Kristina and Rafael's wedding at St Denis in Diamond Bar

Kristina and Rafael's wedding at St Denis in Diamond Bar


Sometimes I manage to find "gem" images such as this peephole on the balcony. I love how this shot is so beautifully framed by the symmetric window between the two pillars.



I'm sure there's a great story to how or why this shoe was left here...

I took Kristina and Rafael to Craig Park in Brea to do some intimate portraits, and to give them some time alone as bride and groom. Moments like this are precious and memorable since it's the only part of the day when they get to spend quiet moments together.








I love a bridal party that exudes ENGERGY!




Tags: Christina and Rafael's wedding pictures at St Denis in Diamond Bar, Orange County wedding photography by Greg Bumatay, Craig Park in Brea for the bridal and wedding portraits, wedding reception photography in The Villa, Westminster

Diana & Gabriel's Wedding @ Pasadena City Hall

Some favorites from Diana and Gabriel's wedding in Pasadena:

While Diana was getting ready for her big day, I showed her the book of her engagement photo session we did at Laguna Beach and Mission San Juan Capistrano. It turned out amazing, but the best part of it was seeing Diana's face light up when she first saw the pictures.




The first meeting was a complete surprise for Diana! Gabe managed to sneak up behind her. I love these spontaneous moments because they're natural and memorable for both of them.
That first moment when they see each other is intimate, intense, passionate, unrushed, unrehearsed, and nobody is there to interrupt. It's about them and their wedding day, and the first moment together belongs to them alone.







My favorite captured image:


Tags: Diana and Gabriel's wedding pictures at the Pasadena City Hall, Pasadena wedding photography by Greg Bumatay, Los Angeles

Wedding Photography Class @ Cypress College - Fall 2009

I'm really blessed to be able to teach at Cypress College! This fall semester I got a great group of eager students that compose of a wide range of backgrounds. Some are just starting out in the world of photography, ambitious to learn as much and as fast as they can. Some are more advanced or have even done pro gigs as photographers, enthusiastic about learning more about the business side and wanting to improve their photography skills. All are here to learn about wedding photography.





Guest Speaker: Jasmine Star!
To start off the semester with a BANG, we had the honor of having Jasmine Star as our special guest speaker. She WOWed the class with her personality and excellent presentation.

Jasmine showed us that the most important asset that we each had was our individual personality. She explained her business philosophy and how she leveraged her assets. She gave so much useful information but the best thing she talked about was being yourself. So true because nobody else has what you have.


And after each class lecture I typically would take some students out to shoot around campus. There's just no better way than to learn anything hands on.


Tags: Wedding photography class at Cypress College, Greg Bumatay, Jasmine Star, JD de la Torre, Orange County wedding photographer, teacher

Trash the Dress Photography by Greg Bumatay

OK so here is the video clip of the Trash the Dress photo shoot I did for That Morning Show on E!



Clip edited by Mon Villacorta - YOU ROCK - thank you for getting this to me so quick!
Tags: Trash the Dress Photography by Greg Bumatay, Orange County Wedding Photographer, wedding dress trashing on the beach and paintball, Laguna Beach photography, E! Entertainment, That Morning Show premiere episode, Bumatay Studio Photographers, TTD

Pamela & Nathan's Wedding in Dana Point, CA

Congratulations to Pamela and Nathan!

I've been looking forward to their wedding ever since we did their engagement pictures on the mountains up in Chino Hills. They looked so good in pictures because they have a way of tuning out the world and getting lost into each others eyes.  That means I get to easily capture truly romantic and natural images of them together.

Right after the ceremony we went down to the Dana Point Harbor with their bridal party to take some pictures against the Pacific Ocean background. They must have had some party in the limo because by the time we got there (short drive) everyone was ready to rock and roll! The photo shoot was hilarious - imagine a large group of young people all dressed up, yelling, cheering, dancing, and climbing up on the jetty rocks! The pictures came out amazing.


We also had the great opportunity to do more pictures in nearby San Juan Capistrano. The Mission San Juan Capistrano is perfect for the romantic part of wedding photography.










The two of them first met while traveling in Chile, so naturally on their first dance Nate and Pam performed a traditional Chilean folk dance. They did fantastic!

Tags: Pam and Nate's Dana Point wedding, ceremony held at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Dana Point, Orange County Wedding Photographer Greg Bumatay, wedding reception held at Anaheim Marriott Suites in Garden Grove, wedding pictures at Mission San Juan Capistrano, SJC

Debbie & Martin's Wedding at Stone Manor in Malibu

Congratulations to Debbie and Martin on their beautiful wedding! The setting was at the scenic Stone Manor atop the hills of Malibu. This place was completely set up for everything - Debbie got ready upstairs, the reception site was on a lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and the reception set up was on one of the terraces around the mansion.



Martin chillin' with the boys on the putting range.



Debbie looked stunning in her wedding gown and she was ready to go!


The moment of anticipation, they had just opened the door, and Debbie got a glimpse of everyone awaiting her entrance...


Spectacular views all around.









