Josh Morris of Rain Studios {Wedding Videography}

Josh Morris is one of the few wedding videographers I know with a BA in Film Production. One look at his work and it is obvious that this guy has not only the creativity but the skills to back it up. His wedding trailers make you feel like you are previewing an upcoming movie. Like a real movie. Enjoy his fun answers to my questions both great and random, grab a bag of popcorn and watch a couple breathtaking trailers he has recently created.

To start things off watch Adriana + Steve's wedding from this August!



Where did you come from?
 Me come from rocket ship. Land on earth to dominate world. Okay, well… close enough. I moved up to San Luis Obispo from Corona (SoCal) with my family when I was 13. When I got married, my wife and I moved to Santa Margarita and lived there until we bought our home in Atascadero. Lord willing, it’s where we’ll stay till' I kick the bucket.

What is your education background?

I received my BA from Biola University, with a major in Film Production and a minor in Biblical Studies.

Where did the name “Rain Studios” come from?

I know the thought of rain for a production company specializing in weddings seems a bit odd, but there’s a good reason behind it. I’ve always loved the imagery of rain. It’s something that brings cleansing and life. Our tag line is, “Bringing life to media.” And that’s just what I’m striving for – a fresh perspective that isn’t confined by what is, but what can be. That may sound a little cheesy, but it’s what I’ve founded this company on.

Your style is unlike typical wedding videos. How would you describe your cinematic style?

In my opinion, when you hire a “professional,” I think you should get a professional product. When we shoot and edit a wedding, we’re trying to create an experience that people other than just the bride and groom will want to share in. Weddings are such amazing events – I mean really, think about it – two people are committing their everything to each other for the rest of their lives. Sometimes I feel like even our “cinematic style” will never do full justice to such an awesome moment.

Tell us about the trailers that you post on your website. Do couples see that before they receive the final movie?

Definitely! The ‘movie trailer’ idea was a concept I accidentally stumbled across a few years ago. It was one of those moments where you can’t believe you didn’t think of it sooner! The reason being, that for the most part, people don’t often have the time to sit down and watch an entire wedding day unfold on video (especially if they were a guest at the wedding). The trailer provides a means for friends and family to get a glimpse of the entire day in just a few minutes.

How long is the finished project?

This will vary greatly depending on the couple’s wedding and what package they choose to go with. Typically, we run a 3-5 minute “highlight reel” of the preparations (makeup, hair, getting in dress/tux, setting up décor, floral arrangements, etc.) followed by the entire ceremony, from processional to recessional. From there we follow the couple (usually for a few post-ceremony pictures) and then segue into the reception. This will consist of primarily the highlights (bouquet and garter toss, cutting the cake, some dancing, etc.) along with any and all toasts or speeches. On average, the run time for the finished product is about an hour.

Can couples just purchase highlight movies?

Of course! While couples love the packages we offer, we don’t have a set or mandatory format. I really try to make an effort to meet with the couple prior to the wedding day to get a feel for their style and vision. Often, I’ll attend their rehearsal to get an idea of what will work technically and stylistically, and note the details that will make the couple’s special day one-of-a-kind.

What kind of fancy equipment do you use?

We definitely have a few tricks that add a little cinematic flair to our work.

The first is the Glide Cam. Consisting of a vest and a Robocop-Terminator-looking arm, I can literally run with the camera and record a smooth, bump-less, floating feel. I’ll usually bust this piece of equipment out for the reception and dancing.

The second is our jib (also known as a crane). With a 12-foot swing, I can go from shooting between blades of grass to a bird’s eye view of the entire ceremony. Very cool.

I’m a big advocate for being as “invisible” as possible during the ceremony. I would hate to think that capturing aspects of the ceremony interfered with a guest’s experience, so I came up with the ‘Aisle-Cam’. This tiny, HD camera is discretely placed at the lower, front corner of the aisle, and gets a wonderful front-row seat of the processional. Without sacrificing any important shots, disturbing any guests or coming between that moment where the groom gets to see his bride for the first time, we subtly capture every moment.

Do you shoot and produce High Definition movies?
For sure. We offer full HD services, including mastering to BluRay. And now I get to be geeky. ☺

A lot of HDV footage might have a larger pixel aspect ratio than standard definition, but its increased compression will create a very digital and “flat” feeling image. Bottom line: there are a lot of videographers out there claiming “HD” when it’s really a cheapened, compressed version of true HD. It would be wise to research and know the differences so you don’t end up paying for something you don’t need.

If you’re looking for jaw-dropping image and color quality, then HD is the way to go. And for those who want their wedding shot in HD, but don’t have all the necessary viewing equipment yet, we do offer a hard drive storage solution, where we dump all the footage onto an external hard drive for archival, so when you’re ready to go HD, we can bring your video back to life in 1080 progressive lines of beauty.

Where do you get your filming inspiration?

Honestly, much of my inspiration comes from the couple. Every wedding is completely unique and I do my best to tailor our general style to each client’s distinct qualities.

