A Fun Pre-wedding session at the Beach - with Chloe, William and Mochi (San Francisco, CA)

There were no blue sky or bright sun on the day Chloe and William had their pre-wedding session, but rather it was the cloudy and chilly kind of San Francisco weather. At first Chloe was a bit worried the weather might spoil some fun, but it turned out to be a really enjoyable session at the beach with their lovely furry baby Mochi. Chloe and William dressed up nicely in their gown and suit, but that did not stop them from walking in the wind and sand, through the woods, and even rock climbing! Definitely my fearless couple! 

Thank you Chloe and William for an awesome session, and particularly a big thank you to our behind-the-scene hero, Chloe's aunt, who helped in every way from babysitting Mochi to help me with the light! 

Chloe and William will be traveling back to Asia for their wedding, and I wish them best of luck!

Agnes + Benny: Love in the City! (San Francisco, CA)

It was another beautiful day in the City when I had the engagement shoot with Agnes and Benny. We started off at the Embarcadero Center with some warm-up shots, and then we sauntered over to the Ferry Building. 

I've always liked the lighting and settings inside the Ferry Building, and could always find new spots or ideas . It was crowded as usual, with people rushing by, and we found the perfect spot in front of the creamery store. We also explored some new areas outside, and captured the '1915' number on top of the building's tower (which I later found out the year displayed was in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, aka World's Fair).

Our next stop was China town. Benny loves Chinese style egg tarts, and was going to get some at a Chinese bakery store. But unfortunately we stopped by 2 stores and they were both out of the tarts! It was a bit disappointing, but we got some cool shots around the area nevertheless!

The last location on the couple's wish list was Lands End/Sutro bath. And when we got there, it was just about sunset. We got to the steps that Benny was looking for, and caught some nice light with the sun setting at Sutro Bath! 

It was a fun session, and I look forward to their wedding, which is fast-approaching!

Swati + Shreyas: A vibrant and joyful wedding part 2 - The Big Day! (Livermore - Santa Clara, CA)

Swati grew up in the Bay Area but has then moved to New York to join Shreyas. We had our first meeting on Skype to learn about their wedding, and then we worked through a lot of the details of their wedding via email. Swati is a cheerful and upbeat person and it was fun to work with her!

The couple's big day started at the break of dawn. The morning air was already filled with festivity as I walked into the hotel room where Swati and her bridal party were getting prepared, and the vibrant colors of the wedding attires and the decorations made the room full of happiness!

The traditional Indian ceremonies took place at the beautiful Shiva-Vishnu Temple in Livermore. It was such a huge temple with some other weddings going on in different halls and crowded with guests that we almost joined a different party at one time! Although I have shot other Indian weddings, there were always something done differently and some rituals I have not come across. It's a wonderful way to learn while capturing these wonderful moments the same time!

After the series of more solemn and traditional ceremonies and rituals, the real party and celebration for the couple commenced as the bridal group and guests moved to the Bay Club. Everyone was having a great time with delicious food and some amazing dancing!

We were really honored to be there to capture these precious memories for the couple, and I wish the best for Swati and Shreyas' new journey together as they build their new life together!

Thank you for my wonderful buddy, Joseph Tan, for second shooting this wedding with me!