Andrena Photography Blog » Engagements

The E: Vik & David

Dina — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:02:49 +0000

Vik and David were married at Knappogue Castle in beautiful Ireland. I’ve only just returned from that amazing wedding, which I can’t wait to tell you about. A highlight? When the officiant announced that same-sex couples do not enjoy the same legal freedoms as others, and that Vik and David would thus be signing a bunch of legal paperwork (as part of the ceremony) to enable them to care for each other (and even visit each other in the hospital, if ever needed) in the future. It seems a shame that someone wouldn’t be able to visit a loved one if they were ill, but apparently, that’s the way things are, and you have to sign legal paperwork to enjoy the simple privilege of visiting a loved one who is hospitalized. It really made me think. This (and their entire ceremony) was a truly lovely thing to witness, and honestly, we should all be so lucky as to have what these guys have with each other. I hope you enjoy a few highlights from their engagement session.

The E: Jennifer & Dave

Dina — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 17:01:31 +0000

The very cool Jennifer and Dave opted for a stylish shoot whose outcome truly rocked the party. I can’t wait to shoot this couple’s wedding at the beautiful Hotel Figueroa in a few weeks.

Engagements Galore

Dina — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:48:50 +0000

I’m hoping to partially remedy my incredible lack of recent blogging by showing off a few photos from some recent engagement sessions (presented in no particular order). Enjoy.

AMI & SIDD
Ami and Sidd will be married at Pelican Hill and the Ritz-Carlton Dana Point over Thanksgiving weekend.

JEN & FARBOD
Jen and Farbod were married in June at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey.

RESHMA & AMIT
Reshma and Amit were married in July at the Nixon Library.

(Sadly, my favorite grafitti wall is no more. Vandals recently spray painted over it.)

SHAYLA & MIKE
Shayla and Mike will be married in September at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs.

ANIKA & SHARDUL
Anika and Shardul will be married at SOKA University over Labor Day weekend.

KACY & LEE
Kacy and Lee will be married in October at the Monaco Mansion.

PAYAL & ROHIT
Payal & Rohit were married in July at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. You might have seen their baraat — featuring Tai the elephant — on ABC or NBC, both of which covered the “first time an elephant had been in Beverly Hills in 15-20 years.”

SAVITA & JAY
Savita and Jay were married at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott this past weekend.

NATASHA & PRATIK
I am not shooting Natasha and Pratik’s wedding, but I was delighted to do an engagement session for them because they are just absolutely lovely people. Their session was a gift from the adorable Smeeta.

The E: Cinal & Taju

Dina — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:54:31 +0000

The lovely Cinal and uber-cool Taju wanted to do something a little different for their engagement shoot, so we booked the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica to add a bit of style and swank. Cinal and Taju will have more than 800 people at their wedding, which takes place this coming weekend. With coordination by Jeannie Savage at Details Details and florals/decor by Shawna Yamamoto, this event is sure to be stunning.

Engagement Sessions Galore

Dina — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:49:56 +0000

I love doing engagement sessions because it’s such a great way to get to know my couples. Every year, I do a number of engagement sessions for couples who are either getting married elsewhere or for whose wedding date I was already booked. And this year, I have to say the ultimate award for best engagement shot of the year goes to one of my non-wedding clients. Don’t get me wrong: I love all my clients’ engagement photos. But can you guess which is my favorite e-session photo of 2009?

Palak & Simmy were married at the Crown Plaza in Garden Grove.

Christine & Anjun will be married at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles in early January.

Sunjay & Bhavini were married in late November in Houston.

Mona & Sanjay were married at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in early November.

The E: Tulika & Tridi

Dina — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:20:00 +0000

What is with all my couples living apart? Despite Tulika’s million-watt smile, Tridi’s work recently relocated him to Austin, where he is currently fighting to avoid Amy’s Ice Cream (despite my recommending it to him all the time). I’ll be happier when these two are living in the same city. And I’m sure they will be, too.

The E: Lauren & Robert

Dina — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:13:00 +0000

Lauren and Robert will be married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in June. The reason I mention this is because this hotel has been the site of every single wedding in this family. Lauren’s mom and dad (who met at age 14) were married there, and Lauren’s sister was married there, too. Soon after I shot Lauren’s sister Allison’s wedding back in 2007, Lauren sent me a thank you note. And so did Allison’s mom. And so did Allison’s dad. So I have a soft spot for this wonderful family.

The E: Jasmeen & Sunny

Dina — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:09:00 +0000

Jasmeen and Sunny are so cute together. I really enjoyed getting to know them both better. This cute couple will be married in July.

The E: Anusha & Kieron

Dina — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:03:00 +0000

This great couple signs all of their emails with “Love.” Which is just one of the many reasons that I adore them. Anusha and Kieron will marry in June.

The E: Nita & Amit

Dina — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Guess who’s getting married tomorrow? My coolio peeps Nita and Amit! They had a faboosh sangeet last night at the Globe Theatre at Universal Studios, and I can’t wait to shoot their wedding the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. Amit is getting about 10,000 different degrees at Stanford right now, so it’s no wonder that he always writes right back when I email these guys at 2 a.m. Nita’s a Stanford girl, too. Which is kind of funny, since I used to live one mile from Stanford.

And a quick one from last night’s sangeet.