Maribel + Javier’s Engagement Session – These two lovebirds have been together for…seventeen years! Most of which was long distance, as Maribel lives and works in Hawaii while Javier is here in So Cal. Random chance or fate would allow us to meet and work together this past week.

What made the session that much more fun was that Maribel and Javier brought their two dogs, Scruffy and Cutie :). Special thanks to Maribel’s man of honor + Javier’s cousin Eric for making all of this possible and helping out on the shoot. Hope you guys enjoy the sneak peek, can’t wait for your big day in Oahu on the 4th of July!

Karen + Jay’s Engagement Session – What a way to start off the 2012 wedding year! After coming back from South America, I had the opportunity to fly out to Antigua, Guatemala for Karen and Jay’s wedding weekend. I got into Guatemala City airport at 5AM, rode a shuttle with some of the wedding guests to the beautiful bed + breakfast hotel, took a quick nap, and by the early afternoon, headed out to Volcan Pacaya with Karen and Jay for their e-session.

On the way to Pacaya, I finally had a chance to get to know Karen and Jay better. They’ve been together for half a decade and have traveled all over the world. Also, it’s only fitting that Karen and Jay got engaged out of the country in Columbia :). It’s certainly safe to say their engagement session (and later wedding), is one of my favorites ever. Major kudos to Karen and Jay for trekking up the volcano and being super open to all sorts of photo ops. I’ll write more later, but please enjoy the photos for now!

Helen + Phong’s Engagement Session – The beauty about being a wedding photographer, especially in Southern California, is there’s really no off-season/down time. Even in months between November and March, there’s weddings, meetings, and certainly engagement sessions. I personally love portrait sessions in the Winter time because the light just seems to be more crisp, there’s lesser people at the popular locations, and things just tend to be more relaxed versus other times of the year.

It’s even more fun when you work with couples as easy-going as Helen and Phong. I met them a few months ago and it’s been nothing but a joy getting to know these two. Helen and Phong met a decade ago at McDonald’s. She was working there part-time and one day, Phong walked in to order some food, saw her, and ended up getting a job there just so he could hang out with Helen. Little did they know they would be marrying each other one day :).

I don’t know what’s more awesome, being together for 12 years or meeting at McDonald’s. Nevertheless, Helen and Phong are still madly in love and are tying the knot in March. From candies and french fries to dodging security and braving the cold weather in the fields, I had a great time working with Helen and Phong. Congrats you two, be sure to bring a few Chicken McNuggets and McFlurries to your wedding :). Please enjoy the sneak peek!

Esther + Sam’s Engagement Session – Thanks once again to the ever-amazing wedding planner Yingka Chou, I was able to meet and work with this wonderful couple. Esther and Sam were totally awesome today as we hung out around Downtown LA for their e-session. They said their first date was a bit rocky, and how Esther was “cold” and Sam was a “Debbie Downer”. But all I saw between Esther and Sam was lots of love, silliness, and definitely hugs and kisses :).

What I really liked about Esther and Sam was how they treated me like I was the client and took the time to get to know me, instead of the other way around. In addition, we had a chance to chat more about their wedding, which is coming up in less than two months, ahhhhh! Esther did her own make-up and looked beautiful, while Sam was his usual calm, GQ self :). Thanks guys for a great time, hope you like the sneak peek! Also, I can’t wait to be neighbors with you!