Crystal + Salvatore’s Engagement Session – Awesome time working with these two lovebirds last week. We got to shoot at one of my favorite hotels Viceroy Santa Monica Beach Hotel and also the Venice Canals afterward. It’s been nothing but a joy getting to know Crystal and Sal. They’ve been super easy-going and just down right fun to hang out with. I believe it was Crystal’s sister that walked by my studio, gave my info to Crystal, she gave me a call and told me they’d like to have me as their photographer, we met up, and the rest was history :).

It was through chance (and a bit of help from their friends) that Crystal and Sal met nearly half a decade ago. This beautiful couple will be tying the knot later in the Fall on the historic Queen Mary (just down the block from me!). Crystal and Sal are celebrating Sal’s birthday this weekend in Cabos. Hope you guys are having a blast, here’s a sneak peek with some of my favorite pics from your shoot, enjoy!

Sayuli + Anthony’s Wedding – From the moment I met Sayuli at my studio while Anthony joined us over Skype last Summer, everything was so easy-going, relaxed, and personal. And what a great way to spend this past Sunday! As soon as Charlene and I arrived at the hotel to capture the getting ready photos, we were greeted with lots of laughs, smiles, and love from Sayuli, Anthony, as well as Sayuli’s daughter and mom. It was wonderful having an intimate wedding as around 70 of Sayuli and Anthony’s closest family and friends attended the celebration at Muckenthaler Mansion in Fullerton, CA.

What I loved most about this super sweet couple is how in love they’re with each other and weren’t hesitant to show it in front of the camera! There’s no doubt Sayuli and Anthony are young at heart; and I had a blast photographing them from the first look to even after the reception ended, when we got some night shots. Congrats you two, have a great time on your honeymoon in Hawaii, and best of luck to you both as Sayuli is moving up north to join Anthony. Thanks again for trusting me to document your beautiful day!

Ceremony and reception locations: Muckenthaler Mansion in Fullerton, CA

Make-up artist and hair stylist: Joyce Luck Style

Rachel + Kevin’s Wedding – They say the crazy people that think they can change the world are the ones that actually do. They also say it’s not possible to find true love while partying it up in Vegas, and more so following that person across the world to new heights and adventures. I say those doubters have never met amazing individuals like Rachel and Kevin (aka Cuda). From our first Skype chat last year (LA to South Africa connection!) to our numerous e-mails corresponding the details of the wedding, it’s been such a fun ride getting to know these two (all thanks to my dear friend from college Alyssa and her fiance Kevin).

What started out as a hello in Sin City turned into something much more serious. And this past weekend, Rachel and Cuda’s story turned a new chapter in Sedona, Arizona, where around 70 of their closest family and friends attended their wedding day. Why Sedona, when none of their loved ones live there and neither Rachel or Cuda grew up anywhere close to it? Well, why not? Picking a “random” location for their big day pretty much sums up their personalities.

Rachael and Cuda love to live life on the edge and try new things everyday. From currently living in South Africa to moving to England in a few months, these two are always on the go and wanted their family and friends to experience a new place during their wedding week. With the majestic mountains of Sedona setting the backdrop for their big day, I had the utmost pleasure and privilege documenting all the big and little moments that unfolded in front of me this past Saturday.

The beauty of photographing a destination wedding isn’t just traveling to another location and documenting its beauty, but going from (nearly) complete strangers with the bride, groom, their family and friends to dear friends. As I was boarded the flight from LA to Flagstaff with a stop in Phoenix, I realized I knew almost nothing about Rachel and Cuda’s family and friends, plus it’s been several months since the first and last time I chatted with the couple. That mystery…it’s like going from 0 to 60mph in 3 seconds at the rehearsal and wedding.

Just getting to meet the parents, siblings, relatives, and friends…and witnessing the interactions among everyone…that’s where the magic unfolds. A wedding day to me is snippets of incredible moments that take place one after another. It may last an entire minute or just a split second, but being ready and even anticipating them is what makes my job so much fun and rewarding. And Rachel and Cuda provided unlimited numbers of those moments. Thank you guys so much for trusting me to document your day well before we met, and treating me like one of the guests. Hope you made it back safely to SA, congrats, and best of luck on your next adventure!

Ceremony location: Sedona Heritage Museum in Sedona, AZ

Reception location: Tlaquapaque in Sedona, AZ

It’s been quite a week to say the least! Heading out to Sedona, AZ for a few days to shoot Rachel and Kevin’s wedding (really looking forward to meeting them for the first time!). Be back Sunday morning for Sayuli and Anthony’s wedding in Orange County. E-mails and such will be answered on Monday :).

Life becomes a whole lot easier to live when you know who you want to spend the rest of it with. And now it’s official :). BEST. WEEKEND. EVER. So much I want to say, but I’ll leave it at that for now :).

Survived April and no plans this weekend = a spontaneous, quick weekend getaway before tackling May and the rest of the year. Cell phone will be turned off and not bringing the laptop :). Will check e-mails and messages on Tuesday, adios for now!

Planner and coordinator: ME Events & Design

Make-up artist and hair stylist: Echou Makeup

Cake: King’s Hawaiian

Lighting: TMMPRO

Wedding dress: Martina Liana

Shoes: Fendi

Rings: Cartier and De Beers

Janice + Jeff’s Wedding – You couldn’t have asked for a more perfectly complete wedding than Janice and Jeff’s this past Saturday at Terranea Resort. The whole day was filled with love and joy; from Jeff coming by Janice’s parents house to pick her up and the tea ceremony at Terranea for Jeff’s family to the beautiful vows exchanged at the ceremony site and a reception filled with heartfelt toasts…it was truly magical and inspiring to experience and document all the moments that took place before me.

