Aaron + Cristina *Just Married*

The heat is finally upon us! Aaron and Cristina's big day brought in the hot summer days we've been clamoring for, and how! By the time the ceremony was over at 5pm, we were already wilting from the heat. Everybody was such a trooper for doing the photos in under the blazing hot, hot, HOT sun! Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed the celebration and were truly happy for them.

Cristina checking out her make-up by the wonderful Charrisse Mae and was very happy about it!

Jenny getting emotional after seeing how beautiful Cristina looks in her dress.

The cutesy pot roast getting a kiss from the bride.

Aaron... calm, cool and collected!

Walking down the aisle with dad.

Aaron and Cristina's closest friends witnessing a very special moment.

I do!

The bride's bouquet.

The glowing bride!

The bridesmaids and the brides...man?

Some quick portraits...

Our couple with the UBC Boathouse in the background.

During the toast.

The first dance...

Aaron and Cristina, it was indeed a wonderful and happy day. Hope you're having fun in Jamaica, mon!

Alex + Maria *Just Married*

It is so great to witness two wonderful people, Alex and Maria, celebrate their love and commitment. They got married at Minoru Chapel in the presence of friends and family. It was obvious how much everyone are happy for them. The day, though dull and gray, was definitely joyous and full of laughter. By the end of the night, everyone was having the time of their lives. Now on to the photos. Let's start from the beginning...

Chocolates and strawberries... yum!

Check out the flowers...

Alex, getting ready...

Maria, lookin' fine...

and ready to go...

This ringbearer is sure to become a heartbreaker...

The emotions were evident throughout the day.

The look of love...

Married!

The groom's portrait

The portraits

Then it was on to the reception. A toast to the bride and groom!

The guests were also treated with a mini-cultural show. Here's the Maria Clara dance.

Fandango with Light...

The tinikling.

The awesome party showed that everybody can dance the tinikling. The bride and groom can do it.

You can even do it in 4-inch heels.

And certainly everyone from any cultural background can do it.

Maria, offering a song of love to Alex.

A Filipino wedding is not complete without the money dance. This young gentleman wanted to dance with the bride. Mum is watching in the background.

Maria having fun on the dancefloor with friends.

We all know that Maria is as cute as a button.

The perfect portrait to end a perfect night.

Alex and Maria, thank you so much for letting us share in your celebration. We are truly blessed to have known you and gained your friendship. Hope you had great fun in Cuba!

Mum's the word...

People oftentimes comment that being photographers, we must have a ton of photos of our lovely daughter, Mikka. That we do, that we do... Unfortunately, we haven't had as much chance working on them to share with you. We try our very best not to spend all our time in front of the computer, we want that last bit of free time just hanging out and having fun with our sweetheart. But it's mother's day and I want to say I am proud to be a mum. So, here are a few taken in the past week...
Mikka lounging on the grass at a nearby park...

One of the hazards of being photographers is that we don't have a lot of photos with ourselves in them.

Mikka has grown so much in the past few months since I last blogged about her. While motherhood is no easy feat, I savor every second that she holds on to my leg, totally dependent and looking up to me to keep her safe. And I hope I can make that promise. I know I will try...

...the same way that my mum has kept me safe and sheltered. If only I can do half as good a job as she's done with my sister and me.

I need to photograph my mum more often. This was taken today at dinner.

Moi with my little girl...

Mikka cuddling with Lola (pronounced law-la, meaning Grandma)...

Although this isn't my first mother's day as a mum myself, it's the first one I'm spending with my mum and my daughter...

Happy Mother's Day to all mums out there... you all rock this world!

Qumars+Yasmin Engaged!

We're fortunate to get an opportunity to meet inspirational individuals from diverse backgrounds in our couples. Yasmin and Qumars are as inspirational as they get. From the moment we met them, they've been very open with us and we feel so honoured when Yasmin shared a little bit about their immigrant backgrounds, an experience Rico and I know all too well.

While every other Vancouverite's story of immigration may be similar, our circumstances before coming to Canada do not come close to Qumar's experience coming from Afghanistan with his family. His family has weathered political instability and personal adversities and despite such trying times in Kabul, they remained true to their values - compassion, integrity and respect for freedom.

Starting a newfound life in Canada while supporting his family was no easy feat, either. Being only 15, Qumars has had to work hard to build a life that they can be proud of and enjoy and never to be taken for granted. To quote Yasmin, "I have seen many people who have lost themselves going through phases in life that have not been ideal, but Qumars hasn't. He's got great will and determination and that's why I look up to him." And it's true! There's a quiet strength about him that only one who's gone through so much in such a short span of time can exude.

Knowing how great individuals they are, we were really looking forward to this session. We started out with a few shots in their new place.

Then it was time to head outdoors for some shots around their neighborhood.

Check out our hot couple. Yasmin has a degree in microbiology from McGill and works for the government by day, but she does makeup artistry on the side to satiate her artistic inclinations. Check out her website for more info.

Then we ventured a couple of blocks south for some urban shots. Can you believe that the rest of the shots below were taken while staying in big parkade the whole time?

Havin' a wee bit o' fun.

How hot is Qumars? And what about the gams on Yasmin? It doesn't hurt to have good shoes as well.

Some vintage action goin...

Just a little bit of lovin from our wonderful couple.

Yasmin and Qumars are both smart, hip and real. You just want to be around them and you know that they're the type of people who will be your great friends for life. We're sure the wedding would really be emotionally charged and we can't wait to capture that.