What are your top 5 favorite movies of all time?

This answer is always changing, but for the most part, they are:

1) The Princess Bride. Because “As you wish”, “Inconceivable” and “Hallo, you killed my father, prepare to die” are quotes I could use in just about any situation.

2) Boondock Saints. Because brotherly vigilantes are just rockstars.

3) 300. Wicked dedication. “Spartans, what is your profession?”

4) The Notebook. Yes, I’m a guy. Yes, I watched The Notebook. And yes, I would secretly run away with Ryan Gosling if he asked.

4b) Love Actually. Sorry, I had to slip this one in. Because, let’s face it, love can be messy and lines like, “Alright, let’s get the s**t kicked out of us by love!” are so real-life.

5) Magnolia. Because no matter how many times you watch this masterpiece by P.T. Anderson, you’ll find something new.

What kind of effect do you want to have on your couples the first time they watch their wedding movie?

Many couples have described their wedding day as a blur and it’s my hope that we help them relive every kiss, word, smile and tear with their wedding movie. I can’t tell you how many times I meet married couples that say one of two things: A) “One of our biggest regrets is not hiring a professional videographer.” or B) “We are so glad we hired a professional videographer! We never realized how much we had missed or forgotten during the day!”

My ultimate goal is that as they watch their video and hear the vows exchanged, they find their marriage strengthened and encouraged.

Do you have a family?

Yes! My wife, Katherine, and I are expecting our first! She’s 16-weeks along and in just a few more weeks we’ll find out if ‘Thippa’ (what we’ve temporarily named the little baby after seeing its heartbeat) is a boy or girl! We also have three American Bulldogs (Link, Clutch and Zee-Girl) that have served faithfully as our children until now. ;-)

Did you have your wedding filmed?

Oh boy… I’m in trouble now. Yes, I had a good friend and fellow film student capture our wedding on video. Unfortunately, I have yet to edit it. Katherine keeps reminding me, but it’s definitely a tough thing to do when you always have half a dozen clients’ videos ahead in line.

Where are you going with your career?

Ha. This sounds like a question my dad would have asked me in high school. The fact is, I love telling stories. Weddings are no doubt a means of doing that, but I have found other outlets that are equally exciting. From the deception of African governments (a documentary we’re working on now) to independent short films dealing with the sometimes-not-so-pleasant struggles of real life, I can’t see myself doing anything else. I’m a storyteller. Where that takes me, God only knows.

Do you make other films?

I think I may have accidentally answered this in the previous question. We do make other films, ranging from documentaries to independent films to reality shows for television. We’re currently working on the second season of a series called “The Wine Makers” which, we’ll be shooting in France. Season one airs this Fall on PBS.

Check out this beautiful trailer of Katie + Derek’s wedding that we shot together last February!


RAIN STUDIOS - Boydston Wedding Video Trailer from Rain Studios on Vimeo.

Here is the most recent video we shot together of  Emily and Meeko.


Contact Josh:
Email
Rain Studios

805-438-4778

Mamma’s Meatball {Wedding Catering}

Ben Potter and I from Cana Video Productions had the intense pleasure of getting a behind the meatball view of San Luis Obispo’s very own, Mamma’s Meatball! Nicola came to America years ago with a love for Italian food, fine wine and family. After working for Disney’s Epcot Center and in another restaurant he unexpectedly got the vision for running his own restaurant. Now he has two here on the Central Coast and also caters weddings whenever possible. After starting his first restaurant he brought his Mamma over to work with him adding the much needed mother’s touch to Mamma’s Meatball.

Wedding Standard: Mama's Meatballs from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.

Mamma making Tiramisu. Yum!


Nicola made Ben and I am amazingly flavorful lunch! Paired with a nice glass of red wine and finished off with delicious freshly made deserts, we were in heaven!





If you are interested in having some good comfort food at your wedding swing by either of their locations, visit the website, or drop Nicola an email. They would love to create a menu that will fill your wedding guests with the warmth and love that Italian food is famous for!

Contact Info:
Mamma’s Meatball Website
Email Catering Inquiries

Mamma’s MeatBall –San Luis Obispo
570 Higuera St. Suite 130 – 135
805.544.0861

Mamma’s Meatball –Oceano
325 Pier Avenue
Oceano, CA 93445

Jonnell + Niki of Events Redefined {San Luis Obispo Wedding Coordinators}

Jonnell and Niki are redefining not only wedding events around San Luis Obispo, but they are redefining the words Wedding Coordinators. They are high school BFFs who make a fantastic business team! They really have a wonderful way of working to make the brides dream day become reality without making all of the other parties and vendors involved miserable. I believe it comes from their basic value and care for people. It is evident within minutes of talking with them that they are polite and respectful. They don’t have an alternative agenda and don’t power trip. They are in the purest sense ‘wedding coordinators’ not ‘wedding dictators’. Can you tell that I loved working with them on Melanie and Gavin’s wedding?!

