I had the pleasure recently of shooting at one of my favorite locations - Nestldown, in the Santa Cruz mountains, with the beautiful Ashley and Jared! It was a delight from start to finish. Here are a few of my faves, or if you'd like to watch the slideshow, you can do so by clicking on Jared and Ashley's Nestldown wedding slideshow here.
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I had the privilege of shooting Robyn and Sean's beautiful wedding at Holy Cross church and the always stunning Hollins House. Robyn and Sean are absolutely adorable, and it was so fun to get to share their wedding day with them. I've included a few of my favorite photos, and if you'd like to see more of my favorite photos from the day, I've created a slideshow of all of my favorite photos, which you can see by clicking here...
Below is a great example of why I had so much fun; they were literally cracking each other up all day (and I love capturing moments like this)...
The gorgeous flowers were done by Teressa, of Bonny Doon Garden Company, who is not only uber talented (and specializes in organic flowers), but a wonderful person too; it was fun to get to work with her again! There are some pretty shots of her bouquets below, after the jump.
And of course, I can't forget the Hollins House, which is one of my favorites in town, it's so elegant and the views are phenomenal. All in all, this was a beautiful day, and as I said before, I was honored to get to document Robyn and Sean's special day; they were fun, silly, sweet and romantic and I had a blast capturing all their different sides. (Hollins House, below...)
I have to talk about their first dance, which was so great! They started off slow, but then quickly got down and busted a serious move. Below is a shot of the 'serious' part, right before the fast music started, and I love this shot. There are a series of hilarious dancing shots that you MUST see, including a moment where Sean whipped his tux jacket off and threw it into the audience (I was so stoked that I captured it!), but there were so many great dancing moments that I'd be remiss if I didn't include a few of them, after the jump, but in order to fully appreciate the fun and wackiness that was their first dance, you should definitely check out the slideshow!!
Here's the throwing-the-jacket moment...(like I said, more fun dancing shots in the slideshow, and below after the jump).
Close-ups of the dress, before Robyn put it on....
I absolutely love this silhouette, right-before-they-head-down-the-aisle shot! I was shooting the bridesmaids walking down the aisle, and when I glanced up I saw Robyn and her dad conferring, right before starting down the aisle. I love how intent her dad looks, with just that glimmer of light off of his glasses, and how even though it's in silhouette, you can tell that she's smiling...
The ceremony...is Holy Cross not just completely lovely?
Immediately upon stepping out of the church...
Details! I love details, and these placecards in particular were pretty fabulous...
Portraits...
How I love the long veils!
There are more shots, after the jump, click to continue reading below...
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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).
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First of all - I'm so sorry I've been gone so long!! I've been in crazy-wedding-editing land for the last few months, and I know this blog has seen neither hide nor hair of me, and I while it may look that way, I haven't abandoned the blog! I've just been extrememly busy. I've had the pleasure of sh0ooting so many amazing, fun, distinctive and gorgeous weddings in 2008, and I wanted to (properly) share them with you! And I would have done so along the way, however, due to all the time and energy I put into each one of my weddings I haven't been able to find the time to actually blog about them (and I like to talk about the day, not just throw up a bunch of photos, which is why blogging about them takes me a little extra time)! But now the madness is finally easing up a bit, and so I thought I'd start back up again with one of my wonderful couples; Leslie and Scott, who had their wedding at one of my favorite wedding locations in the entire Bay Area; Nestldown! First of all, I must apologize to Leslie, as she's been wanting to see some of my favorites on the blog for awhile, and she has been incredibly patient in waiting on me to have time to write about her beautiful wedding! So thank you, Leslie, for your patience! Now, on to Scott and Leslie's Nestldown wedding!
(A
quick aside: I learned last year that it's NOT Nestledown, but
Nestldown, with no e! Yet every time I write it, I have to keep going
back and deleting the e, since it seems like it should be there. Plus,
for those of you who didn't know there was no e in Nestldown, I didn't
want you to think I was continally mis-typing it). =) Glad we could
clear that up! Now on to Scott and Leslie's wedding!
I liked Scott and Leslie the moment I met them, when they came for a wedding consultation at my house. They were referred by a good friend of mine, Melina, and I was so glad she referred them to me. Not only did I like Leslie and Scott right off the bat, but I was thrilled when I heard they were going to be married at Nestldown! Double bonus for me! And their wedding did not disappoint! Not only was every detail carefully thought out, but they made such gorgeous choices! From the largest to the smallest details'. Everything was classy, yet stylish and modern. The cake was completely different than any other cake I've ever seen, and all their other details were perfect for photographing them (and looked even better in person!), the table-number cards, the place settings, the flowers (which were lovely) and bouttonieres and table arrangements, and all the other choices they made, it was just a lovely wedding, and very well done. Leslie has great taste, and made my job super-easy! I'll talk about more in detail below.
(Another quick aside: As always, if you want to see the photos larger, click on them, and they'll pop up even bigger, and if you don't want to read all about their wedding, in detail, and just want to go directly to the slideshow, you can click here, to go to the slideshow, or if you just want to look at all my favorite pictures, and skip the words (I know I can be wordy!), then click here, and you'll be taken to below the jump to see a bunch of my favorite shots from their big day. )
Leslie, getting ready and putting her earrings on.
So as I said, I felt really lucky to be asked to shoot a couple weddings at Nestldown this year, and I say 'lucky' because I really do love it, for so many reasons and while I already discussed some of the distinctive features on Nestldown, in a previous post about another wedding I shot there, I thought I'd give you a quick refresher, in words and pictures, since it's been awhile. =) To begin with, the property is not only so beautiful, but it's completely unique, as I talked about previously (the aforementioned post when I shot Jen and Jame's wedding there).
The lovely bride.
Married! I love the expression on Leslie's face -- such elation.
The barn area, where appetizers and drinks were served, with the barn in the background.
