Although it rained days before their wedding day. The rain stopped and the sun had a reason to shine it’s rays on Friday, December 26. It was their wedding day. A beautiful sunny December day. A day they’ve both been dreaming of for so many years and with God’s help, their dreams were coming true.

Dear ate Lan and Joben:

Thank you so much for giving us the blessed chance to document your wedding. I’ve never felt so much love between two people as I have seen with you both. From the first time I captured your love during your engagement photos and up until your wedding day, I’m just really happy to be a part of it all! I’ve known  your families for years now and your day just made me feel even closer to you both. This is the reason why I love what I do :).

I hope you enjoy the photos and may you have a wonderful honeymoon together!!

To view the slideshow, please click here. Here are some of my favorites from your wedding day.

Side Note: Have a safe and happy new year everyone!

Update: thank you ate My :)

This past weekend was one of the busiest with back to back events and photoshoots :) and I am thankful!

It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed EVERY second of it! I had such a good time, I couldn’t stop thinking about the photos and had a hard time falling asleep because my mind kept replaying the events over and over and over again…

Side note: Another prayer of mine had come true last night: to photograph ministers and their families :). Ryan and I didn’t get home until almost 12 am. We went to the INC Socal District Office in Anaheim right after work to photograph the ministers and their families.  I will not be posting these photos up but I just wanted to make a blog note about it because I had such a great time being there with the ministers and their families.  The children played Simon Says (it was a simple game, but they had so much fun), some wives and children sang songs, and some of the ministers even prepared a Christian Music Video! I don’t know why, but I was inspired just being around all of them. This was something I just needed… seeing the lighter side of the ministers ;). So thank you po Ka Nel for asking me to photograph the families! It was a blessing po..

I’ll be posting up the events/photoshoots in the following order in a couple of days. For now, I hope you enjoy these four photos from my weekend gigs :)

Joben & Lan’s Wedding: Friday, December 26

Vicente Family Photoshoot (Nathan & Ria): Saturday, December 27

Meredith’s 18th Birthday: Saturday, December 27

Baby Kai’s Photoshoot: Sunday, December 28

A lot of things has happened this year. Gosh! I can’t believe how fast this year went by! I swear it seemed like yesterday that I had left for the Philippines to visit our family there! Now its December and it’s time to welcome another year?

Here are our highlights for this year; the good, the bad, and the ugly…

January: Ryan and I celebrated our 5th Year Anniversary. We visited Philippines and prayed at central temple (the place we were wed) to thank God for blessing our marriage. Our friends Kuya Ed and Shey got married this month too!

February: Photography business starts to pick up with portrait shoots and events. Happy 27th Birthday to my sister Janice!

March: Celebrated my 30th birthday. This month also marked our 10th Year Anniversary as a couple. I can’t believe it’s been so long.. it seems like only yesterday I met Ryan on the #iglesia channel on mIRC. Cheryll (Ryan’s sister) celebrates her 29th birthday.

April: We got even busier with photography/videography work but I made sure to celebrate Ryan’s 31st birthday watching Wicked at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. Erika celebrated her 18th birthday!

May: Daddy (ryan’s dad) celebrated his birthday this month. Ryan and I worked a couple of weddings: Jane & Isaac and Tallulah & Farrell! Attended and volunteered to help with our INC Socal District Track & Field event. —– A beloved head deacon, Bro Roque, finished his course. My cousin kuya Ambro also passed away… :(

June: This month was a bit better – crazy – but better. Ryan and I visited Seattle, WA for the very first time to photograph an engagement shoot. We also spent most of the month preparing of the church’s 94th Anniversary & 40th Year Anniversary in the West celebration. —– Ryan’s grandfather passed away. I’m just thankful we were able to see him in January when we visited Philippines :(

July: Mommy (ryan’s mom) celebrated her birthday this month! The church’s anniversary celebration was held in Stockton, CA. It was a fun family trip to northern California. After the celebration, our van took a morning/afternoon trip to San Francisco. The first time my parents actually saw the Golden Gate Bridge. I’ll forever remember that weekend.

