Library Launches the First City-Wide Book Club:
Palo
Alto Reads…Funny in Farsi
Palo Alto – Make
history this fall by joining the largest book club
Palo Alto has ever seen. Palo
Alto Reads … Funny
in Farsi is a month-long series of programs that aims
to foster a sense of community by bringing people together
through literature. Inspired by the success of similar
initiatives in Seattle and other communities, Palo
Alto City Library invites everyone to read the same
great book at the same time – the charming and
hilarious book, Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing
Up Iranian in America by Palo Alto resident, Firoozeh
Dumas. Former President Jimmy Carter hailed the book
as "A humorous and introspective chronicle of
a life filled with love--of family, country, and heritage."
Palo
Alto Reads … Funny in Farsi kicks off with a
free talk for the community by Ms. Dumas at Palo Alto
High School’s Haymarket Theater on Tuesday, October
10 at 7:30 pm. This event is presented by the Palo
Alto City Library, the Friends of the Palo Alto Library,
the Palo Alto Unified School District and the Palo
Alto High PTSA.
The Library will subsequently host
a month-long series of great programs around themes
in the book, including book discussions and cultural
events. The community can participate in Palo Alto
Reads by:
Checking out the book, Funny in Farsi,
at any Palo Alto City Library.
Telling friends,
neighbors and book clubs about Palo Alto Reads.
Simply Interactive is giving away passes for free admissions to October's Great Bridal Expo events in the San Francisco Bay Area. We'll be exhibiting at both the October 28 Expo in San Francisco, in the Concourse Exhibition Center at 620 7th Street, and the October 29 Expo in San Jose, at the Fairmont Hotel. We would be delighted to see you at one of the shows-- so visit our Redwood City offices and pick up a free pass, while they last.
Each Great Bridal Expo pass is good for two free admissions, so the passes are limited to one per bride. (You'll need to validate them online at the Expo's web site.)
We're usually in our offices -- at 647 Veterans Boulevard, Suite B, in Redwood City, just off the Whipple Ave. exit from Highway 101-- between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (sometimes later), Monday through Friday. However, we're occasionally out during the day on video shoots, so please be sure to call ahead before paying us a visit. Phone us at (650) 365-3355.
An outdoor venue can be an ideal setting for a late-summer wedding in the greater San Francisco Bay Area -- so long as the weather cooperates. Events on the coast run the risk of being cloaked in fog; events inland run the risk of being cooked by one of the September heat waves that often pay us back-to-school visits.
Happily, all the meteorological systems were in perfect alignnent for the Sept 9 wedding of Raiza Holgado and Brad Andriese at The Gardens at Heather Farm, in Walnut Creek. Skies were blue, temperatures were mild, and a gentle breeze ruffled the petals of the hundreds of brilliantly colored rose blooms in the adjoining rose garden. Rainbow arcs flickered in the spray drifting from the fountains in the lake beyond the garden. It was a picture-perfect occasion -- the kind that delights videographers and photographers, as well as brides and grooms.
Raiza and Brad were married in The Gardens' high-roofed gazebo, with guests seated in rows of white chairs on the broad semicircle of green lawn in front. The bridal party entered through the rose garden. Raiza gilded the lilly for her own arrival: She was driven to the head of the garden steps in an immaculate 1927 Stutz limo provided by Elegant Journey Limousine.
Simply Interactive's counterpart in the afternoon's visual documentation duties was the team of Beth and Tara from the San Francisco headquarters of Dekker Photography. With beautiful settings literally on every side, one of the challenges was deciding what not to shoot.
As dusk began to fall, the bridal party and guests adjourned uphill to The Gardens' airy reception hall, overlooking the gardens and the lake. Appetizers and the reception buffet were catered by Matthew Wyss, owner/chef of Serves You Right in Berkeley.
DJ/MC Eugene Macala of Macala Entertainment kept the evening lively: With Eugene at the microphone, nobody was a passive spectator. From an ice-breaking, Euegene-directed mingling of the bride's and groom's families at the outset to a capacity-crowd Electric Slide session late in the evening (with Eugene in the middle of the floor as an energetic player/coach), he steered the party past dull moments like a white-water raft guide shooting the rapids. It left everyone breathless but happy when the evening finally drew to a close. Raiza and Brad had some wonderful memories -- and we had them all on videotape.
Simply Interactive is set to exhibit at the Bridal Extravaganza in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Sept. 10. The bridal show will open at 11 a.m. in the Santa Clara Marriott, 2700 Mission College Boulevard, and will run until 4 p.m.
Stop by our booth and view samples of our recent work. If you have any questions about wedding videography, we'll be happy to answer them.
