I’m so grateful to have met these two people. I’m so grateful to be allowed to photograph their beautifully revealed selves. Confident in person, and confident in front of the camera, they really inspired me.
I’m very excited to finally reveal the pictures from the wedding of Carey and Keith. I went to Hong Kong to shoot this wedding, and it was an amazing way to be introduced to a full Chinese/Western hybrid wedding there. The morning was orchestrated by the a series of negotiations and games, followed by tea ceremonies for the two families. In the afternoon, a more western “legal” wedding was performed and the evening reception had the energy of a college party while maintaining a wedding elegance. I really can’t say enough for embracing the traditions and ceremonies at hand, whatever they might be. Even though I didn’t understand what was said through half the day (sadly, I don’t speak Cantonese), I had a great time just received the amazing moments that were happening all around.
(I will post later with their wedding portraits, as this set of pictures has a cohesive story that I didn’t want to disrupt.)
Sometimes we take pictures. Other times we get to receive them.
I didn’t even get to meet Amy and Andy before their wedding day. If you read a lot of photographer blogs, you have probably read others mentioning if they haven’t met their couples before the wedding. It probably doesn’t seem to be a big deal, but photographers will tell you that it’s a HUGE deal. The chemistry between the couple and the photographer, between the couple themselves, the clarity of communication, issues of personal space and expectations, etc. – these all play into capturing the day.
I actually was booked by Amy’s mom Jeannie, who I adore and trusted that her daughter would be of the same fabric. The moment I met Amy and Andy, though, I knew I was about to witness something really special from them on their wedding day. The energy was absolutely electric before they even saw each other, and it just carried the day. It certainly helped that Jeannie had arranged for a full-on live swing orchestra at the reception and Andy’s brother spontaneously stepped up to the mic to sing “Take The A Train”. You can’t predict stuff like this!
I just looked through my lens to receive these amazing moments. Here are some of images from that day.
Ceremony: Church Of The Incarnation (Glendale, CA)
Reception: Oakmont Country Club (Glendale, CA)
Swing Orchestra: Blue Note Swing Orchestra
… I married this girl. Things have never been the same. My eyes are wider now, my world expanded, my thirst for life ever more viable. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and it’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done.
[P.S. If you're at all curious what we looked like on our wedding day, feel free to hop on over to Boutwell Studio: blog (I really had to go digging in the archives to find this one!)]
16 hours with an amazing couple, their radiant friends and family, celebrating their marriage. In Hong Kong. A great day to be a photographer.
It’s so interesting how you can go from strangers to friends in a couple of short hours.
I love the way they look at each other. I have shots where they are looking at me, but they just lit up when I told them to look over at each other. A beautiful moment to witness.
What a crazy beautiful day. The sea breeze was enough to keep the heat at bay, an incredible buzz of excitement from family and friends. The bride’s room felt every bit like a beehive with activity. The groom’s room felt like the winding of a clock, ready to spring into action. And then everything starts, and everything unfolds. The wheels are placed in motion and the music plays to its tired but happy finish 8 hours later.
Getting Ready: Terranea Resort
Ceremony/Reception: Trump National Golf Club
Coordinator: Angel Swanson
Videography: Today’s The Day Weddings
Engagement Session
It’s always sort of strange for me to write about weddings. It’s just one of those things: you had to be there. Usually, I try to write something about how I felt on that day or about my connection with the couple. It seems like that’s the thing that pictures give us at the present: a memory of how things felt and how real those things felt.
This wedding is one where I feel that my pictures are all I have to offer. For reasons I don’t really understand, being in the middle of the action for this wedding left me without words to describe it. I look at the pictures and I can still feel my elation and emotions from the day. But I don’t have words to pair with those feelings.
It reminds me of how I have this urge to put labels on everything, to organize my world (thoughts and emotions) so that I can feel that I actually have some control over things. I’m so grateful this wedding is teaching me that things are beautiful without labels.
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Ceremony: Berkeley Botanical Gardens
Reception: International House
Engagement Session: Ryan/Marian [Engagement])
The final part of Zarina and Faisal’s wedding happened in Wichita, Kansas, where Faisal’s family received the new bride into the family. Because their two families are from different areas of Pakistan, there are some different customs, one being that Faisal’s tradition includes a lot of gold to be worn by the bride. The veil by itself was 10 pounds or so, with some rather weighty earrings. Even with all the inconvenience, or maybe because of it, it just made the day feel incredible to witness.
I am actually a little sad that this will be my last post of their wedding. I’ve really enjoyed this literal and figurative journey with them. The experiences and relationships shared through these events have been an incredible blessing.
The second part of a Pakistani wedding is the Shaadi. This is the formal ceremony where they sign the marriage certificate and they are married by the sheik. It is also the ceremony where the bride’s family formally gives away their daughter. Traditionally, the Shaadi is when the daughter literally gets sent away from the home she grew up in to go live with her new husband’s family. The ceremony and reception are is full of joy and the night ends with a bittersweet farewell: contradicting emotions that tradition seems to effortlessly reconcile.