Ni and Reza : Wedding

The sounds of Farsi filled the air, while the smells of Vietnamese spring rolls floated through the living room. A cacophany of voices filled the air while aunts, uncles, and cousins prepared for the tea ceremony. When the limo arrived, Reza’s Persian family debarked bearing gifts and passed through tunnel of Vietnamese greetings and hugs. As Ni descended the staircase as a tearful bride, Persian sugar rained down on her. When Ni and Reza saw each other for the first time as bride and groom, they held each other tightly while Ni cried tears of joy. On one side of the room stood one family looking directly across at the other, and the two souls in the center joined them in love.

Love transcends language. This was extraordinarily evident during Sunday’s wedding as neither family spoke English. Reza and Ni would flip back and forth between their native tongue and America’s lengua franca, filling in the translation gaps will laughter and smiles. A simple handshake, or hug, or three kisses on the cheek made up for traditional communication, but where there were no words, there was love. True and unadulterated love. A love that punctuated sentences and completed silent paragraphs.

JD and I were so moved to be part of such an amazing wedding day and heart-warming ceremony…we walked away from the day knowing that love has no tongue, but takes the form of a touch and a smile.

Here are a few of my favorites…




Ni was looking out from an upstairs window as her groom met the family outside...




Ni grandfather delivered a speech in Vietnamese, but at the very end looked down at a crumpled piece of paper and recited a sentence of congratulations in English...everyone cheered and this was his reaction...


As the group was walking toward the videographer, Ni stepped on her dress and started falling, but was carried along by an unknowing bridal party and groom...her face says it all! :)


After the tea ceremony, the wedding reception was held at the fabulous Yamashiro Restaurant in Hollywood Hills...it was awesome!!



A cool view of Los Angeles...





To see more of their wedding images, CLICK HERE for a slideshow!


**On a personal note, I want to thank Reza and Ni for making JD and me truly feel like family. Everything from the shrimp springs rolls silently passed our way, to the Vietnamese pastries, to the saffron rice and pitas, to the amazing limo ride and Persian music…everything felt like family. Thank you for forcing us to put cameras away at the end of the night and raise serpentine arms along side you and dance to Persian music like no one was watching. We loved every minute of it and thank you for becoming our friends!**

Lisa and Eric : Wedding

So, are you ready for the kiss? That seemed to be the million dollar question of the day. Lisa and Eric saved their first kiss for their wedding and the big day had finally arrived. While Lisa finished dressing, her friends doted upon her every need, so the only thing for her to do was see herself in the mirror for the first time as a bride. Upon first glance, she apprehensively sucked in her breath and covered her highly-glossed lips with a petite hand. Oh my goodness, she whispered, I look like a Mexican Barbie! Everyone laughed hysterically and ushered her away from the mirror. So, are you ready for the kiss? With her eyes cast down, a smile crept onto her lips and she said, Yes, I’m ready…I’ve waited my entire life for this moment and it’s finally here.

I have very few words for this special couple. I felt so connected to their lives and love, as did everyone who witnessed their tearful ceremony. Their entire lives were spent walking along crooked paths, leading them ultimately to each other. Their families firmly believed they were mismatches—the typical apple and orange argument—but as they said their personal vows, their love rippled throughout the church sanctuary, proving their nay-sayers wrong.

And their first kiss? Magical. I cried behind my lens. I really, really cried. Two sincere and hopeful lives became one in that beautiful moment and I was honored to be able to document it for them.

Here are a few of my favorites…








After the ceremony, we headed to Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden for their wedding pictures, but saved a good amount of energy for their bumpin' reception! ;)








If you’d like to see more of their wedding, CLICK HERE for a slideshow!

Lisa and Tim : Wedding

The church bells in St. John’s majestic steeple sang loudly into the bright Orange County sky. Tim waited anxiously for his bride to arrive, but occupied his time making sure his groomsmens’ ties were properly tied and occasionally sifting through a white box labeled “Groomsmen Snacks”. His family and best friends basked in the warm sun while the church bells continued to sing.

Lisa arrived to the church in jeans, a t-shirt…and a veil. She walked into the church bridal room and her bridemaids immediately began preparing her wedding dress and slipping on her shoes. With the sounds of the organ filling the nave, the congregation rose to gaze upon the happy bride. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she kissed her father goodbye and fell into the arms of her future husband.

The rest of the day was spent dispersing rounds of warm hugs and sincere thank-you’s to their many guests. After a few rounds of funny, yet poignant, toasts, Tim and Lisa spent the evening dancing together and starting the first day of the rest of their lives together. And I had the honor of capturing their day.

Here are a few of my favorites…








Tim's groomsman was clawing humorously and saying, Tim, you're a tiger...you're a tiger...grrrrrrowl...









If you'd like to see their wedding in its entirety, CLICK HERE for a slideshow!



Also, a special thanks to Shyla for assisting me this wedding! :)

Alison and Matt

The music pouring from the iPod could be heard from the street. A little Country, and little Pop. The make-up artist looked at the magazine picture Alison had previously cut out as a point of reference and bridesmaids occasionally passed by them, oohing and ahhing over the bride’s metamorphosis. The windows and door were kept wide open and a light Palm Springs breeze meandered through the house. Laughter could be heard outside from the patio table. Laughter mixed with a Country and a little Pop.

Matt and his groomsmen readied themselves at the Monterey Country Club, just as the wedding coordinators and florists prepared for his wedding. Perhaps it was the warm sun that made desert calming, but as the wind blew through the palm trees, one could close her eyes and feel love.

Matt and Alison met each other while playing the field. Literally. Both avid soccer players, they met while playing in Los Angeles and fell in love shortly thereafter. Documenting their vows and commitment to each other was extraordinarily precious because they made me feel like I was part of their homespun network of friends…like I was just a friend roaming around with a camera. I LOVE when this happens! Their gorgeous wedding was in Palm Springs and I was truly honored to be a part of their day. A special thanks to Alison’s sister-in-law, Shannon Lott, for finding my blog and recommending my work…it’s the biggest compliment when an industry colleague refers my services, so I appreciate her kindness and trust.

Here are a few of my favorites…

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw Alison pull out her wedding shoes from an Adidas backpack...you can take the girl off the soccer field, but you can't take soccer outta the girl! :)


The hair and makeup was done by Maria from Salon Sessions (a home salon for America's Next Top Model) in Pasadena. She's awesome!









The following two shots were captured by JD...how adorable is the flower girl?!



Apparently the flower girl found a new use for her Dora the Explorer stickers during the toast! :) JD captured this shot...


To their wedding in its entirety, CLICK HERE for a slideshow!