I do my best to blog most of what I shoot, but I sadly find there are busy times when it’s impossible to post everything, especially since my priority is always to deliver the images to my clients on time :) This is one of those such cases – a most beautiful wedding that somehow never saw the blog-light of day. I happened across these images the other day and seriously couldn’t believe I had never shared them! A vintage-inspired wedding set perfectly against the backdrop of the historical Oviatt Penthouse & Cicada Restaurant in downtown, adorned with art deco accents. A fabulously stylish couple. Sweet personal touches like a brisk swing dance in place of a more traditional first dance, and a painting (see the final photo!) created by the bride’s sister that was displayed at the reception and adorned their programs.

The portraits we did on the rooftop of the building are perhaps some of my most favorite portraits to this day. Thank you for taking a peek into this wedding that I’ve been wanting to share from the moment I photographed it :)

(I believe this was also the first wedding I worked with Shana and Kelly Zhang, both amazing girls & wedding professionals I’ve since formed friendships with and had the opportunity to work with lots :) )

Liz and Kyle are seriously cool. For starters, they are constantly chill and happy and loving towards everyone around them. They also gave us a ton of time for portraits, which included a moment when Liz asked (THE BRIDE ASKED!) if she could lay down on the ground, in her dress, all for the sake of an awesome shot. They’re also both all sorts of talented, and put on a guitar performance for all their guests at the reception, followed by a surprise song Kyle performed for Liz :)

I was also especially excited to shoot their wedding because it took place at the Higashi Honganji Temple in Little Tokyo, a place I used to frequent twice a week for taiko practice. It was so wonderful witnessing a beautiful Buddhist ceremony inside the gold-laden temple, and seeing so many of the other cultural elements Liz & Kyle tied into their wedding!

I could see it from our first meeting over cucumber mint lemonades… the way Craig looks at Myesha. And Myesha looks at Craig. There is so much love between these two. Expressed in a bouquet of white roses delivered to Myesha that morning, a tearful first look, heartfelt vows (and a fist bump!) during the ceremony. They met 4 years ago while both working on the Obama campaign, and it seems to be fitting that they’re getting married just when elections are rolling around again :)

Both Myesha and Craig are full of style {as evidenced by their engagement session!} and I adored the urban elegance and bright colors that filled this day. They also incorporated bits of Myesha’s Jamaican heritage into the wedding, with little jars of rum as favors and a cake that was brought in straight from Jamaica!

A special thank you to Emily at Cafe Pinot and Alex of Sterling Engagements for taking such wonderful care of us and ensuring the day flowed perfectly – good coordinators make all the difference!