Tags: Malibu Wedding Photos, Stone Manor in the Malibu hills overlooking the ocean, Los Angeles Wedding Photographer Greg Bumatay, Debbie and Martin's wedding in Malibu, Stone Manor Malibu Wedding

Carissa's Life Portraits

Another portrait session done with a rockstar model Carissa! We totally had fun in studio and walking around oldtown Fullerton. Her life portraits turned out great and really showed her outgoing personality. She can ham it up or get a little sexy, but it's mostly about her positive energy during the photo shoot. Here are just a few of my favorites from the day:





















Tags: Carissa's Life Portraits in Fullerton, studio photography, outdoor natural light photography, fun pictures, portrait photographer Greg Bumatay, Orange County Photography Studio

E! Entertainment segment on Trash the Dress

I was contacted a few weeks ago by E! Entertainment about a new morning show they're creating that will air this Fall season. The new show will be (tentatively) called The Breakfast Show, airing nationwide on E! Entertainment. The new show's producer Stacey wanted to do a segment on "Trash the Dress" (TTD) and so what better way to learn all about this bridal trend than to experience it for herself?!

The premise behind Trash the Dress: if you're a bride you're probably going to spend a considerable amount of time (and money) finding the perfect dress that you'll fall in love with. Sadly after your wedding day, you may never put on that dress again - after all, your husband is your one and only true love right? And realistically, your (future) daughter will not want to wear your dress. There's no future occasion to put it on again, unless you create a reason to. In planning a Trash the Dress session, you'll have the most amazing time wearing your wedding dress a second time, but you'll be free from worrying about keeping it in pristine condition. This gives you the freedom to be creative, daring, sexy, and adventurous! Afterward, you have the option to donate the dress rather than storing it forever. A great organization to donate a wedding dress: Brides Against Cancer

Stacey and Wil wanted to see what it's all about so they dressed up like a bride and groom then headed to Laguna Beach with me for a "Trash the Dress" photo shoot!







We totally had a blast in the water, on the rocks, and all over the sand! But that wasn't enough - Stacey wanted to go all out. What else could top a frolic on the beach in a wedding dress? I think the next segment would make most brides gasp and cringe at the thought of what we had planned...

We picked up some paintball gear, the same wedding dress, a box of paintballs, then headed for the woods to shoot. With guns.





At the end of the day Stacey was exhausted and bruised up, but the dress actually held up fairly well.

Keep an eye out for the video clip once it airs!
Tags: TTD, Trash the Dress, Wedding Gown, portraits in a wedding dress, beach photos, Laguna Beach Trash the Dress, Orange County Wedding Photography, E! Entertainment, E! Online, television, bridal pictures on the beach

Ashli's Life Portraits, Senior Pictures

I have to admit I was a little nervous going into this photo shoot because I've never done 'senior portraits' before. I went in not sure what style or theme we could do. Thank God for Ashli though - she did an amazing job being my model. It really does make a difference when the person you're shooting is relaxed and able to be themselves. Here are just a few of my favorites pictures:











Tags: Ashli's Life Portraits in Fullerton, studio photography, outdoor natural light photography, senior pictures, senior portrait photographer Greg Bumatay, Orange County Photography Studio
And a huge THANK YOU to Grace Chun for doing the hair and makeup!

Sunny & Brian's Wedding in Laguna Hills, CA

Congratulations to Sunny and Brian!

It was an honor to photograph Sunny and Brian's wedding because it was my first military couple. Ever. I hold a high respect for those who are serving their country and not only that, they are both in the medical field. Besides serving God, I know no other higher responsibility than what these two have.
Their beautiful ceremony was held at Lake Hills Community Church in Laguna Hills, CA.












Tags: Sunny and Brian's wedding pictures in Orange County, Laguna Hills, Lake Hills Community Church, Pacific Hills Catering, Southern California Wedding Photographer Greg Bumatay, military wedding, uniform, lake

Featured in The Bride & Bloom

Congratulations to Linda and Kevin for their wedding feature on Bride and Bloom Magazine!"An Old Hollywood Romance"

It was one of the grandest weddings I've ever photographed, and certainly one with the most intricate details. Linda Ly of Grand Soirees Event Design & Coordination (yes she's both the bride and event designer) put her creative talents and passion to good use as she hand crafted most of the wedding decor, props, and giveaways. Being a fabulous wedding planner herself and having seen some amazing weddings, Linda had a grand design. "Once the ring was on her finger, Linda begain planning her wedding immediately."
She managed to combined elements from Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, and old Hollywood glamour. You can see the original blog post here and their slideshow here.
That's right, you see FIVE dresses that she wore on her wedding day. "How many opportunities do you have to do as many crazy and zany things as you want?" - Linda
For the complete article, pick up this month's issue of The Bride and Bloom magazine!

Tags: Linda and Kevin's wedding pictures at the Millennium Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles, Wedding Photographer Greg Bumatay photos featured in Bride and Bloom Magazine, wedding details, decor, cake, centerpieces, Chinese cultural qipao, Vietnamese attire, old Hollywood glamour

Marcy & Tom's Wedding at Sherwood Country Club

Congratulations to Tom and Marcy! Their fabulous wedding took place on a beautiful day at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA. We had the opportunity to do their wedding photos before the ceremony - which meant that we had the freedom to roam around the venue in golf carts! They had their first meeting next to the waterfall, then we took a short trip to the ranches surrounding Sherwood.


I loved the county feel in the surrounding areas just outside the gates of Sherwood Country Club. One of these properties belong to David Murdock.

We also gained access to the wine cellar!









Tags: Marcy and Tom's wedding pictures at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA, Westlake Village, Ventura County, Sherwood CC wedding photos by Greg Bumatay