I love maternity sessions! Payal & Amit have actually known each other pretty much their entire lives, having been family friends since childhood. I’m sure at that time they had little clue that they would ever date, let alone fall in love, get married, or be starting a beautiful family together :)

They brought just a couple things along to personalize their session, my most favorite being a teddy bear {that will be a gift for their daughter when she arrives} wearing a shirt with a photo of Payal & Amit playing together as kids. Love!

The internet is a crazy thing isn’t it? It creates these connections with people you may have never otherwise met, and in this industry, this often means couples {just like Jackie & James for example} who happen to live 3000 miles away, but somehow find you nonetheless. And it’s exciting, because when you finally meet, maybe for tea lattes at Coffee Bean? you find that they’re really just like you, and everything is a perfect fit, and it’s as if you’ve known each other all along :)

Jackie & James’s wedding was held at one of my most favorite urban venues, Cafe Pinot, a quiet green oasis in the midst of downtown LA, flanked by skyscrapers on all sides (which resulted in reflections galore and the.most.amazing light!) Jackie was exactly how a bride should be on her wedding day – a perfect blend of smiles, laughs, excitement, joy. There were a few moments – while she was getting ready, while walking over to the venue – where she would have a moment of realization, and whisper “oh my goodness, I’m getting MARRIED today..”, her eyes welling up with tears of joy.

It was a perfect day :)

The photo below is perhaps one of my favorite images ever. Jackie wanted to do a private first look, so her bridemaids & mom stayed behind as she walked over towards James… the moment she spotted him in the distance, she started tearing up and paused for a moment, as her bridesmaids & mom encouraged and comforted her to go on… it was such a beautiful moment…

A shot of the guys courtesy of my awesome second shooter for the day Ayumi Pantell!

I love when all the components of a wedding come together just perfectly!

It maybe begins with an intimate seaside venue {the Long Beach Museum of Art}. It includes a darling first look, the kind with lots of smiles and perhaps a few tears. There is a ton of time for fun portraits. There might be pretty diffuse light, and definitely a warm & relaxed atmosphere. Overjoyed family and friends abound, laughter fills every corner of the venue. Maybe a fantastic sweets bar, filled with treats from Sweet and Saucy? :) And of course, a couple that shares a deeply-rooted love, the kind of people that are warm & sweet & beautiful on their own, but, even better together.

Before the crazy photo barrage ensues {there are something like 50 of them!}, I would like to give a special shoutout to Mai of Bunch Studio, who not only created the florals for this wedding, but designed this wedding in its entirety. She took Deena’s visions of bold pinks, black & white, damask, and added her own Bunch Studio flair (the peonies! the feathers! I die!) that is immensely creative, full of style, and always unmatched. If you don’t yet have a florist, you really do need to give this girl a ring :)

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