ging & glen's engagement session

ed September 10, 2007

commentator dude: ed

very much in love and very down to earth... as they should be because they're from hawaii. they brought over the aloha spirit during the shoot, which made me miss hawaii and its food. mmmm.... shaved ice with ice cream.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

additional commentary by: monica

ging & glen are high school sweethearts. they are originally from maui and recently relocated to orange county within the last few years. when asked about whether they'd like to return to their home state, ging said she'd love to raise her kids there. but first, they've gotta get married! and right now, they're engaged, which was the occasion for their shoot...

since their wedding will be on maui next year, this adorable couple wanted a true island feel for their e-session. sf is definitely far from hawaii but fortunately, there are places in this city tucked away that definitely have that tropical island feel. we chose stow lake in golden gate park for it's lush vegetation and awesome waterfall and the secluded rocky area of baker beach as the locations.

congratulations on your engagement, ging & glen! can't wait 'til your wedding next june!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

ka honi mai me ke aloha ~ and with love is a kiss

as if already on the island

enjoying the view together

"if you're going to san francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair..."

the e-ring

celebrating their love!

what's a trip to the beach without sand on your toes?

melissa and edler's wedding

ed September 10, 2007

commentator: monica

we knew that when we met melissa & edler, they would be throwing one elegant and organized event of a wedding. (okay, okay, so it was probably mostly because of melissa. =) with the help of leslie campbell of let's celebrate!, this dynamic twosome created a tropical oasis, in chocolate brown, cymbidium orchid green, and hot pink.

at the home melissa grew up in is where she prepared for the big day. we began our day, alongside videography team, monster crayons, where melissa and her gals beautified for the ceremony. at st. patrick in rodeo, we caught up with the guys just before the ceremony. it was a moment that this couple and their dearest family and friends had been waiting for for more 13 years. it was an emotional ceremony to, to say the least.

we arrived with time to spare before their reception would begin at caffe verbena in downtown oakland and had plenty of opportunity to photograph the 20 members of the bridal party. we made sure to take advantage of all the awesome architecture, sculptures, and surrounding high-rises in this modern urban site.

once the party began, the guests enjoyed plenty of gorgeous details, lots of laughter, plenty of dancing, and of course, more tear-filled emotions. melissa is definitely my kind of bride, as she had a cupcake tower from my all-time favorite cupcake bakery, teacake bakeshop in emeryville. "yummo," as rachael ray would say.

congratulations to the beautiful newlyweds, melissa & edler. may your marriage be as long as your best man randy's speech! =)

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

the lovely bride prepping for the day she's been waiting for! make-up/hair by florence kurniadi of fkjc creations.

splendid details

beautifully-designed invitation, program, and menu card by es designs

from middle school to marriage

angelic melodies provided by bertina mitchell. sweat and tears literally went into this wedding!

the ceremony

eyes only for each other

the entourage. flowers provided by bella bloom

now do you believe there were 20? count the frames!

stealing away for just a moment

gq & modern bride magazine shots

their awesome ceremony site. leslie's wedding night surprise for the newlyweds.

tropical details and cupcakes galore!!!!! lighting provided by: got light?

the moment he realized she's no longer daddy's little girl

the couple's first dance

time stands still

dad can't bear to watch. the tosses!

gettin' down on the dance floor! entertainment provided by: musicraze

vanessa and david's wedding

ed September 4, 2007

commentator: monica

we truly enjoyed our labor day weekend, being able to kick back, have some fun and good eats with our college friends (go bruins!), and not work. =) (if you ask eddie though, photography isn't work.) this past weekend, we attended the wedding of our good friends, vanessa & david.

just before their wedding, we were able to capture some candids of vanessa and her gals during their preparation for the big day. diane, who you may remember as one of the make-up artists whose work we photographed earlier this year, did an awesome job on make-up! it was truly lovely to know almost everyone getting ready or helping the gals get ready in vanessa's bridal suite.

vanessa and david were wed at the first presbyterian church in santa ana, ca, followed by their reception at los coyotes country club in buena park. as usual, we wanted to use creative lighting techniques but this time, we were shooting "us" or at least me with our friends. =) their wedding was definitely a sweet treat to us all, complete with a delicious candy buffet and a red cheese photobooth. oh man, do i love those things! check out one of the many pics we took below in the "behind the scenes" section.

congrats to the two of you, vanessa & david. hope you're having fun in bora bora! (don't forget to repack marge into your luggage before you leave.)

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

the beautiful wedding gown

vanessa and her mom (identical twins born 20 years apart)

vanessa's wedding day snack, featured along with the details

more details with plenty of bling!

portrait of vanessa in rollers

glamming it up to look like ms. pilipinas 2007 (swear she looked like a beauty queen!)

diane - these images are for you, you talented MUA (make-up artist)!

minda and evelyn

the wedding ceremony

our friends' group formal

we definitely needed these program fans to keep cool

the men

the ladies

details of the reception

first dance

our lovely friends

the best man's speech

abbie's maid of honor speech

bouquet toss plus more tosses

dancing all our pinkberry off

woohoo, you're married!

--------------------------------------------------------
new - BEHIND THE SCENES - new
--------------------------------------------------------

commentator: ed

monica and i are very fortunate to finally meet the ubber-talented ray and erwin from apertura (you guys should definitely check out their blog). these guys are located in southern california, but travel all over to shoot weddings. i love how they work because the move SOOO smoothly from one end of the dance floor to the other without being obtrusive at all. while shooting, i had to sneak in some shots of them in action because i know photographers that are fans as well as those just starting out in the biz would like to see these.

i also know that they caught some shots of us too... i wonder how embarrassing those will be. = /

our red cheese photo booth pic (that's steak in the first frame and
monica's slipper at the top of the third frame.)

andrya and mike's e-session

ed August 29, 2007

commentator: monica

we love it when our clients are as into photography as we are. andrya works in the photography industry and mike seems just to be as interested in photography as she. the two will be wed next year in hawaii, where mike is originally from. since they'll be getting plenty of wedding photos featuring the scenes from his home, andrya wanted to be sure to get great shots of the place she calls home, along with including scenery that ties in with her beach themed wedding. there's no better place for that than baker beach to feature the sf icon that is the wondrous golden gate bridge.

such naturals in front of the camera and lending such personalized ideas for shots, we can't wait to photograph the wedding of this beautiful couple. congrats on your engagement, andrya & mike!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

can you tell mike's a spider man fan? here's his version of the spidie upside down kiss

sweet caresses

a preview of their custom cake toppers

checking out the view. they definitely like what they see!

inseparable

mike's rockstar pose & andrya's model headshot

--------------------------------------------------------
new - BEHIND THE SCENES - new
--------------------------------------------------------

commentator: ed

so i've been collecting these behind the scenes photos of our adventures. i really enjoy them, but the problem is that no body else gets a chance to, sometimes not even monica, since this is all weeded out when i'm doing the post-processing of the photos. what i'd like to do from time to time is include somethings like these to kinda show you how dorky we really are and what we have to go through or do in order to get the shot. = )

my brother jeff, a.k.a "hammy" usually attends our e-sessions and some local weddings to help his ubber-cool brother, me. he helps out a ton with lifting gear as well as climbing jagged rocks to hold up lights and will even shoot on occasion.

jen & ron's wedding

ed August 28, 2007

commentator: monica

our usual clients love photos more than the average. jen, is one who "throws the curve off" and has an undeniable, incurable photo fetish. (seriously, she even updated her myspace page with photos from her wedding in less than 24 hours!) and as much as she loves taking pictures, she loves the color red, which was included prominently in the wedding decor of their wedding. she even had red trim on her dress and veil and even her shoes were red! jen & ron were wed on a gorgeous day at rancho solano in fairfield, ca.

we started our day off by photographing ron during the "downtime" of the morning. the groom's prep place is usually pretty quiet and ron's was even more quiet since he put on the last few pieces of his attire in his parents' backyard. with the entire outfit white, we made sure to include some color in the backgrounds.

the brides' prep place, of course, is much more of a bustling scenario and jen's was no different, as not only were her bridesmaids there but it became the meeting spot for her extended family and the groom and groomsmen to catch a ride to the venue. fortunately, the lovely couple's home, which they recently purchased, is large enough to accommodate lots of people and a couple of sneaky cats who were too curious to stay in their designated room.

their beautiful, heartfelt ceremony was followed by a quick trip to the lake, under the willow tree, which is a scenic spot for all the weddings at rancho solano. and to make our trip even quicker, we were given the keys to borrow two golf carts to drive around the course. sweet!

the reception included lots of festivities with a surprise hula performance by chelsea, one of jen's bridesmaids (whose wedding we'll be shooting next year), live entertainment provided by jen's dad's band, and even a solo number sung excellently by the multi-talented jen. it seemed like the fun would never end, with the dance floor full the entire night. jen & ron definitely know how to throw a party!

congratulations, jen & ron! hope you had an awesome time on maui!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

ron's white attire, with a little color

"captain morgan" pose

the ring and the red details

getting into her gown, with the help of tracy, her maid of honor and sister

the beautiful entourage, playin' it up for the camera "jen style!"

at the venue, just before the ceremony

the walk down the aisle

after over 10 years, the moment is here with plenty of tears of joy!

the stunning wedding party

the magnificent willow tree and lake

yummy cake by sue faina. check out the hilarious wedding topper!

