I spent this weekend disguised as a regular person. I was not a face with a camera permanently attached, I was not an editing maniac, I was not an inbox-demolishing email machine. For the first time in a long time I took a break from most things business-related, and had a relaxed brunch (here), went on a refreshing hike (here), watched a movie (this one), and visited my parents (they don’t have a website, thank goodness).

And I came to a small realization. A realization that as much as I most dearly love what I do, I need to find a balance. That taking the time to breathe gives me inspiration – inspiration from a sunny afternoon, from a delicious meal, from long talks that soften my heart and remind me of why I spend so much of my life capturing and documenting love. It’s been a long time since I’ve written about my life, and an even longer time since I’ve taken a step back and looked at it square in the eye. I’m going to be lifting the camera back up to my face and rounding out the summer with a fresh perspective that will enable me to be a better friend, daughter, and photographer. And in between the wedding and engagement posts that are on that way, I hope to share plenty of my daily tidbits here with you as well :)

On a sunny Saturday last month, I returned to Pointe Vicente to photograph yet another beautiful wedding along the coast. Danielle & Oren were celebrating their special day and it was a feast for the senses – beautiful details, amazing food, but most of all, absolute top-notch entertainment. Oren & Danielle run Listen Entertainment, a music marketing & event production company, which resulted in a day infused with wonderful tunes and amazing performances. They both come from such musically talented families, with Danielle’s sisters and Oren’s brother participating in both the ceremony and reception music. As a special treat, Oren himself jumped on the drums towards the end of the night which had the crowd in cheers (and my camera all happy and clicking away). The whole reception had an awesome casual jam-session feel that was so perfect for an outdoor gathering on a warm summer night!

Danielle & Oren – thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to share in your day and document your beautiful summer wedding!

A sweet first look…

Danielle’s aunt did all of the bouquets… stunning!

I was in love with the soft light we had that day!

As a wonderful personal touch, Danielle’s sister sang as she walked down the aisle…

A quick cake cutting and some sweet toasts were interspersed with lots and lots of DANCING!

And great musical performances, including Oren rocking on the drums:

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Venue: Pointe Vicente Interpretive Center
Caterer & centerpieces: Critic’s Choice
Cake: Torrance Bakery
Lights, sound, live music: Listen Entertainment

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We met with Trish & Sammy during one of the hottest days of the summer. The beach was an endless sea of people, of colorful umbrellas and striped beach towels, spilling over into the neighboring shops and cafes in search of a cool spot of shade. But Trish & Sammy brought the breeze. They both share the most laidback and down-to-earth personalities, and ran around Laguna with us to create the impression of them being on a private beach, in a quaint quiet neighborhood, with practically no one around at all :) They braved the soaring temps like no other and then walked right down to the shoreline and braved the waves. I absolutely cannot wait for their wedding this fall at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach!

When I’m editing an image I usually can decide pretty quickly whether I prefer it in color or black and white, but for this one I just.couldn’t.decide! I was wracking my brain and probably driving Scott crazy with my incessant “this one? or this one?” so I’ll let you choose…

After we finished up at the beach, we dusted the sand off our toes and headed to Hennessey’s. Trish & Sammy both love beer so we rounded up the session with some snaps of them with a couple of cold ones…