so what’s not to love?

As a Los Angelino who travels a lot, I hear all the time, “Oh, I hate LA!” It can be heard most often and with the snarliest snarl up north (yes, San Francisco, I’m talking to you). But when I hear people say this, I have to ask: “well, what do you hate?”

There is so much to Los Angeles; so many neighborhoods & cultures; landscapes that run from beach to desert; from the hills to the valley; so much to explore that it would take you—man, I don’t know how long—to explore it all, that there’s no way you could hate all of LA. Just no way. People who know LA, people who have grown up here, or have lived here a long time, or who have taken time to explore all that she offers, love certain things, their own things, about our city. Maybe Sunset Junction, where the skinny hipsters hang out; or the Valley (yes, dammit! there are parts of the Valley that I love!); Venice Beach with the lady who wears just pantyhose and nothing (nothing!) else; or where I live, Long Beach, a mix of old car guys, old Navy guys, young tattooed biker guys and regular family-type guys (and of course, all the rad women).

Saying “I hate LA” is like saying “I hate weather.” It makes no sense. Dude! There is no way you can hate all of my city, so stop saying that (yes, San Francisco, I’m talking to you).

But I digress. I bring this up because yesterday I shot a totally sweet LA wedding. Adam & Eva (ok, there’s your straight line. take five and get the jokes out of your system so I can continue) were married in an adorable and very old Catholic Church on the outskirts of Chinatown, at the foothills of Dodger Stadium & the LAPD Academy. The reception was up in Elysian Park (where La Llorona is said to wander at night looking for her drowned, dead children) and families bbq on the weekend listening to concerts at the stadium or maybe a baseball game in the summertime. And the palm trees. Oh my gosh, the palm trees everywhere! It’s the place I think of when I hear War’s most amazing song, “Summer.”

That’s where Adam & Eva took their vows and celebrated with family & friends. And me

This is a quickie for them as they take off for their “mini-moon” this weekend. I know they’re anxious to see their photos, and I love this one I think the most. It says everything about being a Los Angelino in love.