Well, in case I didn’t make myself clear; they were a joy to have orchestrating the day! The couple didn’t have to worry about anything and Events Redefined didn’t make me feel like a bus-boy at a greasy spoon diner; they made me feel like an important part of the team. Melanie and Gavin planned their wedding all the way from New York City, which made it a necessity to have professional, trustworthy, and creative coordinators. The wedding was such a success that it was featured on Southern Weddings Magazine as well as in The Knot {Northern California} Magazine.


How long have your been best friends? What is your story?
We’ve been friends since we played volleyball together our freshman year at Morro Bay High School. After high school Niki followed her passion for special events and enrolled at Cal Poly as a Recreation Administration major. A couple years later Jonnell transferred from Cuesta College and we were excited to be in the same department and have classes together again. We have always talked about our mutual love for weddings and special events and hoped to someday work together. We are great friends from different social circles and happen to be neighbors, too. It makes for a perfect business relationship, and we’ve gotten even closer since we opened Events Redefined.

What made you go into business together coordinating weddings?
Throughout high school and college we always joked/dreamed of opening a wedding and special event coordinating business together, but we always figured it’d be when we were old and retired! After graduating from Cal Poly, we worked for separate companies in the county and were able to gain more experience in our field. Jonnell has a strong background in producing large corporate events, receptions and meeting planning. Niki has vast experience in operations management, meeting and wedding planning. After Jonnell had her first baby, we decided it was time. Our goal was to open our business by her daughter’s first birthday. In August 2007 we got together and chose a name, set goals and wrote our mission statement- all in one night! We debuted at the Central Coast Bride Fall Show that October, two months before her daughter turned one. We had a great first year and are really enjoying our second. Neither of us can believe that we’re living our dream- we’re actually doing this!!!

What does your service include?
We have packages ranging from “Day Of” to full blown coordination, and we are more than happy to create custom packages for our clients. Our packages can help brides with vendor referrals, budget, design, assisting with rentals, timeline development, contract review, setup of specialty items, and much more. All of our packages include two professionally trained coordinators. And if you want a destination wedding – we have passports.


What sets Events Redefined apart from other coordinators?
We like to coordinate all of our weddings together and are both involved in each couple’s planning process from beginning to end. On the wedding day it’s always the two of us – not one coordinator and an assistant. We both have degrees in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration with a concentration in Special Events, and have been trained by the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants. When a bride and groom hire Events Redefined, they’ve hired two professionals who know every aspect of their big day.

We encourage our clients to be creative and personable. We truly feel there is no “right” or “wrong” way to have a wedding. We are happy to give our opinions when needed and wanted, however this is not our day - it is the bride and groom's, and we'll do everything in our power to make sure that their vision is created.

We don’t stand there and point. You’ll see us picking up trash, moving chairs, under tables, pinning flowers, serving food, etc. We see a need and we fill it. We like to work with our vendors and we definitely let the other professionals do their jobs. We’re not the caterer, the photographer or DJ; but we are there to make sure everyone is working together as a team to give the client a perfect day.

What is your primary objective on the wedding day?
For everyone (the Bride, Groom, their families, AND the wedding vendors) to have a stress free day.



How many meetings do you have with the couple before the wedding day?
This really depends on what package they choose. Most of our clients meet with us before we are hired, although we do many phone consultations for out-of-state brides. All of our packages include a final site visit, which usually takes two hours. We tour the area and fill out an extensive questionnaire to make sure that we are all on the same page. Our goal is for the bride to be able to hand everything over to us at the rehearsal (if not sooner) and be in 100% bride-mode from that point on.

What are each of your greatest strengths?
Umm, that’s hard to answer for ourselves – cause we’re both awesome! Totally joking! Let's answer that one for the opposite person…

Jonnell: Niki has this amazing gift to connect with people. She’s honest, sincere, and downright funny. She keeps people calm, relaxed, and smiling. People want to have a good time when she’s around. She’s also extremely talented at seeing the little details – she’s a master at making sure things are perfect!

Niki: Jonnell is the sweet one. I bring a little more sass to the table. She has the biggest heart and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Most of our brides communicate directly with her throughout the planning process and it's amazing how she can remember every detail (vendors, prices, linen color names) about each wedding without having to double-check their file. She really makes our clients feel special and they trust her, so much that she has filled the role of "counselor" on more than one occasion. At an event Jonnell is able to see the big picture and put out potential fires before they happen. I really couldn't imagine doing this without her.

What roles do each of you fill?
Good Cop/Bad Cop comes to mind – just kidding. It’s amazing...we had no idea that we would balance each other the way that we do when we started this business. We don’t have a specific role when we’re coordinating. We are a team and we just do our jobs. We’re able to trust each other on a wedding day. If multiple things need to get done at the same time (which is often the case) and the other isn’t around - we know the other person is getting it done. That’s the greatest thing about being our own bosses, we don’t waste any energy telling each other what to do, we just do it. We always keep open communication with the other wedding vendors as well, as the timeline often shifts a few minutes throughout the event. We make sure that everyone is aware of any changes so that we're all ready when the cake is getting cut, the bouquet is tossed, or the bride and groom are leaving.



