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01 Jul

Posted on July 01, 2021 at 5:29pm in Blog, News/Updates, Wedding Videography by

Your wedding day has come and gone, and all you have left are just photos and videos to reminisce on those sweet moments you wish you could relive once again. Photos have their home in a photo album. But what about your cherished wedding film? Keeping it jumbled together with other files and documents on your hard drive or computer just doesn’t seem right. Your wedding video deserves to be on display, like a valued heirloom in your home. It must also be easily accessible and available to enjoy whenever and wherever you want. For these reasons, Aperina Studios has partnered with The Motion Books to deliver your wedding film in an exciting and innovative way. With The Motion Books video books, you can now relive your special day with just a turn of a page. The Motion Books are the ultimate wedding video album that serves as a time capsule of your wedding day, and a treasured heirloom that you’ll want to share with all your family and friends. What are The Motion Books? In the simplest terms, The Motion Books are physical books that play your wedding film right when you open it. This one-of-a-kind wedding video book opens up an entire experience of emotions, excitement and romance. Beautifully bound in linen, your wedding video book will be the matter of the moment at your next family gathering or event. Display it in your home alongside your wedding photo album and it’ll surely serve as the perfect coffee table book, ready to be enjoyed at your convenience. Make it uniquely yours by personalizing your video book with your names (or any special title you like) or choose from one of the gorgeous gold-foiled designs. The Motion Books video books are not only beautiful and timelessly designed, they are easy to use from the youngest to the oldest of age. Which makes them an excellent gift for parents, grandparents, or anyone else you would like to share your special day with. At Aperina Studios, we pride ourselves on our high-quality, luxury films that deserve to be featured in a...

13 Feb

Posted on February 13, 2020 at 9:29pm in Blog, Short Wedding Film, Wedding Videography by

Two families, two cultures, two people, one love. This beautiful rustic and multicultural wedding took place at Union Hill Inn in Sonora, CA - the perfect wedding venue to celebrate the union of one incredibly diverse couple. Fitting two weddings in one day, Raj (Hindu) and Haley (American) honored both of their cultures, commemorating a heritage that remains a strong part of who they are. Raj and Haley spent the past 11 years growing in love and respect for each other, a fact that was evidently clear as we filmed their wedding day. Their families, fully immersed in their love for the bride and groom, actively participated in all cultural activities with open minds and cheerful hearts. This multicultural wedding brought all the colors and festivities worthy of celebrating the happy couple. The wedding day began with a western wedding as Raj and Haley exchanged their vows in a beautiful rustic barn at Union Hill Inn. Raj vowed "with every beat of my heart, I promise to love you - this is my solemn vow.” After exchanging their self- written vows, the bride and groom shared an intimate moment during the unity sand ceremony. Both partners poured sand into one single glass vase, signifying the union of their two lives. With excitement, the family continued the celebrations as they moved to the beautifully decorated gazebo for the Indian wedding. For the Indian wedding, the bride and groom incorporated traditional Indian rituals as they each walked in a baraat to the ceremony surrounded by family and loved ones. The couple participated in a puja ceremony, a traditional Hindu ceremony involving prayer, incense, flowers, and food. The marriage was officiated as the bride and groom walked around a fire four times, with the final lap led by the bride. With blessings from the priest, parents and loved ones, Raj and Haley were officially husband and wife. “Togetherness - that is what family is all about.” Spoken in truth by the bride’s father, the reception was filled with togetherness as both families joined as one in celebration of Raj and Haley. Embracing traditions...

17 Dec

Posted on December 17, 2019 at 3:31pm in Blog, News/Updates, Wedding Videography by

Oftentimes we receive very humbling feedback from couples who hired us for their big day. Many couples simply love our work and are amazed by our films. One thing we notice is that they always comment very positively about our creative short films. And that’s fair. Short films are epic. They highlight the greater, more dramatic events that occurred during the wedding. HOWEVER, we notice that many couples overlook a very important edit - the documentary edit. The truth is, I get it. They aren’t as exciting as the creative and cinematic short films. A 1-2 hour documentary film isn’t as “shareable” on social media. A fun, short film seems like a simpler and more exciting alternative of reliving your wedding memories. It covers the main, sensational events that happened on your wedding day. So, some couples tend to think the creative film is good enough. But, the bottom line is, for the couple, a documentary edit is just as important as, if not more important than a short film. Years down the line, the documentary film will still contain all the finer details of your special day. Read an in depth view of why we believe documentary edits are one of the most important videos from your wedding day. ...

