Yayu & Erick | May 21, 2011 | Menlo Park & Oakland, CA
FULL ALBUM HERE
I haven't attended a wedding since I was really young, much less had the opportunity to photograph one. So when my friend, Mike, asked me to shoot the photo booth at his brother's wedding I was super excited. Knowing Yayu and Erick, I knew this would be a very special and fun wedding.
This was the first outdoor ceremony I've seen and I thought it was really great. Everything was so beautiful that I couldn't stay in my seat; I just had to snap pictures of it all! I loved the Chinese lanterns, intimate garden setting, and the weather was perfect.
As soon as the ceremony was finished everyone moved inside for appetizers, open bar, and photos. Mike and Erick came up with this photo booth idea for all the guests. They even brought props that reminded me of the photo magic setups everyone went to in the 90s!
Everything about the wedding was so fun and original! Even dinner had a cool twist; there was a long table full of different boba drink flavors to choose from. For dessert, Yayu surprised Erick with ice cream carts from his favorite place in SF!
BOBA!!!
The wedding didn't stop til the last minute. After filling up on ice cream everyone got back to the bar and then to the dance floor. Yayu and Erick really kept their guests in mind when they planned their wedding. By the end of the night it was obvious that everyone, including myself, had a great time! As a guest I couldn't have more fun!
The next afternoon Erick's parents threw a banquet to officially welcome Yayu into their family. It was held in a beautiful and authentic Chinese restaurant in Oakland's Chinatown. The Lows are one of the nicest families I've ever met so again it was really fun and easy to photograph. Everyone was so positive and genuinely ecstatic for the newlyweds that the feelings of happiness were contagious.
I used to think all weddings were really traditional and structured events; I had no idea how much fun they could actually be. However, everything about these last two days shattered those assumptions. Yayu and Erick had an awesome wedding full of great memories, delicious food, and tons of surprises. If all weddings are like this then I can't wait until all my friends start tying the knot!
