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!

       

If you have not yet browsed a stunning issue of the new e-zine, Utterly Engaged, please do pour yourself a nice cup of tea, make a beeline for their website, and prepare for an utter feast for your eyes. The talented girls Eva of Red Velvet Occasions and Lucy & Henny of D*LSH Design teamed up to create a beautiful and practical e-zine for the budget-savvy, eco-friendly, style-loving bride (which is so many of the brides we work with :)

I fell in love with the magazine the moment I saw it and am so so honored to have been able to collaborate with these girls & other amazing vendors, and have some of my photography featured in the past couple issues!

I’m sure you all remember this amazing Mad Hatter-inspired tea party I blogged about awhile back, coordinated by the fabulous innovative Joanna Chong. See the article with Joanna’s behind-the-scenes info here.

(Also special thanks to Trendsetting Wedding and Vintage Glam (now Ruffled!) for featuring this shoot!)

Staying on the tea theme, for the last issue I photographed this exquisite tea room, nestled in the heart of Old Town Orange. I can’t believe I never knew about this place!

A few more of my favorites. Paris is currently #1 on my must-visit list and it was just heavenly browsing all these vintage French details!

And lastly, I got to work with the talented Angela Giang of Shop L’Atelier a couple months ago. We photographed her new line of lovely bridesmaid dresses which were then featured in UE! We actually set up the shoot right in my apartment – a blank wall and the warm afternoon sunlight worked perfectly :)

Be sure to browse through the issues as there are tons of other amazing articles, all offering lots of inspiration and laid out in the most beautiful spreads. And be sure to stay posted for Issue #5! :)

I’ve been meaning to get this post up for awhile, but I just wanted to share a couple recent online features!

A big thank you to Rock n Roll Bride for featuring Clair & Paul’s vintage-inspired downtown LA engagement session! Her blog is just overflowing with inspiring weddings and shoots and it’s a total honor and joy to have the session featured there!

Also, I recently discovered that Bride Sophisticate by Ashley Kohler Events featured an image from Christina & Rick’s UCI engagement session. The entry she wrote has an adorable balloon theme – I loved seeing all the different ways they can be incorporated into a session!

Lots of weddings and engagement sessions in the blogging queue! Stay tuned! :)