More importantly (and going back to weddings), I'll be doing my very first bridal show on September 22nd with Betty Wan of Type A Planning. We're sharing a booth and combining our uber awesome wedding planning + photography services together at The Wedding Salon's Bridal Show in Beverly Hills (at the Beverly Hills Hotel). I've already extended a complimentary invitation to all my 2009 brides to come by and check out this party. If you're one of my 2009 brides and for some reason haven't received an invitation from me, please accept my sincere apology and let me know via e-mail or phone that you'd like to attend, and I'll send you another one.

Unlike most bridal shows, this one is really more about networking, socializing, wining, dining, and getting free stuff like a complimentary hair/make-up session. To quote The Wedding Salon, "[They are] the world's first luxury wedding showcase, featuring must-have products and services for the sophisticated bride and groom." There will be lots of goodies, media, sponsors, and probably a few celebrities at this event. Check out the videos from last year's shows. I plan on having my buddy Nick of 3byOne Media swing by and videotape Betty and me in action at the bridal show. If you're a prospective client and would like to come by without paying the $50+ admission fee for a ticket (good for one person and a guest), please let me know. Here's an ad from The Wedding Salon:

There's also several other behind-the-scenes stuff that I've been working on, one of which was the introduction of videos a few weeks ago; I'll be releasing a second video pretty soon, so please look out for that one in the next few days. Nick, who has been the brain trust behind all of them, will be working with me at some of the upcoming weddings and engagement sessions. We're going to try our best to do video on all the shoots, but depending on Nick's schedule/availability and my budget, that may or may not be the case :). I'm also always looking at new ways to reinvent my brand, style of photography, services, and products. If there's something new I can offer to my couples that will make their experience with me that much more personal and special, then I'm definitely going to do it. I'd list them all here; but then again, that's what surprises are for ;).

Lastly, and I probably should put this as a sticky at the top, I've decided that 25-30 will be the max number of weddings that I'll do in 2009. This is mainly so I can give the attention and quality of service to every couple that I work with and not burn myself out. I'm really excited to be half-way there right now, and wanted to let perspective clients know that the peak months are filling up rather quickly (between May and September). If you're interested in my services for your wedding in one of those months, please let me know soon :). Or stop by The Wedding Salon Bridal Show and say hi!

And as always, THANK YOU to all the couples that have gone with me for the remainder of this year and next. I'm truly blessed to have individuals that give me the opportunity to do what I'm most passionate about. That's it for now, look for the next HCP video later this week. Happy Sunday!

The brand new Links at Summerly golf course served as the gorgeous backdrop for their wedding. There were so many unforgettable moments at Stacey and John's big day: the laugh they shared with each other at the ceremony; their first dance - what a perfect song!; the DJ/MC that totally rocked the house (or in this case the tent) down - that guy Joel, I think he's my favorite MC now; S + J sharing a dance with the couple who has been married the longest - their very own grand parents; and ending the evening with fireworks :).

Thank you Stacey, John, and your family and friends for giving me a memorable August 29th, 2008. Also, special thanks to my good friend Kelley for referring me to Stacey and John. Congratulations guys! Enjoy the sneak peak of images :).

Ceremony and reception location: Links at Summerly in Lake Elsinore, CA

Catering manager: Mary Ann Malveaux

Make-up artist: Tera Bode

Hair stylist: Dana

DJ/MC: Adrenalin Energetic Entertainment

They're all in town this weekend shooting weddings in Orange County and eating lots of Pinkberry. Oh yeah, I picked up a really cool trick to get couples to laugh from Erwin, and it goes like this: HAHAHAHAHA *click click* HAHAHAHAHA *click click*. Classic! Hope you guys enjoyed your stay in So Cal, be sure to come back again sometime soon!

Thanks Erwin for snapping away. From left to right: Jon, myself, Ed, Leo, Erwin, and Quanisha:

Emily wanted to make sure we had Greystone Mansion all to ourselves to photograph without random people getting in the way or watching us, so big kudos to her and Philip for getting a permit (that's when you know they mean business hehe). Check out the amazing outfits these two lovebirds chose for both the Greystone Mansion and Via Rodeo. I'm not a fashion expert, but I totally loved Philip's white shirt with all those textures and Emily's top with the patterns and various colors. They gave a very elegant yet casual feel to their photos, which fits Emily and Philip's personality so well. They definitely know how to wine and dine but also kick back and chill out :).

