How many brides have been serenaded by the groom on the wedding day?  Now, how many brides have a song or music written in your honor all dedicated to you?  The prelude from slide show below was composed by the groom, Eric, and it is called, “Fur Adina”.   What a romantic gesture!

Snow Doesn’t Stop A Wedding!

As theAssistant for Willi, theStoryteller, I have to arrange for most if not all of Willi’s transportation. On the day before and on the day of Adina and Eric’s wedding, there was a big snow storm. The driver that we have arranged to take Willi to the East Meadow Jewish Center in Long Island for the wedding called early in the morning on the day of the wedding to let us know that his car was buried in snow and that the streets in his neighbor was not yet plowed.

The East Meadow Jewish Center is about 30 miles from our studio in Manhattan and on a normal day with no traffic it shouldn’t take more than 40 minutes to get there. We figured that it’ll take us over 2 hours to get there on a bad weather day. We weren’t even sure if all the roads and highways were plowed, but our first concern was getting hold of a car. In our neighborhood there are a handful of car services. One after another we were told that they have no available drivers. Thank goodness to friends and referrals that we finally found a ride to Long Island.

We didn’t even bother calling the groom to confirm if the wedding was still going on despite the inclement weather conditions. Weather has never stopped Willi from photographing a wedding; therefore he didn’t think a bride and groom would call off their special day because of a little snow on the ground. The snow on the ground only made it look more like a winter wonderland.

Adina and Eric’s beautiful ketubah was custom made by Adina’s mom, Janice Cepler of Yaffa Studios. You can see more of Janice’s magnificent work of art and creativity on her website: http://sites.google.com/site/yaffastudiosjc/Home

Good Omens for a Happy Winter Wonderland Wedding Day:

Snow falling on the wedding day is a prophecy of great happiness.

Snow on the wedding day brings money.

When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.

Snow on your wedding day is a sign of fertility and prosperity.

If it snows on your wedding day, you will get a dollar for every flake that falls on you.

If snow falls on their wedding day, it means happiness for the bride and groom.

Paul and Katy, a couple overcoming tragedies, celebrates life and gives the ultimate gift of a traditional Chinese wedding to their family.  Paul and Katy’s wedding becomes more than just the union of two people in love.

Their love for one another is very apparent; from the way they hold hands to the way they feed each other food. I can’t believe my eyes that in this day and age of fast food, fast paced and fast everything that I can still witness such an old fashion gesture of TLC between a young couple. These two will grow old together and have many children and grandchildren along the way. I can feel in my heart that this is what Paul and Katy want.

We created a wedding guest sign in book from their engagement session in Central Park and from it you can see the love between Katy and Paul for yourself.

Katy and Paul had wanted a more westernized wedding and reception, since they are both ABC (American Born Chinese), but they conceded to their parents wishes and went with a traditional Chinese style wedding. Which means they will have to perform the traditional rituals of picking up the bride, paying respect to the ancestors and gods by offering incense and burning paper money, and paying respects to their parents and elders through a *tea ceremony.

A traditional Chinese wedding maybe a challenge to a photographer.  With most traditional Chinese style weddings, all the rituals are performed at home and most first generation Chinese immigrant homes are not clutter free (my parents are no exception, they give a new meaning to pack rat).   As a photographer my goal is to make my clients look terrific by capturing the emotional moment in the most natural and beautiful way.

My motto to myself is to always have an open mind in all situations, don’t judge and let the beauty of the moment reveal itself to me. When we judge with our own tinted vision, we can not see what’s naturally beautiful. As a storyteller, I am hired to not only document the day in the life of a couple, but also to make beautiful images to cherish for generations.

On Katy and Paul’s wedding day we were given rain, wind, and snow. When it was time for us to shoot some outdoor photographs, the rain and wind got together to test our ability to adapt. We had to change our plan because of the limitation of time and the inclement weather. Instead of going to Dumbo to shoot against the beautiful New York City skyline; we ended up at Brooklyn’s Eighth Avenue subway station. The Eighth Avenue station is a symbolic place for Katy and Paul. It’s where waves of Chinese American and other immigrants pass through daily. It’s also where Paul grew up and near where he and Katy celebrated their wedding that evening at the Pacificana Restaurant.

Once again we’ve found beauty in a less than expected beautiful setting; we embraced what was beautiful within all of us at that moment.

Katy and Paul’s unselfish and filial gift not only brought closure to the past, but brings with it hope for a beautiful and fruitful life ahead. With love, all is possible. Katy and Paul, I look forward to photographing your children and seeing the smiles on you and your family’s faces.

The fabulous Monika Broz, one of the most unbelievable and energetic photographer I have the pleasure of knowing, second shot with me that day.

Katy’s wedding day hair and make up  by Jina and Carol of JAC Beauty.

*Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony
In Chinese culture, the younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. The tea ceremony is considered a significant event in a Chinese wedding. The groom and bride are formally introduced and welcomed into each other’s family through the tea ceremony. After the drinking of the tea, gifts are presented to the bride and groom. Gifts are usually in forms of “lucky” red envelopes that contain money or jewelry.

For family photographer
in New York, NY

August 8^th, 2009 was a day of many firsts for me.

It was the first time I:

* was at The Prospect Park Audubon Center at the Boathouse (for a wedding or personal leisure)
* was at The River Café
* saw a handmade silk bouquet by Twigs & Honey
* met stylist Sissi Chan
* assisted on two weddings in one day (yes, TWO (2) weddings!)
* was in Dumbo for a wedding day photography session
* assisted Willi and associate photographer, Ben
* brought a mp3 player with a recorder with me to a wedding
* tasted a Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory ice cream
* ate black cod with miso
* and so much more that I’m not going to bore you with

When I first walked into Prospect Park; it seemed like dejavu. I couldn’t pinpoint it until I’ve reached the Boathouse. I felt as if I was on the movie set of  Somewhere in Time; when I saw Cynthia and Matt in their wedding attire. The Boathouse is such a romantic setting for a wedding.

I did not plan on using my mp3 recorder, but when I heard the harpist playing Pachelbel’s Canon I couldn’t resist pressing the record button. A few days after the wedding when I listened to the recording; I was surprised by the content. Unknowingly, I had left the recorder on for the entire wedding ceremony. It recorded Cynthia and Matt’s wedding vows.

Now, I understand why talkies were such a phenomenon in the 1920s. Adding sound and especially dialog to photographs enhances the emotional content.  With Willi’s photo storytelling skills and my mp3 recorder we may have just added a new a la carte service.  Do let us know what you think.

By the way pescetarians I highly recommend The River Café’s black cod with miso!

The River Café
1 Water Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 522-5200

Prospect Park Audubon Center at the Boathouse?
95 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY? 11215
(718) 287-3400?

Cynthia & Matt’s slideshow was first published on September 27, 2009.

Dumbo, Brooklyn  is a very beautiful setting for not just wedding photography sessions, but also engagement photo sessions.

I hope everyone had a warm and wonderful holiday season!

Willi, theStoryteller, a Modern Lifestyle photographer, is still in the mist of post production and album making. Looks like he won’t be able to come up for air until the end of February; but in the mean time we would like to share an intimate wedding of a lovely, beautiful & fun couple from London, England.

Helen contacted us to photograph her intimate get away New York City destination wedding a month before their City Hall civil wedding ceremony. No contract was drawn; we promised to meet each other at 8 a.m. at the Hudson Hotel on one of the coldest day in December 2009.

They had a total party of three people: Helen, John, and Helen’s sister, Heather. Here are the challenges in a nut shell: Willi had to create a story of three people who comes to New York City’s City Clerk’s Office Marriage Bureau for a less than twenty second civil wedding ceremony to be pronounced husband and wife in 10°F (it sure did felt like it) weather and make it fill with fun, emotion, warmth, and NYC chicness, because that’s what the bride and groom came all the way to New York City from London to do. Thank goodness that the love was already there, because luckily for us Helen and John are so much in love that it shows.

We started the wedding photo shoot at the elegant Hudson Hotel Penthouse then we headed out to City Hall, Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central Station. Due to the inclement weather; we tried, but were not able to utilize the terrace with panoramic New York City views. I was surprised that we were able to shoot in bathroom, but then it was chic and luxuriously stylish.

Well, here are the results from the challenges given! Be sure to view the slideshow too!

Please click on the play button to see more of Helen & John’s gorgeous wedding pictures taken in the penthouse of the Hudson Hotel, New York City Hall, Brooklyn Brooklyn and Grand Central Station.

Hudson Hotel
356 West 58th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 554-6000

Weddings are a once in a lifetime event that most, if not all brides dream about. When it comes to weddings, perfection is not an option but very much preferred. We are only human and can sometimes err in our choices and planning a wedding is nothing but making choices and hope that in the end it all comes out perfect.

On Melissa and Joe’s wedding day the entire bridal party cheered and chanted my name as I walked through the door of the bridal suite; because I was available to phatograph Melissa and Joe’s wedding. I was elated, surprised and humbled by the ovation; it showed me how important my photography services are to a bride, her friends and her family.

Bungalow Hotel
50 Laird Street
Long Branch, NJ 07740
phone: 732.229.3700
email: info@bungalowhotel.net

Avenue Restaurant
Le Club Beach Club
23 Ocean Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740
phone: 732.759.2900
email: info@leclubavenue.com

What is the typical age of a ring bearer? The younger the cuter! Must he be old enough to understand the importance of his role? No matter the age of the ring bearer, the rings are usually kept in the safekeeping of the best man. The trick is getting the ring bearer to walk down the aisle. More often than not; the shy younger ring bearer will stop after a few short steps and begins to look scared.

