Legendary Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles Sets the Stage for Jessica & Brandon’s Wedding As The Perfect Blend of Glamour, Romance & Tradition With Ceremony at Holy Family Church in Pasadena

It was a happy accident that Jessica & Brandon found us…they had visited a venue that referred us, and although they didn’t choose that venue for their wedding reception, once we met, they did choose us to capture their day.

Park Plaza Hotel-Wedding-Black & White

Jessica is one of the most organized brides we have ever met, her work for university fundraising and event planning (yes, this Trojan must admit she works for UCLA) really showed in her attention to detail.  The beautiful program you see here was not only made by hand by Jessica and her bridesmaids-they were done over the summer-well in advance of her January 25, 2014 wedding date.

Brandon is an Apple guy, currently working in our own Valencia Apple Store- we hope the irony of the timeline of human evolution shot of all the groomsmen in front of the church isn’t lost…the top of the evolutionary chain is the iPhone!  We just couldn’t resist.

Wedding-Evolution Chain-Holy Family Church-Pasadena

Holy Family Church in Pasadena is just spectacular!

Jessica's personal touches were evident everywhere- don't miss the elegant table settings in the magnificent ballroom at the legendary Park Plaza Hotel, which by the way, is adjacent to MacArthur Park-where we actually got a shot with the downtown skyline and vibrant blue evening sky before the party began.  The architecture was amazing and we just could not be more thrilled with the results.Brandon is an Apple guy, currently working in our own Valencia Apple Store- we hope the irony of the timeline of human evolution shot of all the groomsmen in front of the church isn't lost...the top of the evolutionary chain is the iPhone!  We just couldn't resist.

The Bridal Party was so much fun to work with!

Joly Family Church-Pasadena-Bridal Party

Jessica’s personal touches were evident everywhere- don’t miss the elegant table settings in the magnificent ballroom at the legendary Park Plaza Hotel, which by the way, is adjacent to MacArthur Park-where we actually got a shot with the downtown skyline and vibrant blue evening sky before the party began.  The architecture was amazing and we just could not be more thrilled with the results.

MacArthur Park-Wedding-Park Plaza Hotel

Park Plaza Hotel-Wedding-Los Angeles

Private Dance

Private Dance

Here is just a sampling of some of the beautiful details and the amazing ballroom at the Park Plaza Hotel.

The perfect ending to a perfect day!

Perfect Ending to a Perfect Wedding

Perfect Ending to a Perfect Wedding

Bel Air Bay Club Is The Perfect Location For Kirsten & Brandon’s Storybook Wedding

We had the honor to capture the priceless moments at the wedding of Kirsten and Brandon Caro during this past summer at the  spectacular Bel Air Bay Club in the Pacific Palisades. If there were two words to describe these two, it would be ‘fun loving’.  Here’s a little background story about this couple. Kirsten had been a flower girl at her aunt’s wedding that we photographed over 20 years ago.  Although Kirsten’s mom was secretly hoping the couple would choose us again, she kept mum, and was thrilled when the kids told her she had selected R & R on their own.

The view from above of the beautiful ceremony overlooking the ocean

The view from above of the beautiful ceremony overlooking the ocean

Our first to photograph these two was in Carpentaria for their engagement photos. Kirsten certainly is a crafty one!  She had made her own props and even used seashells to mark the special day. When it was time for the wedding, we were excited to see what these two would come up with. The wedding was held on a beautiful Friday evening. Being a local bride, she used some of the top vendors in the Santa Clarita Valley.   Ariel Schumow did the ladies’  makeup, Matrimony Films filmed the day, and Joyful Noise  provided the entertainment and DJ services.

A romantic kiss on the balcony of the Bel Air Bay Club

A romantic kiss on the balcony of the Bel Air Bay Club

To continue with the beachy theme for the wedding, there were seashells as place cards, sand dollars as favors, and the whole event overlooked the ocean. The details were phenomenal, and most were made by the bride. There were beautiful handmade signs throughout the whole event.   They also had a customized sand ceremony that tied in perfectly with their beach theme.  This sweet twosome also wrote their own vows sharing the most intimate promises and devotions to each other for all the guests to witness.

As the night went on, this fun-loving bunch of family and friends really had a good time. People were having a blast with the photo booth the couple provided. Guests had the opportunity to browse their beautiful engagement pictures in the customized guest book they had us create for everyone to sign. The table numbers were named after beaches and the sweetheart table was the ‘Jamaica’ table, as that was the location of the newlywed’s honeymoon. Details, details, details! Kirsten did a fantastic job of carrying the theme throughout their special day. One of the most beautiful moments of the night was when Brandon played his guitar and sang to his new wife. It is a moment like that you can tell the deepness of one’s love.

The evening wrapped up with a magical sparkler farewell and the couple lived happily ever after. We had marvelous time capturing the special moments of this genuinely sweet and loving couple’s special day. We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness.

