.
Their wedding...
A long time coming
Ditto.
I now pronounce you husband and wife and you may kiss your bride!
The wedding for AJ and Kylie went perfect as planned. Elias performed his usual awesome Hawaiian ceremony, and me, well I did my thing with the camera. Now that I think about it, photography is a lot like a box of chocolates. Every picture that I take outdoors is different from the last. And honestly, you really never know 100% what you're going to get. (Man, that retard Tom Hanks has some great lines doesn't he?)
I want you to take a look at the following pictures. One sign of a professional photographer or videographer, is their ability to recognize photographic opportunities when it hits them i the face. Any location can have literally hundreds of different photo opportunities. There are, of course, some better than others, and some that only happen when the lighting and ocean are in perfect harmony. But it's important to note, that a photographer can get a completely different look just by moving himself or herself 2 feet to the right. What the difference between a professional and amateur photographer? An amateur photographer will move himself to a different locations entirely to get a shot that he could have got by moving 2 feet.
Here's one shot. Now what happens if I move a little to the right?
I get this.
Hey how about an other kissing shot
Well, that about wraps up the wedding story of Kylie and AJ. From those kissing shots, I think you can tell that this couple will live happily ever after. I wish you my very very best.
It really helps to be the son of a computer guru. My father runs a small computer company based out of his home and he has been incredibly successful at it. Ever since I was a little kid, I have always been privileged to be around the latest computers and technology. So when my computer crashed this weekend when it automatically loaded a "fake virus-scan" program, I was only out of touch with my clients for a day-and-a-half as my dad fixed everything in that time span. A day-and-a-half can seems like an eternity to me.
As of now, my computer is almost back up to running order. I have to install a few more programs on it and I'm good to go. I had to upgrade my video editing software, so for the next week or so, my computer will be nothing more than an over-powered internet machine. Since I had to upgrade my editing software, I am also thinking about upgrading a handful of other things as well.
I'm looking at purchasing a fish-eye lens for my camera to add a little more variety to my shots. And I'm thinking about going HD for my video. See, the problem with HD is that with the DSLR's that are capable of shooting extraordinary quality can only shoot 12 to 15 minutes at a time. This means I would not be able to shoot your entire wedding if I got these cameras. You would compromise quality for memories forever lost. And to me, that's not an option. Also with the volume of weddings combined with the salt air of the ocean at the beach, these DSLR's will probably break in a matter of months. But, the technology is coming around soon.
Anyway, I'm off to bed. It's 6:30am! I just got done replying to all my emails. I'm hitting the hay.
AQUA ALOHA SURF AND SPA If you're on a budget this is probably the best place to stay
This is my latest travel recommendation. It's not a luxury hotel, it's a budget hotel, and for the price, I have to say it's awesome. The reviews on the internet have been great, except for a few people who expect to get luxury for $89. A handful of my couples have stayed at this hotel and they truly recommend it. Their remarks? It's a clean place to stay for $89, and lots amenities for a budget hotel.
This is not a paid endorsement. This is just me, saying "Hey, I think this place should be on your hot list if you're on a budget."
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On other news, I've been rather busy, hence the lack of wedding blog updates. Don't worry, I'll start blogging about wedding soon. What I have been up too? I've actually been playing tour guide to friends, and you know how that is. Tiring! I've also been thinking that I should blog about what type of stuff there is to do in Oahu. Possibly restaurant reviews, as I know the majority of you will want some place nice to eat for your wedding. Plus, I'll get to eat out and write it off at the same time.
TALL AND CUTE The Hawaii Wedding of Doug and Gretchen
I remember whispering into Gretchen's father's ear after her wedding, laughing to him, "Why in the world did they ever want a sunrise wedding?"
Her father shrugged at me and said, "You know, I'm not a morning person, my wife isn't, and I know these two are not."
So why did they get married in the morning? I'm guessing, it's the pictures. They saw one of my other couples pictures, Ed and Allison's, saw how cool sunrise pictures could be at Lanikai, and well...had to so the same. And I know there are some of you brides out there that are not thinking about a sunrise wedding at Lanikai!
Now, I have to be honest with all you out there. I am not a morning person. I'm a night owl. I stay up late, work late, and when that sun peaks it's head out over the mountain, that's usually my cue to hit the hay. This works out well for me as most of my couples call in the morning anyway since Hawaii is anywhere from two to six hours behind the rest of the United States. If they don't call in the morning, well, they usually call when I wake up, which is right about the time they get off work. Hey, so what can I say, being a night owl works well for planning weddings. I'm in the nirvana of timezones right?
Morning people...haha... As you can see, the camera man is not jumping with them..haha
Anyway, enough of my ranting about myself, lets get onto the details of this wedding. Gretchen emailed me and literally begged me to do a wedding at Lanikai at sunrise. She was an avid follower of my blog, and knew that I hated sunrise weddings. Well, I of course agreed. I'm not a big-headed wedding-photographer-guy-right? Well, technically I am because my head is big...but you know what I mean. I'm not "Hollywood-better-than-you" big headed. I have no problem doing what it takes to make my brides happy. Hey as long a there is no human sacrifice request with your wedding, I'm all game.
Long story short, I took the early morning gig. Not reluctantly, but happily. Waking up early in the morning wasn't that bad anyway...kinda refreshing.
I love this shot
I bet that water was cold!
Thumbs up! Okay this shot was their idea. It's their inside joke. I love this shot though.
The only monkey pose in wedding history. Doug and Gretchen were complete fun.
The Baywatch pose....my idea.
What made Doug and Gretchen's wedding easy for me was that I only had to provide for photography and video services. They got their own leis, hakus, and even their own minister. I just had to wake up early, take a shower, grab my equipment and go. They also had the perfect fun laid back attitude made this morning wedding awesome.
A dramatic piggy back shot
Doug and Gretchan's wedding was cool. It was literally the shortest wedding ceremony I had ever seen. It was so short that I felt that giving them my usual video edit upgrade service to the video package would not be getting a value for their investment. So, I decided to extend their video slide show portion of their video from 15 to a good amount, and to add an interview portion to their video for free. It was a great call because everything turned out perfect. Just check out the video. As you can see it's much different than most of my others.
"I only handled photo and video for their wedding..made it much easier!"
Just for your information, the last part of the video, the interview portion, was unedited. Gertchen's brother-in-law did a hell of a great job with that interview. I just gave him the camera and told him to run with it. In fact, that's what I do with all interviews. I give it to the guy who looks a "film guy" and just let them tear it up. They ALWAYS do the best job, better than any professional videographer (that includes me!) The reason is because they know the family and friends very well, and they can badger, harass the interviewee, which makes for great moments. This is something which I cannot do. So video tip for the day...have your fun film guy do the interviews.
Sweet
Lastly, I bet you're wondering how these two lovebirds met? Here's their love story in Gretchen's own words
"We met my first semester at UHH in January, 2005 (he had been there since fall 2002). Our friend Tim lived in my dorm building, and since no one else was on campus (x-mas break), we hung out my first week in Hilo. He told me that he had a friend that i would really like- i think- because of my quirky personality.
I remember the night i met Doug, I thought "he's pretty good looking, but he's so tall!!" Doug couldn't remember my name for anything- so he called me "the girl who's name starts with G". He intrigued me with conversation, and i love to talk- but i was weary of a broken heart. I declared that i was definitely a commitment kind of girl and i certainly wanted to get married. I kept telling him all my idiosyncrasies, just see if he could really handle ME. I threw everything out there on the table and to my surprise, it did not scare him away- in fact i think it made him more interested. Although it took some convincing on his part, i did end up giving him a shot...
He knew he liked me, and he was always the "guy friend" to his girl-friends, so i was the one he was determined to not let be "just friends"
School started Monday, by Wednesday- he came knocking at my door, Bottle of Bacardi Coco in one hand and a shot glass in the other, "Is the girl who's name starts with G- here??" That day I switched into his Marine science class... Then came Friday night (January 14) we ended up talking until 6 am. We proceeded to get back up at 9 am to go to Kona, to spend all Saturday at the beach. Doug tricked me into coming over to watch a movie that night- Tricked me i say because i thought his friends would be there- it was just me and him. We ended up hanging out the rest of the holiday weekend (except when i would go back to campus to change and shower).
We were pretty much inseparable from that point on... That was exactly 5 years ago... So it seemed to be fitting to get married on the day it all really started..."
-Gretchen
Doug, that was a pretty smooth move you pulled on Gretchen there. Coming over for a movie date, then convincing her to stay. Sly...yet...very very good. You have to admit women, that it does take men some type of trickery, even convincing to get you to consider us men as "potentials." If we don't, well, we can slip into that "friend-zone" pretty quick.
Sunrises at Lanikai make it too easy to get great shots
My last thoughts on this couple. Fun, good looking, perfect for each other. I swear, Doug and Gretchen look like they belong on TV. I could see Doug in a head and shoulders commercial. Gretchen, I can see leading an all girl punk band.... But lets be blunt here, these two are way too much fun to be hanging around Hollywood people (those guys fake being cool)
Good luck to you both, and I wish you my extreme very best. And Gretchen, as soon as I hear from our coffee farm's future endeavors, I will definitely call you. I will not forget about what I mentioned to you.
