Charmaine and Brian, Wedding
March 10th, 2009
Go Bruins! This wedding was a great day with the Bruin family. We kicked off the afternoon with the television (and getting ready, of course) and watched UCLA beat Oregon in basketball. The weather was perfect, and Charmaine was perfect too. It was difficult for anyone to be really stressed out when the bride herself was calm, content and enjoying the day.
Then it was off to the ceremony and the reception, which was held at El Adobe de Capistrano, in San Juan Capistrano. Everything was very personal and intimate. The reception hall was surrounded by pictures from their travels, and of course, Charmaine and Brian kicked off the reception with the UCLA eight-clap, and thus the party had officially begun, Bruin Style. Brian did the robot and that was when the dancing got really serious. Some shoes came off, and then the ties, and then the buttons were loosened along with some soul.
It’s always fun seeing people from all walks of life, as well as different cultures, come together in celebration. I even saw people my mom’s age line dance to Tupac. If you’re not brave enough to do it in public like the cool people at Charmaine and Brian’s wedding, you should try it first in your own home: Ca-li-for-nia, knows how to par-ty! It made me realize that California Love is in a 4/4 time signature. Go figure.
On a technical note, these pictures were shot with the Canon 5D Mark II. I love this camera!
Queensberry Albums, Matted Pages
January 21st, 2009
Here’s my album schpiel for the out-of-state inquiries I have been getting lately. Usually brides and grooms around the LA area will touch and feel my albums and it’s oohs and aahs all the way.
To continue, I have been including Queensberry Albums with my wedding packages ever since I started photographing weddings. My first album with Queensberry was ordered as a result of my own wedding, and since then I have loved Queensberry for their classic and durable albums.
I strongly believe in providing albums of the highest quality, and though Queensberry Albums are more expensive than other album vendors I think that the albums are really worth it. Usually the bride and groom get two choices as far as albums, either a matted style or a digital style (or what I’d like to call a magazine style, where the picture is printed directly on the page). After the couple signs off on my design I send the order electronically to New Zealand, where the album is printed and assembled. Gino Demeer is my customer service friend and he usually answers any questions I have promptly and with a very cute New Zealand accent.
Here’s a photo tour of what I’m talking about. Pictured below is Erin and Sam’s album. They ordered an 18 page matted album. When I say pages, I’m referring to two sides.
Notice the attention to detail that Queensberry gives to these albums: even the protective corners have curliques, which I think is a great design finish-minimalist and tasteful.
I choose vinyl covers for all albums so if your future kids gets their cheese whiz fingers on the album all that is needed is a damp cloth for cleaning and care.
With matt albums the bride and groom get to choose the mat color (or colour as they spell it in New Zealand) and the page color. Here Erin and Sam opted for a classic white mat with black pages. With mat albums photographs are printed by Queensberry and the pictures are cut and hand-assembled into the album.
Above is a page of Erin getting ready. Included with every album (mat or digital) is a presentation box that is made of heavy caseboard that is overprinted in bronze.
Last but not least, matted albums come with a glassine cover page that adds an elegant touch and sets the mood for the rest of the album.
So why order an album? I have thought about this too with my own wedding, and here’s my answer. In the digital era we take many pictures, but oftentimes those pictures don’t really go anywhere except into the realms of digital la-la land. There is just something about holding a physical album and being able to pass this treasure on from generation to generation. Every page tells a story, and every time I flip through my own wedding album I relive the wedding day better than it was on that very day-in other words, without all of the stress I went through for the process of getting married. It’s just the quiet of my living room and an album with a story that sets my memory into motion.
Nancy and Ricky have also ordered an album, but they chose a digital album instead. When their album arrives I will go into the unique personality of the digital album next.
Nancy and Ricky, Wedding
December 29th, 2008
This week I came across an interesting thought, that one reason why people marry is because, subconsciously, they desire a witness to their lives. A person’s every move and thought adds up to a single life to be lived, and one way of understanding yourself is have a witness (like a spouse) who will know you, perhaps, better than you know yourself. That was a little bit of what was going through my head as I covered Nancy and Ricky’s wedding, my last wedding of 2008.
If I had to summarize this wedding into one feeling I would say that throughout the engagement sessions and the wedding Nancy and Ricky were content. Content that they found each other, content that they now can progress through life as one. They spoke Cantonese to each other, and though I didn’t understand a thing they said it was just as well, because there were times when this language allowed them to be intimate in their own way—all I understood were the smiles, the kisses, and their eyes—eyes that said pretty much that this was the best thing to do and the best place to be.
