Behind The Scenes: Racquel Ward’s Baby Shower in LA


Text and Photography by Tony Ward, Copyright 2025

.

Behind The Scenes in LA

.

Racquel Ward, was invited to have a baby shower in LA and invited me and several other family members to enjoy the occasion. She booked us a fabulous place on AirBnb located at 336 Main Street in Venice.  We checked in with Racquel’s partner Ryan and his son Roman who was planning to visit USC and UCLA, colleges  he’s interested in attending after high school. The four of us got  settled and took a walk down to the Venice Beach Skate Park where skateboarders were practicing their tricks while a magnificent sunset unfolded in deep red tones due to the fires recently in Malibu.  It was a breathtaking moment for what would be a joyous few days in celebrating my daughter’s pregnancy. The shower took place in Baldwin Hills, at a lovely home hosted by Racquel’s  friend, mentor and colleague .

This would be the first time I visited Los Angeles since 2018. I had mixed feelings about visiting in that this would be the first time I landed in Los Angeles since my friend and assistant Ed Simmons passed away.  Every time over the past decade or so that I visited the West coast, Ed would be the first person I’d call.  He was my eyes and ears on the ground in planning shoots, finding models and taking me to places I hadn’t visited in the past.  The last time we spent quality time together in 2018 was when we took the train to Pasadena to see the Chambers Brother’s perform.  We had a blast. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to drive by his old address in West Hollywood to pay my respects, but I did visit the Pacific Ocean where his ashes were dispersed along Venice Beach, just two blocks from where we were staying for a few days leading up to the day of the celebration on December 14, 2024.

The shower took place on a beautiful day in Baldwin Hills, at a lovely home hosted by a friend and colleague .  Racquel started a tutoring business when she lived in LA and specializes in educational therapies  for children who are neurodivergent. To learn more about Racquel Ward’s business and services, link here: https://thelearningspecialist.org/the-learning-specialists

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *