Kelly McCord Photography Blog

Guest Book Engagement Albums

 

I get asked by brides all the time if I do guest book engagement albums (or rather, if I can create a guest book using photos from their engagement shoot), and the answer to that is a resounding YES!!! In fact, I LOVE it!!  I think it's such a fun, creative way to feature your engagement photo session, in a way that you'll actually keep out, and look at.  Not only is it a unique way to display your engagement photos, (along with being archival; so it will last for your children's children to see), but it's something you can keep out and actually have on your coffee table, to look at and read your family and friend's wishes, blessing, and congratulations again and again.  It's such a dear thing to have, especially to be able to read the loving messages left by those family members who are no longer with you, years after the wedding day.

 

Ross and I did the (also fun) mat-to-sign around our favorite engagement picture (which is another fun, keepsake-y way to feature your engagement photo, but the only bummer is, you can only do one or a couple photos -- this way you get to have MANY favorites).  We've got our mat/photo framed in our bedroom, and I still (even almost 10-years past)  read people's messages to us all the time. Unfortunately, since the wedding, two of my grandmas have since passed, but I treasure and love looking at what they had to say, in their own hand. I think the guest book engagement album encourages your guests to do more than just sign their name (as you would with a regular guest book. It asks them to pause and write something (hopefully) meaningful or funny (or both), that you can look at again and again.  That's why I love these albums; because it turns into a dynamic memory from your wedding day. And like I said, instead of throwing it in a box, to rarely be seen again (as I would guess most traditional guest books are), it's a beautiful, photo-filled time-capsule from your wedding day.

I wanted to show you one of the more fun and whimsical guest book albums I've done recently. In fact, I just finished it and I'm so happy with it -- I can't wait to show my bride and groom, Shari and Austin.  They asked for something fun and artistic, with specific colors that will be featured on their wedding day. I tried to make it exactly what they asked for, and I'm thrilled with the results of this latest guest book engagement album.  If you'd like to see it in its entirety, you can do so by clicking here to be taken to their guest book album.

And I hope you all are enjoying the beautiful summer weather we've been having!!  I've been looking at it longingly out the window while I've been working at the computer!! =) (Also, if you'd like to see the pages I've included here a little larger, just click on them to see them bigger).

 

Monica and Brandon's Aptos Beach and Train Tracks Engagement Shoot

I was thrilled when Monica decided to have me shoot her wedding, because I actually know her family fairly well, and she'd nannied for us for about as month last summer, when Megs was on vacation, but I knew her sisters Allegra and Emilia (and her mom Yolanda),  better than I knew her, , because we all go to church together (and Monica and Brandon go to Coastlands as well, but we have been going to different services, so only ran into each other once or twice.  So not knowing them as well as I'd like,  I was really looking forward to getting to know Monica and Brandon better, and I wasn't disappointed. We ended up having a super-long conversation after the shoot, which I'll tell you about more below.  (And as always, if you want to see these photos larger, just click on them, and they'll pop open larger!).

Despite the light being rough on the beach, it was ultimately a good thing, because look at how gorgeous it made this photo!!   

 

So we met at their house in Aptos, and went just a little ways down the road and got onto the train tracks in Aptos.  I've never shot an engagement session in a location like that, so it was really fun for me to shoot in a whole new place, especially wtih Monica and Brandon, who were so fun to get to know.  So we played around on the train tracks (and it was a little scary, because it was up super high, and I'm a little afraid of heights, but it was such a neat location, that I pushed through that fear, and I think we got some great shots on that bridge.  After the bridge, we decided to take the path underneath the bridge, and walk down to the beach.  The only bummer about the shoot was that when we got to the beach, the sun was in this very hard spot for shooting, and because it's the beach, there's not really anywhere to go where the sun isn't, so we took some wider shots, (where they weren't required to smile into the camera, because it was SO bright that really everywehre we went, no matter if their backs were to the sun or not, that they had to squint. It was one of the harder light situations I've had in awhile).  But we waited and they were so game to try other options, and move around, and we finally got to a point where they were able to 'smile for the camera' and it wasn't causing them physical pain, and once we got over that hurdle, we got some beautiful pictures (if I do say so myself). =)

And they're so cute too!!

