As you may know, Stephanie and Sam have an amazing love story. They met and fell in love on the hit NBC show The Biggest Loser, having lost a combined 240 lbs. Their wedding was to be the celebration of that love, enhanced by a new lifestyle for them both and a new career as a personal trainer for Sam. That was until 10 months ago, when Sam miraculously survived a near fatal fall from a four-story building. Since that time he has been in physical therapy, astonishing his doctors and family on his rapid recovery.

Allison and I talked to him about that and he said that if he had not been in the best shape of his life, he would not have survived the fall. If Stephanie had not been his love, he would not have survived the recovery. The only thing that pulled him through was Stephanie, his love for her and her constant attention and love for him. This wedding was much more than a wedding. It was a true celebration of life, of the human spirit overcoming incredible obstacles, and of true love. It was a reminder to all that life is precious and that every moment counts. Stephanie and Sam, you an inspiration to us, more than you will ever know. Thank you for making us family! We love you both!!

One last note: the church, St. Pauls’ Catholic Church, is the same church where Stephanie’s parents were married 38 years prior to the day! Click here to see their US Weekly article, and here to see their engagement photos.

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Today’s Sneak Peek is from Judie and BJ’s recent wedding at The Majestic Halls in Downtown Los Angeles. This photo was taken in a closed off and locked alleyway just a block away from the venue. With a little bribe and a smile or two from the newlyweds, the parking attendant let us in for a few moments. Stay tuned for more – this wedding was gorgeous as all of LA’s best vendors collaborated to make this amazing: Alexandra Rembac from Sterling Engagements, Inna Savluk from Butterfly Floral and Amber Fong Yin from from Amber Event Production.

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Last week we photographed the wedding of Nikki and Mike on the island of Maui in Hawaii. They were married at the Olowalu Plantation House in Lahaina in a wonderfully small and intimate wedding designed and coordinated by our good friend and collaborator, Lena of Belle DestinationWeddings and Events. Sometimes the best place for incredible photos is to turn away from the obvious, in this case the Pacific Ocean. On our pre-wedding scout, Allison and I found an amazing vista off of a dirt road in the recently burned foothills of Lahaina. Breathtaking. We suggested this to area to Nikki and Mike and they jumped at it. And as luck would have it, when we turned off the road, a rainbow was waiting for us! Theese photos were taken in a 15 minute window as the sun set over Hawaii, leaving us just the right amount of time to drive back to the Plantation House and capture some shots as the sun set over the water. Again special thanks to Lena for referring us to Nikki and Mike, and especially to Nikki and Mike for trusting us and going for it!

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Stephanie and Sam Poueu met and fell in love on the NBC hit show, The Biggest Loser. They were married this past weekend in San Francisco and US Weekly has featured Callaway Gable’s exclusive images. What makes this so surreal is that the wedding happened at all. Sam suffered a near-fatal brain injury 8 months ago when he fell 4 stories from a building. It is absolutely remarkable that he has survived and recovered. Allison and I were there for all of the emotions and moments over their wedding weekend. Stay tuned for those images soon! For now, the US Weekly magazine is on newsstands today in Los Angeles and New York, and the rest of the country tomorrow.

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The minute we arrived at Talin’s parent’s house we started dancing and we didn’t stop until the night was over. Mostly encouraged by her father Levon, who has more energy than several men half his age, Allison and I were swept up in the emotion and energy all night long! There are so many highlights below: her father’s first look, Mac’s Emmy, and all of the emotional dancing and ceremony shots. This wedding is such a perfect example of what we do: capturing the once-in-a-lifetime moments and creating beautiful and gorgeous portraiture that is the essence of our clients. Special thanks to our Associate Lauren for her amazing second shooting skills, and extra special thanks to Talin and Mac for inviting us along for the ride!

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Congratulations to Allison for winning her first Fearless Photographer’s Award! Her winning image of Deepi from her traditional Sikh wedding was one of only 263 images picked from over 5000 entries from all over the world. Be sure to check out all of the absolutely amazing images at the Fearless Photographer website. You will be floored!

