Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

Planning one wedding can be a monumental task. Couples spend hours trying to find the perfect dress, venue, catering, decorations, and more. Now for an Indian wedding, multiply all that by four, five, or even seven or more times. That’s just how much preparation goes into this intricate occassion and Rydhima and Sirtaj did it in one of the most beautiful and unique ways possible.

Smita Mohindra of Ethnic Essence designed the Mehdni and Reception night which is shown in the pictures below. Almost all of the reception details were custom made to match the couple’s specifications. To mix things up, their grand entrance consisted of a magician making them appear out of an empty box.

Throughout the celebration Rydhima and Sirtaj were always so caring and thoughtful of their guests who were coming from all around the world. Never did they put themselves first that’s what we admired most about this couple. Their patience and love for their family was truly something that Katrina and I look up to.

Check out their slideshow here or by scrolling to the bottom of the post

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

Originally Carol and Jason wanted to be photographed in an open field, but changed their minds last minute to shoot at the Salton Sea. Once a vacation destination, the Salton Sea is now filled with abandoned structures and miles of dead fish caused by the high salinity levels in the lake. Despite the stench and strong wind, Carol and Jason were up to do anything for the shot which made for some of the most unique we have ever made.

Their wedding is coming up just around the corner and we can’t wait to document their intimate wedding at the Ritz.

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Katrina Santos

Dana and John’s day began by taking in the beautiful architecture of Pasadena City Hall for their first look. Next, we all walked across Pasadena together to the gorgeous First Baptist Church where the two exchanged vows amongst the large organs and grand chandeliers of the chapel.

The long anticipated party was just around the corner at the hip Noor. The reception began with an unforgettable surprise dance performance by John. As the night went on, we witnessed one of the most epic dance battles between their friends and family. This was ultimately the perfect way to get the dance floor started to party the night away!

Dana and John’s fun, adventure-seeking, and carefree personalities were translated into their wedding perfectly. The aspect they looked forward to most were their activities, which included caricature artists, a photobooth, and gourmet cookie sandwiches by Coolhaus.

At first glance you would think that Dana and John have just started their relationship, when in fact they have been dating for almost a decade. They laugh hysterically together and are always walking on cloud nine. We have no doubt that this will continue on for the rest of their lives.

Check out their slideshow here or by scrolling to the bottom of the post.

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

June last year on a Los Angeles rooftop the couple celebrated Barbara’s birthday amidst their closest friends. Out of the blue a drag queen dressed as Beyonce put on a surprise show to “Single Ladies.” After the performance Barbara listened to Beyonce’s wise words and “put a ring on it.”

Their engagement truly represents how spontaneous, charismatic, and loving this couple is. Their energy combined with LACMA’s unique backdrops made it so effortless to shoot. Katrina and I can’t wait for their special day coming up this July.

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

Parag is a good friend of ours and an owner of Los Angeles DJ and lighting company Special Occasions LA. Katrina and I were incredibly humbled when Parag asked us to photograph his wedding, especially since he knows so many talented photographers in the industry.

Our day spent out in San Diego can be summed up in one word: epic. After a few beach shots we found ourselves sneaking past security guards at the Andaz Hotel and talking our way out of trouble. Right when we thought the night was over, Parag ended up convincing a security guard to take us to highest point in San Diego. I conquered my two fears of heights and ladders in order to achieve the first shot in the post. I can’t thank Parag and Sabina enough for the truly memorable night. If this is a taste of what the wedding is going to be like we cannot wait.

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

Diana is a talented musician who we bumped into while working a wedding together last year. The three of us immediately had a connection and within only a few months we would be a getting an e-mail asking us to shoot her own wedding.

Victor works for Disney and they both love the park so it was a no brainer to take some photos at the “Happiest Place on Earth.” Along with taking photos we had long talks about the history of the park, Japanese restaurants, and their upcoming wedding at the Chart House. By the end of the night Katrina and I felt like we were hanging out with long time friends.

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

When Linda described her honeymoon in Belize to us it was quite the opposite of most people’s idea of relaxing on the beach and doing absolutely nothing. Instead the couple opted to make every minute an adventure during their stay in Belize, spending many of their days snorkeling, zip lining, hiking, and exploring the city.

Much like Linda and Julio’s honeymoon, their wedding day was a jam packed affair. Their special day spanned nineteen hours and included two ceremonies and a festive reception. Despite the duration of the event, their thoughtful, genuine, and considerate personalities still shined all day which made it all the more pleasure to document.

Lind and Julio thank you for all the smiles, laughs, and tears throughout the day. We couldn’t have asked for a better wedding to start 2012.

Check out their slideshow here or by scrolling to the bottom of the post

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

Many of our clients are architects, designers, and even photographers. Shooting a creative professional’s weddings is an intimidating experience, mostly because they will notice the small details that most people don’t. So when award winning photographers Karen and Ed Atrero asked us to document their intimate ten year anniversary across the world, Katrina and I knew we were going to be put to the test.

Of course when we finally landed in the Philippines and saw Karen, Ed, and their two adorable children Amelie and Julien all of the anxiety went away. At that point we knew the journey was going to be nothing short of amazing. As an added bonus, the wedding took place in a country that brings us back to Katrina’s roots. All of the guests spent an incredible three days exploring the island home to the Tarsier monkeys, Chocolate Hills, and breathtaking tropical views.

On the wedding day we experienced one of the strongest downpours we’ve ever encountered. Luckily enough, the skies cleared shortly after the ceremony for our portrait session at the oldest church on the island, Baclayon Church. Our hotel and reception site was the gorgeous Peacock Garden which had some stellar customer service and breathtaking views.

These two hold a special place in our hearts not only as friends but also as mentors and a constance source of inspiration. We still feel incredibly honored to have been there to witness and document this very special moment in their lives. Here’s to another ten more years!

Check out their slideshow here or by scrolling to the bottom of the post

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

You never know where you’re going to meet your future spouse. For Karina and Chris, it just so happened to be at a barbecue. Since they’re both foodies, we decided to do the engagement session at the Lab and the Camp which has some of their favorite restaurants. Chris even proposed to Karina over a box of Mario Batali’s famous Mozza pizza.

Chris is a local DJ who plays at many local clubs and wanted the same type of atmosphere for their wedding. Their venue of choice is the Mark which is a completely customizable space. Our very own Capture POD will be one of the forms of entertainment that night. Katrina and I can’t wait for the big party in November!

Check out more of their engagement photos on our Facebook fan page.

Photographed by Brandon Wong and Katrina Santos. Written by Brandon Wong

Mimi and Jeff have a big heart and it shows with how they treat their friends, family, and their dog “Ho Ho.” Despite meeting them just once we were already invited to their rehearsal dinner where we had the chance to meet their closest guests. In fact it was the same place where Jeff’s parents were married years ago.

What happened on the wedding day was a flurry of emotion, love, dancing, and plenty of drinks. The party at the Luxe Hotel Sunset actually ended up being one of the wildest nights we have ever witnessed. We also brought our very own StudioBooth, an open air photo booth complete with photographer. You can check out some of the party here.