What is your favorite part of planning a wedding?
Heck, we love it all! But if we had to choose…

Jonnell: I love the overall theme and design. Every Bride and Groom are different, as each wedding should be. When a couple allows us to be involved in the overall vision of their special day – it’s such an honor. It takes a lot of confidence for a bride to trust us in the visual aspects of their wedding. Being able to come up with a design that not only inspires a bride and groom, but also represents them as a couple and their personality is such a thrill and one of my favorite parts of our job. Not to mention seeing it come alive on the wedding day is fantastic – nothing beats the actual wedding day and seeing months of hard work come together in such a short time period.

Niki: I love meeting with our clients for the first time and often start brainstorming design, budget, vendor referrals while we're talking. It's so fun to turn to Jonnell after a consultation and say who I think would be the perfect photographer/caterer/florist and have her say "I was thinking the same thing!" Presenting our Elegant Start binder is great because that's when we find out if we're on the same page. But as much as I enjoy the planning, nothing beats the actual wedding day. Blood, sweat and tears come to mind. I love setting tables, lining up chairs, pinning boutonnieres and making sure everything is "just so." Most aspects of the day are so rewarding -calming a nervous Bride right before she walks down the aisle, being the first to congratulate the couple as the ceremony ends, and getting a great bear hug from the Father of the Bride at the end of a long day!

What kind of couple would best fit with Events Redefined?
Anyone who wants to enjoy their wedding day! A good sense of humor is always nice too.

What size budgets can you work with?
We can work with any size budget, and enjoy the challenge. While a huge budget is fun in a design sense, vendor flexibility, and site selection, we also feel the bride with a small budget should have an amazing day too. We would never oversell our services to a bride. After hearing what her vision and needs are, we happily and truthfully suggest a package that would work best for her planning goals.



How do you help a couple find the right vendors for them?
It’s really about getting to know the clients on a personal level. We always start with a visit over a cup of coffee where we find out about their overall vision, style, goals, and budget. We give all our clients a questionnaire that helps us understand them more; we’ll find out things like how the couple met, to their favorite magazine and movie. Other things that help us are seeing pictures or images of wedding details that stand out to them, finding what materials /swatches resonate with them, or looking at any drawings they’ve sketched for their wedding. Everyone has their own personal style and knowing more about our clients help us match vendors to their specific wedding needs. Next we'll sit down together and brainstorm. Which vendor matches best with the bride's vision and personality? Which vendor fits in their budget? And lastly, which vendors are available on their date? We always suggest around three available vendors for each category, then the bride and her family only have a few websites to browse or phone calls to make before selecting their perfect match.

Did you have anyone coordinating your weddings?
Jonnell: I had someone help me the day-of my wedding. I come from an event planning family, so I had a family friend coordinate my day. But looking back, it’s almost funny because it’s nothing like what we do now; my friend did a fantastic job, but lets just say Niki and I set our standards very high.

Niki: I had Jonnell! Even though I had dreamed about my wedding for years and knew exactly what I wanted, Jonnell was there to make additional suggestions, accompany me to dress fittings, and act as a shoulder to cry on during the planning process. She completely understood my vision and accepted the six page timeline I had created with no questions asked. I was able to relax with my family and be the bride, 100%, all day while she ran the show. I easily could have switched into "planner mode" had she not been there. All of our wedding vendors, bridal party and guests raved about how the entire day was flawless. Eleven months of planning may have played a small role in that, but it was having Jonnell there that made it happen.


Planning a wedding is overwhelming business. What is your advice for a newly engaged couple? What comes first?
Of course we’re going to say a coordinator should come first ;). A coordinator can help you with your site selection, vendor referrals, budgeting, and overall planning timeline. And we’re more than happy to help a bride achieve a specific theme or design. We call it the “one-stop shopping technique.”

We know sometimes it’s hard for a bride to hire a coordinator. Not everyone has a platinum wedding budget and we don’t provide a tangible product like a photographer, florist, or venue - so we’re often a last resort rather than the first phone call. It’s so amazing to see a bride budget a coordinator into their wedding allowance from the beginning rather than try to fit one into their budget later on; their planning process is more likely to be smoother in the end, not to mention coordinators can actually help a bride and groom save money overall.

Sadly, I hear a lot of brides say that they can’t wait for their wedding to be over. Does your service help couples to enjoy the planning process and especially their wedding day more?
Yes! Our services do help clients to enjoy the planning process – ESPECIALLY the day of their wedding! However, we won’t lie…there is no way to get around it, weddings are amazingly stressful. All too often we see a bride so busy trying to please everyone, they forget it’s their day; and surprisingly the family forgets that too! Weddings seem to bring out the “best” (and we mean worst) in people…it’s strange! We often serve as a mediator, counselor, and friend during the planning process. And when it comes down to it, the day of the wedding we are there with the bride’s vision in mind because WE never forget it’s their day - not ours, not the parents’, not the vendors’ - it’s all about two lives becoming one. So whether a bride chooses to use us throughout the planning process or just “day-of”, it’s our responsibility to make months of hard work happen on one amazing day. A bride and her family should be able to get ready, spend time with their loved-ones and enjoy the celebration. No bride needs to be worried about the details or stresses on their wedding day. As long as they see their day as perfect, that’s all that counts. We know we’ve done our job when a Bride, Groom, or Parent tells us at the end of the evening they were not stressed once all day.

