Wedding Photojournalism and Portraiture || PASADENA + LOS ANGELES
A few moments from a wedding at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Everything took place at the same location, albeit on different floors. These layers to the venue make a really nice visual story and I picked shots that had layers of their own, whether it’s the ceremony on the rooftop or the first dance in the ballroom.
When I took a short trip to Philadelphia for a wedding, I was treated to two very pleasant locations. Bridal prep took place at the Hotel Monaco and was just a short walk to the ceremony and reception at the Down Town Club.
Bridal prep can get pretty intense. Oftentimes, there’s this moment I witness that I refer to as the maternal touch. It is a series of mom jerking, twisting, and tugging the dress, any gentleness spared. Then there are dress emergencies. No, no staged or recreated moments with Stephen Tang.
Should I ever choose to create one, my non-definitive guide to bridal prep would definitely include safety pins and a sewing kit. Wedding and bridesmaid dresses sometimes run long or loose even after tailoring. Leave it to me to turn this entry into an educational moment. Anyway, moms are pretty damn awesome.
One of the coolest details at this wedding was the custom cake and topper. There was so much detail and cuteness to admire. I’ve seen my fair share of weddings, and I’m not gonna play favorites (will give you bad puns though – wait for it), but this one might take the cake?
Have you figured out by now that they love cats? Two different programs with illustrations for the wedding.
It’s been a while since I’ve shared content from California but here you go. This wedding was at a private residence, where they transformed a backyard into an outdoor ceremony space, and afterward, a reception space. This is different from many weddings I’ve been to but I really liked how laid back and personal it felt. Weddings come in all shapes and forms, but I think we should all value the experience over trying to cram as much of anything possible into it (e.g. photos, guests, scheduled activities).
The couple was big on DIY, as you can see in their choices for the bouquet and decoration. Their invitations were prints of artwork painted by the bride. I often look for custom details as options for photographing rings.
The night ended with a couple of pyrotechnic displays. The smoke from the mini fireworks does something pretty cool to lights but remember to only set them off in an open, outdoor space!
