Even before ever meeting Grant, I imagined him and Amy to be the perfect couple. They both shared a love for horses and were working to be veterinarians – while Amy finished up her degree here, Grant was pursuing his in Australia. In the few times I met with Amy before the wedding, Grant would call and I would catch snippets of their quietly joyful conversations. And though I was only hearing one side, I could just imagine their relationship – sweet, so down-to-earth, and madly in love. As they laughed and shared “I love yours” through the miles of ocean and land between them, I imagined Grant being the perfect counterpart to Amy’s consistently cheerful and laidback personality.

Their wedding day, set atop a cliff in beautiful Palos Verdes, proved all of this to be true. The way Grant looked at Amy could melt the hardest of hearts (and turned my silly soft one into a pile of mush), and the way Amy laughed in his presence filled the entire day with an air of joy. It was an honor to witness such an amazing love and I was reminded of why I so SO love what I do – thank you Amy and Grant for the opportunity to capture your perfect day!

A huge thank you as well to Jennifer Yamauchi (jennifer.yamauchi@gmail.com) who coordinated the whole occasion. Jenn is a dear friend of mine who is working her way into the wedding & event planning world and is beyond amazing at what she does!

Amy’s bouquet along with the rest of the florals were beautifully designed by Isabel of Rancho Palos Verdes Florist:

A couple miles away, Scott captured Grant at his grandparents’ home:

And this is where – much to my delight! – they decided to have their first look. We had lots of time to roam around the absolutely amazing grounds of their home, where Amy and Grant also lived for a period of time. They showed me the garden, the corral where they cared for their horses, the guest home where they lived – every corner was so scenic and meaningful to them, and it was the PERFECT location for their photos!

Then it was off to Pointe Vicente for the ceremony!

After the ceremony we retreated to a shady nook for some family photos and then some more portraits of Amy and Grant..

This one might be one of my most favorite shots ever…

Much of the reception was held outdoors on the patio. Andy and Renee provided the upbeat tunes and bride and groom, family and friends, danced the night away…

Afternoon tea is quite possibly one of my favorite things in the world. Just the thought of colorful pots of tea, dainty cups and saucers, and sweet conversation over cream-covered scones makes me feel relaxed and wonderfully girly (which makes up for all my non-girly times when I’m scorching things in the kitchen and running around the house in sweatpants). A couple weeks ago I was delighted to have the opportunity to photograph the beautiful Alice In Wonderland-themed tea party Joanna Chong of Joanna Events organized for her mother’s birthday. She is just getting into the wedding and event planning industry and wanted some shots of the table settings and guests. I was giddy at the very idea of a tea party, but was SO unprepared for the incredible camera-candy she ended up putting together!

Joanna was still setting up when I arrived and I got to witness all the beautiful items being brought one by one to the table. As each vase of flowers, each platter of pastries, each little teacup was hurried over, my eyes grew bigger and bigger, my squeals of delight louder, and my camera clicks more flurried. I couldn’t believe the colors, the concepts, the creativity!! From the paper lanterns to the tea-party music wafting through the iPod, there was not a single detail overlooked. After witnessing firsthand her event-planning prowess, I can only imagine the amazing work she would do as a wedding coordinator!

The floral arrangements were simply stunning! Sue Cook of SooziCook Events (soozcook@gmail.com) put together each unique collection of bright blooms – they really set the mood for the entire tea party!

There were endless platters of the most delectable treats – mini tea sandwiches, scones, delicate cakes. No one would be leaving this tea party hungry!

I instantly fell in love with these hand-crafted blossoms, lovingly planted around the table :)

The guests all wore the most awesome oversized hats…

And a quick photo of Joanna and her mother, the guest of honor!

I am a firm believer in dreams. I believe that if you can imagine something in your mind, you can make it come to fruition. That if you want something with every ounce of your being, you can dream it into a reality. This was the mantra I repeated to myself when I began purusing wedding photography. I repeated it religiously as I picked up my first camera and clumsily fumbled through the controls and cursed my less-than-perfect photos. I reiterated it when I emailed photographers to second-shoot and received a less-than-ideal response. As I excitedly set up my business email only to log in to a less-than-full inbox – for the first few months, I wanted to shake my first at the sky and whine at the world, but I kept the encouraging words in the back of my mind. If you can dream it, you can make it so.

I love meeting people who are following their own dreams, so when Tammy contacted me with her story I was so excited to work with her! She wanted to move from her self-proclaimed “normal desk job” into a career in sports broadcasting and needed some headshots for the occasion. We fittingly did the session at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (what better location than a hall named after such a famous dreamer?), and as we shot I asked her about her goals and aspirations. Her passion shone through as she talked about her love for sports and her highest hopes for the future. Tammy – thank you for sharing a piece of your story with me and best of luck in pursuing your dreams! :)

The metallic walls of the concert hall are stunning, but I was so enamored by the garden! The lush greenery (complete with the most unique colorful flowers) was such a nice contrast to the mod silver walls!