By far the best part of being a wedding photographer is to get to meet such lovely couples and witness love every day. That’s how I felt about working with Jaclyn & Anthony for their engagement session and finally their wedding. I’m so lucky and grateful that they asked me to be a part of their special day. The day was adorned with beautiful details — red roses, blush pink dahlias, glamorous sparkly shoes and the most gorgeous lace bridal veil that trailed behind Jaclyn as she walked down the aisle. There were many generations of family there to celebrate Jaclyn and Anthony’s union and everyone danced the night away.
Alena & Lou’s Malibu Beach Wedding
I met Alena and Lou at their engagement session at their alma mater, Harvey Mudd, and have been looking forward to their wedding ever since. They’re such a friendly, relaxed couple and I knew their wedding would be reflective of their laid back attitudes, unique personal touches and, of course, their love for each other. The big day finally arrived and everyone gathered at the gorgeous Malibu beach for the celebration. I was utterly charmed by the table decorations, with each table themed after one of their favorite books like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones. And those cake toppers! Alena and Lou as Hogwarts students, perfect in every detail from their house scarves to the tiny broomstick and wand.
Christine & Ara’s Burbank Castaway Wedding
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
Christine and Ara met through their robotics program in high school and have been together ever since. Christine is a civil engineer and Ara works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, so it makes perfect sense that these two had a Carl Sagan quote during their ceremony at Castaway in Burbank. It was a gorgeous day and I had so much fun hanging out with these two and capturing the moments of their wedding. Spending time with them, it amazed me that they’ve been in love for nearly half their lives and it was a great honor to be there on the day they made it official.
Jasmine & Jason’s Malibu Beach Wedding
Jasmine and Jason have a love story that crosses oceans. She’s American, he’s English. They met in California and right away Jasmine told her friends that she had just met the man she was going to marry. But because Jason lived in England at the time they spent months flying back and forth to spend time together. Their January wedding in Malibu was a celebration not only of their wedding but also that they get to start out as husband and wife in the same country. It was a beautiful day on the beach and the views from The Sunset Restaurant of the sun coming down over the ocean was the perfect touch. These two are so sweet and I had the best time photographing their wedding and getting to spend a wonderful day with them.
Kris & Karin’s Pasadena Secret Garden Wedding
Kris and Karin’s wedding took place at Happy Trails in Pasadena. Looking from the street you would see only an unassuming storefront, but pass through the wooden gates and you enter a verdant garden ceremony space with a majestic oak tree in the center. Kris and Karin have great style and a love of minimalism and architecture, the combination of which made for a unique and stylish wedding. The red brick, very definitive of Old Town Pasadena, blended nicely with the succulent center pieces to create a wedding that was both classic and modern, urban and natural. Kris and Karin have been a couple for seven years now and it was clear from our portrait session and the toasts from friends and family that these two complete and compliment one another.
Joy & Jeremy’s Millwick Downtown LA Wedding
Joy is a city writer and kickass fitness instructor. Jeremy is a professional chef. Both of them love Los Angeles, urban murals and the video game Street Fighter II.
I remember once Joy described herself as a “bridechilla” instead of a bridezilla, which turned out to be totally true. I loved getting to know these two throughout the wedding planning, from the first meeting to the venue visit to the wedding day. They are the only couple I’ve ever seen enjoy a ceremonial shot of whiskey as part of their vows.
Beyond having their wedding at the artistically converted warehouse Millwick in Downtown LA’s Arts District, it was great seeing Joy’s personal style work itself into all the details of the day, from gold-painted pineapples to her tropical bouquet of Hawaiian Protea flowers. The day was filled with good cheer and their relaxed sense of joy was contagious.
Jenna & Connor’s Placerita Canyon Engagement
One of the things I love most about wedding photography is that I’m always meeting nice new people, and Jenna and Connor are two of the nicest. At first, I met up with only Jenna because Connor was deployed in the Navy at the time. He has been stationed on a ship near Japan. There was a tiny window to schedule our engagement photography session because Connor’s ship was coming to California for only one week then heading back to Japan until December. I was so happy that we were able to meet up at the Placerita Nature Center in Santa Clarita to take engagement photos. It was unfortunately one of the hottest days of summer, topping out at 106 degrees Fahrenheit, but these two were such troopers. They didn’t let the heat get to them and were all smiles, happy to be together.
Having been in my own international long distance relationship before getting married, I can definitely relate to making the most of your time together. It sounds like they had a fun-filled visit with homemade cakes (Jenna is a professional baker), lots of In & Out burgers, and the Antelope Valley Fair. I can’t wait for their March rustic wedding at Rancho Camulos Museum!
Katie & McKeever’s La Canada Backyard Wedding
When Katie & McKeever first contacted me and told me about their plans for their wedding day, I knew it would be a great experience. They spoke about Katie’s parents’ tradition of hosting Sunday night dinners with the whole family and how they wanted their wedding to feel like an intimate family dinner while also being a celebration of their 8 years together and a reflection of their shared values. The ceremony was held in her parents’ backyard in La Canada, California. The celebration managed to not only be a joyous family affair but also one bursting with color – there was the most beautiful tent draped with red and gold and lots of candlelight. The ceremony included lighting a unity candle and a handfasting ritual.
