Who isn’t a fan of bright yellow Gerber Daisy’s for a bouquet?

They were having a little trouble here, and that’s when Doug suggested using a pen cap to make the job much easier.

Just before Nik got ready, he was out in the water catching some waves in Manhattan Beach. Not bad for a New Yorker.

I love  the cuffs on his dress shirt by Ben Sherman. It’s definitely Nik’s style.

The sight the guests see as they come into the outdoor reception space. How awesome does that dessert bar look? Leave it to Lindsay from LVL Events to put together all of the details in such a creative and colorful way that represents the couple so well. She’s just amazing and it’s a delight working with her.

I really loved the custom guest sign in surf board.

More photos to come from Beth and Nik’s wedding day!

Cheers,

Danny

Please enjoy the highlights from their wedding day in Idyllwild!

More description and photos from their wedding day in Idyllwild to come!

Cheers,

Danny

Here are some highlights from their photo session at Calimigos Ranch in Malibu.

I’ll come back to this post when I have some more time to add more detail to this photo session and to add more blog posts, so please check back again soon!

Cheers,

Danny

After countless hours behind the camera photographing and behind the monitors editing, it’s about darn time to blog again.

It’s finally Cynthia and Joel’s big day at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California! If you remember correctly, Doug and I shot  Cynthia & Joel’s engagement session at LAX and UCLA several months ago. Unfortunately, Doug was not able to join us for the wedding, but the talented Christina Cho was able to assist me during this fabulous day in Malibu.

Here we have Cynthia starting her preparations and getting her hair sprayed.

The ecstatic uncle hanging out with the ladies for a bit while they get all dolled up.

The girls had a little situation when one of the lovely bridesmaids had a zipper malfunction as she was trying to zip it up. She asked me to not photograph this embarrassing situation, but then gave in after about 10 seconds and just went with it. She was a real good sport and Cynthia’s mother was able to remedy the problem with a needle and thread.

That’s the face that Cynthia has grown to love from her man Joel. What a stud.

Some of the boys getting serious about looking sharp

What more could Joel’s parents want in their sons big wedding day?

Cynthia and her father as they prepare to walk across the bridge and down the aisle at the beautiful Calamigos Ranch.

The reception was definitely where the party was at!

The newlyweds first formal introduction as Mr. and Mrs. Joel Roque!

Their friends and family were crazy during the reception!

Joel’s a hot commodity with all those hands all over him.

I was quite surprised when Joel and Cynthia broke out into a choreographed dance after a few slow moments on the dance floor. Even the bridesmaids got into the action as back up dancers!

Just as I thought there couldn’t be anymore surprises during the couples toast to all the friends and family who made their day memorable, Joel starts to serenade Cynthia! My jaw dropped because I had no idea he had such a voice!

Cynthia was surprised as well and was quite moved by his performance. She knew he could sing, but she didn’t know he had planned on this, which made it extra special.

It was an amazing wedding day out in Malibu and an absolute pleasure to be invited to photograph their big day. Doug definitely missed out on this one, but Christina was a great second-shooter that day. This isn’t the last we’ll see of this couple because we did a day-after session with them at Calamigos Ranch and got to explore the ranch some more. Look forward to pictures with the Ferris wheel and merry-go-round that Calamigos has on the premises, so check back again soon!

Cheers,

Danny

My how time flies. I could have sworn I was just ringing in 2011 not too long ago, and now we’re already sending our regards to the first quarter of the year. It can’t just me who feels this way either. Why is that the older we get, the quicker time seems to pass us by.

Anyways, to send off the first quarter of the year, let’s share Sarah & James’ big wedding day in Orange County. This wedding was a really fun one to be a part of because these two were so in love and so happy that it was contagious. It was also really fun to be a part of that wedding because Linda, Lavish Celebrations, was the wedding planner for the event and happens to be a college buddy of mine. It was the first time we got to work with each other and I was definitely impressed with the way she kept the entire day on schedule and how attentive she was to detail. It will be the first of many times working together.

The wedding ceremony was held at the St. John Baptist Parish in Costa Mesa. Here you can see Linda properly pinning  the boutonniere on James, who was quite ecstatic on his big day.

