Chris Schmitt Photography Blog » weddings

Los Angeles Union Station Wedding | Kristi and Mark

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:16:37 +0000

By Andrea Schmitt:

The downside to photographing a wedding for a friend is having to keep tissue handy to wipe the tears away while your shooting. When we were 23, the bride, Kristi and I drove 8 hours through the desert in a Uhaul and moved to Las Vegas. Both Vegas and us would never be the same. Enough said. And last Saturday, she married her prince!

A true urban couple, they got ready at the amazing Biltmore Millenium Hotel downtown L.A., and held their ceremony at Los Angeles Union Station! Chic Deco was the style and sweet love the theme. When I first walked in to the room at the Biltmore, my excitement was that of an old friend, but as soon as I saw the dress, shoes, and flowers, the photographer in me kicked in. The Biltmore Millenium is a photographers dream, and we could have shot here all day. The ornate details, and the classic grand hallways of this hotel were absolutely incredible. Mark and his entourage looked dashing as you can see in the perfect photo James captured below. This being LA, of course there happend to be a filming production going on in the hotel, luckily the equipment and crew saw our “production” and everything stopped when they had their first look. Their sweet moment of intimacy was priceless. Tissue please.

Our next stop was Union Station. Their walk alone hand in hand through the marbled hall with the massive windows was perfect, and quite a contrast to the crowded buzz of the other shots in the station. The commuters loved seeing the bride and groom cruising around the station and we were often greeted with howls and hoorays. Finally, we headed to the Fred Harvey Room where the ceremony began and her entrance down the old stairway had me and others misty eyed.

One of the highlights was the reading by the best man… “Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down…” let’s just say, their dry humor carried us through the ceremony quite well. (yes, you should now be humming corny Rick Astley) Holding hands, exchanging hand written vows, they sealed the knot with a long kiss. Tissue please.

Have you seen the Fred Harvey Room in Union Station? Devour these pics and go visit sometime, in fact, get married here and call me. Who says we dont have historical buildings here in LA?Kristi and Mark’s day was so unique, so special, so real, and I know that they will have a long loving journey ahead.

Mad Libs anyone… hilarious!

A big thanks to James Abke, our lead studio photographer, for being my awesome wing man. James is an amazing photographer and we love working together. And Theresa from Hustle and Bustle Events who made the day run so smoothy and was delight to work with!

Location: Biltmore Hotel and Union Station in Los Angeles

Event Planner: Theresa from Hustle and Bustle

DJ: Fly by NIght

Catering: Jay’s Catering

Craziest thing I’ve ever seen at a wedding

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:32:46 +0000

Ok in the 10 years I’ve been photographing weddings, I’ve seen some crazy stuff. One of the best parts of being a wedding photographer is the fact that we are exposed to many different religions and customs. I love this because it keeps the photography interesting. And who knew there are so many ways to say “I Do!” Well these wedding photos were taken back in 2005 at a wedding in Honolulu and it’s is still my favorite shocking moment. What started out as a pretty typical wedding day ended in crazy tribal tradition on the dance floor! I was told in Samoa, to show acceptance into the family, they pretty much strip down the groom and sit on you! Then they like to dance on you and step on your head a little to show the love even more! That was done by the father of the bride by the way! Awesome. The bride did a little hula on his back which didn’t look very therapeutic, but hey, to each his own.

All I know is that I’m grateful I married into an Italian-Mexican Family! The worst thing they did to me was make sure I’m well fed!

; )

We won 2012 Brides Choice Awards for Best Photographer!

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:50:04 +0000

We’re thrilled to announce we’ve the 2012 Brides Choice Award naming us amongst the top 5% of all studios nationwide. We’ve won this award for 3 consecutive years now!

The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards ™ recognizes the best local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined by the quality, quantity, recency, and consistency of reviews from over 1.2 million WeddingWire newlyweds. The 2012 award recipients represent thetop five percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which consists of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the US and Canada.

Big Thanks to our clients for their votes!

Heli-rigs for DSLR

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:01:03 +0000

I’m a bit of a gear head. I see new products like this and get excited. This video I saw online stood out as one of the coolest new inventions I’ve seen in a long time opening up huge possibilities for aerial coverage. I don’t know I’d feel safe mounting this 50K camera to the heli-rig, but hopefully they have good insurance.

OMCOPTER – Flying Epic from omstudios on Vimeo.

Rancho del Cielo Wedding Malibu | Karen + Daniel

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:32:16 +0000

B+G: Daniel and Karen

Venue: Rancho Del Cielo Malibu, California

by Andrea Schmitt:

We were so excited to be able to shoot at one of our favorite locations in Malibu, Rancho Del Cielo. Rancho Del Cielo is an amazing intimate wedding venue high in the mountains of Malibu with a 180• view of the ocean, where you feel like you’re on top of the world. Despite the overcast weather, it was still a beautiful day. Daniel and Karen’s love resonated throughout the day and I am always moved by the moments when tears of happiness start to flow. For those of you considering doing a “first look” or “revel” , you can see below that there isn’t any emotion lost when deciding to do these! One of my favorite details of the day were the gorgeous flowers by Flueretica. Specifically the use of succulents for the guest favors/table cards and centerpieces. I couldn’t get enough pictures! Daniel gave a very heartfelt toast and you could tell their close friends and family that came from around the country enjoyed every moment. Malibu’s night air, romantic hanging lanterns, roaring outdoor fireplace,champagne and dancing were a perfect end to a perfect day. Thank you to Teissia from firefly-events.com for coordinating a wonderful event and being so great to work with!

