Tina & Fabion's Wedding at the Masonic Temple.

Last week I was at the Masonic Temple in downtown Sacramento shooting Tina and Fabion's wedding. Tina and Fabion have been great clients of mine as I have had the privilege of capturing their engagement, family, and graduation photos! This past weekend was the biggest and most important event for us though... the wedding.

The wedding was actually a two day event for me as I was asked to capture not only the wedding day, but the day before as well. There was a lot of set-up to photograph as well as a pre-wedding shoot with the bridal party.

The pre-wedding shoot happened the day before the wedding at the Riverwalk across from Old Sacramento. The initial idea was to go to Old Sacramento for photos, but I thought the backdrop of Old Sacramento didn't quite fit with Tina and Fabion's wedding theme. The Riverwalk ended up being the perfect alternative location.

I started off by photographing the bridesmaids. They work stunning sparkling gold dresses with the maid of honor going with silver. It was a fun and radiant shoot to do with them. I really appreciated the fact that some of them already had some shots in mind they wanted to do. That always helps me out when the bridal party knows what they want to have in their photos.

The guys came next. As typical with guys, there weren't as many pre-planned shots, but it was easy to have them pose and look good with the scenic Riverwalk behind them. They were a ton of fun to work with, and dressed very well!

We got both the traditional serious poses as well as some creative shots as well. I love to capture movement, so I had the bridesmaids jump for this photo. Huge thanks go out to them for being willing to do this shot! Shoes off!

Another fun shot that we did was with the groomsmen and bridesmaids trying to pull Fabion and Tina apart. My favorite thing about these photos is looking at the individual faces and seeing the fun expressions everyone has.

We ended the Riverwalk shoot with a huge group photo and also some individual photos of the bridal party with the bride and groom. This pre-wedding shoot was very important to get done because we wouldn't have time for anything like this the next day!

The Masonic Temple was the location of the ceremony and reception. Its a gorgeous venue that I had not been to before. Tina and Fabion along with their family and friends really dressed it up to a spectacular level. I was so impressed by the work they put into making their wedding a spectacular event.

I cannot stress the amount of hard work and effort that went into this wedding. It was a complete team effort. Help ranged from close family members to friends and relatives. Hours were spent getting the venue set up for the wedding day.

As the venue was getting prepared, so were Fabion and Tina. It's always important to capture shots of the the bride and groom getting ready - I think it's an essential part of the wedding photography package. The anticipation and energy as it happens is like nothing else!

While Fabion had very little help getting himself ready, Tina had a room full of helpers. And of course that makes sense because the bride of the wedding is always the focal point of the attention. She has to look the very bast, and in this case, she did!

Tina and Fabion had a large group for their bridal party on the day of the wedding. Not only did they have the groomsmen and bridesmaids, there were also more girls who added to the group. This photo of Tina and Fabion within a heart formed by their bridal party was a challenge to pull off. I really have to give thanks to my 2nd and 3rd shooters that day for helping me get the form right!

Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony to begin. All the planning and hard work was about to pay off. This is it!

The wedding began with a processional of the bridal party. The women carried flowers and significant items while the men carried swords... yes, swords. When TIna and Fabion entered, they walked underneath the raised swords and flowers. The entrance was nothing short of amazing.

There were so many roles to play for the bridal party. Each one was tasked with a different part to play, and all were important.

The main event was full of fun, laughter, and celebration. As this wedding was done with traditional Persian elements, I didn't know exactly what to expect as the ceremony went on. No matter though, my job was just to capture every moment that I could. I do have to say that after shooting this event I would love to shoot more Persian weddings. I loved everything about it!

It was off to the dining hall after the ceremony concluded. This would be the place where the bride and groom were to be introduced as well as the site of the first dance.

Swords again played a part in the reception. Here you can see Fabion and Tina cutting into their eight foot cake with their sword. 

It was dinner and then party time for the rest of the night. And there was a huge variety in the musical selection! There was a little bit of everything, and everyone had a great time getting their dance moves in full effect.

Thank you Tina and Fabion for having me be your wedding photographer. It was a pleasure to work with you and spent this time together! May you have a blessed marriage!