Here is our first look at Sarah, the lovely bride.

After the wedding ceremony at St. John, Linda headed over to the Center Club in Costa Mesa, where the wedding reception was taking place, and Doug and I took our couple over to The LAB Anti-Mall for a quick portrait session.

In no time, we wrap the portrait session and make our way over to the Center Club for the wedding reception. To celebrate Sarah’s Thai heritage, they hired a group of traditional Thai dancers to kick off the reception.

The couple thanking all of their wonderful friends and family who were able to share their wedding day with them.

What an amazing day with an amazing couple who have so many great memories to look forward to for the their lives. It was a blast and our pleasure to be a part of such a intimate day. Thank you and congratulations once again, Sarah & James!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,

Danny

Such stunning detail in the Indian henna art! It’s a typical Indian custom for weddings and is just visually stimulating.

A couple of bridesmaids practicing a special surprise dance for the lucky groom.

This loved one hung out with us during their engagement session in San Francisco and wasn’t going to miss out on the festivities at the Surf and Sand Resort.

Could you believe Ren told us he was shy and not photogenic? Yeah, I guess you can.

That orange is so hot!

It was quite an epic day filled with lots of celebration and it was a pleasure to be a part of their Indian wedding. I can’t congratulate you guys enough, Nina and Ren! Best of luck in everything!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,

Danny

I’ve had this really awesome wedding in my drafts for a while and have been meaning to post it up for some time, so what better time than now while I wait for my name to be called to be on a panel.

Kelly and Dean are quite the fun-loving couple who have been putting off getting married because life got in the way in the from of two little rambunctious boys. Better late than never and definitely worth the wait, their big day had finally arrived at the beautiful and historic La Venta Inn in Palos Verdes Estates. Check out some of the awesomeness that Doug and I were able to capture.

You’ve got to love the blue lips from the lolly pop!

Everybody loves a candy bar! We’ve been seeing these more often and they never seem to disappoint.

Cupcakes? Why not, right?

I knew I could only dodge the bullet for so long. Just as I thought about wrapping up the entry, my name was called to be on a jury panel after lunch. Lets see how this goes. Who knows, I may get on a celebrity case. I think Lindsey Lohan is supposed to be around here =)

Cheers!

Danny

This wedding takes Doug and me all the way from Los Angeles to Cancun, Mexico! This event marks the first destination wedding that required me to use my passport, which made this event a tad more special. Sue and Armando were the happy couple to be wed and they were joined by close friends and family to share this intimate event together. We almost missed our flight due to traffic getting to LAX, but we were still about to catch the red eye flight from LAX to our final destination of Cancun, Mexico. We went straight from the airport to the Casa Magna to check in to our hotel and to meet up with the couple. Sue did her preparation at the JW Marriott, which was connected to the Casa Magna, while Armando was next door at the Castello Orsini Hotel getting ready for their big day.

This was the view from the suite Sue had at the JW Marriott Hotel. Breathtaking, isn’t it?

These tiny converse shoes belonged to their little boy, Peyton. I swear, for some reason, things look so much cooler when they’re tiny!

Here we have Peyton’s grandmother handcrafting a garter for her new daughter. How special is that?

A little sentimental action going on between mother and daughter. There was a wardrobe malfunction with the zipper, but mom was able to fix the problem like all moms know how to. Sue was not worried at all as you can tell in the picture below.

A proud and happy brother walking his sister down the aisle. The ceremony was originally supposed to be out on at the gazebo that overlooks the water, but there was a really high chance of rain and the couple did not want to risk it. It doesn’t look like they mind by the look on their faces.

The happy family.

The portrait session at the JW Marriot hotel.

After a few shots there, we walked to the Casa Magna to finish up the wedding portraits.

Not a happy Peyton.

