Category Archives: Weddings

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Xochitl and Ian’s Wedding, Vibiana, Downtown Los Angeles

October 18, 2012 – 1:05 pm

I’ll admit, I’m somewhat behind on my blog (actually, a lot behind), so when I found out that Xochitl and Ian’s laid-back, stylish, and fun wedding at the Vibiana was published today in California Wedding Day, I thought it would be the perfect day to resume blogging.  I loved working with Xochitl and Ian for many reasons, the main one being that they are madly in love with each other.  They started the day’s preparations in the heart of Los Angeles at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel (formerly the Kyoto Grand Hotel) and moved across the street to the Vibiana for their ceremony and reception. Shirley of Fresh Events Company (wedding coordinator), Amber Event Production (lighting), and Holly Flora (florist) all did a fantastic job of creating a gorgeous and modern vibe for the day.

 

Here were some of the other vendors that contributed to Xochitl and Ian’s amazing wedding:

Catering: The Food Matters

Bar: Pacific Coast Bar

Wedding Cake: Sweet Lady Jane

DJ- Kiddkitt

Photo Booth: DG Event

Rentals: Signature Party Rentals

Mariachi Band: Las Divas (or The Mariachi Divas)

 

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Kristen and Sam’s Wedding, Westminster Presbyterian and Pandora on Green, Pasadena

April 5, 2012 – 3:32 pm

Kristen was such a breathtakingly gorgeous bride, and along with her groom Sam, they were such a sweet couple to work with.  Their wedding took place at some of my favorite locations in Pasadena, starting out with the bride and her bridal party at the stunning Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa.  After the bride’s preparations, we headed up the hill for the wedding ceremony at Westminster Presbyterian, a majestic Gothic stone cathedral in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.  Following the ceremony we headed to a nearby private outdoor estate for some photos of Kristen and Sam.  The final stop of the wedding day was back down the hill to a new reception venue, Pandora on Green (a sister venue to Café Santorini’s Rococo Room).  What an incredible day!!

Here were some of the other vendors that contributed to Kristen and Sam’s wedding day:

Wedding Gown Shop: Saks Fifth Avenue Bridal Salon in Beverly Hills

Florist: Flower Allie

Bakery: Fantasy Frostings

MC/DJ and Lighting: Honored Occasions

Bride’s Hair and Makeup: At Makeup Pro

Transportation: Crown Limosine

 

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Caitlin and Alex’s Wedding, Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, Long Beach

March 29, 2012 – 11:38 am

Most people who know me know that I’m passionate about travel, so I love when I have clients like Caitlin and Alex who share my passion.  Caitlin worked in Cambodia for the Peace Corps and Alex is from England (who came to this country to become a helicopter pilot).  I thought the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden (CSULB) was the perfect venue for guests coming from both near and far to celebrate their union- it’s such a lush, tropical and romantic location for a wedding!  It also happened to be the perfect location to represent the bride’s Japanese heritage (along with many other details, like the origami paper details, chopstick favors, and Taiko drummers during the reception). Thank you Caitlin and Alex for letting me be part of your day!


Here are some of the other wonderful vendors that contributed to their wedding:

Wedding Coordinator: Wendy Rhodes Events

Wedding Gown: Mary Me Bridal

Hair: Sunset Boulevard Salon

Florist: Devynn’s Garden

Caterer: Jay’s Catering

DJ: Fly by Night DJ’s

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Emilie and Tyler’s Wedding, Huron Substation, Downtown Los Angeles

March 27, 2012 – 3:04 pm

A lot has already been said about Emilie and Tyler’s fantastic wedding at the Huron Substation in downtown Los Angeles.  This wedding was recently featured on Style Me Pretty, but I wanted to post my own blog entry since there were so many quirky and original details that this couple chose for their wedding (coordinated by wedding planner extraordinaire, Amanda Ma, of Pasadena-based Fresh Events Company).  I really loved capturing the vibrant colors, as well as the artsy and engaging personalities at Emilie and Tyler’s wedding!

Here were some of the other vendors who contributed to their day:

Ceremony and Reception: Huron Substation

Catering and Wedding Cake: Auntie Em’s Kitchen and Catering

Hair and Makeup: Mieko with Kelly Zhang Makeup

Videographer: Cloud 9 Cinematography

DJ: Red Shoe LA

Rentals: Town & Country Event Rentals

Photobooth: DG Event

 

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Katie and Peter’s Wedding, Lakeside Golf Club, Burbank

March 22, 2012 – 12:16 pm

There were influences both near and far for Katie and Peter’s wedding at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank.  The bride’s parents were also married by the same minister and have been longtime members at the Lakeside Golf Club and the groom and many of his family and friends flew in from Australia.  Wedding planners Laura and Garry of A Diamond Affair did an amazing job merging the two for a day that was both spontaneous and spunky, while West Coast Music kept guests dancing late into the evening.  I love working with couples that are so affectionate, to say nothing of the beautiful bride and gorgeous light on their wedding day!