Speaking of places, Ricky is a first generation Chinese immigrant, in that while I was born in Los Angeles (which makes me second generation since my parents were the ones who immigrated), Ricky didn’t come to the United States until he was in his teens. So he has achieved what my parents had achieved: the establishment of the American Dream. It’s no walk in the park to pick up a language, get a new job, and establish a life here. But that’s what Ricky did, and he thanked his mom and dad for supporting him all the way. Then his mom burst into tears. It must be that mixed feeling of sorrow and joy, which also made me believe Ricky when he thanked his mom for raising him because he was a really mischievous kid. Also, Nancy’s dad did double duty. Reverend Lau walked her daughter down the aisle, handed her over to Ricky, and stepped up to marry them as a reverend. I think we can all learn much from these acts of love.
Some pictures below:
Sunny and Brinton, Wedding
December 22nd, 2008
It has been quite cold (for Southern California standards–so it’s probably not that bad) lately. But pair cold weather with warm emotions and lo and behold the holiday season has arrived. While everyone was getting in line for some last minute shopping, Sunny and Brinton celebrated their wedding season by marrying this past Saturday in LA Koreatown among beloved friends and family.
Usually when I show up for a 6:30am shoot at the salon the place has just opened and there’s only one or two people there, ready to make up the bridal party. But when I got to Hills Beauty Club Salon there was another wedding party too, and the whole place was full of life, makeup and hairspray. I hear this is the go-to place for the Korean Bridal Experience (caps because this is serious stuff!), and they did not disappoint. Everyone looked ready for, well, a wedding.
The bridesmaids were practicing all day for their toasting speeches. The ring bearer and the flower girl, brother and sister, were sharing orange tic tacs while Sunny and Brinton were exchanging their vows. I saw rice cake from the early morning (a bridesmaid brought it for breakfast) to the reception. Sunny and Brinton also memorized their vows, and the execution was perfect and heartfelt. It’s these little details and so much more that makes their wedding unique and fun.
Scroll down until the last picture for a slideshow!
To see the slideshow click below or click here.
Erin and Sam, Wedding
October 7th, 2008
I just got back from New York and I miss it already. The wedding was at Quiet Please Farm (Kerhonkson, NY) and I saw many things that I have never seen before in my life. I saw a cow with a spot in the shape of a heart on her head, as well as a shack where the farm boils syrup from the maple trees to sell. This city girl couldn’t be more pleased. I got all giddy when I saw a wheelbarrow.
But really, at the point of it all, was Erin and Sam’s wedding, which was personal, intimate, and really beautiful. Everyone was at their best and it reminded me (again) why I love to shoot weddings: seeing the couple happy. Besides, everyone rejoicing together at the union of two people makes for a lovely weekend.
And…Erin showed everyone up on the dance floor. Scroll down and you’ll see.
New website’s up
July 7th, 2008
Thanks to Andrew (my faithful and ever-understanding web guy), the new website is up for C Weddings. Since wedding shooting for me is getting busier I decided to split the site up and separate it from my photoj site, which is still in its orignal format. The C Weddings site was a result of about six months of going back and forth on ideas and design. Throughout it all I count about 5 meetings over bowls of pho. Everytime I eat pho (vietnamese noodles) I think of Andrew. One time I went on this trip that included him and all we ate were bowls of noodles. After we got back I told myself I wouldn’t eat any more noodles for a while but even after about 5 bathtub bowls of pho Andrew was still ready to go with more. Let me tell you, I am among unique and interesting friends.
Hope everyone got a break during the fourth of july. I had a very relaxing holiday, watched a couple hours of my favorite TV show, “King of the Hill,” and also got a chance to bake some lemon bars and play “Troublemaker” from Weezer’s Red Album on Rock Band. The great thing about hanging around LA during the holiday is that everyone leaves to go somewhere! Which means lighter traffic for those who stay.
Lai and Jai, Wedding
June 23rd, 2008
It’s always good to be in Northern California. I grew up in LA and I’m used to the traffic and the rush of things, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break and head up north where everything is a bit slower.
