christina marries zack

Apr16

Another sweet wedding filled with love and beautiful emotions when Christina and Zack said their vows. See complete credits at the end of the post.There’s no secret that most photographers, me included, LOVE taking detail shots. Those special items that make your wedding unique to YOU. Rings, vows, your gown, bouquets, and any family mementos that you might have with you on your big day. We never know what props we’ll pull in from the hotel room. In this case, the Surf & Sand here in Laguna Beach, had some terrific beach themed decor that, combined with Christina’s sparkly belt, were the perfect accompaniment for this image.

Okay, what I know about the couple…
They met when she was 14.
He’s a smarty pants and graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCI with a Masters in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering.
They live in Houston.
She’s a chef.
He works for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company.
The have a rescue dog named Ginger that they adore; she’s fabulous.
He skateboards and plays guitar.

The suite at the hotel was gorgeous, and had plenty of room for the bride and the ‘maids and mom to get ready. And Ginger too 🙂

This is the look you want the groom to have when he sees his bride for the first time. And the Surf & Sand has a beautiful spot to stage a First Look.

Flower girl love. Always makes for a sweet photo.
And this was the single most important shot of the day for Christina. Her and Zack with her grandmother.A gorgeous day at Occasions at Laguna Village!

Look who was a bridesdog… or is it dogmaid. My friend Ginger.

It’s a sealed deal, so on to the beach!Above and below are two of my favorite images of the day.It was getting quite dark, so we used a little fill flash to grab this image. The sailboat was too good to pass up!

IMG_0397-2 Cute favors of ground coffee for the morning after.How pretty is this setting?

rustic meets romantic(a) at a casa romantica wedding

Mar8

IMG_1796-4 I seriously count my blessings when it comes to the weddings I photograph overlooking the Pacific. It just doesn’t get much better!

The florals, DIY projects and ocean bluff location at the beautiful Casa Romantica set the stage for a night to remember! The bride and groom were so much fun. I hadn’t met them until the day of their wedding as the details had been handled long distance and by Leeanne’s mom who lives locally.

DIY projects included sewing the mismatched floral napkins for each place setting, adorned with herb sprigs from the family’s garden (also used for the boutonnieres); the table runners; and sourcing vintage teacups and other items for the tablescapes. No table was the same…each unique with different pieces that told different stories.

Complete credits at end.

_MG_5507 _MG_5502 _MG_5499 _MG_5497-2 I thought Leanne’s Reem Acra gown was one of the prettiest I’ve seen, and she looked stunning in it. Shoes by Miu Miu. _MG_5132 _MG_5163 I think white florals are timeless and elegant. And a simple baby’s breath bouquet for the ‘maids is perfect. _MG_5093 _MG_5071

_MG_5263 Doorway to paradise. _MG_5768

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mike + sydney rock their engagement sesh in laguna

Jan16

My goodness! These two were so much fun to spend time with. Sydney had done something I always think is a good idea…she had her make-up trial the day of our shoot. They’re not getting married until Aug., but are going to use one of the pix as their save-the-date. No doubt in my mind that she will make a spectacular bride!

We shot at two of my favorite spots: downtown Laguna Beach, and on the sand at The Montage. I literally could NOT decide which images to pull for a preview. What a great “problem” to have, right? These are almost in reverse order from how we shot them.

an orange county engagement session

Dec19

Engagement sessions are the best! It’s such a great way for the couple to get comfortable under the scrutiny of a camera lens, and experience actually working with the photographer they’ve chosen to be with them on their wedding day.

This adorable couple, Caroline and Chad, are getting married in Feb. at Occasions at Laguna Village, a wonderful venue overlooking the blue Pacific. We did their engagement session over two days at two locations: an open space preserve in San Juan Capistrano, and the beach below The Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach.

I always tell clients that “magic” doesn’t typically happen in the first images shot. It takes a bit for them to get “in the groove”, trust me, and relax. And, as you know, I’m directing the poses to look anything but directed. The interaction between the couple is what turns ho hum into WOW. Enjoy!

Sometimes I see a color image and know there will be more “story value” in black and white. This is one of them.

I did a different color treatment on this one. I like it a lot.

Okay, so it may have felt a little awkward, but Caroline and Chad trusted me to create this romantic shot.

Again, they trusted me, and I’m thrilled with the genuine emotion that resulted.

Typically, heads leaning in toward each other create more visual connection between the couple.

Nothing like a real laugh between a couple. Gotta get it…fast.

Thank you Mr. Google…

Aug11

Thanks to the search engines, I’m often found by couples having what I’ve coined a “tiny wedding.” You know, like “tiny houses.” This L.A. couple met just 3 MONTHS ago at a fire ceremony gathering in Topanga Canyon. Sparks more than flew. They skyrocketed.

Tatiana came to this country just 1-1//2 years ago from Brazil. And Leif is an actor, producer. Tati’s cousin lives in OC and has a beautiful greenbelt in back of her home which is where the ceremony was held.

Small weddings are very special. The guests are very few that mean a lot to the couple. And Tatiana’s 92-year-old grandmother flew in from Brazil. Wait’ll you see her!

Here’s Leif waiting to see his bride come down the path.

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When lens flares happen at times like this, I can’t help feeling it looks like God is shining down on the moment.

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After their first look, walking across the lawn to the ceremony site.

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The officiant is a friend of Leif’s, in “the business” also, and perfect in every way. IMG_7142-2 Listening to Tati saying her vows.

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Their personal vows were magical. And filled with emotion. IMG_7190-2 IMG_7192-2 IMG_7218-2 IMG_7226-2

I think they’re happy 🙂 IMG_7240-2 IMG_7441-2 IMG_7458-2 IMG_7494-2

A fun take on the sometimes boring group photo. That little lady in the stripes next to the groom is the 92 year-old grandmother. I want what she’s having.

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Small wedding. Big love.

Jun5

Danny and Sarah live in Colorado and Sarah dreamed of having a wedding on the beach. What better than Laguna Beach? And Divers Cove in particular. This was last Friday, 6/3. BTW, Danny’s the lead singer in a hot band called 888, who were just at Bottlerock. (Wish I’d been there, too!)

The tide was definitely iffy, but it cooperated long enough. High tide was at the exact time the ceremony was to take place and we made it! Good thing there were only about 30 guests.

Sarah is a beautiful bride. What a smile.

There aren’t any traditional wedding venues within walking distance of Heisler Park, so I don’t typically get a chance to take this type of photo. Palm trees, grass, AND ocean.

And I also love the stone benches/sculptures at Heisler. They left the next day for their ‘moon at Zihuatanejo. Hope they come back to visit So. CA. That’s the trouble with photographing destination weddings to Laguna. I often don’t get to see my couples again. Boo hoo.

A Bluebird Day For an Oak Creek Wedding

May22

Penny and Justin’s love story started when they were both students at Chapman University. We did a fun engagement session there what seems like eons ago, and I was looking forward to their wedding. As it turned out, it was on a beautiful April day. The venue they chose, Oak Creek Golf Club, is so pretty, and — being a golf course — always green. The ceremony pergola has a beautiful backdrop with lots of pepper trees. And, there are also palm trees in abundance, so there are many options at the property.

Okay, so the hashtag for the wedding was #justinsluckypenny. Of course, we had to do this shot.