Desi Baytan Photography

When Sara and David asked us to photograph their wedding, we were excited because, for us, this was a chance to experience a new cultural wedding ceremony. Persian weddings are full of symbolism. The Sofreh Aghd, for example, is the center of the display of a sumptuous spread that contains many items symbolizing positive qualities the couple hope will grace their life together. On the helipad atop of the Marriott Marina Del Rey, friends and family gathered to witness the exchange of their vows and to celebrate their wedding. It was not until weeks later that I read Sara and David’s wedding program and I was moved by what they had written to their parents: “to our parents: we have nothing but love and gratitude for you. You have given us the capacity to think freely, love deeply, and live fully. You have lived your lives and loved us in a way that deserves admiration and respect, and most of all, emulation. On this special day, we want you to know just how much we love you.” Congratulations! Sara and David.

Amy Shcoenbaum from Bride and Blooms Flowers designed the Sofreh table with sumptuous sweets that not only looked good to eat but photograph as well.

Vendors for this wedding:
Venue: Marriott Marina Del Rey
Caterer: Masrour Catering & Events
Flowers: Bride and Bloom Flowers
Photography: Desi Baytan Photography

We’ve had the honor to have photographed many super smart couples. Amy and Matt are no exception. What we also noticed is that these amazingly intelligent individuals are super nice and down to earth! Amy and Matt met while attending MIT and can you believe that at such young age, Matt already holds a PhD in engineering?! As Matt’s dad pointed out during his toast, Amy and Matt not only possess high IQs, they possess high EQs. It shows in the closeness they share with their family and friends. I can tell how they look at each other, they’re so so in love!

Connie here talking about the Utterly Engaged first year anniversary Ultimate Hoedown BBQ Throwdown.  Eva, Henny & Lucy, the girls of Utterly Engaged, threw an utterly fabulous party!  Summer from Grey Likes Wedding styled the marvelous dessert table with sweets provided by the incomparable, Melody, at My Sweet & Saucy. Oh did I mention who will win the coveted BBQ Hoedown?  Find out later in this post.   It’s all about good eats!  HeeHaw!

Whimsy floral elements provided by Honey & Poppies!

The rope UE cake top is ingenious!  And more pink and white ropes styled the dessert table.  Very Western!

Mustache Mafia men scheming to get the upper hand.  Will their sliders be enough to win the Ultimate Hoedown BBQ Throwdown?

Izze Sparkling Juice and cowboy boots.  A country hit.

Upper left: Me, Connie with Amy Squires from Weddingchicks.  Next: Leila Khalil and the lovely ladies from Be Inspired.  Note the very creative wooden horse photo prop and the stylish cowgirls!

Grasslands Blue Grass band was the band of choice when it comes to country western!  Check out Dominic from Cartoon Slinger.  He’s the fastest draw in the Southland.  But the line of people waiting to be drawn kept growing longer until the party was over.  The way he drew eyes piqued my curiosity; I, too, waited patiently to get our turn.  I LOVE how that drawing turned out.  It looks kind of like me, but only sexier.  Talk about vanity!!!

Above right: Amy from Weddingchicks and the fab ladies from Utterly Engaged and me. And finally  Vox DJ announcing the winner of the best BBQ Hoedown… and the winner is…The Mustache Mafia!

We had a blast at the Summer Lovin’s annual social event for all-things-wedding at the S Fine Dining in Westminster.  Ngoc from Skybox Event Productions was one of the master minds behind this fabulous event.  Attendance was over 200!  Wow!  Among the many styles unveiled were an aquatic-ambience table scape and a fun circus cake top.  Did I mention the food at the S Fine Dining was DIVINE?  The lightly grilled scallops with curry sauce was to die for.  The spirit was kept high by the music and MC provided by Robert and Heuy of the Hilo Brothers Mobile DJs, plus the angelic voices from Songbird Music connected hearts that night.

Lisa and Reynold met through volunteering for the Habitat for Humanity.  The funny thing was…Lisa and Reynold lived in the same neighborhood, but on that fateful day, they drove nearly 40 min to San Jose’s Habitat for Humanity and met one another the very first time.  And fast forward, here we are, their wedding day!  I think that’s called “serendipity.”

Kelly and Michael love books.  The first thing that catches your eye when walking into their living room was the wall-to-wall book shelf.  And it’s not just your typical collection mind you.  Perusing the titles, I didn’t see the usual cook book, self help, and how to guide books but instead, I found a plethora of literary marvels of the early 20th century authors like Franz Kafka, Ernest Hemingway, Friedrich Nietzsche, and not one inch of the shelf was unoccupied.  Love of books may be an understatement.  It probably is more like an indulgence or even a passion for literary works of art for Kelly and Michael.  So it was apposite that they incorporated this infatuation with books into their wedding theme that made for an original take on “simple elegance.”

Their reception was at Pasadena’s picturesque resort, The Langham Huntington.  And at The Langham, within that golden hour of sunlight, there is this magical moment which makes a magazine style photo shoot possible.

