I had so much fun with Cari and Jared during their Laguna Beach engagement session!  These two are just beautiful, fun loving and down to earth. I am so super excited for their Palm Springs wedding at the AMAZING Korakia Pensione hotel.

Amazing Details from Silvi and Praveen Wedding!

John and Sunny are very, very in love and it was so beautiful to witness all of their passion and warm affection for one-another. This is the second marriage for each of them and they are bringing two families together – Sunny’s 3 daughters and John’s 3 grown sons with their own respective families. They are like a true Brady Bunch! :-)

Ohhhhh - I had so much fun shooting these photos with Annie and Scott! We met up at Lakewoods Resort in Cable and wandered around in the gorgeous snow (which was about 4 FEET deep) and got some great shots... I am REALLY looking forward to their wedding :).

Katrina and Evan planned most of their wedding while living in Korea yet they still managed to find a beautiful little B&B in Elmira and the most perfect sunny day for their wedding! There were so many lovely touches such as Katrina’s very cute shoes from Korea, the painted monogram letters and ceremony performed by Katrina’s Grandfather.

Recently, some images from Jesse and Linden's destination engagement session were featured on Nebraska Wedding Day magazine's blog under their "Things We Love" section.

Every now and then I like to spotlight a vendor that I have met that has great style and a desire to make an impact through their business. These are the kind of people I get excited to share with my clients and anyone out there looking for great people to work with on their wedding day.

I recently had the pleasure to meet Amanda and Tony of Spilled Ink Press and photograph several of their amazing designs. They are trained designers and architects which is evident in their great style. They love to get to know their clients so that each invitation is a original piece that reflects their clients style and personality. Much the same as how I like my photos to be so of course we hit it off great! Check them out and there are many more samples on the Vrai fan page.

Lani and Scott are getting married in May in Orlando and we're so excited to be photographing their wedding. Lani was a bridesmaid in another wedding that we photographed four years ago. So it will be fun to reconnect with some of the same people again!

Here are some more of my favorite details to give you some inspiration for your wedding! I love anything that is unique and thoughtful. I love those personal touches!

When I realized that my good friends, Prashant and Megan, didn’t have any proper wedding photos taken in Vegas I suggested a shoot here in London! Megan was so excited and Prashant, well he went along with it.

it is engagement season out here. I have to say it's a great way to get to know each other and see how you interact with the camera. it's always a good time just hanging, walking around looking for things that can be interesting.  We live in a winter wonderland lets make the most out of it. 

They're back! We have been photographing our good friends Brock and Becca for 4 years now, and we realized we never did a fall session! So here we are, on a perfectly fall day back at the end of October, photographing some of our best friends. We did a bit of a combo session, mixing some fall color with a downtown shot. We definitely had a great time and can't wait to photograph them again!

Junebug Weddings released their annual Best from the Best photography selections today.  My photo below was from Kim and Peter's wedding in Ithaca, New York.  It's always a real honor to be included with such a great group of photographers.

Here are a few of my favorite "real moments' of the past year. Of course I love shooting my relaxed portraits, and I take pride in capturing some amazing details, but the real moments are what really motivate me. It's the unposed, unplanned moments that just happen. They are moment that would have happened whether I was there or not, and the subjects are usually not even aware of my presence (due to my awesome ninja skills). Whether it's a little look the couple gives each other, or the emotion that that is written all over someone's face, or the split second moment that only happens once in a lifetime... I love capturing these genuine moments. These are the kinds of photos that people don't forget.

Nicole and Ted truly had a rocking wedding.  Nicole and Ted wrote their own vows and talk about funny and cute! I have never heard vows spoken like the way they did and it was very unique to them. After the ceremony, the out of town guests were treated to a second line around the French Quarter and then headed back to Latrobe’s so the party could get started!!

The cold and the rain couldn’t keep this celebration down! Jamie and Drew’s wedding was such a blast and we were honored to be their photographers! I can’t wait to get crackin’ on these wedding images and get these guys out for their Us Session very soon!

We had the best time photographing Sara Beth and Austin’s wedding last weekend!  Everyone was a joy and the entire event was spectacular!

Megan and Mike were so much fun to work with – an energetic and sexy couple. And they sure know how to move on the dancefloor!

When Reagan and Chris asked me to be a part of their December 19th wedding at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, Mexico, I was thrilled!
Warm, colorful, beautiful...   Epic.

I second shot this amazing wedding for Meghan Aileen at the amazing Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. It was such a beautiful day. I just love the Terranea resoert. I felt like I was in Cabo for a destination wedding. The hotel is just as chic on the inside as the ocean views are gorgeous!

Vlad and Rachel have been together for several years and have a beautiful new daughter, Mira. Their wedding at La Posada was small - just family and a few friends - which fit perfectly with what is important to them.

Karnis & Alex are incredibly creative, super fun, so sweet and absolutely perfect for each other. Their beautiful wedding at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks was an amazing day and so much fun to be a part of. Here they are cuttin' it up on their first dance routine!

I truly enjoyed being a part of Elizabeth and Bryant’s fantastic, elegant, sophisticated, beautiful wedding. What an amazing, gorgeous, sweet couple who are truly so in love and happy.

Their first meeting was sweet and so cute. They got to enjoy each other for a few minutes before heading to the ceremony location. So many great moments I got during their first meeting – sweet looks, smiles, hugs, bowtie fixing. I really love those moments when my couples meet before the ceremony. So much more emotion for the two of them and so much more of “them” shows in those few minutes. Love it, love it. 

Where do we start with this couple? I've known Emily since she was ohhhhh, 6 or 7 years old. Wow, where has the time gone?!?!?! We are so excited for Emily and Jeremiah's wedding coming up in just a few short weeks!

This year I had the privilege of 2nd shooting a gorgeous wedding for my friend and photographer extraordinaire, Angela Cardas. It was a breath taking event and it’s always a joy to work with Angela!