Don’t worry mommy is waiting at the end of the aisle with the arms open and candy in her hands.

As humans we tend to gravitate towards a preference because we are creatures of habit; so when someone asks us about our favorites we are excited to tell all.

What’s my favorite piece of equipment? Well, if you know me or have plenty of free time on your hand to read through my blog posts, then you’ll probably know my answer. “I have no favorites and/or preferences”!

I apologize for the let down, but let me explain. I’m a person that doesn’t like to be pigeonholed. As I have learned from Takuan Soho’s, “The Unfettered Mind”: the placement of the mind in a sword fight is very important; if you put your mind and attention on a specific spot you will be cut by the sword. When you focus on the tree, you will miss the forest. When one falls in love with a favorite piece of equipment or a favorite style, one may no longer see other beauties or opportunities; this is very good for a marriage but not great for photography.

I will not limit myself to one lens; so in my arsenal of lenses, which are the eyes of my cameras, I have a long range telephoto zoom which is like a high power rifle for a sniper; I have a mid-range zoom which is like an AK 47 for running and shooting; I have a short-range zoom which is like an Uzi for spraying at close distance. I also use prime lenses which are for stealth and low light shooting. (I’m not a proponent or opponent of guns; this is just a visual analogy). Without a preference I can tell a story with a broader range of possibilities, but I would shoot a wedding with a point and shoot camera if that’s all I am given. As a photographer, I aspire to be consistent in the quality of my work; which will not only require a technical mastery of my tools, but also a flexible creative approach to each subject that appears in front of my lens.

From the following slideshow; can you find the long, the short and the in between shots?

I do not blog every wedding I photographed and do not intent to do so in the future. As I have mentioned before my reason is….. it stops my mind from thinking creatively. Blogging every wedding does have it’s advantages, but it may eventually become a repetitive, dull and mechanical chore that will thwart my creative flow.

Bruce Lee’s style of martial arts, Jeet Kune Do, was whatever that’s useful he incorporated into his art and whatever that’s useless he discard. His fighting method was a collection of the techniques from western boxing, fencing, wrestling and Asian martial arts. He used to joke that a black belt is only good for holding up pants. He followed the principle of let no way be the way; therefore, no style be the style. His style allows one to continue to change and improve without holding onto a particular style, thought, or thing. “Be like water, my friend”, as he had said.

My approach to weddings is story based and not base on a specific technique or style; thus my moniker, theStoryteller, was born. This approach has allowed me to continue to create stories year after year without getting bogged down in form or style. The stories of my loyal brides and grooms have kept my inspiration and creativity alive. My style is the style of my dear customers and every one of them is unique and special!

Life is meant to be lived meaningfully and uniquely. As an artist; I will work with brides and grooms to achieve a style that’s uniquely their own and will not use a cookie cutter method to present their special day.

I have heard from many brides and recently from a groom that I should showcase the weddings on my site that I only present prospective clients. After listening to the comments from this groom, I decide to put up this teaser.

Is it possible to plan a wedding in four months? Sure, why not? Listen to the story of Brooke and Michael and you’ll agree that anything is possible when there’s love and faith. Four months after their engagement they were happily married at The Castle at Skylands Manor.

Music playing in the slide show is by cellist, Chun-Hsin Chang, a former Willi Wong bride.

The Skylands Manor
90 Route 46 East
Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
973.256.9380

Viney and Blesson’s wedding reminded me of the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. They had 500 – 700 guests. It was a family and community event!

With most of the time assigned to family and the CSI community (CSI stands for Church of South India, not the forensic crime drama on TV); we had very little one on one time with Viney and Blesson. We had about only 12 minutes for their private photo session.

With that limitation, we had to rely on capturing the bulk of their photos documentary style. That meant seizing the moment and not let any opportunity go by. In other words, there will be no second chances for better shots, keep your eyes open and keen, fingers on the trigger and don’t stop to wait for the shots to happen.

One thing that was a blessing for us was the rules of the church. They were lenient as long as we were unobtrusive. That allowed us to capture dramatic shots of Viney and Blesson during their wedding ceremony.

Words of advice for the control freak in us photographers… if we are grateful for what life offers us, especially when things seem to be out of our control, it will allow us to see beauty anywhere and everywhere. Be prepared, let go, and embrace what we have at the moment and life’s perfection will appear right in front of our eyes. If we come with a preconceived notion and/or looking for control and not willing to embrace the moment; all life’s beauty may vanish in front of us.

Viney and Blesson’s wedding was a revelation and a challenge to me as a photographer. It was also an affirmation to life…that life is more beautiful when you let go of your ego and preconceptions. Life does not have to be the way you insist it to be; it just is.

Thank you Viney and Blesson for a great experience and a beautiful wedding!

Villa Lombardi’s
877 Main Street
Holbrook, NY 11741
631.471.6609