Kailyn and Jeremy are two of the sweetest people you will ever meet. I loved hearing the toasts that their friends and families made during their reception as it was a testament to what great hearts these two have. It was also so nice to witness such amazing love and joy between all the families. There was so much laughter and heartfelt tears shed for these two on their wedding day. It just makes me feel so blessed to be able to be part of such a special day for everyone involved.
Emmeline is due for a nap so please enjoy some of my favorite images from their day! Big thanks to Jeff Yeon and Flurrsprite for second shooting and assisting me that day! You guys are the best!
My daughter Ellie knows them as Buddy and Wob. 
These two are good friends of mine that I met through my husband Jeff (Debbie and my husband went to college together) and it was such an honor to photograph their wedding! I loved so much about their day and was so happy to be a part of it as both friend and photographer. Debbie and Rob now expecting their first baby and I’m so excited for the two of them to become parents.
I photographed the wedding up until the start of the reception which is when my awesome photography friends Jen Lauren Grant and Maiko took over so that I could join the reception festivities per Debbie and Rob’s request. With the help of Grand Soirees and Events, Debbie and Rob were able to pull off an incredibly gorgeous wedding at Serra Plaza!
Flowers: JL Designs
Invitations: Felix Rhys Paperie
Catering: Grace Catering
DJ: DJ Dais Entertainment
Chandeliers, Tables: Classic Party Rentals
Chairs: ChiavariChairRentals.com
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens
Cake: Sweet & Saucy Shop
Our baby girl at 5 weeks! I know I’ve been a bad blogger lately, but with Ellie I jumped right back into work shooting my first wedding just 2.5 weeks after giving birth and so this time around I’m allowing myself some time to really enjoy this newborn phase as it goes by in the blink of an eye. At 7 weeks she outgrew all her newborn clothes and I cried. I try to savor each moment, yet it still flies by. Just this week Emmeline has started trying to converse with me. She looks intently at me and at my mouth and little coos and gurgles come out her mouth and then she smiles and looks all proud of herself afterwards. It’s to. die. for. My little girl melts my heart with every little thing she does.
We’re all still adjusting to being a family of four. When my friends told me that having baby #2 was more than doubly hard than having one I didn’t really understand. Now I do. Poor Ellie has had to adjust to not having all my attention. She adores her baby sister and is constantly kissing and hugging her and wanting to help with everything baby related, but has been acting out with me and Jeff. She’s told me twice to not hold the baby anymore and just today when she acted out, I put her in time out and she bawled her eyes out. While bawling she eventually blurted out between sobs, “Mommy, I MISS you!” And my heart absolutely shattered. I know her acting out is her toddler way of gaining my attention but I’m at a loss on whether to discipline her behavior or ignore it. That was the first time she was able to articulate her feelings about not being my only baby anymore. We’ve done some fun one on one things together like baking and painting, but it obviously hasn’t been enough or perhaps she just needs more time. Regardless, the Mommy guilt is killer.
Ellie is on Spring Break this week and on Monday I took the two kids to the park in the morning after breakfast. Emmeline still doesn’t like being in her infant car seat so I had to hold her in my arms at the park. But then Ellie got stuck climbing the rock wall and I had to rescue her – twice. I had Emmeline in one arm and then grabbed Ellie off the wall with the other. That wasn’t as bad as when Ellie asked to go on the swings. Picking up a 30+ lb toddler in one arm, while holding a newborn in the other, and trying to get the toddler into the swing? Ha, super awkward. But I got her in and pushed her for about 2 minutes until she said she was done. Say what? Girl, did you not just see your Mama struggle to get you in the swing? Getting her out was nearly impossible. For a second I almost contemplated laying my newborn on the ground to free up both hands to lift her out of the swing! But I got her out eventually. Yay me!
I have a bunch of weddings I still need to share. I’m hoping I’ll get a couple of hours tomorrow while Emmeline naps to crank them out. In the mean time I’m really looking forward to the start of this wedding season! Thanks all for your patience and understanding.
Emmeline Grace was born February 17, 2012 at 4:41 am weighing 6 lbs 15 oz and measuring 19″ long. She apparently couldn’t wait to be in Mommy’s arms because my labor from start to finish was just 2 hours 41 minutes! We made it to the hospital just in time. I was induced a week late with Ellie and never felt a single contraction and so with this pregnancy I really wanted the experience of going naturally. I wanted to experience the excitement and uncertainty of going into labor when my baby was good a ready. I wanted to feel my first real contraction. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it all naturally.