Ceremony and Reception: Segerstrom Hall at Orange County Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa

Bridal Gown and Veil: Enzoani

Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle, WA 

This is Yaremi's bridal shoot.  She is a classic beauty and I just love the shots we did in the studio.

I shared an amazing fall afternoon/evening with my new friends, Kaleigh and Chris. Everyone knows I loves me some good energy, and Kaleigh and Chris had it in spades. Old Town Alexandria, VA is always fun and we ran around town chasing the falling light.

I knew this wedding was going to be a special one....The largest bridal party I have ever photographed - 17 on each side.  The bride (a former dance team member for the Philadelphia 76'ers) left the theme to my imagination and when I saw her and her gown, and all of her beautiful bridesmaids, I went crazy!

Caitlin and Cyrus' celebration, at the historic Merchants Exchange Building, with the reception in the glamorous Julia Morgan Ballroom, gave us the rare opportunity to shoot both the ceremony and reception indoors. The extraordinary light in the Merchants Exchange Building was some of the most interesting we've seen, and luckily we had a full night of Persian dancing to go along with it.

Locations: Raphael Estate Vineyard | Hortons Point Lighthouse

I’m pleased to present Maggie & Alex’s wedding! I love the grand entrance with basketball flair. So fun!

I enjoyed spending some time with Laura and Brandon in the French Quarter for the engagement session. They are going to have a great wedding in June 2010 with a ceremony at the Sacred Heart Church and the reception at the Hilton Hotel, both in Baton Rouge.

Jenna is this bright, beautiful, blonde ball of sunshine who lights up every room she enters. We watched over and over again as her friends and family just melted under her fierce affection and love. And Tristan is her quieter, introspective counterpart who loves a good intellectual conversation and midnight photo adventures walking around unfamiliar towns.

Sayward and Bryant from driving up from Little Rock for their engagement pictures. Here are a few favorites!

It rained all day at Carrie and Adam’s wedding, but I think it just added to all the wonderful fall touches, and the lushness of Fort Tryon. Sometimes in the parks here in this great city of mine, when it rains, it’s lush like a tropical rainforest outside, and all the leaves come alive with brilliant green. So yummy!

I am an absolute sucker for a backyard wedding…especially when the backyard is a family farm!  Lorie and Jay were married on a beautiful afternoon at Lorie’s parents’ home.  There were so many great props and locations for photos. I especially loved the barn photos.

Robert is a bonafide ROCK STAR!! He’s produced for rock greats like Ozzy Osbourne, and co-founded the glam metal band, ‘Hurricane.’ Avery’s the founder of the vintage fashion company, ‘Making A Comeback.’ They couldn’t be more perfect for each other.  Nothing about these two, or their wedding day, was “traditional,” but rather it was a true reflection of who they are…fun, spontaneous, 100% unique & crazy about each other.

Kim & Andy are two of those special people that you sometimes cross paths with in life who leave an indelible mark on your heart. They are both warm, kindhearted and madly in love with each other! Their wedding was an AMAZING day at the gorgeous TPC Valencia Golf Club. I knew after I connected with these two for their Seattle Engagement Session that their wedding day was going to be something special! And I wasn’t disappointed. Congratulations, Kim & Andy!

The day I grow up, I am moving to Little Palm Island! I recently returned to this gem in the lower Florida Keys to photograph Chelsea & Adam’s destination wedding. This intimate island is a brief boat ride from Little Torch Key and provides the ideal backdrop for an intimate island wedding in the heart of the Florida Keys. Chelsea & Adam were a pleasure to work with and had the perfect wedding they had envisioned.

Cailen was so awesome to let me style her for this portion of the shoot! The dress she’s wearing is mine. It’s a vintage Hawaiian dress from the 50’s, and never been worn (except by me, and now Cailen!). Oh, those are my shoes to. I lament sometimes about my big feet, but it was so awesome that Cailen and I are the same size so I could dress her up!

Hope and Cory are both pilots in the army.  With Hope home from Iraq on R&R, Cory flew down from his station in Alaska to marry his beautiful bride. After spending all weekend with them, we can truly say that we were honored to photograph our friends at their small, intimate wedding overlooking the Malibu beach at the Adamson House.

The wedding was no ordinary Hindu ceremony. Veena's family trace their roots back to Shenkottai, a town bordering Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in India. As Sankethi, they are Brahmins (the priestly caste) and so one of the most interesting parts of the wedding was the chanting of the "Purusha-suktha" by family and friends.  Find out more about the Sankethi community at the North American Sankethi Association.

One of the challenges of wedding photography is getting a unique and different shot of the bride and groom’s wedding rings. At some weddings a theme just pops out, at others a little more hunting for a theme is involved. At Lillie and Jeff’s wedding the idea was right there on the table at the reception. Each table was decorated with a Lucky Bamboo Plant which is thought to bring good fortune in Chinese culture.

Location: Long Island, NY - Suffolk's County Oakdale, NY
Venue: The Bourne Mansion

Betty is an interior designer, and in the short time I had the pleasure of being around her, I noticed how naturally it comes to her to arrange everything in a room in such a way as to make it look perfect, simple and elegant. And for her, it’s effortless. That’s how I would describe this gorgeous, detailed wedding.

Ashley and Brad were married on a very rainy day, but I don’t think they even noticed as they still managed to pull off a beautiful outdoor ceremony and reception! The wedding was held in a family members’ incredible backyard which was the perfect setting for an intimate wedding.

I flew out to Madison, Wisconsin for a quick trip to shoot Rodney and Ashley's engagement session. These two are having a destination wedding in Phoenix next April but wanted to get their engagement photos done in their home town. The other reason they wanted to do their engagement shoot in Wisconsin was this guy:

Erin and Kevin's wedding was at Union Station in Los Angeles.  They had a pre-ceremony cocktail hour where they greeted their guests as they arrived.

