andrya and mike's e-session

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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



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new - BEHIND THE SCENES - new
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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

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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

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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!

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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.

1. we both have full-time jobs outside of photography. and yes, we know that's a little crazy!
2. we have a love for all things that live in the sea and are edible when raw. read: sushi-holics!
3. 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
4. ed's fave color: yellow; monica's fave: red
   
5. we attended rival high schools in the same town and each think we went to the "better" high school.
   
6. we have a mini weiner dog named "lola," which means "grandma" in tagalog (filipino). and no, we didn't name her.
   
7. we love salsa dancing & snowboarding... not at the same time, though.
8. 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!

• erwin wijanto
  
• louis palos
  
• jonathan canlas
• bumatay aka boom boom
  
• mike fulton
  
• melissa
  
• apertura
• mark eric
  

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

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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



enjoying a summer stroll



the entourage



the beautiful ao dai



twirling the parasols around



the men



i love sunflares



the happy couple in love



veiled silhouette & ring shot



hand in hand



the toasts and their family



the cute little flower girl



first dance