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!

A former student of UCLA, Stacy knew where to go for their engagement session – right on the quad next to Royce Hall.  It’s spacious, green, and what looked like a popular hangout.  We brought a big bag of goodies of colorful fun stuff to celebrate Summer.  What better way to do it with old fashion soda-pop, colorful suckers, hats, and funky glasses.  Just add grass, trees, and sun and we have the ingredients for a fun Summer engagement session.  And with just one more added touch.  We included an old film camera just because it’s so chic.  With digital cameras so ubiquitous, an old Nikon F3 film camera is so refreshing to see.  By the way, I got this camera from eBay for $250 and it works perfectly.

Boylan’s Creamy Red Birch Beer bottle looks so old-fashioned, I couldn’t resist adding this to our shoot.  Plus it really went well with the mini picnic table stand.

Ah so nostalgic.  Film couldn’t be more chic with a Nikon F3.

John looks like a pro with that old Nikon SLR.

Stacy and John brought along some cowboy hats and I thought, whoa there!  Howdy cowfolks!  Let’s use them under them trees over yonder.

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