It is always amazing to me how brides get so little sleep but look so radiant. If I recall correctly Lai got less than 5 hours of sleep and still she was beautiful on her wedding day, smiling and ready to go, arriving for her hair appointment at 6am in the morning. I only found out later that she scheduled me to be there at 7am because she wanted me to get some extra sleep. She was really sweet to me, always asking me if I wanted to sit down and if I was doing okay.
They also played one my favorite songs toward the end of the evening, Won’t Go Home Without You, by Maroon 5. All in all a lovely day!
Post-Great Bridal Expo
May 30th, 2008
The Great Bridal Show was….great! Not only great as in lovely, but great as in big. I think I talked to about 500 brides. Some brides were from as near as Alhambra, and a few were from Hawaii and Las Vegas. Some of you were inquiring for a wedding in 2010! Most of you seemed glad to be in the air-conditioned convention center and out of the 110 degrees of OC heat.
This month consisted of much email exchange; thanks to all of you who got in touch with me this month and took advantage of the 20% discount. I know sorting through all of those pamphlets can be time consuming, so if you still need time deciding take your time. Though the 20% discount promotion ends this month (that’s in two days! May 31st at 11:59 PM Pacific time!), if I’m still in the running to shoot your wedding pictures go ahead and give yourself some insurance; send me an email before June 1 saying you’re interested (no obligation at this point) and I’ll extend the discount for you until you decide. Though this does not guarantee that your date won’t be filled up it does give all of you some more time to think without worrying about the discount.
Here are ten memories that I will keep with me since this is the first bridal show ever that I’ve done (not necessarily in any order):
1) New respect for all of the entrepreneurs out there. They work the hardest! From carrying a ten-pound bamboo divider for what seemed like half a mile to going the extra mile to serve our customers, I was humbled by what it takes to simply and practically execute a dream.
2) My sister driving all the way down to help me. I think it will be the only day in her life when she says, “Hi! Enter to win a free digital frame!”, and, “Have you found a photographer yet?” at least 100 times.
3) Standing on Tommy Hilfiger sandal/heels all day and feeling okay. I have wide (and big) feet so this was a Godsend.
4) Meeting a bride named Christine Chang. She is taller and more beautiful than I! Though there are plenty of Christine Changs out there I have actually never met one in person.
5) Kindness: from the janitor lending me his screwdriver to the DJ next door lending me a rolling cart and offering kind words.
6) Close friends who prayed for me, offered me support, and were excited for me. A few of you even lent your hands and embossed my business cards for me! I was touched.
7) Seeing my church kids in the evening for youth group after a long day. I told the kids ahead of time that I was going to be late and upon arrival one exasperated kid said, “It’s about time!!!”
8. While I was gone for the day my husband went out with friends and brought home for me this insane meatball sandwich with cheese, corned beef, pepperoni, and what looked like a meat conglomerate and it was the first meal I had eaten all day…at 10pm.
9) Lying in bed at the end of the day and feeling all of the muscles in my body, I was sore from all of the moving.
10) Through all of this God really carried me through. Things would be a lot more difficult had I not depended on Him. To quote Homer Simpson, “THANK YOU JEEBUS!!!”
Shoot Now, Ask Later
April 22nd, 2008
Here’s a picture I took in December 2006 when I was interning for the local paper. This was when the U. of Michigan Football Team was having their pep rally at the Santa Monica Pier, and I was sent to cover the event. They were getting ready for the Rose Bowl, where they eventually lost to USC. I had just started shooting for the paper and the paper didn’t have a press pass ready for me yet. Actually, the whole year I was interning they didn’t really have a press pass for me, just a business card and then my editor basically threw me out there to the rest of the world.
And what a big world it was on that day. I was photographing alongside the Detroit Free Press, who flew people out there, of course, to cover the event, along with the LA Times and various other venues. It was really fun, but the one thing was I had to talk to this big “bouncer” guy and he was big enough so that I had to bend my neck all the way back and look at his head and 80% of the rest of my view was the sky. I was expecting alot of convincing (talking, smiling, showing him my card, showing him my camera, and more talking, smiling), but once I showed him my card he smiled and moved the gate for me. It was nice.
Flash foward a year to something that I don’t need any security clearance for: weddings. Weddings are clearly a situation where others want me to take pictures, the more the better. This is Maria, by the way, in Las Vegas getting her wedding makeup done at Macy’s. Everything about this picture looks normal, prepping for the wedding, etc.
