WHAT A CRAZY YEAR IT'S BEEN

My journey so far has been anything but a straight line. Rather a constant zig zag of little moments in self discovery. As we reach the end of 2015, I can't help but reflect on how this year has completely changed my life. I hope these thoughts provide a little insight and motivation to those who seek a similar path or for those who have been struggling to find happiness in their lives.

Don't become a slave to your future
Let this one sink in a bit... There. Is. No. Perfect. Time. The harsh reality of life is even if you have everything planned to a tee, something will change. The unexpected is always expected. There is no value in waiting for the future to do what you can right now, today. That's what living in the moment is all about. Whether it's starting that new workout regimen or leaving a job you hate or starting a business of your own. All of these things require commitment that starts with decisions you make today. Don't create barriers to your own happiness. You can't make a promise to work on yourself in a few months because it's more convenient then. You have to be willing to work on yourself today. One helpful tip is replacing the word "Should" with "Must" in your everyday vocabulary. See what happens when you do this! So find the courage to get started, that's the first step to change.


If you want it, make it happen
If I were to tell my old self, the one who worked in a Corporate job and lived in a cushy apartment, that the amount of energy dedicated to crafting a new business is in no way shape or form measurably "fair" to the amount of money made (at least not right away), I wonder if she would have left her job. In the end, I'm glad I did. Deciding whether you should leave your job to pursue your passion is dependent on three key factors: 1. how much money you saved 2. how much money you "need" to be truly happy 3. how big your passion is. This year, Mike and I did an exercise to record every single thing we spent money on (which I highly recommend doing). Aside from our rent, the biggest change was not buying $100 worth of coffee and an unmentionable amount on restaurants + clothes (oops) every month. Though my fashion is a little more Nordstrom Rack than Nordstrom, I realized it had no impact on my overall happiness. The long hours spent on ideating, creating, and editing images for our clients is what we live for. It makes everything we have to sacrifice worth it. I have learned that passion trumps everything else. Passion encourages me to read, to learn, and to find innovative ways. And without it, none of this will make any sense to you. Find your passion, chase after it, and hustle. If you want something, whatever it is, then go get it... sacrifices and all.

You have to make a choice and stick to it
Here's the double-edge sword. There are bad days, really bad days. There's no sugarcoating it. I used to have a lot of them in the beginning of the year. When you leave one kind of life for another kind of life, there is always a transition period. During this time, you are confused and the world is super scary. But that's because you haven't determined your values yet. Eventually, you know what is actually important to you and what your happiness radar is driven by. Then, you will have to make a choice and stick to it. Meaning, every time you find your mind wandering onto the other side... you bring it back to where it needs to be. In the end though, the good days (dare I say, amazing days) far outweigh the bad. Like when you get your first real clients. Or when you unexpectedly exceed your goal for bookings next year. Or when your clients tell you how much they love what you did for them and they know they hired the right photographers for their wedding. These winning moments are incredibly heartwarming and make all the ups and downs worthwhile. And what's amazing is we get to make new friends, we get to travel, and we get to create art. The biggest revelation? I no longer feel numb, burnt out or dread my days.

Don't surround yourself with like-minded people. Surround yourself with people who have similar values. 
Mike and I will never forget this one day where we grabbed lunch with an old college friend, Chris. We were sitting outside a crepe cafe having an enlightening conversation when this student approached us attempting to sell chocolate. He was slurring his words and made no eye contact. He didn't look engaged. We weren't even quite sure what he was selling. Most of us wouldn't even bat an eye at this kid. We would wave our hands to signal "go away" or just a quick "no, thank you" before dismissing him. But that's the furthest thing from what Chris did. He proceeded to spend the next 10 minutes teaching this kid how to enunciate, make proper eye contact, and stand with better posture. The kid was hesitant at first to take the advice, but he practiced his pitch a few more times and I could feel his confidence grow with each try. He wasn't perfect, but he improved. We bought a few chocolates from him that day. He walked away with so much gratitude, that someone cared enough to stop and help him. Mike and I will never forget those 10 minutes (Chris, if you are reading this... thank you). Find people like Chris in your life and befriend them. These are the friends who will change your perspective, humble you, and inspire you to be a better person.