You won’t find a couple that’s everything from easy-going and considerate to loving towards each other and their family + friends than Janice and Jeff. From the instant I met them to their engagement session, it’s been nothing but a joy getting to know these two. And the wedding day only exemplified how truly wonderful Janice and Jeff are. From the way they looked at each other to the beautiful words they shared with their family and friends, there’s no doubt Janice and Jeff have this special kind of love.

Of course, getting to work with awesome coordinator friends in Melissa and Elsa and team HCP members Charlene and Brian was icing on the cake! The 11+ hour day flew by for all of us, as there was something special to capture around every corner. I loved how Janice and Jeff gave me ample time for their portraits, and everyone from the bridal party to the family members were ready for photos at the scheduled time! Thanks everyone for your smiles, hugs, tears, and kind words on Saturday. It was such a humbling and beautiful experience being around individuals that loved one another and weren’t afraid to express their emotions :).

To Janice and Jeff, may your wedding be the day you love each other the least and the next chapter of your life be filled with even more amazing memories. Have a blast in Asia for your Taiwan reception and Thailand honeymoon! Hope you like the sneak peek. I also put together a slideshow, which you can view here. Congrats you two!

Ceremony and reception locations: Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Planner and coordinator: ME Events & Design

Make-up artist and hair stylist: Echou Makeup

Cake: King’s Hawaiian

Lighting: TMMPRO

Wedding dress: Martina Liana

Shoes: Fendi

Rings: Cartier and De Beers

Ann + Michael’s Engagement Session – Nearly a decade ago, Michael applied for a managerial position at a Best Buy in San Francisco. Little did he know that he would fall in love with one of the workers there named Ann. What started out as being colleagues quickly turned into lovers and as of September last year, an engaged couple. Michael has been a long time SF Giants fan, and shared his love for the baseball team with Ann. So it was only fitting that he proposed to her during a beautiful afternoon at home while watching a Giants game. As Michael told me, “Everything just felt right.”

It’s been nothing but a joy getting to know Ann and Michael, first through e-mail and a Skype chat late last year, and finally in person this past Friday as I headed up to the Bay area for their engagement session. Did I mention how much Ann and Michael LOVE the Giants? I think just as much if not more than how much I love the Clippers (and we know that’s A LOT :P). So doing an engagement session at AT&T Park, where the Giants play, was not only appropriate, but a MUST HAVE! Along with their good friends Dennis, Richard, and Elbert, we all first grabbed a bite at Paneras Bread and then some of the very best coffee I’ve ever had at Phil’s…and finally headed out to the stadium.

Our personal tour guide (for the life of me I forgot his name but he was super duper friendly and gave us an extra 30 mins!) escorted us around the stadium, and even suggested some awesome spots for photos. We stopped by the press conference room, the Giants and visitor dugouts, the upper levels of the stadium where the Giants showcased all their trophies and the Snoopy statues are, and even the Tony Bennett luxury suite. Safe to say the 1.5 hours I spent photographing Ann and Michael at AT&T Park was one of the most unique and fun ever!

Afterward, we headed on out to Japan Town to get some shots of the cherry blossoms (Make is part Japanese!) and then a local park in Presidio, near the Palace of Fine Arts. The 4+ hour session flew by like minutes. It was such a blast finally meeting Ann and Michael and hanging out with them, as well as all their friends that made the day even that much more enjoyable and dare I say entertaining!  Thanks guys for trusting me to be your photographer (and evening writing an awesome review on Yelp!) long before we met. Can’t wait until October, hopefully the Giants will be playing in the World Series on/around your wedding day!

Belinda + Nate’s Engagement Session – When one of Belinda’s good friends who was getting married asked her to coordinate the wedding, and when one of Nate’s good friends who was going to be the groom, asked him to be his groomsmen…little did Belinda and Nate know that true love was right around the corner for them. A first glance at the rehearsal dinner had Nate falling for Belinda; and after a few flirtatious moments on the wedding day as well as some comments on Facebook, the two became a perfect item ;). Fast forward a few years later…Nate asked Belinda to marry her this past September at Getty Center, where a few of their friends “just happened” to be there to record the special event!

These two were a ton of fun to hang out and work with at their engagement session. Belinda and Nate not only took off the whole week for the shoot, but also for Belinda’s birthday celebration. It was such a pleasure photographing them at the Getty Center and afterward around Santa Monice Beach! Not only were they ready to rock the session, but Belinda and Nate were so thoughtful to bring their photographer some home-baked cookies. I had a chance to learn much more about this wonderful couple. Both Belinda and Nate love the arts and crafts, traveling, and want a stress-free and fun wedding where photography is super important (sounds really good to me!).

Thank you guys for choosing me to be your photographer and considering my availability well before we met, it’s always a huge honor when that happens. And thank you for taking the day off for the shoot, especially on Belinda’s birthday! Hope you enjoyed the yummy dinner, the rest of your weekday getaway, and this sneak peek. Also, did I mention for their honeymoon, they’ll be going to Italy for THREE WEEKS? Nate studied abroad there and will be taking his future wife right after the wedding, awwwwwesome!