June 2020

mongolian wedding

University Club Palo Alto Wedding

Wedding

University Club Palo Alto Wedding Udval and John held an American and Mongolian University Club Palo Alto wedding, bringing together two very different cultures and reflecting on their unique love story that originated in Mongolia several years ago. John traveled to Mongolia initially for Peace Corps and ended up extending his stay in Mongolia for 13 more years, first falling in love with the culture and people and then eventually this mesmerizing woman with the kindest of hearts. Having met Udval in her native country, they developed a love for each other that might have seemed improbable given their backgrounds and distance apart, and it was so great to see both families come together from opposite ends of the world for such a joyous occasion. When speaking to Udval about her wedding day, I was excited to hear that they would be incorporating both cultures into their wedding ceremony, having very little exposure to Mongolian culture, let alone a wedding, before. Udval explained to me that in Mongolian weddings, an important aspect of the Ceremony is the inclusion of a blue silk scarf called a hadag, which symbolizes well being and peace, and the lighting of a unity candle and offering of milk. A longer ceremony at around 30 minutes, the solemnity and traditions of this wedding made it one of the most memorable ceremonies I have ever witnessed, and I absolutely loved experiencing this melting pot of cultures and hope to shoot more in the future! Udval revealed to me that it was the first time her parents ever left Mongolia, so it was that much more important to document their reactions and presence throughout the day. For the wedding reception itself, it remained a typical American reception with some speeches and first dances, but it was touching surprise when all of their Mongolian friends and family stood up in front of everyone and sang a popular Mongolian song to the newly weds as they swayed left and right to the song with appreciation. It was a great celebration being exposed to such a wonderful culture and even better people. Being able to explore the world through my lens is one of the best advantages of being a wedding photographer, and the emotions and love felt throughout the day help remind me why I am blessed to do what I do. If you are interested in finding out more about this University Club Palo Alto wedding, check out my walkthrough of The University Club of Palo Alto venue.  Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118 Related Posts on the Blog

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How to Plan The Old Homestead Wedding

Wedding

How to Plan The Old Homestead Wedding Ultimate Guide to Planning The Old Homestead Wedding (with pricing and photos) The Old Homestead Crockett 995 Loring Avenue Crockett, CA 94525 (510) 660-5174 TOHQuestions@gmail.com Founded in 1867, The Old Homestead Crockett is a beautiful and historic wedding venue with years of experience in event hosting. It features a secluded garden, a charming home, and majestic redwoods.  The venue has a large lawn and can hold a ceremony of up to 200 people. All these fuse together to form a picturesque setting where one can host intimate wedding receptions and ceremonies, and become a part of the garden’s cherished tradition. The venue is inclusive of : Parking and wheelchair access Outside vendors Chairs and tables set up and tear down Designated area for food trucks and barbecue A large kitchen  Large parking lot Chairs and tables Apart from being an excellent choice for a wedding venue, The Old Homestead Crockett is also ideal for private parties and other wedding-related events such as wedding rehearsals, bridal showers and engagement parties. If you are looking for other outdoor locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, see my extensive list for The Best Venues for Weddings in San Francisco The Old Homestead Wedding Photos Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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rainbow gay wedding

Anderson Hall Wedding

Wedding / ,

Anderson Hall Wedding Robert and Ricky had a slight change of plans for their Anderson Hall wedding, but that didn’t stop them having the best day ever! Anderson Hall, in Camp Meeker, is a hidden gem amongst the redwood trees and creeks in Sonoma County that add to the perfect setting for an outdoor wedding. Having an outdoor ceremony to take advantage of the gorgeous redwoods was the plan up until 2 hours before the Ceremony start time. Unfortunately, their wedding date coincided with one of the (few) bigger storms Northern California had had in years! The heavy rain made an outdoor ceremony uncomfortable so they instead had it done indoors at the reception hall, squeezing in amongst the dining tables and chairs. This setup, however tight, only made the gathering more intimate as the emotions of the moment quickly came over the Grooms almost immediately once they started…and all the worry of the weather quickly went away. Fortunately, the rain only lasted an hour at the start of the day, so the rest of the evening went as planned outdoors with dancing and many smiles. Family group portraits in the rain might be my new favorite thing to shoot, however! Going over images of grumpy kids with wet clothes and the adults embracing the wet weather with huge smiles made getting soaked photographing this Andersen Hall wedding totally worth it. Venue : Anderson Hall Wedding Coordinator : JL EventsDessert : Love + Flour BakeshopCatering : El Roy’s Mexican GrillDJ : Caliber DJs Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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La-Costanera-Wedding