As I mentioned, I loved all of Leslie's choices. They had multiple table centerpiece arrangements, (other styles below, after the jump). I particularly liked this one, with the three separate flower arrangements.
From the lawn, as it started getting dark, everyone made their way into the barn, where all the dancing, cake cutting and revelry was held, (and I'll talk about all that fun and craziness more below). Oh! And I almost forgot, there is also an incredible tree fort, (which I used to do some of the groomsmen's photos, below), and a small, Alice In Wonderland house, just big enough for little girls, surrounded with shrubs shaped like animals, and next to the train tracks. When I tell you it's a dream, it really is! I don't think there's anywhere like it in the Bay Area.
I love all the details, from the smallest of the flower choices...
I loved getting to be there, to shoot their big day, and one of the things that made it so fun for me, (besides Nestldown, whcih I love, an besides the gorgeous colors and flowers, was Scott, Leslie and their bridal party). I had a lot of fun shooting them all, and the guys were very sill and playful,, which is always fun for me; to have people who are totally at ease in front of the camera, and are in fact suggesting ideas for photos -- really, could a photographer ask for anything else?
The dancing was SO crazy and fun! The DJ did an incredible job, and kept everyone on the floor from the moment the dancing began, 'til Leslie and Scott left. He also had some seriously awesome lighting, which allowed me to get some really fun shots, like the one below, which I absolutely LOVE!
Really,
I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but this was really such a fun,
gorgeous, entertaining wedding! The bride and groom, and their guests,
friends and family were all fun and ready for a party, and of course,
Nestldown looked beautiful -- Leslie did a great job, and the staff
were quick, friendly and efficient and kept everything moving right on
track the entire evening. I was honored to be asked to shoot Leslie and Scott's wedding, and I had a great time, which I hope is conveyed by this blog post, (and hopefully I *don't* sound like a broken record!). Thanks so much, Leslie and Scott!!
If you want to see some more of my (many) favorite photos from the day, you can either go see the slideshow (link above), or, feel free to browse through some more of my favorites, after the jump, just click on, ''continue reading.." directly below.
Continue reading "Leslie & Scott's Enchanting Nestldown (not Nestledown!) Wedding" »
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I have been so crazy-busy lately, that I haven't posted in AGES, and for that I'm super-sorry. I have so m any gorgeous weddings to get caught up with on here, so please bear with me if I start cranking out posts in the next few weeks; I'm feeling super-remiss in not telling you all about these beautiful weddings I've been shooting this season. However, the reason I haven't been able to blog is BECAUSE of all those awesome weddings, so I suppose that's a bit of a catch-22... =)
Okay, enough of my apology, and on to Brian and Kristin's beautiful Seascape wedding! The wedding was gorgeous, and the day was crazy, weather-wise: while the day started out beautiful, (in fact, it was really hot and muggy at the beginning of the day -- you can even see a shot of Kristen with her dress practically up and around the fan while getting ready it was so hot), but then it quickly (during formal portrait time, of course!), morphed into a down-pour, and finally, during the ceremony, back into blue skies again.So it was a strange day weather-wise, but it was a wonderful day, wedding-wise.
Kristen and Brian are both really fun, outgoing, silly (Kristen is especially silly, which is a positive personality trait in my book), and they seem like such a good match for one another. They're one of those couples who you can just tell really love one another to peices, and while I get to shoot those couples in love on a weekly basis, the way they felt about one another was evident whenever I was with them, which is a wonderful thing to be around (especially for a sentimental sap like me!).
So after the gorgeous (if somewhat puddly, in the beginning) ceremony on the bluff of Seascape Resort, (which for those of you who are local, know is a beautiful place to get married in town; arguably one of the prettiest spots in town to have a ceremony), after some family portraits on the bluff, swung inside to get the party started. And what a party it was!!! It seems this year I've been inordinately blessed with really super-fun receptions, and this one was no exception. Their family and friends were more than game to hit the dance floor and it seemed that from the moment they opened the dancing, to the very end, the dance floor was PACKED with people, which not only makes it more fun, as a photographer, because there is always SO much action on the dance floor, but fun for everybody there - to have so many people singing and dancing along with the music -- it was just really fun to get to capture.
In particular, Kristen's uncle (I think that was how they were related...?) was just going for it, and dancing like there was no tomorrow, and it was SO hilariously funny, because he was this somewhat staid (at first glance) looking guy, yet when he got on that dance floor he was yelling and dancing and shaking to "I Like Big Butts," louder and more enthusiastically than almost everyone there. I am almost embarrassed by how many shots there are of Kristen and her uncle dancing. I even had a hard time, at one point, holding the camera steady, because I was laughing so hard, I had to practically slap myself to stop from shaking from laughter. In general, I'm not a big fan of 'The Circle,' (you know what I'm talking about: where everybody makes a big circle on the dance floor, and people take turns -- or not -- dancing in the middle while everyone was watching). However, I was grateful for the circle, because it made it so much easier to take shot after shot of everybody busting moves on the dance floor (particularly Kristen and her uncle).
First dance...
And finally, after the reception and all the crazy moves on the dance floor,we whisked Kristen and Brian out of Seascape and took the golf cart down to Seascape's private beach to shoot their wedding portraits. And despite having shivered through the rain in the morning, and sweat through the muggy afternoon, eaten dinner and danced the day away, I couldn't believe how beautiful they both still looked, after waiting for the end of their big day to shoot their portraits. And as the weather had earlier, when we were trying to do family and bridal party portraits, it interfered again, this time on the other end of the spectrum.
The above shot is a good example of the crazily intense bright light -- look at how crisp and dark their shadows are on the sand, and how strongly backlit they both are; they're practically glowing.
