I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Ray last year. I’ve always heard about what an amazing DJ he is, and finally I actually got to experience it. He is fabulous. It’s my honor to feature such a wonderful person, and fabulous DJ on my blog. Hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I did.

Describe yourself in 3 words. 

- Sensitive, Caring, Professional

What inspired you to become a DJ?  

- I love music and the power music has to influence our emotions and help create memories.  As a DJ, my career allows me to nurture my passion.

What is your style? 

- Classy, Complimentary (not dominant), Fun!     

Describe your work/service in 3 words. 

- Thorough, Detailed, Personalized

Describe your service.  

- We listen carefully to our client and together clarify the vision of their event.  We especially note their musical preferences and respect their desires of which songs to play and those not to play.  We offer suggestions that will enhance the success of their celebration.  We have a full-time office staff and our DJs offer an expert range of capabilities—classic, club, bilingual…   

(DJ Jeremy, FOX News’s Kristin Anderson, and Ray Grace)

Finish the following sentences….

Growing up I wanted to be ….a professional baseball player.

If I could change something in my life I would …..set aside more time just for me.

My favorite quote….It’s your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines you altitude.

When I am not working, I like to ….swim, golf, spend time with my wife.

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?  enjoying more time with my wife.

Which country do you want to visit the most? 

- Costa Rica

If you had the option to move anywhere in the world, where would you like to move? 

- La Jolla, California

What advice would you give to other new DJs? 

- Take very good care of each and every client that you have.  Love music and respect the power that it has.

(Ray’s daughters Tricia, Mary, Wife Barbara, and daughter Stella)

Website: http://www.raythedj.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/raythedj1

Elaine and Gilbert’s love proves that if it’s meant to be, no matter what, fate will bring two people together. Their first meeting in 2009 didn’t do any magic, but their second meeting a year later brought them so close to each other. Elaine’s car accident was a blessing in disguise because Gilbert was the wonderful person that took care of her in CO after the accident. A couple years later, here they are. I feel very fortunate for being able to photograph this beautiful couple’s beautiful wedding. And they have a beautiful little puppy.

They had a tea ceremony as part of Elaine’s Chinese tradition. It was so beautiful and colorful. Isn’t she gorgeous!

My wonderful second shooter captured these next 2 sets of gorgeous images.

Gangnam Style is everywhere.

Venue: Val Vista Lake Club House

DJ: Joel Ramirez r7 Entertainment

Bride’s Dress: David’s Bridal

Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse

Cake: Graceful Cake Creations

Catering: China Village Restaurant, Phoenix AZ

Photographer: Faria Munmun Photography

Want to see more? Visit http://www.facebook.com/fariamunmun

Can you imagine getting your wedding DVD all scratched up, and not having all your wedding images? Pretty scary, right?

I started using PASS a few months ago, and so far it’s been an incredible experience for me and my clients. Go to http://www.gallery.passpremier.com/  Click on download on the right hand side. It takes about 5 minutes to download it, and check out the video on the left hand side.

* All images will be saved in “the cloud” for one year, and if you’d like to store it in the cloud longer, it will be $29/year.

* Once you download PASS and log in using your facebook log in or email log in that you gave me, you can download all images at once on your computer, or each folder seperately.

* You can share your wedding images with anyone you want whether it’s on facebook or via email. You don’t have to upload one photo at a time, instead, upload the entire gallery.

* You can also control which images you want to show.

* Once you let me know who else will get the right to download all images, I can add that person to the VIP list, and will be able to download all images or the folders that you’d like them to have access to.

If you have any further question, you know I am always available to help you out.

I’ve known Jason for a few years now, and after I found out that he was engaged to Jennifer, I was secretly hoping that he’d contact me for his big day. He did! The first time I met Jennifer, I loved her immediately. It was like love at first sight. What an amazing couple with such good hearts. The best part is, they are both teachers. It’s like we could use our own language which no one else can understand. The wedding party and the families were wonderful. I am glad I got to be a part of their big day. 

Love it when couple’s are willing to be silly and have fun. I absolutely love this shot.

Jennifer is so creative. She did all the centerpices including the gorgeous picture frames for table numbers, the flowers in the middle, and the picture displays.

Ceremony and Reception: Desert Botanical Garden

Bride’s Dress and Bride’s Maids’ Dresses : David’s Bridal

DJ: Ray the DJ

Catering: Atlasta Catering

Cupcakes: Let Them Eat Cake

Planning a wedding can be very stressful, and hiring the right professional for each job is extremely important too to reduce the amount of stress. Not every wedding photographer is ideal for you, and not every bride is ideal for me either. How will you know if the photographer is right for your wedding?

Tip #1 – Make sure you like the photographer’s style. Some photographers’ style is photojournalistic, some are more traditional. Some photographers’ editing has a vintage style, some are very modern, bright and colorful and so on.