Location: New Jersey - Jersey City, NJ
Venue: Hyatt Regency Jersey City
Ceremonies: Hindu Ceremony | Western Ceremony | Paebaek Ceremony

How fun is this couple!?  I had a fantastic time shooting them. I laughed most of the time! They wanted to incorporate fun props like their rad bike, guitar, cameras, which of course appeals to me!

Location: Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, St. Augustine
Hair: Victoria Boyles
Makeup: Jackie Neal
Styling: Danielle Dyer
Dress: Love, a Bridal Boutique, Jacksonville Beach, FL
Art Director: Liza Chung
Model: Dove / Benz Models

Here is a series from the Bridal Fashion Shoot.

Here's an image from Andrea and Adam's engagement session in downtown Omaha.

Two Sessions back to back in The Big Apple, as we put some mileage on the car - Central Park, Night Shots, and then up to Jones Beach in Long Island...

One of the great things about being a Denver Wedding Photographer is that I live so close to some of the most spectacular places on earth. One such place is where Jennifer and Tim chose to have their wedding ceremony - The Maroon Bells. This is the most photographed spot in all of Colorado, and for good reason!

Maggie and Greg were married a year ago and Maggie wanted a Anniversary portrait. I think this is such a good idea! I love any excuse to put your wedding dress on again. Maggie wanted to head to downtown Pasadena and start with this Pink Wall. It went so well with Maggie’s pink sash and parasol.

Ashley and Mike are such a great couple and had lots of creative input. They chose to have their ceremony and reception at the Kortwright centre. Even though things were a little muddy on the day of the wedding, they still wanted to head out to the clearing for their photos and I am so glad we did!

Last weekend I found myself in the Natural State, Arkansas for a wedding near Hot Springs at Garvan Woodland Gardens. The place was amazing!  The ceremony took place in a glass chapel in the middle of the woods.

The flowers from The Purple Iris were the perfect unique accent to all of the decor.  I love a lot of green in floral arrangements and I thought the addition of fern leaves in the bridesmaid bouquets was really unique and beautiful.

Now stronger than ever, the color purple and its varying hues are flooding the fashion world as one might notice from looking at magazine covers and clothing racks. The richness of the color is divine and makes a strong statement at weddings. Two of our recent weddings chose it as their primary wedding color. Today’s inspiration board comes from Julie and Sang’s magical wedding.

Yesterday was wet and gray… but that didn’t stop Julia from looking amazing and having SO MUCH FUN with friends and family. And oh yeah, she went to local farms and picked all of the flowers for the wedding… for a grand total of $40. I love people who can get away with things like that.

Steve, the groom, is a Black Hawk pilot who has been in Iraq. He literally got to come home to his bride days before the wedding. And he will be heading back there any day, so you can imagine the emotions we captured and experienced on their wedding day.  I'll be praying for Steve & Allie, and for a safe return.

Alissa and Matt's wedding was a mix of joy, romance, and a whole lot of love.  Just before the ceremony was to begin I was capturing some of the details, when all of the flower girls happened to walk in for a peek down the aisle. How precious is this moment!

Deanna and Charles needed a moment of rest before the reception at the Fairmont Hotle that was held later that day.

 Jenny and Alex’s wedding was a small intimate affair – just close friends and family attending the ceremony and party at Alex’s sister’s home.

Ceremony: St. James Cathedral, Seattle, Washington

Reception: Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Washington

The Bourne Mansion in Oakdale is one of those classic wedding venues that bring that old-world charm to your wedding. This was exactly what Elizabeth and Eric wanted on their wedding day.  What a great couple, and an awesome location!

Last night we were up in Thornton, NH for Ally and Shane's amazing wedding! Everyone was so nervous about the 90% + chance of rain, but we lucked out and really dodged the rain. These guys were troopers though, as the ground was wet...dirty...and perfect for pictures :)

Brittaney and Scott's wedding was totally perfect! Great details, great personalities, fun friends and family and a secret hidden photo spot. Who could ask for more?  Love, love, love those blue shoes!!

Linn's friends all described him as reserved and guarded, quiet about his emotions. So I think he surprised everyone, including us, when he gave one of the most heartfelt and sentimental displays of affection we've ever seen at a wedding. At Linn and Annie's reception in Honolulu, Linn unleashed surprise after surprise, including giving a welcome speech in his family's native Korean, re-enacting a scene from the movie "Love Actually" for Annie (customized for her, of course), and to top it all off, singing to her in front of everyone. He had secretly been taking voice lessons to prepare.

Shariyah & Cameron have a very sweet, deeply spiritual love story, and their Santa Barbara wedding was a magnificent reflection of that. They traveled all the way from New Zealand to say their vows at the historic Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara. It was a rich & beautiful day, and an incredible reminder to all present of what marriage is really all about.

I've known Vicki and Ryan since college. True story. I was actually their HR [would be known as an RA at almost any other school...] my junior year. Ryan was my year and Vicki was an innocent little freshman. :] Wouldn't you know it, they were married back up at Colby where they met.

This sweet couple got to celebrate their wedding at the West Shore Cafe.

After shooting and editing about a gabillion weddings, living and breathing weddings, I am finally getting married myself!!! WOOOHOOOOOO! We are having a super small wedding weekend with just family and a handful of friends in NoCal.

Anne and Eric's wedding was really important to me because Eric has been one of my best friends over the last few years. We started our journalism careers together in the same newsroom at a small paper in New Mexico in 2001. He was a sports reporter and I was a photographer. So, fast forward nearly 10 years and I get to witness Eric marrying Anne, overlooking the Rocky Mountains.  And as luck would have it, the very next weekend, I had a wedding in Hawaii on the same island Anne and Eric were spending their honeymoon.

Will and Molly were married August 1st at Skamania Lodge. Family and friends came in from all over the country to witness the two exchange vows in the backdrop of the Columbia River Gorge, then enjoy cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres on lawn.

