janet & ben | ceremony

Love can be so simple yet beautiful.

It was such a pleasure to capture Janet and Ben's "last minute" civil ceremony in Downtown Fullerton. The ceremony was quick but sweet. The newlyweds' friend, Johnny offered them a ride home on his cute little bicycle carriage with the couple's handmade "just married" sign taped on the back. Tourists picked some flowers from the sidewalk and sprinkled at the couple. Cars passed by and honked their horns. It was so sweet and fun.

Thank you for sharing your special day with me, Janet and Ben. Congratulations on your new life together. Wishing you both all the simple joys that make spending a lifetime together simply beautiful.

Hotel Maya | Long Beach

When Asian fusion and modern vintage (Kelly Wearstler and similar) themed hotels are done all over the place, modern Latin American themed hotel design is absolutely a breath of fresh air. Although it's not a new idea, its vibrant, eclectic, and hip factors can absolutely make Hotel Maya to become one popular waterfront venue for weddings and other commercial events. Formerly Coast Long Beach Hotel, Joie de Vivre acquired the hotel and reportedly invested in a 20-million face lift to reinvigorate this waterfront property. This property includes a private water canal and I heard that floating cabanas at the water canal is part of the design proposal (swanky!). I will definitely come back to check it out when the renovation is finished.

Hotel Maya

www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/losangeles/maya

700 Queensway Dr, Long Beach

CA 90802

(562) 435-7676

Designed by: DPS interiors and Arya architects

The Parra's | wedding

The Parra's had a gorgeous beach theme wedding ceremony and reception at The Reefs in Long Beach. The day started off at the newly renovated Hotel Maya in Long Beach for getting ready shots. It was a bright and sunny day.

mao's bridal shower

I was invited to capture Mao's lovely bridal shower on Sunday. Mao's family and friends had such a wonderful time celebrating at the bridal shower, full of memories and moments that all of us will always cherish. Thank you for sharing your lovely day with me.

Best wishes to Mao and Jeremy on the wedding day. Wishing you a wonderful beginning and love to last a lifetime.

evan | 6 months old

We took Evan out for a little walk in a community park between his nap time. It was a sunny afternoon with gentle breeze. The weather was so nice and the session was so sweet and enjoyable.

Evan is 6 months old now. He got so much bigger and stronger than the tiny 3 months old baby that I saw a while ago. Evan begins teething too. He chews and gums down on anything he can get his mouth around these days. It's amazing to see all these little things but major milestones in a baby's first year. During a baby's first year, the baby undergoes astounding transformation. It's such a fascinating experience for me to capture all these precious details for Evan and his family. Evan's mom saw Noelle's photo album on my blog and she was asking me about the details for Evan's album. Evan still have two more sessions to go (9 months and 1 year) before his first-year album can be completed; but honestly, I can't wait to work on his album. We already have some good ideas for Evan's next session and I look forward to seeing the bigger Evan in a couple months.

Check out some of my favorites from the session.

And now,... I need to go back to finish processing pictures for Johana and Gabriel's wedding. Check back later for pictures of a beautiful wedding at Long Beach. Have a nice weekend.

kelly + johnny | engagement

Life amuses me. Me and Kelly were in the same kickboxing class for two years and we never spoke with each other. Due to job changes, we both left OC about the same time. One random morning in May, Kelly found my portfolio site when she was browsing her favorite wedding blog. Everything began from there.

In the journey of life, we will walk with some and cross paths with others. Kelly and Johnny had been friends and travel buddies for a long time before they started dating. Kelly is friendly, out-going, and simply kick-butt while Johnny is calm, genuinely sweet, and caring. What a perfect match! They are so cute with each other.

Can't wait to see you guys again this Fall at your wedding.