Michael & Riana

It is my pleasure that Michael and Riana hired me for their engagement photoshoot just before they are going off to Hawaii where they will get married. I had a great time, and here are some of the shots we made...

SF Downtown and Tripod Blues

SF downtown is a wonderful place to do engagement photoshoots, urban background, nice architectures, need I say the Golden Gate, one of my favorite subjects. Thanks to Yvonne and Daniel for packing enough energy and charm for this engagement photoshoot. I am happy with the photos we took. The only drawback is I lost Phoebe's new tripod. See, I bought her a new lightweight tripod for our trip to Yosemite and Death Valley just recently, and she was so in love with the new tripod and couldn't stop using it for long exposures in bubbling streams, star trails, reflections, etc. I borrowed her tripod for my engagement photoshoot with Yvonne & Daniel, and well, I lost the tripod in Union Square. Goodbye $$. I had a feeling I might get in trouble when I went home to tell her the news, she was sad for a minute and when I showed her my photos, she was wide-eyed smiling again. whew! :)







I had my spare tripod in the trunk thank goodness to get this long exposure shot. Yvonne & Daniel had to be still for a few seconds for this shot, and kudos to them they were still as a rock even if the waves splashed. It was also not easy going to this place, so a big thanks to you guys!

First Dates Places

Nola's at downtown Palo Alto, was where Mark and Jen had their first date, and what could be more perfect venue for their e-photoshoot than Nola's, an artsy party place bar & resto with red walls, fancy paintings and whimsical artifacts. I can stay there all day shooting...here are some of the photos...




Another casual spot to swing by during first dates is Michael's Gelato and Cafe.



It has a 2nd floor patio overlooking University Ave, it's a nice place to cool down and relax.

Bistro 412 was one of the memorable dates for Jen & Mark, and so here we are.

with pretty daughter Gina...


and of course, a stop by our studio for a few more studio shots. *wink* :)


Thanks to Jen, Mark, and Gina for a refreshing afternoon photoshoot!

This Time - a Korean Wedding

Aside from the usual western weddings, we are blessed to have witnessed various traditional weddings as well, such as a traditional Indian wedding, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish, and this time - a traditional Korean wedding! Our bride and groom is Jihyun & Lloyd, another cute couple who we couldn't stop taking pictures of.

A little note about The Wedding Outfits, quoted from Weddings at Work (W@W) website taken from an article by Shu Shu Costa from the feature entitled: "Rituals of Bliss"

The two dresses worn by the bride were once the costume of the noble class. The simple lime-green wonsam and the more elaborate hwarrot, or "flower robe," are embroidered with flowers and butterflies. Underneath, she wears the hanbok, the doll-like traditional dress of Korea. On the bride's head is a black cap studded with gems. On her feet are white socks and embroidered shoes. Her makeup is simple, except for three red circles, yonji konji, the size of nickels. These circles, traditionally made of red peppers, but now often drawn on, are supposed to ward off evil spirits. The groom's faruotsu is also the dress of the nobility. It is made of dark green damask with auspicious symbols woven in gold. The headdress is the tall black cap of high-ranking officials made of silk.

For their photos, we wanted it to be cinematic in color to match the antiquity of the culture.

Quoted from Shu Shu Costa (Riturals of Bliss)
The highlight of the ceremony is the sharing of a special white wine called jung jong. Traditionally, this wine was poured into cups made from two halves of a gourd grown by the bride's mother. The bride and groom sip from their separate cups and then the wine is mixed together, poured once more into the gourd cups and sipped again. This is kunbere, the wedding vow. One ritual often seen at Korean American weddings is the peh beck ceremony. At this ceremony, usually only attended by family and close friends, the new wife offers her new in-laws gifts of dried dates and jujubes, symbols of children. They in turn offer her tea, a subtle but significant gift. At the ceremony's conclusion, they toss the dates and chestnuts at the bride, and she tries to catch them in her large skirt.

Aside from this traditional wedding ceremony, the couple also has a western ceremony which I'll share with you in the next blog. :)

Wedding - Jessica & Carlos

Jessica & Carlos' wedding was festive, colorful, and the music at the reception kept us energized the whole night.

Let's start with the details of their wedding. First their cake, nicely embellished with torquoise and orange, which are the colors used in the wedding.


With utmost care, we displayed the wedding gown right outside the house where our bride is getting ready, and took this photo.


A series of shots of our lovely bride in black and white...




Their classic car, a unique antique 1948 New Yorker, by Pearl White Limo




They got married in St. Anthony's Church.

The aisle is adorn with orange flowers.

And the father of the bride(right) plays the music during the church ceremony.

While the mother of the bride is teary-eyed (with Grandma beside her)

Reception follows at Cabrito's Bistro at Sunnyvale,




(Quick note: some of the photos were resized to smaller file size for faster loading )
To view more of Jessica & Carlos' wedding, see the slideshow (it takes approximately 30 seconds to load)
Jessica & Carlos, we had a great time at your wedding, and we wish you all the best!
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We are so happy to get this email from Jessica!

Hi Mark and Phoebe,
The pictures turned out so beautiful, they're amazing. When I was looking at the slideshow I got teared eye all over again. Everyone that I've showed them to love them.
Thanks,
Jessica