Peiling and Chen Yang are going down in my books as the bravest couple I’ve ever worked with.  They are getting married in Singapore next year...in the dress that we trashed for this photo shoot!!  The couple had decided that this would be a fun surprise to have in their slide show at their wedding reception next fall.  When I asked them if they wanted to wear a different dress instead, they said nope. They will just get the dress dry cleaned and it will be as good as new.

Gail and Phil had such an awesome intimate ceremony.  And then we had a couple of hours to just hanging out with them capturing some photos.

Bridgett and Nathan's rings sit on a drawing given to them by Nathan's 6 year old cousin Marie.

We finally got to meet Jenn, the girlfriend of our associate photographer Jeremy; two of the nicest and most laid-back people we know! We hit the streets recently so that they could have some cool pictures of them together!

Lauren and Jeff were married in a ceremony in the Sunset Room at TPC Sawgrass. It was clear that they are so very in love. It was so cute to see them steal a kiss every chance they could.

Brian is a Manhattan police officer, so I asked if it was possible to get a car for some portraits...and, it was :)

Running a little late, we found ourselves fighting the setting of the sun at Coney Island. Pia and Micah are so gorgeous, and so at home with each other, that our being pressed for time really had no bearing.

This wedding was A M A Z I N G!  I love it when the bride and groom see each other before the wedding. The first glance moment is just the best! I loved the look on Brad’s face when he saw Carrie. So priceless!

Continued...

Wedding Coordinator: Solomon Event Planning

Ceremony and Reception: Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle, WA

so happy to introduce you to jenny & brad...i adore the sensibilty of this couple.  elegant, classic, sweet and generous beyond compare - i definitely feel fortunate that the work i do allowed our paths to cross.

Here are some of Holly's bridal portraits, taken in the gardens at the Philbrook Museum.

This colourful alley in Hoboken was just the place to properly start Jenny and Alex’s engagement session since it just seemed to fit their energetic personalities

A few weeks back we photographed Troy and Melanie. Melanie is also 7 months pregnant with their first child (yay!) so they wanted to document this special time for them. And of course, what better place to go than the high school where it all started? They both went to McCaskey High here in Lancaster, so we took advantage of the warm summer weather and no students on the grounds, to play around at the school. We found some cool places to play and ended up in the football stadium. An empty stadium is a lot of fun to play with :)

Melinda and Kevin had their wedding at the Riviera, on LI’s south shore! What a great day for a wedding. The weather was so nice everyone juggled between dancing and lounging outside on the deck overlooking the Great South Bay!

Next year Jessica and Brad plan to wed here in Colorado, but while they were in town recently they contacted me about doing an engagement session in the area. It was so fun meeting them and playing around the downtown area!

Steph has been my friend ever since we took photography classes together! I was so honored to photograph their wedding at Westridge Golf Club in La Habra, California.  I thoroughly enjoyed their wedding and their friends and family.

imagine, if you will...
tiffany blue skies with cottony clouds of white.
the salty mist of the mighty pacific ocean.
the warmth of the afternoon sun on your face.
rolling hills with vineyards bearing fruit on the vine.
friendly faces.
are you in a happy place? is this heaven? close.

i'm speaking, not of san diego for once, but of another beautiful san city in california called san luis obispo. SLO holds lots of great memories for janell and rj --including a new one of us taking them to the beach and dumping cold water on them just for fun :)

But trying crazy things is the entire basis of creativity. So here I am poking at the edges of a very tough envelope.

Last night we went to Olivia and Rich's amazing wedding at Searles Castle! It was such a perfect night...no rain...finally!!!  Here is a sneak peek at their wedding photos...enjoy.

Here are a few favorites from Megan's bridal photo shoot!

Met up with Ashley and Travis on Thursday night for their engagement photos:

The Indian Sangeet is a "show" for the bride and groom. Many of the relatives danced, sang, or did skits. We did have a little bit of time to get some quick portraits.  I love this shot in the backyard. Her dress and jewelry were beautiful!

This was pretty much the most laid back and relaxed wedding day I’ve ever been a part of, and believe me, that’s really saying a lot. Most of my brides ad grooms are pretty laid back, and for that I am thankful. But even on this Saturday, there was a lot of time to relax, and also, for hilarity to ensue in the form of goofy mustaches.

The photos from Cassie and Ben’s engagement session were used to make their guest sign in book.

The Santa Lucia Preserve in beautiful Carmel, California is certainly one of my favorite US venues for wedding photography. From the beautiful hacienda and surround grounds, to the amazing redwood grove ceremony site, to an rustic barn for the reception, the site has gorgeous places to shoot and amazing light. 
 

Last night was Kiley and Geoff's wedding! They had a fun reception at the Common Man Inn with a rockin' photo booth!

Sarah and Dave met up with us at Lancaster Central Park for some engagement shots. They were both a little nervous about being in front of the camera, but we quickly eased their pain with our goofy antics. These two are so fun I don't know why they were worried! We traipsed through the flowers, took a nap in the ferns, and pretended to be superheroes. Mix that up with some snuggle snuggles and you get some great photos!

What began as just a couple hours of shooting quickly turned into about five because we just kept finding good places and good light to shoot in...

You might remember this adorable couple from their first shoot in the freezing cold! We went for round two and couldn’t have asked for a better day. We had so much fun driving around Julian and stopping at different spots.

Melissa and Paul are a couple of extremely beautiful people, and their wedding was a blast. And umm.. GORGEOUS, with amazing views of Manhattan glittering over the river all day long, on a rare lucky sunny day in this rainy rainy June.

I flew to Columbus, Ohio for the wedding of Maggie and David. It was held at this amazingly cool venue, BOMA, Bar of Modern Art which was perfect for these to artists. BOMA used to be a church and was converted to a reception/event venue.

