The Royal Wedding

With an estimated billion viewers for tomorrow's Royal Wedding, where will you be witnessing this historical moment?

Family Portraits

Last month, my family had the wonderful opportunity to be photographed by the splendid Lisa Lefkowitz. We took advantage of the beautiful lighting in between storms, right outside our home in Redwood Shores. Lisa used all film to capture the glorious moments of my family together, which we will surely cherish for years to come....thank you Lisa!

We're Featured in Modern Bride China!

What a delightful surprise it was to know that one of our weddings from the Asian Art Museum was recently featured in the China version of Modern Bride magazine! We do work with a lot of couples living in Asia to plan their destination weddings, so we really appreciate this press. Thank you again to the talented team of Event Professionals who worked hard to produce this beautiful wedding for Emily and Leonard:

Venue: Asian Art Museum
Photography--Lisa Lefkowitz
Caterer--McCall's
String Quartet--Nob Hill String Ensembles
DJ--Carl Mindling
Floral Designer--Kathleen Deery
Lighting and Draping--Enhanced Lighting
Rentals--Classic Party Rentals
Dance Instructor--Cynthia Glinka
Makeup/Hair Stylist--Taylor Pham
Wedding Cake--Flours
Transporation--Pure Luxury

Wedding At The Asian Art Museum

Our 2010 wedding season ended with a remarkable wedding at one of our favorite venues--the beautiful Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. I am unable to post photos, because it will be featured in the 2012 issue of Brides magazine, but I am excited to share with you the 3 minute highlight from their cinematographer Weddings on Film.


Asian Art Museum Wedding :: Minnie + Brian :: Highlight from Justin Ferar, Weddings on Film on Vimeo.

Off To Pebble Beach Resorts

Receiving an invitation to a FAM trip is one of the nicest perks of my job. A FAM trip is a familiarization trip to a specific venue, where we learn all about the site and what it takes to plan an event there. For the next two days, I will be discovering the beautiful Pebble Beach Resorts and all that it has to offer for weddings and events. Pebble Beach Resorts has three accommodations options--The Lodge At Pebble Beach, The Inn At Spanish Bay, and Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach. I will be staying at Casa Palmero for 2 nights, though our 2 day itinerary includes experiences at all three locations. Ofcourse, I will report back dutifully after this FAM trip, to share with all of you the discovers that I make on this promising journey!

A Story Behind Your Engagement Photos

Engagement photos are taken prior to the wedding day, and is a great chance for couples to establish a rapport with their photographer. Engagement photo sessions are generally more fun and spontaneous than the wedding day itself, because there is no intense timeline to follow, guests to interrupt, or those nervous shingles that is so commonly felt. Photographers love to use this opportunity to get to know the couple--what makes them comfortable, the dynamics between the couple, and very importantly, what makes them laugh.

Augie Chang is an extraordinary photographer known for his fun, easy going approach. With his charismatic personality, he always manages to put his couples at ease, while having a good time. I recall quite vividly that one of our mutual clients was a couple that was quite reserved, and had camera-shy personalities. Yet, I witnessed how Augie managed to make them feel totally comfortable in front of the camera, smiling, laughing, and acting completely natural.

I love it when an engagement shoot tells a personal story of the couple. This happens as a collaborative effort between the couple and their photographer, as they strive to pick a location that is meaningful, and capture in images a story that tells who they are as a couple.

Thank you Augie, for sharing with us one of your favorite engagement shoots. Here is the backstory from Augie:

Melissa and Alex are both San Franciscans. San Francisco is their home and where they lived their adult lives together. When they were thinking about locations for their engagement sessions, they wanted it to reflect where they live, who they are and where they spend their couple time together. Melissa and Alex gravitated towards areas with colors and diversity.

The process of finalizing on a location is something that I work very closely with my couples on. Usually, couples do not know the exact spots to be photographed, or what to do during their engagement session, so that's when I come in and offer my expertise. I like to understand a little bit more about my couple's likes and dislikes before I make any suggestions. After a long discussion of their taste, I then suggest a few locations that I have in mind that fits their description. Each engagement session is unique to my couples and they are custom tailored to their needs and personalities. It's definitely an art!

The reason why I suggested the Mission District for Melissa and Alex is because they both like diversity. Mission District in San Francisco is colorful and diverse in terms of people and what it has to offer. From bars to cafes to high-end restaurants, it was the perfect area to capture who they are. We even went into Bi-Rite supermarket to capture some of the colorful fruits and vegetables! I am all about having a GREAT time AND creating unforgettable memories for them.

