First of all, I went through a nasty traffic jam.  I had a state of mind to photograph the accident scene.  I was just glad it was not me in that mangle. 

Everyone knew about the accident at the wedding.  A lot of wedding guests went through that traffic jam.  We thought our DJ was caught up in that traffic jam as well.  Wedding was scheduled for 4pm, but there was no sign of a wedding DJ.  4pm came, and there was no DJ.  Bride was crying (heartbreaking) and the wedding guests started call every possible friends and family to locate a DJ in the area. 

Luckily they found a friend of a friend who was a DJ.  DJ Tony Chan is located in Camarillo (20 minutes away from Saticoy Country Club at Somis).  He was going to hurry up and come down to Saticoy Country Club.  He could only get ready for a reception, not the ceremony.  The wedding ceremony had to go on without the DJ.  So, we came up with a solution to the music.  A friend of the wedding couple backed up his SUV and played his car-stereo.  I was keep telling the bride “I have had plenty of weddings with absolutely no music.  Trust me, it will be good”. 

Amazingly, the music from the SUV worked out perfect.  Honestly, the music was perfect.

Wedding Music provided by a wedding guest – From an SUV

After the wedding ceremony we had a plenty of time for formal pictures.  From the hill-side of Saticoy Country Club, we can look down the valley of Somis & Oxnard.  There was a big tree.  That tree was located in a perfect spot to provide me with needed shade.

Photography session went on smooth.  The weather was great.  The bride was beautiful.  The bride had a face of an Olympic Gymnast (not the ugly one).  The bride had the longest train I have ever seen in my life.  Pictures came out breathtaking.  By this time, bride was very happy.  And she was happy to know that there was a DJ in the house setting up for the reception.   Everything turned out beautiful.

On the golf course of Saticoy Country Club, Somis, California

Under the big tree that saved the day, Somis, CA

Reception went on smooth.  The DJ (Tony Chan) was fantastic.  People had a lot of fun.  The wedding was lovely.  I didn’t want the day to end.

All in all, today’s wedding was more memorable than most weddings.  It was like a little movie and I was in it.  At the end, I told the bride that I was *almost* glad that the original DJ didn’t show up.  We all have a fun memory from this wedding.  We all pulled together to make a wonderful day for the newlyweds.  This was a good sign for the newlyweds (I told her all that at the end of the reception).  God bless everyone. 

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DJ Tony Chan – One who saved the day.
tony@tcscuba.com

Without Tony Chan, this wedding would have been a disaster.  Everyone was thanking him for saving the day.  He received about 3 formal applauses from the wedding guests.  I talked to Tony a little and exchanged business cards.

Expect to hear more about the DJ Tony Chan in my future blog.  We both live in Camarillo, and I like his style. 

Saticoy Country Club
www.saticoycountryclub.com  
4450 North Clubhouse Drive Somis, CA  93066
Phone (805)485-4956

Gunga Din, Bring water…

Above is my water supply I bring to every wedding during the Summer season.
With this; I can drink, wash my hand/face, cool down… it’s a life-savor.  If I want to bring a soda, I make sure they do not contain caffeine (dehydrant).  Caffeine will defeat the purpose of drinking water, because caffeine takes water out of your body (we call it dehydration).

John Park Saves the Day Again:

The bride was getting ready at the second floor suite at Grand Vista Hotel.  I was taking photographs of the bride and the bridesmaids getting ready and having fun.  They lost the groove when they realized that they didn’t have any bobby pins.  The grooms mother was going to go downstairs to get the bobby pins.  That’s when I produced my bobby pins for them.  You see, I always carry some bobby pins and safety pins in my pocket. The bride also needed some safety pins as well.  I wouldn’t say I “saved the day”.  But I came in handy for sure. :)  And we went on with the wedding.

Reception Decoration, Food, Desert

The wedding reception was calm and loving.  Most of all, it was not loud.  I didn’t have to wear my ear plugs which I always wear at wedding receptions.  They made a strong point about taking care of earth, recycling, and healthy life-style.  What they demonstrated was very educational to me.

Their dinner tables were all covered with brown papers.  Their dinner plates were made out of bamboo.  All of their silver-wears were bamboo as well.  The tables were not sparkling, but they were warm and classy.

Vegan (Vegetarian) wedding table decoration

Vegan (vegetarian) Wedding Menu

I was very surprised by the fancy, quality meal they had for the wedding guest.  I never had any vegan wedding menu before.  The food was very colorful (vivid) and they tasted good.  I mean it was a super fantastic meal.

For desert, they had vegan ice cream.  The bride and groom kept insisted that I get a taste of their vegan ice cream.  But I just didn’t get the chance.  After all, I was there to work. . 

This has to be one of the most memorable wedding receptions.  The reception seemed more spiritual.  Vegetarians tend to care more about life.  I could feel that special energy from the bride and groom.  I felt small and humble.  It was a very educational experience to me.

VenturaPhoto.com