The story of how Stephanie and Jason met is one of the cutest stories I have ever heard. I think I may have already blogged it when I did their engagement session a few months ago, but I love it so much I am going to tell it again. In fact, Jason retold the story to everyone during the reception and I was tearing up because it was so touching and everyone could feel the love Jason has for Stephanie. They were both in Vegas for different reasons – Stephanie was in town for her friend’s bachelorette party and Jason was in town for a job interview. They didn’t meet until the end of their Vegas stay, when they both got stuck at the airport because their flight back to Ohio got canceled. Jason said as he was trying to rebook his flight, he noticed a beautiful girl in line talking on her pink Razr (Y’all still remember those? Those seem like ages ago now!). He said it was love at first sight and they spent the new several hours getting to know each other and the rest was history. Jason got the job he interviewed at, and then some months later, Stephanie decided to make the leap and move out to Vegas too. Isn’t that the cutest story you’ve ever heard?! It sounds like something straight out of a movie.

We started out getting ready at the Tropicana Hotel.

This hallway of shops at the Tropicana is so cool and modern and I took a quick picture of the girls as we were walking to meet Jason.

Stephanie and Jason’s first look. It was honestly the most heartwarming first look I’ve ever photographed! It was so full of emotion.

We stopped at the Las Vegas sign for a quick bridal party pic.

Stephanie and Jason invited me to their rehearsal dinner the night before, insisted that I don’t take any pictures (I couldn’t help myself but I did take just a few), so it was great to get to know their families beforehand. Stephanie’s dad is so funny and I love this picture because he was so calm and happy on their wedding day.

Stephanie and Jason had a Jewish wedding, so they had a ketubah signing before the ceremony, which is an intimate ritual before the wedding and only the closest friends and family attend.

One of my favorite parts of photographing the wedding day are these next two minutes: the father walking the bride down the aisle, the groom waiting patiently to see his bride, and the father giving away his daughter. This part gets me every time!

And they’re married!

So by the time we got to the portraits, the sun had gone down already! Thankfully I brought along an assistant for this wedding and she held my lights for me.

The reception at Anthem Country Club is so pretty! I loved their choices of having a black, white, and red theme because the red really brightened up the reception. And I looooved their cake toppers! It is a custom cake topper that looks like them in their Ohio State jerseys, feature their two cute dogs, and it even has their last name on the back, just like a real jersey!

This is where Jason gave a speech of how they first met and they opened a present from Delta, which was the plane they were supposed to fly on!

So my favorite part of Jewish weddings is definitely the hora! It is so fun having all your friends and family come out to the dance floor. Also, the reactions of people’s faces when they are hoisted up in the air like that is priceless.

I never know if my couples are going to smash each other with cake or not, but I am always ready to capture it if it does happen.

Great candid shots are also impossible to time, but they are also my favs. I adore this picture of Stephanie and Jason having a great time at their wedding.

Congrats again Stephanie and Jason! Mazel tov!

Vendors:
Getting ready: Tropicana Hotel
Ceremony and reception site: Anthem Country Club
Officiant: Rabbi Zukrow
DJ: Knight Sounds
Photobooth: Shutterbooth
Flowers: Flowers by Marisha
Cake: Tiers of Joy
Cake topper: Lynn’s Little Creations
Transportation: Earth Limos
Wedding dress: Private Label by G purchased at Bridal and Formal in Cincinnati
Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal
Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse

This is my first time actually designing our own holiday card, and I was able to mail them all out a few days before Christmas, phew! Here’s how they turned out (they were printed on a flat card front and back) and the photo is from our anniversary shoot with Shang Chen Photography.

I saw this cute penguin photo ornament at Michael’s on sale after Christmas last year and I had to get it. I love buying ornaments after Christmas but you have to wait a whole year before you can use them! I get so excited about the holidays that I put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving…I would feel wrong putting it up any earlier. Yes, we have a fake tree. While I love the smell of a real tree, the air is so dry in the desert here that I’m afraid that a real tree wouldn’t last very long. My dream is to one day go to visit a Christmas tree farm and actually pick out a tree!

My husband and I are making another rare appearance on this blog! He doesn’t like getting his picture taken but I was able to convince him to take a photo with me after a Christmas party we attended. I hardly ever get my hair done for a special occasion (thanks to Daileny for my fabulous updo!) so I needed to document this! I bought a new Manfrotto tripod a few weeks ago and I finally had a chance to use it. I am seriously in love with it and taking pictures with it is a breeze!

We started getting ready in a beautiful suite at Red Rock Casino. Tammy’s dress and bouquet were lovely!

This was such an adorable moment of Tammy getting her son ready.

Tammy was so nervous before the wedding but she managed to give me a few smiles before the ceremony.

I love this photo of Tammy! Sh looks so stunning here!

Isn’t this the coolest background ever?!

Pastor Pete did an amazing job and the whole crowd had the biggest smiles.

Their families were so sweet. I really felt the love that they had for Tammy and Ryan at this wedding and how close they are to their families.

Congrats again Tammy and Ryan!

Vendors:
Hair and makeup: Daileny
Cupcakes: Retro Bakery
Getting ready and reception: Red Rock Casino
Ceremony: Red Rock Canyon
Officiant: Pastor Pete of Elegant Vegas Weddings
Floral arrangement: Rockin’ Rose

This month Yasmin and Scott organized a phenomenal shoot-out at one of the dry lake beds outside of Las Vegas. About 40 of photographers got together and took turns shooting Olivia and Kady, our beautiful models. They were amazing even though it was fairly hot outside and very sunny! Here are a few images from the shoot:

We did an ambitious hike of Cathedral Rock. The beginning part was really steep and a little slippery. I was super scared and actually climbed back down after 10 minutes of climbing. It was too hard of a hike for me. There was nothing for me to hold onto, plus I brought my big DSLR, so the weight of it made me a little lopsided. I felt really bad going back down but my husband was very understanding and said we could hike an easier trail. As we were going back down, I see a guy holding a baby AND a DSLR coming down the trail, which triggered something in me. I thought, if this guy can climb Cathedral Rock with his baby and his camera, then I can do it too. So I told my husband that I am going to give it another shot. We went up the rock a different way and found it to be a little easier.

We made it to the top of Cathedral Rock! There was another couple that made it to the top just before us, and they started walking along the edge! OMG super scary!

Sedona is a very wealthy town and the houses in Sedona are ridiculously huge. Like this mansion with its own observatory. Okay, I’m exaggerating a little, not all mansions that we saw were this big, but they were still very impressive.

It’s strange but I rarely see cacti in Las Vegas. There are much more different kinds of cacti in Arizona.

We went to a wildlife park near Sedona, but it was extremely windy the day we went and sand kept getting into my eyes.

We passed by the Cocinono National Forest on the way home and was a welcome surprise in the desert. I can’t wait to go back to Sedona one of these days!

Some couples take some time to warm up to the camera but Kathleen and Damir were naturals in front of the camera. This was one of the first pictures we took and is one of my favorites.

Kathleen’s hair and makeup were done by Stevee Danielle Hair and Makeup. I loved Kathleen’s flirty ponytail!

We had some amazing light during the session.

Kathleen and Damir are a very stylish couple and brought some great outfits for their engagement session. The red top is such a pretty color and fluttered in the breeze. I also love her bright yellow cardigan!

We tried taking a few pictures with the peacocks that roam around the park, but they were a bit shy and kept running away from the us. The geese were not afraid of us at all, and I love how we were able to get not one but two geese in this image!

Matching Chuck Taylors! So cute!

I loved getting to know Kathleen and Damir that I didn’t want our session to end! We ended up at the cute cafe with the biggest mugs ever, and then we went out to dinner! I have the best clients ever!

We had a lot of fun at this trash the dress session but we really didn’t get the dress dirty, just a little dusty, that’s all. Jen told me her dress took up practically her entire suitcase, but it was definitely worth it, because I absolutely loved this session!

Jennifer is an award-winning food blogger of Tiny Urban Kitchen, so it’s amazing with all the yummy food that you see on her blog that she can still fit into her dress after 10 years! Amazing!!

This is one of my favorite images ever and a crowd favorite on my Facebook fan page. I just love the contrast of her dress against Red Rock Canyon, and I was so happy to catch this moment right as a small gust of wind caught the train of her dress.

Even though Jen had her dress shoes on, she climbed up on the rock no problem. I’m still amazed at how she got up there without any help.

This image made me laugh so much. Bryan really looks like he’s holding up the rock!

So peaceful.

Jen’s fabulous hair and makeup was done by Daileny, who never ceases to amaze me with her talent. She is so easy to work with and started working around sunrise so we could shoot because the sun got too strong.

Another one of my favorites. I had so many favorites it was hard to choose! But I love the way they are looking at each other here, since I rarely ever see this side of them.

This is such a fun way to end the session!

Here’s a few images I took of Sandy getting ready in her suite at the Hilton Costa Mesa.

I love LOVE Sandy’s dress! It was so flattering on her figure and made her look stunning on her wedding day. I can’t wait for her to visit me in Las Vegas for a trash the dress session!!

Oh yes, we finally found her robe towards the end of getting her makeup done!

Hair and makeup: Elaine Chou
Dress: Maggie Sottero

Sandy getting ready before the Chinese tea ceremony. Doesn’t she look gorgeous in her Chinese dress?

Traditionally in Chinese culture, the groom and his family goes to the bride’s house bearing lots of gifts. But in order to enter the house, the groom and groomsmen have to pass a series of “tests” in order for the groom to see his bride. Scott has to “bribe” his way in and is trying to negotiate with the bridesmaids. These games are all done in good nature and is such a fun way to start the day!

Scott had to prove his love for Sandy by dancing to “Baby Got Back” that is playing on the laptop. Sort of a modern twist on the Chinese wedding door games.

Then a brief Buddhist ceremony honoring the ancestors.

We had a full house for the tea ceremony! It was very touching to see so many of their family members fly from far away to celebrate this occasion with them. The living room was quite packed with all the relatives that Sandy and Scott had to serve tea to. But on the plus side, they received lots of lucky red envelopes and gold jewelry.

Showing off all the bling! Congrats Sandy and Scott!

Click here to read the interview at Scheme Events!

I also had the opportunity to help out with the grand opening of their new studio by setting up a party photobooth. It was so much fun and they made it so chic with the background and custom signs! You can visit Scheme’s Facebook fan page to see all the photobooth craziness from the event.

Here’s me with the girls of Scheme Events. Special thanks to Adam Trujillo for grabbing this shot of us.

They are so adorable!!