lens full of love

We have such talented friends. Seriously. Miguel Martinez is one of them. With an artistic eye and a heart full of love, Miguel took the liberty of capturing some special photos from our day and we will be forever grateful. He created this video montage and put us in tears. 

See for yourself by clicking on the link here.

For the full deal check out the photo stream on Flikr here.

To see more of Miguel's stunning work please visit his website www.miguelmphoto.com 

And to our friend Miguel, you are amazing. We love you, thank you for being an incredible soul.

photojenik

We felt incredible the entire day and no one captured that quite like the incredible Jen Schliestett.

There is more to come, but for now her first picture back tells quite the story of our unforgettable day.

sucker punch

Just when you least expect it, some one comes up and hits ya with a sucker punch. For us, this occurred when our slick new neighbors turned friends Stephanie and John Paul, told us they could whip together a fun lil photobooth for our big day. You see, we had no idea they could pull it off so well and have tons of fun doing it. We also had no idea you would have so much fun getting involved. With all this greatness going on, we were thrilled when we finally saw the results - a real sucker punch.

Check out the fun and download your favorite shots on Flickr photostream by clicking here. 

The props were purchased through Etsy, a fun DIY site and the backdrop was hand made but the Suckers themselves. If you had so much fun in our photobooth and you want them for your next event, Like em on Facebook. Besides, they're way more fun than disposable cameras.

the soundtrack

As far as take away gifts go at weddings, you've probably seen a nice spread of kitschy goods from matchbooks with the couples inscribed wedding date, yummy treats and even living keepsakes like plants in pots. Having only been to two weddings in my life, when Lia married Victor and then Michelle married Jason, oh and Kenny Flynn's big day, I have no idea what "the norm" for weddings are anyways. (All were beautiful and fantastic and I cried my eyes out in joy, something I'm really good at doing.) Either way, I just know what to expect at weddings from reading blogs and watching sappy chick flicks. Neither, might I add, lays any real groundwork for planning your own but that's not what this post is about. What I wanted to talk about was what I do know well, music, and having some fun creating a mix that our guests could "take away' from our special day.

Most people know that I have been DJ'ing for some time, almost 13 years actually - whew! These days, I'm far less interested in playing clubs but I still have a strong passion for music. I wanted to make a pretty mix that we could share with our friends and family and a few friends helped me make that happen.

Pancho "The Cho" Santiago helped me master and track the mix and Jonathan Prestige (aka. J Luv) at New Step Promotions, pressed a hundred or so copies. Then, J surprised Cliff and I with a special insert that he recreated from our Save the Date card. What a sweet touch! Thanks to both of these superstars for making it happen. Truly music to our ears..

Check out the mix and download here.


Track List - Track, Artist, Album

1. Instructions    Deadset    Keys Open Doors 
2. Twice    Little Dragon    Little Dragon   
3. The Blower's Daughter    Damien Rice    O (Deluxe Version)   
4. La Cienega Just Smiled    Ryan Adams    The Suicide Handbook [CD 1]  
5. Black And Gold - (Sam Sparro cover)    Katy Perry    Sweetheart: Our Favourite Artists Sing Their Favourite Songs   
6. Know This    Alice Russell        
7. Sweet Thing (Mary J Blige cover)    JMarie        
8. Bloodstream    Stateless    Stateless    
9. Fortune    Little Dragon    Berlinmaster 
10. Sour Sour Times    Portishead    Trip-Hop Reconstruction   
11. Little Bit    Lykke Li feat. Drake & Mickey Factz 
12. Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)    Mayer Hawthorne 
13. Eyesdown (feat. Andreya Triana)    Bonobo    Black Sands    
14. Easy (Fabian Remix)    Dragonette    
15. The Eraser    Thom Yorke    The Eraser    
16. Smile   Télépopmusik      Genetic World                
17. Last Songs    Dntel    Life Is Full Of Possibilities   
18. Days To Come (feat. Bajka)    Bonobo    Days To Come
19. Stay the Same (feat. Andreya Triana)    Bonobo    Black Sands   

wedded bliss & the one thing missed

They say the one thing you will regret missing from your big day, isn't the small details or the forgotten finishing touches. Those things may nag at you if you're a perfectionist planner by nature like myself, but then you realize that those things never really mattered anyways. The thing you most regret is not having enough time to spend with the family and friends you love the most in life. Not getting in a few more hugs in or a laugh or two for the road. It's the one time in my life that all those people were together, and may ever be, and I hardly got a chance to tell them how much I love them and how much they mean to Cliff and I just for being in our lives.

So if I didn't get a chance to tell you in person, or get to whisper it in your ear, let this be a reminder. In this digital age, in this slightly impersonal but sincerely heartfelt way, thank you for being so wonderful. You fill our lives with love in so many ways.

The Hoffmans...

Rachael, Cliff, Sativa & Ca$h