On a sunny morning last month, Nina sat in a chair in her hotel suite, her hair being gathered in a beautiful updo, the last touches of her make-up added on. She was as I’ve seen her everytime – calm, collected and full of smiles – as she beckoned to the room next door where her bridesmaids were getting ready. It was a bustling room of 12 girls, finishing up their make-up, zipping up their dresses, laughing and posing for pictures (and helping me gather the dress, the shoes, the rings for the lovely detail shots – always such a huge help!)

When Nina, done with her hair & make-up, entered the room, they all cheered and and hollered for the the lovely bride, ushering her in quickly to help her with her dress, offer her a drink, give her a warm hug. The energy in the room was electric and vibrant and I kept thinking what an amazing reflection of Nina & Erick it is – to have so many people who so love and encourage them. That their bridal party (all 24, plus 2 sweet flower girls and 3 ringbearers) was filled to the brim with family and friends who could not be happier for them!

Thank you Nina & Erick for allowing us to be part of such a beautiful and lively occasion!

I loved the orange flowers in her hair! A touch of something fresh & romantic in addition to the veil always does wonders:

The guys always tend to get ready a tad faster than the girls, so Scott had time to grab a couple group shots of them. Love this one by the pool!

Nina’s mother was so full of joy at the sight of her daughter:

After the ceremony we headed to a park for the bridal party photos. This was the biggest bridal party we’re photographed to date and it was so.much.fun!

If you have not yet browsed a stunning issue of the new e-zine, Utterly Engaged, please do pour yourself a nice cup of tea, make a beeline for their website, and prepare for an utter feast for your eyes. The talented girls Eva of Red Velvet Occasions and Lucy & Henny of D*LSH Design teamed up to create a beautiful and practical e-zine for the budget-savvy, eco-friendly, style-loving bride (which is so many of the brides we work with :)

I fell in love with the magazine the moment I saw it and am so so honored to have been able to collaborate with these girls & other amazing vendors, and have some of my photography featured in the past couple issues!

I’m sure you all remember this amazing Mad Hatter-inspired tea party I blogged about awhile back, coordinated by the fabulous innovative Joanna Chong. See the article with Joanna’s behind-the-scenes info here.

(Also special thanks to Trendsetting Wedding and Vintage Glam (now Ruffled!) for featuring this shoot!)

Staying on the tea theme, for the last issue I photographed this exquisite tea room, nestled in the heart of Old Town Orange. I can’t believe I never knew about this place!

A few more of my favorites. Paris is currently #1 on my must-visit list and it was just heavenly browsing all these vintage French details!

And lastly, I got to work with the talented Angela Giang of Shop L’Atelier a couple months ago. We photographed her new line of lovely bridesmaid dresses which were then featured in UE! We actually set up the shoot right in my apartment – a blank wall and the warm afternoon sunlight worked perfectly :)

Be sure to browse through the issues as there are tons of other amazing articles, all offering lots of inspiration and laid out in the most beautiful spreads. And be sure to stay posted for Issue #5! :)

I am uber excited to share this engagement session for a few reasons: (1) it was for Scott’s beautiful sister Lauren & her sweet fiance Josh, (2) it was personalized to fit them & their relationship to a tee, and (3) it involved amazing, delicious, get-in-mah-tummy FOOD!

From the first time they met, Lauren & Josh bonded over their love of good food and wine, and cooking together immediately became a pastime that they shared. When they suggested a “cooking” theme for their session, I was SO on board – by choosing something that was special to their relationship, the session was innately and wonderfully unique. Lauren & Josh put such thought into all the details, crafting up a colorful menu, busting out their cute aprons, and cracking open one of their favorite wines. The result – a wonderful themed engagement session that just shone with their personalities!

Lauren & Josh save the corks (in these perfect apothecary jars!) from all the wine bottles they have enjoyed together & with friends over the years:

I loved this “Lady & the Tramp” inspired shot, but Scott later suggested it would have been even better if Josh had rolled a tomato towards Lauren with his nose. Ha!

After the cooking was done, we headed to the park right across the street to finish up the session. I have lived by and visited this park since I was a wee little child, but I never imagined it’d be so awesome for an engagement session! Train tracks + pretty light? YES PLEASE!

Stay tuned for their beautiful vineyard wedding coming up next! They were married at the amazing Firestone Vineyards in Los Olivos, which is pretty much my new favorite town! (A large contributing factor to this is the fact that it houses the most amazing cupcakes known to man.)