Featured on Equally Wed!

I am soooo excited that Stephan and Adriano's anniversary session was chosen to be featured as part of Pride Week on the great site, Equally Wed. I am so proud to support my friends as well as all couples so I really love the things that Equally Wed is doing for the gay and transgender community.

I photographed my first gay couple in Seattle in 2013. Seattle is home to an AMAZING Pride Week celebration that I attended two of the three years we lived there. I'm sure that San Francisco throws a great party too :)

Love knows no color, no gender. Thank you to these two men for showing us what true love looks like. 

A Los Angeles Tinder Love Story on Equally Wed

Polina & Lidat's Los Angeles Arboretum Wedding

It's always so interesting to me how couples find me. I very briefly met Polina's sister Ava at a photography conference in early 2012, so when I got an email from Polina saying that Ava had referred me, I thought that was the coolest thing! Polina and Lidat hired me to photograph their wedding which began in the morning with two separate tea ceremonies followed by a ceremony at the LA Arboretum. Their wedding was a great mix of cultures - Polina being Bulgarian and Lidat being Vietnamese. One of my favorite stories from the day was how Polina's grandfather made a bottle of Grappa, a strong type of liquor, when Polina was born. The bottle was saved and to be opened and served on her wedding day. The first taste was when Polina's dad brought it upstairs while Polina was getting ready and it was then served by Polina and Lidat throughout the reception. Another fun tradition were the games that were played by the bridesmaids and groomsman. I'm sure I'm not explaining it correctly, but first the groom and groomsman had to bring their offerings and gifts in order to be allowed inside the home. Lidat dug through his pockets and offered up some cash and the keys to his car ;) Then, Lidat had to volunteer one of his groomsman to be "beautified" by the other gents. All of us were laughing so hard that our sides hurt! Lastly, Lidat had to volunteer two other guys to act out a love story, which they did beautifully and with conviction (to more laughs of course!)

When my travels take me to new places and new venues, this case to the gorgeous Arboretum in Los Angeles (well, technically Arcadia), I always feel so grateful to my couples. Thank you for flying this Seattle photographer down to beautiful Southern California for such a fun wedding day!

Sayoko & Josh | Highland Springs Resort Wedding

I met Sayoko for the first time on a beautiful evening last year at The Promenade in Santa Monica. Up walked this beautiful petite blonde who was laid back, sweet, and fun. When she and Josh booked their wedding with me, I knew that if it was anything like Sayoko, it would be a true pleasure to photograph...and it was. Sayoko and Josh's wedding was held at the BEAUTIFUL Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, a bit of paradise tucked along the mountains between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Dirt roads, giant oak trees, lavender fields, and olive tree groves surrounded Sayoko, Josh, and their friends and family as they committed their lives to eachother. Sayoko wore a wedding dress that would make any girl swoon and her bridesmaids were gorgeous in a dusty, blush pink. Josh and his guys were hilarious, making me laugh time and time again. The way that Josh looked at Sayoko as she walked down the aisle? I'm pretty sure that would make any girl feel weak in the knees.

Thank you Sayoko and Josh for choosing me as your wedding photographer and allowing me to be a part of such a classy, relaxed day. I left your wedding feeling so in love with what I do.

Sayoko wanted to do a "first look" with her dad. I admit that I photographed this through blurry, teary eyes. I lost my dad in December, so it really touched my heart to see a daughter so close with her daddy.

Sayoko and her dad did a nice traditional father/daughter...and then busted a move!