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Olga and Armando ended their lucha libre wedding celebration with a Los Angeles staple: burgers from In-N-Out. The guests loved them and even came back for seconds!
  P.S. This is my weekly blog post Encore! When I blog about a wedding, I want all the photos to tell a story. Sometimes photos I love don’t quite fit, or I decide to edit them differently. Encore! will feature one (or two!) of those photos every Friday.
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Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the main event of the night, the lucha libre wedding here at Simons Lodge in Los Angeles. Introducing first, hailing from Southern California, the tag team champions of the world, Olga and Armandoooooooooo! Offbeat weddings rock! When I found out this couple was having a luchador themed wedding I knew we would click. The mother of the bride designed the entire event around the lucha libre theme incorporating many traditional Mexican details, a fun way to pay homage to one’s ancestry. This is taking DIY to another level! (If this theme inspires you, check out the resources we’ve compiled in our shopping guide at the bottom of the post.)
 Olga is a little bit punky and a lot of creative, offbeat and fun!  Olga and Armando’s short wedding ceremony is officiated by her brother-in-law as they are surrounded by close family and friends. The couple met at the bank where Armando works. After seeing Olga a few times, he finally got up the nerve to ask her out. The bride and groom are all smiles! And so is the father of the bride. Olga’s sister has a punky streak in her, too. Love her style! The groom places the ring on the bride’s finger, making it official. First kiss! You can’t have a lucha libre wedding without luchadores!
The styled ceremony area with a red velvet couch surrounded by colorful flowers is a great spot for romantic portraits of the newlyweds! The bride’s blue heels coordinate with the groom’s blue socks. This is one stylish couple! You can’t pose happy. My favorite portraits are full of spontaneous emotion. How sexy are these newlyweds? This colorful bouquet was also made by the mother of the bride. The details are nothing short of amazing. The table settings consist of a white tablecloth covered with a sparkly gold organza overlay and colorful Mexican blanket table runner. Colorful flowers in a gold container serve as the centerpieces and an array of Mexican themed decor such as lucha libre matchboxes, Mexican wrestler masks, mini ceramic maracas, and luchador cookies are the perfect final touch. The couple also set up an area for selfies in front of a gold backdrop with a big red heart. Guests could opt to wear sombreros for their portraits. The couple chose simple white place cards arranged on a lace tablecloth. Love these sparkly lucha libre matchbooks! Mexican food is my favorite!
The newlyweds laugh throughout their first dance. You can see papel picado – Mexican paper cutouts – behind the couple. Olga’s abuela cuts up the rug with her grandson. Why yes, those are calavera skeletons dressed as a bride and groom. Congratulations Olga and Armando! Wishing you many more fun years together! You truly are tag team champions! Shopping Guide Not sure where to get started? Here are some great resources we found for you. Cupcakes Save the Dates Invitations We also adore the beautiful letterpress from pistachiopress, sugar skulls in a heart by NotedOccassions, classy red papel picado from deaandbean, the calaveras from OddLotEmporium, and the printable DIY templates from dollfacedesign. Thank You Cards Papel Picado / Paper Cutouts Tissue Flowers Colorful Table Runners Pillows Sugar Skull Party Favors Matchboxes Cake Toppers Wedding Favors What would you add to the list? There is nothing like the hustle and bustle of the bride getting ready on her wedding day. And then once in a while, there’s a moment of quiet. This is that moment.
P.S. This is my weekly blog post Encore! When I blog about a wedding, I want all the photos to tell a story. Sometimes photos I love don’t quite fit, or I decided to edit them differently. Encore! will feature one (or two!) of those photos every Friday. The blog is GENIUS! Thank you T. Faye! I am obsessed with the World Cup. This year’s games have had some amazing moments. Mexico’s team came out fighting strong against the home favorites – Brazil. The goalkeeper Ochoa not only kept Brazil from scoring a single goal in their match, but also defended shot after shot against the Netherlands in which Mexico was finally eliminated 2-1. Costa Rica played beautifully until finally being eliminated in the quarterfinals with a penalty shootout against the Netherlands. Our USMNT, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, France… I have loved watching them all. Today it’s do or die. The championship. Who will go home with the cup and the glory – Germany or Argentina? Soccer is just like wedding photography in some ways. 1. Training The best wedding photographers have also spent thousands of hours taking photos. They have developed their craft and style through classes, personal projects, workshops and just getting out there with a camera. Soccer players learn the rules of the game, while photographers learn about f-stops, shutter speeds and ISO. The real test for both is applying that knowledge in the field. 2. Game Time However, there is no substitute for game time. It’s one thing for a soccer player to be the best during practice. Add a loud crowd, unfamiliar stadium, the pressure of an important game like those in the World Cup, and now it’s not just the training that matters, but also the experience that was gained from having played many other games, the ability to keep one’s cool. In the 100-plus weddings I have photographed, I have learned to anticipate moments better, work around the strict rules imposed by some churches, and always maintain my cool and professionalism whether my camera malfunctions during a wedding ceremony or a shotgun is pointed at me (well technically that was an engagement session, and Michael claims the guard was just holding the shotgun and not pointing it). 3. Teamwork The German team has been an excellent example of teamwork in this World Cup. The defense and the goaltender have worked together protecting the net. Eight German players have scored a goal in this World Cup, second only to the Netherland’s nine I believe. Weddings not only require the lead and second photographers to coordinate with each other, the relationship between the photographer and the couple is most important for good photos. The best photos happen when the bride and groom are in sync with their photographer. When I work with a couple, they trust me to take the best photos but we often work together to come up with ideas. I’m a big believer in drafting a game plan together before the wedding. When I know the couple, I can make suggestions that will fit their personality and style. 4. Goal Wedding photography is not about shooting 300 photos per hour. It’s about timing, vision, anticipation, capturing that perfect moment of joy. For wedding photographers, there is no greater reward than the smile of a bride and groom when they see their photos. I suspect it’s similar to the exaltation of winning a game. It’s all about playing the best game – and winning. What other ways is soccer like wedding photography?
I love photographing brides and grooms getting ready. There’s so much excitement and a little bit of nervousness before the walk down the aisle. This is also a great time for me to capture all the details like your wedding gown, tux, shoes, and jewelry, as well as photos of the bride getting her make-up done. Natalie was one of the most laid-back brides I have ever photographed. I started the day at her suite in the lovely Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Natalie was in no particular hurry and I was able to capture lots of photos of her getting ready. And since many of you have asked, I highly recommend finding a great make-up artist. It really does make a difference in terms of photos, and you won’t have the stress of doing your own make-up.
P.S. This is my weekly blog post Encore! When I blog about a wedding, I want all the photos to tell a story. Sometimes photos I love don’t quite fit, or I decided to edit them differently. Encore! will feature one (or two!) of those photos every Friday.
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