The light on the beach was so insanely bright that it either completely blinded them, or they were in total dark if their backs were to it, even using all my photo tricks, so we decided that while the beach is beautiful, it wasn't worth searing their retinas any longer, so we went back up to the resort and took the remainder of their photos on the grass. And I'm so glad we did, because I absolutely LOVE the photos we took at Seascape, and while the beach is always lovely, these were some of a series of some of my favorite wedding portraits in awhile, so I'm grateful they were up for scrapping the beach, and the grass ended up working out better all around (and they were able to avoid permanent eye damage! A win-win, for sure!). =)
So I know I'm going on and on (how unusual, I know!), but I just want to convey how much fun I had at their wedding. I always enjoy myself shooting weddings, but their wedding in particular had such a high level of revelry that I've seldom seen matched in reception-goers, and that, combined with Kristen and Brian' obvious 'right-ness' together made for a really wonderful, joyous celebration. I was (and am) delighted that they chose me to shoot their wedding day, and hopefully some of my favorite photos (below, after the jump, click on 'continue reading...') and the slideshow are able to convey, in a small way, a sense of their beautiful, joy-filled day.
Continue reading "Kristen & Brian's Seascape Resort Wedding" »
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I was delighted to be asked to shoot Heather and Jordan's wedding at Seascape. Heather and her mom rolled up at the Seascape Resort wedding fair (more than a year ago), and hired me on the spot. We spoke at length that day, and they said after checking everyone else out, there was nobody that they'd rather have shoot their wedding, which was a huge compliment to me. Plus, we just clicked, as people and I think that's hugely important when you're hiring a wedding photographer. In fact, in all my wedding meetings, I tell people, even if you don't hire me, make sure whoever you do hire is someone you really get along with, because you're going to be spending your entire wedding day with them. And it was that way with Heather and I, it seemed we really 'got' each other from the first. (Also, just to note, any photo on this blog can be clicked on to be made bigger, if you see desire).
When we first met for their engagement shoot, I knew we would have a great experience together. Jordan is sweet and a little quiet (but with a pretty wicked sense of humor), and Heather is this amazingly beautiful girl who asked (before her wedding day!) if we could do a trash-the-dress session after the wedding. So I knew right away she was my kind of a girl! (If you want to check out their engagement session, you can do so by clicking here.
Of course, Heather is an absolutely gorgeous (and kind) woman, as you can see from the shot I took below, while she was getting ready.
Heather and Jordan's was the last wedding I shot of last season, and it was a glorious day; it was a bright day and everyone was so excited to be there. When I arrived Heather was surrounded with all her friends and was in turns excited, happy and emotional (and back again). I absolutely love shooting the getting ready process, because it's a ritual unto itself, and also because of the huge swirl of emotion usually going on; the bride and her dad seeing each other for the first time, the mom watching her baby getting ready for her wedding day. It's like getting to take part in the best of life, over and over. It's a joyful thing to be in the midst of that, and I was reminded of that anew when I was with Heather and her girlfriends and family. They were all so happy to be there celebrating their beloved friends and children. One of my favorite shots is after Heather's dad walks in, and they've seen each other, and then her dad made some comment (I don't even remember what it was now), but I remember it being a very typical father-daughter interchange (which of course, still happen no matter how old you are), and the shot I caught, of Heather reacting to her dad cracks me up every time I look at it. (See below). It's a look of 'oh brother dad!' which she no doubt perfected in her teenaged years, but likely hasn't used for quite awhile. And just catching that moment and that emotion is my favorite thing (plus, the photo is just funny!). Check it out (I recommend you click on this one, so you can really see the priceless expression on her face):
Obviously she's a beautiful, grown woman, but her dad can still push those buttons, and I just love the expressions on both. He's like, "What?" and she's like, "Dad! Augh!" Too funny. Catching those moments, as I've said a gazillion times on here, is my absolute favorite thing about photography, and wedding photography in particular. Speaking of moments, besides the ceremony being of course beautiful and gorgeous (how can it not be on Seascape Resort's bluff overlooking the ocean), the reception was a total hoot. Also, if you want to skip the rest of my rambling, and either go straight to the wedding day slideshow (click here to go to see the slideshow of Heather and Jordan's Seascape Resort wedding). And actually, I strongly encourage you to check out this slideshow, because it's one of my most favorite in a long time. Or, you can skip the rest of this post entirely, and scroll to the end, and click on, 'Continue reading...' to see the rest of my favorite shots from the big day. If you're interested in hearing the details, then read on...
Heather and Jordan's friends went for it at the reception too; they were dancing and laughing and having a great old time and it really comes through in their pictures. In fact, there are a couple dancing montages that totally crack me up (below, after the jump). Also, the reception room, at Seascape, was done so beautifully. Heather and her mom (of who I also think is incredibly gorgeous) did an amazing job with the room (you can tell they have great taste by the choices they made). Of course, t hey did hire my amazing Aunt Susi, of Susi's Flowers (if you want to see her site, you can do so by clicking here), to work with them on flowers and decor, and well they did, because it's one of the best looking rooms I"ve ever shot at Seascape; the flowers were incredible, and they had a wedding where EVERY detail was thought and cared about, and it showed. One of my favorites was the 'place cards' which were apples, with the 'leaves' as names (shots of those after the jump). It looked amazing and was such a fun touch. So the decor was amazing, and their friends were SUCH fun to shoot (busting some serious moves on the dance floor). So there were so many awesome things to shoot, but I think some of my favorite parts of Heather and Jordan's wedding was the time we got to spend together doing their portraits on the beach.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the whole day; I love the clouds, the blue, the whole thing.
