I love how every aspect of a wedding serves as a reflection of a couple’s personalities. The color palettes that adorn the day, the choice of food to be served, the selection of dance music at the end of the night. And one of the biggest expressions is undoubtedly the choice of venue – the backdrop against which all the evening’s memories will be created. I LOVE both seeing new venues and revisiting ones I’ve photographed at before, since every couple puts their own spin on the location!

If M & P’s venue choice were to speak for them, it would describe them as modern, fashion-forward, considerate and conscientious. The Seven Degrees in Laguna Beach perfectly mirrored their style and personalities and it was a joy to share in their wedding day! A big thank you to the lovely and talented Bonnie Tsang, who invited me to come along. I adore working with my clients as the main photographer, but love second-shooting as well – it’s such a great opportunity to take chances and flex my creative muscles sans the usual responsibilities of being the main photographer!

We started off at one of the bridesmaid’s homes, which was absolutely stunning. The fresh and clutter-free location made for some great photos!

We then headed to Seven Degrees for a sweet first look and some relaxed portraits inspired by the venue and the surrounding architecture:

Laughing photos are my absolute favorite!!

Sparkly-sweet lighting? Coming right up!

Some peeks at the artistically modern decor of Seven Degrees. How utterly fabulous are the hanging mobiles?

The beautiful & touching ceremony. Like always (it never fails, never!) I found myself blinking through tears a few times:

I love how the quintessential Southern California hills frame the venue on all sides. They really play up the contrasting sharp and modern vibe of the venue!

Now before we go on please take a deep breath, hold onto your seats, and prepare yourself for these details. The purpley-pink goodness was just breathtaking!!

Dancing the night away…

It’s hard for me to imagine what it must be like to become a parent. The combination of joy, accountability, and pure love that I conjure up can only pale in comparison to the real collection of emotions that a new parent must feel. I got just a small glimpse at such a reality when I photographed Nancy & Garrett a couple weekends ago. I was overjoyed when Nancy contacted me to photograph the two of them & the soon-to-be newest addition to their family! (A big thank you to Hana for sending them my way!) It was my first time doing a maternity session and I loved seeing the way Nancy and Garrett interacted with each other, as well as with baby Lucas. They’re going to be such wonderful parents!

UCLA’s Botanical Gardens provided the perfect secluded and scenic location for the shoot. Even though all three of us are UCLA alums, we had each only visited the gardens once or twice. And after visiting it this last time, I must say it is way WAY bigger than I remember. Who knew there was a jungle in the middle of campus?

The skies had been gloomy in LA all week, but Santa Barbara on Saturday was covered in a blanket of sun. Jenn & Ron’s dispositions mirrored the bright weather perfectly (or maybe it was the other way around? :) and the whole day went beautifully! It was a cozy intimate affair that started at the stunning Santa Barbara Courthouse and ended at Stella Mare’s, an exquisite French restaurant serving the most delicious French country cuisine. As the night unfolded with toasts and laughter in the warmly lit restaurant along the quietest Santa Barbara road, I wanted to pinch myself. To make sure I was really this lucky. To work with such sweet couples (seriously, both Jenn and Ron kept checking in to make sure we had received dinner and gotten a slice of German chocolate cake! :) and to get to capture some of the happiest moments in their lives.

Jenn & Ron – thank you so much for inviting us to share in your day. We hope you’re having a blast in Kona and can’t wait to hear all about it!

Christin and Ashley of LunaBella did a beautiful job on Jenn’s hair & makeup!

Love how bright and bold the bouquets were!

Their cat definitely wanted to know what all the commotion was about…

Off to the courthouse for the ceremony in the Sunken Gardens:

A kiss just after the recessional…

As the guests moved on to the reception, we stayed to do some portraits around the grounds. Every inch of the courthouse was just begging to be used as a backdrop! Lush greenery and stunning architecture at every turn…

Off to Stella Mare’s for the reception. The ambiance was so warm and inviting and the reception was filled with great details.

Fun fact: The amazing guitarist was Aaron Robinson, who toured with Sea Wolf for a couple years!

Loved their choice of sign-in book and the sweet messages that graced the pages:

Jenn’s mom baked the scrumptious German chocolate cake!