So she gets seated and I ask the lady at the counter if I could take pictures, and she said yes. Then this manager walks up to me and begins to have a fit. I haven’t seen grown men have a fit in a while, but he seemed to be having one. You can’t shoot pictures here, it’s against policy, Mr. Manager says. I know it’s against policy, I say, but can’t you just let me shoot this bride and this bride alone on her wedding day? I will not shoot any of your products or anything else in your store.
He says no, and then I proceed to try to explain to him that this is the bride’s only day in her entire life that she will ever get makeup put on for her wedding and I have a job to do. He said absolutely no pictures and he walked away.
Remember when you were little and sometimes you asked your mom for something and she said no? Then you decided to ask dad, who didn’t know that mom said no. So dad said yes and you were off the hook.
Well I remembered that situation and lo and behold another manager (of equal stature) walked by. I asked him if I could please shoot some pictures for the wedding and he said “Sure! Go ahead.” And then he semi-retracted his statement when he said “but did that other manager say no?” to which I nodded my head. But, he said, it probably wouldn’t hurt, it’s her wedding day after all.
So dad said yes and I was off the hook.
The manager who said no to me, though, kept on hovering a circumference around the makeup area, so I photographed when he was at the farthest distance from me (look around, look through viewfinder. pause. look around, look through viewfinder. click.) My camera’s shutter gave the whole show away though, so when he heard the shutter in the stone silent morning at Macy’s he stormed over there and here’s how it ended:
“I am VERY DISAPPOINTED in you! I told you photography wasn’t allowed and YOU chose to DISOBEY me and take a photograph!!!”
“I’m sorry sir, but I have a job to do, this is her wedding day and I was hired to take pictures of her.”
“You explicitly went against my word and took pictures.”
To which he then asked my favorite question out of the whole scene:
“WHO do you work for?! I am going to talk to your supervisor!”
And then I had to keep myself from saying anything, I just really wanted a moment to compose myself and give the dramatic pause. To then which I answered, “I work for myself. Would you still like me to talk to my supervisor?”
And then he turned around, gave a little huff and stormed away. I felt bad then; he was only trying to do his job, but I just couldn’t get through to him that I wasn’t harming anyone in trying to capture a bride on her wedding day.
This story surfaced two weeks ago when I was sleeping over at my sister’s apartment. We were talking about everything, it was late, we both had work the next day, and it felt so good because we used to do this in high school. We would stay up late talking about boys and school and friends and the only thing missing was our dad knocking on our door at 3am telling us it was late and it was time to sleep.
So here’s to all the future weddings I will shoot: come rain or storm or unflinching manager, I will capture your special day!
Piece of Cake!
April 4th, 2008
I’m currently sorting through Eric and Pinar’s wedding photos (see previous entry), and I can still remember the initial shock when she told me that her mom and sisters were baking the wedding cake. When I say shock, I did the “math”: 120 guests + baking at two locations (one of them a Residence Inn) + my own experience of baking a cake = shock. Let’s add another word for a more accurate description. How about intimidating?
Move over, Betty Crocker. Baking a cake from scratch is quite an undertaking. I baked a cake for my husband’s birthday one year and though it was decent, I was a bit frustrated. 5 hours of baking for a “decent” cake? Decent might be a bit generous too: the cake was kind of hard and the crumbs got all over the frosting. I had also decided to use frozen whole strawberries to decorate the top of the cake but that melted and it was a mess after about 30 minutes. Sure, I finally got to use the cake stand that I got as a wedding present, but let’s just say that currently it’s useful as an elevated snack server at get-togethers.
You would think that because the idiom “piece of cake” existed, that baking a cake would be, essentially, a piece of cake….
But Pinar only told me afterwards that her mom always made a cake for special occassions. Sometimes it was chocolate, and sometimes it was vanilla, and it was then that it all made sense. Because as she told me, even if no one liked the cake at least she would like it, and it would be a fond memory.
Let me tell you though, the cake was excellent. It was sweetened just right and there was a fruit preserve filling that really made me say, now that’s a wedding cake! And the recipe can be repeated again and again for generations of the Bilir family to come. I can imagine a granddaughter saying that she’s eating from the same exact cake recipe her grandmother ate.
I think it’s almost dinner time and that’s why I’m writing about cake. But nevertheless, it’s these little details that I enjoy remembering.
So what do you think, cake for dinner? As for me I’ll leave the baking to the bakery around the corner.