ANN & JONATHAN
Locations:
- Getting ready: W Los Angeles (bride) and UCLA Faculty Center (groom) in Los Angeles, CA
- Ceremony and reception: UCLA Faculty Center in Los Angeles, CA
Wedding photos at UCLA Faculty Center:
I first had the pleasure of working with Ann and Jonathan during their e-session a few months ago in Downtown Los Angeles. They’d met while waiting outside a club several years ago and were planning a beautiful wedding at UCLA Faculty Center in Los Angeles with their closest family and friends. After a courtyard ceremony at this private club-style venue, they were going to celebrate during a lively reception in the adjacent banquet hall.
On the Friday before their special day, Ann and Jonathan invited me to capture a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony with their immediate family, honoring the bride’s heritage. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet those who are closest to them in an intimate setting and capture what was a special cultural moment.
Ann and Jonathan kiss during their wedding portrait session at UCLA Faculty Center in Los Angeles.
Getting ready photos at W Los Angeles:
My second photographer and I met up at W Los Angeles on the day of Ann and Jonathan’s wedding to document the bride and her entourage making their final preparations. Ann was joined by her 11 bridesmaids and mother-in-law, as well as her adorable (and incredibly well-behaved) dog, Kenobi.
I photographed Ann and her bridesmaids in their floral robes and captured some special interactions with Kenobi, as well as documenting an embrace with Jonathan’s mom. After some portraits of Ann admiring her engagement ring and another as she peeked out her shuttered windows, I photographed her bridesmaids assisting as she stepped into her wedding shoes.
The bride then opened a series of gifts from her groom, including a gorgeous necklace, a Sony camera lens and a pair of sandals with the words “Wifey for Lifey” written on them. Once Ann was dressed and ready to go, we grabbed a couple of portraits featuring the stunning back of her wedding dress and another cuddling Kenobi in his cute tuxedo.
Capturing a special moment between Ann and her adorable dog, Kenobi, while getting ready in a suite at W Los Angeles.
A portrait of Ann looking out the blinds of her hotel suite window at W Los Angeles.
Ann surrounded by her 11 bridesmaids in their contemporary hotel suite at W Los Angeles.
A portrait of Ann admiring her engagement ring while Kenobi sits obediently beside her in their W Los Angeles hotel suite.
Capturing a cute moment between Ann and her dog, Kenobi, in their hotel suite at W Los Angeles.
Ann being embraced by her future mother-in-law while getting ready for her wedding at W Los Angeles.
Ann admiring her wedding dress hanging in the window of her W Los Angeles suite while Kenobi watches on.
Kenobi being the center of attention, with Ann and her bridesmaids admiring him lovingly in their W Los Angeles hotel suite.
Ann’s bridesmaids assist as she steps into her wedding shoes while getting ready for her wedding at W Los Angeles.
Capturing Ann’s reaction as she opened a necklace gifted from her groom on their wedding day in Los Angeles.
Capturing a special moment between Ann and her bridesmaids while getting ready in their W Los Angeles hotel suite.
Ann’s sister helps to secure her earrings while getting ready in her W Los Angeles hotel suite.
A portrait of Ann looking stunning, with Kenobi in his dog-tuxedo beside her in their W Los Angeles hotel suite.
Documenting the stunning back of Ann’s wedding dress while standing at her W Los Angeles suite window.
A candid portrait of Ann opening a lens gifted from her groom while seated on a white sofa at W Los Angeles.
Ann opens a gift from her groom, Jonathan, featuring a pair of sandals with “Wifey for Lifey” written on them.
Pre-ceremony portraits at UCLA Faculty Center:
We then made the short drive over to UCLA Faculty Center where Jonathan and his groomsmen were getting ready. After a portrait session with my second photographer, the guys headed inside to their “man cave” so we could capture some photos of the girls in the courtyard gardens.
I grabbed some playful shots as the bridesmaids hid behind their bouquets and another as Ann and the girls blew kisses at the camera, as well as a couple of portraits of the bride on her own. Her father (who had been caught in traffic) then arrived for the father-daughter first look session, which was followed by a cute bubble encounter with the flower girl.