Every sunset is magical.
This year, Mike and I have seen a lot of sunsets. Likely more than I have seen in the past decade. And I have to say, every sunset is magical and I never get tired of it. Sunsets are a way for me to reflect on the day. What did I learn? What have I achieved? What am I grateful for today? It's a moment to meditate, a moment to cleanse, a moment to just enjoy the beauty of the world. But the best part of a sunset is not just about watching the sun drop below the horizon on the West, it's turning around and marveling at the cotton candy sky that's on the East. Saturated in colors of pink and blue, it's even more beautiful than the sunset itself. Everyone is so busy staring into the obvious, they miss the beauty of what they can experience if they simply looked the other way. Sunsets have taught me a lot this year. It's a moment of the day I always look forward to.

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I just want to say a big THANK YOU to those who have been following and supporting Mike and me on this mind-blowing adventure. And to all our friends, old and new: the ones who put us up in their homes for days, weeks or months at a time, the ones who inspire us, the ones who believe in what we do... not sure what we did to deserve you guys but boy oh boy are we glad to have every single one of you in our lives.

And don't hesitate to give us a shout if you or anyone you know is seeking traveling photographers and you think our fun, artsy, photojournalistic style would be a good fit. We are still booking weddings, engagements, and lifestyle sessions for 2016!

Website: mainandsimplephoto.com

2016 Travel Schedule: mainandsimplephoto.com/schedule

Contact Form: mainandsimplephoto.com/contact

Happy Holidays everyone!

HAPPY

Last night Mike said, "this has been the shortest and longest year," and I couldn't agree more. Short because I still vividly remember my life in Boston a year ago. Long because of how much we have done and what has changed since that time. Though I wouldn't recommend everyone to quit their job, travel, live minimally, and explore everything with an open mind, it has been the biggest blessing for me personally. I now wake up with a full appreciation and hopeful anticipation for the day ahead. As we continue to immerse in our Photography business, we have a lot to achieve ahead of us but we are onto something great here, we just know it. We can already see our eclectic schedule coming together for next year and cannot wait for all the wonderful memories to be made!

While traveling and photographing, Mike and I have learned a number of things. It's been an incredibly eye-opening year so far and we can't wait to see what else is in store.

With Photography, we travel with a purpose

When we worked in our corporate jobs, we anticipated 2 weeks per year where we would travel to escape our lives. And while we have been lucky enough to visit many beautiful places already, we now approach traveling with a different lens. We travel with a purpose to improve our photography, to meet people and listen to their stories, to work and play all at once. We take traveling as a opportunity to not only see beautiful places and say we've been there, but to immerse ourselves in that culture, greet locals, and learn how other people live. These are the true benefits of traveling that we never took advantage of before - we were too focused on ourselves. It has encouraged us to approach people we never would have talked to otherwise and to remove ourselves from our own concerns. Doing this fulfills me more than I could ever put into words.

Don't make decisions out of fear

A few weeks ago while at dinner with two great friends, they asked Mike and me how we changed each other for the better. Truth be told, I'm not sure how I have influenced Mike for the better but I do know he has made a huge impact in my life. He has helped me build my self-esteem, my character, and he sees potential in me that others may overlook, including myself. The biggest change though is my ability to make decisions out of hope in spite of my fears. I used to be extremely risk adverse. Every decision with a potential outcome of failure or pain would be avoided. I made choices based on what I knew I was good at or could handle. The problem with that? It hinders growth. It limits opportunities. It caps self-esteem. I hope the next time you come across a choice, no matter how big or small, you consider all the possibilities of success instead of all the possibilities of failure. This mindset shift has allowed me to conquer mental barriers, open new doors, and experience new things.

We live to be happy, not only to be content

A year ago, I had a lot to complain about. I would focus my attention to buying new clothes or planning the next vacation to remain content. I had a good life though: paycheck coming in on a regular basis and I could afford to live in a Boston high-rise. All these things made me feel very satisfied. But the problem was I felt complacent, unmotivated, and confused where I wanted my life to go. These days, I feel truly happy... pretty much all the time. Even when things don't go the way I planned, I'm able to overcome them with a positive outlook. I don't dwell on things like I used to. Because with Photography, I have direction and confidence. I also have very little to complain about because I get to do what I love every day. The biggest challenge for us is figuring out how to sustain this lifestyle for the long haul. I don't know about you, but I am way more motivated to sustain a happy lifestyle vs. to find genuine happiness in a complacent lifestyle.

Not everyone will understand you, but that's okay

I have learned that everyone values different things in life and that is perfectly okay. It's incredible to reconnect with friends this past year and get caught up on their journeys. Everyone is diverging into their true selves and seeing this level of diversity amongst peers is a realization that we are all unique and amazing in our own way. Some are getting ready to raise a family. Some are pushing hard for the next promotion. Some are unsure and trying to figure out what the next step is. I love that we are all different and I have much respect for our differences. Oftentimes though, I find my happy-go-lucky attitude may be confusing for people. But I am unaffected by those who may not understand why I would leave a comfortable life for an uncertain one, or why I could possibly love San Diego SO MUCH haha. This has helped me reconfirm what I value most in life. With it, I feel free and I know I'm living a life I'm proud of, not one where I seek the acceptance of other people (friends, family, or otherwise).

A LETTER TO MYSELF

Dear 16-year-old Shuo,

Firstly, RELAX. It's not the end of the world if you don't get 5's on your AP exams or if you never find an antidote for your shrimp allergy. It's also not the end of the world if you don't get enough 'propz' on your Xanga posts or if you decide to leave the swim team so there's more time studying for the SAT. Everything is going to be alright, and I mean EVERYTHING.

Enjoy the last few years of your adolescence. Study hard. Play hard. Make mistakes. Do not try to be perfect. Do not over-pluck your eyebrows (this one is super important). Do not believe what you tell yourself, that 'Life Sucks'. Instead, spend as much time as you can with friends. Watch more movies together and have fun picking them out at Blockbuster (they go bankrupt years later as virtually everything will be accessible on the internet, crazy right?). And lastly, do not go to the Korean salon Grace's mom suggests for doing your prom hair and make-up. You will look ridiculous. But nothing to truly stress about, how you look for prom won't make an ounce of difference in your long term life. Just remember to hang close with friends that really matter because two of them will still be your best friends a decade later.

After high school, you will attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. You've probably not heard of this school and it sounds a bit like college for people who love to eat melons, but I promise it's a wonderful school. You are not going to regret it. Plus, you will meet your future husband there and be shocked to hear that you actually ask HIM out... twice (you're insane)! During college, you will learn all sorts of things. You will learn to be independent. You will also learn that you can't do everything by yourself. You will have more confidence and be OKAY with public speaking. You will learn about leadership and compassion. Don't freak out if your GPA is horrendous after Freshman year. College is really challenging and you will make mistakes, but you will figure it out. You will graduate with Honors, but it won't be easy to achieve. Stay strong and don't be afraid to go to office hours. You will also drink lots of empty calories and dance your booty off every chance you can get. It sounds intimidating, but you will have a lot of fun with your girlfriends. Enjoy it while you can because you will be an old lady and lose all interest in going out after you turn 25.

At CMU, you will learn about this ginormous company called Procter & Gamble. Did you know P&G makes all type of consumer products from Pantene to Crest? Anyways, you will make use of your Chemistry degree and work for P&G right out of college. You will kick-ass on the interviews and get a job offer before your final semester at CMU. Take the offer and don't look back! You will meet some incredible people through the company who will be life long friends, your biggest supporters in life.

After the excitement of working for P&G wears off, you will become a bit lost. Four years into your corporate career, you will make the boldest decision of your twenties. You will leave your job to pursue more. Lucky for you, you will have savings and the support of your family and friends. Mom and dad will without a doubt believe in you. You will also endure 7 years of long distance with the love of your life up to this point. People will think you're crazy, but it's actually not so bad. And during this time, you will rediscover who you are through all the ups and downs (there will be plenty of them). I'm happy to say that you will love the person you become. Don't fret if you feel insecure and not so confident with who you are right now, because that will all change with time and experiences. You will owe a lot of it to dating a humble man who has no care for what other people think of him. And whatever you do, DO NOT break up with him because he doesn't say 'I love you' right away. I promise you, he does love you and you have to trust him blindly for a few years (3 years to be exact). Think of it as a test. And remember, patience is a virtue.

Your man will propose to you in 2014, so don't let society pressure you to pressure him. I won't tell you exactly how or when it happens because it's important to him that you're surprised. And you will be really, really surprised. If you can remember to, try and pay attention to what he says before he asks for your hand in marriage. Though you will be so giddy with excitement that your mind blanks out. It's okay, he says something along the lines of wanting to make new memories with you, I think.

Together, you will turn your passion into purpose. You will be surprised to find that photography is going to be that passion. With wild abandon, you will work together to create a new business. You will be terrified initially and cry a lot for fear of failure. But you will realize that life is just a big experiment. You will proudly say to everyone 'Hashtag YOLO', you will figure out what that means later. You will come to understand that by fulfilling your internal life, it will transform your mentality and well-being. You will learn to become more comfortable with pain, setbacks, and the unknown. You will realize that being comfortable with pain is not the same as suffering. As difficult as it may be to understand, these are the hard moments where you will find breakthrough, where you will find happiness. Remember when you overcame your fear of water by teaching yourself how to swim? There will be many moments like that in your life. The best part of creating a new business is you will go on this incredible new adventure with your best friend. With him, the world will feel limitless. And though I don't know how our life will turn out, I think we'll be okay in the end.

Be brave. Stay humble. And save your crop tops.

Love,
26-year-old Shuo

LET THE STORY UNFOLD

I'm not sure how we got here, but all that matters is we're here and we're happy. I left my desk job in the pursuit of a boutique wedding planning business and 7 months later, I'm launching a photography business with my fiancé. While the wedding planning business is making headway, it's currently taking a backseat to the thrill of carrying our Nikons as we travel, reunite with old friends, and make new ones along the way. These days, we eat, breathe, and live photography. For the first time in a long time, we feel alive, and it has done wonders for our relationship. Together, we inspire each other despite some days where we want to rip each other's heads off! But through it all, we're continuing to work on our communication and remaining focused on making our internal life as fulfilling as possible. This journey is just the beginning and already we're learning so much. The biggest lesson though, is to be generous, to listen, and to help others. To remove ourselves from our own concerns, a reminder that the world revolves around so many incredible people with even more incredible stories - stories we're now ready to capture.

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RISKY BUSINESS

Hello blog, I haven't forgotten about you, I promise! This past month zoomed by so quickly. I barely blinked and now it's May. Mike and I spent most of April in Austin, TX and it was one heck of a month. From fun home-cooked meals to another mini Cincy friends reunion to eating the best BBQ in the country, we're lucky enough to spend quality time with people we care about. Special thanks to our two incredible friends who put us up in their beautiful home - love you guys and miss you both very much! For the time being, we're back in the East Coast, but come summer we might find our way back to the West Coast again. Beautiful San Diego, anyone?

On top of all the fun, we have kept ourselves busy with an array of projects. After many talks about what we truly want out of life, we both envision a future where we are free to work whenever we want, however we want, and wherever we want... all the while making money doing whatever we want. It's certainly not a walk in the park to achieve that. But it's a choice we're happy to make and a risk we're willing to take. I'm continuing to plan weddings and there's always tons to do. It's a lot more work than I anticipated, but I love everything about it. In addition to wedding planning, Mike and I are enamored with the idea of starting our own photography business this year. We get a high out of photographing people and sharing their unique story through the art of images. And in an effort to document our current journey, we have decided to take a series of our own engagement photos throughout the year. I guess we're a bit crazy like that.

 

Stay tuned for recent engagement photo sessions we've done and more 'checking in with myself' blog posts. I'm excited to share specific things I've learned so far and how it's changed my perception on just about everything in life.

