Jerry Yoon // PHOTOGRAPHERS

Venice and Yoshi had one of the sweetest ceremonies officiated by Venice's sister, Aileen.   I don't remember the exact wording of the speech that Aileen gave, but she gave an uberly sweet inter-galactic love story of Venice and Yoshi that spanned the bridges of time.  It was about the eternal love that their souls have for each other since the beginning of time.  Their union in this lifetime was just another brief moment that their souls were able to spend together, before finding each other again in the next lifetime. 

I don't believe in reincarnation, but that has got to be one of the most romantic ideas ever.  Venice and Yoshi's love for each other is a bond that is completely evident in their lives.  I've seen way too many weddings to get all teary, but this ceremony made my heart feel those oh so good love twinging pains. 

Venice, Yoshi, when your souls meet again I hope that I'll be there to witness it once again! 

Sarah and Amritz gave us the best music to use for their slideshow. Enjoy the music stylings of Stevie Wonder - "For Once In My Life" and Mika - "Love Today". Make it to the back to see their crazy Cambodian ceremony full of costume changes and palm seed junk throwing.

Weddings come in all shapes and colors.  Marie and James' wedding was a purple fire breathing dragon of beauty and awesomeness.  That's just the type of couple that they are.  When we first met, I knew that I wanted to do their wedding.  

I will always remember that Marie and James' wedding had one of the funniest slideshows I've ever seen.  James' brothers, makers of the best slideshow in the universe, creatively highlighted James' fun personality by zooming in on his unfortunate childhood snaggle tooth and haircut.  

I love that Marie and James just know how to have fun.  And of course, that they loooooovvee photography.  Aubrey Trinnaman, one of our totally rad studio shooters, came out to shoot with us on this one.  We also had the pleasure of shooting with Mark Kitaoka.  Can you ever have enough photographers?  

Thanks for a lot of laughs and a bumpin' reception!  

I loved this wedding shoot for so many reasons.  As Barney would say, it was legen...wait for it...DARY!!! 

A. I was born in Queens, NY and this trip was my first time back to my birthing place since I was two years old. 
B. NYC was where my father realized his dreams of becoming a fine art painter and I actually got to pay homage to his old art gallery in Manhattan, that is now a converted media marketing business. 
C. I went there planning to shoot alone, but my good friend Carmen Alvarez was in town to shoot another wedding the next day and was able to shoot with me!  These things don't happen by coincidence! 
D. I also got to meet the amazing Rob from Rockmelon videography, who was such a cool guy to hang out with and sweat together in the NY humidity! 
E. Every epic wedding has to have epic troubles right?  The power in the building went out during the getting ready and they had to use their neighbor's apartment to get ready in!  Then the limo didn't show up at all so we had to take taxi's across town. 
F. This is the very FIRST wedding to be held at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island.  How crazily historical is that! 
G. We had the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn cityscape as the backdrops.  I literally lost my brain when I first saw the view.  My eyeballs were already on the ground. 
H. Melissa and Tristan were one HOT couple and so very much in love.  Working with them was so fun, my only regret was that I didn't get to spend more time with them.  But, I'm going to remedy that when I go back out there in October for another wedding. 
I. There are so many more reasons, but I'll just say that it was a night that I will always remember forever.  Words just can't express.  The pictures can do the talking. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cindy and Dave made it incredibly easy to shoot their wedding.  We were surrounded by great lighting, awesome city backdrops and beautiful people.  And man, do these beautiful people dance!  One of my favorite parts of a wedding is the reception dancing- everyone gets down and we're surrounded by action.  It's sort of like setting us loose in the middle of a crazy funk parade!....if those things existed.  Some photographers don't even shoot receptions, but I think it's the most expressive time, chock full of raw sweaty personality.  Yum!

Cindy and Dave were a pleasure to get to know.  I understood why they were surrounded by tons of old friends that simply adored them.  We adore them too! 

Some guys just look cool without effort.  It's not fair.

Cindy lookin' good as always.

We spent an epic engagement session with Shirley and Jody.  We hit up Santana Row and then Santa Cruz.  We met Becky Burgin of Art of Emotion out on Santana Row, who told us to watch out for the fuzz, 'cuz we had no permit.  The suspense of shooting without a permit is one way we photographers get our weekly high.  I was thinking about ways in which we can outrun a segway cop but then realized that they can easily get off their segway if they wanted to and just run themselves. 

Riding the roller coasters at the boardwalk and shooting them at the same time was a first for us.  The crazy thing about that is I have a strapless camera.  I know, it's so sexy and dangerous.  So I had this death grip on my precious 5D with a 24mm 1.4L set on iso 1600 at f1.4 on manual focus, praying that A) my camera doesn't fly off into the wind and B) that at least one shot will be in focus.  It was probably the most exhilirating ride.  I wouldn't recommend this to anyone out there unless you have the grip of a gorilla.  By the end of the night, we came home with a belly full of seafood and some kick you in the face images! 

Can't wait till we shoot their wedding next month.  Here's to more adventures at your wedding guys! 

Isn't Shirley's blue dress smokin' and smouldering at the same time? 

It was a cloudy day in Santa Cruz, but this made for great great lighting.

Again, by chance Shirley wears the best color for the shot, red and turquoise!

Of course the most action happens at the sharp bends that are the hardest to shoot while looking back with a one handed grip of my camera.

Love this shot!!!

Hanging out with Helen and Victor was a riot.  They're such carefree and fun-spirited people.  Our time together flew by too fast!  As you'll see below, they can be pretty silly when you let them go on their own.  They suggested taking photos at the extremely long and arduous lyon steps in SF.  Funny, cuz all of us were out of shape and stopped half way down, because looking back up just made us cringe. 

We actually got kicked out of a part of the lyon steps, because the security guard mistook me for another photographer that probably broke the rules many many times to get a shot in front of this house.  I tried to tell him that it was my first time there, but he was convinced that I was the same guy.  As we were walking back to our car, we saw another couple getting their engagement photos taken and the photographer looked just like me!!!  So I was like, THAT GUY! Wish I went back with him to prove that it wasn't me, but then I think the security guard just needed to harrass someone that day.  He was reading the newspaper standing up and was itchin' for a fight. 

We got enough photos in front of million dollar homes before the incident, so I wasn't too worried.  I think that's the first time I've been kicked out of a place for taking photos.  Can't wait for the next time!