Photos from Lauren and Sean’s wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, which began with the bride getting ready at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth. This was followed by a traditional Catholic ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church in Granada Hills before a romantic wedding portrait session in the Simi Valley’s golden hour light. We ended the day with a fun-filled wedding reception at Sitting Bull Ranch where they celebrated with family, friends and a couple of T-rex dinosaurs.
It was at the beginning of this year that I first heard from Sean’s mom who was taking on the task of finding a wedding photographer for her son and his fiancee, Lauren. They were planning a wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch this October, but with heavy study commitments as part of their Ph.D. programs, Sean’s mom was helping them out.
Lauren and Sean are both currently doing their doctorates based at John Hopkins University in Baltimore and had met in grad school. Lauren says that it was her who had the crush on Sean for two years and eventually built up the courage to tell him. They’ve been together ever since and love to visit historical battle sites on their day off. Lauren knew Sean was going to propose after a trip to the Philippines to meet her family and he popped the question a couple of months after they returned on their dating anniversary.
After a few emails back and forth with Sean’s mom, the couple decided to book me and I was excited to finally put a face to their names when we caught up for a Skype meeting a few months before their special day. They wanted to keep things traditional, with no first look before their Catholic ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church in Granada Hills. They were then planning an outdoor reception at the gorgeous Hummingbird Nest Ranch in the Simi Valley.
A portrait of Lauren and Sean holding hands in the gorgeous gardens of Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.
Getting ready photos at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth:
While my second photographer was with the groom and his groomsmen at the wedding venue as they made their final preparations, I was with the girls in a gorgeous suite at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth. I captured up-close shots of Lauren having the final touches applied to her makeup and sharing in this special moment with her mom and sister, who was also her matron-of-honor.
After grabbing some candid shots as Lauren’s bridesmaids helped her into her stunning dress, we finished with some portraits of the bride looking out her suite window, with the flowing train of her wedding dress behind.
apturing a special moment between Lauren and her mom in a suite at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth.A close-up photo of Lauren having the final touches applied to her makeup in a suite at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth.Lauren shares a laugh with her mom and sister while getting ready for her wedding at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth.Lauren’s bridesmaids help to do up the back of her dress while getting ready for her wedding at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth.Lauren shows off her wedding shoes while being surrounded by her bridesmaids at Radisson Hotel Chatsworth.Lauren shows off the stunning back and train of her wedding dress while standing at her suite window in Chatsworth.
Ceremony photos at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church:
Lauren and Sean had decided on a traditional Catholic Mass at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church, with a few Filipino wedding rituals thrown in. Sean was escorted down the aisle by his parents, followed by Lauren and hers, and I captured the groom’s reaction at seeing his beautiful bride for the first time on their wedding day.
From special exchanges between Lauren and Sean to wide-angle shots looking down the aisle as they knelt at the altar, I tried to capture their wedding ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church from multiple angles. I photographed Sean’s parents and grandparents watching on, as well as grabbing a shot of Lauren’s brother-in-law and cute nephew.
The couple was wrapped in a veil by their sponsors in what is a Filipino wedding tradition, then took communion before placing flowers at the feet of Mother Mary. I captured a photo of them smiling as they lent their heads against one another before they made their joyous recessional walk as “husband and wife”.
Sean’s parents escort him down the aisle at the start of his Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church wedding ceremony.Lauren is escorted down the aisle by her parents at the start of her Catholic wedding ceremony in Granada Hills.Capturing Sean’s reaction as he watched his beautiful bride walk down the aisle at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Lauren’s parents give her away to Sean during their Catholic wedding ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Lauren and Sean share a laugh with their siblings during their Granada Hills Catholic wedding ceremony.Looking down the aisle of Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church as Lauren, Sean and their bridal party kneel at the altar.Capturing Lauren’s reaction as she exchanged vows with Sean during their Catholic wedding ceremony in Granada Hills.Lauren and Sean hold hands in front of the altar during their Catholic wedding ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Capturing a special exchange between Sean and his bride during their wedding ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Lauren’s father and nephew watch on during the Catholic mass at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.A candid photo of Sean’s parents and grandparents raising their hands to bless the couple at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Lauren and Sean exchange vows into a microphone during their Catholic wedding at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.The couple are draped in a veil while kneeled in front of the altar during their Catholic wedding ceremony in Granada Hills.Looking up towards the stained glass windows of Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church during the wedding ceremony.Capturing a moment between the bride and groom during their Granada Hills church wedding ceremony.Lauren’s side of the family stand during the Catholic Filipino wedding ceremony at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.A candid photo of Sean’s parents and grandparents watching on during the Catholic mass at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Lauren, Sean and their bridal party kneel beneath a statue of Christ on the cross at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Capturing an affectionate moment between the bride and groom during their Catholic wedding ceremony.Lauren and Sean lay flowers at the base of a Mother Mary statue during their Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church wedding ceremony.Lauren and Sean smile while walking arm-in-arm through Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.Lauren and Sean make their recessional walk down the aisle of Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church as husband and wife.Capturing a kiss between the newlyweds during their recessional walk at Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.