Tip #2 – Make sure you like the photographer as a person. Your wedding photographer will be with you almost the entire day. If you don’t like your photographer’s personality then you won’t be able to enjoy your wedding day completely, and it’s hard on the photographer too.

Tip #3 – If the photographer has a blog or a facebook page, please check these out since blog and facebook page usually contain a lot more insightful information than the website only. There are always more photos posted too.

Tip #4 – Make sure you have photography built into your wedding budget, and you are comfortable with the photographer’s price. High quality wedding photography comes with a high price tag, just like how a Kate Spade Bag costs way more than an off brand bag.

Tip #5 – Last but not least, finding the right photographer is a lot like finding YOUR wedding dress. Once you find the photographer, book her/him, and trust the photographer with the job. You don’t want to wait till the last minute and then find out that photographer is no longer available.

Hope these tips help, and these are not the only tips for booking a wedding photographer, and might not apply in every situation.

It was 104 or 105 outside day. No kidding, but it was all worth it because of the super cute, and fun wedding. The Farm at South Mountain was a gorgeous place to have such a beautiful wedding.  I am glad Keira Grace Photography asked me to second shoot with her for this wedding. Congratulations to D.J. and Lindsey.

I’ve included a frequently asked question part on my website and on my new client packet to help with answering a lot of the questions that most clients have.

* My style is photojournalistic, and the photos are fun, elegant, natural, timelss and modern.

* I edit my photos subtly for a natural and timeless look.

* All collections include a complimentary engagement session.

* I do some traditional posed photos too. I will guide you through bride and groom photos and family portraits.

* I shoot 100% digital.

* A sneak peek will be uploaded on facebook within 72 hours.

* All photos will be ready within 4-6 weeks.

* Once you own the photos, you can print, upload online, share with yor fmaily and friends. These are yours.

* I prefer quality over quantity. I shoot a limited number of weddings each yearl; that’s why I don’t discount any collection; however, I will work with you to customize your collection.

* I have my camera ready to travel anywhere in the world to be your wedding photographer. A travel fee will be applied based on the distance.

* I will be the primary photographer covering your wedding day.

* The number of images in an album varies based on the album design.

If more questions come up, I will add more to the list.

I try to communicate with my brides as much as possible so that everything on the wedding day stays stress free and fun. I do shoot the following shots at every wedding.

Bride and Groom

Bride and Groom with both families

Bride and Groom with her fmaily

Bride and Groom with his family

Bride and Groom with the wedding party

Bride with bridesmaids

Groom with Groomsmen

Since every family is unique, and every bride’s vision and expectation is different, it’s always best to communite that to the photographer. If a bride wants photos with other people or some specific groupings such as B & G with bride’s grandma, or Bride with bride’s grandma, I ask my brides to email me that list prior to the wedding day. I also ask not to get too carried away with the list since we have to follow a timeline to cover the most important shots.

Also, it’s very important that the bride communicates this with the families too. If the bride tells everyone to expect family photos after the wedding then it’s easier to go through the list quickly, and no one needs to run around to find someone.

Last but not least, trust me. My style is photojournalistic, and my second shooter and I constantly shoot to capture the beautiful moments, and different groupings throughout the night.

A couple of days ago, I was browsing shoes at neimanmarcus.com Who doesn’t like shoes, right? The new arrivals have so many beautiful new designs, and some of the designs seemed perfect for gorgeous wedding shoes.

The top one, Manalo Blahnik has a couple of other colors available. And who doesn’t want a pair of Christian Louboutin, right? Look at the designs. These are simply stunning. When I saw the blue one, Prada, I pictured a beautiful bride walking down the isle in all white except for some color, shoes and bouquet. That would be gorgeous.

Stuart Weitzmand and Kate Spade are more affordable and very comfortable too. I had a pair of Kate Spade sandals, and those were one of the most comfortable pairs I’ve ever owned.

If you end up getting either one of these shoes, please let me know. I would love to hear about your shoe shopping.

I always help my brides create a timeline for their wedding day to help them keep everything run very smoothly while capturing all the beautiful moments. A timeline is very important in getting amazing wedding photos. Here’s an example of an ideal timeline.

3 hours before the ceremony – getting ready shots

2 hours before the ceremony - first look. Bride and groom see each other for the first time that day, and spend some moment alone.

1.5 hours before the ceremony - bridal party shots

30 minutes before the ceremony - done with the portraits.

Right after the ceremony - family portraits

30 minutes after the ceremony - bridal party shots, and then bride and groom portraits which can take upto 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

If the bride and the groom don’t want a first look then we can follow the following timeline.

3 hours before the ceremony – getting ready shots

2 hours before the ceremony - bride with bridesmaids portraits, and bride with her family.

1.25 hour before the ceremony - groom with groomsmen portraits and groom with his family.

30 minutes before the ceremony - done with the portraits.

Right after the ceremony - family portraits

30 minutes after the ceremony - bridal party shots

1 hour after the ceremony – bride and groom shots

2 – 2.5 hours after the ceremony - completely done with portraits