Just a quick blog post for today, but came across these couple shots as I was editing Christina & Rick’s fabulous balloon extravaganza engagement session. Gotta give props to Scott for wielding the balloons (in addition to Rick’s backpack) when they weren’t in use. Although from the looks of it, he seems to be enjoying the balloons quite a bit. Come to think of it, he might have been a little reluctant to give them back. But we distracted him with a lollipop and all was well. Or something like that ;)

Coming up soon… a wedding and another awesome engagement session!

When I took my first steps into wedding photography, I had some goals in mind. They were basic, fluffy, whimsical goals – little dreams I dared not shape too concretely in fear that I might never attain them. I wanted to meet fabulous, warm, so-in-love people. I wanted to help create tangible memories of their most important days. I wanted to make friends out of the people who inspired me, the photographers I admired. And above all, I wanted to give back. Because at the start, I was barely more than a walking ball of questions. I felt like a silly empty glass that a million kind people were filling with knowledge and support and opportunity and all I could give in return were my insignificant but abundant “thank you”s.

And although my cup of knowledge is still far from being runneth over, I am finally at a place where I feel I can give and not just take. The opportunities to share my experiences are suddenly popping up left and right, and although I have so much more to learn myself, I am beyond thrilled to share whatever bits of information and experience I can.

One such opportunity has come from The Wedding Clique, a resourceful website created to help brides and grooms in planning their day. I am so honored to be included in such an amazing group of vendors, and to be able to contribute towards a couple’s wedding planning process – a process that for many is at once exciting, overwhelming, intimidating, and wonderful!

A couple weekends ago The Wedding Clique put on it’s first Mock Wedding Workshop at The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Long Beach. It was created as an opportunity for couples to experience a “pretend wedding” in preparation for their actual day. The workshop progressed similarly to how many wedding days do – from getting ready, to the ceremony, to the reception – and was filled with beautiful details and wonderful input from the participating vendors. My deepest thanks to my friend Henry Chen for inviting me to be a part of such an amazing event and project!

Meet the team – the boys: Andrew of Iobon Cinema, Henry Chen, Raul of R&R Entertainment; the girls: Solana of Beauty by Solana, Trini of Nozza Studio, Sarah Yates, Deanne of Bella Fiore

Henry and Trini start off the day with a warm welcome:

Solana put on an awesome make-up trial run, with lots of tips for brides:

Deanne explains when and where you can expect to get your flowers on the day of (I know I’d be SO excited the first time I got to hold my bouquet!):

We then headed upstairs for a mock first look – love these expressions!

The ceremony site:

Gorgeous floral details:

And onto the mock ceremony!

Henry was a great impromptu officiant:

Sarah in action:

There is nothing pretend about this kiss! (I’ve never seen such an excited officiant either ;)

Then it was back inside for the reception! The dinner tables were adorned with such rich and beautiful details:

Raul gives the lowdown on choosing and working with a DJ:

And of course.. the cake!

Be sure to stay tuned on The Wedding Clique website for the next workshop, and for regular updates geared towards helping plan your wedding day!

I returned home from WPPI last month equipped with a few different things that I felt would really help my business grow. Fresh new ideas. A big dose of inspiration. A huge bag filled with tradeshow brochures galore (which has since sat untouched by my desk – fail!) And then there was the grand prize. The cherry on top. The colorful little toothpick in my proverbial chicken salad sandwich.

Say hello to the new star of my photo-making collection!

I had been eying the 5D Mark II for some time and was planning on hunting one down upon my return to LA. But when B&H lured me to their booth at WPPI and informed me that they had one ready to ship, I was sold. SOLD. Before I knew it, I was signing and smiling away. I’ve used it for a couple of shoots already and I can hereby declare that I’ve fallen madly in love. I might as well be scribbling “Adrienne hearts 5DMkII <3 <3 <3” all over my notebooks. The full frame is perfect. The ISO capabilities are just dreamy. The click of the shutter makes my heart skip a beat. LOVE!

A few of the first shots this bad boy captured upon exiting the box:

This last one is of some herbs we picked up at the Farmer’s Market a couple weeks ago. As much as I ADORE herbs, I try not to get too close to them as to not immediately destroy them with the wrath of my brown thumb. I think I seriously cause them to shrivel with a single glance. It’s a dangerous place for vegetation in here!