The first photographer-client meeting is sort of like a blind date. You come in not quite knowing what to expect, get to know each other, find your common ground, and all the while, search for that special “click”. After meeting with Liz – as has happened in many wonderful initial meetings – I left totally smitten. She was laidback yet obviously so giddy-excited about her special day, full of great ideas, passionate about her wedding photos, and all in all a perfect Adrienne Gunde Photography fit. She explained that I was the first of a few photographers she planned to meet, so I encouraged her keep in mind that as important as it is to find a photographer whose style you love, it is equally as important to love their personality, as your photographer is with you all.day.long on your wedding day!

So you can imagine my excitement when I came across a sweet email in my inbox a couple weeks later, confirming she felt the “click” as well! We had a second meeting at a cozy Starbucks to finalize everything, and when we both ordered green tea lattes it most clearly was meant to be :)

I had tons of fun brainstorming this engagement shoot with Liz & Adam. We conjured up a batch of colorful balloons, a bouquet of the prettiest pink roses, and Save the Dates they handrew with love (and with admirable speed, right along Pacific Coast Highway!) We shot at my most favorite “secret” location, then chased the light to the beach to finish up. As evidenced below, Liz & Adam are so beyond sweet, wonderful as individuals, and absolutely perfect as a couple. I cannot wait for their wedding next July at the La Venta Inn!

Earlier this year, we had our first ever engagement session with balloons. We got lots of fun shots, there were laughs all around, and when we were not using the balloons, we had a system where Scott diligently tied them to his camera bag. We mightily explored the UCI campus, and after a change of outfits, we took off again, Christina & Rick hand in hand, me shooting away, and Scott with the balloons secured to his bag. And that’s when it happened. A “uh oh”, everyone turns around, and there are the precious green balloons tangled up 30 feet in a eucalyptus tree. Luckily we weren’t planning on using them much for this portion of the session, and luckily Christina and Rick are all kinds of sweet and awesome, but Scott & I still felt a little sheepish.

Fast forward to Liz & Adam’s wonderful engagement session last month. Another amazing session and beautiful collection of balloons. But this time, Scott would not have them going anywhere. He tied them to the front of his bag and he used a trusty “slip knot” (I was a Girl Scout for 9 years but I couldn’t tell you what that was. There’s no time for silly things like “knots” and the “outdoors” when you have all those cookies to sell.) And so here are a few shots to document how lucky I am to have such a diligent second shooter, who doesn’t mind wielding some multi-colored balloons, occasionally holding a purse or two, directing a flash, & putting up with other random tasks, all in the name of the team.

Liz & Adam’s fantastical balloon engagement session soon to follow!

       

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! :)