We have filmed a lot of weddings over the years, but this was our very first leap day wedding! If you had a leap day wedding, would you celebrate on February 28th or March 1? What a fun day to choose! We had such a wonderful night (despite being blissfully ignorant of what was about to happen to the world just a couple of weeks later) at this wedding enjoying the breathtaking cherry blossoms at the Japanese Friendship Gardens.
After the two got ready with their wedding party, they had a first look and then enjoyed some glorious photo time with all the cherry blossoms. The gardens are just so beautiful this time of year and they were able to take advantage of all the nice areas. The arriving guests could also check out the koi ponds and enjoy lovely weather.
The ceremony was in a spot we hadn’t done before at the Japanese Friendship Gardens, so it was a fun change! They got married on the bridge over the beautiful water feature. The ceremony was so sweet with a song performed by family and The cherry blossoms were out of control beautiful, and if you’re local to SD you should get to the JFG in Balboa park and see them for yourself. They are currently in bloom as the couple just celebrated their one year anniversary!
The reception was really fun. They had everyone’s name on a hand folded paper crane and the table names were all postcards and memories from places they’ve visited. The food was absolutely amazing. There were three food stations with delicious options for everyone. The first dance was super fun because the couple had a choreographed routine which was so fun. They had a photo booth and lovely speeches and family dances. There was also a beautifully displayed dessert table, so delicious!
Sometimes we will run into past couples and they always ask if we remember them. We usually do because we have spent so much time working on your wedding memories. But I think this wedding I’ll never be able to forget because it was the last one we filmed before the whole world shut down. It has been a year now and it brings up lots of feelings for us. We miss weddings and can’t wait until things are back to normal.
For now, enjoy the memories!!
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From the couple:
My husband was on the fence about whether we needed a videographer for our wedding and thought that having a photographer would be enough. One year later, his family still asks for links to our wedding videos. Our photos are treasured by us, but nothing could capture the exact energy and tone of the night like our partners at SidebySide could. We found Danielle and Jared to be wonderful partners through the entire process. They explained everything we needed to do and were patiently in the background for all of the most important highlights of our big day. The end result is just so impressive to us and is something we keep going back to one year later. Their sense of timing and framing is impeccable. Our wedding was exactly one year ago. Many of our vendors told us we were the last event that they worked for a long time. As we look to a brighter future, here’s hoping you have the opportunity to work with Danielle and Jared at SidebySide to capture your own incredible memories.
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Music – Lumineers – Licensed through Fyrfly
Venue – Japanese Friendship Gardens
Planner – Events Inspired
Film – SidebySide Cinema
Photography – Heidi-O Photography
Catering – Culinary Concepts
Flowers – Tess Fresh Flowers
DJ – Dancing DJ Productions
Desserts – Extraordinary Desserts
Hair & Makeup – Meleah and Co.