I LOVE Jeanna and Pete. Clients like this make my job an absolute blast. They drove all the way from Columbia, SC to do an engagement session in the crazy heat -- and we had a great time. Sweat or no sweat....we got amazing images. There is more to come --but I had to make you smile with this one. Thanks, Pete, for being a great sport.

Meg and Judson had the most beautiful Sunday wedding. They were married onboard the Dandeana Yacht in Marina Del Rey. It was so fun cruising around the Marina Del Rey harbor while Meg and Judson celebrated getting married. Congratulations Meg & Judson!!!!

Levitating .. or walking on air? Who knows? Shannon and Peter, I do know that I had a lot of fun photographing the two of you during this photo session. We’ll have to make this happen again on your wedding day!

Location: New York, NY

I absolutely love working with weddings from different cultural and religious backgrounds. Ok, I love all weddings — I have the BEST job in the world!!! I can’t wait for our next one!

We knew going into this session that angel and paul were super fun, smokin hot, and down for just about anything we could dream up.  with a couple like this we had to find a place that could handle the kind of fun we were about to roll out.  angel and paul, meet the santa monica pier.

It was so fun to hang out with Emma & Jamie. I loved heading down to the beach with them, and then to the famous Old Town Pub, where they met.

Rachel and Jonty are getting married in Rachel's home state of Montana at the end of September!  We spent a fun morning cruising the delights of Missoula, the Rattlesnake, the creek, and the University.  This is Sawmill gulch at its finest on a green and blue day!

I just recently had an amazing wedding celebration with Lauren and Matt. The day began and ended at the Boston Harbor Hotel and Intercontinental, headed over to St. Mary's in Charlestown, then back to the BHH for the festivities. Good times were had by all!

Here are a few samples from Susan’s bridal session...a beautiful woman in a beautiful wedding gown.

a spontaneous swim to end en incredible day!

Stella got married tonight....

Today we went to York, Maine to hang out with Olivia and Rich! The weather was absolutely perfect today on the beach...and around the downtown area. Olivia and Rich were awesome...they brought balloons...

Thanks to Lindsey + Patrick for being up for anything and just being awesome people! We heart you!

Melissa & Jamie had a GORGEOUS Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort Wedding! It was an amazing day, and an incredibly HOT one! (like a 104 degree, hand-melting-into-camera kind of day)! But these two remained graceful & cool, and were so much fun to work with. Check out the AMAZING view from the resort!

Ceremony: St. Vincent de Paul Church
Reception: Newark Museum
Wedding Coordinator: Tara Geremia from Exquisite Affairs Productions Inc.
Cake and Caterer: Ultimate Caterers
Flowers: Jennifer from Spruce
DJ: Sebastian from Golden Note Entertainment
Videographer: Sergio from Well Spun Weddings
Make Up Artist: Nicole from DeVenir Bridal
Gown: Amsale
Shoes: Jimmy Choo

These two are perfect together. i am so happy that God brought them together. they are both wonderful people that deserve every bit of happiness life has to offer. here are a handful of shots from our fun afternoon in coronado.

Here's an image from Claudia and John’s recent love shoot in Albany, New York.  John is a teacher to the deaf, and the two of them say goodbye every morning by flashing “I love you” in a cuddly version of sign language.

I am so glad that we got to be a part of Priscila and Andy’s wedding! They are a beautiful, exuberant couple with great friends and wonderful family. It was the perfect combination for a fun wedding on the beach in Mexico! Thank you guys so much for inviting us into your lives! :o)

Some images from Sandra & Bernd’s wedding at the Key Biscayne Ritz Carlton.

The wedding of Rebecca and Dan was absolutely perfect, as every minute detail was taken care of, with no stone left unturned.

All I can say is "what a wedding!" The amount of work and planning that was put into this wedding was incredible.  It’s always hard to pick just a few but here are some of my favorites of Kara and Sam’s wedding.

Here’s a session we recently shot of our super fun couple, Lady Hazel and Sal. We had a blast hiking around for this engagement session. They are getting married this summer at the Ponte Winery in Temecula. We can’t wait. Hope you all enjoy the images!

Julianna looked amazing when I got there, and so I knew they day was just gonna rock! The day was packed with many moments and super gorgeous picture opportunities.  I love this shot, you can't plan moments like this, you just have to be ready.

Sydney and Jeremy live in the gorgeous hills north of San Francisco, and were very successful in convincing me to move there. As husbone and I are considering a life of living bi-coastally, we are very likely going to choose our new, sometime home among those same amazing, gorgeous, crazy california seaside hills. Seriously folks, it’s a done deal.  And seriously, all you California photographers have it SO FRIGGIN EASY! Sigh. Beautiful light, beautiful country.

My beautiful friend is getting hitched!:) Libby has moved away from here a few years ago already but we used to stop at nothing for a good time!
For the engagement session, we all got to hang out at Josh's house on the lake.  I just did not want to leave...

Here is a few film shots from a recent wedding.  When I shoot film, I aim for everything to look exactly how I want it to look - underexposed, over exposed, tight crop, wide crop, motion, crisp, grainy, color, black and white - straight from the camera...

We headed down to the lake to go on a boat ride with Kiley and Geoff and take some pictures of them doing what they love to do!

One of the things Courtney and Bret love is being near the beach, so for their wedding they had a glamorous and elegant beach theme that fit with the stunning new Plantation Club.

I had the wonderful opportunity to go out and have some fun with Holly & Luke last week. My whole goal was to just get them to smile, which turned out to be pretty easy considering they make each other laugh quite often. So, basically, I got to sit back and enjoy 2 amazing people in love...oh, yeah, and take some pictures of them :)

Cheryl + Chad were so awesome to shoot. They were super into each other, which made it so easy for us. Chad kept making Cheryl smile and laugh, which are both amazing! They were also up for getting dirty and going through lots of thorny plants. Chad even sprained his ankle! They were Champs!

