The E: Amita & Rajit

Monday, December 15, 2008

Amita and Rajit will be getting married right after Christmas, and it will be great to see them again, since I had so much fun getting to know them both during our engagement session. This cute couple lives in New York, and will be getting married in Universal City.

Labels: Engagements

Posted by Dina Douglass [+]

The E: Deena & Yash

I actually shot Deena and Yash's engagement shoot a full year ago, but I wanted to blog it closer to her wedding date, which is actually this coming Saturday in Laguna Beach. Deena and I share a name (though not a spelling), so I have to love her for that. She's also smart as a whip, organized and super thoughtful. She sent me a lovely little custom makeup bag that I just adore, so I wanted to give her a public shoutout for her kindness. Deena is one of my most faithful blog stalkers, and she gets worried when I don't blog for a while. It's always cute when she checks in to make sure I'm still alive. I can't wait for her wedding.

Labels: Engagements

Posted by Dina Douglass [+]

The E: Neha & Sudheer

Neha and Sudheer were married in India, but I shot their US reception a few weeks ago, so I thought it was definitely time to get a few engagement photos up on the blog. Sudheer is the brother of Sumita, whose wedding to Neil took place earlier this year. Their long-distance love story is just adorable, and I'm glad this cute couple can stop banking all those frequent flier miles. More about Neha and Sudheer when I blog their reception.

Labels: Engagements

Posted by Dina Douglass [+]

The E: Andrea & Sim

I have a lot of love for Andrea and Sim, and was so sad when we discovered that I was already booked for their wedding date. I met Andrea and Sim at the wedding of Payal and Tarun back in 2005, but at that time, they were simply cool-but-separate people. I kept running into Sim at various weddings, and each time, he reminded me to "Represent for the Punjabis" with a fist to his chest and then to the air. So of course, I represented.

Then one day, as he was reminding me to represent, he said that he had started seeing Andrea. Which I of course just loved, since they just seemed perfect for one another. Then, while I was in Amritsar and just randomly checking my mail, I got a "Guess What?" email from Sim. I knew before even opening it, and I was right: They were engaged. The coolest part was that at that exact moment, I was representing for the Pubjabis in Amritsar (which both Andrea and Sim thought was quite cool). For some strange reason, they just *had* to pick Labor Day for their ceremony, and I was already booked, so I sadly didn't get to shoot their wedding. But I did get to do an engagement session for them, and though it is being blogged on the late side, here it is -- at last. The session itself was a wedding gift from Payal, who is one of Andrea's best friends, and one of my favorite people.

And let's not forget the random people on the bench:

Labels: Engagements

Posted by Dina Douglass [+]

Slumdog Millionaire

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

I don't usually post movie reviews, but I went to see Slumdog Millionaire last night and I was just blown away. Just a gorgeous movie all-around. Directed by Danny Boyle (who also directed Trainspotting), this film is at times brutal, at times lovely, and ulimately affecting. It's beautifully shot with complex characters and a wonderful story underneath breathtaking visuals. I'm a sucker for small, perfect films that make you think, and they don't come around all that often. I really loved it, so here's two big thumbs up.

Labels: Random

Posted by Dina Douglass [+]

Anu & Vishal

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Anu and Vishal were married in an elegant Sikh ceremony at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. I was struck by a toast, wherein Anu's sister remembered that Anu had once said she'd rather not get married than marry the wrong guy. Everyone was delighted when Anu and Vishal got together, since he is truly a perfect match for her, and they are just adorable together. Anu attended to every detail of her wedding, taking care to create a perfect day for her guests. From the cascades of flowers to the champagne draped room to the gold dance floor (something I had never seen before), every aspect of her day was just magical. With gorgeous decor and coordination by the lovely Nikki Khan at Exquisite Events, floral artistry and favors by Eddie and the team at Tic-Tock Couture Florals, hair and makeup by Jeannie and Madeeha at Couture Bridal Services, and video by Vidicam. Be sure to look for Anu's wedding in the 2009 Los Angeles edition of Ceremony Magazine.

Labels: IndianWeddings

Posted by Dina Douglass [+]

Lora & Blair

Monday, December 01, 2008

Lora and Blair were married at Rancho Las Lomas, one of the most beautiful venues in Southern California. This effervescent beauty is the sweetest person you could ever hope to meet, and she also spent a number of years as Disneyland's Jasmine (from Aladdin), which I just think is beyond cool. A talented dancer, Lora thrilled everyone with a full over-a-guest somersault during the reception. Blair is an absolute dream, and when he's near Lora, the look on his face is just priceless. Every photographer loves emotion, and these two didn't disappoint. On a side note, Rancho's white tigers are often taking a nap behind a rock and are thus hard to see. But we lucked out and had several breathtaking appearances by these majestic cats. With florals and decor by Enchanted Florist, and DJ artistry by Peter Papadopoulos at Vive Entertainment.