Lauren + Igor! I can't say enough about this super duper sweet couple! It is definitely bittersweet to be blogging their gorgeous wedding which took place here in Santa Barbara at the Hope Ranch Riding Club, because this truly means their wedding is over and I won't be exchanging emails with them on a regulars basis. Lauren and Igor are just so sweet, kind and generous and they never felt like clients-- they always felt like friends! Their day turned out so gorgeous and went so smoothly, which made me so happy for them!Lauren and Igor have tons of friends and family. People flew from 6 continents to attend this wedding which really speaks volumes about the kind of people Lauren and Igor are! Toward the end of the reception, they opened the mic up for anyone who wanted to toast and so many of their guests stood up to tell funny and lovely stories about these two and to wish them well. It was moving to see how loved they are by so many people, and the positive impact they've made on their friends + families lives. But it didn't surprise me because like I said Lauren and Igor really are such special people! Their whole wedding day was centered around intimacy and making sure all who came to celebrate had a fun time and felt valued. They even included their guests in their ceremony by passing their rings for a "ring warming."I could go on and on about these two and their day but let's face it-- you want to see pictures! So we're almost there! But I do want to especially thank Meg West for planning the day so perfectly and my second shooter Kelsey for being my wingwoman...NOW photos! Scroll below and also don't forget to CLICK HERE for a slide show with even more sweet moments! Enjoy!
I am SO excited to be sharing this gorgeous Santa Barbara elopement with y'all today! First of all, I LOVE elopements. Gorgeous, sweet, simple, relaxed and all about LOVE! Does it get any better than that? Well it does when you have said elopement surrounded by all the natural beauty Santa Barbara has to offer. And wait, it gets even better still when the people eloping are Kristine + Marcus.Kristine and Marcus are two of the sweetest people I could ever hope to meet! They are kind, friendly, caring and incredibly thoughtful. These two have been together for.ev.er. And I could not be more happy to have been the one to document these two finally tying the knot! It was important to Kristine's mom that they marry in the Year of the Dragon, so these two made sure to tie the knot before the new year! And as it turned out, not only was the sunny Santa Barbara in true form, it was also whale season. And GUESS WHAT? We all saw the whales were jumping off shore before their ceremony! So special and beautiful! Something I'll never forget, and I hope they won't either!Check out their gorgeous elopement at The Douglas Family Preserve below:
Kristine cried sweet happy tears!
They had a Hawaiian water ceremony which was so sweet and something I'd never seen before!
Jessica found me in December while reading Style Me Pretty and she immediately contacted me about photographing her 12-12-12 Santa Barbara elopement to the love her life, Norm. She told me that almost a year earlier Norm had been diagnosed with grade 4 brain cancer, and everything in their lives changed. They were engaged, but of course with the news wedding plans got put on the back burner. Norm's health was everybody's #1 concern, as it should be! But all these two wanted was to get married. They are madly in love. Soul mates. The truest of companions. So when Norm thankfully got some good news from the doctor and was given the okay to take a small trip for a few days, they knew what they wanted to do.They took a roadtrip from Las Vegas to Santa Barbara to elope! They drove Norm's restored classic 1960's VW Bus all the way. They would marry in Santa Barbara, and then honeymoon as they drove up the central coast! How romantic! And that's where I came in... to photograph the big day! I could not have been more honored! Because Norm + Jess aren't that familiar with Santa Barbara, I also kinda helped plan the whole day-- choosing the locations for the ceremony and portraits, styling their sweetheart table, and giving some vendor recommendations! It was so fun helping to create the perfect day for such a special pair!I was honored to see their elopement on Style Me Pretty 10 days ago... and decided that Valentine's Day would be the perfect day to share their story on my own blog. Because if ever there was a STRONG love that should inspire lovers and dreamers everywhere, it is the story of Jessica + Norm. Please check out the images, and read how you can help at the bottom of this post. Thanks!The two had their ceremony on Refugio Beach... and because a storm was looming, they had the beach all to themselves!
The ceremony was touching beyond words! Jessica was sooooo happy!! And so was Norm! Definitely an emotional moment!! And so full of love!!! After the ceremony we enjoyed the beauty of the beach!! Jessica you are gorgeous!!! Dancing on the beach... so romantic!! The roadtrip begins here!! LOVE!!! How cute is the bus?!!! We wanted to spend some time in those gorgeous rolling hills of Santa Barbara! GORGEOUS!! Jessica's bouquet and floral headpiece was by Simply Bouquets! BEAUTY!! I styled and put together a little reception table for them! It turned out so sweet! Cake is by Crushcakes and linens are La Tavola. How can you not just ADORE these two?!! Back to the bus we go! Just Married!!! There they go off on their roadtrip honeymoon adventure! LOVE! If you would like to know more about Norm's story please check out his blog. You can also help Jessica + Norm by donating to help pay off Norm's medical bills. Despite having good health insurance the medical bills have added up... every little bit helps! Thank you!!