Portraits at Hummingbird Nest Ranch:
After family formals outside Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church and a few portraits of the newlyweds, we drove over to Hummingbird Nest Ranch for a more extensive wedding photo session. Here we captured portraits of Lauren and her bridesmaids who were wearing purple dresses, then a playful one as they looked down towards the cute flower girl.
After some creative portraits with their entire bridal party, we took advantage of the gorgeous golden light for some romantic couple portraits. Hummingbird Nest Ranch has so many stunning places to utilize for wedding photography, including rustic buildings, lush greenery, and a lake.
I captured shots of the couple embracing beneath Lauren’s veil and portraits as it flew behind her, as well as some tender shots as Sean kissed her affectionately on the forehead. We then snuck into their reception venue at Sitting Bull Ranch to grab some nighttime portraits beneath the ornate chandeliers and a shot of Sean dipping Lauren as they practiced their first dance.
A portrait of the newlyweds outside the red brick architecture of Saint John Baptist De La Salle Church.A portrait of Lauren, her bridesmaids and cute flower girl at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.A portrait of Lauren showcasing her stunning wedding dress train at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.Lauren and her bridesmaids look down towards the cute flower girl at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.A creative portrait of Lauren, Sean and their bridal party in the leafy grounds of Hummingbird Nest RanchA playful bridal party portrait of the couple kissing while their bridesmaids and groomsmen celebrate in Simi Valley.The couple look lovingly at one another while the bride’s veil flies behind at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.A whimsical portrait of Lauren and Sean walking through the grounds of Hummingbird Nest Ranch, illuminated by the golden hour light.Sean tenderly kisses Lauren’s forehead in front of a rustic building at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.The couple embrace beneath Lauren’s veil during their Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding portrait session.Lauren and Sean look lovingly at one another during their wedding portrait session at Sitting Bull Ranch in Simi Valley.A silhouette portrait of the couple at sunset, with Lauren’s veil flying behind, at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.Capturing a tender moment between the newlyweds during their Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding portrait session.Sean affectionately kisses Lauren’s forehead during their sunset wedding portrait session at Sitting Bull Ranch.Capturing a playful moment between the newlyweds beside a lake at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.Lauren and Sean kiss while strolling through the grounds of Hummingbird Nest Ranch during their sunset wedding portrait session.A playful portrait of the newlyweds in front of a rustic building at Sitting Bull Ranch in Simi Valley.Sean kisses Lauren’s forehead during their Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding portrait session.A tender couple portrait featuring Lauren’s stunning veil at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.Sean affectionately kisses Lauren’s hand during their golden hour wedding portrait session at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.Lauren and Sean embrace beside a hedgerow during their Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding portrait session.Sean kisses Lauren’s cheek while they embrace beneath her veil at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley.Sean dips and kisses his bride beneath a chandelier at their Sitting Bull Ranch outdoor reception venue.Lauren and Sean hold hands beneath a chandelier during their nighttime wedding portrait session at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.The newlyweds kiss beneath a chandelier at their Sitting Bull Ranch alfresco wedding reception venue.
Reception photos at Hummingbird Nest Ranch:
Lauren and Sean then made their official grand entrance into the outdoor wedding reception at Sitting Bull Ranch, with their wedding guests giving them a standing ovation. They launched into what was an impressive choreographed first dance, which was followed by the reading of their personalized vows to one another.
The couple then played the ever-popular Shoe Game, answering questions about their relationship by raising one of Sean’s shoes. This was followed by speeches from their matron-of-honor and best man, then another playful game of musical chairs involving their wedding guests.