After the photo shoot, I drove them back home, and we got into such an involving conversation that we sat outside, in my car, talking for more than a half hour. And as much as I love shooting, and composing shots in my head, and playing with couples whlie shooting, I absolutely love when I get to really know people; who they are, where they've come from, and all of those fun things. And as we talked, it became more and more evident that the three of us came from very similar situations in our background, and I felt like we really understood one another.  Another thing that was also super-fun, was while talking to Brandon, we discovered that we knew TONS of the same people,  (which isn't as uncommon as you might think, as Santa Cruz is really a very small town, Aptos/Mid-County in particular, and we always joke that in Santa Cruz County, it's not six degrees of separation, but 2-3, because it really does feel like everyone who's grown up here knows at least someone you know, if not more), and because Brandon and I had grown up in Aptos,  (I think we even graduated high school the same year), that we both knew and had grown up with so many of the same people, which is always fun, so when I shoot their wedding, I'll not only know tons of people from church, but I'll get to see a bunch of people that I grew up with, which is always fun (especially for sentimental types like me).

So, this has turned into quite the massive post, but I really do feel so blessed to not only get the honor of being asked to be so intimately involved on one of the most important days of their lives, but that I get to know too really cool, sweet people better, and made  new friends.  I've said it quite a bit on this blog, but that really is one of my favorite things about my job (of many favorite things), that I get the privilege of really knowing people, (and to be fair, I get to know some couples better than others), but when I make genuine friends, I think, what could be better than that? And that's really how I feel -- I get a job to be in the midst of people's most joyful of days, and the bonus is that I often keep those same people as friends, and get to be their photographer (and friend), as they go through the different steps in their lives; first (and more) pregnancies, shooting new baby, and family portraits, and the delight of watching them grow into families and parents.  It's a pretty amazing thing, and I'm incredibly blessed that people invite me into their lives like that.  And as I said, in my conversations with Monica and Brandon, in particular, it was so interesting to hear their stories, and to realize just how similar our childhoods/upbringings had been, and how much we had in common...I'm really looking forward to getting to know them better, because just within the little time we had together, I grew to like them both so much, and to feel even more blessed, that they'd asked me to shoot their wedding! So Monica and Brandon, if you read this -- we'll try and schedule dinner soon, so we can get together, AND I really hope you're happy with how your engagement session turned out, I'm really happy with the photos, and I'm looking forward to shooting your gorgeous wedding in just a few months!

Also, if you'd like to see more of these fun photos, there are a lot more of my favorites after the break, just click on the 'continue reading Monica and Brandon...' link below the photo below...

Joyce and Michael's Capitola Village Engagement Shoot

Before I talk about Joyce and Michael, I wanted to quickly say thanks to everyone who wrote kind things and emailing to see how we've been doing (both on the blog and through email), along with checking up on us during the fire(s).  The reason I haven't blogged lately isn't because we're not okay (quite the opposite, we're all doing great, thanks!), but because I'm in the thick of the wedding sesaon, which means that I'm working. A lot. Which is great, but it completely takes up all my blogging time. =)  So I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who checked on us!!  ANNNND, I'm going to do my best, despite being in the midst of the season, to blog more often, as I've done SO many fun engagement  and wedding shoots lately, that I really want to share them with you, so stayed tuned, I'll be posting a lot more shoots in the coming weeks...

I was so excited I caught this shot, I was standing on the pier with them, and didn't even notice the wave, 'til right at this moment, I was setting up the shot, when this rogue wave hit, and I was SO excited that I caught it right at this moment, when it broke (and then, immediately after, when they were pretty soaked!)

Now back to Joyce and Michael's engagement shoot down at Capitola Village and Capitola Beach!!