speeches

chelsea's surprise performance

jen's performance with the band

jen's bridal fashion shot. she's such a great model!

kelly and ben's wedding

ed August 21, 2007

commentator: monica

you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day in tahoe for kelly & ben's wedding with an awesome summer breeze and the bluest of blue skies. ahhh... nothing like that fresh mountain air with a hint of pine. we arrived early saturday morning at the plumpjack inn, situated in squaw valley's olympic village, and considered one of the top 50 ski hotels in this continent. this gem boasts award-winning cuisine, whimsical decor, and combines the best of both worlds of a ski lodge and fine resort.

kelly, to some, may be considered an "unconventional bride." she donned flowers in her hair instead of a veil. she opted out of the traditional tosses of the bouquet and garter and even decided on a dessert buffet instead of a traditional wedding cake. kelly had a beautiful wedding gown that was floor length with no train. when guests reminded her to avoid getting her dress dirty, she nonchalantly carried on, not minding any traces of dirt on her dress, even so far as to do the worm. yes, this bride actually got down on her stomach and wiggled her way across the dance floor.

kelly's relaxed composure resembled ben's own during the preparation for the day. even when word got out that there may be delays due to a fire on highway 99, he didn't seem phased one bit. his friends seemed to be adding to his laid-back attitude, as they were very much eager to goof off in front of the camera.

the theme of their wedding was "nature," with their rock place "cards" and woven twig arch. how fitting this theme was not only in the physical adornment of the venue but through the couple's presence and the vibe in the actual ceremony and reception. kelly & ben's ceremony was as lovely and easygoing as the two of them are, personalizing their vows with humor and honesty. and their reception was definitely as fun for them as it was for their guests.

congratulations on your marriage, kelly & ben!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

sunflare kiss shot

the ladies getting ready

and she thinks she's not photogenic! what a gorgeous bride and lovely bridesmaids!!

details of the rings, the infamous "medallions," and the vows

the gentlemen getting ready. check out ben, who is quite handy with the needle and
thread, as he resews one of his jacket buttons on.

the handsome and goofy fellows

walking down the aisle

the ceremony

who doesn't love a jumping shot?!

the beautiful venue

kelly's (and now ben's) dad's heartfelt and humorous speech

the fun-loving guests

what?! their first dance wasn't a ballad or a ballroom dance routine?!
told ya this couple is nontraditional. their dance had everyone cheering!

their guests looooved to dance!

proof that the bride actually did the worm in her dress! =)

We've been tagged!

ed August 15, 2007

thanks, bobbi+mike, for tagging us in this blog game for photographers.

the rules are for me to share eight interesting facts about me, and pass this along to eight other photographers to do the same. here's some random trivia about us.

we both have full-time jobs outside of photography. and yes, we know that's a little crazy!
we have a love for all things that live in the sea and are edible when raw. read: sushi-holics!
ed's fave tv shows: build it bigger, dirty jobs, ninja warrior; monica's faves: 30 rock, heroes, grey's anatomy, cash cab, good eats
ed's fave color: yellow; monica's fave: red
we attended rival high schools in the same town and each think we went to the "better" high school.
we have a mini weiner dog named "lola," which means "grandma" in tagalog (filipino). and no, we didn't name her.
we love salsa dancing & snowboarding... not at the same time, though.
ed's childhood fave food: carabao (buffalo) milk over rice sprinkled with sea salt; monica's childhood/current fave food: granny smith apple slides dipped in salt & vinegar

here are the eight photographers that we're tagging. all have commented on the blog at least once… so hopefully they'll see their name here. check their blogs to see!

feel free to share your interesting facts about yourselves, readers!

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

linh and ryan's wedding

ed August 14, 2007

commentator: monica

we had the awesome honor to photograph the wedding of linh & ryan this past weekend at the decathlon in santa clara. we started our day at linh's parents' home for the "bridal prep" shots, however, instead of preparing to wear her wedding gown, linh changed into her bridal "ao dai" (traditional Vietnamese dress). her large family joined us at the home for the arrival of ryan and his family for the gift exchange ceremony. both their families are great folks and we really enjoyed all the festivities (and great food, might i add)!

this adorable and super sweet couple decided to substitute their e-session for a wedding party session at stanford university, where the beautiful bride and her maids brought along parasols that we really got creative with. we especially love all the beautiful colors of the dresses.

afterwards, we headed over to the decathlon, where the females of the wedding party changed into their ceremony attire. this couple created an event to celebrate not only their love for one another but their love for their family and friends, the beach, and movies. they definitely know how to throw a great party and their family members definitely know how to enjoy one!

congratulations on your union, linh & ryan!

entertainment by: joel nelson productions
cake by: margaret's french bakery

//ed pingol
707.334.1468
edpingol@gmail.com
edpingol.blogspot.com

as if they're the only two in the world