There are some serious reads on the shelf.  Note Kelly and Michael’s “Save the Date” card on their fridge door, next to this very funny note that says, “drink coffee do stupid things faster with more energy.”

Nothing about this wedding is typical of what we’ve captured before.  And that’s what I love about weddings is that we’re always experiencing something different and something new.  Marriage in a Russian Orthodox church is steep in rituals and symbolism.  What’s shown here is the “crowning”, the denouement of the wedding service. Kelly and Michael were crowned as king and queen of their own kingdom, in which is a very significant bestowment of matrimony.

Gardenia was the flower of choice and it made Kelly’s bouquet intoxicating with its perfume.  LOVE the hair piece made with Gardenia; it nestled so beautifully on Kelly’s hair, accenting her blue earring.  The ivy garland is yet another example of the simple elegance.  Flowers were designed by Euri and Kendra at Fleuretica.  Lighting by Jack at The Music Man Production

Guest seating was organized by Kelly and Michael’s favorite authors, and on each table were stacks of the books written by those iconic authors.  A very personal touch.

Want to give a big thanks to Katie Tiffany at Tiffany Weddings for making this day run so seamlessly!

Vendors for this wedding:

Venue: The Langham Huntington, Pasadena
Event Coordination: Katie Tiffany of Tiffany Weddings
Lighting: Jack Hou of TMMPRO
Flowers: Kendra & Euri of Fleuretica Floral Design Studio
Photography: Desi Baytan Photography
Hair&Makeup: J Beverly Hills Salon

Sunset Hills Country Club is a great place for outdoor weddings.  It has these amazing vast, hilly, and rolling fields of green.  Perfect for pictures.  Reflections, leading lines and symmetry are my favorite ways of composing.  It was about 5 pm and the sun was saturating the grass with light.  We were fortunate to stay on the green to take more pictures.

During the reception, as usual, I was checking out Desi’s shots he did earlier.  When I saw these series of shots I almost teared up.  I knew that he was planning to do these “reflection” shots, but I did not realize they would come out so….peaceful and serene and soulful.

Katie had this calm and cool sense about her, but I knew that she had been holding back her emotions as she was getting ready for her wedding.  Eventually, her tears rolled down and her face lit up with a big smile as she saw David, her groom, at the end of the aisle.

And I had never seen so many bunnies!  On the day of the rehearsal, there were dozens popping up here and there.  These little cute bunnies reminded me of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

Abby and Jay were a fun couple to photograph.  Abby came looking gorgeous all made up with beautiful hair and make up by Vivian Tran from, All Made Up Team.  I loved her girly dress, red pumps and matching red belt.  We went up to Padua Hills in Claremont for their engagement session.  The olive grove at Padua Hills provided a natural backdrop for their portrait photography.  Nearby, there was a hiking trail with lots of wild blooms which we gathered for accessories.  Downtown Claremont is also another one of my favorite spots in Southern California for engagement photography.  I had Abby and Jay run, walk, jump and make hand puppets… it was a super fun afternoon!  I think I wore them out…

Judy and Ray’s wedding is an union between an accountant and an ER doctor, living on both sides of the coasts, meeting through a “mei-ren”, a family friend who played matchmaker.  Ray beamed with pride while Judy in her wedding gown was elegant as ever.  Her amazing look was by bridal hair and make up stylist, Amy Tevis.  At the LA Arboretum, a beautiful wedding venue in Arcadia, southern California, they were joined by their family and friends and Judy’s confidants from New York.  I later on learned that Judy makes delicious Shanghai dien-sheens (dim sums).  And Ray is a dare-devil who loves mountain climbing.  Lavish Celebrations by Linda Chow, a wedding planner based in southern California, coordinated this beautiful event.  The reception was held at the Capital Seafood Restaurant, San Gabriel, CA, a great place for delicious Chinese wedding banquets.  Kudos to Linda for making this day smooth and wonderful for Judy and Ray.

Macarons are one of my favorite desserts.  They make wonderful wedding favors and photograph beautifully because of their cute round shape and vibrant colors.  So, while traveling Europe, we sought out macaron stores to have a little taste test.  You would find macarons among other desserts in many patisseries.  The notable macaron shops we saw are Pierre Hermé, Laduree and Jean-Philippe Darcis.  You would see assortments of macarons up to 12 different flavors, and colors nestled next to gourmet chocolates.  We also found them in gourmet markets like the Le Bon Marche in Paris.  What should a good macaron taste like?  First and foremost it should have a light and fluffy texture; when you bite into one, there should be little resistance but pure soft and puffy consistency.  Like biting into a cloud.  The filling should not be too sweet.  Contrasting flavors such as a tart filling against the sweet cookie outside will have you beg for more.  Out of all that I tried, I have to say Pierre Hermé makes the best tasting!  For us living in the states, worry not, we have a few specialty stores that make macarons, just as tasty as the European counterparts.  Joie Patisserie, for one, is my favorite!