A number of my couples recently have said "I wish we could get married again just so you could take more pictures!" but only Eva and Lane actually did it. I shot their ceremony in Brooklyn way back in February '08, but they also wanted to have a reception that put together Lane's connection to and love of New Orleans with the crazy, awesome traditions of Eva's Danish heritage.

Need I say more....

Jennifer works for Samaritan House. Tim is a Project Officer for renewable and sustainable energy. Individually, they're changing the world. Together, there's no stopping them....

Suzi & D’Marco are an AMAZING couple!!  Knowing D’Marco was a former NFL player, I wanted to get a few fun shots with his Superbowl ring, but D’Marco said he left it at home because this day was about Suzi!..LOVE that!!  It was such a special day full of life, laughter and lots of love.

We embarked upon our photographic journey at the Strand Bookstore in Union Square, took a break to stuff our faces with all sorts of amazing meats on skewers, and went to frolic in my home town of Long Island City at night time.  I think it’s safe to say that Ada and Ben are madly in love. They light each other up like the sun lights the moon. It’s so rich to be near this connection they have, that I think I can also safely say that I’m a little in love with them myself.

Guest Photographer: Pasha Antonov
Ceremony/Reception: Angel Orensanz

Everyone loves the water… here is our little collection of photographs taken by the water.

Ashaki and Embry came into town for their engagement session and they were absolutely ready. As a couple they have an elegance and style that really shines through.  They will be married this summer in Jekyll Island and I know the wedding is going to be fabulous.

I have definitely been having some fun engagements lately. This was the shoot full of BIG PROPS! I just love that Cheyenne had a specific idea in mind, and I really think we nailed it.

Brooke & Nathan are just so darn cute!! I am soooo thankful I connected with these two, and had such a great time hanging with them for their Nashville engagement shoot. They are so different from each other, and yet absolutely perfect together! Nathan is the sweet, strong quiet type, and Brooke is the kind of girl who radiates warmth, and is just plain FABULOUS!!

Lauren and Travis had a beautiful wedding planned in the garden at Marie Gabrielle, and then it rained, a lot. So instead they had a beautiful wedding inside Marie Gabrielle. Everything turned our very nice and everyone did great with the last minute change in plans. It did clear up long enough for us to go outside and get a couple of pictures with Lauren and Travis in the garden.

We spent an afternoon recently with Toni and Rob in Central Park. The day started off gloomy and with a bit of car trouble, but by the time we starting shooting, the sun broke and everything gelled.

Ali + Marcus are good people. They have such a cool and unique look, we loved photographing them. Their outfits were really fun too.

Kori and I were in Little Rock last night to photograph Rachel and J.D.'s wedding. We are still recovering this afternoon. Wow, you Southern California couples really know how to party! Here are some from Rachel's bridal photo shoot. These were all taken on-location at the Foster Robinson home in Little Rock as well as some fields/rural settings just outside of Little Rock.

Venue: Crestmore Manor.
Makeup: Amy Clarke.
Grayson’s boutonniere is from Etsy.
Bridesmaid Dresses are from Urban Outfitters.

Here are some favorites from Marji and Jake's wedding day and their "day-after" photo shoot in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Melane and Ryan had more than a perfect spring day when they tied the knot in NY’s Central Park. With temperatures in the low 90’s, the couple had a great summer-like day as they said their vows under the big cherry blossom tree in front of the fountain at Cherry Hill.

In honor of earth month, here is an inspiration board that displays the earth’s colors from Jamie and Zeke’s wedding. The blues and greens are fresh and preppy while perfectly complimenting their Pacific Northwest backyard wedding.

We took Dana's bridal portraits at the home where Dana spent her teen years and where her mom and dad still live… a beautiful home on the grounds of the summer camp that they help to run. We spent the morning laughing and talking as we shot Dana’s bridal portraits, and it didn’t feel like work at all. Thanks so much to Dana and her mom, Betsey, for a great day! I can’t wait for the wedding!

Jeff and Abby were married Saturday in Tucson. It was a gorgeous day and they were absolutely giddy. It was very cute and fun to witness.

There are so many things to love about weddings...and every one of those things was on display at Holly & Fritz's wedding yesterday. Joy...Love...Fun...Laughter...Tears...Chuck Taylors... purple ones for the bride.

Because she wanted to... and because she can...

Both Mark and Allison had "that look" in their eyes at one point or another during our session. You know, that look in the eyes that says, "I am head over heels in love with you and am so glad we get to spend the rest of our lives together." I love that look.

Here is Mark singing to her. How sweet is that?

We had a great time hanging out with Matt and Alejandra! We had some great laughs and had so much fun traveling around Lincoln for the afternoon. Can't wait for the wedding!

Elena and AJ met me on the beach the day after their wedding when the sun was in the perfect spot for some ocean scenery. We also arranged for a horse to join our party. Look how awesome Elena is here in her wedding dress, sitting side saddle on this horse who was afraid of water!

Here is an inspiration board from Christine and Richard’s wedding. Their main colors were peachy pink, mellow yellow and white with accents of chartreuse green and tangerine orange. This made for a vibrant, fresh and whimsical setting.

Knowing full well this couple was really into their pictures, I knew come rain or shine, we would hit the beach, and boy did we have FUN!

I had the privilege of 2nd shooting for my friend (and photographer extraordinaire) Angela Cardas. Here a few of my favorites from the joyful day of Sunny and Sonal.

Here’s a few from a recent engagement session of Stacey & Mark. They are getting married in a few short weeks and we can’t wait!

It was a Tuesday at a Laundromat up north when Erica & Curtis found themselves at the same laundromat, both reading books. Curtis decided to ask Erica what she was reading and shortly there after, they fell in love. Their first anniversary was spent at the laundromat, and Curtis even proposed at the laundromat, so of course, we had to shoot their e-pics at the laundromat :)

Sometimes, I have such a great time shooting a couple, I totally forget about the pictures. The two of them together are goofy in essence, which warms me.

