Before I met Steph, I was stalking her on Instagram and was jealous of her life. She's a big foodie and her Instagram is filled with posts of scrumptious food that my mouth is instantly and literally filled with saliva. Then I dreamed of going to those restaurants - which I never got to. (I know. Ugh.) Steph and Paul like to drink; coffee but more beer and whiskey. In fact, that's how they first met - being drunk - at their mutual friend's birthday party in 2012; they now live in Long Beach, adopted a lovely Shiba Inu named Mitch. Steph is a nurse and Paul goes to law school and it only made sense for us to have some fun in Long Beach starting at their home. :D

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We know, in life, people come and go; it's only normal. But if it's not death-related, you can put efforts to keep certain ones in your life. Though I admit it; I'm not that great when it comes to "hanging out" with people I like as I have a weird anti-social tendency sometimes, I'll try to make time for Candace and Sean to slurp some ramen together. This happy couple makes me so happy every time. They make inappropriate jokes that I love. They give me good advice when I need it and love noodle soups as much as I do - or at least they let me believe so. Candace's mom wanted to "adopt" me after their wedding and take me to Texas (where she lives) on occasions; she sent me healing energy when I got into a car accident. Sean shared his "not-so-secret" turkey recipe for Thanksgiving, and that is the only recipe I'll ever use.

The funny thing is that Candace and Sean were complete strangers who simply wanted an engagement photo session with me at first. It's unbelievable where life takes you to and how much it gives you. I'm so so thankful that I got to preserve their memories of the happiest-day-ever this summer. 

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Ahhhhh... Can you overdose on happiness? <3

If you're interested, see their engagement photos here. 

I'm terrible at photographing wedding details - like those ones wedding coordinators would love and like those ones many brides pin on their Pinterest boards. I cringe.

I started questioning; why can't I photograph the reception area with people in it? What are we doing? Why do I have to kick out everyone (including catering staff and DJ when they're working) just so I can take a photo of an empty reception room - like nobody came to your wedding? Why do we, photographers, need to touch the bride's dress and hang it on a hotel lobby, a hallway or a tree for a photo? How did the dress get there? Why is that photo important? Who is it for? 

I consider myself as a lucky photographer. I'm very blessed that my clients, who I call friends with lots of emojis flying around in the e-mails and texts, are against most of wedding trends because it is my absolute ONE job to tell their unique wedding story in creative ways; I get nervous and excited on wedding days as my tiny brain is constantly being challenged; and I have this ADD for what draws my heart. Those are my own wedding detail photos but part of your big day. 

So it is my pure honor that I've recently won a prestige international award from the latest contest by WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association) - in details category! 

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When I saw this specific tattoo of "Stand Strong" (Katie has many tattoos on her body) on her wedding day as she's putting her wedding gown, it immediately drew my attention. Here on her blog, she talks about her best friend, a US Army sergeant, who committed suicide a month before her wedding. Then two weeks before the wedding, she also lost her father. I simply cannot imagine how she's gone through and all, and yet she's still be able to stay so strong, positive and caring. Katie is truly a strong woman and I'm very thankful to have encountered such a wonderful soul. Thank you for letting me photograph your beautiful body, Katie.