Mark Hopkins San Francisco Photo Shoot

Mark Hopkins San Francisco, located on the top of Nob Hill, one of the famous 5 stars hotels in San Francisco. Also, they are the "wedding factory" because they did about 25 weddings last year and the number is growing. Besides the grand ballroom, Mark Hopkins also has many other spaces where are perfect for smaller weddings.The purpose of this project is to capture all the transformed these rooms into elegant wedding venues and the hotel can show the images to the potential brides. Here are the rooms of this project:

The Florentine Room (Rehersal Dinner)
The California Room (Ceremony)
Six Continents (Reception)
Top of the Mark (Perfect for Proposing, Rehearsal Dinner, Ceremony, Reception)

I love Top of the Mark the most, it's located on the 15th floor of the building, 360 degree landscape of San Francisco, it was so amazing! If you've never been there, visit their Sunday brunch and I'm sure you will love it. Thanks for the hard work from all the vendors, their works are outstanding and made my images beautiful, I can't wait to work with them again!

Location: Mark Hopkins San Francisco
Wedding Coordinator: A Bride's Best Friend
Lighting: Enhanced Lighting and Sound
Flower Arrangement & Decor: Amy Burke Designs
Flower Arrangement & Decor: Floramor Studios
Chairs & Chair Covers: Especially Yours Chair Covers


The Florentine Room (Rehersal Dinner)


Chivari chairs by Especially Yours Chair Covers

The California Room (Ceremony)


Draping & Lighting by Enhanced Lighting and Sound


Chair Covers by Especially Yours Chair Covers





Six Continents (Reception)

Draping & Lighting by Enhanced Lighting and Sound


Top of the Mark (Perfect for Proposing, Rehearsal Dinner, Ceremony, Reception)

Views from Top of the Mark

Mark Hopkins San Francisco Photo Shoot Teaser

WPPI 2009

WPPI is coming in couple days, I have packed my suitcases and ready heading to Las Vegas! WPPI is the heaven for all the wedding photographers, contest, exhibition, classes, parties, and more. This is my fifth year going to WPPI and I'm still excited to go there. Everything I will bring new vendors to my studio and I can't wait to find out what's new for the year. I also have my shopping list ready because the show price usually is a bargin. Of course, party party parties, I hope I don't get too drunk this year! Viva Las Vegas, here I come!

Nicole D'Ambra Wedding Consulting

I met Nicole in Studio MSV's party two years ago and we didn't have a chance to meet each other until yesterday. Nicole is the owner of Nicole D'Ambra Wedding Consulting, one of the top wedding consulting companies in the Bay Area. During our lunch meeting, we talked about business and also shared funny wedding stories to each other, she made me lol! Nicole's service covers the whole Bay Area, Napa/Sonoma area, and also southern california. Her customers always give her 100% satification, so her bookings filled up quickly, if you want a fantastic wedding or you're looking for wedding consulting service, you better contact Nicole once you finsih reading my blog!

Sorry Nicole, the picture didn't turn out well with my point & shoot! -

KMTP - Wedding Television Filming

I was invited by Beverly Yip, the owner of Especially Your Chair Covers, to attend a KMTP Wedding Television filming. The program is about interviewing wedding vendors in the Bay Area, talk about their products and services, styles, and pricing. Beverly was the organizer and she invited several celebrity level vendors for this program, and they are:


Jesus Diaz - The Westin St. Francis Hotel San Francisco
Beverly Yip - Especially Your Chair Covers
Maria Chang - Professional Makeup Artistry (PMA)
Nancy Liu Chin - Nancy Liu Chin Designs
Tristan Flores - Elle Music
Sonya Hong - Butterfly Cakes


The filming was held at Westin St. Francis Hotel Victor's Palace at 32 floor, beautiful grand ball room with all the nice decorations from our vendors. Chair covers, center pieces, cake, lightling, and floral decor, all decorations matched the color and the theme of the venue and they brought the classic and elegant style to the room. Of course, the highlight of the day was the interviewing. Maria Chang from PMA provided makeup to the vendors and they all looked like superstars in front of the cameras. The preparation and filming took about 5 hours, it wents smootly and we all had fun. I forgot to mention, I originally was invited as a photographer of the event, but I was invited to be a part of the interview as well. I was so nervious during the interview, so please don't laugh if you see my face on the TV program later.



32Floor Victor's Palace in San Francisco Westin St. Francis Hotel

Chair covers by Especially Your Chair Covers -

Beverly in action -

Beverly from Especially Your Chair Covers -

Maria Chang from Professional Makeup Artistry (PMA) -

Maria in action with Beverly -

Nancy in action -

Table center piece by Nancy Liu Chin Designs -

Nice wedding cake from Butterly Cakes -

Our three beauty vendors: Beverly, Maria, and Nancy from left to right -

Christina (Producer of KMTP) and Me -

Nicole Ha Floral & Event Designs

Nicole Ha Floral & Event Designs - Before working with Nicole, I heard about all the good things about her works from my friends, customers, and vendors. Starting early last year, Nicole and I finally got a chance to working together for Halbert and Sally's wedding early this year. Nicole's works are unique, simple, and elegant. If you're looking for floral designer for your weddings or events, you definitely need to check our her portfolio. Nicole told me that she is in the middle of redesigning her website (http://www.nicoleha.com/), and she probably would use some of the pictures I shot for her, I can't wait! Nicole, I hope to see you again the upcoming weddings.

WPPI 2008, Las Vegas

This is my forth year to WPPI, as last few years, it was held in Bally/Paris hotel in Las Vegas (finally we're going to hold it in MGM instead in next year!). I like to go to WPPI, check out new stuffs from tradeshow, buy new camera equipments, and of course hang out with friends and DRINKING! My new assistant Elley went there this year, she was such a good girl, she went to ALL platform classes and didn't go out at all. I felt really bad coz I only went to one class. In the last day of the show, I finally did something productive in the tradeshow. I bought some camera equipments and also ordered some sample albums. I ordered a new handcrafted Japanese album, can't wait to show it to my customers.

First dinner, Augie, me, Bev, and Matt (<--the one taking this picture)
Outside of Paris and Planet Hollywood

We were doing stupid poses in front of Planet Hollywood

Matthew's turn

Matthew, Elley, Manoj, and me

Cool wall!

The only class I went

This guy kept showing of his new iPhone

We stayed at Westin Hotel this time

Pictage has a huge booth this year