It is 7 am, bright and early in Cathleen’s bridal suite. Victor, accompanied by his groomsmen, arrives at her door, eager to see his bride. But he is met with a barricade of bridesmaids, armed with a list of demands should Victor want to make his way to Cathleen. And so ensues a series of cruel and unusual tasks, right in the hallway of the Pasadena Westin, not limited to removing a garter from one of his groomsmen’s legs and a slew of post-wedding push-ups. But the best & final task is a song – a song of all the reasons he loves Cathleen. And through all the laughing, and the erratic dancing of his groomsmen, and the silly fun atmosphere, Cathleen sat hidden in her bridal suite listening to Victor’s makeshift song. And you could see from the shining glimmer in her eyes, that though his song was silly, his words rang true, and they resonated in her heart.

It was our longest wedding of the year, and though I can’t lie and say I wasn’t slightly terrified of what might become of my feet, the day flew by due to the perfect flow and the relaxed atmosphere that filled every moment. We moved from a tea ceremony at the Westin, to another tea ceremony at Victor’s parents’ home, to Caltech for photos, to a beautiful backyard ceremony, and finally a lively reception.

In between we got tons of portraits, and it made me so happy that Cathleen and Victor put such trust in us for their photos. They were on board with all the ideas I had – many of which included a bright red umbrella that I was itching the use the moment I laid eyes on it!

Cathleen & Victor – thank you so much for inviting us to share in your wedding, for your extreme kindness and hospitality, and for the Lupicia teas! {how did you know they are my favorite?} We are so happy for you & this new chapter of your lives together!

I LOVED the colorful pops of color that adorned the ceremony:

This kid was absolutely AMAZING. He was the most adept & coordinated picture-taking-toddler I have ever seen.

And apparently he wasn’t the only one! More child prodigy photographers at this wedding than I’ve ever encountered!

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!