And I did.
I can’t say that I was one of those zen Moms giving birth all peacefully, but I did it my own way and let’s just say I’m thankful that my labor was super fast!
I had my first contraction at 2am and from the start my contractions were lasting 1.5 – 3 minutes each and coming every 3-4 minutes. I thought I was maybe timing them incorrectly since usually labor is a slow progression that builds up. I had planned on laboring at home for as long as I could before heading to the hospital to avoid as much “intervention” as possible, but after an hour and a half of consistently strong and close contractions, we called my Dr. and she told us to come in asap. We left the house around 3:30 am.
We arrived at the hospital around 4am. Checked into triage (7cm and 100% effaced!), monitored, sent to labor and delivery, and by the time they had my heplock/IV in, I was dilated to 10 and my body was already pushing the baby out. It’s pretty amazing what our bodies are designed to do. I felt panicked and was in so much pain, but my body was doing everything that it needed to do and I just had to give in to it. It still amazes me when I think back on Emmeline’s birth.
Lauren and Wil had the epitome of the perfect Southern California wedding – gorgeous outdoor venue, perfect weather and amazing light too! Here are some of my favorites from their big day! Big thanks to my dear friends Jen Lauren Grant and Maiko Mitchem for second shooting and assisting me that day.
I’m about 10 days away from my due date and totally feeling it! I’m huge, my bones ache and I’m beyond exhausted all the time, but I wanted to get some blogging done in case I’m absent for a while. I shot Karen’s brother’s wedding a couple years ago and was thrilled to be shooting his sister’s wedding as well. There is so much love and support that surround these families. I absolutely loved every moment captured! Here are some of my favorites from their day.
The detailing on Karen’s dress was beyond amazing and like nothing I’d ever seen before and I completely fell in love with her sparkly Jimmy Choo sling backs. I loved the lace wrap on her bouquet that came from her Mother’s wedding dress.
I loved the deep purple of the bridesmaids dresses and the modern asymmetrical neckline.
Photography: Sarah K Chen Photography
Second Shooter & Assistant : Jen Lauren Grant Photography & Flurrsprite Photography
Coordinator: Picture Perfect Events
Hair & Makeup: Joyce Luck Style
Florist: Fleuretica
Cake: Cakes by the Pound
Linens & Chairs: Elegant Design Linens
Lighting: G2 Audio & Lighting
Ceremony Music: El Real Chamber Players
DJ: Edge Entertainment
Two weeks. I can’t believe I have just two weeks left until my due date! I’m hoping this time around that I will go into labor on my own as I do not want to be induced again, but at the same time I want her to stay put for another week until my Mom gets here.
Soon I’ll be trading in my Balenciaga for a baby bag fit for a Mommy of two and here’s a fun new feature at ontobaby.com on what will be in my diaper bag!
She had never seen The Wizard of Oz, but she fell in love with the little fuzzy dog in a basket when we were out shopping for a potential Halloween costume for Ellie. From there we found her a wig that she adored in the store and a costume was born. I didn’t really like any of the Dorothy costumes they had so I decided to make one for her. Me, the photographer who never sews anything. The only article of clothing I’d ever sewn was in college. I made a single pair of pajama pants from a pattern and thought the pattern was for left leg/right leg rather than front/back and ended up with a pair of pj pants with one skinny leg and one wide leg. But really, how hard can a little dress be, right? I have to say that I love how it turned out even though it was far from perfect. I kind of made it up as I went along, made some mistakes and then learned to fudge it a bit to make it work. The wig that Ellie adored in the store was never to be worn again. Apparently, she only loved the wig inside the store. Everywhere else, she refused to wear it. That’s ok, she still looked cute without it!
She inquired about doing a boudoir session, but was nervous about it. She said in her initial email that she’s more the athletic type who’s more comfortable in sports bras than corsets, but she booked anyways and check out how hot she is! Thank you for allowing me to share these images!
Seriously, I need to book more tomboys!
I’ve always wanted to shoot a couples boudoir session, but not in the traditional overtly sexy way. I liked the idea of shooting something cozy and intimate, like the perfect lazy weekend afternoon spent in bed with your love. Now doesn’t that sound romantic? I love shooting these two so so much. The love that they share is enviable and so much fun for me to photograph. I just adore this session we did…any couples up for something like this? As a soon to be Mommy of two, I would say this would be a great session to do as a couple before babies come into play. It would make a great way to remember who the two of you were together before you became “Mommy” and “Daddy.”
by Sarah K Chen
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