A definite star amongst all of the  Scottsdale – Phoenix wedding vendors is Bright Bokeh. These guys are just top notch. They take wedding cinematography to a whole new level. I just love how they call their wedding work ++human crafted films++, doesn’t that just sound beautiful? {Please do yourself a favor and check out a few of their human crafted films on their website, you will fall in love.}

Jonathan Roberts of Bright Bokeh was kind enough to beautifully answer a few questions for us.

What is your favorite part about the wedding day? For the majority of a wedding day we (Jonathan and Jeffery) are focused on bringing the couple’s film to life – and this keeps us quite busy! But there are a some moments that always make us smile. First, I’m becoming more and more convinced that no groom is ever ready to see his bride. She’s always so much more beautiful than he ever imagined and you can see it on his face when he sees her in her dress during their first look or when she’s walking down the isle. We’ve see many a stoic groom get overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of his beautiful bride. And he knows that he’s the luckiest guy in the world to have this wonderful woman at his side for the rest of his life. And secondly, there’s always that moment during a reception when the bride and groom start to feel just how blessed they are by their family and friends. Whether it’s hearing a moving toast by the father of the bride or a bride dancing with her beautiful bridesmaids to their favorite song. How many times in your life do your have loving family and closest friends all in the same place?  Everyone is beautiful and happy and celebrating the fact that these two wonderful people want to spend the rest of their lives together. And how lucky we are to help them to remember it!
There is a lot of competition in your field, if I was a bride, why should I hire Bright Bokeh?  We’re not hobbyists. Our background in commercial work has given us keen eye for delivering the highest quality films. We are able to turn a live-event like a wedding into rich and meaningful films while keeping a very small footprint on the event. As a small team, we thoroughly enjoy getting to know every one of our couples. We’ve never been about creating cookie-cutter videos. Rather, we love embracing the originality of our couples and letting their story and their personalities unfold naturally through our work.
What is your favorite part about your job?  We don’t always get to see our couples’ reactions when they watch their films but it’s an incredibly moving experience when we do. Sometimes we’ll bring an iPad so that they have to hold it together. They laugh, cry, and smile – all the while moving a little closer together. Maybe he puts his arm around her or she snuggles on his shoulder. And they always walk away holding hands. That to me is the most beautiful part of what we do: bringing a couple closer together.
What do you want everyone to know about Bright Bokeh? We really care. We are very passionate about creating the best films possible for our couples. Our motto has always been “human crafted films.” To us, this means that every couple is original, and that their story deserves a great telling. Our goal is that their films would be of such a distinct quality that they would become an heirloom. And, most importantly, that the films bring the whole family together. After all, the best moments in life are the ones we share.
What inspires you? Travel has always been a huge inspiration for me (Jonathan). Meeting people and getting to know their stories is very meaningful to me (especially when you’re forced out of your comfort zone!). It’s so easy to get stuck in an insulated life and forget about the beautiful wide world out there. Think about it: at any given moment some place in the world is getting graced by a beautiful sunrise! I firmly believe that it’s the connections we make with others that matter most in life. So I try to get out of the country at least once a year both to challenge myself and to meet new people. And I always bring a camera with me.

So well said. Thank you Jonathan for taking time away from this very busy wedding season.

Looking forward to working with them this Friday at a lovely, intimate wedding at The Four Seasons.

What is one question you wish clients would ask more often? THE QUESTION: Why did you get into the business? A lot of planners get into the business planning their own wedding, to us that doesn’t make them qualified to put on a perfect event for a Bride. Just because they loved planning their wedding (everyone does), doesn’t mean they can plan your wedding – most of these gals end up getting out of the business at some point, they realize it’s not just the love for weddings that it takes to manage an event. All of our planners have worked in different facets of the event industry prior to weddings, and when we chose the wedding business it’s because we have a true passion for executing a beautiful event, telling a client’s story, and all of us possess qualities that make us great planners and coordinators. Not just that we loved planning our own wedding.

What is your inspiration?  Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Liz Taylor, Grace Kelly – all women of different design styles and backgrounds – these are our Brides – whether they are Romantic, Whimsical, Playful, or Classic… we love them all….

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning” – unknown

There is something so intimate about a small wedding. Just a handful of those that are closest to you. Just the bride and groom and close family and friends. The perfect guest list.

