12 Simple Wedding Day Tips for a Bride

Simple wedding tips that can make the day go smoother and for you to think about things you have never thought of before….

1. Wear a veil. Where else can you ever wear a veil! It is your wedding day, be bold and make it long!

2. Keep your flowers close. It really adds to your look. Hold the flowers around your belly button so the dress is not covered up and always tilt the flowers towards the camera so we see them and not the stems.

3. Girls be edgy it is 21 century after all! Wear red! Well if you don’t wear red wear something red or green or pink just do it.

4. Talk to the photographer about the time line before you do it. Have them involved with the day’s organization so they can add to it. The photographer is the one that makes the award winning shots so they should be involved in this process. Photographers are master directors - use their experience.

5. Get bubbles if you can’t do rose petals. Have everyone blow bubbles as you walk down the aisle after the ceremony. They are inexpensive and fun and make for great pictures.

6. Have your bridesmaids dressed and ready to help you into your dress. It is the bridesmaid’s job to help you get ready hence, the name also get them to keep the room tidy for the photographer. Think about the photographer’s job. If he/she comes into a room and it is a mess that will hinder some great angles.

7. Get a professional makeup artist. There is nothing worse than shine on the nose. It is not as easy as it looks. But remember….they always seem to take more time than they think they are going to take, so add an extra 1 hour…for the makeup and the hair people. Have the makeup artist give you some power for you to powder before the formals photos, a little powder on the Groom works as well…

**Get your makeup artist to use powder-based foundation and blush… Creams appear shiny on camera…

8. Set enough time with your photographer to get the perfect portraits. Great images do happen but many times, they are well planned for too. The photographer needs time to set up and sometimes it takes a few so don’t get annoyed get happy. He/she is going to make you look like a fashion model.

9. Walk slowly down the aisle and ask everyone to do the same. It gives the photographer a good chance to grab some different angles, people’s reactions, etc.

10. At the end of the ceremony stop on the way back and kiss your spouse. You will remember this great shot years to come. Imagine you are in a movie, because you really are!

11. The toasts should be very short. Nothing faster kills a buzz than long speeches. Make sure every orator toasts no more than a couple of minutes. When the toast is over people are either ready to eat or party; therefore, they are anxious to finish with a formal part.

12. Place the cake in a picturesque spot; otherwise, it's just a cake against a wall. Why spend the money on a lovely cake if you don't give it a beautiful presentation? The table counts too, so decorate it.

Summarizing... whatever you do, do not afraid to make mistakes. After all, with the help of many people that passionately cheer for you success you will do your best. So while in it, enjoy it fullest. We fish you a very happy celebration and long lasting memories.

Marriage Proposal

Unique marriage proposals often take a ton of planning. Afterwards, most couples note that the entire event seemed to go by in a blur. Do not let that happen to you! Hire a professional photographer to document your proposal.


The photographers at Vadym Vasylenko Photography strive to raise the standard...s of what engagement and wedding photography can be - a series of interconnected moments captured to document the transformation of two separate lives into one. A Love Story. From the moment your loved one’s face registers by your heart. Followed by that brief pause. Then all your shared moments of love and affection flash before your eyes. Your heart flooded with a genuine fear that you might fail. You are both shocked and awed to be in the moment you have been dreaming of since your childhood. Knowing your lives will NEVER be the same again.


There will never be another love story like yours. That is why the moment is special and memorable to all who witness it unfolds. Most engagement proposals usually happen in less than five minutes. Even so, what does that time really mean? When Einstein asked himself a similar question about our relationship to time, he came up with the theory of relativity. His simplification of the theory was, “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT’S relativity.


”What do you call the brief hush between the offer and the acceptance? Some people might have called it, “A condition of complete simplicity… is costing no less than everything.” If you have ever experienced this moment, then you know, that these actions do not originate in the mind. Therefore, they cannot be fully understood or rationalized by it.


You can take pictures with the woman you love all the time, but the smile on her face in that moment is something you cannot recreate. This is the real deal. This is authenticity at its finest. Keep in mind she will share this proposal story for many years to come and now, she will have a beautiful photo album to go with it.Vadym Vasylenko Photography offers consultation services, from the preparation of your proposal idea to the final photo album to capture that unforgettable day.

Marriage Proposal package:


- Unique idea for a proposal


- Advice for the location for a proposal


- Photos of your proposal


- Photo book that will capture every second of her/his surprise and excitement


Please contact us for a price: vadymphoto@gmail.com or 714-718-3840, 323-791-9764.


We also offer variety of products: Invitation Cards, Reception Slideshow, Matted Display, Guest Book, print on canvas, cups and etc..