2012 was a great year for weddings! I shot so many gorgeous weddings in Santa Barbara and destinations beyond and had so much fun while doing so! Of course it always helps when your couples are some of the sweetest, most genuine and caring people in the world! I could not be more thankful for them! Take a peak at some of my favorite 2012 weddings! And then let's all be excited for what's in store for 2013!Brooks + Samantha kicked off the year by getting married at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum:
I don't think there are even words to explain just how EXCITED I am to share Kendra + Kevin's beautiful wedding with you which took place at Sunstone Villa (part of Sunstone Winery) in Santa Ynez! I have been in love with Sunstone as a venue ever since I did THIS editorial bridal shoot there! I mean really! It is a jaw droppingly gorgeous location that truly makes you feel as though you are in Tuscany and not California! And just when I thought it couldn't get any better my stylish bride Kendra and her fabulous planner Natalie Sofer come along and make the whole venue even more fabulous! Through the exquisite floral stylings of Toast and beautiful linens and rentals provided by La Tavola, the look of relaxed European countryside elegance was definitely achieved!Of course I could gush for hours about the pretty details and venue, but truly that is all icing on the cake! What really makes a wedding special is the bride and groom and all their friends and family! Well this wedding was no different! I have loved Kendra since we met. She is a girl after my own heart who knows exactly what she wants, and yet is so down to Earth and sweet! She is practically my wedding soul sister as on the wedding day I realized she had a Pronovias dress (just like my wedding gown was by Pronovias) and she had the exact same earrings as me on my wedding! Awesome! As soon as Kendra and Kevin saw each other they were glowing all day! Kevin kept saying how surreal it all was and Kendra was just plain giddy! Their ceremony was officiated by Kendra's dad which was super sweet and unique! It was a heartfelt touch that I really loved. Later as the party got going, we heard some uproarious toasts! Each one truly funnier than the one before it! And then the crowd got cray-cray on the dancefloor! Seriously, Kendra + friends know how to party! The party moved from the Villa to the wine caves for late night shenanigans! Yeah it was a pretty eventful, rockin' night!Huge thanks to my friend Megan Sharp and to my hubs AJ for shooting with me and keeping me hydrated! ;) Also major thanks to Natalie Sofer, Toast Santa Barbara, and the owners of Sunstone for making the day sooo spectacular! And now for pictures! YAY!
Kendra has a might fierce fashion sense!
This is what a STUNNING bride looks like!
Aw! Kendra! You're killing me with your beauty!
LOVE!
This ceremony?! UM YEAH! AMAZING!
How cute is Kendra with her Dad, Chuck?!?
Kevin was a happy groom!!
After the ceremony we did some romantic portraits in the vineyard and around the Villa grounds!
Rad!
Sun soaked vineyard love!
LOVE THIS!
You two are sexy!!
YES!
Gorgeous!
Obligatory veil shot!
Are you sure you two aren't models?!
LOVE!!!
My faves of the day!
Wait.. maybe this is my FAVE! They were greeting their guests in the courtyard below after I modeled them out for romantic portraits!
How fabulous is the reception set up?!
GORGEOUS!
So pretty! Loved these tables dressed with La Tavola linens and elegant arrangements by Toast!
Oh details, I love you!
Guests took their seats as the sun set over Santa Ynez!
LOVE!
A few shots of the wine cave set up... cocktail tables and a candy bar!
Partying in the caves!
To see even more images from this gorgeous Sunstone Winery Wedding please CLICK HERE or watch the slide show below:
Saturday was a very special day... Brooks + Samantha got married at The Santa Barbara Historical Museum!! YAY!! I had been counting down to their wedding for many reasons... First, I adore these two!! Over the past 4 months I've actually gotten to know them very well and they feel like more than clients, they feel like friends! I also adore their family! Brooks' father, Bryan, was our realtor and made the very scary and stressful first-time home buyer experience so easy. He was there for me and AJ during a stressful time and we felt like he truly looked out for us every step of the way! So there is a closeness there too. A few months ago, Bryan asked me to photograph Brooks' grandma's 80th birthday and through that experience I got to know the family even more. By the time the wedding rolled around, I knew so many of the guests. It added to the already warm feel of the day! I was also so exited for this wedding because I got to work with the amazing mother-daughter wedding planning duo Colette + Kaitlin of La Fete Weddings. They are wedding icons in Santa Barbara (heck, in all of SoCal) so it was definitely a delight to be working with them! As you can see there was lots to be excited about with this wedding!And... the wedding did not disappoint! It was such a beautiful day, both because of the out-pouring of love that was felt, and also because of the stunning details. Samantha looked gorgeous in her La Sposa bridal gown. The dress had a very sexy Spanish Flamenco-esque vibe to it which I loved! The Santa Barbara Historical Museum and Covarrubias Courtyard are old adobe structures and definitely have that Spanish/Mexican influence. So it was fun to see other details through out the day that alluded to the history of the venue-- from Sammie's gown, to the taco bar for dinner, to the succulent escort cards! It was all so charming!But the highlight of the day for me was the expression on Brooks' face as he watched Samantha walk down the aisle. Brooks' eyes welled up with tears and you could see how overcome he was with love in that moment as Samantha came towards him. It is so wonderful to see a guy love his girl so much, and let me tell you, Brooks really loves Samantha! I also swooned over the heartfelt toasts, and of course Brooks + Samantha's amazingly choreographed first dance! These two have the moves!Thanks so much to my hubby AJ and also Megan Sharp for assisting me on this wedding! Also much love to La Fete Weddings for coordination, Simply Bouquets for the gorgeous bouquets and ceremony decor, and Pure Joy Catering for a killer Mexican feast! Check out all the beauty and love below....