It was a pretty epic day. Straight off of a red-eye flight to shoot an all-day destination wedding in Cancun. What an adventure! I’ve never been fed so much food at a wedding before, but boy did Sue and Armando keep the courses coming! They were a great couple, very fun-loving and simply good people. There was no amount of rain that was going to spoil a celebration like this. The couple invited us to join them in their party bus that was headed to Coco Bongo, but we were spent and looking forward to some much needed rest. I have no idea how they had the energy to go on an all-day excursion the next day at 7am, but they did. Doug and I went on an excursion, but ours started at 9am, which was still not easy to wake up on time for after a long day. Cancun is an awesome place for a wedding and it’s just beautiful out there! I can’t wait to go back for fun or for work. Thank you again, Sue and Armando, for inviting us to your big day. It was a pleasure! Congrats and best wishes to you all!

I’m on a roll. Lets see if I can keep this up!

Cheers,

Danny

Here we are in Sunny San Diego to celebrate the special union between Kristina and Grant, a unique military couple that Doug and I had the pleasure of working with again. The last time we all worked together, we were running around Balboa Park and the US Grant Hotel taking their engagement pictures.

Our morning started with a old-fashioned close razor shave at Vince’s. Boris, the barber, definitely took care of this goofy group of groomsman’s and was a great guy to chat with.

Playboy magazines in an old-fashioned barbershop is always a classy touch. It’s even more funny that it’s Grant’s younger brother checking out the center fold standing next to their dad.

Not too far down the street from Vince’s Barbershop, the girls were getting ready at Salon Tonic in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Diego.

How awesome is this saber arch in front of the St. Joseph’s Cathedral?

What a grand dip after Kristina was “welcomed” to the Navy family at the end of the saber arch.

Just down the street from the St. Joseph’s Cathedral was the US Grant Hotel, where the reception was. Since we were short on time, so we decided to do the portrait session on the street right next to the hotel.

These were some of the most epic, moist, and flavorful cupcakes I have ever eaten in my life! And I know good cupcakes too! I’ve been to many bakeries in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Orange County, Long Beach, and New York City, and these are among the top 3 cupcakes I have ever eaten! I still need to ask those two where they got them from so I can bring some back home to share.

It was really refreshing seeing so many people crowd the dance floor to dance to The Macarena.

Excited, Kristina?

So that was Kristina and Grants’ magical day. What a pleasure and honor it was to be a part of it, running around San Diego and capturing the moments that made that day so memorable. They were an awesome couple to work with and are such a positive couple that it was contagious. Best wishes to the two of them on a happy and long-lasting life together!

More to come soon, everyone!

Cheers,

Danny

Here we are at the historic Mission Inn in Downtown Riverside for our Asian hybrid wedding. For those who may not know what a Asian hybrid wedding is, it is when a Asian couples incorporate Eastern wedding traditions with Western traditions that we are very familiar with. This growing trend of hybrid weddings allow couples to honor the wishes and traditions that their families are more accustomed to and be able to walk down an aisle laced with flower pedals.

Honoring the privacy request from this couple, here are a few select images from their gorgeous event.

I was very fortunate to get this shot. This little human was shy at first and would keep on running away to show his backside to the camera. Little did he know that’s exactly what I was hoping for.

The stunning bride as she makes her way down the stairs towards the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel.

Straight-on shot of the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel before the wedding ceremony began. The Tiffany stained-glass windows and the Rayas Altar housed by the chapel are two of The Mission Inn’s most treasured artifacts according to their website.

I love asymmetrical cakes and I love the bokeh and depth of field you get when you shoot at f/2.0 with a 135mm prime equipped 5d mark II.

This game always makes me laugh at Asian receptions! The groom in this game is first blindfolded before the host asks random female guests to participate. All sitting down in a row, the bride is mixed in with the handful of volunteers and the blindfolded groom is supposed to be able to find his beautiful bride just by touching her knee. A lot of times, a groomsman or, as seen in this picture, a small child gets in the action to try and fool the groom. It rarely fools the groom, but definitely makes for a room full of faces that look like that little girl in the stripes.

This wedding was a lot of fun to shoot and I was privileged to be a part of it.  I wish I was able to share more pictures because there were so many epic moments photographed by Doug and me. I hope this is the first of many visits to the historic Mission Inn & Spa because the architecture and the colors here are so stimulating!

Congratulations once again to our happy, and anonymous, couple! Good luck on all of your future endeavors together! You two are awesome!

Cheers!

Danny