Then at Via Rodeo, Emily and Philip wore the most kick-butt outfits I've ever shot. Check out the purple and black, hotness! It was really fun shooting right smack in the middle of Los Angeles' most lucrative and famous shopping area, where everyone and their mother checked out Emily and Philip's good looks. For one day, I was able to call myself a celebrity photographer ;). Emily and Philip = stylish, classy, sexy, and smooth. I plan on taking classes from them on how to be cool.

Special thanks to my good friend and talented videographer/photographer Nick Amrhein of 3byOne Media for videotaping me doing what I love. Also, I want to thank Anna and Lonngren for giving me the privilege of being their wedding photographer and allowing Nick to videotape their e-session. Enjoy the clip!

I was beyond thrilled when Anna and Lonngrenn wanted their engagement session in Downtown LA, particularly at the places mentioned above. I enjoyed watching the way Anna and Lonngren laughed, hugged, and smiled at each other; the way they raced up and down the escalators, looked at one another across the library table, and held hands while walking through the train station tunnels. It was truly magical capturing and experiencing Anna and Lonngren's love for each other. I can't wait to start off 2009 with their wedding! Also, I want to thank Anna's brother for finding my blog and referring me to Anna, and also to her mom for helping me work out the details of the wedding photography package all the way from Texas. I look forward t meeting both of you as well on 1/3/09 :).

There were so many things that stood out about this wedding. For one, Ann and Chad were just a complete joy to work with. From the way they hugged and thanked their family and friends, I can see how much Ann and Chad mean to everyone that showed up at their wedding. We had a variety of cultural traditions as well; from smashing of the glass and raising the bride and groom on the chairs to some water festivities and signing of a document that binds their love together during the ceremony, there were so many memorable moments and details to document.

As some of you might know, Ann and Chad's wedding was the second of a back-to-back last weekend for me, but not once did my mind and heart feel tired; and the last thing I wanted to do last Saturday was go home and rest. I was just drawn into the way I saw Ann and Chad's love story unfold through my lens. I loved the way they looked at each other throughout the entire day, especially during their first dance. Also, I really admire Chad for not only being a caring and loving husband to Ann, but father to Katie. I smiled everytime I saw him hold and talk to her.

As we were walking back to the car after a long day, my second shooter Miguel told me how he really revered Chad for making Ann and Katie happy. I couldn't agree more. I give him lots of kudos and high fives for being a great role model to me that day :). To Ann and Chad, I'm truly blessed to have gotten to know you and your family. Congratulations, and thank you so much for trusting me to document the start of your new life together.

Ceremony and reception location: Woodranch Golf Club in Simi Valley, CA

Event sales coordinator: Nicole

Event sales director: Andrea

Make-up artist: Elena Marquez

Hair stylist: Jenn Morrow

MC/DJ: Good Time Entertainment

Florist: Flowers By Susan

Videographer: Moonlight Video

Back in April, I heard about a competition called WedComp. I'm sure there's a lot of photo competition out there, but this one struck me because the judges were some of the most well-known and successful photographers in this industry (Garrett Nudd, Brooks Whittington, Susan Stripling, and David Beckstead). Also, a portion of the photo entry fees was going towards Thirst Relief International. I entered several images throughout April-June, mainly from the weddings from those months. Winners were announced last week. Ah the suspense...

I'm pleased to announce that one of my favorite images placed second in the getting ready category of the competition! Special thanks to Nadia and Zak, as well as Nadia's dad whose in the shot, for giving me the privilege of taking this photo :).

My favorite part of the entire wedding is definitely the getting ready. It's a look into the personal lives of the bride and groom before everyone sees them at the ceremony. There's so many touching and tender moments that take place while the bride, groom, and the wedding party are getting ready for the rest of the day. And the details involved should never be overlooked. A photograph of Lisa's mom and her mom's friend getting ready at her wedding placed 9th:

Lastly, Nadia getting ready placed 22nd and Lara holding her daughter's hand placed 24th. Once again, I'd like to thank the bride, groom, their family, and friends in these four photos. Cheers to WedComp and entering into more competition in the future! Now back to editing photos from Saturday's wedding between Ann and Chad. I'm going to try really hard to blog those by tomorrow night :).