Wishing the newlywed wed with a sparkler send off

Wishing the newlywed wed with a sparkler send off

Romantic Backyard Wedding in Santa Clarita of Maria & Lalo

We have known Maria & Lalo for quite a while.  They  first met us at their cousin’s wedding we photographed several years ago.  Their wedding was originally scheduled for last June, but Maria’s deployment to Iraq forced them to push the wedding ahead for a year.  Lalo is a Marina recruiter and Maria is in the U.S. Army.  Their adorable daughter Isabella is a student.  Maria’s cousins graciously offered their beautiful Santa Clarita hilltop home for the intimate ceremony and fun filled reception.  Isabella was a very important participant in the planning and execution of this perfect day.  And yes, Lalo’s tears were real when he saw his beautiful bride.  We were proud to share this amazing day with this special couple and their family.

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New Composites Displayed at the Bellisima Bride Bridal Show at the Hyatt Regency Valencia on August 7, 2011

It has been a busy few weeks getting ready for the Bellisima Bride Bridal Show at the Hyatt Regency last Sunday.  It was a great show, with lots of brides searching out the perfect vendors for their weddings.  One of the new things we previewed at the show was a new format composite on metallic paper as well as a new magazine style album on metallic paper with a full wraparound cover.  We were able to utilize our dynamic new watermark that David Soltes of  Ten20 Creative Marketing designed for us.  Thanks again for your help…as always your work is awesome.

Our logo watermark was designed by David Soltes of :  Ten20 Creative Marketing

Alison & Tony’s Wedding at Valencia Country Club- A Magical Evening Under the Stars

We learned during one of the toasts at Alison & Tony’s reception that the first time Alison met Tony’s family was when she was invited to dinner at their house.  Being the Alison that we know and love, she had to bring a dessert- and it had to be special and homemade.  She chose lemon meringue pie- even though she had never made one before.  I guess what turned out had little resemblance to an actual lemon meringue pie.  Her pie baking skills might not have been evident, but her love for Tony and her dedication to everything she did certainly was. You need only see the look in Tony’s eyes as he admires his bride to know the feelings are reciprocal.  It was a long road to June 11, 2011 and a magical day topped off with a fantasy like reception under the starts at Valencia Country Club- a location close to Alison’s heart as she has worked there.

Hearing this story of the pie during the reception,  we dubbed  their wedding the “Lemon Meringue Wedding” because it really summed everything up- especially with the yellow, white and black theme.  From the hand made backdrop for the ceremony which later did double duty at the reception behind the head table, to the Lemonhead candy favors, there was not a detail that was overlooked in preparing for this day, and so many details were attended to by family and friends who had a vested interest in feeding the perfectionist that we all know as Alison. (check back to our blog from their engagement session)  It was what Alison would do for a friend or family member, so she had legions ready to help her.  I will follow up with another post to showcase the details and the fabulous venue that the new site at Valencia Country Club provides (previously featured in this blog for their recent bridal show).

We know that this evening was just the beginning, and the lesson we learned is that anything worthwhile is worth waiting for, working towards and believing in…because dreams really can come true.  Thank you Alison & Tony for sharing your dream day with us and we look forward to sharing many more wonderful times in your future.

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Kelsey & Chris’s Fantasy Wedding at Ponte Vineyards in Temecula- The Ultimate Destination Wedding

Talk about it being a small world. We first met Kelsey Schmidt when she was a bridesmaid in Yesenia & Duane Miller’s Wedding In October, 2009. Yesenia is Myra Harbour from Celebrate’s daughter. Kelsey’s mom Cindy Schmidt was also our granddaughter Lilly’s kindergarten teacher at Old Orchard at the time. Cindy told me at Yesenia & Duane’s wedding that she thought a proposal was on the horizon and that we would be talking soon- because she knew only three things about Kelsey’s wedding for sure…1- that it would be to Christopher Yonan, 2-that we would be the photographers, and 3- that Myra from Celebrate would be doing the invitations and flowers. The where and when were unknown at this point. The proposal came soon thereafter and we had the pleasure of planning together for the next year.

We were thrilled when they selected Ponte Vineyards in Temecula as the venue for this destination wedding. We headed to Temecula on Friday to scout the location and get ready for the big day. It was everything you could possibly imagine; almost like a dream come true. From the beautiful suite of rooms at the South Coast Winery Resort next door to Ponte, to the details (check out the Mrs. Yonan custom hanger and the Mr. & Mrs. signs on the back of their chairs), to the spectacular flowers from Celebrate, along with two of the most appreciative, delighted families and one of the most outgoing, fun loving bridal parties we have seen; it was an amazing weekend. We ran into couples whose weddings we are doing in the upcoming year, lots of old friends and clients who we didn’t even realize knew Kelsey & Chris, and met lots of new friends. We hated to go home when it was over and look forward to sharing the memories with this wonderful group. The comments on the first Facebook image post we did were very touching to us. After thirty years of wedding photography we are thrilled to be so excited about what we do and have our client’s share their delight with us. Thank you all from all of us at R & R Creative Photography!

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