The day had been really nice during the ceremony (and everyone was stoked, because it had been reported that it would be seriously raining that day), so they dodged a bullet with that one. But then, when we went down to the beach (close to the middle of the reception), it had started drizzling, so Seascape kindly provided us with a few massive umbrellas (two for us photographers, and one for Heather and Jordan). And while I was bummed at first, thinking I wasn't going to be able to get that many shots because of the weather, it turned out to be incredibly, because while it was drizzling when we first got down there, we got some really amazing shots of them with this striped red and white umbrella, and because the beach was so foggy, it gave it this completely surreal feeling (especially because nobody else was out where we were). And then, as soon as the drizzle had started, it stopped, and we were able to get tons of shots sans umbrellas. And I absolutely love their portraits; not only were we able to take our time, and get the shots right, but the shots we got were some of my most favorite bridal portraits of the season. (And, I can't WAIT to shoot a trash-the-dress with Heather, because she really is so game for anything photo-related). So thank you Heather and Jordan, for asking me to record this momentous of your days. It was a delight, and I felt privileged to be there with you, truly. There are more of my favorite shots after the jump, just click on continue reading...
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This is one of my very favorite shots from their wedding day. And it's not a portrait. This is during the ceremony, and I absolutely love their expressions, and I love the way the light is sort of glowing around them. It's rare to get ceremony shots that look like portraits, so I just love this one.
I met the awesome Welch family when they came up to my booth at the first wedding fair I ever did, at the Coconut Grove, a couple years back. I remember right away I loved all of their energy and big personalities. I could tell at that moment, that we would be a great fit, and turns out, I was right!! They're such a great family, and I feel so blessed to have been asked to shoot not one, but two of their daughters weddings in the past few years.
How gorgeous is this spot? Right on the water, on West Cliff.
Oriana's is the second wedding I've been lucky enough to shoot for the Welch fam. I shot Heather and Chris's gorgeous Villa Montalvo wedding in 2006, (click here to go check out their wedding album), and then last season, I had the pleasure of shooting Oriana and Jason's equally glorious wedding; the ceremony and the reception were at their mom and dad's newly (amazingly and beautifully) renovated home in Santa Cruz, on West Cliff Drive (and if you're a local, you know how gorgeous the homes/location is on West Cliff Drive, and they live RIGHT in on it, with this incredible ocean view). So not only did Diane get this amazing remodel, but Oriana was able to have her wedding in the home she grew up in (which I loved, and which is what Ross and I did, we got married at my mom and dad's house, or 'The Compound' as Ross calls it). I love the intimacy of home weddings, and this was one spectacular home AND view, so really, you couldn't have found a more beautiful spot in Santa Cruz (and that's a bold statement, because really -- we live in an absolutely incredible area -- and the prices of buying a home here reflect that(!!!)). If you'd like to skip the rest of my long, LONG post, and go right to the slideshow, feel free to do so by clicking here, to be taken to the slideshow, or to skip the post entirely, and go see some of my favorite shots after the jump, you can click here, which will open up the entire post, so you can see the rest of my faves, after the jump, without having to read all those pesky words in between you and the wedding pictures!
So all of that to say; Oriana and Jason's wedding was just so beautiful, and Oriana looked simply breathtaking when she walked out to see her almost-to-be husband for the first time. It was one of those weddings where I felt really connected to the family (this having been my second time around doing a wedding with them), and Oriana and I had been emailing like friends throughout the planning, and in fact, have gotten even closer SINCE the wedding, which I really love. I write about it a lot on here, but I love that my career puts me in contact with people, and I often become friends with my couples after their weddings. It really is my goal to be not only their 'Wedding Photographer,' but also to work alongside them, as they grow into families. Nothing makes me more excited than when I get a call from one of my former brides saying, "I'm pregnant! Will you do maternity shots with us?" or "We just had our baby, we want to do a family photo shoot!" It's just such a privilege to be along with them for the journey. I know I'm teetering on the cheesy right now, but it's really true, and it's really how I feel, and in Oriana I feel like I've made a new friend. In fact, she said something to the effect of, "If we lived closer together, I know we'd be good friends," and I feel the exact same about her, and I can't wait 'til they decide to move back 'home,' to Santa Cruz again, and take her up on that! =)
I'm always trying to think of fun/different ways to shoot the details, and I absolutely LOVE, LOVE lily of the valley, so when I saw her bouquet, it was a no brainer how I was going to do the ring shot. (A quick shout out, my Aunt Susi, who is an incredible florist, did the flowers for both Oriana and Jason's, AND Heather and Chris's (Oriana's sister) weddings. And I promise you that it isn't nepotism at all, she really is an incredibly artistic and creative florist, so definitely go check her out, if you're looking for one, (click here for the link to her site, Susi's Flowers, or go check her out, she has the cutest store in Rancho Del Mar, in Aptos). We've worked together on a TON of weddings, and she always does the most amazing work..
Phew, another one of my soliloquies, sorry about that! Oh! I also have to mention that not only do I love Oriana, but I think her whole family is just great, in fact, I talked about it before, but I especially love their mom, Diane. She's the neatest woman, and I liked her from the get-go, I could tell she was my kind of woman, very funny and sassy, but with lots of love for her family. So not only did I love my bride and groom in this situation, but I loved their whole family already, so I really wanted to do a good job for them. (Of course, I ALWAYS want to do a good job, but there are some instances where I feel the push to work just a little harder, and go the extra mile, and this was one of those situations. Of course, I'm always very passionate about weddings, and if you've been reading this blog for ANY length of time know, I feel so blessed to be able to do the thing I love most, as a career, and I always put my heart and soul into every wedding, so I don't want it to come across as, 'I only work EXTRA hard for the people I really like, because that's not the case, but as I'm sure it is for you, as well, when there are people you really like, there's a feeling that you want to do push yourself a little more to do your absolute tippy-top best for them, and that's how I felt. Not that I don't do my best for every wedding, because I DO.
