I would love to introduce you to Liz and Mark whom will be tying the knot next month at the SmogShoppe in Los Angeles. I can’t describe how much I enjoy hanging out with both Mark and Liz. They are two of the chillest and nicest couple you will ever meet. I met Liz way back during my freshmen year in college at UC Irvine. Flash forward 13 years later (wow! how time flies), she will be getting married to Mark next month. Liz is originally from Brazil and Mark is from the Bay Area. Anyone from the Bay Area will always have my love and respect, as that is where I was born and raised. For their engagement session, we headed out to Montana Ave in Santa Monica; “Santa Monica’s premier shopping destination. Just minutes from the ocean, Montana Ave. (from 7th to 17th St) is home to more than 150 high-end boutiques, restaurants, and service establishments”. 

Montana Ave was the perfect location for their engagement session as it was also the same location for their first date. We ended back at the same restaurant they had their first date at,  Babalu Bakery & Restaurant, for a delicious dinner. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know Mark and Liz, I just can’t wait to see them on their wedding day!

April 15, 2012 – It was a perfect Southern California day for the wedding of Cathy and Larry at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden in Long Beach, CA. The whole day was filled with so much fun, laughter, and love. The day started off with a tea ceremony at Cathy’s parents house that included Larry singing and dancing, dressing up in a bikini, and even some push-ups. After the tea ceremony, everyone headed over to the beautiful Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden where the ceremony took place. Cathy and Larry exchanged beautiful vows to each other as family and friends looked on. The ended with a fun filled reception at the Prince Seafood restaurant in Cerritos, where guests were treated to a mutli-course traditional Chinese dinner, a wonderful first dance, and a slideshow that Cathy and Larry had put together for their family and friends to view.

Thank you Cathy and Larry for letting me be part of your wedding day. It was an honor to meet your family and friends and be able to witness the true love you have for one another.

March 30, 2012 – I would like to introduce everyone to two of the sweetest people I have met, Joshua and Vanessa. I had the pleasure of meeting them last year over dinner and we had a great time getting to know each other and discussing their wedding plans. Fast forward a couple of months later to their recent engagement session at the Mariners Church and Bommers Canyon in Irvine, CA. They day started out gloomy but by the time we started shooting, the marine layer broke off and the sun came shining through. I had a blast hanging out with Joshua and Vanessa throughout the day and can’t wait for their wedding day. Joshua and Vanessa are getting married at the beautiful Crossline Church in Laguna Hills later this June. I can already feel that its going to be an amazing wedding.

12.20.2011 – I would like to introduce you to two good friends of mine, Peggy & Narong Meth. They are two of the nicest people you will get to meet and both of them can cook up a real good meal. During one of our casual dinner meetings, Peggy and Narong gave us great news in that Peggy was pregnant with a baby girl. Fast forward 5 months and here she is, a couple of weeks away from the birth of the child. When asked if they have found a name for the baby girl, they told me that they were going to keep that a secret until she was born. So here we are on January 5th, a couple of weeks after I shot their Maternity shoot. I just happened to check on Facebook right before posting this post and guess what? They’re baby girl was just born.
Congratulations Peggy and Narong on your beautiful baby! Can’t wait to meet Avery Reese Meth!

11.12.11 – For my first Las Vegas wedding, I had the privilege of assisting my good friend Brian Fletcher (http://brianfletcherblog.com) for the wedding of Tu & Jordan. We arrived early Saturday morning in preparation of Tu & Jordan’s big day. I had the opportunity to say hi to Tu but headed out to the opposite side of town to meet Jordan and the groomsmen getting ready at Green Valley Ranch Casino & Hotel. It was a blast hanging out with the guys as they retold stories of their pasts and recounted their many experiences together. Jordan was calm and chill, that is until we arrived at the beautiful DragonRidge Country Club and it was showtime. It was a beautiful afternoon in Henderson and the weather couldn’t be any nicer for their wedding day. Once the ceremony was completed, guests were treated to a reception that was filled with a small video introduction on Tu & Jordan. That was just the start of the night as the guests enjoyed the delicious food, drinks, and music that was provided that night. Thank you Tu & Jordan for being great hosts! It was an unforgettable night!

November 10, 2012 – I would like to introduce you to the Chang Family: Nancy, Andy, and little Ethan. Nancy contacted me with a request for some family photos and I was more than thrilled to be able to meet his lovely family. I met the Chang family at the Shops at Dos Lagos in Chino Hills. It was a nice calm beautiful November evening.