There I was, with my super old PowerBook and photos of flowers, architecture, NBA players, and a few wedding photos. I don't know what it was, but Donna and Gabe were brave enough to hire me back when I was just getting into this field of photography :). I can't thank them enough for trusting me to be the one to document their big day. I just felt so honored (and nervous!) to have such a big responsibility on my shoulders. But I also felt excited and simply determined to do whatever I possibly could in the next 10 months or so to be ready on August 8th, 2008. So thank you Donna and Gabe, for giving me so much: one of my very first bookings, my first destination wedding, and most importantly, your friendship and trust.

Being that this was a destination wedding, it felt great to stay in the same hotel as Donna, Gabe, and the wedding party. We just had to get up, get ready, and walk a few steps to document the getting ready and early bridal shots. On another note, to say that Lompoc's weather was breathtaking would be a huge understatement. Not only was the temperature in the low 70s during mid-day, but there was a nice breeze going around the area. Plus there was absolutely no traffic, smog, or noise around. It just felt so good to be away from the city.

The wedding was truly magical. Everything came together beautifully, mainly thanks to Donna's uber amazing planning and coordinating skills (she sent me the itinerary nearly two months before the wedding day!). I had a wonderful time getting to know the family and friends. Kudos to the wedding party for being such good sports and helping us out the entire day, especially the maid of honor Amy and best man Kyle. To Donna and Gabe, enjoy your honeymoon in Hawaii this week and next. Congratulations! I hope to see you guys again in the very near future. Come visit me in LA sometime :).

Ceremony: Calgary Baptist Church in Lompoc, CA

Reception: Mariott Hotel in Buellton, CA

Officiant: Pastor Gordon Eastman

Entertainment: Hawaiian and Tahitian Dancers

Some behind-the-scenes stuff:

Miguel's manning my Scion tC as I try to get "the shot" of Donna and Gabe sitting in the passenger seat of the car next to ours:

Edgar and Lia! It was great seeing you guys again; thank you so much for introducing Donna and Gabe to me, and also for that special birthday present :).

The dream team with the newlyweds!

In the mean time, I'll do my best to return e-mails/texts/phone calls right away, but things will most likely be slower than usual. Thanks for your patience :). Check the blog every night for some updated photos from the wedding (that is if I don't get too lazy :P); full updates on both weddings wil be posted Sunday and Monday evening. Have a good one!

I'd like to thank everyone that helped me yesterday, especially Michele's co-worker and my unofficial assistant for the day Frederic Tiberghien, aka The French Man! Thanks Frederic for all your hard work and your friendship yesterday. We couldn't have done some of things we wanted to yesterday without your aid. Please keep in touch; e-mail me when you're ready to share your images from yesterday :). Also, I want to thank Solana Green for doing a phenomenal job on Michele's make-up yesterday. I'm able to blog several dozen images today because I didn't really have to do much retouching on any of the images, mainly thanks to the secret powder, false eyelashes, or whatever else she used on Michele ;), who btw, looked absolutely gorgoues all day long (Dean you lucky man!).

And last but not least, I want to thank my second shooter Miguel Torres; I seriously don't know what I'd do without him. Miguel not only second shot with me, but also assisted me and set up the video light during the reception. Some of the getting ready and reception shot ideas were his, so kudos to Miguel! I know I keep saying this, but I feel so blessed to work with some of the most high-class, professional vendors and colleagues in the wedding industry. Here are the rest!

Ceremony and reception location: Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach, CA

Wedding coordinator: JoAnn Asari

Catering manager: Martha Block

Officiant: Reverend Marvin Harada

Make-up artist: Solana Green

Hair stylist: Natalie

Invitation design and first dance: Ron Miranda

DJ/MC/lighting: Invisible Touch

Florist: Lavender Hill

Entertainment: Taiko Drummers

Some behind-the-scenes stuff, starting with Miguel and Solana:

The photographers for the day:

We love you too Michele!

It was wonderful to see many familiar faces from over a decade ago to new ones from just a few months back; relationships that have been formed in all sorts of different yet fascinating, unique, and memorable ways, and how I'm honored and inspired to share a reflection of their amazing characters within myself. Thank you all for coming out and sharing the beautiful evening wit