The Ebell Los Angeles Wedding Photography | Matt and Nikki

admin — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:36:13 +0000

I had been looking forward to photographing this wedding for a long time. Simply because it’s one of the most fun couples I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting as I learned from the engagement session. That and the fact that they were hiring the best U2 tribute band around. I first met Matt a couple years ago at a wedding as he is a well known D.J.(website here). Nikki is a forensic psychologist which immediately makes me think she’s crazy and as it turns out she is. Hilariously crazy .She had us cracking up all day long. And I would think having a great sense of humor would help in that line of work! They got ready at one of my favorite hotels: the infamous haunted Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. (google it). Their reception took place at the historic and elegant Ebell of Los Angeles. I wouldn’t be surprised it that place is haunted too! I’m just sayin’.

It was quite the party. Matt’s sister is a professional dancer and what a show she put on with a friend. It was awesome. Then at one point I saw a big wet shirt flying through the air which belonged to someone’s uncle who I guess decided it was time for a dance off. Let the pictures begin! All I know is that just when I thought it couldn’t get more entertaining, Hollywood U2 went on which was the icing on the cake.

Thanks to Kimery of Kimery Events who coordinated the wedding.

For all you Entourage fans…this is where Vinnie Chase resided.

And we had an Entourage of our own here.

Hello Ladies!

Horse Drawn Carriage Wedding at Sherwood Country Club |Danielle + Zach

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 02:41:02 +0000

Sherwood Country Club is one of our favorite places to photograph weddings and Danielle and Zack’s was truly a storybook wedding. Ever since the movie Bridesmaids was released (where the movie was filmed), this has become a very popular wedding venue in Los Angeles.

Danielle arrived to see Zach for their first look on a white horse drawn carriage which seemed like a scene right out of a fairytale. And I saw tears of joy that followed from Zach as she looked absolutely beautiful. These guys were so happy and in love and it made for easy picture taking.

Our über talented head photographer James captured their day perfectly. Below is a highlight gallery.

We’d like to thank Gina Black of Wedding Day Events for doing a fantastic job with coordinating the wedding day. She is hands down one of the most fun coordinators we’ve ever worked with! And our D.J. friend Scott Norris of Coastline Music always does a superb job. For those brides looking for the fairytale wedding and would like a horse drawn carriage fo their own, contact Enchanted Carriages.

Sinai Temple Wedding |Sandy + Navid

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:16:00 +0000

Here is a wedding that was just so much fun to photograph. Let’s just say that the Persian Culture really knows how to party! We have the pleasure of photographing so many different types of weddings with different cultures here in LA, but every time we photograph a Persian wedding, we know we are in for a great time! I’ve taken a lot of pictures of Sandy and Navid lately. Two fun engagement sessions, a beautiful boudoir photoshoot and now their amazing wedding. Navid and his groomsmen relaxed and got ready in West Hollywood sipping scotch and smoking Cohiba’s while Sandy got ready at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel sipping Verve Clicquot with her bridesmaids. They both looked amazing. She really worked that gorgeous dress by Lazarro with red-soled shoes by Louboutins. We set up their first look in the lobby of the Roosevelt with Marylyn looking on in approval! ( see photo below) A few Vanity Fair inspired group portraits were taken and then we headed across the street to do a few fun paparazzi style shots in front of the infamous Gramauns Chinese Theatre.

From there it was off to Royce Hall for some more creative pictures of the wedding party and then finally the Sinai Temple in LA where the cocktail hour, ceremony and reception took place.

Congratulations Sandy and Navid! We wish you both the very best.

Their Platinum Vendor List included:

Event Planner: Dream Events Design

Decor: Royal Events

Florist: Beverly Blossoms

DJ- Peyman Z

(Our Favorite) Cinematography: Imagique

Four Seasons Beverly Hills Wedding Flowers

admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:26:34 +0000

I thought you might like to check out these stunning floral arrangements we photographed from a recent wedding at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.

Sherwood Country Club Wedding | Sarah & Zack

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:39:03 +0000

By Andrea Schmitt:

Have you seen the movie Bridesmaids? Well, although Sarah and Zach were married at the regal Sherwood Country Club (the scene of the movie) it was nothing like that drama, but more like a fairy tale. It was a perfect day for a perfect couple. There were countless moments of tears of happiness from all involved.

One of the highlights was Zach’s surprise serenade during the ceremony. Guitar in hand, he sang “Marry Me” so sweetly to Sarah I dont think there was a dry eye in the house!

The reception arrived with great energy with the hora and traditional dancing in full swing! A slow glowing sunset, heartfelt toasts and an amazing choreographed first dance with her prince, this night was what every bride dreams of. With her amazing gown, long blond locks and glowing smile, Sarah was the epitome of a princess.

Sarah and Zach’s true love resonated throughout the day and I have no doubt they will live “happily ever after”.

Venue: Sherwood Country Club

Wedding Coordinator: Gina Black of Gina Black Events