I met Joyce through Ross, and they actually went to high school together, and re-connected through either myspace or facebook. Joyce had recently gotten engaged, and Ross recommended me.  So not only did I get another fun couple to walk with them through their engagement  and through to their wedding (and beyond), but Ross was able to get in touch with an old high school friend (and to top it all off -- Joyce brought me two albums chock full of old high school photos, that had some really fun shots of Rossy in high school, which were a total delight to look through; for both me AND the girls; they had a great time giggling and pointing at daddy in high school).

So we shot their engagement photos down in Capitola Village, because that's where their first official date was.  So for them it's a really pretty locatoin to walk around, but it also holds a lot of significance for them. And I doing shoots where we walk around getting to know a couple, and get a bunch of different 'looks' while we're doing portraits, but I especially  love, love, LOVE shooting places that are meaningful and significant to people (I'm sentimental like that). =)  Being in a meaningful place makes the photo shoot all the sweeter.  So we had a great time walking around Capitola Village; talking about their lives; when they were first dating, all the wedding details, their jobs, and of course, we also happened to take a few pictures in between. =) After we walked around the village for awhile, they changed clothes, and we went down onto the beach, once the sun was finally low enough to capture the gorgeous sunset light.  So I had a  great time getting to know Joyce and Michael better as people, along with giving them some fun photo tips.  Michael seems to be a bit of a photo buff, so he was asking lots of how-to type of questions, which is fun for me as I love teaching people, so I was showing them how I did certain things,  while at the same time teaching them fun and flattering poses.

I'm really happy with how they photos turned out. I love the vibrancy of the colors, along with how happy Joyce and Michael were to try out new, fun things. All that combined made this a really fun shoot for me, and not only that, but we ended up with some really great portraits of them, while they got some portrait practice in for the big day!

Thanks Joyce and Michael, for your enthusiasm and fun -- I know we're going to get some great photos on your wedding day!!  And I hope you liked how they turned out as much as I do!  If you want to see more fun photos from their engagement shoot, click on the 'continue reading more...' link below, for more of my favorites!

Gina and Greg at the Boardwalk and Downtown Santa Cruz

I recently shot a super-fun engagement shoot with Gina and Greg at the Boardwalk.  I had a lot of fun shooting them, as they were game for ANYthing, and even had a lot of good ideas themselves.  We were having a good time at the Boardwalk, walking around and shooting, when security noticed my big old camera, and said that we weren't allowed to shoot there (even though there were streams of people passing us with just as powerful cameras). So we decided to head downtown, and I'm so glad we did, because we got some really fun shots down there as well. We even were able to go into the Del Mar theater and shoot in there, which was so cool, as it's got all these incredible old art deco details, which made for some fun shots. So maybe getting kicked out of the Boardwalk was a good thing after all! 

Of course, it's also fun for a photographer to shoot such a gorgeous couple; they're both adorable, and Gina's face was made for the camera, and it doesn't hurt that she's totally game and willing to do whatever you ask her to do, which makes it even more enjoyable.  Anyhow, I loved shooting with Greg and Gina, and I can't wait for their wedding in a couple months, I think it's going to be a total blast.

 

Tons more photos, after the jump...      

Edited to say: I didn't mention it when I first posted these photos, because I hadn't talked to Gina and Greg about it, however, now that I've posted their wedding photos, and talked to them about it, (and I wanted to be respectful to them), but they said it was fine if I mentioned that Greg also happens to be a member of the super-awesome band, Smashmouth.  Even more important, they're both really great people, and they happen to be amazingly photogenic -- lucky me!

Kate and Matt en Cancun!

 

In May, Kim and I flew down to Cancun, Mexico to shoot Kate and Matt's destination wedding, on Isla de Mujeres, in Cancun, Mexico.  It was quite an incredible experience, and I was thrilled to be asked, and to be able to do it!  It was a crazy, mad-cap trip, which I can go into in more detail later, but getting to know Matt and Kate, and their friends and family was a privilege and honor that I won't soon forget.  I have so many favorites, this is going to be a large post. First of all, I first have to thank my cousin Mia, for putting me in contact with Kate and Matt. I'm completely indebted to her, for the introduction.

Being in Mexico, with Kim was a hoot, and we had a good time, especially on my birthday, where we rode over on the ferry to Isla de Mujeres, to scope out the ceremony and reception location (Zama Beach Resort, a gorgeous place for a wedding).  We spent the afternoon riding around like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride on the golf cart that Kate and Matt had reserved for us, and spent the afternoon on the beach (at Zama Resort), in our bathing suits, jumping off the dock, looking for shells and swimming around on the white sand beach.  We had lunch on the beach, and after the ferry ride back to mainland Cancun, had a 'couples' massage (which cracked us up to no end), having a dinner by the ocean and an early night to bed, to wake up for our trip the next morning.

On Wenesday, we met Kate, Matt and their friends and family, and embarked on the 3-hour ride to Chichenitza.  It was incredible to see the sites I'd heard so much about, they were incredible to see, and I was happy to record Kate and Matt's day there, for them with their friends and family.  After that, every headed back to the hotel to do their own thing for the evening. Kimmy and I went to the beach for a while, and she fell asleep while I read, with the gorgeous waves lapping the incredibly white-sand beach.  We had dinner  in our rooms, and went to bed early to prep for the wedding the next day.

Kim and I went over to Isla de Mujeres early in the day, to meet Kate and Matt, and do their portrait session, before the ceremony started, and we had a great time riding around on the golf carts, all over Isla de Mujeres, shooting pictures down small alleys, on craggy rock, in front of crazy-bright, fabulously painted buildings for a couple hours.  At the ceremony, Kate held a simple bouquet of calla lillies, and  walked down the beach aisle to her groom, to the sounds of a small group of mariachi. The ceremony was short and sweet (and absolutely beautiful, in front of the pier, and the crystal-clear blue water).   Surrounded by their family and friends, it was lovely to watch, and I felt privileged to be there.  After the ceremony, we took some more portraits, with everyone there, and a few more of Kate and Matt, on the dock, and then it was time for a delicious Mexican dinner under the stars, with the beach and water in the foreground.  It was a great time, and I know I keep saying it, but I felt privileged to be asked to be there, and shoot the day, and I felt like I not only got to see a wonderful time in their lives, but I made new friends, as well. 

I'm in the process of making a slideshow, which includes some of the photos from the day trip, the day before the wedding, that we took to Chichenitza.  When the slideshow is up, I'll post it here, but in the meantime, a few of my favorites are also featured here, and there will be many more after the jump....

EDIT: To see the slideshow, go to next post, by clicking here...

Ken and Cari in Capitola Village

I recently shot Ken and Cari in Capitola Village.  I think we laughed more than half the time (I'm not kidding, and you can see in the photos that they're busting up in more than half of them).  I loved Ken and Cari from the get-go, they were fun and open, and seemed to really enjoy being with each other and making each other laugh (which I always appreciate). What's cool about their photos though, is while the laughter and humor comes through, so too does the love they have for each other, which resulted in some very romantic photos.  These are just the kind of mix I like; laughing, cracking up and having fun, but also some very tender, romantic moments, which makes for the perfect engagement session, with my favorite kind of shots (if you've been reading this for awhile, you know I love shots of people interacting, being natural, laughing and just being themselves)!  As always, here are some of my favorites, with more after the jump...

Kate and Adam, UCSC Engagement Shoot

I recently shot Kate and Adam's engagement shoot up around the (gorgeous) UCSC campus.  It was a place I'd never shot before, and I was so glad they suggested it, because the photos turned out so great.  It was one of those shoots where I was oohing and aahing about all the photos and locations as we continued through the shoot.  I know I can get (over)excited, but I truly do feel so blessed to do what I do, and I really do get excited when I'm shooting, seeing the shots as they come up, and also thinking about what they will be like, once I edit them.  So if you've shot with me, and you think, "Is this chick for real?" well, yes, that's really how I am.  I love what I do, and no matter how many shoots or weddings I've done, I still get excited with each one. 