What do you do with a great looking couple that is as much fun to shoot as they are in love with each other? Let them be themselves and capture it all. We had so much fun last Saturday and we pretty much had run of the entire Arboretum.

Check out this website: The Green Bride Guide! You will find lots of real green weddings with story boards that will help you visualize how you can make your wedding eco-friendly and save some green!

After Christina and Dustin's "normal" engagement pictures, they changed into their kickball uniforms and we hit the field!

While in San Diego this last weekend, I took my friends David and Becky out for a little mini-shoot downtown. These two are celebrating their 9 year anniversary next week! Crazy, huh? They still act like newlyweds though, and are super-sweet together. Here are a few of my favorites from our shoot:

i think this pretty much says it all. how many people can say an alien came out of one of their groomsmen while they were trying to take post-wedding-ceremony portraits? judy and journee can.

Here are some of our favorite images from Christina and Jacob's wedding this past Saturday. As always, Eventures did a great job with the decorations. The Fayetteville Town Center looked simply amazing!

We had the pleasure of shooting Nikita and Nick’s E-Session last Saturday at the Los Angeles Arboretum.  It was really fun walking around the grounds with them to find cool places to shoot.  We did a lot of walking, and Nikita admitted her feet were hurting a bit after trekking around in heels for hours :-) But the images we got were totally worth it!

This past week I had a blast with Juniet and Adolfo at the Miami-Dade County Fair photographing their engagement. After clearing “security” we headed into the fairgrounds...

Congratulations to Christina and Jacob who were married on April 4. Below are a few favorites from Christina's bridal session.
 

Zoe and Joel’s engagement session was such an adventure! Zoe really wanted an engagement session in some mustard fields so I’m so happy that we discovered a little patch while driving down Kanan. It made the whole day complete!!!!

Aaron and Brianna will be celebrating their wedding day at Bridal Veil Lakes in June. We threw caution to the wind last Sunday and photographed an engagement session that ran through two hail storms, rain, and occasional sun breaks. What can you say - we live in Oregon and take it all in stride.

It was a beautiful Southern California morning when Nahoko and Yoshiya got married. It was the perfect spring wedding. The weather was amazing and the view of the ocean was stunning. They had white tulips and pink roses…. such a great start to spring!  Is there anything better than this view?

we got to go exploring around point loma shooting san diego wedding photographer, the smoking hot blair and her husband sean (his real name is spiderman). the best thing about shooting photographers (and superheros) is that they will do anything we say. including, but not limited to, pelting each other with beachballs, dumpster diving, shooting in strip clubs, and jumping in seedy 1960's hotel pools.

We headed down to Philly for Christina and Brad's wedding.  The entire wedding party was so great to work with.  We had some fun with the whole gang prior to the ceremony (Christina and Brad saw each other beforehand) and then a Jewish ceremony was followed by dinner and dancing. Here is a very serious, formal portrait in the library. :)

How many people do you know opt to wear Chuck Taylors on their wedding day? One of the most iconic shoes in the country, Chucks have a special place in my pseudo-hipster heart! I love these two photos together: both Robin and Erik are tying up their right Chuck on the morning of their wedding. It’s a sign of the compatibility and uniqueness that ties them together.

I had a great time shooting Nicole & Clifton’s wedding at the beautiful Elms Mansion on St. Charles Ave.   At the end of the night, Nicole & Clifton were given a sparkler exit, and departed (along with quite a few guests) on a chartered streetcar!

What an incredible wedding Dina & Sebastian had in Phoenix! It was the perfect blend of everything that makes me love being a photographer- getting inspired by new locations, diverse cultures with sacred traditions, and of course, meeting incredible people!

Joe and I spent a Friday evening photographing Sadia and Yusha’s Holud ceremony. Shirin at Shehnaai Studio did an amazing job with the beautiful decor. 

I recently had an awesome time photographing Sisy & Miguel’s day after session. Fresh back from their “extended” honeymoon we met up for the shoot at a local fire station and had a great time with “Big Red”.

I just adore Boomie and David. And the more time I’ve spent time with them, the more I absolutely adore them even more. I was so excited when we got to spend the whole day with them the day after the traditional ceremony. They picked us up and we frolicked on the beach for a half an hour, and it was awesome!

I strolled the streets of downtown Chicago with Jill and Lou over the weekend;  I love having my couples dip! I kept telling them it's great practice for their first dance.

I had a great time with Adam and Elizabeth during their engagement shoot in Old Town Scottsdale on Saturday. These two were so sweet together and made my job incredibly easy. I can't wait for their wedding in May!

It all started in a bar. Geoff saw Susan sitting with several of her friends (or as he claims - he saw her legs) and just sat next to her to introduce himself. The next day Geoff decided to text Susan as he was watching a Bears game and as it turns out she was watching the same game and knew all the football terminology! The rest was history!

alisa and matthew kicked off our 2009 wedding season at THE GRAND DEL MAR right here in sunny san diego. it was the perfect day, at the perfect location, with the perfect couple, for the perfect intimate wedding.

When I think of the Grand Canyon, I think of warm desert but NOooo! It is cold up there in January! Observe…

Christine, Chris, and I had the best time playing around in the Santa Barbara Railroad Station and exploring State Street. I’m so in love with the red wall that we found!!! I think that was a special find! I’m really looking forward to their wedding later this year at St. Maximillian Church & Malibou Lake. It’s going to be amazing!

ceremony and reception : el cortez, san diego

Ceremony & Reception: Lake Union Cafe

This week I had the pleasure of meeting Katherine of Katherine Anne Confections. She makes delicious caramels and truffles from local and organic ingredients wherever possible. She also uses fair trade, recyclable and biodegradable containers made from tree-free paper for her special treats. You can find more information here on where to get these great confections at local retailers!

Her wedding favors which are pictured below. They come in an assortment of beautifully crafted tree-free paper boxes that are reusable and are hand crafted to match your colors and style. There are several paper's to chose from to make your box.