Visit our website: vadymphoto.com CLIENTS/PRODUCTS section for complete list of products.

PYSANKY by Adriana

Couple weeks ago we visited  Renaissance Fair in Irwindale, and had a pleasure to meet with Adriana who does colorful art of decorating EASTER EGGS, or PYSANKY, that has been a Ukrainian tradition for over ten centuries.

PYSANKY, the richly decorated raw eggs, are never eaten. They are kept in the home from year to year as decorations and as protection from evil, fire and lightning. Friends exchange pysanky that have been blessed on Easter morning to commemorateChrist’s teachings of peace and love.

The word PYSANKA comes from the Ukrainian word “pysaty” which means to write. PYSANKY are decorated by a complicated dye process similar to Batik. Melted beeswax is applied with a stylus, which is called a “kistka” or “pysaltse” to afresh egg, raw, and clear of blemishes.

The egg is dipped into a succession of dye baths, starting from the lightest, usually yellow,and ending with the darkest, typically black. Between each dipping, wax is applied over areas where the preceding color is to remain. After all the designing is complete, the wax is melted off and a hard glaze is applied. Bees wax is used because it staysliquid longer than paraffin, is more pliable, and has an adhering quality; and, of course bee-keeping was very common, so a large natural supply was on hand.

More info about her here: http://www.pysanka.com/the_art.php

Archstone Kickball Tournament

A couple of weeks ago we had a blast photographing the Archstone Kickball Tournament. Archstone is a recognized leader in apartment management with a portfolio concentrated in many of the most desirable neighborhoods in the nation. Their communities reside in such metropolitan areas as Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle and Boston, to name a few. Four teams participated in the tournament from Southern California: the LA "KICK"ERS, Beachside Ballers, GrAss Kickers and Hatorade. They represented branches of Archstone in the Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties and the Inland Empire accordingly. The talented GrAss Kickers from Orange County fought fearlessly and won the Cup this year, making them the champions for the second year in a row.

California Poppy Festival in Lancaster April 24 -25, 2010

In the spring time after the winter rains, the California poppy blossoms in fields, meadows, and most place where there's a temperate climate and mellow weather. The bright orange flower is a treat to see when it grows in patches or roadside grasses. It is even more of a delight to celebrate the blossoming of the poppy in a city celebration that the City of Lancaster hosts annually. Celebrating the State Flower of the State of California, and one of its native habitats--Lancaster, come join the fun!

Lancaster prides itself in providing fertile ground for an abundance of poppy crops. The California Poppy Festival comes from a proud tradition--Lancaster once co-sponsored Wildflower Information Center, which welcomed thousands of visitors who flocked to the Antelope Valley to view the flowers in the spring at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Since the Golden California Poppy blooms each year around the time that Earth Day occurs, Lancaster in 1970 held its first California Poppy Festival, in honor or Earth Day and its principles.

Continuing the proud tradition, Lancaster invites the public to celebrate its spring bounty of flowers, food, festivities, and fun, in a celebration that includes elements such as an art show, carnival, concerts with great bands, and lots of activities for the kids.
(info from http://www.beachcalifornia.com/)
California Poppy Festival  website: http://poppyfestival.com/

New Begining

Congrats Thom and Vanessa!

An excerpt from "The Prophet" by Khalil Gabran:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.

Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

International Pillow Fight Day in Los Angeles 2010

On Saturday April 3, 2010 hundreds of cities around the world, from Stockholm to Shanghai were participating in International Pillow Fight Day.


Los Angeles hosted this event at the Pershing Square in the heart of Los Angeles' downtown. Tons of people used their pillows to have fun. The best and most appropriate question... you may ask, "Why a pillow fight?" Well, we say, "Why not?" Can you think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon in LA?... ☻ Of course, you can! But, what the heck!


As the appointed time of 3 p.m. approached, the waves of fighters streamed into the square from every direction.


It was such a unique experience when people of different lifestyles and believes joined a peaceful fight. Some folks came prepared: pajamas, a surgical mask, glasses and helmet.


The Los Angeles Times wrote, "The loosely coordinated events were part of the so-called urban playground movement and promoted by Newmindspace, http://newmindspace.com a public art group based in New York and Toronto. The project is intended to show how social media can be used to organize people to embrace urban public settings."


We are happy to know that one of the few rules in pillow fighting - do not hit person with the camera. Well, most folks were rule-abiding citizens. As for some... We will respond back to them next year without cameras in our hands. We survived so we can share our memories with all of you. ☺☻☺


Fight! Fight! Fight! Until the feathers fly away!