Thank you to Style Me Pretty for featuring this wedding yesterday! Check out the full lovely feature here! :)

I think I first met Amanda when I was only a few months into wedding photography. She was perhaps one of the very first wedding planners I ever met, and despite me having only a teensy weensy bit of experience, she gave me the opportunity to photograph this amazing event, and passed my name along to one of her super sweet couples. It’s hard to express how much something like that can mean to you when you’re just starting out… that someone can grant you this unassuming trust, when you don’t have much to show or offer at all other than an incredible desire to meet people and make photos. It meant the world to me.

And now, some three years later, to be asked to photograph her own special day? It’s an unspeakable honor. I’m sure as a coordinator Amanda got asked tons of questions from family & friends during her planning process – what flowers? what colors? what details? After coordinating & designing so many weddings, I’m sure she realized how completely endless the possibilities are. And although the details were amazing, and the flowers spectacular, the dress breathtaking, the venue gorgeous – it really warmed my heart to see that Amanda & Kelly really embraced on what they learned most from planning other people’s weddings… that the day is about you & your love, that it is a reflection of your personalities, that in that moment, you let go and you laugh and love and enjoy the day completely.

Since this was the wedding of an amazing coordinator, the day of course unfolded flawlessly {it helped that Shirley from Amanda’s team was on hand to coordinate, she’s phenomenal!} Special thanks to William Kim for shooting with me, and to the all-star team of vendors – I had worked with them on so many different weddings with Amanda/Fresh Events & it was so fun to have everyone together for Amanda & Kelly’s big day! :)

Event Design & Planning: Fresh Events Company
Floral Design: Le Petit Gardenia
Venue: Westin Pasadena
Wedding Cinematography: Walter Pawluk Videography
DJ: Jason of 11H Entertainment
Hair/Make-up: Make-up: Kelly Zhang
Invitations: I Do Concepts
Dessert: Popcakes / Dots Cupcakes

I love when all the components of a wedding come together just perfectly!

It maybe begins with an intimate seaside venue {the Long Beach Museum of Art}. It includes a darling first look, the kind with lots of smiles and perhaps a few tears. There is a ton of time for fun portraits. There might be pretty diffuse light, and definitely a warm & relaxed atmosphere. Overjoyed family and friends abound, laughter fills every corner of the venue. Maybe a fantastic sweets bar, filled with treats from Sweet and Saucy? :) And of course, a couple that shares a deeply-rooted love, the kind of people that are warm & sweet & beautiful on their own, but, even better together.

Before the crazy photo barrage ensues {there are something like 50 of them!}, I would like to give a special shoutout to Mai of Bunch Studio, who not only created the florals for this wedding, but designed this wedding in its entirety. She took Deena’s visions of bold pinks, black & white, damask, and added her own Bunch Studio flair (the peonies! the feathers! I die!) that is immensely creative, full of style, and always unmatched. If you don’t yet have a florist, you really do need to give this girl a ring :)

* please contact us prior to reposting these images elsewhere on the web :) *

One of the most wonderful things about a wedding? It can be whatever you want it to be. It’s of course fun when weddings are big loud occasions, full of extended family & friends, bustling cocktail hours, boisterous receptions, packed dance floors.

But I’ve found that this here? This type of wedding speaks just as loudly as it’s bigger counterparts. It is filled with just as much joy. It resonates with just as much emotion. It shouts just as proudly from the rooftops that today, today we celebrate our love.

Crystal and Marc were married in an intimate courthouse ceremony, with just close family in attendance. I’ve known Crystal for a couple years now, and it was a true honor to be able to be there to capture these sweet moments & witness the joy and immediate connection between their two families. Afterwards, we stepped across the street to do some portraits on a sunny strip of park that lines Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. I loved the whole relaxed and intimate feel of the day and am so so happy for this amazing couple!

As Crystal said herself, this is my ideal wedding. And that’s undoubtedly the best kind of wedding to have :)

I love that Crystal & Marc’s grandmothers were BFFs by the end of the afternoon! :)

Isn’t Crystal gorgeous? I always thought she looked like Scarlett Johansson :) {her hair and make-up were done by the wonderful Susie Chhuor!}