There are times couples book me through email and I don’t meet them until the engagement session. Or I meet with just the bride over coffee and don’t meet the groom until then. Or, as happened here, I met & got to know Allison over a fun meeting at the Culver Hotel, but since they had done an engagement session prior to even finding me online, I didn’t meet Elijah until the wedding day.

But I’d just like to say {as I hope these images below express} that just seeing them interact for the first time that day, maybe from just one or two seconds into their First Look(!), I could sense what an amazing relationship they have. In the way they both instantly relax in each other’s presence. Their constant smiles throughout the day. Joyful tears exchanged at the altar, their words exchanged in vows. An overwhelming excitement and support extended from their family and friends. It all comes together to say – this here? this is a special kind of love.

I am so happy they opted for a first look, as it allowed tons of time for portraits around the amazing Summit House. I love the cozy vibe of this venue and Allison & Elijah played that up with lots of warm and homey details, including amazing florals created by Kim of Art with Nature. I always love her soft & romantic arrangements!

Have I mentioned how blessed I feel to document days like this? :)

Love the bridesmaids’ bouquets (billy balls FTW!) and accessories. Those chunky necklaces were so perfect!

I don’t usually post too many silly pictures, but these seriously had me cracking up so hard I could barely sit still long enough to edit them. I adore this bridal party – SUCH DEDICATION.

While I was photographing the girls, Connie got this great shot of the groomsmen!

Aside from being fantastically in love, can we just take a moment to reflect on HOW RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING these two are??

Tulips are some of my favorite flowers… love when they make appearances in weddings! :)

Thao & Dinh were married at the beautiful Rancho Las Lomas, a rustic property tucked away in south Orange County, dotted with lush gardens, a small zoo (with tigers, zebras, & macaws!), cute cottages, and orange orchards… Thao & Dinh put so much thought into every detail of the wedding, which included amazing florals from Linda of LV Floral Events (who just happens to be Dinh’s cousin!) – I always love working with her! The day was also filled with so many beautiful emotional moments.. my favorite was probably their personally written vows, which they shared through tears of joy at the ceremony.

Enjoy this peek into their day!

I love this moment during the first dance, as Thao sweetly wipes away Dinh’s tears :)

Just a couple shots from two amazing weddings from this past weekend. In my last post, I definitely should have included “bright colored wedding shoes” because I pretty much have a signature squeal that I emit every time a bride pulls out a colorful pair. While white is beautifully elegant, that pop of color is always a fun surprise!

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In other news, I’ve succumbed to the Twitter craze. Let’s be Twitter friends! :) I think the intrigue of it all is that it’s so fast-paced. If you don’t check your twitters for a day it’s like you missed the apocalypse and everyone’s already on a rocketship to Pluto while you’re still catching up on what so-and-so had for breakfast. Because I definitely need one more online network to get addicted to!

Stay tuned for more wedding images coming soon…