Being Kayiane and Kelvin’s Los Angeles wedding photographer was a dream come true! For any couples hoping to break the mold on wedding traditions that misalign, cut the stress, and do it their way– welcome to the master class. Running around Los Angeles with these two on their wedding day was so FUN, authentic, stress-free and full of so much love. Here, let me show you…
01. The Vibe
I think the key to an easy breezy day of love and laughter, centered on what’s important to you, is thoughtful intention. Kayiane and Kalvin brought that effortlessly, but I know from experience it isn’t always easy to achieve (and when it’s not, trust that I’ve got your back.)
Kayiane and Kelvin’s wedding day vibe was entirely cozy and chill– not stuffy, not rushed, no rubric. They just did it all their own way, and stayed committed to the cause.
TL;DR The energy was chill, and it allowed for everyone to be present, be real, and have fun.
02. Getting Ready
The morning started off with me documenting Kayiane and family at a Los Angeles Airbnb. All the girls did their own hair, makeup and made their bouquets, a thoughtful way of ensuring all participants felt authentically presented and a part of the coming together of things. The whole morning was super casual and laid back– I was able to grab some nice detailed shots of the dress, shows, headpieces, and bubbly.
More on the shoes– can I just gush for a second? Can we gush together? Would you look at these gorgeous shoes! The block heel. The silver satin. Delicious.
Kayiane’s headpiece was featured in my “9 Unique Veils to Inspire Your Own Wedding Accessories Blow” so if you’re currently planning a wedding of your own and are into that kind of thing, head over there for some beautiful and unique headdress and veil inspo. You can read that blog by clicking here.
The headpiece is handmaid by maker Lena Rom and features hand sculpted ceramic flowers atop a headband; a great way to set your veil in place, or just to add interest and a unique styling touch to your wedding day ensemble. You can check out their Instagram by clicking here.
The bride made her own bouquet, which featured wild and colorful florals in addition to a few fun pomegranates.
We grabbed some nice bridal portraits once she was dressed and ready for the day, which made for a beautiful window portrait session as well as a great way for the bride to center themselves in the present moment, take a beat, and calm.
03. The Wedding Ceremony
THE VENUE
Kayiane and Kelvin’s Los Angeles wedding ceremony was hosted at The Shoseian Tea House & Friendship Garden in Brand Park. Because the wedding ceremony was at a Japanese Tea Garden, one of the parameters is that the ceremony has to be at Noon because they are only open from 10am – 3pm. You can see more about the Shoseian Teahouse, formerly known as the Glendal Teahouse, by clicking here.
Earlier in the day, the bride and groom had set out guava tea and little popcorns, and hung out the garlands all by themselves– just another element of Kayiane and Kelvin’s casual and not stuffy approach to the whole event.
Although the ceremony was midday, Kayiane and Kelvin opted to keep the reception in the evening, starting around 5 or 6pm at a local brewery in their private event space– just another unique touch to change up the traditional pace of the day.
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony was soggy, to say the least! Lots of crying. Really heartfelt. Very honest. All in all, Kayiane and Kelvin’s wedding made for a very vulnerable ceremony and brought exactly the level of intimacy and honesty they had committed to having.
The bride and groom opted to have a few of the bridesmaids do some readings.
Words that come back to me from this Los Angeles Wedding Photographer include laughing, crying, honest, emotional, sentimental, wonderful.
Captured some gorgeous coming back down the aisle images of the newlyweds– cheers!
Lots of hugs were shared, and the wiping of tears.
WEDDING PORTRAITS
From here, we went straight into the wedding party photos.
Girls in jewel tone dresses– they dressed themselves, and made their own bouquets.
Guys in the black suits– they all go together but they’re not perfectly matched like a little army.
The backdrop of the garden was so sweet, featuring the tea house, pond, and beautiful Japanese trees,
After family photos and bridal party photos, we walked around and enjoyed the property with just the bride and groom photos.
Big live oak/ weeping willow energy here.
The groom in the white jacket had such a classy look.
The bride’s whole look was so simple yet so timeless.
Captured the coy pond in the tea house, and snagged some photos with the fishes in the water.
04. Wedding Day Break with Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
So, we had been PLANNING to head to the Hollywood sign for some additional (and quintessentially Los Angeles) bride and groom photos, but at the conclusion of the wedding ceremony it was just a touch too early in the day.
