Sierra Nevada Wedding near Reno, NV.

As a film lover, I absolutely love leaning into different genres. Melissa and Darren threw an incredible wedding at their parents ranch in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and it provided the perfect backdrop for a “wedding western.” There were loads of personal details - from the saloon doors that Darren made himself, his grandfather’s business’s sign, Franke Liquor and Drugs, to the personalized place settings - this was an entirely unique wedding experience in a location that was truly one-of-a-kind.

Coming from Houston, TX and now Asheville, NC, Reno was a totally different beast. Vast mountains and desert landscapes made this film feel like something totally other. The challenge of a film like this, and maybe anything that really leans into genre, is not sacrificing the heart and soul of it just to make it feel different. I wanted Western elements (visuals, sound effects, music), but not at the expense of it being a real celebration with real people that deserve care in the storytelling process.