I had the awesome privilege of shooting with Becker from Orange County, CA this past weekend at a fabulous wedding in Carmel Valley, CA. Becker is definitely one of the coolest guys in the industry and someone whom I look up to and respect greatly. Not only all of that good stuff but we absolutely had a blast shooting Scott and Meghan’s wedding along with Keats (Becker’s assistant).
The wedding took place on the luxurious Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel Valley amongst a beautiful redwood grove. I don’t think that there is a more beautiful venue in the world. Meghan was completely stunning and her smile was just radiant. As we got to talking, I found out that she went to school one town over from me (I went to high school at Palo Alto High and she went to Menlo Atherton) and that we actually knew some of the same people. What a trip. I knew there was a reason some of the people there looked familiar. Meghan’s Monique Lhuillier dress and Stuart Weitzman shoes were paired wonderfully. Add a few pearls that were her grandmother’s and a gorgeous ring, and she was complete.
Here is a teaser photo for you and it got me to thinking about the subject of black and white vs. color. Which one do you like? What do you prefer? When do you like one over the other? Please leave a comment down below, I’m interested to hear what you guys think.

Okay, I’m going to go on a bit of a rant for this post but I’m pretty sure that most of the brides will back me up on this. When I’m all through, hopefully, my point will be proven and this will help out some of the fellas out there.
There is obviously a lot of focus on the bride on the wedding day. Her wedding dress is stunning, maybe something from Vera Wang or Reem Acra or maybe a custom piece from a local designer (always a good green alternative) and her shoes are delightfully fashionable, perhaps Manolos, Loboutins or fabulous Kate Spade’s like Miranda wore in a previous blog post, the hair and makeup is pristine and she is a complete princess. But what about the prince? Something is drastically wrong with this “prince”! He is an awesome guy and will make a great husband for this princess, but WHAT IS HE WEARING? “Oh, this?” Yes, the rented tuxedo and patent leather tux shoes.
My personal opinion is that grooms need to step it up a little bit. Rented tuxes just aren’t doing it anymore. There are so many more options that would not only put you on par with your beautiful bride, but would give you a nice suit that you can re-wear after the wedding. A custom suit or a high-end suit off the rack is a simple solution and won’t take you any more time than renting a tuxedo. There is definitely something classic about a groom who is in style. Whether it be a slick bow-tie, a modern slim tie, contrasting pocket square, some new Ferragamos or Maglis, make sure to pair a custom suit with great accessories. When all else fails take some time and head down to your local suit boutique or high-end retailer to get some insight on what would look good for you. There are a ton of great resources on the web like wedding blogs, photographer’s websites, major wedding websites, etc. that can further help you get a feel for what style you think suits you the best.
There is nothing worse than taking a chance on a rental tux that has one leg shorter than the other, a button missing or just looks hideous. You owe it to yourself and your bride to look sharp on the wedding day.
And so I leave you with some style inspiration from Ryan and Kelly’s wedding in February. Ryan is the owner of R. Douglas Custom Clothier in Sacramento, CA and the groomsmen are all wearing custom suits. Ryan offers awesome custom suits and shirting for all your wedding needs, check them out.

Some of you may remember the couple who I had the pleasure of photographing their engagement session in New York City, Rinkal and Sheetal. We spent time in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Central Park, Times Square and all over the place. I had so much fun with this couple and was able to really get to know them as friends, which is definitely one of the coolest aspects of my work.
Well, their wedding day finally arrived and it was absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to share the wedding day images from Viaggio Winery. The wedding was absolutely epic. It was so cool to see all of the friends I made in New York at the Garba and awesome to make so many new friends (if we met or you want to meet, check me out on Facebook and we’ll stay in touch, I promise!). Dennis and the wonderful staff of Cazale’s was superb. Theresa Hart, the Raffertys and the rest of the staff of Viaggio were amazing! Rod, Rebecca and Zack from Element Studios were bringing some awesome film work. Kat’s cakes was extraordinary. And everyone else whom I’ve failed to mentioned that made it happen was just awesome. If I forgot anyone, let me know and I’ll make sure to mention/link you.
I can’t wait to post some photographs from the main wedding ceremony, but as a tease, here are some from the Mendhi, Prithi and Vithi ceremonies which were held Sheetal’s parents’ home in Brookside Golf and Country Club. The artist who did Sheetal’s Mendhi (henna) is Neeta D. Sharma and she is one of the most amazing designers around. Her work has been widely published and she herself has written several books concerning the subject. It was truly an honor to see her at work. View her work here.