The Knot {Northern California}.




Contact Info:
Events Redefined
805-550-7363
info@eventsredefined.com

The San Luis Jazz Band {Live Wedding Music}

I’ve had the pleasure of working with The San Luis Jazz Band at a few weddings over the years and they always bring the house down with their broad-spectrum of musical talent and entertaining personalities. After listening to just a couple of songs from these guys it becomes quickly clear that they are a wonderful hybrid of classic jazz and straight up rock n’ roll! They bring an energy to each reception that magnetically draws people of all ages to the dance floor. Every wedding I’ve worked with these guys on they’ve kept the guests dancing into the wee hours of the morning and are often met with excited mobs chanting ‘One more song! One more song!’ at the night’s end. If you are contemplating having LIVE musicians at your reception, you have to check out The San Luis Jazz Band. I asked Mitch a few questions about this talented 6 piece group to give you all the inside scoop. Enjoy!

Who is the front man? Does that change during your sets?
I (Mitch) am the front man during our performances. Having a front man/leader allows us an organizational format so that our performance is smooth and well executed.

How many people make up the San Luis Jazz Band?
There are 6 extremely talented and passionate musicians in The San Luis Jazz Band.

What instruments do you guys play?
Our instrumentation is comprised of a synthesized keyboard [which can produce sounds ranging from a freight train, to a string orchestra to a grand piano and pretty much anything in between]. We also perform with drums, bass guitar [acoustic or electric], standard rhythm/solo guitar, trumpet and flugelhorn, and a gamut of wind instruments including flute, clarinet, alto, tenor and soprano saxophones. Included with the instrumental portion of San Luis Jazz is our wide range of vocal sounds. This instrumentation allows us to produce a wide range of great dance music.



How long have you been a band? How did you form?
The San Luis Jazz Band was formed in the early 70’s. The band began as part of the San Luis Jazz Dancers of San Luis Obispo, CA. Two of our original musicians were married to dancers in that group. When the dancers performed, many times they were supported on stage with their musical husbands. Those two fellows began to branch out from the dancers, adding a few more musicians and performing at private parties as The San Luis Jazz Band. Evolution eventually split the dancers and the band into two separate entities.

I know you guys are famous for not only playing the classics, but also pop songs like Big Butts and Ice Ice Baby. Tell us about the various songs that you guys cover and how you go about doing so.
We can play any style of music! Many times a client will ask us to perform a special tune at their event. The challenge is to make these special requests, and all of our tunes, sound very much like the original recording… stylistically, instrumentally, and vocally. People love to dance to tunes they recognize and our guests are always amazed that we can perform them accurately. The talent in the band allows us to be extremely versatile. We cover Classic American Standards composed by such greats as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlan, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Tony Bennett and the Big Bands. We also have country music, disco, Latin, R&B, Classic Rock, and just about anything else… even some fun rap tunes if the mood is right. Knowing exactly when [and when not] to play certain tunes or styles of music is the key to keeping people on the dance floor having a great time. We are experts at this!

How long do you play at a typical reception?
Private parties and wedding receptions typically span anywhere from 3- 5 hours, but many times we are requested to go beyond the scheduled time. We always actively promote such excitement; it’s just too much fun!!!

What are the songs that really get people dancing?
We have so many fun tunes in our repertoire that have the ability to get dancers excited! It might be a high-powered Salsa tune, a Classic Rock tune, a Swing tune, or otherwise. I am extremely capable of reading the crowd and our musicians are so professional, we can change musical direction at a moments notice. Often while we are in the middle of a great dance tune and the crowd is hopping, I give a special signal to the musicians and they know what selection will be next. We do this so that there is no hesitation between tunes and we keep things rolling. Indeed, it’s all about timing and presentation.

What do you think live music does for a reception that recorded music doesn’t?
There is a magical aspect about a live high quality performance that cannot be substituted. Whether the performance is a sports event, a Broadway show or a musical performance. Recorded music simply cannot compare! The visual aspect of the musicians pouring their heart and soul into a song has such a profound effect on a crowd of dancers. When we are rocking hard, we show it and the dancers excite right along with us! With the dancer’s excitement reflected right back at us, that inspires us to give even more. It’s the best!!!

Does anyone in the band write and/or record music?
We have all composed and recorded music throughout our individual careers. All of us can be heard collectively or individually on many recordings ranging from local musical theater, orchestral symphonic music, string trio’s/quartet’s, big band jazz, swing bands, small jazz combo’s, rock and country bands and solo work as well.