I love this series too (and there are more after the jump), of Jason and Oriana dancing together. What I love about these is how Jason is completely dancing just to make Oriana laugh, (and I love that, personally, because that's exactly what my husband, Ross, always does for me, whenever we dance, he says his whole goal is to crack me up, and he always does. Speaking of my husband, and this is a complete and total aside, but he wrote me the most amazing poem for Valentines day, and I just posted it on my personal/family blog, so if you want to see just how awesome he is, you can go check it out, by clicking here.( Anyhow, these are some super-fun shots of Jason and Oriana, and if you can't see them (they're pretty small here), then click on the photo above, and it will pop up big, so you can see their expressions.
(In fact, as an aside, at every wedding, I'm ALWAYS challenging myself to try and see things different and new, and challenge myself. I'm the kind of person that really does well under a challenge, and so if I give myself challenges, like, "try and do this in a new way, or try and see this in a different way, today,' then I find that I do better, because I'm not just resting on my laurels, and doing the same things, over and over, I really do try and do things differently at every wedding. (That's another thing I love; that every wedding, and couple, is so different and unique, and so I really try and mold the way I shoot around who THEY are, both separately, and together, so that when they get their pictures back, they really think, 'This is just so US!" That's one of the biggest compliments I can get, that I really captured people; who they are inside, their energy and 'soul'. I know this is verging on new agey mumbo jumbo, but that's really how I feel, and I delight in really 'getting' someone on film, in a way maybe they've never even seen. If I can do that, and really capture someone, who they really ARE, then I get more excited than you can imagine. (Those of you who've shot with me have probably seen it; when I know I've gotten a really great shot, or capture someone as I see them, I get super excited, sometimes even downright giddy. And I know that that's funny, but for me, it is something I get excited about, and I hope in turn, that when my clients see the photos, that they'll get just as excited as I was when I got the shot.
One of my favorite portraits from the day. I love the complete and total joy that's radiating from Oriana' s face.
Wow, this has turned into another ramble, and I've hardly spoken about Oriana and Jason. Although I feel like I said it all up in there first few paragraphs -- I just love them. I think they're beautiful people on the inside and out, and I've just SO enjoyed getting to know Oriana over the past year (or more!), and I look forward to when she moves 'home' so that we can hang out in person, and not just chat virtually. =) I love the way their photos turned out, and I was more than happy when Oriana called me, and before I even knew who it was, was screaming, "Oh my GOSH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!!" Those are the kind of calls that make my day week! So Oriana and Jason, thank you for the honor of choosing me to shoot your wedding, I feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of your big day (despite some of those ups and downs we talked about Oriana). ;) And I'm glad that seeing the photos for you was being able to see that it really was a beautiful, gorgeous day, and helped you forget the less desirable aspects of some of the things that went down. Because it WAS a gorgeous day, and you and Jason were so fun to watch; to see how truly in love you both are, and to be able to capture that on film was, for me, such a delight. I hope that your love will continue to grow asymptotically! (That was part of their vows, and it still cracks me up, even now, when I was writing it). =) Or I could say, as my daughter Bella does, when we're telling each other how much we love one another, that you 'love each other googoloplex times googoloplex!' (She's seven, how awesome is she??). =) Sorry for that quick bit of mom-type bragging, however, I DO hope your love and life will be happy and full of love together, googolplex, times googolplex, or asymptotically. Again, to view a bunch more of my favorites, click on, "Continue reading..." at the bottom of this post.
Jason and Oriana's first dance. Again, I love the expressions on their face. They're both so obviously stoked to be married, with such delight on their faces.
Continue reading "Oriana & Jason's West Cliff, Santa Cruz Wedding Photos " »
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I had the pleasure of shooting Pow-Li and Michael's wedding this past season at the Seascape Resort, in Aptos. It was a gloriously beautiful day, and Pow-Li looked stunning, (in fact, while making the slideshow of their wedding, while watching it, Bella kept saying how pretty she was), and Michael looked very handsome. What's really fun about shooting Pow-Li and Michael is how very different they are in every way (physically). They're like opposites: she's dark, hes's fair, she's petite, he's a big tall guy, he's got freckles and blue eyes, and she has black hair and dark brown eyes. Shooting those contrasts is always fun, and because Michael and Pow-Li were having so much fun, the entire day, they were a complete and utter delight to shoot.
In fact, Michael and Pow-Li came up with some seriously cool poses on their own, when we went down to Seascape's beach, and did their portrait shoot down there. Because he's this big strong guy, and she's this petite little thing, he was able to basically pick her up and throw her around however he felt, and because of that, we got some really cool, unique shots. One in particular that I love, is him lifting her over his head, while her arms are stretched wide open. You can see it right above. It looks like a movie still to me, and i just love it; the way they're posed, the light, the beach. It was a total serendipitous photo shoot.
Mike and Pow-Li are about to leave for their trip to Malaysia, which is where she is originally from, to have a second wedding celebration, with her side of the family and her old friends. Oh! I almost forgot one of my favorite things about Pow-Li's bridal party! Her maid of honor, was one of her dear friends, who had been her pen-pal (when she was just a little girl, growing up in Malaysia), for most of her life. They became pen-friends when they were very young, and remained so, up until the present day, which I just loved. Her girlfriend was (I *THINK*) from the Netherlands, and flew out just for the wedding. And Michael's family is mostly on the East Coast, in New York, so they all flew in from out of town as well. It was so neat to have all these different people there, from all different places around the world, who flew out, just for Pow-Li and Michael, to celebrate them, and their life together. That to me, is what it's all about, and you could really feel the love everyone had for them that day, it really permeated the room, and I felt incredibly blessed to have been asked to be a part of such a neat day.
I'm a sucker for cute shoes!!
Also, there were quite a few (absolutely adorable) kids at the wedding, and I had a blast taking a bunch of photos of the kids doing some seriously awesome dance moves, and just being kids. There are a bunch of uber cute kid shots after the jump, as well. I also should note that they had really great guests. Their guests all had such a great time, and that reflects in the photos; we got some seriously fun (and funny) dancing shots, of people seriously getting down.
