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I’m a tad nervous writing this post, since Ken is a professional screenwriter himself! Thank goodness for spellcheck. =) Ruth and Ken are fun and spontaneous couple (as you can see from their photos). They are not shy in being silly with each other and are all about having a good time. They rented a party bus and shuttled us all around downtown Los Angeles for wedding photos. Instead of shooting the popular Walt Disney Concert Hall, Ruth and Ken wanted to explore the more unique areas of Downtown LA. We did some stylish and creative photos around the Art District area. It was pretty hot day but everyone were troopers and we got some awesome photos. So keep reading on forward to see our Cicada Club wedding photography!
Their wedding ceremony and reception was at the ever-classic Cicada Club in Downtown Los Angeles (right near Pershing square, in the thick of it all). It’s a venue reminiscent of the roaring 20’s, with a towering ballroom laced in gold and brown tones of art deco. The ballroom feels more like New York than Los Angeles. One of the reasons that Ruth and Ken chose us is for our ability to light such a dark and textured room. We had three different lighting setups for capturing both their wedding ceremony and reception at Cicada.
Ruth & Ken’s wedding was also very special to me in that it’s our very first time collaborating with our associate videography team. That’s right… JG Photography is now offering associate videography. =) For couples (like Ruth and Ken) who wanted both myself and Gavin as photographers, but don’t want to pass up on our artistic videography style, check out our associate videography team. Steven (my brother) and his friend Efrain have been learning under our us for a while now. I’m so happy and proud of them for shooting this first wedding video (solo from us). Don’t forget to click play and check out their awesome video from ES filmworks.
And thank you Christine Tran for coordinating such a perfect and flawless wedding day!! It was such a pleasure and we look forward to working with your team again. I also want to thank Richard (manager at Cicada) and his team for being so sweet, friendly, and helpful. We really can’t do it without an amazing vendor team!!
Wedding Preparation at the Hilton Checkers
The Hilton Checkers is right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles and is a perfect preparation location for the Cicada Club.
Ken is in deep thought as he’s perfecting his wedding vows.
Some photographers complain that cellphones at weddings are the bane of their existence. We try to incorporate and capture that in our photos, since when would you get those faces so candidly!
This is a photo of a photo of a photo of our bride. I heard that no one has gone four levels deep and come back to talk about it (I call it “piception”). LOL
First look at the Hilton Checkers
We decided to do the first look on the rooftop lounge of the Hilton Checkers Hotel. It’s got an AMAZING view of downtown Los Angeles. One thing we’ve always believed in doing is showing off the location that our couples pay for. So if it’s in Hawaii, we make it capture Hawaii. If it’s in the heart of Los Angeles, we want to capture that too.
Hilton Checkers Wedding Photography
This is where having lights makes all the difference in the world. That day was a little humid for Southern California, but we got a textured sky in return for it.
Art District in downtown Los Angeles
I love goofy moments between our couples!
While in the arts district, we wanted to capture the look and feel of the location. This had a bit of a street photography look to it.
Cicada Club wedding photography
Back at Cicada, we had to take advantage of the the amazing bar.
When both Gavin and I shoot our Photo/Photo package, it gives us more artistic freedom to experiment. Gavin brought his ringlight (that he uses for fashion work) and snapped of this cute sequence of images.
Wedding Ceremony at Cicada Club
The Cicada Club is a beautiful space for wedding ceremonies, with towering ceilings and classic decor.
A little riskier, but here’s the first kiss through one of the mirrors on the walls.
Cicada Club Wedding Reception
Grand Entrance
First Dance of the Wedding
This lighting was created by us (not by the venue) for the first dance. I LOVE this ballroom!
This article shows how we do Cicada Club wedding photography in downtown Los Angeles. It shows wedding photography at the Hilton Checkers, where our bride and groom got ready, did their first look, and did bridal party photos. The Cicada Club is a historic and iconic wedding venue and offers a unique backdrop and classic texture to any wedding at it.
Please look at our blog for more examples of wedding photos in Los Angeles. You can also see weddings we have shot near Cicada, like at the Oviatt Penthouse right above it. You can also find more recent work we’ve created on our Instagram, where we can show you the stuff we are currently experimenting with. For example, here is a wedding photo we did at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in downtown LA, in the rain:
