chiara cinema

shanna || james

admin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:39:04 +0000

Thank you to James and Shanna for having us at your beautiful wedding in San Marcos. Your wedding showed us the importance of a sense of community among family and friends. :)

jaclyn || blake

admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:40:31 +0000

A perfect day in Westlake Village led to an even more perfect wedding from beginning to end. Thank you to Jaclyn and Blake for having us experience this amazing day with you. We’re very happy with how this couple’s personality jumps off the screen due to their radiance and excitement for great things to come. :)

samira || steven

admin — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 08:37:13 +0000

samira and steven jolly can best be described as a “nice” couple, as that’s the word samira used to describe steven throughout the day. it was an amazingly warm day in poway (san diego county), which was fitting for such a warm couple, especially during the ceremony as rays of light flooded the whole venue at the perfect hour.

leading up to the ceremony, most of the morning was spent with steven and his family, as well as with samira + bridesmaids at a bridal room with an amazing window view. steven’s family came in front out of town and it was apparent how tight knit they were as they assembled mood lights for the reception hall. with how well they worked together, you wouldn’t have guessed they’d never done this before ;)

what stood out the most during the day though, was samira finalizing her vows hours before the ceremony. it was amazing to hear how different those words sounded as she read them prior to the big moment compared to when she was standing up there saying them in front of steven. it’s those unexpected moments that make it so worth capturing.

michele || david

admin — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:02:24 +0000

what I loved about michele and david’s wedding was that no one expected it to be so emotional… not even michele or david. in the stressful weeks leading up to the wedding, i asked the couple what they thought their favorite part of the wedding was going to be. the answer? when it’s over. this isn’t an uncommon answer, as sometimes it’s so easy to forget what the day is capable of when there are so many details to figure out.

though the morning was even more hectic than usual (for a wedding), time did stand still when the ceremony began and all of the background noise found a way to filter itself away. it really was a magical moment that i’ve never experienced at any wedding before. being mere inches away from david and michele as they got married made for an extremely personal and emotional experience which i tried to translate into their film. when watching it, hopefully you’ll get a sense of how even though a wedding may be filled with hundreds of people, it can still feel like as if there are only two people there.

hong-an || hamilton

admin — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:16:00 +0000

thanks to hong-an and hamilton for making us part of your day! never have we seen such an emphasis on family during a wedding day. here’s to two great families becoming one.

alicia || will

admin — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:34:44 +0000

you can tell that will and alicia love their fish and coral. together, they run AquaSD (www.aquasd.com), a store based in san diego that serves as a vendor for aquarium needs. when will told us he was dropping by in the morning to feed the fish, we were thrilled to come along. we constantly look for those moments that make our couples unique and different from everyone else, so we definitely had a blast with this.

as the day progressed, it was obvious that family played a big part in their day and their lives. it was when eva, the maid of honor (and alicia’s sister), told the story of how will and alicia met, that we knew what highlights film we wanted to make.

thanks to will and alicia for welcoming us to your home and your wedding. though it was cold and rainy outside, it was warm where we were :)

here’s to 2011!

juhye || stephen

admin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 02:59:53 +0000

a while back, when i asked stephen what makes him and juhye special, his response was: “we really understand each other so we never argue nor fight. never fought before and never will. we know how to make each other feel loved.” stephen held true to this on his wedding day, making juhye feel loved as he spent the morning with her, making sure that she and her bridesmaids had everything they needed. this was chiara cinema’s first korean wedding and what a blast it was. from stephen’s slideshow and song which played at the reception, to the traditional korean ceremony (with dates and jerky included!), there was an undeniable sense of energy and variety that i hope you’re able to experience while watching their film. :)

loran || jeremiah

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:05:45 +0000

i met jeremiah and loran back in july when we filmed their portrait film (which we showed at their reception). i could immediately tell that her energy and his relaxed style would make for a fun highlights film come september 25th, the date of their wedding. from the girls’ abundance of make-up supplies to the guys’ handful of energy drinks, you could easily tell each group had their priorities straight :)

loran has been a dancer her whole life, so i knew that the first dance would be important for the both of them. subtle moves throughout the day gave note to this, seeing both jeremiah and loran practicing their dance steps, even if for just for a minute at a time. because of this, i knew i had to find just the perfect song to fit the rhythm of their style and their day. enjoy.

thanks loran and jeremiah for letting us be a part of your wedding on the hottest day of recent history!

anjit and bhavna || tarun and divya: a shared backyard reception

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:10:50 +0000

some context for this impromptu video: my best friend invited me as a guest to this evening reception the day before it took place. i originally had no intention of bringing my camera as i planned on just enjoying the amazing indian food and getting to know a great family even better. though i did end up deciding to bring my camera, i still enjoyed all the amenities a guest would and then some. i sometimes forget how lucky i am on these special days, knowing that the camera is a front row pass into people’s lives. something i definitely wont take for granted. :) thanks for the great food, entertaining evening, and a closer glimpse into this family i’ve grown so fond of.

alicia || scott

admin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:45:23 +0000

The most notable traits about Alicia and Scott, aside from her self-proclaimed big smile and his full-featured beard, is their sense of humor and the ability to poke at themselves (and each other!) . A placard which sat at the entrance of their reception read: “Grab Your Beard – Grab Your Smile – Find a Seat!”

Alicia and Scott are both creative writers in Los Angeles, so it was no surprise that the story of their day was best told through the vows they had written to each other. Though it’s not your typical fairy tale, its a relatable one that shows how love and perseverance can prevail after 94 phone calls, 63 text messages, 12 date requests, and 3 nights of laying in the street groveling.

Thank you Alicia and Scott for not only sharing your wedding day with us, but also the story of your past, present, and future together.