You might remember Anna and Zeke from their engagement session in the Venice Canals back in October.
The first time I met Anna, I remember her gushing about Zeke and how
after four years together, she still gets butterflies when she sees him.
These two are so fun together; they drop all inhibitions around each
other. The word serious is not in their vocabulary … which is funny,
because they love Scrabble, and I’m sure that word’s gotta be worth some
good points with the u.
Their wedding ceremony and reception were held in Pasadena, California at the newly opened Noor Restaurant.
I got to go to their grand opening last month, where I got to taste
first hand the superb Mediterranean fare their kitchen will soon become
famous for, not to mention an outstanding assortment of desserts from
pastry chef Vanessa Collins. See photos of her and her amazing pastries
from the grand opening party.
The whole day was gorgeous, and so much fun. It was my last wedding
of the year, and I’m so happy to have ended off with such wonderful
people. The wonderful Jessica Auten was my second shooter, and rounded out the photographic story of this wedding beautifully.
I love the tenderness of this shot by Jessica. Anna’s niece was the cutest thing, and she was transfixed by the veil.
Anna
got ready at the Westin Hotel, Pasadena. The grounds are stunning (not
to mention the bride — I love that coy look she’s shooting the camera).
And it’s only blocks from City Hall and Paseo Colorado.
We
took a stroll through Pasadena City Hall on the walk to the ceremony
site for a couple quick portraits. It’s quite the photographic
playground; we saw another bridal photo session happening, along with an
engagement session, and one or two family portraits.
Zeke pouring a little cheer for his groomsmen — and best lady — from behind the gorgeous bar at Noor.
The
fountain courtyard right outside Noor is lovely. With some strategic
lighting additions and drapery, it was an idyllic setting for a wedding
ceremony. Thankfully, they turned off the fountain to keep everyone dry,
which had the added benefit of giving a clearer view of the amazing
tile work inside of it.
I love the billowy curtains the couple’s decorator hung around the courtyard. They looked so pretty lit up at night.
The
officiant quoted the marriage speech from Princess Bride. ‘Mawage.
Mawage is what bwings ufs togewver … todaaaay.’ Classic.
The sexy Ella Ballroom’s bar at Noor Restaurant.
Since
I bonded with Anna and Zeke over food, and because they picked Noor as
their wedding location because of it, I simply had to document the tasty
morsels from the evening. Clockwise from top left, we have appetizers
of tuna tartare on potato crisps and something I’ll call mushroom
tortes. Dinner was tender steak and wonderfully flaky salmon followed by
a goat cheese and fig toast with micro greens.
They
had a three-tier chocolate wedding cake for the traditionalists, and as
a special celebration of one of the activities that bonded them when
they first dated, a Scrabble cake. Can you believe all the love-related
words they got on that thing? It’s like they hired New York Times puzzle
master Will Shortz to bake it for them. And it’s completely edible,
right down to the tiles. I’ll be honest, even as someone who used to
make his living writing, Scrabble is a complete mystery to me. I play at
the level of a fourth grader. And believe me: monosyllabic words win
you no games.
Instead
of rice, Anna somehow got a batch of the fake snow they use to dress
movie sets for Christmas movies for her guests to throw at the grand
exit.
Blessings in your marriage, my friends. Anna and Zeke: the love that
reaches from A to Z. Oh, hey … that makes the Scrabble cake make even
more sense!
I first met Bill just under a year ago on Christmas day. Marylou
is an old college friend and she’s come to my mom’s annual “orphans”
Christmas dinner for people without family in town. When she showed up
with Bill, we could tell he had his sights set on her, but Marylou swore
up and down that they were just friends.
That continued on for months (and months, and months) with them
spending a lot of exclusive time together. It turns out everyone knew
they were now officially a couple … except for Marylou herself. When she
finally realized what we had been trying to tell her, it was a quick
jump from “I love him!” to “We’re engaged!” to “I do.”
I think it’s their natural ease of being together that blocked the
obvious from Marylou’s eyes for so long, and that same ease that gave
her such clarity for the future once she realized the depth of her
feelings.
Getting to know Bill this year has been a pleasure, and I know he will be an amazing husband to my friend.
Their wedding day saw downpours of rain and choppy seas, but both
Marylou and Bill were the picture of tranquility as their assuredness
quelled any jitters.