Lauren and her dad then took to the dance floor for their father-daughter dance, followed by a surprise mother-son dance with Sean and his mom dressed as T-rex dinosaurs. This was obviously a surprise for Lauren who was holding back tears of laughter as they tumbled on the dance floor.
After Lauren’s bouquet toss and a playful garter removal, everyone hit the dance floor to celebrate this new union. We ended the night with a few, final portraits of the newlyweds incorporating the illuminated swimming pool of Sitting Bull Ranch and the romantic string lights that decorated the trees.
Lauren and Sean make their grand reception entrance as their wedding guests celebrate at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.A playful shot as Sean gets his bracelet caught in Lauren’s hair during their first dance at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.Lauren and Sean spin on the dance floor during their first dance at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.An action shot as Sean dips Lauren at the end of their Hummingbird Nest Ranch first dance.A candid photo of Lauren reading her personalized vows to Sean during their Sitting Bull Ranch wedding reception.Sean reads his personalized vows to Lauren during their alfresco wedding reception at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.A candid photo of Lauren and Sean playing the Shoe Game during their wedding reception at Sitting Bull Ranch.A candid photo of Lauren laughing while playing the Shoe Game with Sean at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.Looking across Lauren and Sean’s outdoor reception at Sitting Bull Ranch while they played the Shoe Game.Lauren’s sister makes a reception speech while the couple listen in from their sweetheart table at Sitting Bull Ranch.A candid photo of Sean’s parents laughing during a speech at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.Lauren and Sean share a laugh at their sweetheart table during the best man’s speech at the Sitting Bull Ranch reception venue.Four female guests hold up men’s shoes during a fun wedding game at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch reception.An action shot of female wedding guests racing off the dance floor during a fun reception game.Lauren and her dad perform their father-daughter dance during the Sitting Bull Ranch wedding reception.Lauren’s dad spins her during their father-daughter dance at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.Sean and his mom arrive for their mother-son dance dressed as T-rex dinosaurs at the Simi Valley reception.Lauren wipes away tears of laughter as two T-rex dinosaurs play on the dance floor in front of her.Capturing a playful moment between Lauren and her groom and his mom (dressed as dinosaurs) at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.Sean dancing with his best man during the outdoor wedding reception at Sitting Bull Ranch in Simi Valley.A candid photo of Lauren dancing with a wedding guest during the Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.A candid, black and white photo of Sean dancing with his grandma during the Sitting Bull Ranch wedding reception.An action shot of Lauren’s bouquet toss during her Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.A funny photo of Lauren pulling a face while Sean goes in for the garter removal at Sitting Bull Ranch.Sean raises his arms in the air with Lauren’s garter in his mouth during their fun-filled reception at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.An action shot of Sean’s garter toss with a group of guys readying themselves behind at Sitting Bull Ranch.A group photo Lauren, Sean and their wedding party on the dance floor at Sitting Bull Ranch in Simi Valley.A candid photo of Sean’s parents enjoying the dance floor during the Hummingbird Nest Ranch alfresco reception.A high-angle photo of two wedding guests dancing during the outdoor reception at Sitting Bull Ranch.A candid photo of two wedding guests dancing during the Hummingbird Nest Ranch outdoor wedding reception.A group of wedding guests cheering on the edge of the dance floor at Sitting Bull Ranch in Simi Valley.A candid photo of Sean letting loose on the dance floor during his Hummingbird Nest Ranch wedding reception.A cute young wedding guest in a purple tutu enjoying the festivities at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.Three guys letting loose on the dance floor during the Sitting Bull Ranch outdoor wedding reception.Capturing an intimate moment between the newlyweds during their poolside portrait session at Sitting Bull Ranch.Sean twirls Lauren beside the pool at Sitting Bull Ranch during their nighttime wedding portrait session.Lauren and Sean stand hand-in-hand between trees draped in string lights at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.Lauren and Sean embrace beneath the string lights of Sitting Bull Ranch during their romantic nighttime portrait session.Capturing a kiss between the newlyweds with an off-camera flash during their nighttime wedding portrait session at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.
Wedding photos at Hummingbird Nest Ranch:
It was such an honor to be the photographer for Lauren and Sean’s wedding at Hummingbird Nest Ranch and I can’t thank them enough for the high priority they put on photography throughout the day. I wish them all the best as they return to Baltimore to finish their studies and their newlywed life together.