A bridal fair gives you the chance to get a first-hand impression of the personalities behind the company you choose for your video services.We think it's important that you have a good relationship with your videographer. Remember, they're going to be in close contact with you throughout one of the most important days of your life. You need to feel comfortable working with them.
Admission to the Bridal Extravaganza is $12 per person at the door. Brides who preregister can save $2 per person -- a discount good for the entire bridal party. Visit the Bridal Extravaganza web site to preregister.
Wedding and Corporate Video Blog for clients and potential clients of the award-winning Simply Interactive llc. Your stop for visual media, capture and design.
Wedding
and Event DJ Dot Com This is one of Simply
Interactive's favorite resources. This
site will help you find anything you
would need for your wedding video and
helps weed out the fly-by-night operations.
Wedding
Links Galore! This is a great resource
as well. Tons of links for different
wedding vendor types and broken down
by geographic theatre.
Party Pop
This is a
huge database
of tons
of wedding
service
providers
By Recommendation
Only
This is a
website that
lists vendors
ONLY if they
have been
referred
by
one of their
clients.
REFERR
US!
Approved
Photographer Links
Mark
Stagi -
Fine Art
Wedding
Photography
Mark and I have worked together several times and one
thing that stands out aside from his actual photography
skill (which speaks for itself on his website) is his
awesome, confident, calm and unobtrusive personality
and shooting style. Every time we work together I am
reminded of how cool and confident he is. Check out
his website - he's a great guy!
Anna
Myers Photography I
have worked
with Anna
Myers twice
and have
recommended
her for corporate
jobs as well.
Both times
I worked
with her
I was stunned
at her creativity,
her ability
to get stunning
shots and
work with
ct he bride
and groom
in a comfortable,
non-stress
inducing
way. When
I work with
Anna our
video work
and our synergy
together
to create
great shots
allows both
of us to
walk away
with some
extremely
glamorous
images.
Geoff White Photography While
I have yet
to work with
Geoff, I
have seen
his work
countless
times at
bridal shows
(our booths
are constantly
near each
other). Tremendous
quality every
time I see
his new array.
You can tell
how creative
this man
is by looking
at the effort
put into
his show
booth alone...
but once
you get sucked
into his
photo albums,
you'll likely
do everything
possible
to get him
as your photographer.
Jill
Johnson @ Insza Photography This girl was absolutely
wonderful to work with. She works very
well with everyone and even amidst the
mayhem of a wedding where an entire
TV crew was trying to muscle through
the hired service providers, she still
made sure she got everything the couple
wanted.
Darren
Wong Darren
and Simply
Interactive
have worked
together
on a couple
weddings
and has one
of the highest
skill levels
we have seen.
His compositions
and quality
are impeccable
-- matched
only by
his top-notch
equipment.
Approved
DJ Links
San Jose DJs DJ Earl is an excessively helpful
individual. His dedication to his clients means he
is willing to go above the call of duty to make things
flow smoothly.
Fog City Entertainment Russ Catanach is just plain
awesome! Every time I do a wedding with him he
is always prepared. He is smooth, suave, and professional
without being humdrum or frustratingly boring. He
reads crowds well, and guides the party along. I
could not recommend them more.
Carl
Mindling Music
This gentleman is a fantastic DJ - smooth, professional,
entertaining. Aside from his technical quality, this
was one of the most easy going and in-control DJs I've
ever met. I can only imagine how he would react under
pressure - with the same eloquence.
Approved
Venue Links
Nestledown
Estates
There are
no words
that can
describe
the beauty
and serenity
of this place.
We are proud
to have been
able to shoot
there.
Capital Athletics Club - San Jose Despite
the name,
this is
a beautifully
designed
building,
inside
and out.
Great Service
and wonderful
bar/pool
table/fireplace.
Great ambiance
with vaulted
ceilings
in a victorian
interior
decor.
Palmdale
Estates - Fremont Palmdale
Estates is
a beautifully
landscaped
spacious
venue location
that uses
beautifully
designed
two-story
halls for
the reception.
Ceremonies
are outdoors
on lawns.
Byington
Winery
- Los Gatos Definitely one of
my favorite spots. The ceremony area
is at the top of a set of brick steps
and surrounded by grape vines and gorgeous,
Los Gatos hills covered in hundred year
old forest trees. The reception area
is inside of a magnificent building
covered in ivy. Indoors are huge tanks
and an immense cellar houses hundreds
of oak barrels for aging wine. Great
stuff for video and photo.
Approved
Limo Links
White Hat Limo
I can tell
you this
about White
Hat Limo,
when it
came time
to hire
a limo
service
for my
6th anniversary,
White Hat
Limo was
the first
place I
called.
Reliability,
quality
and price.
White Hat
Limo is
exceptional
in all
areas.
