Crane Media | Hawaii Video Blog

About a year and a half ago, a great friend in the wedding industry decided to make a move back to her hometown of Seattle.  I had the great opportunity to get to know her during her stay in Hawaii.  While inHawaii, she worked with Sandra Williams of Finishing Touch as a wedding planner.  So we got to know each other on a personal and business level.  When she left, I told her that I predicted that she would be engaged within 18 months.  And why not?  She was smart, ambitious and beautiful - a major catch for any guy.  She dismissed my premonitions as silly banter, but guess what?  18 months later, I get a joyful email from her saying that my prediction came true…almost to the exact date.

Rebecca Bradley is now a soon to be bride and owner of New Creations, Wedding Design and Coordination.  And I am fortunate enough to be asked to shoot her wedding.  Of course, Sandra will be flying up as well to witness the event.  Here is Sandra’s blog about it.

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Aloha Seattle!
(originally posted by Sandra Williams)

I usually don’t do this on my blog (because I think it’s super cheesy), but I do want to give a shout out to my old assistant / on-site coordinator Rebecca Bradley. Rebecca worked with Finishing Touch for about 3 years (from Winter 2005 to Summer of 2008) and have since then moved back to her hometown of Seattle. Have you ever met someone you just know that he/she was born to do something? That’s how felt when I first met Rebecca. I knew from the very beginning that she will make a great wedding planner, and I am so happy and proud to announce that she had started her own wedding design and coordination business, New Creations Wedding Design & Coordination. Her website is still a work in progress, but I am sure it will be fully fabulous very soon. If you are reading this from Seattle or knows someone who is getting married there, call Rebecca. Tell her you read about her business here and send her my aloha… she will LOVE it!

Fettuccine + Pancit…Meatballs + Longanisa…Tiramisu + Bibingka…Samantha + Clyde.  Need I say more?  I think you get the picture.

Sami and Clyde said their vows at the Halekulani Hau Terrace.  They chose only their closet family and friends to be at this intimate wedding.  Most of their guests were from the mainland and had never been to a wedding reception that played a slideshow…much less a ceremony highlight video.  Sami told me specifically that the video was going to be a surprise for her mother.  When the time came to play the video, I had my eyes on Sami’s mother.  Watching her reaction was like watching a schoolgirl at a boy band concert.  Priceless.

We receive emails and card from our couple’s and sometimes we get one that just really stands out.  Thank you Sami for writing such kind words…

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Hi James,

We wanted to thank you again for all your artistry, vision and hard work on our slideshow & ceremony highlights.  You not only met, but exceeded all our expectations!  Our ceremony highlights were definitely the talk of the night.  I was looking forward to seeing it all day and was simply blown away by your creativity.  We have now watched it about 30 times and I’ve sent it to everyone I know…even people I haven’t seen or talked to in years!!!  I really appreciate your professionalism and your ability to take all that video without me even knowing you were doing it.  You made us feel comfortable and at ease.  We felt like you were our friend just taking some pics at the wedding.  You were never intrusive or annoying:)

We’re so happy we found you and are so appreciative of the video we have to keep (and watch over & over again) for the rest of our lives!

We will be more than happy to spread the word about your company and your fabulous slideshow & ceremony highlights!

Thanks again!
Sam & Clyde

I found this post on Facebook today from one of my favorite photographers: Courtney Dellafiora.  She is a hip, fun, classy, and all around cool gal with a BIG heart.  So big that she is giving away a free wedding shoot just to bless someone with the gift that God has given her.  Take a look at her offer below and check out her sight.  You will not be dissappointed.

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FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY GIVEAWAY
originally posted by www.dellafiora.com

I know Christmas is still 80 days away, but it has already been in my mind a lot lately. I just loooovvee Christmas time. It is definitely one of my favorite parts of every year mostly because of family get togethers and how incredibly cheery and happy everyone is. Just thinking about the fact that it is right around the corner gets me all warm and fuzzy on the inside. I cannot wait!!! Another reason I adore Christmas so much is because of all the giving that takes place. One of the greatest feelings in the world is to give. Whether it’s just a smile or an actual gift… you can do no wrong when you give from your heart. In my opinion it’s truly one of the most rewarding experiences in life. I have been given SO much in my life that I am eternally grateful for. One of my favorites gifts has been the one God gave me of having an artistic mind and being able to see the world a little bit differently. I could never possibly thank HIM enough for blessing me with the talent of photography and art. I am SO lucky and blessed to be able to share with others with what God has given me. I don’t claim to be the best out there, as I believe I am FAR from it. But I am so grateful for what I do have and would never take it for granted. Because God has given me so much, I want to use my gift to give to someone else. With all of that being said I have decided to run a contest to give away a free wedding package to a deserving bride & groom. I’m SO excited about this and cannot wait to tell you about it. So let’s no wait any longer and get to it!

Here is the juicy scoop:

What exactly does the winner get?
This contest is open to anyone in the world!

8 hours of wedding day coverage
two photographers
engagement or trash the gown shoot
CD with full resolution images
10×10 30pg coffee table (flushmount) album (60 images)

How to enter:
It’s easy! To enter the contest all you have to do is email me at: courtney@dellafiora.com and be sure to include the following:

- bride & groom’s name
- wedding date & time of ceremony
- wedding location & venue
- photo of you and your fiance’
- wedding website (if applicable)
- and last but not least, send me a mini version of your love story or how you fell in love and why you feel as though you deserve this- be as detailed and honest as you like!