La Costanera Wedding

Wedding

La Costanera Wedding Michelle and Joseph held their La Costanera wedding in Montara, California, a popular Peruvian restaurant situated by the ocean that is well known amongst the locals for its food and easy beach access. In front of about 120 of their closest friends and family, they said their vows and I Do’s on an overcast day, surprising everyone who expected a sunny day that occurred just the day before around the same time. With an outdoor ceremony offering plenty of open sky, the weather provided a clean white backdrop and a blank canvas for their ceremony photos, allowing everyone to focus on the Bride and Groom and not be distracted by the beach and waves just out of sight. For photography, the even lighting is ideal for portraits, and it was for me a blessing in disguise. For the happy Couple, though they preferred it to be a clear and sunny day, the unexpected weather would have little to no effect on how ecstatic they were this day to have their La Costanera wedding. Michelle and Joseph, both very animated and carefree individuals, provided some awesome photo opportunities with their expressive personalities throughout the day. From the loud screams right after getting married, to the goofy cake cutting shenanigans, you could tell exactly why there are a perfect match for each other! One of the most memorable moments for me came when they made their grand entrance, donning gold chains and joining in the verbal ruckus that their friends and family provided. It was pure joy, and they quickly had their parents join in on their dancing celebration, sandwiching them and making it very unforgettable. The smiles on everyone’s faces just made me so happy to be present in this moment. Speaking of smiles, throughout the evening I would always see a smile or laugh on Michelle’s face, whether it was reacting to Joseph’s antics, or simply enjoying the big day with all her friends and family. Despite La Costanera being a smaller venue for a wedding, the intimate atmosphere was the perfect complement to everyone’s energy, helping to make this evening a grand celebration. With a shorter day to photograph at 5 hours, it was great that I was able to be present for the most important parts of the Couple’s La Costanera wedding, photographing the ceremony and reception and leaving right at the start of the dance party! And something tells me that the dance floor kept going off up until closing time! 😀 Venue : La CostaneraDJ : Colors and Music ProductionsFlorist : Florals by FlorMakeup : Brett BlackburnHair : Linda LealaoPlanner : Maria Arellano-Chan Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Alviso Adobe Park Wedding

Elopements, Wedding

Alviso Adobe Park Wedding Nicole and Victor held their outdoor Alviso Adobe Park wedding in Pleasanton, hoping to have a casual and intimate wedding with only 23 guests and focusing on the day and being with their special guests. This elopement was a very touching way to help them celebrate with the most important people in their lives. Unfortunately, several of their guests’ cars were broken into during the Ceremony, causing a big change in plans with timing and mood. Instead of doing some couples portraits at a second location before having their lunch reception nearby, we had to stay at the Park for the police. It was quite a drastic flip of emotions for them, albeit short-lived, as up until the realization of the crime they were such goofballs and smiling ear to ear! They decided to have a first look in front of everyone a minute before the actual ceremony, as a way of kicking things off in their own unique way. Instead of having a ring bearer, Victor carried around the chameleon from the Disney movie Tangled, which they have seen together many times and is one of their favorite movies. They wanted to do their wedding their own way, which helped it personally stand out in my memory and I’m sure I’m going to remember it for years to come, for all the right reasons. Elopements are always more intimate and more meaningful to the Couple, especially when you can customize the day to more or less however you want. Whether you want to elope at a Park like this Alviso Adobe Park wedding, or in the city such as San Francisco City Hall, the possibilities are endless. You can even have a backyard wedding for a more DIY feel with just the most important people in your lives. Regardless of location, the joy of the day is all that matters and being with the most important people in your lives. Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com

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San Francisco Family Photographer - Stern Grove

Stern Grove Family Shoot

Family

This Stern Grove family shoot will be my fourth year in a row with the Lincoln Family, as they get ready for their annual holiday Christmas card photo shoot. Stern Grove is the same place Ella Mei and Jason got married several years back, when Lily was less than a year old. Seeing them grow up behind the camera, it is always a pleasure to see the little girls grow in maturity and beauty, while maintaining their playful innocence and youth. Every time I see them the whole family is always in a great mood, despite what Ella Mei tells me what goes on at home 🙂 We started out the family session by focusing on the two girls, and their cute smiles foreshadowed what would happen the entire shoot. Soon after, the parents joined in for some memorable family photos on the same steps they took other family photos on their wedding day. As soon as we changed settings and went to the performance stage, Ella Mei pulled out some dried apricots, which was met with very big smiles. On the stage, in order to encourage more candid and natural responses, I suggested the parents pick up and twirl the girls around which always helps to teach little kids that the photo shoot is fun and not a forced chore. It’s all about positive reinforcement I guess! 🙂 This little sequence helped create the best images of the day in my opinion as it shows the best natural reactions from both the kids and the parents. Too often it seems in family shoots the parents are focused on getting the kids smiling, but I feel the best images of kids is of them laughing, naturally. After doing the yearly solo portraits of the girls, we finished the shoot on the steps of the Stern Grove building, the sight of their wedding reception. At the time, another interested wedding couple was inspecting the area for their big day, but were gracious enough to let us in and allow Jason and Ella Mei to show their kids this meaningful place, where they added another special memory with today’s Stern Grove family shoot. Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com

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cavallo-point-engagement-shoot