They rented the oceanfront Sunset Cliffs Estate
in San Diego’s beautiful Point Loma neighborhood for the ceremony. I
used to surf at sunset cliffs all the time when I lived in San Diego;
that area is one of the most scenic in the country.
I can’t say enough about what an amazing place the estate is.
Spectacular view of the Pacific aside, the Spanish-style house itself is
stunning inside and out. With all the bedrooms, you can house family
who are coming into town for the event, which worked out nicely for
Bill’s parents, sisters, and their families.
What a great evening it was. The ceremony, the reception, the food,
the band … too many moments to share here, but all-in-all, a great start
to a great life.
Sunset
Cliffs Estate during a dramatic, if brief, break in the otherwise rainy
day. The sky was naturally that blue without any post-production help
on my part. God has a better set of watercolors than I do anyway.
I
love Bill’s boutonniere and tie. The little bit of blue in the
hydrangea blossom and ribbon was an elegant touch by florist Nicole
Ferrari.
More of Nicole Ferrari’s stunning floral work.
The
ceremony was supposed to be outside until a storm rolled in that
morning. They moved it to the estate’s living room with the couple
framed by a raindrop-stdded bay window overlooking the ocean.
The first seconds of wedded bliss
Marylou was radiant even without the sun’s help.
I
had to share a picture of these raspberry mousses because … it’s me. I
find good food, and I have to share it. The catering was fantastic, but
these little guys were especially luscious and visually striking.
I shot my last wedding of the year last weekend. It was a great end to an amazing year.
While the wedding is over, the editing continues (believe your
photographer when he or she says that the majority of their work is done after the event date).
So while I’m getting caught up, enjoy this snippet of gorgeousness of my bride Anna, and the debonair groom Zeke.
At the Westin Hotel Pasadena
A pre-ceremony toast from the groom-turned-bartender
I love accents almost as much as I love a good love story.
Samantha (Sam), obviously feels the same, because after meeting and
falling in love with Rob while on a vacation to Australia, she
immediately made plans to go back and see him again.
Rob is apparently quite the chef. How can a girl not fall for a man
who will cook for her while sweet talking in a cool Aussie drawl?
The fact that they lived in entirely different hemispheres couldn’t
keep them apart. They left “Oz” to come back to this side of the rainbow
and start their lives together in LA with a beachfront wedding
surrounded by family and friends, some of whom flew halfway around the
world to be with them.
The ceremony and reception were held at the lovely Loews Resort in Santa Monica, with a sweeping view of the beach and pier. I was fortunate to work with the incredible Jeremy Yates, about whom I can’t say enough good things.
I
love the moment of anticipation just before a bride walks down the
aisle. Sam had her mom and dad on each arm to keep her steady and frame
her stunning dress.
Check out the best man leaning in for a good look.
Sam and her family are total hams. I absolutely love it.
Do you remember your first trip to Disneyland? How about the
first Disney movie you watched? Did you wish you could be with Pinocchio
on Pleasure Island or dig into a honey pot with Pooh Bear?
I’m not exactly a mouseketeer, but even as a grown man, I can’t
ignore the fact that the pixie dust they sprinkled on me as a child has
stuck.
The one thing I love more than the nostalgia is to live it all fresh
through my best friends’ two children. We bring them to Disneyland a
couple times a year. They already know most of the movies, and each have
their favorite characters … along with costumes, toys, books, DVDs …
On this edition of Twoesday Pairings, I’m bringing you along with us
on a recent trip to California Adventure to catch the magic of kids
experiencing Disney.
Chase goes crazy for Lightning McQueen. We thought he’d flip to get to walk
up and touch a life-sized version, but he was more confused and
mistrusting of the fact that Lightning no longer was a 3-inch-long toy
that fits in his hand.
You’ve got to love the everlasting look of awe on the kids’ faces when we go to Disneyland.
Every so often, you should drop down to their eye level to see the world like they do.
Think you’re too old for the kiddy rides? Catching the anxious extasy in a
child’s face is more thrilling than any corkscrew or 10-story drop.
How’s this for a Star Wars princess?
View of the California Adventure midway.
Best pairing of all: (Kids + Disney) + Me getting to be a part of their day. Love you, Jae and Chase.
The first time I met Anna, she gushed about how much she loves her fiance. She said “I’ve know him for three years, and i still get that feeling like when you first meet someone.”
After spending an afternoon with them, I can testify that this love is fresh. Anna’s adorable — and dare I say, giddy — around Zeke. They both laugh through their conversations, and had me going on more than a few occasions. Simply stated, it’s fun to photograph fun people.