The rules:

- your wedding must be in 2010
- I must be available on your wedding date
- all of my goods and services are free, but if any travel is required you must pay for all expenses involved for me and my 2nd shooter/wonderful boyfriend Michael (travel, hotel, etc)
- because each wedding date is so valuable, the winner must put down a $700 deposit (to guarantee your date) that will be fully refunded on date of wedding once agreement has been fulfilled by both parties.

The contest runs for 4 weeks starting NOW and ends November 2, 2009. The winner will be chosen on November 5, 2009 and announced on the blog. I’m so excited and cannot wait to read all of your stories! I just know it will be a very hard decision as I’m sure they will all be fabulous. Good luck to everyone!

I look forward to hearing from you!! : )

To make this post a little prettier here is a shot that I just love from Aryanne and Chad’s newlywed shoot that I shot earlier this year.

Good luck!

“A once in a lifetime event deserves a one of a kind venue.  Let us guide you through our new ballrooms and show you our room and suite accommodations.  Meet our exclusive Partnered Companies and our own Romance Specialist.  Revel in the design and service details of The Kahala Wedding Experience.”

Friday, October 23rd, 2009
5pm - 10pm
The Kahala Hotel & Resort
Ballrooms, Ceremony Sites, Guest Rooms and Suites

Start your journey with a simple step.  Register for the Kahala Wedding Showcase by going to www.kahalaresort.com or call 808.739.8715

Don’t miss the grand opening of David’s Bridal.  It’s the first store in the state.  No promises, but in the past, there were balloons, news coverage AND prizes for brides.  Here are the details:

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Store Address: 
Pearl City Gateway (Across from Walmart)
1140 Kuala Street, Suite 100
Pearl City, HI 96782

See you there!

Our groom today, Thomas, is a familiar face.  Last year, he was the bestman at Ted and Angela’s wedding.  Of course, Ted made his reprise today as Thomas’ bestman.  Lifelong friends were they.  They chose to have their weddings at the same location (Halekulani), using the same wedding planner (Kelly Sugano of ‘A Perfect Day’) and us as their videographer.

We have been having a lot of fun experimenting with new ways to see the same thing.  One thing that every wedding has are rings.   So it’s always a fun challenge for us think of creative ways to showcase it.  After all, the rings are the quintessential symbol of the wedding itself.  It deserves to have a little of the spotlight.

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Priviledged to work with this day:

Kelly Sugano - A Perfect Day
Halekulani Resort 

posted by james chun | www.cranemedia.com

Lately, it seems like everytime I have ScreenBooth booking, one of my favorite entertainers is there - Kenny Endo.  Kenny Endo is the man behind the world famous Kenny Endo Taiko troop.  I absolutely love the art of Taiko drumming.  You can see a small clip of Kenny’s group in action here.  One of these days, I’m gonna find the time to take up Taiko.  Just to have one of those outfits would be cool enough.

Kenny and the rest of the guest had a great time with ScreenBooth.  The great thing about ScreenBooth is that people feel free to be themselves with it.  This next clip shows a group of friends who were about to leave a congratulatory message to their friends.  But then the DJ played a certain song that few can resist singing.  You’ll have to watch the clip to see what happens next.

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Priviledged to work with this day:

Julie Aragaki - Hawaii Bride and Groom
Kaori of Lavie Photography
Hale Koa Hotel 

posted by james chun | www.cranemedia.com

What a crazy Sunday it was.  My day started off with a early morning on the set of “The Kealohas” where I played the character of “Mr. Lee”.  We always havd a blast shooting with this crew.  Don’t we look marvelous?

After the shoot, it was off to Ward Center to check out “Bride Wars” by the Wedding Cafe.  Bride wars was a competition between brides who plays games in order to win various prizes from local wedding vendors.  I didn’t get a chance to stay all the way but it looked like a lot of fun.

After all that, it was off to Sinae and Kealii’s wedding.  Sinae was the maid of honor at another wedding that we had shot the previous year.  It’s always a pleasure to see past clients again at their friend’s weddings.  At that point, we seem more like friends.

Having full confidence in our taste, Sinae allowed us to pick the song for her ceremony highlights.  So we went with “Say” by OneRepublic.  It’s not a typical wedding song but I love the way it builds up.  One of my favorite shots in the video is the opening scene with the spinning ring.  Like so many great discoveries, this too was an accident.  After I was given the rings, I just put them on Sinae’s iPhone.  Then she got a call and the rings started to spin due to the vibration of the phone.  Viola! 

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Priviledged to work with this day:

Sandra Williams - Finishing Touch
Shawn Starr Photography

posted by james chun | www.cranemedia.com

It began as one of the wettest mornings I had ever seen.  At 3:00am I was awakened by the sound of heavy rain hitting my window.  In just a few hours, I was to be at Sapphire’s bridal suite as she prepared for her big day.  I arrived to the Beach Villas at Ko’Olina together with her photographer, Aaron Bernard at 8:00am.  As we walked in, Sapphire was nervouse but hopeful about the day.

Fortunately, their wedding ceremony was INDOOR at the St. Elizabeth catherdral.  However, the reception was suppose to an outdoor event at the Lanikuhonua.  Thankfully, Terri Hyden of the Ihilani resort stepped up and provided a shelter for a beautiful reception that evening.  

The soggy weather was a part of the day that the couple will never forget.  There was obvious concern that you’ll see in Sapphire as she spoke on the phone.  But that concern turned into triumph - which makes this video so meaningful.

Sapphire’s prayers were answered…how appropriately that she chose “The Prayer” for her song as they tied the knot.

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VIDEO:  Crane Media
PHOTO:  Liquid Light Images
VENUE:  St. Elizabeth Cathedral

Photo by Shawn Starr

Congratulations to Orlena and Patrick, who’s wedding is featured on Elite Hawaii Weddings.

Credits: