A little bit of rain was no match for this amazing day! As it always seems to do, the sky cleared up just long enough for us to shoot some portraits in the lovely courtyard outside. And when the rain did come down, we found we were presented with the entire stunning interior of the Langham as our backup backdrop. The real point of this all though {as you can see below} is that Joann & Donald’s smiles could light up even the darkest stormiest of days :) I feel so blessed to have gotten to know such a sweet and fun-loving couple, who truly glow in each other’s presence.

The wedding was coordinated by Ada and her amazing team at Fresh Events – these girls seriously always ensure a beautiful affair and a perfect flow to the day. Also loved working again with Jason of 11H Entertainment, he creates quite the awesome party!

Love this shot of the guys captured by Mary!

Kat & Ryan’s session consisted of a wonderful morning stroll along Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. I loved the casual urban vibe of it all and the little color-filled spots we found along the way. And — although this may sound wacky to say for such a cloudy day — I am utterly head over heels for the light in all of these. So soft and smooth and pretty, and allowing us to shoot in every direction our hearts desired! It started sprinkling right at the end of the session, but Kat & Ryan persevered in the name of good photos saying, “let’s keep shooting a little more”, because they are LE AWESOME.

Completely beside myself with excitement for their wedding at Inn of the Seventh Ray (read: one of my favorite venues IN THE HISTORY OF VENUES) this fall!

It is always a heartbreaking thing to hear of a natural disaster and see the resulting aftermath occurring somewhere in the world. But when it’s a place you’ve set foot in and lived, where you’ve met the people and created ties and formed friendships, where currently so many of your family members and friends reside, it most definitely hits closer to home.

I’ve been watching the news and viewing photos with a heavy heart, finding myself brought to tears by the devastation that has happened to such a beautiful country, one that showed me so much warmth and kindness, and offered me so many wonderful memories along the way. But I’ve also found my spirits soaring as amazing articles about hope and tenacity surface, hearing inspiring stories of survivors, of the coming together of a nation, of the kindness shared among strangers, the smallest gestures of people doing whatever they can for the person next to them (this one is especially heartwarming).

And though it is can be a horribly helpless feeling viewing it all from thousands of miles away, wishing you could go help dig through the rubble with your own hands, stories of hope and help come from this side of the ocean as well.

I am excited to share with you this amazing relief effort put together by some wonderfully big-hearted friends. For Japan with Love is a donation drive set up by Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged, who handpicked Shelterbox {with volunteers already in Japan providing shelter and goods} as the organization to donate to. They have also set up a “Bloggers Day of Silence” for tomorrow, in honor & respect for what has happened in Japan. This fundraiser has seen a shockingly overwhelming response, with over $18,000 raised in just a few days.

Any small amount helps. You can visit the site and read more here.

日本のために祈る。