They are getting married in November at a new event center in Pasadena’s Paseo Colorado. This is how I immediately knew I liked this couple: they decided to go with the venue on the quality of the food. Ahh, kindred spirits.
We spend a golden afternoon in Venice doing an engagement portrait session around Abbot Kinney and the canals.
We started off at some of Venice’s ubiquitous colorful murals.
One of many moments when they broke into laughter.
The coolest thing about Venice (aside from that it’s where I live) is all the art. You can’t turn a corner without finding some form of artistic
expression.
Rock that look, Anna! I totally dig that top she wore; I’m always a sucker for color, and it just made her pop.
Zeke may look like the strong silent type, but I have it on good authority (Anna’s) that he’s quite the juggler. I plan to surreptitiously plant some bowling pins on their sweetheart table at the wedding to see if I can coax him into performing for a couple shots.
My favorite shot of the day. Magic is raining down on them.
What an excellent day shooting in Venice, California.
Anna and Zeke are going to be married this November in Pasadena, but today I took them out to play around the streets of the artsy beach city and captured their life, pre “I do.”
The light was luscious and the couple was funtastic. Yeah, I spelled that right.
Laughs galore at a mural on Abbot Kinney in Venice.
Anna was working it.
Move toward the light … that gorgeous, tasty light. You can actually see the beams! I contend that it’s the light of Anna and Zeke’s passion creating the glow.
Stay tuned for the full post, and come back in November to see their wedding. It’s going to be at a brand new event venue in Pasadena at Paseo Colorado. Can’t wait!
I love when I get to photograph people I know, because knowing
someone’s back story and how they got to where they are now brings me
inside their world emotionally. That’s one of the reasons that when I
meet new clients I try to get to know who they are, what they love. I
may never really utilize the facts I know about them in my photos, but
it helps the people on both sides of the camera feel comfortable enough
with each other to share the kind of tender moments I capture.
Once in a while, I have the opportunity to photograph people I have
already known for years like Anita and Ben. I met Anita in a ballroom
dancing class a few years back that we took with a mutual friend.
Stumbling all over a stranger’s toes for a couple hours a week will
either make you flee embarrassed from the class or earn you a new
friend. I’m glad Anita and I chose the latter course, stubbed toes and
all.
She and Ben had already been dating for a number of years by that
time. I got to share the joy of the engagement announcement, wish them
well on their wedding last year, and now celebrate with them their
soon-to-arrive baby girl.
I am incredibly honored that they asked me to document their joy and
anticipation. I am even more honored to get to share these emotions with
them.
Ben just got this tattoo a couple weeks ago. The symbols are Anita’s
Chinese name and the symbol for beauty and peace. In other words,
“Beautiful Anita.”
I have no idea what the history of this brilliant old stone building is.
Honestly, I kind of found it by accident. I was looking around La
Crescenta for some scenic natural photo locales, and stumbled across
this park with the building, a miniature vineyard, and luscious cypress
trees — all of which make for luscious backdrops. Los Angeles, truly
hosts some unexpected treasures.
You know those great people in your life? — the ones about whom everyone says “He/She’s so great, and happy, and positive. She/He deserves someone equally wonderful.”
That’s Silvia. Her personality’s as warm as her homeland of Peru … (Peru’s warm, right? Yeah, it must be. It’s right next to the equator) … Silvia’s personality is as warm as the non-Machu-Picchu-altitude parts of beautiful Peru. She met Paul, and his mellow, kind, constantly smiling self immediately found a unique similarity with her; in fact, they are so alike that their pet name for each other is “twinie.”
They got ready at the lovely Rennaissance Hotel in Agoura Hills, and then we all headed down to The Sunset Restaurant on Zuma Beach in Malibu California for a ceremony on the shore and reception in a gorgeous canopied private room.
While my partner Jeremy Yates
was photographing the girls getting ready in their hotel room, I ducked into Paul’s room to get some shots of him. When I came back to the girls’ suite, Silvia asked me about Paul in her adorably thick accent, “Is he so handsome?” Not “isn’t he,” but “IS he,” as if she expected the years of their life together thus far had been a too-wonderful dream and she was about to wake up before the best part.
You tell me, Silvia, is this guy handsome, or what? And he’s all yours forever.
All the best, Twinnies. Thanks so much for allowing me to be part of your day.