What is your service area?
We have performed events from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, parts of Eastern California, and many locations in between. Incidentally, we recently performed at a grand wedding reception at the famous Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The Greystone Mansion is a popular location for many well-known Hollywood films.

Who is your most famous client?
Our most famous clients are from the Hearst family. We have produced and performed several wedding receptions for descendants of William Randolph Hearst at Hearst Castle. With the Hearst family events, come many famous faces that you will see on screen, stage and television.

Do you perform at other events besides weddings?
We have performed at countless private events over our 30-year span. Fund raising events, anniversary parties, birthday parties, social club and corporate events and holiday events including New Years celebrations. We have performed for small groups of 20 to large groups of 500 hundred or more.

Contact Info:
San Luis Jazz Band
sanluisjazzband@charter.net
805-481-3197

Becky of Sugar Plum Invitations {Wedding Invitations}

Becky is probably one of the sweetest persons you will ever meet. She is the brains and the heart behind Sugar Plum Invitations. She is the only person on the Central Coast brave enough to do letterpress invitations, business cards and thank you notes. If you don’t know what letterpress is then read on!

Letterpress is a historic form of printing which leaves impressions into the paper. These kind of invitations are fast becoming desirable in the wedding industry like what vinyl is to a record collector. Becky’s letterpress machines are monstrous beasts of metal and iron. It’s amazing to imagine this little lady managing 100 year old presses and turning out these delicate and beautiful invitations. Becky tells us that she learned how to letterpress from a couple of old men who perfected their art before computers were even invented. She couldn’t do it without her husband who is her maintenance man; piecing together old machines and bringing them back to life. Thanks Becky for preserving and reviving this lost art for couples who want their invites to impress their guests with crisp lines, elegant patterns and bold typography.


People don’t usually understand letterpress – what do you tell people when they ask what letter press is?
It’s an old fashion form of printing where an inked image is pressed into paper. Letterpress gives a great textual impression, especially if combined with heavy cotton rag paper. It's a unique look and feel that other forms of printing can't match.

Do you feel that letterpress is a dying art?
I think because it has become popular, many people are working to save this print form. It’s great to see old presses saved and in use again.

Do you do in house design?
We do design in house, but we also offer print only services for designers.

What all do you offer?
Wedding invitations, business stationary, birth announcements, and custom printing.


Tell us about how letterpress happens.
We have to ink the press, with a single color (we can only print one color at a time). We set the plate in the press, each piece of paper is hand fed. Rollers ink the image, the press closes with the paper inside and then you have a print. You remove the print and add another sheet. To print the second color you have to re-set up the press and plate and re-feed all the paper through again. It’s very time consuming, but beautiful.

Do you have any magazine features coming up?
We’ll be featured in the Knot magazine in July, and in an upcoming Knot book on the best of wedding colors. We’re very excited and honored.

How do most people hear about you? Where do you get most of your business?
A lot of our clients come by “word-of-mouth” referrals from other brides, and many of our new clients find out about us from the web. Many of our clients are international and from the East Coast.


Do you mix your own colors?
Yes, we hand mix our own colors. We use the Pantone color system, so we can do our best to match flowers, dresses, linens etc.

How much time does it take to get a finished product; from design to invites?
Typically about 6 weeks, sometimes faster. We can work with the bride to expedite if necessary.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Seeing the final product turn out perfectly and the bride being happy.


What inspires you the most?
Nature and vintage fabrics

Besides letterpress, what are some other ways you like to express your creativity?
Watercolor painting when I have time, which is never, cooking, and blogging on my wedding style blog -{She Walks in Beauty}.

Your blog {She Walks in Beauty} addresses all things weddings and much more. What is the inspiration behind your posts?
Family, friends, daily life, colors, fun trends, travel, things I love.




Send Becky a note:
805.748.5409
becky@sugarpluminvitations.com
Sugar Plum Invitations

The Kriwinskis {Premarital + Marriage Counseling}

I’m really excited to introduce all of you to my favorite in-laws in the universe - Gunther and Vickey Kriwinski! These guys are responsible for putting Anna together and raising her with so much love that by the time I met her, at 25 years of age, I had discovered the woman of my dreams.

It is always amazing to see people ahead of me in years doing the thing that I want to be doing when I am well into their age. For Gunther and Vickey family is a huge priority; but more specifically, their commitment to one another. They have 3 grown children all of whom are married; and lots of grandkids to top it all off! Family holidays and get-togethers are spent full of love and joy; peace and hope. Not so with a lot of families. During Christmas when Gunther is dressed in his silly Santa hat and elf vest distributing presents to the eager grandkids I am reminded that the reward didn’t come easy. I know they have had their ups and downs; the years when it just seemed too hard to continue on… but their perseverance and commitment to each other has been the glue which continues to reproduce in years and children full of love for generations to come. Thanks Gunther and Vickey for modeling commitment, family and love to Anna and I and for being available to help couples who are getting married start the journey on the right foot.