Ethan had just turned one and has just recently been walking. He had his afternoon meal and was eager to have fun with his mom and dad. I realized through both Nancy and Andy, the joys of having a child. They couldn’t stop smiling looking at their adorable one year old son. One thing I did find that Ethan really enjoyed was playing with the camera. I have a feeling this little guy might be an awesome photographer when he gets older. He even took two photos of his mom while playing with the camera. Check it out below. We stayed around and took more portraits until it was time for Ethan to get his evening nap. He was all smiles though throughout the day, he did a wonderful job!

Thank you Nancy, Andy and Ethan for taking time and allowing me to meet such an amazing, fun family.

October 22, 2011 – I had spoken to Suzanne over the phone and through emails and instantly realized how nice and sincere she is. When I finally got to meet her in person on the day of her wedding, she was the sweetest girl you can have met that day, amongst the chaos of a wedding day. Matt was super cool and had a huge smile throughout the whole day.  Both of them had waited for this beautiful day to come and finally it was here surrounded by their loved ones.

The wedding ceremony took place at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, on a cool over cast day. I was met by her three brothers, all of which were very laid back and fun. Family and friends gathered for a small ceremony over looking Laguna Beach. After having the ceremony, we headed over to the Crown Plaza Resort & Hotel in Garden Grove for the grand reception. With the bar flowing freely, live music entertainment, and delicious treats, all the guests had smiles throughout the night. Suzanne even came out with multiple dresses, every single one of them looking elegantly stunning. Congratulations once again Suzanne and Matt. Have a wonderful time on your Honeymoon to Moorea.  Take a lot of photos!

Wedding Coordinator: Cindy & Stacie Tran  (www.furiwa.com)
Catering: Furiwa Restaurant (www.furiwa.com)
Flowers: Lifetime Weddings and events (http://www.lifetimewedding.com)
Videographer: Khiem Photography

I have have seen yacht weddings on other photographers websites but I had yet to partake in one. Luckily, that didn’t take too long as I was fortunate enough to be an associate photographer for my good friend and colleague Brian Fletcher.(http://brianfletcherblog.com).
Upon arriving at the hotel where they were getting ready, I first met Karen, while she was getting her makeup done. She was filled with so much joy and happiness on this day. Within 1/2hr the guys arrived at their suite to get ready. I met Ronnie, the groom, along with all his groomsmen and friends. It was a packed room but everyone managed to get ready and preparty before the ceremony.
The night started with a beautiful ceremony on the yacht over Newport Harbor, then a fun filled reception that included great food and a lot of dancing. Congratulations Karen & Ronnie!

Go check out Brian Fletcher’s site to see all the images: (http://brianfletcherblog.com/2011/09/karen-ronnie-newport-beach-electra-cruises-wedding-photos/)

Sept 4, 2011 – This was the 4th and final day of Anjali and Mo’s Wedding celebration. The 4th day was dedicated to a grand reception with family and friends. The day started off with Anjali and Mo getting ready and heading over to Sergestrom Center of the Arts in Costa Mesa to take some quick portraits. Afterwards we headed back to the Irvine Marriott hotel to celebrate the night away. The banquet room was transformed into an incredible wedding reception venue. With pink uplighting, a desert bar, and a huge dance floor, the room was set for a night to remember. It was an incredible night that included emotional toasts and dance performances by friends and family. One thing I learned out of participating in an Indian wedding, is that Indian people definitely know how to have a good time! Thank you so much Anjali & Mo for allowing me to experience such an incredible 4 days of celebration.

To see more photos from the day, please visit Henry Chen and Brian Fletcher’s websites:

Henry Chen Photography: (http://www.henrychenphoto.com/blog/anjali-mohsin-irvine-marriott-hotel-wedding-photos-part-4/)

Brian Fletcher Photography: (http://brianfletcherblog.com/2011/09/anjali-mohsin-part-four-irvine-marriott-wedding-photos/)

Sept 2011 – A couple of weeks ago, I had the great opportunity to experience the wonders of an Indian Wedding. I had the wonderful privilege to work along with Henry Chen and Brian Fletcher to document Anjali & Mohsin’s wedding ceremonies. For those that aren’t familiar with Indian Weddings, they are usually spread apart through multiple days, each day celebrating a traditional ceremony and capped with a grand reception.

The day I had covered was the 2nd of the 4 day celebration. On this day, Anjali was celebrating her Pithi tradition and later that day, we ended up at Soka University for the Mehndi ceremony. Both were a first for me but hopefully not the last. Both ceremonies were so rich in tradition and celebration, it was certainly an experience I will always remember. Everyone was so nice and comforting, I wouldn’t have mind photographing all day long. The day was full of celebration that included traditional Indian ceremonies, dance performances, great food and a lot of dancing.

Check out Brian Fletcher’s website for a full recap: http://brianfletcherblog.com/