You have found the love of your life.  And now, it is time to pop the question.  But how to make a grand gesture worthy of her love?  Enter The Heart Bandits.

  I met this Michelle and Marvin Velazquez, the husband and wife power duo behind The Heart Bandits, at a wedding not too long ago.  Not too long after, Michelle called me up to see if I was interested taking photos for their company.  She explained that they he...

  Imagine my excitement when my bride and groom told me that their wedding would be at the Long Beach Aquarium.  I have been there a few times, and I love aquaria, but my couple's love for what lies under the sea was unparalleled. They are avid scuba divers and wanted to share their love for the ocean with their family and friends.

  I am sure that there are many of you out there that are looking for unique wedding venues,...

A few years ago, I shot my first wedding at Tiato.  Right in a quiet little neighborhood in Santa Monica, it is a beautiful little oasis with amazing food.  And I speak from not just trying some food at an event, I have dined here a few times since, and have never been disappointed.  

  So, why choose Tiato as a wedding venue?

From a photographers perspective, Tiato is one of those gems that has nooks and crannies...

I am obsessed with succulents.  They are easy to grow, especially here in Los Angeles. And they are beautiful.  Over the last few years, I have started seeing more and more succulents at weddings that I photograph.  They are great, because they can be used in a variety of ways.

 Wedding Bouquet

Succulents make lovely bouquets.  This one is softened with some dusty millers which compliment succulents very well...

Venice.  California.  It would seem almost preposterous if you had to describe it.  And yet, when you get there, you feel like you belong.  Energized and youthful even.  It is the same stretch of beach as Santa Monica, just up the street, but feels more like its bizarre and artistic sibling, in the best possible way.  My couple were visiting from Hong Kong and had decided to do an engagement shoot here before their wedding. We...

Planning on some gifts for your groomsmen on your wedding day? Are you and your groomsmen outdoorsy folks?  Looking for a gift for them that is functional, yet cool?  Consider an axe.  They can last a long time, and it brings your zombie apocalypse preparedness up a level.  And they look cool in wedding pictures.

If you want to step it up a a notch, have them personalized.  Laser engraving their names and a...

A lot of thought normally goes into what goes on to your sweetheart table, right down to the tiniest details.  What kind of linens, the floral arrangements, .even the Mr and Mrs signs on the back of the chairs.  But from a photographers perspective, what goes on behind the table can sometimes be more important that what is on the table.  Here are some of my suggestions for you.

Big windows might not be what...

Traditionally, lion dances are a way to ward off evil spirits, and a way to bless a marriage so it is long lasting, and happy.  So it is only natural that you would want to have one at your wedding.  It is a great way to inject some Chinese culture and to entertain your guests.  They are loud, high energy, and your guests will not soon forget your wedding.day.

How long are the performances?

This might vary slightly...

Wedding photography is intimate.  A relationship between the photographer and the bride and groom.   The best wedding photos are not the ones just about expensive clothes or fancy trinkets, but the ones that capture the chemistry between people. The best way to capture this is to build a relationship during an engagement session.  

My bride and groom-to-be in this engagement session were absolutely wonderful...

Every now and again, I do some photography other than weddings.  Families, sweet sixteens, babies and sometimes, product photography.  It is a nice change of pace, and on some occasions, like this, it opens my eyes to some cool stuff.  I was contacted by the folks at Bloominous to take some photos of their product line.  When they told me what they did, I was intrigued.  The conversation went a bit like this:

Me:...