This blog was written by Daisy Luu after her engagement session:
How do a wrist lock and a hip throw lead to an engagement? Once upon a time, wearing a white gi and belt, I met the man that I am fated to marry. Our love story starts out with a mutual interest in martial arts—me in aikido and him in kickboxing. For our engagement photo shoot, I wanted to recapture the story of how we met and fell in love.
In the course of wedding planning, we went with some vendors for budget, some for location convenience, and some because our first choice was booked. But one thing we knew we wanted from the beginning was Michael Soo as our photographer. From viewing his work, we could tell that he put couples at ease in front of the camera so their natural playfulness and beauty, along with that special something that highlights their relationship, are effortlessly captured and preserved.
We headed to San Francisco for the rest of our photo shoot after our playful martial arts session. I felt transformed from normal to glamorous as we went around the city for ideal backdrops. However, the fun was yet to come because we insisted on making a hike around fenced off areas and steep steps to get to the little stretch of beach near the Golden Gate bridge, in a spot affectionately dubbed “Soo Rock” for a dramatic picture complete with crashing waves and a golden sunset.
When my parents crossed the sea in their immigration journey to America, they had to leave behind most of their precious belongings, so they don’t have even one wedding picture as a keepsake. This is part of the reason why photography is such a high priority for me in the ever-growing list of wedding necessities. I can always buy another fancy dress, order a three-tiered cake, take a limousine ride. But capturing the here-and-now-freezing a moment in time—can never really be repeated. In the past, I was someone’s baby girl, a student, a best friend. In the future, I may be a wife, a mother, an old lady whose wrinkles tell the familiar story of age and time. But today…today, I am a young woman whose heart is set aglow like the sun, with the wind in my hair and the waves at my feet, kept warm by my lover’s embrace.
What a breathtakingly romantic shot, right? It’s pictures like these that forever remind me of this moment. But some of them come at a bit of a price. So, Ladies—as you work your way through wedding planning and you’re thinking about that one Money-Maker shot that will capture the essence of your love, let me ask you this:
Are you ready to take on the Soo Challenge?
- Daisy Luu & Tung – 8/25/2012