A love bound by fate – such a beautiful sentiment to describe Jimmy and Irelia’s love story. Two friends who met at a milestone in their life were joined together by fate over the course of 8 years before finally realizing they wanted to spend forever with each other. Officially tying the knot at the breathtaking Chateau Carmel in Carmel Valley, California, this intimate Mexican wedding film will inspire you with culture, love, and breathtaking scenery.

Jimmy and Irelia met for the first time in Vegas for their 21st birthday. Though the interaction was brief, their friendship continued through phone calls and emails for 8 years. As fate would have it, they reunited again in San Francisco during a Giants game and have been inseparable ever since. Dreaming of a destination wedding, the bride and groom originally planned to get married in Mexico, however due to Covid, they found the next best place- The Chateau Carmel.

The Chateau Carmel is a breathtaking French inspired villa overlooking the entire Carmel Valley. Beautiful cypress trees line the entire drive up the villa to reveal a stunning patio area with gorgeous mountain and valley views. The ceremony decor for this Chateau wedding incorporated rich and vibrant colored florals that perfectly complemented the timeless architecture and greenery surrounding it. With stunning string lights, an outdoor pool, and a stone fireplace, this venue was the perfect place to host an intimate wedding. For wedding decor inspiration, check out this stunning ceremony and reception decor by Moises Ramirez Garcia.

As wedding cinematographers, it means the world to us when the bride and groom trusts us with their special day. Not only were Jimmy and Irelia incredibly accommodating in allowing us the time to capture footage of them and of the venue, but they also trusted our guidance in recommendations for meaningful content throughout their wedding day. Noticing that the vows during the ceremony followed the traditional “I Do’s”, we recommended that the couple thank the guests for coming and also say something meaningful to each other at the end of the reception to create a deeper story for the wedding film. Heeding our recommendation, the groom delivered a beautifully, emotional speech to his new wife which made for an incredible memory that will be cherished forever.

With an intimate wedding comes intimate moments shared between the bride and groom, and our favorite was their first dance. We actually prepared the location for the first dance in advance by lighting a fire in the stunning stone fireplace roughly 45 minutes prior to create a romantic and moody atmosphere for the newlyweds. Away from all the guests and excitement, Jimmy and Irelia were able to share a sweet and personal moment with each other, dancing alone by the fire.

This wedding was shot on 4K cameras to give a crisp and clear image throughout the wedding day. Experimenting with newly bought memory cards, we were able to try out a new mode on the camera at 120 FPS. This allowed us to slow down every intimate moment and incorporate those beautiful shots into their Chateau wedding film. We absolute loved the turn out and plan on incorporating this into many more weddings in the future.

Some challenges we faced while filming this Mexican wedding was the language barrier. With majority of the wedding in Spanish, google translate really came in handy to generate subtitles and edit the footage, however, we believed that incorporating both Spanish and English toasts/speeches would allow us to tell a richer and more meaningful story in the wedding film. In addition, the reception took place at night which made lighting a bit of a challenge. Thankfully, we are well equipped with the tools necessary to remedy this problem leaving just time to set everything up.

Immersed in culture, architecture, and amazing company, the bride and groom were able to celebrate their forever with those that mattered most. We hope you enjoyed this intimate Carmel Valley wedding at the beautiful Chateau Carmel. As wedding cinematographers, we are confident that we can perfectly capture your story so that you and your loved ones can re-live those intimate and special memories from your big day!