Covina and Chino Hills Wedding and Reception | Wedding Preview of Alexis and Thomas' Wedding

Mom and Daughter share a few moments right before wedding time

We had an the privilege of capturing Alexis and Thomas' wedding at St Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Covina with their fun reception at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino. 

Here are a few sneak peeks until the full blog post.

Three Tips For Choosing Men's Wedding Rings

Mens Wedding Ring and Fashion Tips

Today's post is very subjective to your style and taste. I understand that men say they don't care what their ring looks like, however I beg to differ. Just like your bride is going to be browsing multiple styles, cuts and diamonds that she feels will represent her, you should care about the style of your ring as you will be adding a fine piece of jewelry that represents you.

First off, I want to say that I am not one to wear a lot of jewelry. I have to confess, at one point in my life I thought it was cool to wear a thick gold chain, accented by a thick gold bracelet and a diamond pinky ring however, I quickly learned that I can make a bold fashion statement with a minimalistic approach. Thank God for that!

Plus I learned I am allergic to nickel so anything I wear that may touch my skin (metal eyewear, watchbands, belt buckles, etc) needs to be of the highest quality or I will break out with uncomfortable irritations and who wants to deal with that?! 

Since, I often get a lot of questions and compliments on my ring I figured I'd give you some of the reasons I chose mine. Even if you haven't given it a lot of thought, hopefully these three tips to help you choose yours: 

1. Hypo-Allergenic

2. Discreet Style

3. Fashion Statement

Hypo-Allergenic

As I explained earlier, I needed a hypo-allergenic metal so I can wear it without causing a skin irritation. As my ring is made from tungsten carbide, the main skin irritant (nickel) properties are absent. Although, it's not a fashion forward way to think, this was one important thing

Discreet Style

Style is something I wanted as well as I was going to wear this everyday.Since I don't wear much jewelry other than a simple watch and my wedding ring, my ring stands out on it's own. As much as I use my hands while working around the house or under the hood, my ring is it's scratch-resistant. Which is pretty cool because I can look back at it anytime and it will be as clean as it was when Gina first gave it to me. 

Tungsten Carbide Wedding Ring, John Varvatos

Fashion Statement

Statements are made in a bold way. My ring makes it's own statement as it's weight, size and color stands out the most. I never wanted anyone to ask me if I was married because they couldn't see my ring or what have you.  I always felt my ring should be a nice size to show that I am married to the love of my life.

Hopefully these tips will help you choose your ring as you get ready for your wedding.

Talk soon, 

St Alphonsus Wedding Photography | Connie and Nick

Surprisingly, one day last year, I received a text asking if we would photograph her wedding. I told Gina and I was like, "Of all the people she knows, she asked us to shoot her wedding!" I was humbled, intimidated and yet honored she thought of us to be a part of it. 

This couple has a special place in our hearts as we've known Connie's family for a few decades now. Nick and Connie met locally at Whittier College (you can see their engagement session here: Nick and Connie at Whittier College) however, Nick is currently on active duty in the Army which means he can be deployed anywhere in the world he's needed. He recently returned from a tour in the Middle East which had Connie impatiently counting the days to his safe return. We couldn't be happier to see these two to finally tie the knot after all of their time on separate ends of the world.

One of the other things that makes this wedding special for us is the fact that Connie's dad, Mr. Romero, and her brother have had their own wedding photography business for many, many years. In fact, before Gina and I started our wedding photography business, they allowed us to follow them around and learn how to shoot a full wedding. Many things we do today in our wedding workflow is owed to Mr. Romero as his process is automatic. Thanks for being so awesomely, kind to us!

We had so much fun at this local wedding. The ceremony was held at St. Alphonsus with the reception held at Almansor Court. You can totally see the love between Connie and Nick and their family. The father daughter dance was so moving; I normally don't cry at weddings, but I had to use the camera to hide the watery substance from my eyes this time! Haha!

We hope you enjoy these images as much as we did shooting it! Be sure to give Connie and Nick some love in the comments.

Much love and Congrats again guys!

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Mr. Romero gives Connie a kiss before the processional

Mr. Romero and Connie getting ready to go down the aisle

Nick was so excited to see his Bride

Nick can't contain his emotions

St. Alphonsus Church in all of its glory

Nick and Connie saying their prayers

Nick and Connie as Husband and Wife

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Simplicity Can Be Fulfilling

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by everything going on around you? Are you worried what people will think about you if you make the wrong move?

It's so easy to get inundated by daily life, Facebook posts, or which direction to go.

We can easily get caught up in trying to have everything perfect and have "the need" to make sure we look good so we don't get "judged" by others. 

But if you think about it, most people want to make sure they are looking good in everyone else's eyes and are not worried about you as much as you are.

This post is for those of you who are trying to figure it out; whatever it is. Wedding planning, meeting your next deadline, figuring out what dinner plans will be...

Keep it simple and do what feels right to you. Be true to your beliefs and what is important to you. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in the frenetic energy that can easily surround you. Take a moment to get grounded; and don't be afraid to be proud of your decision. 

Here's a little formula I teach Jade and Jarron when they get caught up. Close your eyes. Breathe. Focus on what's important. Live. Be Happy.

I don't have all of the answers. But hopefully these tips can allow your life to be fulfilled with what's important to you. These are the tips that have helped me get past self-doubt and press the gas on the path and ideals that I believe in. Hopefully these can help you and give you the push to reach your goals, even if it's just trying to figure out where to go for lunch!

If you have the courage, in the comments below, please share your tips on simplifying your life to help you move in the direction you're trying to go.

Much love, 

Valuable Tips On Being An Awesome Second Shooter

Rancho Las Lomas Wedding Photography - Reception in El Teatro

A few weeks ago my buddy Tommy, from Thomas Pellicer, texted me and without many details given he asked if I was available to help him out for an upcoming wedding at Rancho Las Lomas.  My schedule was open and I quickly told him, "I'm in!" I've known Tommy for a few years now and this was our first time working together. It was a pretty cool day as he asked me to hang out with the groom and groomsmen and cover their details and formal images prior to the wedding ceremony, while he was with the bride and bridesmaids.

Groomsmen

Groomsmen Candids

WHY WE OCCASIONALLY SECOND SHOOT FOR OTHERS

As Gina and I primarily shoot weddings as lead photographers, we occasionally work with our colleagues to help them out when they need it. We do this for a few reasons:

• As lead photographers, we all need help at one time or another and as our schedule permits we lend a hand to support each other
• It challenges us to work on our photojournalistic techniques without the pressure to capture the main events during the wedding
• The lead photographer is only one person, so having a second set of eyes allows the client to get some awesome images from different angles

Groomsmen at the tool shed

Villa overlooking El Teatro

Pre Wedding Bridal Prep With Her Watchful Ringbearer 

SIX VALUABLE TIPS TO BE AN AWESOME SECOND SHOOTER

Without further ado, here are some valuable second shooter tips I gathered from my most recent experience:

1. Make the primary photographer's job easier; don't be too proud to carry their bags/equipment
2. Set your ego aside and shoot what the lead photographer needs you to cover
3. When shooting in the same space, shoot with a different lens to give the client a different perspective
4. Be ready to shoot as if you were the primary photographer
5. Self-motivation is key; anticipate the emotions during each part of the day as the primary photographer will most likely be capturing the essential parts of the day
6. It's common courtesy to ask if you intend to use them for your own portfolio

Pre Wedding Groom Prep

Pre Wedding Groom Prep

Custom Suit for the Groom

Pre Wedding Groom Details

The Wedding Ceremony in El Teatro

DETAILS AND THE "IN BETWEEN" MOMENTS

Primary photographers rely on second shooters to get the details the bride and groom have taken countless hours and effort to make sure everything is perfect for their day. 

By the way, how cool are those personalized glass flasks for the groomsmen?

Dessert Table

Sweet and Saucy Shop Three Tiered Cake

Cocktail hour outside of the Grand Salon

The newlyweds introduced as husband and wife

Anticipate the raw emotions throughout the day to help tell the full story

Again, these are based on my experience and I hope these help you to become a better second shooter. I also want to say thanks again to Tommy for letting me hang out and rock this beautiful wedding!

Much love and Congrats again to Roxanne and Michael!

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