Adventure // LA Wedding Weekend

Hello, hello! Happy November! How are we here already?! I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about this here 'ole blog and my goals for it. It all makes me very happy and excited to think about the possibilities and the things to come. I'm sure I will delve into more about that soon, but for now I wanted to share some photos from my cousin's wedding that we went to in LA last weekend!
The wedding was held at a place called Orcutt Ranch and had the most beautiful grounds. My cousin (the gorgeous bride!) did such a great job planning out all the details and decorations, and I felt that everything really represented her and her new husband's personalities. I was so happy that Dai and I got to make the little trip down south for this occasion, and it was so great to spend time with family and friends!
The ceremony was in a rather sunny spot, so hand fans and parasol umbrellas were provided for some shade. Someone really loved this and looked quite snazzy modeling his parasol ;)
Unfortunately, due to some last minute complications, my dad and stepmother weren't able to make it, BUT my eldest sister was there and we were able to spend some nice time with our dad's twin brother, the father of the bride :)

I don't know why, but I got so teary-eyed watching my uncle and cousin dance! It was just so precious. I was also waiting for my uncle to start crying, and I believe I caught him choking up a bit ;)
The Panian cousins that were present at the wedding! Who knows the last time we were all together, but this is actually a pretty good collection of us! My sister, myself, and our four cousins who are all siblings. Believe it or not, we are actually missing 6 more!
I loved our place settings! Our place cards were attached to little individual tea boxes and each guest/couple was given a set of coasters that were handmade by my cousin. They are so cute!
Dai and my brother-in-law shielding themselves from the sun. I seriously could not stop laughing at this photo! Even though I love my nephews dearly, it was fun to drink mimosas and have some kid-free time with my sister and brother-in-law :)

I am so happy for my cousin and her new husband! I really think they are perfect for each other and wish them (and their two furry babies!) so much happiness. Over the summer I had the honor of doing a little photo shoot of them with their pups, so maybe I will share some of those photos here soon!

Other than wedding festivities, we spent our trip having brunch with friends, watching the Giants play in the World Series (WOOHOO!!), enjoying our hotel, and exploring. I even got to see the lovely Danica again! It was a really lovely long weekend away, but man did it go by too quickly ;)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

Chris & Lori's Handmade Backyard Wedding

Today I wanted to share some photos from a wedding I shot back in May! It was actually my cousin Chris' wedding, and I was very flattered that he asked me since he works in the film industry and I'm sure has real "professional" friends that would be more than happy to do it. But alas, he chose me! This was one of my first weddings (I shot my uncle's when I was 16, but holy moly I am so much better now!), so I was pretty nervous. But, I think that things turned out pretty well. My boyfriend, Dai, was my second shooter and it was so helpful having a second set of eyes/hands. I couldn't have done it without him!

It was a backyard wedding, simple and pretty much completely handmade. My favorite kind! Its simplicity exuded the personality, humor, and sweetness of Chris and his bride, Lori.

I wouldn't expect anything less from Chris.

Lori and her girls were simply glowing!

Because why wouldn't you want to get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ice cream bars from an ice cream truck at the park on your wedding day?

Chris and Lori made all of the centerpieces, and everyone was given a personalized mason jar to drink from the whole night and to take home as a souvenir. So thoughtful! Especially for a mason jar loving gal like me :)

Oh, and there was a food truck! Say what?! Yep. And believe you me, it was AMAZING. Like, next time I am back in San Diego, I am finding this truck and ordering everything on the menu. It was so great to have them come to the house. There was no mess and they were super kind!

All in all, it was a great time! The whole thing was completely them, and not overdone one bit. It's exactly what you would expect from Chris and Lori, but even better.

Looking back, I can already say that I know a lot of things I would do differently next time I shoot a wedding (like upgrade my camera), but I think for not really having experience with this kind of thing, everything turned out great. It was a learning experience and I am happy with how things worked out. I can't wait to shoot more weddings, and just hope that they are half as wonderful as this one was!

Congratulations to you guys (Lori, I know you're reading this!), and when can I come visit? Maybe I'll even bring Dai :) Love you both and hope you're enjoying the married life!

In which I am honored.

Last week I spent a day in LA visiting my lovely aunts and uncle, and my awesome cousin, Chris. He is getting married next May and it is going to be a fabulous and down-to-earth wedding in his late father's backyard. And guess what? He asked ME to be the photographer for this event! What?! I know, I am pretty stunned myself. Especially since he is a director and has all of these über talented friends who could totally do a great job. I feel so honored, excited, and (admittedly) nervous. Luckily, I have several months to practice and gather inspiration. Ah! Coincidentally, I was just thinking the other day that I would like to shoot another wedding, so this is perfect!