August: My cousin Fred and now cousin-in-law Natasha’s wedding month! We traveled to New Jersey to witness their special day and visited ate Peachy in New York. Ka Jewel and Sis. Micah also got married this month! It was an honor to be their photographer. Maia Angeli Caasi was born! —– The sad part about this month is: Jodick, Fred, and Joy’s mom, my aunty Vivian passed away. We also miss our beloved deacon Ka Delfin Gaspar and our friend’s baby: Gian Matthew Ordinario :(

September: Happy 26th birthday Johnson! This month, Lauralee & Steve got married. Ryan and I attended Kuya Richard and Mimmie’s engagement party! —– Also another beloved head deacon in our locale passed away. He was also a pioneer INC member for the District of Southern California – Bro. Romy Flores. :(

October: My dad celebrated his birthday this month. The 2nd Annual CFO Night event took place at The Grand in Long Beach. Also, our Ninong Vem celebrated his birthday. —– Aunty Fe Evangelista passed away after a long year battling with cancer… :(

November: Ryan and I traveled to Sacramento to photograph Anafe (his cousin) and Mark’s engagement session. Sheila celebrates her 18th birthday.

December: My mom and Jordan and Kuya Mike celebrated their birthday this month! Happy birthday also to Ninang Inay! Baby Kai Elijah Arceo was born! Anafe and Mark as well as Ate Lan and Joben got married! Meredith celebrated her 18th Birthday! —– Our sympathy to the Ortonio family who’s loved one passed away this month as well. :(

Only a couple of more days till 2009.. I’m looking forward to a new year with new plans and goals.

Torrance locale brethren – I’ll definitely miss seeing you around the chapel so I hope we can still do activities together! It’s exciting to see how the church is growing and spreading all over the world! Glory be to God!

One last reminder: If you would like to attend our Grand Evangelical Mission on January 2, 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena - please contact me. I HOPE-HOPE-HOPE that you can join us! If you are looking for spiritual inspiration – this is the event to go to! PLEASE Contact me at joan.solitario@es-sense.com for more information.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We worked our last wedding for the year this evening and what another blessing it was to document one of the most important moments of our friends lives.  I just wanted to say a special THANK YOU to all my brides and grooms this year. Not only to them, but to all my debutantes and families for giving me the opportunity to photograph you with your loved ones.  I definitely enjoy the moments I get to spend time with ALL of you. Getting to know each of you in a personal level is really special to me… I LOVE IT! It makes me so happy to see you happy and I am FOREVER GRATEFUL to you all for this SIMPLE JOY that God continues to give me in my life.

I don’t have anything to give you to show how much I appreciate your trust in me and my family.  You could have chosen someone else even MORE QUALIFIED, but you believed in us. THANK YOU VERY MUCH and I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL.

May you all have a wonderful new year 2009. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, MISS working with you and hope to photograph more of your lives together :)  

Love,

ES-Sense :)

P.S. Please check back soon for ate Lanie and Joben’s wedding, Meredith’s 18th Birthday Celebration, Baby Kai’s photoshoot, and the Vicente/Santos Family photos still to come! ;)

I can’t really call this a “day after” photoshoot because their wedding was in January of this year, so I’m calling it an “ever after” session! (Click here for VIDEO and PHOTOS from their wedding day). Kuya Ed and Shey are going to visit the Philippines and they are leaving on Saturday, so we we scheduled an “ever after” photoshoot at San Juan Capistrano this past Sunday.  In return, Shey and Kuya Ed had cooked lunch for me and Ryan and treated us to a Thai dinner! :) YUM!! (Okay seriously – I’m starting my calorie counting diet TODAY!)

Kuya Ed and Shey: Have a safe trip to the Philippines! Don’t forget my pasalubongs ;) j/k! Have a great time! & Happy 1st Year Anniversary in January!!!

Here are a couple of my favorite photos from Sunday. Please click here to view the slideshow.