MIND OVER MATTER

Exhilarating. Gratitude. Epic. Just a few words to describe our recent get-together. Completing Ragnar SoCal with some of my closest friends was one of the most thrilling adventures I've ever done. In fact, the last time I felt this way was after completing Booth during my Freshman year at CMU's Carnival. For those of you who don't know what that is, CLICK HERE. Any experience capable of throwing me back that far, I'd gladly sign up for again!

Doing a running race was one of those things on my mental bucket-list that I never took too seriously. Well this year I made a commitment to live a more passionate and purposeful life - one where I rise to challenges, no matter how big or small. So Mike and I gathered 10 awesome friends and registered our team of 12 under the ever-so-clever name, "SoCal Me Maybe?" (I still can't get Carly Rae's iconic tunes out of my head) for the 2015 Ragnar SoCal, 186-mile relay race guaranteed plenty of running, sun, lack of sleep, smelly vans, and good times.

Training for this race was not an easy feat. At one point, I injured my left knee from a dumb snowboarding accident which took about a month to heal. By March, I started to run again but I felt miserable. Apparently if you stop working out for just 2 weeks, you lose all of your training. With Mike's encouragement, I continued to run through the pain and began to see progress. Needless to say, a good amount of stretching, a lot of water consumption, and a healthier diet are all necessary to the process. Before I knew it, I lost almost 8lbs, felt a lot more energetic, and ran a few 10Ks in under an hour (something I never imagined I could do). It took me awhile to figure out that running is not only physical, but a total mental game.

Yet nothing could really prepare any of us for this unique experience. It's something you have to try for yourself. When you see thousands of other crazy, fun, and motivated strangers, it's a pretty inspiring thing. Although the whole thing seemed like a logistical nightmare, you have to give major props to Ragnar and their volunteers for making the entire event flow so seamlessly. What I loved most about Ragnar was the emphasis on both team work and individual achievement - a metaphor for everything we do in life. There was plenty of team morale, but when it's your turn to run (sometimes completely alone), adrenaline kicks in hardcore and you're determined to not only complete your leg, but to kill it. Though some of our friends had significantly long and painfully hilly legs, the overall experience was a positive one. Not to mention the countless inside jokes (Starbucks, anyone?) and bonding you're sure to develop in a short amount of time. Our team ranked 295 out of 731 teams, with a finishing time of 30:08:15.8. Not bad for mostly first time Ragnarians! I couldn't be more proud of everyone!

Here's how our team described the Ragnar SoCal experience. Lots of mixed emotions, yet many of us can't wait to do this again.

So if you've ever been in my shoes - someone who lacked consistent motivation to run and work out, but wants to make a change - JUST REGISTER FOR A RUNNING RACE! Sometimes you just need a little nudge to get things going. Plus, the best part about signing up for something that you're not sure if you can do is when you surprise yourself and actually do it.

You can view pictures of our Ragnar experience on Facebook HERE. To learn more about Ragnar, CLICK HERE.

LEAP OF FAITH

BEST OF SAN FRAN

So here's a question I've been getting a lot recently, "how was San Fran?" The short answer is, "awesome". So awesome that my mind is flirting with the idea of what we'll do when we go back later this year. In the meantime, I've captured some highlights here... a tiny glimpse into what made this month and a half trip so memorable. And it should be no surprise that both the weather and the people had a lot to do with it.

QUALITY TIME WITH THE BESTIE

 

CINCY FAM REUNION AT TAHOE

 

THANK YOU MEALS FOR FRIENDS WHO PUT ROOFS OVER OUR HEADS

SATURDAY OUTDOOR ADVENTURES ARE THE BEST

   

NEW PLACES (AND ADORABLE ANIMALS)

   

FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL EVERY FRIDAY? UM, SO DELICIOUS & FUN

GREAT, AND I MEAN GREAT COFFEE

AMAZING FRIENDS THAT COOK AND BAKE FOR YOU

 

THIS GUY

Next stop: LA, San Diego, and Austin... here we come!