If you'd like to see a slideshow from their Seascape wedding, you can get to the wedding slideshow, by clicking here, or if you just want to see a few of my favorites, I posted more after the jump, so if you just want to see a quick overview, with some of my favorite shots, click on "Continue reading..." below.
Oh! I almost forgot, while we were doing their photo shoot, down at the beach, there was a huge pod of dolphins that were frolicking and cavorting just off-shore, which was so incredible, and was the icing on the cake of a beautiful, cool day. There are some photos of the dolphins after the jump, as well. Man - this wedding had it all; dolphins, adorable kids, guests going for it, and a lovely bride and groom, on a brilliantly beautiful day. I'd say they were blesssed. It was a great day. Thanks so much, Mike and Pow-Li, for choosing me to shoot your wedding, it was such a delight, from beginning to end, and I've loved getting to know you both!
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...can you tell I like alliteration? Anyway...I thought I'd apologize in advance for my ultra-long post, if you just want the photos, click on the 'continue reading link at the bottom, or you can go directly to the slideshow from Gina and Greg's wedding at Hollins House, by clicking here. And you can skip my admittedly wordier than usual post about their wedding...
I had the honor of being chosen to shoot Gina and Greg's wedding last year, and boy was I thrilled that I got to do their wedding. There are a multitude of reasons, but to start; I really like them. They're both so fun, (not to mention the obvious: uber attractive), and they're up for anything photo-wise, and they're photogenic (those two don't always go hand in hand). They're one of those rare couples that can go from silly and goofy, and in the next moment, give me a super-dramatic posed shot, which as I"m sure you can imagine, is incredibly fun for me.
I started to realize just how fun they'd be to shoot, after we did their super-fun engagement shoot, at the Boardwalk, and then walking around downtown Santa Cruz for a bit. It's still to this day, one of my all-time favorite engagement shoots. If you haven't seen it already, I urge you to go check it out, (by clicking here!), because really, there are some great shots (if I do say so myself). =) When we did their engagement shoot, they were up for any type of shot, even coming up with some fun poses of their own. And if I asked them to do something, they just completely went for it (like I said, a photographer's dream, right? Right.).
Now, to be fair, Greg and Gina have both been in front of a LOT (I mean, a serious lot) of cameras, so even if at some point one of them was camera shy, they'd gotten over it well before we shot together. Gina (isn't she so beautiful??), has modeled, is a singer, in a band with Greg, and is also an actress, so she's very comfortable and familiar in front of the camera. And Greg is in this band you might've heard of, called SMASHMOUTH(!!). (Which, to be honest, was very exciting for me, because I've loved Smashmouth since college, but I'll address that more down below). So obviously Greg is used to having his photo taken as well, so like I said, to be fair, they are well-practiced, but it was really such a fun thing for me, to work with two people who were so comfortable in front of the camera, and willing and up for anything I threw at them. That doesn't happen super often, so when it does, I'm practically giddy. And, I think their photos really reflect that, especially the engagement shots (where they didn't have to worry about getting mussed), they were throwing their bodies all over the place.
So after that, I knew their wedding was going to be fun to shoot, it was at the lovely Hollins House, (both the ceremony and the reception were at Hollins House), and that is one of the best wedding locations in town (in my opinion),and of course, then I had Gina and Greg, both friendly, kind, super-photogenic, gorgeous, and fairly hammy (Gina's like me, loves having her photo taken), which makes it really fun for me. So all these great elements made for a great wedding day, and it really was, and I felt lucky enough to get to be the one to photograph it for posterity -- especially given that Greg and Gina have been photographed so much, it really meant a lot to me that they chose me, because obviously being photographed is part of their business. Another fun part for me, is that Gina and I really clicked. It was one of those times when I feel like, 'We'd totally be friends in 'real life''. We have a very similar sense of humor, and way of thinking, so not only did I get to shoot this super-awesomely fun and adorable couple, but I feel like I've made friends too. It's like the cherry on top of my wedding photography sundae.
The first shot totally cracks me up. Right before he was to go down the aisle, he looked over and saw that I was aiming my camera at him, and all of a sudden he starts pretending to completely chug his beer, (pretending he was super-nervous, and needed liquid courage, was my interpretation), and I literally had to clap my hand over my mouth to keep myself from cracking up,during a very quiet, 'everyone's walking down the aisle,' moment. Every time I look at that chugging photo, I laugh. In fact, I'm surprised that the shots came out in focus, as I was choking back laughter so hard when I took them.
So the day of the wedding, I arrived at Gina and Greg's house, and everybody was totally chill and calm, (which is SOMEwhat unusual), although Gina assured me on the inside she was flipping out a little bit, but everybody was hanging out, waiting to get their hair and makeup done, and being together. We were able to get some great getting ready shots, in particular, the ones of Gina getting her hair and makeup done. She is so beautiful, and the camera really does love her, that I (almost literally) couldn't stop taking photos, while she was getting her makeup on. She's got the most amazing features, and so I was right up in there, the whole time the makeup gal was doing her thing, and I love the shots we got, I just hope Gina wasn't bugged with me shooting and shooting while she was getting her makeup done, but she was a great sport, and didn't even care if I shot her totally makeup-less, and with her hair in curlers, and you've gotta respect that. Getting ready shots generally comprise some of my favorite time of the day, and this one didn't disappoint. From her makeup woman rolling up on a harley (how bad-ass is that??), to Gina being totally chill with me being right there, almost the whole time, to there being plenty of time for me to get lots of fun shots around the house, it was a great start to the day.
One of the many 'getting ready' shots we took. I love this one in particular because it's an 'action' shot, and I love the light coming in on Gina's face through the window, and I absolutely LOVE the expression on her face, and her lips!! She has the lips I long for. (If you're a friend of mine, you know I have
a bit ofa serious lip obsession. So I love this shot on multiple levels, and although I have a LOT of favorite getting ready shots, this is one of my VERY favorite.