03 Sep

Posted on September 03, 2019 at 5:51pm in Same Day Edit, Wedding Videography by

We traveled to Seattle, WA to capture this stunning wedding of David and Raychel at the Olympic Sculpture Park. What made it even more epic was that we filmed and edited a Same Day Edit that premiered at the wedding reception. It was an amazing and stressful weekend in Seattle, but we loved the challenge and captured a memory that the couple will cherish for ever. When Raychel and David initially reached out to me, they mentioned that they wanted a Same Day Edit to play at their wedding reception. I love Same Day Edits! I understand they are quite challenging and extremely stressful, but I also know they are quite rewarding for the couple and their closest friends to watch their beautiful wedding film at the wedding reception. So of course, I agreed to this challenge. We arrived two days early to capture some Seattle scenery, time lapses and video session with the couple. Our first stop was Alki Beach. This gave us an epic view of Seattle from across the bay. We captured a few shots there, especially of the Space Needle, and headed on. The next morning, we headed to Gas Works Park with David and Raychel and spent some filming them with their dog. Since their dog, Gary, wasn’t going to make it to the wedding, I made sure that he made it into the Same Day Edit. We then drove to Pike Place Market, getting a few more shots of the couple simply being “them” around each other. Most of our second day, we spent driving around Seattle capturing time-lapses of clouds through building, the Space Needle, the Seattle Great Wheel and more city shots. At this time, I already started to get an idea how the Same Day Edit might start. So, we headed to our hotel, copied the first batch of cards, and I begin the editing process. That same evening, we headed to Olympic Sculpture Park for the rehearsal. We cleared up and planned the Same Day Edit premier with the involved wedding vendors. It was definitely something that helped to make...

10 Jan

Posted on January 10, 2019 at 11:21am in Blog, Wedding Videography by

Destination weddings are probably one of the most exciting tasks we take on as wedding cinematographers. We get to experience an exotic, new place, usually an island on the other side of the globe, while capturing breathlessly romantic ceremonies and epic receptions. It’s such an exciting getaway for us and the stakes are always higher to deliver our very best work. The couple who requests us to join them on their wedding weekend, expects us to create the perfect, flawless wedding film. A wedding film that captures the most sentimental and priceless moments of their big day. It’s always a thrill to see how we can stretch our creativity to ensure we capture the perfect angles and moments throughout the weekend as the couple exchanges their vows, makes their grand entrance, and dances the night away, all while surrounded by only the closest of family and friends and the bluest ocean and greenest mountains. Barron and Dana first met in 2012 and after Barron proposed, they began planning their magical wedding. They chose Saint Lucia for its warm and tropical weather and it was such a perfect touch on their big day! It was as if the clouds knew exactly how to compliment the setting and add the perfect glow, making our job almost effortless. Planning the wedding reception was like “planning the best party of our life, with everything and everyone we love” and it was evident that the guests were enjoying themselves during the party. Barron and Dana were radiating so much joy and happiness that filming their wedding was not only a blast but it was genuinely very exciting to be there in that moment with them and their loved ones. ...

30 Nov

Posted on November 30, 2018 at 1:00pm in Blog, Wedding Videography by

We have been filming Indian weddings all over California and United States and we love the challenges each wedding presents us. For instance, at this Indian Wedding, we were challenged to create a beautiful film from just the wedding reception alone that Raj and Pam had in Sacramento one week after their epic wedding on the East Coast. What makes this challenging is that we don't have the wedding content to work with to tell a story. Additionally, we're not able to have the variety of wedding footage that we are used to. Sadly, many wedding videographers would simply "slap" together a simple long and boring video. However, I wanted to approach this a bit more creatively and create an Indian Wedding Reception Highlight Film. I wanted the reception film to have emotions, be epic and have a story. My goal is so when you are done watching the reception wedding film, you have met the beautiful couple and have been at their wedding reception. I believe we pulled this off with this short film from Raj and Pam's wedding reception in Sacramento, California. One of my personal favorite scenes from this film is their first dance before the guests arrived to the reception hall at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. The couple wanted to see their reception hall full decorated before the guests arrived. More importantly, they wanted to practice their first dance one last time. It's our job, as wedding cinematographers, to capture a story. So me and my team took that opportunity and filmed their special moment as they danced away on the empty reception dance floor. Looking at the footage later, I was please as it gave me some romantic footage that I found fitted perfectly into their film. Raj is an accomplished doctor and it was an honor to be part of their wedding celebration in Raj's home town, Sacramento, CA. So enjoy this Indian Wedding Reception Highlight Film from the heart of California at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento....

