Yes it’s an honor. Yes it’s a big deal. And yes, I’m as giddy as a little school boy to receive such an award and to be among many great photographers around the world. Thank you Junebug Weddings! Also thanks to Leslie & Brian for being such great clients and a wonderful experience in a wonderful venue. And finally thanks to Sergio and Larisa at Cabo Azul Resort for their welcoming hospitality.
Do you believe in fate? I’d like to think that I control my destiny, yet there are times when things happen for some inexplicable reasons. Like serendipity, when the turn of events leads to happy memorable moments. I see this often in weddings I photograph. Like in the case of Leslie and Brian. The first time I met Leslie and her entourage of relatives was at a bridal show back in early 2008. I had no idea where she was going for her wedding until months later I received an email. She asked if I would be interested in shooting their destination wedding in Los Cabos, Mexico. I excitedly said “Yes!” After two meetings and phone calls plus emails, they booked us. Their planning was definitely not stress free, given the scare of the drug cartel and swine flu, but at the end, Leslie and Brian prevailed!
However, this isn’t the fate I’m talking about, it was what Brian had wished for to happen on the day of his wedding. He wished for four things. ONE – Marry the love of his life, Leslie. TWO – Purchase a house. THREE – Start a family. FOUR – The Lakers win the Championship (a tall order since the Lakers could have taken their final game home back to Los Angeles, but Kobe didn’t disappoint). On the day of the wedding, Brian had ordered all attention to be on the wedding, but a few groomsmen managed to take a peak at the scores. Miraculously, by the time Brian had made his wishes known during his speech, all of his four wishes had come true! I want to thank Leslie and Brian and their families for the invitation to be part of this significant event and the opportunity to enjoy this magnificent resort. Cabo Azul Resort was an amazing place…Also, I want to thank Sergio Morales, the Event Planner at the Cabo Azul for the months-long coordination and planning to make this day happen for Leslie and Brian. Congratulations to Leslie and Brian!
On the morning of Leslie and Brian’s engagement session, I walked out of my beautifully furnished, comfortably air-conditioned room at the Cabo Azul Resort and headed for the beach. It was 6:30 in the morning and already the temperature was in the 90′s but I really wanted to see the sunrise. Cabo Azul Resort is located on the south-east side tip of the Baja peninsula where a stretch of resorts neighbor each other; akin to beach homes in Southern California. Large waves crashed very close to the shoreline suggesting that it’s not wise to swim in the water. I stared due east and saw the glorious sun making the sky as yellow as I’ve never seen while a man with a cast net fished near the shore. His family followed behind collecting his catch. Later in the day, we met up with Leslie, Brian, along with Leslie’s parents to head to San José del Cabo, a nearby town. It took less than 10 minutes before we arrived to this sort of sleepy town. The blazing sun reflected off the vibrant colored walls set the stage. We began at a gift shop where Leslie and Brian tried on sombreros and explored the local ceramic shop. We took a walk around town and found a building that looked to me like a hacienda. It was a “cool” escape from the sun and we took advantage of the beautiful columns and archways in this little hideaway. Another treat we had was the paleta de hielo (popsicles); the mango flavored one really hit the spot. Thus began our three day photo shoot at Cabo. Stay tuned for Leslie and Brian’s wedding day!
