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Why You Need a Seating Chart
Good Morning Everyone! Our good friend Nina Callaway over at About.com had this fantastic tidbit to share about why you would need a seating chart.
We’ve been to some receptions where there wasn’t one & ohhhhh how that is not a pretty thing. Check out what she has to say, it’s short-n-sweet & to the point. Have a super weekend - cheers!
Many brides and grooms who are looking for a casual, relaxed wedding think that they can forgo having a seating chart. They envision a wedding where friends and family will easily mingle, and at dinner time, everyone will happily sit with their new friends. What’s wrong with this idea? Simply put, it doesn’t work that easily. You’ll end up with tables of eight with only seven people sitting at them, and couples wandering the room wondering where on earth they are supposed to sit. Meanwhile, shy singles will be forced to approach tables of strangers before they can sit down, which can only be an unpleasant reminder of high school cafeterias. And the mingling you’d been hoping for probably won’t happen anyway.
So what’s a better alternative? Use large tables of 10 or 12, and assign tables but not seats. That way, you’ll be able to create tables which combine like-minded friends, and let them find where at the table they fit comfortably. It’s more relaxed than assigning every seat, and you won’t have to worry about whether Aunt Ada would rather sit next to Cousin Larry or Cousin Bob.
Monique & Cesar Testimonial!
Good Morning Everyone! We just had a nice note sent to us in our Facebook messaging from Monique about her Wedding we just did on August 16th. We had such a great time with them and their near 400 friends and family - which definitely shows that they are truly blessed and rich in love & happiness.
Check out what Monique had to say & have a super week - cheers!
“Hiiii David!
We’re back! Our honeymonn was awesome! I cant wait to see the pictures!!!! 
We had so much fun with you at the wedding…everyone was asking who the photographer was!
They loved you!
Monique”
Dana & Rod Testimonial!
Good Morning Everyone! We received this awesome note from Dana this morning about their Wedding we just shot on Sunday in downtown Long Beach & we wanted to share it with you. Check it out & have a super Tuesday - cheers!
“David,
You are INCREDIBLE!!! This is the last thing I am seeing before we hit the hay and get up at 3am to start our honeymoon! What a wonderful way to see us off! I cannot thank you enough for your amazing work and your fantastic artistic eye. I cannot wait to see the rest!
Luv ya so much!
The “new’ Mrs. Dana Barajas :)”
Alia & Edwardo’s Engagement Shoot
Good Evening Everyone! I just got in from the 2nd half of Alia & Edwardo’s Engagement Shoot at Seal Beach.
But first, I would like to share a little bit of our back-story. Our journey first started last year when I bumped into Alia at Patricia & William’s Wedding. Alia & I got to chatting & we actually worked together about 12 years ago in the extreme sports industry. I was the official inline skating photographer for the tour & she worked at the corporate office. Who knew we would bump into each other a dozen years later and I’m so glad that she recognized me because now I’m her wedding photographer. :-)
Fast forward to 2008 & we started their Engagement Shoot this past Saturday at the Getty Museum. It was an absolutely beautiful day to take a walk around the garden for our Signature Artistic & Romantic Portraits. Then! We had the 2nd half of their shoot scheduled today at the beach and it was P E R F E C T!
The 2nd half of their Engagement Shoot was on the sand in Seal Beach for some of our world famous sunsets and we couldn’t have planned it better. An absolutely wonderful close to a great weekend!
Here are a few of our favourites from both halves of their Engagement Shoot & I hope you enjoy them as much as we did capturing them - cheers!
Dana & Rod, Wedding Day, Long Beach, CA
Good Evening/Morning Everyone! We just got in from an absolutely incredible day with Dana & Rod and their family & friends. You might remember Dana & Rod from their Engagement Shoot we did back on June 8th at Union Station, Griffith Park & Hollywood Blvd. The two of them became family to us and we spent all the time in-between counting the days until today!
Their day started at The Renaissance Hotel in downtown Long Beach where I met up with Rod & his men for a few shots of them getting ready & some “Martin Scorcesse” inspired portraits in the lobby. When they left, I headed upstairs to the Florence Suite to meet up with Dana and her ladies in waiting. Dana was absolutely stunning in her gown and her mother was a vision!
Once everyone was ready, we all headed down to the marina for Dana & Rod to have a private moment for their “first look.” They were able to spend a few moments along taking it all in about their day. Then we proceeded to have fun with our Signature Artistic & Romantic portraits at the marina and then up on the hill next to the lighthouse. My better 1/2 & partner-in-crime; Katherine had assisted and she did a fantastic job getting everyone off the hill so we didn’t have any other people in our portraits other than the bridal party!
Their ceremony and reception was held at The Sky Room in downtown Long Beach and our partner; Linda from A Wedding Store made sure that every detail was in order from the flowers all the way to the candles on the tables for the reception. And! Let me just say that our friend Tom from Bixby Knolls Flowers provided the flowers for their day & they have to have been Tom’s perfect symphony. Absolutely beautiful!
DJ Michael Carcano from Carcano DJ spun the flavours of today & yesterday to keep the evening moving along smoothly while Jeff Koven from Prism Eye Productions shot beautiful video and we captured our signature Artistic & Romantic Portraits. I even was able captured a beautiful portrait of Dana & Rod with the downtown skyline in the background.
Here is a small sample of their day & we hope you enjoy it as much as we did capturing it - cheers!