I pitched the idea of heading over to Kitchen Mouse for some lunch prior to the Hollywood Sign and Kayiane and Kelvin were down.
Fast forward to us enjoying a lovely (and photogenic) couples outing until we realized that sunset was a full hour earlier than we had planned. Now, with the state of L.A. traffic and the sun setting at 4:30pm instead of 5:30 or 6pm as we had scheduled, we were in a bind. There was NO WAY we were going to make it across town to Griffith Park as planned.
Ever the quick thinker (I’m light on my feet y’all, mentally and physically), I Google “Overlook Near Me” on my phone and find a feasible option for us to capture those sunset overlook images within a realistic drive-time, and of course Kayiane and Kelvin go for it.
05. Los Angeles Wedding Photographer Finds an Overlook
Cut to, we pull up and the sun is already low, as you can see in the photos. The light is beamy and golden, the perfect time for photos with just a 200 ft walk down the path.
People there taking pictures of their souped up cars and motorcycles. We’ve got guys bumping tunes in the background, so all this movement in the photos is the bridge and groom actually dancing and enjoying the music.
I think I was screaming the entire time we were doing these photos because the music was so good, the lighting was so good. The vibes were excellent.
These images for me were just icing on top of an already iconic day.
The lighting was perfect; them dancing and making out and dancing and laughing, and trusting me.
Once the sun got really low, we got to play with some of the direct light over in the tall crazy grass. As you can see, it’s giving this pinky orange on their skin with the cold blue sky behind them– stunning.
Then they said goodbye to the sun, which just kind of happened and there just so happened to be these two birds on either side. I love this photo.
We’re going to leave the overlook and then, hello moon! (Squeeeling!!) Such beautiful and casual images featuring Kayiane and Kelvin’s gorgeous connection against the seemingly effortless night sky.
Again, their looks; the white jackets with the black pants, and the white silk dress with the simple veil were *chef’s kiss* It’s not fussy but gorgeous in its simplicity.
Vendor Tip: These two really leaned in, trusted me, and didn’t have preconceived ideas of the way things “should be”. Because of their willingness to trust their vendor, just look at the magic that came out of it.
Here’s my Ig Reel covering the scramble to the overlook and the gorgeous photoshoot that transpired from there:
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06. Wedding Reception at Golden Road
Then we headed to Golden Road, which is a brewery out of Los Angeles with national distribution through Anheuser-Busch. Click here to check out the Instagram profile for Golden Road’s private event space.
Their private event space, known as Chloe’s at Golden Road Brewing, serves up some German/ Austrian style pub; kind of kooky but like old-world energy, featuring really cool wallpaper and leather booths.
The centerpieces are handmade, so they’re all large and over-the-top and decadent.
Kayiane and Kelvin had these really cute pins with the hands and the flowers as guest favors, and had ceremony garlands brought over to the reception space.
We love a big dessert table.
We’ve got them giving wedding toasts. Dinner was amazing. Lots of beer.
There is an arcade room in the main brewery that wedding reception guests had access to.
We got some cake cutting action, and first dances…
The dance floor was super LIT. The bride’s family was Armenian and they did a lot of traditional dances, which was such a blast.
07. Musings on Being Kayiane & Kelvin’s Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
Overall, Kayiane and Kelvin’s wedding day was wonderful, thoughtful, slow paced, intimate, and played host to a killer party in the evening– what more could you ask for? They managed to achieve a day of mindfulness; it wasn’t stuffy, just honest and real, and very them. I loved this wedding, it was gorgeous.
If you find yourself in the business of wedding planning, and are looking for a Los Angeles Wedding Photographer who can hang, is down for a good time, brings all the vibes (fun, chill, down for anything), and is familiar with the area– I’m your gal. Fill out my contact form to start the conversation and see if we’d make a good fit for your big day. I’d count myself lucky to bear witness to your love.
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer + Vendors
Ceremony Venue- Brand Park’s Friendship Garden and Japanese Tea House
Reception Venue- Chloe’s at Golden Road Brewing
Caterer- Chloe’s at Golden Road Brewing
Dress- Ghost London
Headpiece- Lena Rom
Veil- Noon on the Moon
DJ- Alvin Parks
Cake- Justine Hernandez
Pie Shots- The Pie Bar
And be sure to give me a follow on Instagram @Our_Amerpand_Photo for more fun tales from the wedding scene, wedding inspiration, and more!
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This is a beautiful set of wedding photos!