Holy Cross Church is a Catholic church, where no flash is allowed. That is not a problem for me since my Nikon pro gears can take care of the low light conditions easily. After the wedding ceremony, we rushed to Lighthouse beach in Santa Cruz and took a few quick photos. Because it was a hot Saturday, I had to use emergency parking for the photos.

Sara and I communicated frequently about what photos she want. Sara even prepared some umbrellas for the wedding party group photo. The results turned out great.  Here are the comments directly copied from Sara’s mom after she saw the photos:

“Oh Sara, Wow!!!! Loved the slide show. You guys rock in those pictures. What a gorgeous, fantastic couple you are!!! I want that photographer for our 50th anniversary celebration in 9 1/2 years.
these are the most beautiful wedding photos I’ve ever seen. He really did a great job!!!”

Here is a sneak preview of one wedding photo.

The wedding preparation is at Whitney’s grandma’s house in NAPA, CA. I visited the preparation site, ceremony location and wedding venue two weeks before the ceremony. The ceremony site is the beautiful St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, NAPA. Kris and Whitney grew up in this church since they were five and attended kindergarden through the eighth grade together. They have spent many long years together in the halls of the parish school located next to the church.  Their plan was not to leave the grounds, but to take photos of them in the school after the ceremony. The wedding venue is right beside the church, which was decorated gorgeously.

I will try to update the page ASAP since there are many photos to process. Now here is sneak preview of the photos.

The two flower girls are so so so cute!

The following pose is from Dragon Ball Z. Can you guess what characters are they?

The following are some creative and fun group photos that we did after the wedding ceremony. It was so hilarious!

Congratulations to you, Whitney & Kris!

This is a small intimate wedding with less than 50 guests. We started from the wedding preparation, which is in the hotel suites. Then the ceremony is in the hotel also, which is very convenient. After the ceremony, I worked with Rich and Linda alone inside the hotel. There is a big mirror in the first floor and I nailed a very classic shot using the mirror reflection. During the reception, I had chance took a few more photos with Rich & Linda outside the hotel. It was lots of fun working with Rich & Linda and I was totally relaxed during the process.

The following is the last photo taken in the end of the ceremony. Rich and Linda took the elevator down the sainte claire hotel and I snapped this photo by asking them kissing before stepping out.

Congratulations to you and wish you the best, Rich & Linda!

The reception venue is in the Alumni center, Univ. of Sacramento, CA. It is the place where LaShanni and Jose studied. The reception site was nicely decorated with flowers and silks. There are two special occasions for this reception:  Jump the broom and the sparklers. I captured the two exciting moments successfully.

When it was completely dark, we went to the Capitol park in Sacramento to take more night photos. Though everybody was exhausted, I still managed to create some magical shots with the backlight from the City hall.

Congratulations and best wishes to you, Lashanni and Jose!

Congratulations to you, Ruixiao and Wei!

Practice good skin health- stay hydrated and eat healthfully leading up to the event. Don’t try new skincare products, or anything that may irritate your skin. Anticipate your skin’s history, and treat it accordingly depending on changes your skin may experience in the climate or weather that’s expected at the venue.

Start with a good base- be sure that your foundation is the right color and formulation for your skin. You may feel like you should use a heavy cream or stick foundation since you’re being photographed, but heavier formulas will look caked on and are more likely leave a line of demarcation around the neck and hairline that’s tougher to blend away. Just stick with the liquid or powder that works for you, and be sure it’s properly matched to your color. No one wants to look washed out, but it can also age you a bit if your base is too dark for you. Color correcting concealers, like green or yellow for redness, and peach or yellow for undereye circles are a much better choice than simply layering on more makeup. Remember that redness will be easily picked up in photographs so take care to balance that out, and stay away from more pink based foundations.

Avoid the shiny look- glitter will reflect too much on camera, and shouldn’t be worn to a nice event like a wedding anyway. Radiance-enhancing or shimmery foundations make faces look too slick and shiny for photos, so if you must, only keep the sheen on cheekbones and the cupid’s bow for highlighting purposes. Always finish the t-zone with powder, which is especially important to balance any highlighting applied. If you know you’re more oily, pop pressed powder in your bag so that you stay shine free.

The eyes have it- keep in mind that darker eyeshadows and heavy liner make eyes look smaller. A matte or pearl shadow formula will be universally flattering and especially in warm, earthy tones. To keep eyes looking big and bright, highlight the inner corners and brow bone with an off-white, light pink or pale gold shadow or crayon. The older you are, the more important it is to stay fast to the no shimmer rule, as it tends to bring attention to fine lines. Black eyeliner can also look too harsh for older women (same goes for liquid liner) and fair blondes are more suited for eyeliner and mascara in the brown tones. Don’t forget to make sure brows are properly framing the face- everyone looks better and younger with defined brows. Fill the arches with powder or if using a pencil, blend with a brush. Brow color and size are important considerations here, so don’t forget to use a light hand and blend.

Consider your venue and lighting- do take the time to stop and think about if the event/ photos will be taking place indoors or out, and at what time of day. Indoor photos will be taken with flash, so it’s important to use powder to combat shine and to also be sure foundation is matched well. If outdoors, soften makeup a bit as it can easily look too heavy or harsh. Also adjust your makeup look for more formal locations, and later times in the evening. When considering these factors, you will want to use more color and definition over simply adding more makeup.

Keeping these ideas in mind, remember its always most important to look like yourself and feel comfortable on your wedding day. These techniques will help ensure you look flawless both in person and in photographs for years to come.

Content provided by Sarah Logan on behalf of ASI (skin care school, NY), which offers aesthetics certification classes and specialized coursework in cosmetic laser training, as well as microdermabrasion training.

Congratulations to you, Tamme and Michael!

Best wishes to you, Crystal and Daniel!

Here are some of the pictures. I will update this again once I have chance.

The groom is waiting for the bride to enter

Congratulations to you, Libby and Gabriel!

It rained heavily just five days ago.  It was cold until Thursday. Then all became perfect on Saturday. It was perfect 72 Degree F with white clouds and blue sky. The air was refreshing after the rain and the flowers were blooming. The color of the bridesmaids’ dresses is cranberry, which is one of my favorite colors.  We took some wedding portraits shots around the LDS temple. There was a small river in front of the temple and flowers surrond it.  I got some of wonderful group shots also.

The wedding reception venue is at Sharon heights country club,  Menlo Park, CA. The venue is more beautiful than I thought! The high ceiling and the orange light bulbs are just like stars when it is dark outside. The receptionists are very professional and efficient. A ring ceremony was held in a separate room where the bride and groom exchanged rings. After that, there was the standard procedure of cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss, first dance …. People danced happily until late night.

Finally, here are the pictures!

What a beautiful lighting at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, Menlo Park, CA.

When Sara danced with her father, I was deeply touched …

Congratulations and best wishes to you, Sara & Juan!