Category Archives: Weddings

Mandy and MengLiang

Yuching and I recently traveled to Taiwan. It was a chance to visit Yuching’s Mom and family and one of her cousins was getting married, so that was a great excuse for the trip as well. So in addition to getting to ride a scooter, eat some pretty good food, and hang out with Yuching’s many awesome cousins, we got to shoot MengLiang’s wedding to the lovely and wonderful Mandy.

This was a pretty traditional Chinese ceremony. I have done my share of Chinese weddings in the United States so I’m familiar with the tea ceremony, the bride having multiple dress changes, etc., but the weddings here have always had a more traditional Western ceremony. This wedding was unlike any I have done before. In a way, I enjoy something different: it’s a nice change of pace from most weddings that I do. In another way, it was a bit terrifying: I understand about 2 words of Chinese, which meant that I had little idea of what to expect next or where best to capture the action. It was very hard to follow what was happening at the moment much less predict what was going to happen next. Fortunately my lovely wife was by my side to help me every step of the way.

The “ceremony” isn’t really a ceremony. It’s more a series of events. There is no one moment where the couple becomes “man and wife” as we experience it in the Western world. I’ll walk you through it as best I understood it:

The wedding starts at the groom’s parents’ house. This is where the couple will spend their first night together. One tradition is to have a young boy roll around in the couple’s bed to make it more likely that the couple will have a child soon (and preferably a male child). (I didn’t see this happen, so not sure if it was part of this wedding.)

The wedding started very early on a Sunday morning. Everything about a Chinese ceremony is about “luck”. So the date and timing of the wedding events were very important. First step, the groom has to go get his bride. Here he is ready to go pick up his bride.

MengLiang Ready to Get Mandy

The groom and groomsmen leave from the groom’s parents’ house to go get the bride. They take a caravan of cars; the number of cars needs to be divisible by 6 (6, 12, 18…) to be lucky.

Decoration On Car
Cars Ready to GoCaravan Detail

Firecrackers are lit to send the caravan on its way. They are very LOUD! If you are shooting a Chinese wedding, pay attention to those around you and stay at least as far back as the nearest person who knows what’s going to happen. I didn’t and almost lost my hearing and got hit with a piece of shrapnel 😛

Firecrackers

A boy greets the groom at the bride’s parents’ house.

Boy Greets Groom

The Chinese symbol for “double happiness” is everywhere. The groom is ready for his bride…

Ready To Get Bride

…but first he has to get past these people. Each gives him a task that he must complete. The groomsmen are allowed to help (kinda like “phone a friend” ;)) Tasks include things like calling “I love you!” to Mandy in 5 different languages…

Tasks

dancing Gangnam style…

Gangnam Style

and doing push-ups while singing “I Will Always Love You”.

Push-ups While Singing

At last MengLiang completes his challenges and is allowed to see the bride.

Bride Waits

Now MengLiang thanks the bride’s parents for raising such a wonderful daughter. They are off to start their new lives together. The bride’s father gives them a red envelop to wish them good luck in their life together. (There are a LOT of red envelopes handed out on wedding days.)

Taking Bride from Parents

When they depart, the bride drops a fan from the car window as a symbol of leaving her bad habits behind. Then more firecrackers. Did I mention that they are very loud and dangerous? Here the same boy that greeted the groom holds the fan as firecracker smoke envelopes him.

Boy with Fan

Back to the groom’s parents’ house where they are greeted by a plate with an orange and apple to welcome Mandy to the family.

Greeted with Oranges

The luckiest woman of the family (not sure how she gets that title? Very good record with scratchers?) shields the couple with an umbrella to protect them from bad luck. As they enter the house, they step over some fire on a roof tile. Not sure why, but I’m sure it is for more good luck ;).

Stepping Over Fire

Now the couple goes to an alter to pay tribute to their ancestors. Uncles light incense for this part of the ceremony.

Tribute to Ancestors
Uncles Light Inscense

Now we see the beautiful bride as the groom lifts her veil.

Beautiful Bride
Removing Veil
Ring Shot
Happy Couple
Heart Shot
Under the Veil

Now it’s off to the banquet!

 Bride Off to the Banquette

Yuching holding the Chinese symbol for “double happiness”.

Yuching With Fortune Character

Not a small banquet. About 800 guests in all!

Large Wedding

Yuching’s Mom and the “flower girl” Chloe:
Mom and Chloe

Me taking Gallon’s picture taking Yuching’s picture taking a picture of the food. The banquet consisted of 10 courses! No one left hungry ;).

Me Gallon Yuching

The wedding party gets introduced. Here come the “ring bearer” and “flower girl”.

Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

And now the couple led by a saxophone player…

Couple Introduction
Couple Introduction

The couple and their parents toast the guests. I’m told that the gentleman on the right is the person who introduced the couple.

Family Toast To Guests

Entrance for the second dress.

Second Dress

More “Gangnam Style”.

More Gangnam Style

As the guests depart, the couple hands candy out to everyone. Here we see Mandy’s third dress of the day.

Last Dress Candy

Antonette and Robert

Antonette and Robert met through an online social networking service. I dig it when people meet online, maybe because that’s how I met my wife 😉 They were both members of AKA at the University of Michigan when they met. And despite a relationship that was geographically challenging at times, they made it work. I was honored to photograph their wedding. The ceremony concluded with the tradition of jumping the broom. Antonette and Robert are now off to Mexico for a nice long honeymoon!

Ceremony and reception at the Mira Vista Golf and Country Club in El Cerrito, California.

Tying Tie
Cuff Links and Watch
Children Getting Ready
Time for the Boutonniere
Here Comes the Bride
Here Comes the Bride
Here Comes the Bride
Seeing the Bride Come Down the Aisle
Lifting the Veil
Ceremony View
First Kiss as Man and Wife
Broom Jumping
Portraits
Portraits
Portraits
Portraits
Portraits
Portraits
Portraits
Portraits

Their ceremony included tasting four flavors to help prepare themselves for the different flavors of life. There was the sweet (honey), the sour (lemon), the bitter (vinegar), and the spicy (cayenne).

Vingear, Honey, Cayenne, and Lemon
Something Brewed
Toasts
Toasts
First Dance
First Dance
Mother Son Dance
Wedding Cake
Cake Cutting
Cake Cutting
Bouquet Toss
Bouquet Toss
Garter Toss
Garter Toss

Mayra and Michael

When I talked to Mayra and Michael before the wedding, they told me the church was famous for being difficult to photograph in. “Oh no,” I didn’t say. I’ve been doing this awhile and have had to deal with my share of tricky lighting situations. Was the lighting tricky? Yes, but I’ve seen worse. Anyway, Mayra wins the prize for happiest bride of the year so far. (I’m sure other brides were every bit as happy, but it really showed on Mayra’s face; she just beamed.) Their wedding included a traditional Chinese tea ceremony at the reception.

Ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi in San Jose, California. Tea ceremony and reception at the Rengstorff House in Mountain View, California.

Wedding Invitation
Mrs. Ma
Mayra Getting Ready
Bride's Shoes
Bride Getting Ready
Wedding Rings
Bouquet and Ride to Ceremony
Ring Bearer, Flower Girl
Coming Down the Aisle
Seeing Bride for First Time
Coming Down the Aisle
Getting Married
Candle Lighting
I Do and First Kiss
Married
M
Pose by Car
Pose by Car
Mayra and Michael
Rings
Tea Cups
Giving Tea
Red Envelopes
<3
Heart Pose
Framed
Mayra and Michael
Shoes
Getting Announced
Emotional Speech
Toast
Groom and Bride
First Dance
First Dance
Father Daughter Dance
Father Daughter Dance
Garter
Bouquet Toss
Cake Cutting
Cake Cutting
Thank You

Jacy and Andrew

Jacy and Andrew had a lovely outdoor ceremony that included their young (and extremely well-behaved) son, Connor. It was a great ceremony, a gorgeous day, and the centerpieces handmade by the mother of the bride were a really nice touch.

Jacy and Andrew got married at one of the nicest venues in Sonoma wine country: Madrona Manor. Beautiful inn, beautiful grounds, and a Michelin Star rated restaurant.