Anna and I did premarital counseling and we recommend it to every single couple getting married! It really helped us prepare for most of what we could and will experience. More importantly we developed tools to help us foster a healthy (yet not perfect) marriage that will last until death does us part. We know that our lives could end in ruin; that divorce is inviting us to become part of it’s statistic. And that is why we are actively working on our relationship. Learning to listen and understand each other; learning to live our vows. A wedding is a day; a marriage is for a lifetime. It would benefit your life greatly if you invested just a small percentage of time and money in preparing for the marriage as you do the wedding. All the wedding cake, flowers and photographs won’t mean a thing if in a couple years divorce knocks on your door and serves you papers.

Define Marriage.
G- A commitment between two people for a long term relationship; a relationship that includes growing up together, changing together, and ending life together as friends and lovers. Marriage is a life-long covenant - an adventure of growing together.
V- We believe that God designed marriage - that it was His idea. We believe that marriage is designed to be between a man and a woman.

How hard is marriage in general?
V- It’s the hardest and yet most wonderful, rewarding thing you will ever do. I would say that that is probably true for most couples.

Do you know how high the divorce rate is in America right now?
G - The divorce rate for first-time marriages is close to about 55% right now. For re-marriages it’s about 65%.

What would you say the leading cause of divorce is or at least the common thread?
G- I think the number one reason for marital dissatisfaction comes down to the inability to communicate and simply understand one another. It’s not the lack of talking together -it’s the lack of being able to hear each other and communicate thoughts and feelings as well as ideas. Many people say that issues such as money and sex are the reasons for divorce. I think it really comes down to the inability to understand each other in the midst of conflicts regarding money or sex, or whatever. An inability, or unwillingness to empathize with your spouse and understand that person’s position and work towards a solution.
V- Couples aren’t able to really hear who the other person is or understand where that person is coming from.

What made you start offering counseling to pre-married couples?
V– We’ve been doing counseling on and off for a long time; maybe even decades. But a couple years back we got a phone call from a very close friend of ours - someone we’ve known since before we were married. She called to tell us that her husband had left her. We have known a lot of people over the years who have divorced and it is always a tough blow. But especially with this couple it really hit us hard. I think it was because we were so close and they were one of those couples you would have never guessed would end up divorced. At the same time we started to see that a lot of people in our own community and church were struggling in their marriages. I think our friends’ divorce was the last straw for us. Kind of “enough is enough”. We decided that we wanted to help anybody we could to prevent divorce from happening to them. We made ourselves more available to give people the tools to succeed in their life commitment to each other.
G- Ask any couple – no one gets married expecting to divorce. Even though people are aware of the high divorce rate, no one expects it to happen to them. We want to help couples identify what their points of conflict and differences will be. Then we want to give them tools to face those conflicts and to equip them and ready them for a lifelong healthy marriage, right from the very start. We also want to help identify the strong points in their relationship so they can be encouraged and continue to grow in those areas where they’re already fairly solid.

How long have you been married?
33 Years

What does it take to have a healthy marriage?
V- I would say commitment. The feeling of being in love is going to ebb and flow, so is the fun, so is the romance. But your commitment to each other is what will carry you during the rough times. Other countries in the world have arranged marriages. Now I am not saying I am ready to ascribe to arranged marriages, but there is something about their approach that we could learn from. They understand the power of commitment, and that it is from commitment that love grows and is sustained. In our culture it’s all about ‘do whatever makes you happy’. Then when people are no longer happy the first thing they want to do is bail. By contrast, when your marriage has a foundation of commitment you are going to stick in there for commitment sake. It may sound overly clinical, but the romance will come back when you are committed to each other. There is a real security when you know that your partner is committed to you. You both have bad days and when you do you know your partner is not going to bail. Another way to say it is that a life long commitment is a gift that you give each other. As a result of that gift comes a wonderful security and a confidence in our love for each other.

What is your favorite part of being married?
G- The answer to that question can evolve depending on your age and the season of your marriage – your favorite part of being married is constantly going to grow and change. After 33 years our favorite thing about our marriage is different than when we were newlyweds. Right now my favorite thing is the realization that I am married to my very best friend.

If you knew then (before marriage) what you know now – what would you have done differently to prepare?
G- Without a doubt we would have had more premarital counseling. We only had 3 half hour sessions and it really was a joke. I think that we could have avoided probably years of misunderstanding and pain. Certainly the mistakes I made in the first 10 years might have been avoided.
V- Oh yes, absolutely more premarital counseling. We really had no idea what we were getting into. We were very much in love and attracted to each other. We challenged each other and dreamed together, but in terms of living a life together we had absolutely no clue!

Define love.
V- There was a time when I would have said that love is the feeling of romance and physical attraction. But now I think I have learned that love goes back to the commitment thing. I think Love has more to do with sacrifice and commitment than what you are going to get or feel. From what I have observed watching couples who really love - they been the ones that have been the most sacrificial and giving.
G- I think love is valuing the other person more than yourself. To give that person my care, my concern and my devotion – making that person’s fulfillment of greater importance than my own.