For obvious reasons (think great weather!), Phoenix is an ideal spot for a destination wedding. The Royal Palms is the perfect venue.

The resort is almost like a throw back to yesteryear. The Royal Palms is timeless. Gorgeous scenery. Impeccable service. A quiet pool setting. Lovely little casitas dot the property. Nothing seems crowded. Nothing seems hurried. The perfect backdrop for a wedding (and of course a relaxing stay).

A gorgeous bride. A dashing groom. A perfect wedding.

We are honored to have documented this special day for this special couple.

One of our favorite wedding vendors in the valley is Kelly Gilchrist –  the Catering Sales Manager at The Saguaro, a Joie de Vivre hotel.  Radiant, full of color and charisma – this hotel is cool. The resort nestled in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale boasts the amazing Distrito restaurant – fresh, delicious Mexican cuisine coupled with great drinks, lots of ambience and fun decor. Oh and after dinner, don’t forget to stop at Old Town Whiskey for a nightcap.

I love this place. If you are looking for a great spot for a wedding (several beautiful options), rehearsal dinner (think al fresco dining) or a corporate event (love the ability to host a huge crowd with yummy food and drink by the sparkling pool) – this is your spot. And the best part is – the hotel is a great option for your wedding party and out of town guests!

After an amazing lunch at Distrito (yes, the above pictures were actually eaten by myself and Keith – I know, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!) – so when I say amazing – I really, really mean it! I heart the guacamole so much – and that was just the first course.

I asked Kelly a few questions and here are her answers.

What do you want everyone to know about The Saguaro / Garces group?  For starters, all of our Food & Beverage here on property is created by Iron Chef Jose Garces!  Having been a huge fan of Jose’s since he was on the Next Iron Chef of America, I feel honored to be a part of his team and to represent such an amazing food product!  I love to see the looks on guests faces when they are experiencing his cuisine for the first time.

Another thing that sets The Saguaro aside is that we have created an open environment where we encourage the local community to come and join us in all the fun things that we have to offer!  We have monthly events geared toward the local community, including Whiskey School, “Cook Like an Iron Chef” Classes, and Swim Social weekends, which will include Happy Hour by the pool on Fridays, and a DJ and playing 60’s themed music on Saturdays!  Guests can sign up for the Saguaro Smoke Signal for updates and special events at:  https://jdvhotels.wufoo.com/forms/k7w6x1/

What is your favorite item on the menu at Distrito? I truly love everything on the menu, so this is a tough question.  I would say that my ultimate favorite is the Tacos de Mahi Mahi, closely followed by our freshly made Guacamole and our variety of Ceviches!

There is a lot of competition in your field…..why should I have my event at The Saguaro?  Here at the Saguaro we have  fabulous locations to host events that are different than your everyday meeting or banquet rooms. Each private room has vibrant and fun colors that help to create a wonderful environment for any type of event for up to 200 guests, including corporate dinners, weddings and social occasions!!  My favorite is the Zocalo Room, which has its own bar, restrooms and patio with a fireplace.  It’s the perfect location for receptions or dinners- with a view of the Scottsdale Civic Center and Marshall Garden right on your own private patio!

Also, our location puts guests in walking instance to all Old Town Scottsdale, which is full of shops, museums, bars and restaurants.  So…this also makes The Saguaro an ideal place to stay for some fun Scottsdale….especially for wedding weekends!

And did I already mention the amazing food???

What is your philosophy?  How people treat you is their karma…but how you react to them is yours!!

If you could take today off of work, what would you wish that you could be doing?  Laying in a cabana by the pool at the Saguaro, eating Chips and Guacamole and sipping on Sangrias!

Thanks Kelly!

“To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with” – Mark Twain

I’m not sure, but I think this couple is in love. Like really in love!

Is there a better way to spend an afternoon than being in the company of two people that are just so happy? Photographing them having fun was such a pleasure –  it was really easy to capture the genuine joy in their lives together.

Wedding photographers have the good fortune of spending time with happy, happy people: capturing the genuine moments, the unscripted interactions that make a couple so uniquely content with one another. We are so honored to be able to document a chapter in the story of their lives together. An engagement session is a glimpse into the essence of a couple. A great warm up to the wedding day.

We are so happy for K + C that they have found joy – together.  Looking forward to their wedding in April. It will be here in the blink of an eye.