20 Oct

Posted on October 20, 2018 at 9:00pm in Short Wedding Film, Wedding Videography by

Traveling all around the country, I have seen some of the most spectacular wedding venues but I always love when a couple presents us with a new location or a different twist in their wedding. As a wedding videographer, new locations are always exciting and sometimes challenge me in different ways. When Levi and Bethany contacted me to film their very small wedding (some might even call it an elopement), I was so excited that they said it would take place outdoors, along the seaside bluffs of Mendocino California. I have driven past this part of the coast before and saw how beautifully the ocean and the bluffs all meshed together to create a very serene setting. Also, it was quite perfect that the bride, being a designer, had a great eye for natural beauty. What usually looked like undeveloped and rugged bluffs to most, was transformed into an elegant and timeless sensation to become the perfect venue for the two love birds to exchange their vows in the most intimate of settings. Every detail, no doubt planned by the bride months ahead, was molded to focus on the love the couple shared for each other, surrounded by their parents and siblings. Even their vegan lifestyle was reflected and celebrated on their big day! The two met back in 2012 while attending UPenn just around Valentine’s Day. During the last 6 years, their love has blossomed and as Levi put it, they “are entirely capable independently, but 100% better together.” They have discovered so many great qualities in one another and the two fit together like a “matching puzzle piece.” Levi popped the question around their five-year anniversary, surrounded by close friends, and soon after, they started planning their perfect wedding day. Levi and Bethany wanted to share their big day with a small and intimate crowd and something about exchanging their “I dos” on the cliffs that overlooked the Pacific Ocean made that moment significantly more in tune with nature. The couple both stressed their love for Mother Earth and wanting to capture more of that, we made a...

04 Sep

Posted on September 04, 2018 at 10:39pm in Same Day Edit, Wedding Videography by

Weddings are always very beautiful but something about a wedding in a cathedral makes the ceremony even more breathtaking. I remember driving past the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in the heart of California and thinking how cool it would be to film a wedding there one day. So when Benny & Joanna reached out to us about getting married in the grandest cathedral in Sacramento, I agreed in a heartbeat. While chatting with the couple about their wedding details, it became very evident that Benny & Joanna are very madly in love. I found out that their love story started back in 2002 on Valentine’s Day when they were just 14 years old! How sweet is that? For 15 years, they dated and spent precious moments together until on Joanna’s 30th birthday, surrounded by both families, Benny finally popped the question! Of course Joanna said yes and they started planning a wedding. The couple wanted to choose a cathedral because they wanted to exchange their vows before God in an elegant and timeless setting. Joanna knew that a cathedral would give the perfect romantic feel for their wedding ceremony with its’ high ceilings and classic artwork. This challenged Benny, so he set out to find the greatest cathedral in Sacramento and when he found the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, he knew their wedding guests would be just as awed with the magnificent building. When I entered the building on their wedding day, I was taken back by the grandness of it all and I knew I needed to capture that into our film. I was so excited to finally film in this incredible sanctuary and I got right to work, making sure to get the finest details of their big day. Read more about this wedding. ...

24 Aug

Posted on August 24, 2018 at 2:30pm in Blog, Teaser, Wedding Videography by

We don't usually post wedding teasers on our blog, but I particularly liked this wedding teaser from Vincent & Camy's romantic Napa Wedding at V. Sattui Winery (as I think it has an interesting modern twist to it). This was a destination wedding for this beautiful couple and we were honored to be part of their grand day in Napa Valley, California. This was my first time in V. Sattui winery and I loved every aspect of it. V. Sattui is the Napa Valley’s most romantic destination, where the rolling hills, lush vineyards, and of course the award winning wine served as the perfect place for this couples dream destination wedding in Wine Country. The lower courtyard served as a flawless place for the wedding ceremony and the barrel room completed the reception perfectly. Enjoy this modern twist wedding teaser....

15 Aug

Posted on August 15, 2018 at 2:50pm in Blog, Music Videos, Wedding Videography by

I was very lucky to experience a unique weekend in St. Lucia and be part of Barron and Dana's destination wedding at Royalton St. Lucia. Their wedding was amazing and simply beautiful. After filming their wedding, the couple wanted me to film something very fascinating (for me at least) the next day, a music video on a sail boat set to a new song released by John Legend - A Good Night. They wanted a video that simply shows them and their wedding guests having fun on a boat in the middle of the St. Lucia ocean and so it would look like a music video. Filming the music video was a challenge - it really was. I actually almost lost my DJI drone as the winds over the ocean were way to strong for my tiny drone (but that's another story). The little time we had to shoot during sunset and the few times we played the song, really made it hard to capture all the shots. Somehow, we pulled it off.  This is definitely something different than we usually produce, but I'm happy how this challenging music video from their party on the sail boat turned out. Enjoy this Destination Wedding Music Video!...