CASUAL SUNDAY WITH THE GORGEOUS FRAN

Friends now for over a decade, Fran is one of the kindest, sweetest, and undeniably the most fashionable chick I know. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting her, you'll know that she is 100x more awesome than I could ever put into words. Plus, she laughs at all my jokes even when I know they're not funny. :)

With all the traveling I plan on doing this year, I won't get to see Fran much. So today, we spent the afternoon together outside and caught up on life. After some much needed girl time which includes a healthy dose of coffee and shopping, we drove to a nearby park in Bayside only to be disappointed by the lack of evidence of Spring. The trees were bare and the leaves were brown. It feels more like Fall than Spring. Despite the barely there ambience, I convinced Fran to do a photoshoot with me (because every new Fashion Blogger should get a bit of practice in front of the camera). Though I only had my iPhone on me, I managed to take a few shots of this cutie in her casual Sunday outfit... which by the way looks more put together than all my outfits for the past 2 weeks combined (major cabin fever while at home - I'm about to change this very soon).

You can follow Fran on her new Fashion Blog, Nothing Wrong With Mondays, where she and her friend Jinney express their passion for great style and great food. Catch them every Monday for a new post!

         

Fran's wearing:
Zara leather jacket / Topshop jeans / Nike Roshe trainers / Pour La Victoire bag / Uniqlo poncho scarf / Ray-Ban aviators

AN ENGAGEMENT STORY: LESLIE & MANG-GIT, SAN FRANCISCO

Months before I left my job, I couldn't anticipate how my life was going to change. But one thing I knew for sure was that I had booked plane tickets to SFO for my dear friend Leslie's surprise marriage proposal. Her now fiancé Mang-Git (MG) had carefully arranged for a special dinner with their closest friends... a dinner for Leslie, who believed it was for her birthday, that was more special than she could ever imagine.

Fresh out of college, I met Leslie 4.5 years ago in Cincinnati and I met MG for the first time at our friends-giving party in November 2010, exactly 4 years before their engagement. The two of them were so cute, they couldn't get their hands off each other the whole night! At the time they were doing long distance, which to me is a familiar rite of passage for those of us marrying our college sweethearts. Well years later, these two love birds are just as magnetic. I've learned that in addition to their lovable and goofy personalities, they are one of the most down-to-earth and chill couples I have ever met. Case in point, they are cool with me sharing their engagement story with you guys (keep reading). On top of that, they agreed to let me and Mike take their engagement photos with amateur cameras, lenses, and haphazard skills. We hope you enjoy a portion of them here (the rest are posted here on my Facebook). Needlessly to say, these are two friends I will always cherish.

   

On September 1, 2014, I received a private Facebook invite from MG. Though he didn't explicitly say that he would be proposing to Leslie, I realized what was about to happen. The funny thing is, about 1.5 years ago MG organized a super secret get-together for a few of us girls to visit Leslie in San Francisco. This was a month after Leslie moved from Cincinnati. And for most of us, it isn't always easy to move to a new city and make friends right away. MG thought that a girls reunion might make Leslie feel a little more at home. During our visit, we couldn't help but wonder... was this going to be the trip that we see our little Leslie get engaged? Though it didn't happen then (and we teased MG about it quite a bit), I learned very quickly just how much MG cared for Leslie and her friends. So when I saw an invite for a super secret get-together part 2, I knew this time was the real deal. I spent the next few months cautiously avoiding Leslie for fear of over-excitement and accidentally spilling the beans. But I had good reason, I swear! I was in the middle of figuring out how to gracefully leave my job (sorry Les!).

   

Time flew by in the blink of an eye and I found myself in San Francisco on the night of November 18, 2014. It was one day before Leslie's 26th birthday and MG's proposal! I nonchalantly sent Leslie a text message after midnight to wish her a happy birthday. She exclaimed how long it's been since we've caught up. Excitedly, I responded that we should totally catch-up over the weekend (which was in fact, the truth). Phew, she didn't suspect a thing!

On Wednesday night, November 19, 2014, a group of friends gathered at one of MG and Leslie's favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. We anxiously awaited the arrival of our two friends. We weren't quite sure how MG was going to propose, but we had our cameras ready like celebrity paparazzi. The magic moment approached as we heard MG's voice emerge inside the restaurant. We snickered and giggled with excitement in the back while shushing each other to make sure Leslie didn't hear us. In the seconds that followed, MG walked his lady into the room where we were all gathered, said [insert affectionate words here because I was too overwhelmed to hear anything], dropped on one knee and proposed with a beautiful rose gold pear-shaped ring that he spent months customizing for Leslie. She said "Yes". And just like that, the sweet moment passed and we were somehow lucky enough to witness one of the biggest milestones in their lives.

     

I'm so happy for Leslie and MG - for all they've accomplished individually and as a team. Their relationship has grown leaps and bounds as any great relationship does. Recently, I asked them a question, "What do you admire most about each other?", and here's what they said.

M: I really admire Leslie's patience, with her family and with me. I'm definitely the mr. grumble pants in the relationship, and I have a fairly low tolerance for people related annoyances. Leslie is always there to listen to my complaint, knows when to give me my space to be mr. grumpy pants or call me out and tell me that I am being unfair in my grievances. She keeps me in check, and reminds me of all that is happy and good in life.

L: What I admire most about Mang-Git is his ability to inspire me in new ways every day. I met Mang-Git midway through college, during a time when both of us were experiencing an incredible amount of personal growth. While most couples change & drift apart after graduation, the exact opposite happened with us. The interesting twist here is that the 2 of us couldn’t be more different – from Myers Briggs types to hobbies and even sleeping schedules,  I’m pretty sure there’s almost nothing that we have in common… except our personal values, which are mirror images of one another’s’. This healthy difference in interests anchored in shared priorities has allowed us to experience incredible things together, like: live in Germany and learn the local language & love for beer; design & create one-of-a-kind furniture that make our house feel like the homeliest of homes; excel in our careers and become the youngest members on our teams comprised of seasoned industry veterans; cultivate stronger relationships with our parents and siblings and be the most selfless and loving family members that we can be. Our differences lead us not to disputes and arguments, but rather endless discoveries of fun, quirky interests and renewed passions instead. Mang-Git's nerdiness was what first attracted me to him 7 years ago, but his can-do attitude & zeal for life are what make it so easy & rewarding for me to re-fall in love with him every day. 

Their answers are truly as candid, loving, and selfless as they are.

    

In the months that followed Leslie and MG's engagement, I signed up to help them plan their wedding, one of a few that I've taken on this year in order to gather the knowledge and experience that only comes with actually doing the work. From checklists to vendor research to eventually the decorative details, I'm having a lot of fun reconnecting with Leslie and MG in a new way. As busy as they are, I hope that my presence brings them some level of solace from the stresses that are typically associated with wedding planning.

 

While Mike and I were in San Francisco, we stayed with Leslie and MG for a few weeks. One thing led to another and we found ourselves planning their engagement photoshoot. Like total amateurs, we spent days checking out different styles of photography and poses (or rather, directions) to instruct our first 'clients'. We used friends as test subjects. We collected props. We spent an afternoon vetting the photoshoot location. The best part of prepping for me was styling their outfits (my inner fashionista was ecstatic)! One can assume that Leslie and MG either trust me a great deal or are simply just that chill. :)

     

After the photoshoot experience, I have a new-found admiration for great wedding photographers. It's not easy to juggle camera settings, angles, backgrounds, poses, and directions while the sun (for us, it was a lack thereof!) and your subjects are moving from one magic minute to the next. I personally love the photojournalistic style with a touch of vintage film. I won't speak for Mike's photography style, but it's definitely different than mine (haha). Hopefully, we were able to capture a blend of aesthetics that also satisfies Leslie and MG's one-of-a-kind style. Mike and I certainly had a blast directing our two models, who were naturals in front of the camera. Plus, I'm not sure that any other couple would request for an ancient Chinese family portrait like the one we shot below. Through this process, we found love in a new place - behind a camera. This is only the beginning, so don't be surprised if you see more engagement photos appear on the blog this year. Don't hesitate to message me privately if you're interested in being our next models!

The photos were taken by me and Mike on a cloudy day in Bernal Heights Park and Mission Bay.

P.S. - for folks that personally know the happy couple, did you know that MG can play the banjo? :P