This is such a great week – our second feature on a wedding blog in just two days! When it rains it pours as the saying goes. Funny how that works.

Monique and Josh were married this past October at The Montelucia Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona with the always gorgeous Camelback Mountain as the backdrop. Thank you Lauren Crump of Victoria Canada Weddings and Events for putting on such a beautiful event. When a wedding planner pulls together a bride and groom’s vision, including such lovely details set against amazing scenery, it certainly makes a wedding photographers job that much more enjoyable!

Elizabeth Anne Designs is one of our favorite weddings blogs – very pleased to be featured again!

Please click here to view the full blog post!

It is always fun to see one of our weddings featured on a wedding blog. Our most recent is Angela and George’s wedding from this past October featured on Delightfully Engaged this past week.

Angela and George had such a fun traditional Greek Orthodox wedding – I would have loved to have been a guest! The wedding reception was at Sassi in North Scottsdale, a lovely outdoor cocktail hour with a gorgeous desert backdrop, traditional Greek music, plate breaking – really good plate breaking and lots of traditional greek dancing. What a fun party! And what a sincere, beautiful couple. A beautiful marriage, the next step in their lives together.

Click here to see more pictures and read more about their wedding from my original blog post!

Ok, I know this is supposed to be our wedding blog BUT when Keith gets an award, I find it blogworthy. I mean really, where else can I share?

Campbell Fisher Design – the super talented Phoenix design team behind the advertising campaigns for the Phoenix Suns recently shared the exciting news: their poster design (using Keith’s images of Grant Hill, Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire) was one of Graphis Latest Winners – the Poster Annual 2012.

You can tell I’m the wife because I get excited about this kind of stuff. I love going to Toy Story on Ice and seeing Keith’s images of Suns players hanging HUGE above the ticket windows at the US Airways Arena, or the larger than life size images line the outside of the Arena as you walk in from the garage or attending a Suns game and letting our kids know that “Daddy took those pictures!”

I think it’s exciting! Anyway, I couldn’t help but share!

When Keith and I (and the kids) decided to spend the month of July in Paris, we began reaching out to wedding industry professionals in Paris, specifically wedding planners that spoke english. We can’t be in the most beautiful and romantic city in the world and not photograph a wedding while we are there!

A quick google search and I came across Kim Petyt of Parisian Events – an American wedding planner in Paris. Her website and blog are so informative. Makes me wish Keith and I could get married all over again – in Paris.

We are so happy to make Kim’s acquaintance and look forward to meeting her this summer. I thought it would be fun to ask her a few questions and feature her on our blog.

What is your favorite part of a wedding day? I think I have 2 favorite moments. I always try to schedule a moment during the cocktail hour where the couple can come in and see the dining room all dressed, candles lit, etc. I LOVE seeing their faces, and it really is a nice little moment. The other time I like is just after the “first dance”- the party starts, nothing else is typically planned, and everyone can just have a great time. It may be different in the States since weddings are so short, but in France, once people hit the dance floor, there’s about 3 or 4 hours more to party!

What made you become a wedding planner in Paris? One of the main reasons that I started my wedding planning agency in Paris was because I desperately needed help planning my own wedding in France while I was living in the U.S.. I didn’t speak French, and my husband’s sisters didn’t speak English, which made me a complete wreck the entire time that we were organizing our wedding. Although at the time we didn’t have any definite plans to move to France, I remember thinking that if we ever did move, I would definitely consider becoming a wedding consultant (I was planning corporate and social events at the time- so it was a natural transition).

Not long after we were married, my husband’s company transferred us to Paris, and I settled into motherhood and expat life, all the while keeping my eye on wedding planning. When we arrived in France 7 years ago, there were (I believe) only 3 or 4 French wedding planning agencies with an internet presence in the Paris region. By the time that I was ready to start my agency, the number of wedding planning companies in Paris had grown. I would say that 2 years ago, there were roughly 8 or 9 companies with a strong online presence. Today, I feel like that number has doubled, if not tripled. The majority of the websites that you come across for planning weddings in Paris will also have a page in English, which sort of puts all of the agencies on the same, basic level. So, how do you go about choosing the right wedding planning company in Paris if they all have flashy, English-language websites? Please click here to view Kim’s full post about How to Choose a Wedding Planner in Paris!

Merci Kim!