A playful portrait of Ann with her bridesmaids covering their faces with their bouquets at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann looking stunning with her beautiful bouquet in front of a rustic fence at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and her bridesmaids blowing kisses towards the camera during their wedding portrait session at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann’s cute flower girl playing beneath the bride’s veil as they prepared for the wedding ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
Capturing a special moment between Ann and her dad during their father-daughter first look session at UCLA Faculty Center.
A candid photo of Ann’s flower girl playing amidst bubbles in the bridal suite at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ceremony photos at UCLA Faculty Center:
Ann and Jonathan’s wedding ceremony was being held in the courtyard of UCLA Faculty Center, with the groom being escorted down the aisle by his mom. I documented his reaction as Ann followed behind on the arm of her dad, then the warm hand-off as the two men embraced.
The couple had written really sweet, personalized vows, with Ann getting quite emotional as she read hers from her heart. I captured not only the couple’s reactions as they looked lovingly at one another throughout the ceremony but also those of their parents as they watched on. Meanwhile, the flower girl was entertaining herself in the middle of the aisle, so I grabbed a quick candid of her playful antics.
Kenobi performed his ring bearer job expertly and after exchanging rings, the couple combined ground coffee beans from Vietnam and El Salvador as a symbol of their union. They were then pronounced “husband and wife” by their officiant and made their recessional walk down the aisle, with Kenobi leading the way.
Jonathan is escorted down the aisle on the arm of his mom at the start of the UCLA Faculty Center wedding ceremony.
Jonathan kisses his mom on the cheek while being given away during the courtyard wedding at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann is escorted down the aisle on the arm of her dad during the courtyard wedding ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
Capturing Jonathan’s reaction as he watched Ann walk down the aisle during their UCLA Faculty Center wedding ceremony.
Jonathan shakes hands with Ann’s dad at the start of the UCLA Faculty Center wedding ceremony.
A candid photo of Ann’s cute flower girl in the middle of the aisle during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding ceremony.
Capturing Ann’s reaction as she exchanged vows with Jonathan during their UCLA Faculty Center courtyard wedding.
Ann’s mom and aunt watch on as the couple exchange vows during a fall wedding ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
Jonathan smiles at Ann as they exchange vows beneath a white arbor at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann’s father and Jonathan’s mother watch on during the intimate courtyard wedding ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
Kenobi looking adorable in his tuxedo watches on during the courtyard wedding ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan share a laugh with their celebrant during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding ceremony.
A wide-angle shot looking down the aisle of Ann and Jonathan’s courtyard wedding at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann wipes away tears as she reads her personalised vows to Jonathan during their courtyard wedding ceremony.
Ann and Jonathan share a special moment with Kenobi as he performs his ring bearer duties during the ceremony.
A candid photo of Jonathan placing a ring on Ann’s finger during their courtyard wedding ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
A cute photo of the flower girl pulling her dress up during the courtyard ceremony at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan pour ground coffee beans from Vietnam and El Salvador into a vessel during their wedding ceremony.
Ann and Jonathan kiss beneath a white arbor after being pronounced “husband and wife”.
Ann, Jonathan and Kenobi make their recessional walk down the aisle at UCLA Faculty Center.
Post-ceremony portraits at UCLA Faculty Center:
As Ann and Jonathan didn’t have a first look session, we had to work fast in the fading light to capture couple portraits after the ceremony. I grabbed a couple of romantic shots beneath their white ceremonial arbor and another as they signed their marriage license before heading to the adjacent gardens to explore the paths. After an intimate shot of the newlyweds pressing their noses together, we ended the session with a portrait as Ann’s veil flew in the wind behind them.
A portrait of Ann and Jonathan kissing while their bridal party celebrate in the courtyard at UCLA Faculty Center.
A portrait of Ann, Jonathan and Kenobi standing beneath a white arbor in the courtyard of UCLA Faculty Center.
A candid photo of Ann and Jonathan signing their marriage license with the celebrant at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan kiss beneath their white arbor while Kenobi watches on at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan look lovingly at one another while walking down the street outside UCLA Faculty Center.
Capturing an intimate moment between Ann and Jonathan during their UCLA Faculty Center wedding portrait session.
A portrait of Ann and Jonathan in the landscaped gardens opposite UCLA Faculty Center in Los Angeles.
Ann embraces Jonathan from behind during their garden wedding portrait session at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan embrace while the bride’s veil flies in the wind behind them at UCLA Faculty Center.