Also, I have to note, the 'vibe' of the wedding was so cool and different. It was very 40's, with a splash of rockabilly, mixed in with elegance and a lot of fun. Gina's hair and makeup were so 40's glam, that she looked like a Hollywood starlet from the 40's-50's. In fact, the shot below I absolutely LOVE because it totally reminds me of the old 'Starlet' stills they'd have in magazines back in the day. Not just her hair and makeup, (which obviously, helps), but the angle o f the camera, and the 'look', it's pure Hollywood glam, and I LOVE it!
Hollywood starlet, circa 1945.
I was really stoked during the ceremony, because the sky was overcast, and so despite not having anything above Greg and Gina (to filter light), and it being a very dappled-light spot normally, (because of all the trees overhead, with the light going through the trees), because it was overcast, I was able to get some great ceremony shots; without their faces being obscured in any way (which I was a bit nervous about, prior to getting there, because I've shot at Hollins House before). The ceremony was very sweet, with a few very funny moments. When it was Gina's turn to do her 'vows' she pulled out this massive scroll, and read from it, which cracked everybody up. That and the end were one of my favorite ceremony moments. Once they were 'pronounced' the expressions, and what they did, were so funny. Gina was (practically jumping up and down), waving her arms in the air, all excited, and Greg had this faux, "Oh Crap! What did I do?" look on his face, and the juxtaposition was so funny. (There are shots of that, after the jump, below, or just click on that link, where I was describing it, and it'll pop open.) And if you want to see an overview of the whole day,, you can click here to be taken to the slideshow, which gives a real feel for entire day, from getting ready, to the (almost) end.
I love these shots, especially the middle shot, of Greg looking up her dress, with a "huh?" look on his face was priceless. Another of the shtos where I was so glad they came out sharp, because I was laughing so hard. And I love Gina's reaction shots on either side.
The reception was also a great mix of sweetness, hilarity, tenderness and love, and goofiness. Greg and Gina's first dance was so sweet; the way he looked at her, (or at each other, really), was so gentle and full of love (I know, I'm starting to wobble over into sentimentality), but it really was. But then, at the end, he busts out this goofy look, and then dips her (without warning), and that was the end of their first dance. The whole day felt like that; you could see how much they loved one another, but they didn't take themselves too seriously, and I felt like at any moment they could (and did), do something picture-worthy (see the shot above, to illustrate). So they definitely kept me on my toes, the whole night. The reception was everything couples hope a reception will be; fun, beautiful, with tons of energy (the dance floor was on fire; completely packed, and they had a GREAT band), with a couple who seemed pretty googly over one another, and all their guests seemed so thrilled for them+. Perfect reception, no?
I love the way Gina's looking up at Greg in this toasting shot. It looks like she's thinking, "He's so dreamy!"
I'd say the only (very slight) bummer, (and I'm 99% sure Gina would agree with me, since we've talked about it), was that I wished we'dve had more time to do portraits of Gina and Greg. The schedule was pretty tight, which meant that we had limited time to do 'formals,' and I think my feeling a little bit bummed, was that here I have these amazingly photogenic people, all dolled up, and just screaming for me to shoot away, and due to time constraints, we weren't able to spend as much time in portraits. However, that being said, because they ARE so photogenic, and because they WERE doing funny, photo-worthy things at any moment, that despite not having as much time as I (or Gina) would have liked for formals, we got so many great 'in the moment' shots, that I feel like t hose made up for the lack of 'formal' shots. (Maybe I can talk them into a trash the dress -- how awesome would they be doing a trash the dress session?? I'm almost jumping up and down in my chair thinking about it!). AND, in addition to the great documentary shots, the formal shots we DID get, I really do love. In particular when Gina and I (and her sister, and Kimmy, my assistant), went into a side room at Hollins House that wasn't being used, and did some solo shots of Gina in there. I love a girl, who when asked, "How do you feel about laying down? It might wrinkle your dress a little..." and before I can get the sentence out, throws herself onto the window-seat, and starts posing. I loved ALL the shots we got in there. I don't have a favorite of that bunch, but I do extra-love any of the ones where the chandeliers are reflected in the windows behind Gina, I just love the pattern of them, and the colors/tones of those shots. Those shots I had to 'fix' quite a bit, to get me and all the other people in the room (people kept drifting in and out to watch), who were also reflecting along with the chandeliers, so those took some serious time, (while they hopefully don't reflect that [ba dum bum - thanks, I'll be here all night]), which I think is why they, in particular, hold a place close to my heart.
PHEW! If you've stuck with me this long, thanks. There was just a lot to talk about, and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything! So to sum up: Greg and Gina: awesome, Wedding Day: awesome, Photos: awesome (if I do say so myself). ;) As I said above, there are more after the jump, just click on, "Continue reading..." OR (or in addition), go check out the slideshow of the entire day, which is (again, in my opinion) totally worth clicking the link to go see. And finally, I have to say thanks again, to Greg and Gina, who were SO wonderful to work with, so down with anything I threw at them, and so fun to be with. I'm so glad they asked me to be their photographer (especially since I know they have uber talented friends who are photographers), because it really was such a blast for me -- the engagement shoot as well as the wedding day. I hope that this won't be the last I see of them, as I'd love to have the chance to shoot them again.