Do you believe that people can fall in and out of love?
G- If you define love as the feeling – then yes, absolutely. There have been times when Vickey and I didn’t “feel” much in terms of the emotion. But because the basis of our relationship has been our commitment to each other for the rest of our lives - the feeling of love has always returned. We have gone through seasons of satisfaction: sexual satisfaction, emotional satisfaction. That whole sense of “being in love”, yeah we’ve been in and out of that.
V- If we happen to be in a season when the emotion has waned, it doesn’t freak us out. When that happens we know the feeling of being in love will always come back.

Is premarital counseling more like fire insurance or boot camp?
G- If done correctly I think the military analogy is a good description. In this life we battle a number of different things: our own inner demons, pressures, life’s curves. In military training you are taught to work together as a team - to make decisions not based on emotion but based on the correct thing to do for the best results.
V- The comment I would add is that I am not sure there is marriage insurance. I used to think that if we had certain things in order we would be exempt from divorce, kind of a “get out jail free” card. I understand now that no one is exempt. By that I mean that we can become so comfortable that we stop trying or stop working hard at our relationship. We’ve seen it so many times when couples relax and think it will never happen to them, that’s when they can become a statistic. They stop working at it and stop trying. There is a law of entropy where anything left alone will decay. Gunther and I have made it a goal to always invest in “us”, always cultivate what we have as a couple. Ignore it, and it will die.

What does a premarital course consist of?
G- It consists of a few different layers. We start with an online evaluation or inventory of the couple’s relationship. It gives us, and the couple, a full picture of their relationship as it stands at the beginning. Then we will take that couple through different areas of that evaluation working with them to strengthen areas where growth is needed, providing different resources and tools to help them.
V- The actual pre-marital course consists of between 8 – 10 sessions. We cover everything from, money, sex, goal setting, communication, conflict resolution, finances, gender differences, blended family situations, etc. There are reading and exercises that need to be done every week. It’s like a college course. We take it very seriously. We want people to develop their own skill sets in their relationship. We tell couples that we will help them discover what their issues are. We all have issues; Gunther and I have issues. Then we can give them the tools and the resources to work on those issues. We remind our couples that they spend up to a year in preparation for their wedding day but rarely do people spend that much time on their actual marriage.

Do you also do marriage counseling?
Yes

When do you think it’s time to get marriage counseling?
G- I think when one person finds that their dissatisfaction level is growing with their spouse. We personally have gone to a marriage weekend or some sort of marriage event once every few years, just to have a refresher course. Even if we felt like we haven’t needed it, just to spend some time and money on the most important thing in our lives that means the most to us.
V- Another indicator is when you find yourselves going over the same issue over and over again. A lot of times people will come in and say “Well I don’t need to be here because it’s his/her issue; not mine”. And we tell them, if your mate is having an issue – it’s your issue. It doesn’t matter whose fault or whose problem it is. If one of you is struggling then it’s both of your issue.

What would you say to the men reading this blog about pre-marital counseling?
G– How many marriages have you looked at and thought “That poor idiot! I feel terrible for him.” If you want to avoid that sort of marriage, then get pre-marital counseling.
V– There was a book called – “Do yourself a favor and love your wife”. I would say whether you think you need it or not do yourself a favor and get premarital counseling. Even if it’s for the most simple reason, show your wife-to-be that you love her. You would make your fiancé really happy by investing in your marriage.

What would you say to the women?
V- If you think you are going to change him before the wedding date you need to let that dream die. Go through premarital counseling so you can see the way things are –not just in his but also in your life. Then you can make an informed decision whether or not you can live together AS YOU ARE for the rest of your lives. If anything, after the wedding and he’s won his prize, you, that’s when both of your true colors will show. Any woman who dreams that she is going to make it all better and fix him and have this fairy tale fantasy come true – is due for a grave disappointment. If you can’t live with each other ‘as is’ then you’re not ready.

What book would you recommend to any couples who can not get premarital counseling?
Check out our blog and look at our reading list. There are tons of resources!

You can reach us at:
Gunther + Vickey Kriwinski
805.473.8227
marriedforkeeps@yahoo.com
Married for Keeps

Ben Potter of Cana Video Productions {Wedding Videography}

Ben Potter is an amazing individual and talented videographer. With a passion for weddings he captures the love and emotion of each couples most special day through the lens of his heart as well as his motion camera. Tune into this interview at the Cana headquarters to hear about the fresh style Ben brings to wedding videography!


Wedding Standard: Cana Video from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.

Ben with his new partner Drew Barefoot.



Headquarters of Cana VP.



Check out these amazing videos we shot together.

Mark and Katie from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.


Preview: Derek and Shelly from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.


Engagement: Joel and Morgan from Ben Potter & Drew Barefoot on Vimeo.


Contact info:
Ben Potter + Drew Barefoot
805.704.6088
info@canavp.com
www.canavp.com