2011: A Memoir - Our Wedding

Looking back, 2011 was huge. This year saw a new business relationship, some exciting partnerships, and my marriage to my wonderful wife, Sooji. I am continually challenged and humbled by her - a loving companion, a creative yet pragmatic advisor, and a darn good cook. Her qualities shine in the areas I lack, and each day brings forth a greater appreciation of the woman she is. Our wedding was a reflection of the adventures we had during our travels. Sooji and I found Liberty View Farm, a charming organic apple farm near New Paltz in the Hudson Valley - an area we spent many weekends at. Billiam, the founder, is a beloved figure known in the area for his sustainable farming practices and stand-out marketing, helping him earn the title of "America's Top Ten Apple Picking Farms" by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

Billiam's minute attention to architectural details completely captured us on our first visit. Each room in the farmhouse was painted a different color and garnished with reclaimed details atypical of your typical hay-ridden farm. We were surprised that the grounds hosted only a handful of weddings beforehand because it was so feature-rich - a haven for any design-inspired planner.

Finding the right photographer to capture the bucolic nature of the grounds was our next challenge. We brought on Joshua Brown Photography and his motion picture crew to document the day. His natural photojournalistic style and vibrant representation of colors married well to the multi-colored pastel theme, which carried through from the bridesmaid dresses to the colored ceremonial Korean han-bok attire. With the help of our planner, Talida Bakes, we kept the wedding as DIY as possible. Sooji painted the invitations and fan programs herself, and our flowers and bouquets were arranged by our own friends. We adhered to the locavore theme with varietal jam-favors and desserts from Sugar Sweet Sunshine, NYC.

In good character, a farm wedding must have great food, and Bridge Creek Caterers did not disappoint. The award-winning culinary team served up equal parts Korean BBQ / Southern-style ribs, topped off by their distinguished lemon meringue cake, all presented amidst a 7-piece live band made up of our talented friend, Victor Lin and his crew of wonderfully gifted musical friends.

 It's taken me a while to reflect on what an incredible year this has been, and to know that through faith there is an adventure waiting ahead for us. Thank you, friends, family, and my photography community for a wonderful 2011!

Wedding Photography: Joshua Brown Photography / Planner: Talida Bakes / Floral Design: DIY / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Make-up + Hair: Blush / BBQ Catering + Wedding Cake: Bridge Creek Caterers / Stationery: Paper Boutique NY / Bride's Earrings: Givenchy / Bride’s Rings: Jules Fainberg NY / Bride’s Shoes: Ralph Lauren / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Custom Suits: BlackLapel / Ties: Tommy Hilfiger /  / Musical Guests: Victor Lin, Jennifer Shue Lin, Charles Bryant, Alicia Olatuja, Robin Lai, Kevin Farrell, Aaron Mclendon, Jon Ho, Jae Ko, Cate Song, Minnow Park

Sooji + Albert's Wedding Teaser (Same-Day-Edit) from Joshua Brown Photography on Vimeo.

Eddie + Angela's Engagement | Queensbridge Park + Tribeca, NY

Eddie and Angela approached me a while back to envision a unique set of engagement portraits. They wanted to reflect on their time here in New York with distinct images of downtown, while celebrating their Korean heritage and photographing a set of images for their family back in South Korea. Eddie also had recently purchased a Vespa, which I suggested we get into the shoot!

The day started in Queensbridge Park amidst a backdrop of peaking foliage between Triboro Bridge and the Hell's Gate Bridge (named after the treacherous strait that flowed between - a spot where many boats in early New York City history got stuck between). The stunning architectural perspective under Hell's Gate gave way to some great pullback shots.

Afterwards, we hiked over to Tribeca where we met up with one of my filmmakers, Gabe Leavell of StayUpProductions, to coordinate the Vespa shoot. We did quite a few laps around town, with Gabe and I hanging out of an SUV capturing Eddie and Angela. After a month of planning, this was probably the most pre-production I've had to put into an engagement shoot, but well worth it. Our video footage is still being worked on, but we'll release it soon! We ended the day at Battery Park City, chasing the sun as it set on an amazing and memorable Fall afternoon!

Above: Much credit to Andy Cheung, Eddie's business partner and assistant for our entire shoot.