Here were some of the other vendors that contributed to Katie and Peter’s wedding day:

Bridal Gown- R-Mine Bridal

Florist- Le Petit Gardenia

Ceremony and Reception Furniture Rental- Designer Event Rentals

 

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Kari Kochar Photography Featured on Style Me Pretty

February 2, 2012 – 2:50 pm

 

[caption id="attachment_3738" align="aligncenter" width="161" caption="Kari Kochar Photography featured on Style Me Pretty"][/caption]

A little while ago I photographed Emilie and Tyler’s fun and stylish wedding at the Huron Substation in Los Angeles and today I found out that this wedding is featured on one of my favorite wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty. Yahoo!! Emilie and Tyler were such a great couple to work with and I loved all the amazing details that  Fresh Events Company planned!

Here’s a link to this wedding:

Kari Kochar Photography wedding featured on Style Me Pretty!

 

 

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Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Award 2012 Winner!

January 23, 2012 – 3:52 pm

Kari Kochar Photography is honored to be the recipient of the Wedding Wire network’s Bride Choice Award for 2012!

Click to continue reading “Wedding Wire Bride’s Choice Award 2012 Winner!”

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Lauren and Ryu, Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena

March 29, 2011 – 3:14 pm

For Lauren and Ryu’s wedding, over 300 guests came from near and far (including a large group from Japan) to witness them tie the knot in the Horseshoe Garden at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.  I probably say this every time I work with her, but Amanda Ma of Fresh Events did a phenomenal job coordinating all the logistics of the day!

There were so many details that I loved about this wedding, I don’t even know where to begin…  First, Lauren was a gorgeous bride (hair by Meiko of Kelly Zhang Studio) and I adored her dress and birdcage veil.  Her flowers were also stunning- I loved the addition of feathers in the bouquets by M’s Flowers.  Lauren is a designer and designed all the amazing graphics (invitations, programs, etc.).  Another fun detail was that Lauren and Ryu had their family and wedding party participate in an on-the-spot music video (filmed by Kyle and Julie of Elysium Productions) that they showed to their guests during the reception.  After the ceremony, guests moved into the Huntington Ballroom and were treated to an energetic Japanese taiko drumming performance by theTaiko Project (the bride’s sister did double duty and also performed as a drummer).  Later, the wedding party had some fun of their own by performing coordinated dances to songs by Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson.  One of my favorite moments of the day was when the groom played the piano and sang a song to his new wife- there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd!

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Heather and Jamie’s Wedding, Wayfarers Chapel and Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes

March 1, 2011 – 11:37 am

I was so happy when Heather and Jamie booked me to photograph their intimate wedding in Palos Verdes – they are such a sweet couple and have an adorable 2-year-old daughter.  I was also very excited to work at Palos Verdes’ newest wedding venue, Terranea Resort, a plush resort with stunning panoramic ocean views.  Heather started her wedding day preparations at the Spa at Terranea and they had their “first look” at Catalina Point, a clifftop setting on the resorts grounds.  Although the day was cloudy, it was a perfect example of how clouds can work to your advantage when it comes to wedding photos.  It’s not just because I’m from Seattle that I love clouds- cloudy days are wonderful for wedding photography since colors really “pop” and the clouds act like a giant studio soft box for evenly lit portraits.

After a morning of photos at Terranea, we headed to Wayfarers Chapel for their ceremony- what a unique location for a wedding ceremony!   The chapel is perched on top of a cliff surrounded by Redwood trees and the interior sanctuary is all glass. After the ceremony, we headed back to Terranea Resort for the cocktail hour and outdoor lunch reception on the Catalina Terrace.  Both Heather and Jamie were so good-natured when the lunch was moved under cover when it started sprinkling (maybe they had heard that it’s a sign of good luck if it rains on your wedding day?).  With all the amazing food, drinks, and cupcakes by Susie Cakes, I don’t think anyone noticed a little bit of rain!

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Erica and Jack’s Wedding, The Athenaeum at Caltech, Pasadena

February 24, 2011 – 5:38 pm

Erica and Jack are both engineers, so it wasn’t surprising that they chose to get married at Southern California’s hub of science and engineering: the California Institute for Technology, or more specifically, the Caltech Athenaeum.  The Athenaeum also happens to be a spectacular location for a wedding ceremony and rockin’ reception, and rock the reception is exactly what they did since they hired a fantastic band:  the Chuck Wansley Band.

Erica and Jack also surprised all the guests during the reception with a traditional Chinese lion dance performance by the Immortals Awaken Lion Club.  The dance is performed along with the loud beat of drums to scare away evil spirits and bring good fortune to the newly married couple.  At the end of the dance, Erica and Jack fed the lion a red envelope filled with cabbage and money.  It was a pretty awesome spectacle and I love it when couples incorporate cultural traditions that are also a lot of fun for the guests!

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