Kate and Adam were a blast to work with, so easy-going, and fun, and also very excited to be doing the shoot (which makes it even more fun for me).  I'm excited to do their wedding, in the next month! I know we'll have a good time. Not only do the photograph incredibly well, but they are such great people, and I love being around sweet people, so I'm grateful they found me!   More photos after the jump...

Heather and Jordan's Pajaro Dunes Shoot

 

I met Heather at the Seascape wedding fair, and she hired me on the spot, which is fairly unusual for wedding fairs, as there are typically a myriad of people to meet. So when she (and her mom, who I also thought was great), wrote out a deposit check, and handed me the contract on the spot, I was thrilled, because I knew she would be great to work with. People who really know what they want are always fun for me (especially when they want me!). =)  Anyhow, that inkling turned out to be correct, when I met Heather and Jordan at Pajaro Dunes to shoot their engagment session.  I had a fun time shooting them, despite the CRAZY wind we had to deal with, (which made shooting on the beach promelmatic, at best).  One of the things I love about Pajaro Dunes, is that there are so many cool looking places to shoot, so while they may not have gotten as many beach shots as they may have originally liked, I absolutely loved the shots we ended up with.  To be honest, my favorite parts of Pajaro Dunes are the eucalyptus grove and the sea grass. And the eucalyptus grove looked particular magical in their engagement shots.  Here are just a few of my favorites, for you to check out (with more after the jump).

M'Kenzi and Jordan

I recently had the privilege of shooting M'Kenzi and Jordan's engagement portraits.  It really is one of my favorite shoots in a long time, not only were Jordan and M'Kenzi so fun, and game for ANYthing I put out there, but the location was absolutely incredible.  We shot at one of M'Kenzi's parents houses, where her sister is currently living, and it's up on the Soquel mountains, and has not only great old oak trees, horses, lots of land, a flower patch, but a cool old falling-down-looking barn. All GREAT places to shoot!! I think I say this a lot, but I really do love to get to shoot in new places, and this was no exception. 

This was such a gorgeous location for a photo shoot, and I absolutely LOVE the photos we got.  Here are just a *few* of my faves (although as you can see, I apparently have a LOT of faves). =)  Not only are Jordan and M'Kenzi great looking, but they were fun and spontaneous, and up for anything I suggested, even suggesting fun ideas themselves. And the photos run the gamut, from romantic, to fun, to slightly sexy to really sweet. I can't wait for their wedding, as I'm  sure their wedding will be equally fun and beautiful.

Also, as is typical for Santa Cruz in general, and especially Monte Vista alumni, we know a bunch of people in common, in fact, Jordan's sister Lisa Cilliberto (I don't know if I spelled that right) grew up with my sister Lindsey, and one of Jordan's best friends is Katie Gonzales, who is practically family (their family and ours grew up together).  And it's always fun when we know people in common, I'm sure there will be a bunch of people at the wedding that I know.

Anyhow, Jordan and M'Kenzi, I loved shooting with you, and I really love how your shots turned out, thank you for being SO willing to do anything, the pictures reflect how much fun we were having (or at least, I was)...I hope you love them as much as I do!!  Click on 'continue reading...' below, to view all my favorites.

Lauren and Brad in Capitola Village

I just got back from an amazing destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico.  I'm excited to tell you (and show you!) all about it.  However, I haven't gotten all the gazillions of images edited yet so in the meantime, I wanted to show you some of the fun shots from Lauren and Brad's engagement shoot, that we shot awhile back, in Capitola, both at the beach and around the village.  It was great to finally meet Brad, and I had so fun walking around Capitola, and kind of goofing off while we shot in some really unusual and non-traditional spots.  It's always extra-fun for me to get to shoot in locations that are outside the norm of what I usually do, and so to walk around with Lauren and Brad, and wait to be struck by inspiration was a great way to shoot an engagement session!  Below are a few of my favorite shots from our time together. With more after the jump...