After an amazing wedding day, they were off to Kauai for their honeymoon. What a great way to start off their married lives together!

Madrona Manor
Jacy and Andrew
Shoes, Getting Ready
Getting Ready
Maid of Honor
Wedding Gown
Jacy
Connor and Andrew Getting Ready
Boutineer
Bride Entrance
Groom and Connor First See Bride
Ceremony
Married!
Jacy and Andrew
Jacy and Andrew
Jacy and Andrew
Jacy and Andrew
Table Setting/Centerpiece
First Dance
First Dance
Wedding Cake
Cutting the Cake
Happy Couple

Brandi and Scott

My first time photographing a wedding at the Benicia Arsenal. What a great location for photography! Great light and lots of character in these old buildings. It was a pleasure for me to shoot here. And the sunset shot was an extra nice treat for us.

Scott was in the Air Force (and still serves in the Air National Guard). Lots of military at this wedding. Thank you for your service! And check out the cake toppers; Brandi made those herself!

Wedding and ceremony at The Benicia Arsenal

Love
Shoes
Ceremony
Ceremony Details
Recessional with Dog!
Brandi and Scott
Scott and Groomsmen
Mason Jars for Redneck Tea
Bridal Party
Mr. and Mrs.
Through the Window
Mr. and Mrs. Mason Jars
Shoes
Flowers and Brandi
Brandi and Scott
First Dance
First Dance
Garter
Reception
Cake
Cake Cutting
Sunset

Sanam and Rama

This weekend’s wedding was a Persian wedding! I love Western weddings as much as the next guy, but in my line of work, I see a lot of them. So it’s always nice to get to experience something from a different culture. For my blog, I like to let the photos speak for themselves and just write an introductory paragraph or two for each wedding. For this one, I’m going to give you a bit of a play-by-play to explain some of the traditions.

Ceremony and reception at the Omni Hotel, San Francisco. (It’s a really nice venue. Check it out if you are looking for a wedding site in downtown San Francisco.)

No getting ready pictures for this wedding. The day started with a limo ride around San Francisco to get pictures of the happy couple and the bridal party. “First Look” sessions like this are awesome and I always recommend them. The bride and groom break (Western) tradition by seeing each other before the ceremony, but it gives you more time to get some great shots and the couples almost always are much more relaxed and have a better time.

Limo Ride
At the Palace of Fine Arts
At the Palace of Fine Arts

Sanam had a nice long veil. We definitely made use of that throughout the day.

Fun with the Veil
Bride with the Golden Gate Bridge as a Backdrop
Back in the Limo

After the “First Look” session, there was a short break and then the ceremony started. The Persians throw rice as the wedding party procession comes down the aisle (instead of during the recessional). And that isn’t rice, it’s a candy; sweet is a theme throughout the ceremony. Pro tip for wedding photographers out there: be careful not to kneel on the candy: it is quite hard and hurts 😉

Ceremony Starts
Persian Ceremony
Happy Couple

The mirror is an important part of the ceremony. It’s called the “mirror of fate” and the idea is the bride enters with her face veiled and when she sits next to the groom, she removes the veil and the first thing the groom should see is the reflection of his wife to be.

Mirror of Fate

More sweetness. During the ceremony, happily married women grind two hardened sugar cones together to shower the couple in sweetness.

Sugar Cones
Happy Couple

And more sweetness. Immediately after the couple is married, the couple dip their pinkies into a cup of honey and feed it to each other.

Pinky in Honey
Feeding Each Other Honey
Happy Bride

The reception was mostly like Western receptions. Here’s the first dance.

First Dance
First Dance
Bride Hoisted  On Shoulders
Intimate Moment

This is from a traditional Persian dance involving napkins.

Persian Napkin Dance

More dancing. I don’t know if all Persians love to dance, but everyone at this wedding LOVED to dance! Western DJs sometimes struggle to get people onto the dance floor. At this wedding, it would be harder to keep people off the dance floor.

Bride Dancing

Western cake cutting (with a twist).

Cake Cutting

And that’s it. A great time was had by all!

