I was so overjoyed when Tara contacted me about setting up a session for their first anniversary. She envisioned relaxed, slice-of-life type photos at home, which are always some of my most very favorite types of photos to take. Their home is located in one of the busiest sections of LA, but is seriously like a magic little oasis in the midst of it all – I think my breath stopped when the front gate swung open and I saw the gorgeous home & garden we’d be shooting in that afternoon. They had cupcakes and champagne, they cuddled on the sofa, they giggled with their sweet {and most photogenic!} yorkie, they reminisced about their wedding and the past year, and I got to document it. That’s a wonderful afternoon :)

Quite possibly one of the dreamiest shoots I’ve been a part of. The watercolor sunset, the softness of her dress, the sparkle of the ocean, and a fantastic couple like this – I seriously feel so lucky to cross paths with couples {sometimes from as far as across the ocean, like in this case} who come to me with a vision for their photos that so perfectly matches what I love to create, and who completely let their personalities & love show in front of the camera.

There is another fun urban portion of this session that I hope to share soon, but I felt these beach moments at the end of the day deserved their own post. The simplicity of it all just makes me so so happy – that it was just the ocean, the pretty light, and Pien & Hsun enjoying each other’s presence :)

Courtney is a friend of mine from UCLA, and Maz I met shortly afterwards. I knew them separately, and I knew them together, and they are seriously so the perfect match. Courtney is down to earth and real in every situation, she radiantly lights up any room she walks into, and has by far the biggest & best laugh I have ever seen. And Maz? He understands & embraces (and perhaps even teases her for? :) her unique attributes, and brings that laugh out of her time and time again. Every single time we hang out, I can see how their relationship is founded on a deep friendship, on the ability to always have fun together, and really, isn’t that the way it should always be? I won’t be photographing their wedding as I get to be a bridesmaid (woo hoo!) but I’m so happy they asked me to take these photos, in the very place where Maz proposed :)