Styling For Your Wedding Day

I was completely determined to keep up with my blog while I was vacationing in Beijing last week, but I had no idea that China restricted access to Blogger! I was also unable to access Facebook and Twitter, so the silver lining of that was, ofcourse, the ability to really focus on getting some R & R for myself.

I had a great time in Beijing, but the polluted air felt toxic at times. It made me really appreciate the lovely weather that we have most of the time here in Northern California, and I was happy to come back to the Spring sunshine.

To end the week, I thought I'd post on a topic that is a priority for every bride--their wedding day 'look'. If you think about it, everything comes down to how the bride looks on her wedding day. How she looks will undoubtedly affect how she feels, and how she feels will dictate the mood of the day for everyone, from her bridesmaids to her guests to the vendors working at her wedding. The million dollar question is, 'How does a bride go about finding the perfect look for herself, for this very important day where the spotlight will inevitably be focused on her?'

I decided to ask Joey Cheung of JBeautique, a talented makeup and hair stylist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jubilee: How should a bride go about in picking the right hair and makeup style for their wedding day look?

Joey: Style is something that is very personal, and the truth is, everyone knows what they like/dislike. When brides come to me telling me that they don't know what they like, I find that what they actually mean is that they don't quite know how to convey it in words. Therefore, I always ask brides to bring me pictures that illustrates the styles that they are drawn to when they think of their wedding day look. From those images, I help them assess whether a certain style is appropriate for them, based on a number of factors such as the overall style of their wedding, their dress, their skin tone, and their hair texture. It is a fun, collaborative effort, where I use my professional experience to guide and advice them, while listening carefully to what it is they want. 

Jubilee: How far in advance should a bride start in preparing their hair and skin for their wedding day? What are some of your preparation tips?

Joey: Brides should start preparing their hair and skin as soon as they are engaged! I honestly believe in 'you reap what you sow'. It is never too early, or too late, to start caring for your skin. If you like a hairstyle that requires a longer length in your hair, then give it some time to grow! Although we use hair extensions all the time to add length, we always recommend using your natural hair if possible. This may sound cliche, but the best preparation tip is simple: maintain a healthy diet and exercise. Nothing is more important than having hydrated skin. Drink your 8 glasses of water each day, and invest in good, hydrating skin care products while staying consistent with your skin care routine. If you are going to color or highlight your hair, you should plan on doing that 2 weeks prior to your wedding. That way, it will still be fresh for the wedding day, but if God forbids the color comes out wrong, there is still enough time to make changes!

Jubilee: Should a bride decide on the type of hairstyle and makeup for her bridesmaids?

Joey: I truly believe that communication is key. Being asked to be a bridesmaid is an honor, but brides should understand that it also takes time, money, and commitment to be a bridesmaid. Therefore, the worse thing a bride can do is to dictate what dresses the bridesmaids should buy and how they should wear their makeup and hair. You want to be considerate of them; after all, you asked them to be your bridesmaids because they are the closest friends you have, right? If your bridesmaids have different body types, you want to pick a style that can be flattering for everyone. This is why many brides today choose different style dresses for each of their bridesmaids. The same goes for their hair and makeup--be observant toward each girl's preference on how they normally wear their makeup and hair. Then, let them know the look you're going for in terms of your wedding style, and ask if they feel comfortable with a certain makeup or hair style that you have in mind. It is worth noting that it is best to communicate all this prior to the wedding day!

Jubilee: If a bride cannot have her makeup and hair stylist stay for the entire duration of the wedding, what are your tips for touching up throughout the day and evening?

Joey: If a bride had her hair and makeup styled and applied professionally, it should last the whole day with minimal touch ups. However, it is useful to carry the following items with you: blotting paper (this is especially important for those with oily skin, and should be used before any power touch ups), powder, blush, lipstick, lipgloss, and cotton swabs. Start by blotting the face with blotting paper, lightly roll cotton swab under eyes to remove any trace of smear, powder the face, reapply the blush, lipstick, and gloss. Also, carry some extra U-pins and bobby pins for your hair.

Thanks Joey, for taking the time to answer some of these frequently asked questions from brides! Below are some photographs of beautiful brides that had their makeup and hair styled by Joey.

Left: Photo by Geoff White Photography | Right: Photo by Kevin Chin Photography