It is 7 am, bright and early in Cathleen’s bridal suite. Victor, accompanied by his groomsmen, arrives at her door, eager to see his bride. But he is met with a barricade of bridesmaids, armed with a list of demands should Victor want to make his way to Cathleen. And so ensues a series of cruel and unusual tasks, right in the hallway of the Pasadena Westin, not limited to removing a garter from one of his groomsmen’s legs and a slew of post-wedding push-ups. But the best & final task is a song – a song of all the reasons he loves Cathleen. And through all the laughing, and the erratic dancing of his groomsmen, and the silly fun atmosphere, Cathleen sat hidden in her bridal suite listening to Victor’s makeshift song. And you could see from the shining glimmer in her eyes, that though his song was silly, his words rang true, and they resonated in her heart.

It was our longest wedding of the year, and though I can’t lie and say I wasn’t slightly terrified of what might become of my feet, the day flew by due to the perfect flow and the relaxed atmosphere that filled every moment. We moved from a tea ceremony at the Westin, to another tea ceremony at Victor’s parents’ home, to Caltech for photos, to a beautiful backyard ceremony, and finally a lively reception.

In between we got tons of portraits, and it made me so happy that Cathleen and Victor put such trust in us for their photos. They were on board with all the ideas I had – many of which included a bright red umbrella that I was itching the use the moment I laid eyes on it!

Cathleen & Victor – thank you so much for inviting us to share in your wedding, for your extreme kindness and hospitality, and for the Lupicia teas! {how did you know they are my favorite?} We are so happy for you & this new chapter of your lives together!

I LOVED the colorful pops of color that adorned the ceremony:

This kid was absolutely AMAZING. He was the most adept & coordinated picture-taking-toddler I have ever seen.

And apparently he wasn’t the only one! More child prodigy photographers at this wedding than I’ve ever encountered!

They lined the table in perfect rows. Bags of coffee – wonderfully fragrant and of two distinct varieties. One set read “Vietnamese Coffee”, the other was labeled “Guatemalan Coffee”. And you see, I could not have been more excited about these bags of coffee. Because they symbolized so much of what a marriage is, of two people of distinct backgrounds coming together, the union of two families, the collection of different cultures to create a unique culture of your own. And as someone who is biracial myself, it warmed my heart to see both of their cultures celebrated side by side, with toasts given in two different languages, with two different sets of customs honored.

Batzy & Nguyen are both such kind-hearted and warm people and it was an honor to witness such an important day in their lives. I had so much fun shooting alongside Tracy Kumono again as well!

Could not get enough of these perfect pink petals!

The ceremony and reception were held at the fabulous Rococo Room in Pasadena:

A moment of laughter during the slideshow: