brandonwong's blog

Ellen + Brandon | Wedding at the Black Gold Golf Club

brandonwong — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:31:45 +0000

I never told them this, but for some reason I felt as if I knew Ellen and Brandon my entire life. That’s probably one of the reasons why we were in such close contact right after they booked us last fall. I remember Ellen frantically telling me that it was going to rain on the day of her wedding, but it turned out to be a beautiful and sunny day. I knew everything in the end was going to work out Ellen. I’m still waiting to see those pictures you took of every course at The French Laundry even though I told you not to. That’s my job!

Katrina’s photo below

Katrina’s photo below

Katrina’s photo below

Katrina’s photo below

Katrina’s photo below

Click the play button in the middle or click here to view the slideshow

New Website!

brandonwong — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:21:07 +0000

Months in the making, here is the brand new portfolio site. I hope you guys enjoy it.

You can bookmark it here: http://www.brandonwongphotography.com

Ai Ling + Nicholas | Wedding, Singapore, Jewel Box

brandonwong — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:08:19 +0000

It’s amazing where life can take you at times. Out of all the places in the world, I would have never thought I would shoot a wedding in Singapore, and what an experience it was. Even though their coverage lasted a whopping thirteen hours starting at 5:30AM, not a single minute seemed like work. Ai Ling and Nicholas were world class hosts and treated us like family throughout our stay.

After we had taken all the formal pictures many of the guests had left and it was just us and a few other close guests. As we were mingling Nicholas quietly told me that our plans to take some more portraits at their apartment was a lie. He had actually booked a suite for the both of them at the Ritz Carlton and was planning on taking her after the wedding. Seven of us packed into a tiny car and drove a blindfolded Ai Ling to the Ritz. She had no idea what was going on and was thoroughly surprised. They spent the next two weeks traveling to Japan and Hong Kong and are now back and ready to start their life together.

Katrina’s photo below

Click the play button in the middle or go here to view the slideshow

Neetu + Neil | Reception, Beverly Wilshire

brandonwong — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:32:03 +0000

Located right across the street from the world famous Rodeo Drive, Neetu and Neil’s reception at the Beverly Wilshire was a party to be reckoned with. I witnessed LA’s finest live band, ballroom dancers, a dozen violinists, performers on pillars, and even a kids room with a custom take home Neetu and Neil coloring book… this night had it all. Now this next part may sound cheesy, but Neetu and Neil’s connection and love for each other outdid all of the spectacles and entertainment that night. Even after eight events I am still in awe of their genuine caring for each other and for the friends and family around them. Thank you for such a wonderful evening and I hope you all enjoy their final blog post.

Event planning by the amazing Jonathan Reeves of International Event Company, DJ by Special Occasions -DJ / Lighting / Production, flowers by the world famous Mark’s Garden, and live music provided by James’ Gang and Karin Lapidot

Neetu + Neil | Ceremony, Four Seasons, Beverly Hills

brandonwong — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:44:36 +0000

Day two of their wedding was an intimate ceremony held at the elegant Four Seasons hotel. Unlike their usual colorful events, the ceremony was toned down to a calm white and green. The outdoor hindi ceremony consisted of many rituals which lasted for almost two hours. A quick fact: The mandap (stage) is considered sacred once the ceremony is initiated. That meant that everyone including myself were to take their shoes off before stepping on it. It was my first time at a wedding shooting in my socks, which was a little comfortable and relaxing to be completely honest. A small reception followed, but the real party was to start the next day.

Monique Powers did a great job with hair and makeup. Celebrity videographers Steve, Greg, and their crew at VidiCam were great guys and a pleasure to work with.

Neetu and Neil had their first look before the ceremony

Neetu and Neil exchanging garlands. This signifies their acceptance of each other as husband and wife

Tradition is that the women steal the groom’s shoes in an effort to ask for money. The groom must oblige if he wants to go home and see his wife.

Neil attempting to barter for a better price. Apparently a few 20s were not enough

Neetu + Neil | Mehndi, Tanzore, Beverly Hills

brandonwong — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:29:58 +0000

If you have been keeping tabs with Neetu and Neil’s events, you will be glad to know their last (and most important) three events out of a whopping total of eight has finally arrived. The first day consisted with the Mehndi, a ritual where the bride’s hands and feet are applied with henna. Neil’s name was also secretly written somewhere in the intricate patterns. I had the most difficult time finding it until she pointed the discreetly written name on her finger. Neetu was also gifted bangles from her uncle, who then put them on her arm. Coincidentally they decided to hold the event on New Year’s Eve. A fun night was bound to follow.

Ai Ling + Nicholas | Engagement, Singapore

brandonwong — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:40:49 +0000

It was our first time in Singapore when Ai Ling and Nicholas showed us around the city. We started the day off at a local fishing spot where they once camped out on a rainy new years eve to watch the nearby boats light up the sky with fireworks. After that was a whirlwind of eating local foods and sightseeing. One of the day’s highlights was visiting their unfinished apartment in Singapore’s highest residential building at fifty stories. Their apartment is on the 47th floor, with a great view to boot. We ended the night close to midnight with a full stomach and with a better knowledge of the small city they call home.

Katrina found this great location below

LAX

brandonwong — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:06:08 +0000

I am leaving tonight to visit Hong Kong right before my wedding in Singapore. See you all when I get back on the 19th. Farewell California!

Ellen + Brandon | Engagement, Bouchon, Beverly Hills

brandonwong — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:29:06 +0000

Ellen is a foodie who is in love with Thomas Keller, so naturally we would start our engagement session off at Keller’s new Bouchon in Beverly Hills. To all you Keller fans out there, Ellen received a call the other day confirming her reservation his most famous restaurant, The French Laundry. From all the excitement I have been getting from Ellen, I am positive that the dinner will be the highlight of their honeymoon in Napa. Jerry the assistant general manager at Bouchon and was very accommodating and even gave us complimentary wine and champagne throughout our stay. Afterwards we walked across the street to the gorgeous Montage hotel and experienced their breathtaking tea room. To end the day, we drove over to Japan Town in an attempt to eat the famous Daikokuya ramen. Upon our arrival we found out that we were the 22nd party on the waiting list, so we decided to eat somewhere else. Coincidentally the next day Katrina and I bumped into the couple at Mitsuwa getting their ramen that we couldn’t get the other day. They had just signed their marriage license and are now well on their way to their wedding in February.

Maria + Dieter | Wedding, Almansor Court, Los Angeles

brandonwong — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:44:55 +0000

The past two days my entire life has been consumed with one thing: New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I haven’t touched any video games recently mostly due to my overwhelming schedule, but this one was just too much fun. So about an hour ago I received a call from Maria + Dieter while I was playing the game with Katrina. It turns out they also shared my addiction to the game, along with sushi, and Disneyland. In fact, the day after their wedding they made a trip over to the “happiest place on earth,” but it turned out to be one of the rainiest and wet days I had ever seen in California. Despite that, they said the trip was still tons of fun.

This crazy in love couple’s relationship started online. After three years of dating, they agreed that they were the ones that they wanted to share their lives with and decided to elope. Since they were already officially married, Maria + Dieter held this ceremony and reception mostly for family. Although from watching their longing faces during the ceremony and the way they held each other on the dance floor, I would have never guessed that the couple was married beforehand.

Now if you don’t mind Maria, I might have to come over with Katrina and play some four-way Mario with you guys.

Katrina’s photo below