30 Jul

Posted on July 30, 2018 at 12:29pm in Blog, Wedding Videography by

California’s vineyards are world famous for their breathtaking yet simple beauty and this wedding at Nella Terra Vineyards in Sunol, California was exactly that. The endless, golden hills were the perfect canvas for a beautiful sunset, giving every shot contouring dimension. We have filmed a wedding at this vineyard once before and I always yearned to film there again because the scenery gives us so much natural beauty to work into our films. The elegant courtyard and gorgeous background really bring out the best of an outdoor wedding in California, especially in the summer. Angela and Chanh picked Nella Terra Cellars for its secluded beauty and to help highlight a simple, natural look for their wedding. The inspiration for this film came from the groom, Chanh. It was very sweet and enduring how he would get very anxious and nervous before each big moment. When Angela was about to walk down the aisle or when she was walking up for their First Look, Chanh would take a deep breath and almost remind himself to keep breathing. It was evident that even though they dated for six years, Angela still gave him the butterflies! It was quite adorable. So, in order to capture and translate their raw emotions, I decided to use the slow motion technique to film some of their shots and this worked out wonderfully when capturing the sunset shots, which turned out to be one of my favorite moments at this wedding. It couldn’t have been more perfect! The couple’s effortlessly displayed their enamoration for each other and it was very fun capturing that. Their sincere and genuine smiles told us just how much they adored each other and how excited they were to tie the knot with the love of their life. It was very evident that they are meant to be with one another to complete each other. From our wedding cinematographers at Aperina, we wish you nothing but the best in your life together, Angela and Chanh!...

18 Sep

Posted on September 18, 2017 at 12:58pm in Blog, Short Wedding Film, Wedding Videography by

We enjoy destination weddings and traveling to tell visual stories from different cultures. The Muslim Wedding of Afeef and Moniza in San Diego, California was no exception. The ceremony was beautiful and cultural, the cocktail hour had tacos (very different) and the reception had churros (not a wedding cake). We loved that touch of uniqueness that Afeef and Moniza applied to their wedding. Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina Hotel is a perfect place to get married. Our San Diego Wedding Cinematography team did an outstanding job capturing this beautiful wedding. Enjoy the Short Film....

08 Jun

Posted on June 08, 2017 at 5:32pm in Blog, Short Wedding Film, Wedding Videography by

“Open your eyes. It’s a beautiful life. It’s so beautiful.” The lyrics of the song express the wedding of Kelly & Owen perfectly. This wedding was beautiful at the Triple S Ranch (SSS Ranch). The bride, the venue, the gnarled walnut tree, the vows, the flowers - everything. I loved capturing every detail and I think we pulled it off well. I personally love Napa Valley and when we get a chance to film a wedding in the wine country, I get excited. Additionally, we LOVE working with couples that LOVE our work, especially when they express it to us. It secretly allows us to go into a higher gear when filming their wedding. Enjoy the story of the day that Kelly and Owen professed their love to each other....

25 May

Posted on May 25, 2017 at 5:10pm in Blog, News/Updates by

It’s pretty amazing to see how wedding cinematography has evolved in the last few years. I’ve been filming wedding since 2005 and it’s very exciting to see the evolution of wedding art. Back in the days, things were simple - you took a camera and filmed as much as you can. This was the age of “wedding videography.” In 2008, we witnessed a HUGE change in the wedding industry with the release of the first Full Frame DSLR Canon 5D MK II that recorded video. A camera that immensely redefined filming weddings and created a new “breed” of videographers: Wedding Cinematographers, Wedding Filmmakers, Wedding Storytellers and so on. The quality of wedding videos improved dramatically, the stories improved and the wedding video industry in itself shot up. Take a look how we at Aperina Studios evolved and continued to create the best possible films for each of our couples....

23 May

Posted on May 23, 2017 at 1:03pm in Blog, Wedding Videography by

Chris and Anna contacted us a few months before their wedding and told us that we were their first choice to book for wedding photography and wedding videography. We love couples that absolutely love our work and give us the 100% creative control over everything (well - just the Healdsburg wedding videography and wedding photography). We were able to capture their wedding freely and be inspired by the story that surrounded us through out the day. As we headed to Healdsburg, California in the morning to Madrona Manor, we loved the scenery and the rolling mountains of the valley. We arrived a bit early to start capturing some drone shots of the venue to build some nice opening shots for the film. The wedding itself was laid back and really fun. The decorations were amazing. Hearing the nephews speech at the reception, made every crack up. We built the film around their story. Enjoy the story of the day that Chris & Anna professed their love to each other....