Happy Wedding

Sarah and Phil

Have you ever been around two people who are completely, crazily, goofily, can’t-keep-their-lips-off-of-each-other in love? That’s exactly how Sarah and Phil are. Fortunately, I get to be around people like this most Saturdays. 😉

Ceremony and reception at Jess Stone Winery in Dixon, California.

Groom Getting Ready
Bride's Shoe
Wedding Dress Detail
Putting On The Dress
Dress and Ring
Bracelet
Bridesmaid Chain!
In The Limo
Ring Box
Ceremony Starts
The Rings
Ceremony
First Kiss
Just Married!
Beautiful Bride Sarah
Sarah and Phil
Phil and Sarah
Sarah and Phil
Rings
Phil With Bridesmaids
Kiss
Wine Glasses
Portraits
On The Cart
More Portraits
Happy Couple
Table Assignments
Bride and Mother Of The Bride Smash Kiss
The Toast
Groom Toast
First Dance
Favor and Cake
Cutting The Cake
Cake Smash!
Cake Smash!
Dancing
Sparklers
Fun With Sparklers
Fun With Sparklers

Kathy and Jim

Wow! What a great couple! Super cute and super happy bride and a super happy groom. All the smiles make my life easier for sure ;). Ceremony and reception at the Claremont in Berkeley, CA (one of the nicest venues in the Bay Area, I have to say).

Claremont Hotel, Berkeley, CA
Bride and Flower Girls
Wedding Dress
Getting Makeup
Shoes
With Flower Girl
Kids Getting Ready
Groom Getting Ready
Flower Girls!
The Dress!
Ceremony Starts
Here Comes the Bride
Ceremony
Flower Girl
Just Married!
Happy Couple
Formals
First Dance
Toast
Cake Cutting
Cake Eating

Faith and Quentin

Small, private wedding on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I love big church weddings as much as the next guy, but something about the small, private affairs really appeals to me. They always seem to be my favorites.

Shoes
Dress
Flower Girl Basket
Flower Girl Detail
Faith and Dogs
Dogs
Ring Shot
Mother and Daughter
Vows
Flower Girl and Quentin
Here Comes the Bride
Here Comes the Bride 2
Vows 2
Vows 2
Husband and Wife!
The Happy Couple
Bouquet
Champagne
Toasts
Cake Cutting Utensils
Cake Cutting
Offering Quentin a Bite
Bouquet and Centerpiece
Whispering...
Quentin and Faith on Dillon Beach
Quentin and Faith on Dillon Beach
Quentin and Faith on Dillon Beach
Quentin and Faith on Dillon Beach
Quentin and Faith on Dillon Beach
Quentin and Faith on Dillon Beach

Table Shots

In case you don’t know what “table shots” are: They are the photos of all the guests at their table. They are usually taken at the reception as the bride and groom walk around chatting with each table.

I’ll let you in on a wedding photographer secret: most of us don’t like taking table shots. Seriously.

Partly because it’s not exciting and takes a ton of time, but mostly because we are going around interrupting your guests while they are trying to eat. Plus: if you want all the guests from a table in one shot, then they have to get up and all move around to one side of the table. From your guest’s point of view, it’s a bit intrusive. And then there’s the issue of “Oh, Uncle Bob just went to the bathroom. Can we wait until he comes back?”

But, hey, I understand. You want pictures of all the guests. And sometimes a table will have a group of, say, college friends who haven’t been in the same place at the same time since college (and probably will never be in the same place at the same time ever again). You want to capture that moment.

So while I understand why people want table shots, I also think they are a very inefficient way to get pictures of the guests, and they result in photos that aren’t as good as they could be.

So how do you get pictures of all the guests without taking a bunch of time, without being intrusive to your guests, and getting the best pictures possible?

I have a solution:

Set up a location for portraits of the guests with (or even without) the couple. If the couple has a “sweetheart table” (table with just the couple) at the reception, you can have each table of guests come up to the sweetheart table and pose for a quick photo or two before they get in line for the buffet. No sweetheart table? Pick a spot on the dance floor (or wherever works). Having a sit down dinner? Have each table come up for their photo before they get served dinner. Or before they get served desert. Or whatever works for you timeline.

Doing these shots this way takes much less time, results in much better photos, and is much less intrusive on your guests.