And finally, not to get all fan-girl on them (this is slightly embarrassing, but very true, and I want to be honest), I know I'm a dork, but I do love Smashmouth, and their earlier albums in particular were like the soundtrack of college for me, so it was a thrill to get to meet Greg, and then the double-bonus of what great people they both turned out to be (in fact, I didn't know Greg was who he was until our first meeting was almost over, which is probably good, because if I'd known ahead of time, I might have freaked out and been slightly weird (like I"m being now - fan-girly!), but since it didn't come up 'til I casually asked what they did for a living. This was after Gina and I had been chatting about not-wedding-things for about an hour AFTER the real wedding meeting was over, and you could see Greg starting to look slightly ready to go, so I thought, "we should include Greg, too, I wonder what he does for a living, I'll ask him..." near the end of our first photography interview/meeting (before they'd chosen their photographer, and were still interviewing people). So all that to say, I got to meet Greg as Greg, and not as "Greg Camp, of Smashmouth, Greg," (which I know, I'm getting a little lame here, but tell me you wouldn't flip a little, meeting someone who you're a fan of. Right? Right. So, sorry Greg, I'm sure he gets this kind of thing a lot, and this is (I HOPE(!)) the first peep of my fan-girly-ness, but there you have it. =) I know once Gina reads this she'll probably laugh, (hard), but it's true. However, I really wanted to shoot their wedding, when I didn't have a clue who either of them were, so then when I found out, I was like, Whoa! AWESOME!!" (on the inside). And on the outside, I just smiled and said, "Oh my gosh, I love your music, and so do my girls, I can't wait to tell them, they'll freak out!" (You know, Shrek being Sofia's FAVORITE movies and all their songs get played a lot in our house), but really, it was me who was, "Oh my GOSH, I LOVE Smashmouth!!!" on the inside. But as I said, I got to know them first as 'Greg and Gina, who's wedding sounds super-cool, and I want to shoot it.' =)
Wow, that was a long paragraph, but I wanted to address it, because it's sort of weird (and disingenuous) for me to just say, "Greg's in Smashmouth!" and then move on like it's not a big deal to me, because it was a big deal (when I first found out) but at the same time, I never wanted for them to feel awkward, having me be all, '...oh my gosh, we always used to dance to your music at our parties, at Santa Clara, and we saw you in concert, and then this one time, and then.......' and so on and so forth. But ultimately, at the end of the day, I was really stoked, because not only do Gina and Greg really know how to throw a party, but that I got to know them both, (Gina in particular - she's a typer and talker like me (must be an Italian thing, apparently you get hairiness, and talkativeness, among other things...), and I feel like I made new friends (which, total side note, but that's one of my favorite things about my job, that I become friends with a lot of my couples!),, and any of the "Whoa! Smashmouth!" residue went out the window after we started shooting their engagement session and I got to see them together, as just another couple (who admittedly are both gorgeous, and take great pictures!). =) So, sorry for that long soliloquy, but I've got to be honest, and any of my friends know it would be weird, and super not-me, for me to just gloss over the fact that Greg's in Smashmouth, but I didn't want it to be all about that, either, because when it comes down to it, they're just another one of my newlywed couples that I feel privileged to have been chosen to shoot one of the most important days in their life (which is another of my favorite things about my job, that I get to be there at other peoples life 'peak' moments, and record it. How awesome is that?). So thanks, Gina and Greg, it really was a delight to get to know you AND to get to shoot your wedding...and Gina, if you ever want to do a trash the dress -- you know who to call. =)
To see a bunch more of my faves, continue after the jump, or go check out the slideshow (link above!)...
Continue reading "Gina and Greg's Gloriously, Gorgeous gWedding, at gHollins gHouse!" »
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Walking along the paths, at Cinnabar Golf Course. Love the paths. Love the texture.
I was so excited to shoot Johnny and Jill's wedding, because it was the first time I have ever been able to shoot at my alma mater, Santa Clara University,, (it also happens to be my husband's, sister's, and uncle K.C.'s alma mater), and it was also my first time getting to shoot at Cinnabar Hills, which was a really beautiful location to shoot at. And of course, Santa Clara is not just a university, it's also a MISSION! I guess I should be saying, they got married at Mission Santa Clara, as that's a little more apt. And Cinnabar is a gorgeous golf course, which we got amazing photos at, as you'll see below. I can't believe that was the first time I got to shoot at wedding at Santa Clara (given that's my school!), but it was, and I was thrilled to do so.
Johnny and Jill are just the cutest, and what I found really fun shooting them, is that they're really contrasty. I know that sounds silly, but because in coloring they're almost opposites, it made for some gorgeous photos (if I do say so myself). =) She's so fair; super light blond hair, gorgeous creamy complection, and these stunning bright blue eyes, and he's got this amazing darker skin (all-year 'round tan, I'm so jealous!), black hair and dark eyes, and I just think they look so stunning together. So yes, they're adorable, but they're also really sweet, kind people, and they were really fun to get to know. If you'd like to check out Johnny and Jill's Santa Clara University and Cinnabar Hills wedding photo slideshow, you can do so by clicking here. There are also a bunch of my favorites posted within this post, and if you click on, 'Continue reading...' below, you'll be able to see even more of my favorites.
I love this shot, it's the moment right before the make-up artist but the blush brush to her cheek to finish her makeup, but she just looks so quiet and sweet, and I love me some natural light!
We did their engagement shoot at Captiola Village and Beach (which, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I ever posted here, but we got SUCH great photos from their engagement shoot, I should totally post those!), and they were game for anything I threw at them for portraits, and because of that, we got some really beautiful bridal portraits, both at Santa Clara and at Cinnabar Hills. It was a great wedding, and they seemed so perfect for one another, I hope I get to shoot their family portraits when they decide to go that route, because they're going to have some seriously gorgeous kids! Speaking of gorgeous kids; their flower girl and ring bearers were absolutely adorable, and I got some really fun shots of them, in fact, I posted some of the shots I took of the little ones below, so you could see.
So thanks Johnny and Jill, for choosing me to shoot your wedding photos! I was thrilled to get to shoot a wedding at Santa Clara University (finally), and also to get to shot at Cinnabar Hills for the first time, so thank you, and thanks for being so great at every point along the way!!
A different kind of ring shot...
Continue reading "Johnny and Jill's Wedding at Mission Santa Clara (SCU!) & Cinnabar Hills" »
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