The beauty of living in Pasadena is wondering what kind of a past life does each beautiful old building have? Before Green Street was a one way street headed east, there lived a Cadillac dealer on the corner of El Molino and Green.

Don Lee Cadillac called it’s home in this stunning Spanish/Moorish structure.  Based on this article:  Artifacts of the Playhouse District, Lee was the west coast man for Cadillac and made custom cars for the stars.

Take a look at the Don Lee Cadillac building in 1927:

Image from the Pasadena History Collaboration

In the present day, this building is serving as the home to Jacob Maarse Florists.

The building still maintains it’s beauty.  Few things have changed.  Notice the missing finials from the roof line.  Two cypress trees were added to the front facade.  The level of the street appears to be higher as well.

As one gets closer to the building, you can see beautiful and colorful tile work above the main door.  Look even closer and we find an older version of the Cadillac emblem still beautifully cared for.  Please click here to view the evolution of the Cadillac emblem through the years:  Cadillac Heraldry

Since my sister is not the type to toot her own horn, I will be the one who does it for her. Penelope Gil has been working hard on her short film Viva. She has just a few fishing touches left before it premiers.

Penelope has just finished a script on a short film we are working on together and is in the process of writing a yet another one!

On top of this she has auditions and other projects so she’s a pretty busy woman!

Here is Penelope’s latest head shot:

We had an extreme blast hosting brides at our Pasadena Bride Tour this past Sunday!!  It was an extremely fun time and we want to do it over and over again!  PS & Associates Event Planning and myself hosted a tour for brides of 4 of Pasadena’s unique wedding venues.

Brides arrived at the FotoNuova studio in San Marino to a host of small pastries and Tangerine Mimosas.  We mingled and chatted for a bit then loaded onto a shuttle and off to our first destination!

We toured the enormous Langham hotel.  Stopped at the Happy Trails Garden for a tour and lunch then visited the Pandora on Green as well as the Rococo Room.  At Pandora, we were treated to delicious desserts and great hospitality.

A classic Bentley, a beautiful bride, a groom from Texas and a beautiful grand venue were some of the many highlights of this wedding!  Scott and MiJung rolled up in their classic Bentley to greet family and friends.  During the ceremony, the parent’s of each looked on so proudly with watery eyes.

Scott and MiJung’s parents have a lot to be proud about as these two successful Dentists are living the American dream and joining two cultures together.  Upon end of the ceremony, guests intermingled in the cocktail area, smoked fresh hand roll cigars and sipped champagne.

Shortly after guests were escorted into the dinner room to be awed by it’s enormity.

Here are some of the fantastic professionals that helped make this wedding a beautiful one:

Wedding Venue: Taglyan
Event Planners: PS & Associates Event Planning
Photography: FotoNuova
Photobooth: FlashLife Photo Booth
Floral: Rosebud Floral
Dessert Booth: B Sweets Catering
Stationary: Papeterie
DJ- Jaymee Carpenter Productions
Cigar Rolling- Llovo Cigar Events
Transportation: Classy Chassis Rentals
Rentals: Bella Noche Rentals

A nice little treasure has recently appeared in the Pasadena wedding and event family. The empire of Town & Country Event Rentals has just established a showroom on Arroyo Parkway.

Upon entering, one is immediately transported into a whole new world! Entering the showroom feels like arriving early to a well decorated wedding or party before anyone else. Except there are multiple themes going on at the same time so it feels like more than one event is happening at the same time!

It’s definitely a great experience to walk into Town & Country. The ideas for the chairs, tables, linens, flatware and other great pieces come from great imaginations! Please take an afternoon to swing by Town & Country and marvel at the creations!

Town & Country Event Rentals
523 South Arroyo Parkway
Pasadena, CA 91105

It seems like 2012 is the year of weddings. In just the first few days of this new year, we have heard so much about recent engagements. Hopefully this is a sure sign that the world is ready to go back to the way things were. It seems like most couples are very optimistic about 2012!

I’ve always loved the Biltmore hotel. When an opportunity came up to exhibit at a bridal show, I took it! The Biltmore is the definition of 20′s LA opulence. It’s beyond beautiful. Here’s to high hopes of getting an opportunity to photograph at the Biltmore this year.

Aside from our normal wedding photography display, we were able to offer brides extremely valuable tips for their wedding day. Professional fashion model Romie Von Klinger was at our booth offering brides helpful tips on flattering poses for photographs. Looking their best is a great concern for many brides we interact with. Based on feedback from brides, these tips were a great success!

Here’s Romie “working it” and a few other images from the event

We are having a wedding party over on the FotoNuova Facebook page!  Helpful wedding articles and wedding photos are posted nearly daily!  Come over and like our page for your daily wedding inspiration!

www.fotonuova.com

Introducing the perfect gift for the gentleman in your life. A soft boudoir portrait session is the perfect statement of sexiness without being overt about it. Subtle expressions in the eyes say so much more.

Ditch the chocolates, teddy bears and mylar balloons this year. All you need is a gentleman’s dress shirt, a pair of sexy briefs and optional heels to keep your man’s interest highly peaked. These alluring portraits work for all body types and exude absolute sensuality. It’s a beautiful thing to share intimate portraits of you between you and your partner in the privacy of your own bedroom.

Just in time for Valentine’s day, we are offering the Soft Boudoir portrait session at the FotoNuova studio. Your session will include:

-A chilled bottle of champagne
-A hair and make up artist
-A portrait session at the studio
-A fine art book containing your intimate images

$1047

Please call the studio today to schedule your Soft Boudoir session 626-588-2445