Happy 4th, everyone!

This is my wonderful friend and fellow photographer Esther, of Esther Sun Photography (isn’t she absolutely gorg?!). Esther is such a delight and has such a great energy about her that you can’t help but have an amazing time when she’s around!

I’m shooting a wedding with Esther this weekend and another later this summer, and couldn’t be more thrilled!  I feel so endlessly fortunate to be surrounded by such incredible and creative friends. ♥

I love pre-wedding parties.  Not only are they a great excuse to get together with friends and loved ones, they are also fantastic way to extend the celebration and really do help to set the tone for the upcoming wedding festivities.

The night before their big day, couple Lindsey & Michael invited friends and family to join them at Kings Row GastroPub in Old Town Pasadena for some pre-wedding festivities. Between mugs of cider & craft beer and uproarious fits of laughter, party-goers arrived in waves to celebrate the couple and indulge in some seriously delicious pub fare.

Bride-to-be Lindsey sums it up in her own words:

We had a lot of friends visiting from out of town, including other countries, and we knew we wouldn’t be able to spend enough quality time with everyone at the actual wedding. Our pre-wedding-day-gathering was low-key and open-ended at Kings Row Gastropub, with people dropping in to say hi and catch up; combined with delicious craft beers and pub food, it was the perfect night.  

The jubilant energy of the evening made it almost impossible to leave! If not for their wedding the next day, I suspect we would have closed the place down - it was so much fun! ♥

I love it when my brother accompanies me on my shoots - he is the best photo assistant!  I can’t wait to spend time with him and my family this weekend.

After spending the afternoon rehearsing at the beautiful Los Angeles River Center, we made our way with Lindsey + Michael, the bride- and groom-to-be, to Il Fornaio in Old Town Pasadena for a lively rehearsal dinner.

Fueled by delicious food, great wine, and the best company, we joked and laughed our way through the entire meal, pausing only to listen to some touching toasts offered by couple-to-be-wed. 

Lindsey, the bride-to-be, summed up the experience beautifully:

It was so powerful being surrounded by our nearest and dearest at the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. It was the first time my dad and sister had been around our extended group of close friends, and it was heart-warming to see how everyone clicked immediately—within the first hour, my dad had already come up with a handful of catchphrases with Michael’s friends (“SUPERCHARGED!!”)!  I couldn’t even get through my thank-you speech to my friends without crying; it was overwhelming to be on the brink of becoming our own baby family, surrounded by our chosen family, those who love us the most.

Everyone must feel this way about their own circle, but I seriously have the greatest friends on earth: we all laughed so hard that my ears were ringing as I left that evening!  It was the perfect conclusion to an amazing afternoon, and I’m so glad I had the chance to document it.  Be sure to visit our Facebook Album to see more photos from this hilarious evening.

I’m excited to share some photos from the following evening’s low key pre-wedding get-together, so be sure to check back soon!