Matt and our associate photographer, Laura flew to Marco Island, Florida to shoot an engagement session of Liz and Paul. We had beautiful weather and had a great time photographing together! Here is a sneak peek of some of the images... More to come!

What a GORGEOUS day it was for a winter Newport Beach wedding!  We started out at a beautiful beach house just off the Pacific, hit some rocky locations along the beach and then headed to a fabulous yacht for the ceremony and celebration.

We love to learn about our couples so that we can incorporate who they are into their engagement sessions. For Ashlee and Ben, his family's farm was the perfect backdrop!

Nicole ask me if I could do an editorial style shoot for her and her hubby Sam.  They are such a fun, loving and silly couple. The best part to see is how attentive Sam is to Nicole and how he can loose himself just by looking at her! Their whole vibe was just wonderful and so much fun to photograph!!!

We wandered around Fremont district with Cadence and Eli in the old part of Las Vegas. There were a ton of old signs, interesting people and cool backdrops. 

autumn in seattle is seriously breathtaking. last fall hannah + nate took us wandering around downtown for their engagement session, where nate proposed.  we also went to where they first met, northshore junior high.  the vibrant and rich colors from the autumn leaves that were all over the campus added a romantic atmosphere to the images.

Saturday I shot Emmitt and Jocelyn's wedding. These two are unbelievably sweet people and I've been so blessed to witness their love for one another.

What a fun shoot this was for us! We got to ride around Key Biscayne on a golf cart while the sun set. Then we had a nice casual dinner overlooking the water, on a breezy, picture perfect day. Oh yeah, and we were photographing this fun couple too, but they made our job oh’ so easy.

I feel so bad for our recent engagement couples. It's been COLD. Christina and Brad were in town a few weeks back to take a walk with us, and it turned out to be one of those cold, windy days. We walked a few blocks around Lancaster trying to avoid the wind as much as we could. They say Queen St. is the coldest, windiest street in town, and I'm not arguing.

Congrats to Adrienne and Jonathan who were married on Feb 28 at First Baptist Church in Bentonville.

Who wouldn't want to have their fur baby around on their wedding day? I would. He said a couple of Grrrrs, but all together behaved like a ‘good boy!’
 

Brooklin and Dan's wedding was so much fun. We were looking forward to their wedding ever since their awesome engagement session. They were blessed with such great weather last Saturday! It was a perfect day, gorgeous couple, great family and friends and a beautiful sunny day...what more could you ask for?

Julia and Daniel (aka Marv) had this very cool Hollywood Glam theme throughout their wedding, which made the National Hotel on South Beach the perfect venue. They were an incredibly laid back couple that made shooting the wedding a breeze.

My good friend Amy was married on Saturday in Modesto, on the very day that the town held their annual almond blossom festival. Driving around the area I couldn't take my eyes off of the beautiful orchards--they were amazing. So after the ceremony we jumped in a car and headed over to an orchard to take advantage of the beauty. We were pressed for time but still were able to get some great shots.

Kaley & Baxter exchanged vows overlooking the bay.  Near the end of the memorable night, the guests gave a festive send-off, tossing birdseed at the couple as they ran for their truck.

This morning I woke up to a beautiful blanket of snow and a mind full of inspiration. I desperately needed to shoot a couple in the fresh snow, and Cecilia and Sam came to my rescue. They were exactly what I was looking for. A fun couple, madly in love, and willing to brave the freezing winds to have a little fun with me :)  I know it's cliche, but you do have to do snow angels...

Elmis is a hard core blog stalker and comments regularly on posts. If there was a price for most comments posted, Elmis would get it. A few days ago I had the pleasure of shooting her engagement shoot in downtown Miami. Check out some of my favorite images. Looking forward to the wedding in May.

Cara and Bill!  What a couple!!

Location: Long Island City.

This past Saturday I shot a wedding at one of my favorite Orange County venues... Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado Canyon. The place is simply gorgeous and unique... unlike any country club or hotel around. 

Location: Hell's Kitchen, NY
Nicole and Hugh are naturals when it comes to being in front of the camera. Their wedding is going to be a blast !

I’d like to introduce you to Lesley and Jason. I am SO excited to be able to shoot their wedding. Saturday was the first time we met, over brunch and some nice conversation. We frolicked in my home town, and they were beautiful, simple and elegant. I can’t WAIT to see Lesley in her Jenny Packham dress! It’s gonna be off the hook!!

I had a great time with Christy and Brett on their spectacular Valentine's Day wedding! We only rode the train for one stop, so we had about 30 seconds to cram everyone in there.

In the midst of this wonderful traveling I stopped in to Boston for a day to hang out with Sam and Austin at the Frog Pond.

Location: Central Park
Couple From: Hong Kong
Style: A mix of MY style and Asian studio portrait style, hope it showed in the photos.

Erica had been talking with us for quite a while about setting up a portrait session for she and James. When the day finally rolled around it was soooo cold. But they were troopers and they did fantastic! They really are one of the sweetest couples that we've met and I had a blast working with them.

Like the last post, this couple also had one of those late night weddings, so we met up for a day after shoot. We always prefer to do this for our weddings that start after dark. Why miss out on the amazing images that result from natural light when you can get all dressed up again? Plus it is the perfect opportunity to wear that gorgeous gown again. This is especially nice for my good friend Vivian, the owner of the best bridal store on the Miracle Mile J Del Olmo Bridal Gallery.

Recently I spent the afternoon with Annie & Tony on their engagement shoot. We had an amazing time taking advantage of our fabulous South Florida weather. These outdoor lifestyle shoots really bring out the couple’s individual personality.

I had the wonderful privilege this last weekend to photograph the wedding of Alicia and Hilario. Their ceremony took place at the Beaver Creek Chapel and their reception was held at the all new Westin Riverfront Resort in Avon, Colorado.