Fearless Photographers is a website directory of the world’s boldest photographers who are not afraid to push the limits of wedding photography. The amazing thing about the website is that the photographers are ranked by how many Fearless awards they have won, rather than how much they pay. The directory is open to all photographers and is non-discriminatory. The idea is that the world’s best photographers will be ranked towards the top based on artistic and creative merit and technical skill. It is really neat, be sure to check out the site and surf around – you will be blown away by the amazing imagery. Again, I predict that this may be the best website for finding an amazing photography very soon.

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Tina and Jonathan’s wedding at Vibiana yesterday was simply gorgeous. Here is a quick sneak peek of Tina waiting for Jonathan to finish his photos with the guys. Kudos to Allison for capturing this amazing moment!

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Joanne and Jonathan’s estate wedding day took place at several locations including St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in Glendale (traditional Filipino mass) , the Langham Pasadena (where Joanne dressed) and the Craven’s Estate. Complete in 1930, the Craven’s Estate was inspired by a French chateau which in turn was fashioned after Versailles. It is now the headquarters of the Red Cross and much of the original décor and furniture is still intact. It has quickly risen to the top of our list as one of our favorite places to photograph in Los Angeles.

Special thanks to Priscilla from Valera Productions, Tim from Craven’s Estate and Melissa from Lawry’s, and especially to Joanne and Jonathan and their family and friends. Once again, we were made to feel so welcome by everyone!

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Fearless Photographers is a website directory of the world’s boldest photographers who are not afraid to push the limits of wedding photography. The amazing thing about the website is that the photographers are ranked by how many Fearless awards they have won, rather than how much they pay. The directory is open to all photographers and is non-discriminatory. The idea is that the world’s best photographers will be ranked towards the top based on artistic and creative merit and technical skill. It is really neat, be sure to check out the site and surf around – you will be blown away by the amazing imagery. I predict that this may be the best website for finding an amazing photography very soon.

The awards are given out every two months and when Allison and I entered for the first time, they were already at Round 8. We each submitted the maximum of 20 photos. There are no categories, Fearless just wants to see your BEST photos. They received over 4500 photos from around the world, and only 222 were chosen – less than 5%. I am proud to announce that I had two photos chosen as “Fearless!” Already, I have climbed up the Los Angeles page rankings and am in some incredible company – the best wedding photographers in the world. So cool! This is very prestigious within the photography community, just check out all of the Fearless Photographers amazing winning images.

The first photo is from Deepi and Shant’s Indian wedding and may be one of my all-time favorite photos. The second is from Mary and Derek’s New Year’s Eve wedding at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Each of these photos is a perfect split-second, and represents what it is all about for those of us who are so passionate about photography! Enjoy!

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The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers is an organization of the best wedding photographers in the world. To be a member, a photographer must pass a rigorous application process which includes peer review and approval. Only the best wedding photographers are approved. So, on that note alone, Allison and I are so excited and honored to be a new member of the ISPWP.

Every Quarter the ISPWP holds a contest in which they pick the top 20 photos in 20 categories, from thousands of photos from around the world. Each photographer may submit only 25 photos per Quarter. We are proud to announce that six of our 25 entries placed in the top 20 in the ISPWP Winter 2012 contest. And, we are so happy that Deepi and Shant’s Indian wedding won 3 of our 6 awards!!! The winners and their categories are below:

BRIDAL PORTRAIT
Deepi in her traditional Sikh wedding attire. 5th place.

DECISIVE MOMENT
Behishta and JP running through the pigeons in Bogotá, Colombia. 10th place.

BRIDAL PARTY
Shant with the ladies. 14th place.

MOVEMENT & MOTION
Kristel and Jason’s vintage engagement session at Union Station. 12th place.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
Deepi leaving her wedding and her parents. 14th place.

WEDDING DETAILS
Jill and David were married at the courthouse where they met as law clerks. While we were doing their portraits in the law library, I noticed these interesting book spines. A perfect place for the rings! 18th place.

For more on the contest and to see all of the amazing images from around the world, check out the ISPWP Winter 2011 Contest page.