I was sad I had to leave the beautiful beaches, weather, and sun in Hawaii, but I knew I was coming home to work; and I love my work.  Just two days after the 9 day stint, I was tanned, jet lagged, and ready to go. 

Once we arrived in Laguna, all the guys were dressed and ready.  Alex’s entourage were calling the shots with their Zoolander impersenations, it was a blast.  Marissa and her ladies showed shortly after and they were ready to get the show on the road.  Marissa was a little nervous and she looked beautiful.

I was hoping the sun would’ve peaked by the time their ceremony started at 1:15, but we got a ton of great shots. 

Rhett was at a friends house and noticed a picture of Elizabeth on the fridge. Everytime he went to his friends house he’d always say how he wanted to meet fridge girl. Finally, the timing was right, they met, and everything else fell into place.

When I met with Elizabeth and Rhett I was so happy to hear that their wedding was going to be held in Santa Ynez, about 30 minutes past Santa Barbara. Elizabeth had told me they were going to be married at her parent’s house -the same place her sister and brother were married. Her parents had just finished remodeling the house, and it just looked amazing. It was an ideal setting for the perfect wedding.

Enjoy your honeymoon in Maui!

You couldn’t ask for a better day. Two days prior it was just pouring rain and I kept my fingers crossed that it would stop by Friday! Betsy and Eric were able to have their outdoor wedding after all. Most of their guests came from all over the country so I’m sure they enjoyed the stunning ocean view at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Betsy and Eric, your wedding was beautiful. Your friends and family were so much fun to photograph. We hope your honeymoon in the Cook Islands is amazing!

The dress was perfect –

All the details –

Betsy’s bouquet was the coolest ever –

Claire was the cutest flowergirl and she loved getting her picture taken –

Eric and Betsy decided to see eachother before the ceremony, it made the day flow so smoothly and we got tons of pictures –

I made her cry as kids growing up. She made me cry the day she got married. Ramie and I are super close, what can you expect, we are sisters. She met Derrin working at a bank. After waiting months for him to ask her out, he finally did. Then after waiting years and years to get married, it finally happened. Derrin is a great addition to the family and they are just perfect together. Have fun in Rome, I love you both!

Because I was in the wedding, I couldn’t be their wedding photographer, but luckily I was fortunate enough to get a few pictures of them.

The shoes matched her dress perfectly –

One of my favorites –

They met on vacation. He was with his family, she with hers. What first started out as a cruise, turned into so much more! Although they were many miles away from home, Kristyn and Andrew learned that on shore, they didn’t live too far from eachother after all.

It was cold and windy in Seal Beach on Wednesday when I met up with Kristyn and Andrew. I felt so bad wearing my pants and jacket while Kristyn was looking beautiful and freezing in her dress. Andrew was so sweet as he tried his best to keep her warm.

Can’t wait for your wedding in September!

The week long rain storms caused me to think my engagement session with Betsy and Eric was going to be postponed.  Luckily, the rain stopped the day before, and we were still on schedule to meet at the pier in Belmont Shores.  This was my first time shooting in this area so I was delighted to see what this area had in store. 

Colors, colors, and more colors.  We were walking everywhere and took full advantage of the color schemes the back alleys had to offer.  I saw where Betsy and Eric had their first date, so of course we got a few shots in that area as well.  Betsy was telling me how cute she thought Eric was and how she didn’t want their evening to end.  Eric obviously felt the same way as he asked her if she wanted to walk around along the pier. 

From there the rest is history, and their new journey together begins this April.  Betsy and Eric, I had a blast with you both.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store on your wedding day.     :)

Get it?  -

 One of my favorites of the day -

My other favorite of the day

Marissa and Alex met at UCI, so it served as a great place for their engagement session.  I had been to portions of the campus but today I got the grand tour.  See, Marissa and Alex were both resident advisors (RA’s) at their respective student housing units so they knew the ins and outs of UCI.  When Marissa first saw Alex, she immediatly thought he was a hotty.  They had a class together, and they were RA’s together so as luck would have it, they interacted with eachother.  They started off as friends, and now they are getting married!  How awesome is that?  I can’t wait for their wedding this July!

I love how the shadow of the tree reflects on the building -

 Aldrich Park, a great place to have picnics -

This is where they would meet after class  –  

When they thought I was switching my lens, I captured this picture. They are just so sweet -

I asked if they’d sit on the floor, they did, and their seating arrangement was all natural -

Ryan and Vanessa were married on the 2nd day of January. Talk about a great way to start the new year. Their ceremony was at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Newport Beach followed by their reception at Salt Creek. When I arrived at the hotel I started taking pictures of her dress hanging on a metal hanger that spelled out the word “love.” I had never seen anything like it, who knew I’d like a hanger so much. As I was taking pictures of her dress I noticed a sparkle at the corner of my eye. It was Vanessa’s shoes. They were like Dorthy’s red glittery shoes in The Wizard of Oz, only in Gold. I love when brides go against the grain and incorporate their style with their stems. They were the coolest.

After her dress was on, she was ready to go. Vanessa’s cage veil just added the finishing touches just perfectly. Vanessa was so calm. She really didn’t care about anything other than marrying Ryan…she could not wait! When Ryan saw his future wife for the first time, his heart just melted. From out the door of the hotel to the ride to the church, then to their reception, their eyes were focused on one thing eachother.

After meeting at UCI, and having a long distance relationship between California and Washington D.C. for several years, their day had finally arrived. Congrats to the both of you. I hope your trip to Australia was the greatest!

The veil was perfect. Vanessa made the beautiful necklace she is wearing-

The simplicity of the bouquets were perfect -

All the deets -

Sometimes in daily life we come across things that are disturbing. It may be a big deal for some and not for others. I like to think of myself as someone who rarely gripes about trivial things as I try to enjoy everyday to the fullest. But when something does bother me I obviously have to share it.

The other day I went to the complex’s gym to get in my daily workout on the Elliptical. As I approached the window to see my machine waiting for me, I noticed a lady doing bench presses and on top of her was none other than her dog! The dog looked at me and started barking and getting agitated by my presence.

Now this dog wasn’t an assistance dog. It was merely there for company. I thought to myself this isn’t Petco or Petsmart where pets are welcomed, it is a place to workout and become physically fit.

For some reason- a dog in the gym really bothered me, it kinda pushes the limits to where pets should be allowed. I may have been bugged too because this particular gym is usually not invaded by anybody but me.

I then proceeded to the other gym where it was completely empty and dog free. As I began my workout, I considered my options. 1. Kindly ask the lady to put her dog outside, or 2. Pay for a gym membership and not have to deal with people bringing their pets.

The last option was one I was heavily considering. But then I thought of the negatives to that and I started to become a little phobic. I enjoy working out at my normal location because it is usually empty and it is free. The idea of going to a commerical gym and having to smell the sweat of other people kinda grosses me out. So there you have it. I solved my own problem.

This is Daisy, my parents’ pug. Here is a before and after shot of her prior to her working out at the doggy gym. Can you tell a difference?

Just kidding. Daisy does not workout. I was messing around with photoshop and figured out how to make her a little bit more plump looking.

I would like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving. I can’t wait for 1pm to roll around. Many of the people I am thankful to have in my life will be at my parent’s home celebrating. Good drinks, good food, good people, and good fun. It can’t get any better than that!

Coming up…

Yesterday I had the honor of capturing Taylor! She is the cutest little girl ever with such beautiful blue eyes. Renee and Bobby are her proud parents. They are such a loving family and I am so greatful that they allowed me to capture their wedding last year and included me in taking their family pictures this year.

Here is a teaser picture, stay tuned for more…