Cavallo Point Engagement Session

Engagements

Cavallo Point Engagement Session Irene and Rick held their Cavallo Point engagement session in Sausalito, choosing this location because they thought it would have a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge and be a little more sunny on the northern side of the Bridge. Living in San Rafael, they obviously knew this side of the Bridge more than me and I was excited to shoot at this location again! The only other time I had photographed around this area (though not the same exact area) was for Arturo and Keren’s marriage proposal a few years ago! In their research for locations online, they came across some photos and thought it would be a nice location for their sunset shoot. Having a small and casual wedding in September, they initially thought an engagement shoot wouldn’t be necessary, but they realized it would be nice to have as a nice warmup to their wedding day! Coming from San Francisco, I expected it to be sunny and ten degrees warmer in Sausalito (as it normally is!). To my surprise, by the time our session started, a majority of the sky was covered by the clouds just as they were in the City. Fortunately, the only real important area that I needed sun was still there with the Golden Gate Bridge. Situated in the rear of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, this area had a lookout overlooking the entire San Francisco Bay that we started our session. From this vantage point, it provided an awesome panoramic view stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz Island and more! While I have seen very similar views in the North Bay, coming to this new vantage point allowed me to photograph new images and I welcomed the fun challenge. One of my favorite images of the Golden Gate Bridge utilized my very own reflection idea that I admittedly have been working on for a few months. I like to think it is an original idea and I am so proud of how the reflection turned out! It is an uncommon view and not so obvious a reflection like a mirror – can you tell it isn’t a mirror? 🙂 Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com

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Airplane Engagement Shoot

Engagements

Airplane Engagement Shoot “So…would you be interested in doing an airplane engagement shoot?” Jamie asked me. (eyes wide open) “Umm…YES!!!” I replied! I always love working with different and adventurous couples – and a unique idea like this for Jamie and Andrew’s airplane themed engagement shoot was something I couldn’t pass up on, despite getting motion sickness on every small plane and boat I’ve ever been on! I relayed this information to her and Jamie assured me she was more sensitive than I and that she has never had a problem with anyone. With (and let’s be honest even without) those words of assurance replaying in my head as we lifted off the ground, the flood of ideas to incorporate the plane into their couples portraits overcame my stomach and I survived the trip without any problems 🙂 After flying to a few other runways and not falling in love with the scenery we ended up at a runway near Tracy and knew the open space, availability of a refueling post, and an air-conditioned station would serve as the perfect photo shoot location. After doing some wider shots displaying the full airplane I opted for more fun reflections in the windows and utilizing layers with the airplane propellers (my favorite part of the plane) in all their glory close to the camera. It’s so cool to share in Jamie and Andrew’s love for flying and being able to spend a few hours seeing the extensive knowledge needed for flying and maintaining your own plane. For them, it was just another gorgeous day to do something together. While others may go for a walk in the park, these two prefer a flight through the clouds! If their airplane engagement shoot is any indication of how fun their wedding is going to be, I cannot wait!  (Update : see their airplane dance moves at their wedding!) Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Baker Beach Maternity Shoot

Maternity

Baker Beach Maternity Shoot Courtney and Pablo held their first Baker Beach maternity shoot, wanting to commemorate this new and exciting period in their lives for their first born by driving up from Fresno and enjoying San Francisco for a few days. Not knowing the City that well, they desired a beach setting and I happily recommended Baker Beach because it is the most common place I shoot in, but also the cleanest beach setting in San Francisco. I love the fact that they brought some props to the shoot, which allowed us to play with new poses and ideas and not simply focus on Courtney’s stomach. Whenever your Couples have something to read or hold, they always allow the shoot to be more natural and allows for more candid reactions and emotions. I don’t mind shooting traditional photos (I always do I just don’t show them much on my website because they are too basic and anyone can take a posed photo!) but always love putting my own fun twist that Couples seem to hire me for, such as telling them to toss their little child’s shoes to each other, in addition to simply holding it above the belly. No Baker Beach maternity shoot is complete without taking photos with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge behind you, and the low tide that day helped provide some gorgeous reflections that help make the photos pop. Pro tip – shooting at a low angle inches above the water helps with the reflections! When the light and water come together perfectly at Baker Beach, the photos are just magical and I was so happy the conditions allowed for some beautiful light for this couple visiting from out of town. When the stars align it makes it obvious why so many people choose a Baker Beach maternity shoot!  Congratulations Courtney and Pablo on your first child! Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com 762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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Hawk Hill Engagement Shoot

Engagements

Hawk Hill Engagement Photos If you are considering Hawk Hill for your proposal or engagement, check out the images below for ideas and inspiration at this lesser known spot in the Marin Headlands! Everyone considers Batter Spencer for Golden Gate Bridge views, but this location a few minutes drive away offers a more scenic and panoramic view of the Bridge and of the entire San Francisco Bay and skyline.  If you want to consider the more common engagement locations in San Francisco, consider the fact there may be more people around you. With Hawk Hill, you will typically have a more privacy for whatever you want to do! Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below! 415 756 9335  ianchinphotography@gmail.com San Francisco, CA 94118

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