Archive for November, 2009

{ Erika + Julian | Santa Monica Pier Engagement }

On a lovely Sunday afternoon, we met up with Erika & Julian for their engagement session. As I mentioned in my last post, this was the 2nd weekend in a row we shot at the colorful Santa Monica Pier, and I loved the challenge of getting creative with new spots and perspectives. Erika & Julian also brought along something that made their session extra unique – their adorable dog Shep! He was ridiculously cute and so full of energy and I loved photographing all 3 of them!

Erika & Julian will be getting married in …wait for it… New York City next year, and it will mark our first out-of-state wedding! I am honestly SO in love with NYC and hope it will be the first of many amazing weddings there to come! :)

{ Kelie + Kaare | Santa Monica Pier Engagement }

I was so excited when Kelie contacted me for their engagement session! They had not yet set a date or location for their wedding, but wanted to do a session around the colorful Santa Monica Pier. I have shot at the pier quite a few times (this was in fact the first of 2 in 2 weeks!) but I loved the challenge of finding new spots and putting new spins on old ones. And of course, Kelie & Kaare’s personalities and love created a session that was so uniquely them. I adore when a location reflects who a couple is, and I really think the bright pier and the calm beach was THE perfect backdrop for their chill yet ridiculously fun personalities!

My favorite shots of the day? The ones with the cotton candy! In all our SM pier shoots, this was the first where we incorporated this delightful (yet sticky) treat.

{ Tina + Sam | Los Angeles Wedding Photography }

I find that when a bride and groom are amazingly sweet and awesome, they have most likely filled their life with similar people. Tina is lively and brimming with an amazing energy; Sam has a calm & wonderfully mellow demeanor – but they share the same qualities of warmth, of compassion, of exuding happy, positive vibes. And as I discovered at their wedding, they are surrounded by family and friends who all share such qualities, and it resulted in a beautiful day with all the best components – warm hugs, bursts of laugther, heartfelt speeches, crazy dancing – all moments that make for the very best photos!

Tina is an event planner for Panda Restaurant Group and with her experience, I knew the day would be executed with the utmost finesse and thoughtfulness. They chose a venue that reflected their modern aesthetic and then draped it in details that made me swoon. There was a subtle bird theme that filled the day which I absolutely loved!

And of course there was a huge emphasis on the food (read: my kind of wedding!), catered by Panda Restaurant Group Catering Team which included everything from sweet potato fries, to prime rib, plus the addition of a few “bars”, namely of the sushi, candy, and gelato varieties. See them in all their glory below!

Tina and Sam – thank you so much for entrusting us to capture your phenomenal day! Around every corner was a beautiful moment and a lovely detail, and we could not be more honored to have shared in the day with you!

I loved the sweet moments of Tina and her mother walking hand in hand down the aisle, and the group hug that ensued at the end:

The light during the ceremony was phenomenal:

At the cocktail hour, I came across a boy with a Rubik’s cube – he solved it in front of my very eyes in a matter of seconds!

Tina’s friends Amanda of Fresh Events Company (who I always LOVE working with!) & Alicia of Alicia K Designs helped coordinate all the details of the ceremony and reception:

The candy station!

The sushi bar!

And last, but certainly not least, the gelato corner!

Tina and Sam also had a photobooth with a neighboring crafting station. It was a total hit and guests returned multiple times to take more pictures and make more pages!

Tunes were provided by Jason with 11H Entertainment – he’s always engaging and fun!