I have been to many weddings as a guest and there is this portion of every wedding that always make me nervous – the bouquet toss. I have no idea how the tradition started but this is a few minutes out of the whole celebration that the guests’ attention is taken away from the bride and on to this lady who wishes to be the next bride. I never liked the attention. I guess that’s why I really like being a wedding photographer. I want to be unnoticed, like a fly on the wall.

About a couple of years ago, Grace and I were at a friend’s a wedding. As expected, they called out the single ladies for the bouquet toss. There were only a handful of us who lined up. She and I were standing next to each other. The bride tossed the bouquet and no one seemed eager to catch it. It landed straight in front of Grace. For a split second, there was silence and nobody had moved. I picked up the fallen bouquet and handed it over to Grace but she refused to take it. And so I ended up with it. Well, my friend, no doubt, that bouquet was really meant for you. I believe in fate and destiny and I am happy that you are marrying your soul mate.

Last week, I had the pleasure of photographing an engagement session with Grace and Ken at Lake Las Vegas. They are getting married in May in the fabulous city of Las Vegas. I am deeply honored that I will be capturing this joyous occasion.

Here are some of the photos taken at the photo shoot. Please watch the video slideshow at the end of the post. It’s my first shot at this thing called photo fusion and I’m pretty excited about it! Shout out to my friend, Karen, for capturing the video clips.

With the gondolas and house bridges on the backdrop, this feels like we were in Italy.

You two are gorgeous!

My boy Ken can dance!

See more photos of Grace and Ken’s engagement session by clicking here.

She and I have been friends since high school. We lost touch for a while but thanks to the internet and social media, we were reconnected. I first met him only a few years ago. They have been together for a long time. I asked them how they met. Of course, I already know their story. She and I are friends, right? But I wanted to hear it from both of them.

“We met at work”, he started. “The first time I saw her, I said to myself, who is this hot momma?!“, he said proudly while gently rubbing her baby bump. Then she started to tell me about their first conversation. Something about birthday candles and five dollars left in his wallet. She said he looked nervous at that time and almost out of words. He was smiling and nodding – a sign of confirmation. She was laughing and teasing him of how shy he was. They recounted how they became friends. Then their friendship grew into love. And the rest was history.

I was a witness to the union of this couple as they finally got married. And in any day now, they will welcome the arrival of their little bundle of joy, Isabella. Mira and Juan, thank you for trusting me and allowing me to capture and preserve this wonderful phase of your life. My very best wishes! I can’t wait to meet darling Isabella.

I fell in love with lifestyle and portrait photography about a year ago. It was actually accidental. I got my first SLR (single lens reflex) camera intending to use it for my travels. A couple of friends talked me into buying one. I’m glad they did. I love this camera more than anything else. Kidding! Of course, I love you too for taking time to read this post. So, while on vacation with friends, I took some candid shots of them. The photos came out good. They were not the best and the greatest but they were good enough for me. I was mainly drawn on the expressions on their faces. I love how unrehearsed and genuine it was. At that moment, I decided that this is something I would like to do.

And so my journey continues on this difficult but fulfilling path of portrait photography. I was asked by these two ladies, Clarissa and Laura, to do a boudoir session. I had no experience with boudoir before but I had no intention on turning down this request. I took it as a challenge. On the day of the shoot, I felt nervous, unprepared and the fear of failure was looming around my head. But negative feelings were gone the minute I held the camera up. These ladies were very easy to work with. I felt a connection instantly. Clarissa and Laura, you are both gorgeous and fabulous. Thanks for trusting me.

Here are some photos from the shoot.

And as we wrapped up the shoot, I took this photo of them while enjoying a conversation and their afternoon beverage.

I know my photography is still in its infancy that’s why I strive hard to be better at this craft. To those people who trusted and believed in me – my talents, my capabilities – thank you all so much! I have nothing else to offer but my utmost gratitude.