Reception photos at UCLA Faculty Center:
Ann, Jonathan, and Kenobi made their grand reception entrance into the banquet hall of UCLA Faculty Center and proceedings kicked off with a lion dance from The Immortals. This was followed by speeches and toasts from the bridal party, with the newlyweds listening in from their glamorous white sweetheart table.
After the mother-son dance, Ann got up to dance with her maid-of-honor before a sweet first dance between the couple. Everyone then hit the dance floor to celebrate, including Kenobi in the arms of the bride. Meanwhile, Jonathan’s cousin had specifically requested a photo of the groom with his male family members, included granddad sitting front and center.
Aside from documenting all the dance floor action, I also captured the cake-cutting ceremony as Ann squashed a fistful of cake into Jonathan’s face. This was followed by the bouquet toss and garter removal before we ended the night with a group shot of the bride and groom kissing surrounded by their bridal party.
Ann, Jonathan and Kenobi make their grand entrance into the banquet hall wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
The Immortals lion dance troupe perform during the banquet hall wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan hold up a red tassel and lettuce during a lion dance performance at their UCLA Faculty Center reception.
The newlyweds participate in a Vietnamese lion dance by The Immortals during their UCLA Faculty Center banquet reception.
Ann and Jonathan kiss at the end of the Vietnamese lion dance during their UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
Jonathan’s younger brother makes a toast during the banquet wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
A candid photo of Ann being embraced by her matron-of-honor during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
Jonathan’s cousin makes a wedding reception speech as the couple laugh at their sweetheart table.
A close-up photo of Ann’s maid-of-honor making a speech during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
Ann and Jonathan smile at their sweetheart table during speeches and toasts at UCLA Faculty Center.
Capturing a special moment between Ann, Jonathan and a young wedding guest during their UCLA Faculty Center reception.
Jonathan and his mom perform their mother-son dance during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
Jonathan’s brother watches on as the groom and his mom perform their mother-son dance at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and her maid-of-honor dancing during the UCLA Faculty Center banquet wedding reception.
Ann and Jonathan perform their first dance during the banquet hall wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Capturing a tender moment between the bride and groom during their wedding reception first dance.
Ann embraces Kenobi on the dance floor during her lively wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann’s family and bridesmaids enjoying the dance floor during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
Jonathan is lifted above the dance floor by his male entourage during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
Ann toasts her bridesmaids on the dance floor during the banquet hall reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
A candid photo of Ann embracing a young wedding guest on the dance floor at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann enjoying the dance floor with her mom and aunt during the banquet hall reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
A young wedding guest and her mom on the dance floor during Ann and Jonathan’s UCLA Faculty Center reception.
Ann and Jonathan dancing with the bride’s mom during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
A playful portrait of Ann and Jonathan at their glamorous sweetheart table at UCLA Faculty Center.
A candid photo of Ann just moments after smashing cake into Jonathan’s face during their cake-cutting ceremony.
Ann feeds cake to Kenobi during the banquet hall wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan link arms to drink champagne during their banquet hall wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Wedding guests enjoying the dance floor during Ann and Jonathan’s reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Jonathan enjoying the dance floor with his groomsmen during the UCLA Faculty Center wedding reception.
A portrait of Jonathan with his grandfather and male entourage outside UCLA Faculty Center in Los Angeles.
A candid photo of Jonathan letting loose on the dance floor with his family and friends at UCLA Faculty Center.
An action shot of Ann during her bouquet toss on the white dance floor at UCLA Faculty Center.
Jonathan holds up Ann’s garter following the garter removal on the dance floor at UCLA Faculty Center.
A fun photo of Ann letting loose on the dance floor during her wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann shows off her “Wifey for Lifey” sandals during the wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Jonathan embraces Ann on the dance floor during their fun-filled wedding reception at UCLA Faculty Center.
Ann and Jonathan kiss while their family and friends celebrate around them at UCLA Faculty Center.
Wedding photos at UCLA Faculty Center:
It was such an honor to be selected as the photographer for Ann and Jonathan’s wedding at UCLA Faculty Center and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity. I’m incredibly jealous that they’re off to France for a three-week honeymoon and I hope they’re having an absolute blast.
November 25, 2019
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