The details leave me breathless...
A little bling never hurt anyone!
Sammie was so calm before she got dressed. She just wanted to soak in the day :)
A sweet moment from the First Look! I LOVE First Looks!
The First Look allowed us to get many of the group photos done before the ceremony... which also meant extra time for fun bridal party shots like this!
Vanity Fair, ladies! Work it out!
The boys opted for some more Ninja-like moves ;)
Okay so this one just makes me laugh. Brooks decided he wanted a shot where they all stared straight ahead and looked like zombies (Brooks is a goofball, yes). But the funny thing was, though it may sound easy to stare ahead with a blank stare, it's actually quite challenging. The groomsmen had a hard time holding it together!
The CEREMONY! LOVE.
Cutest thing ever!!!
Brooks' face as Sammie walks down the aisle? PRICELESS. This is why I do what I do.
I had so much fun shooting the romantics! I love this part of the day so much! And the Historical Museum was such a great and rustic backdrop!
Sammie, you are STUNNING!
SERIOUSLY?? GORGEOUS!
FIERCE!
I adored the little succulent escort cards!
The reception details were so cute! Lots of blooms in mason jars and burlap table runners! Oh and chalkboard table numbers! Cute cute cute!
The first dance!
I don't usually post toast pictures, but I thought these two below were so touching. So much love was felt!!
To see more from this lovely wedding feel free to check out SLIDESHOW below or watch it by clicking here:
I am so blessed! I have the best job ever! Last Friday I got to photograph a gorgeous wedding held at The Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara. The Bacara is one of my dream venues, and shooting there lived up to my expectations! It's so lovely. The views of the ocean. The lush gardens. The Spanish-style architecture. The sound of the waves. Heaven! I LOVE shooting at the Bacara-- it's literally a photographer's dream! And I love Mike & Serene even more for trusting me to capture all their precious wedding day memories!Serene. I think the name fits her perfectly. Serene is so beautiful, laid back, and just a calming person to be around. She compliments Mike's high-energy perfectly. They are yin and yang for each other. During the ceremony both Serene & Mike wrote in their vows how they felt fate had brought them together. In fact, they knew they were destined to be together when they realized they share the same birth date! I love that! I agree, it must be a sign!Serene & Mike's Jewish ceremony was so beautiful. The ceremony was held on Bacara's Miro Lawn which is on a cliff overlooking the ocean! The billowy white Chuppah framed the view and it was just picture perfect! Amazing! But the ceremony was so much more than just a pretty view. It was incredibly personal, and therefore incredibly meaningful. I loved that it was full of old traditions, like how Mike's great-grandfather's tallit decorated the top of the Chuppah. And I loved the fun personal touches, like how a picture of Serene's beloved kitty, Pono, sat on a chair on the first row, it was as close as they could get to having Pono there! The Rabbi offered wonderful bits of wisdom mixed with a good dose of humor! It was the type of ceremony that makes you laugh and cry, and I think that's always a good thing!I could not be happier for Serene & Mike. I really must agree that these two were made for each other. They fit each other perfectly. Where Serene is weaker, Mike is strong. And where Mike is weaker, Serene is strong. They are a harmony. And I love it.So without further ado, let's check out photos from this gorgeous wedding held at the Bacara Resort and Spa. Oh, and thanks to my hubby, AJ, for second shooting with me! He did an awesome job and I LOVED working with him! ;)
Serene, are you kidding me?!?? You are gorgeous!!!!!
While I was grabbing this cute shot...
...AJ grabbed this detail shot!! Love the team work!
Prettiest. Ceremony. Ever. I LOVE everything about it!!!
The reception was elegant in Bacara's Rotunda Room! Thanks to Paula Gild of Gilded Events for pulling all the details together and making the day go smoothly!
And After Dark Entertainment helped make everything gorgeous with their lighting! And they also got the party going with their DJ skillz! They are the best!
To see more photos from Mike & Serene's gorgeous wedding please watch the SLIDESHOW below!
Serene & Mike, thank you so much for sharing your big day with AJ & I! We loved every minute of your wedding and were honored to document it for you! I hope you love the pics and are having an awesome time in Hawaii!
Last Saturday, in Santa Barbara, I photographed the most amazing wedding ever-- the bride and groom, their friends and family, the scenery, the details, the food, EVERYTHING was amazing beyond words. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure it wasn't a dream! And I have to thank Michelle Black of Lehr and Black, who happens to be one of the most fabulous people on planet Earth, for booking me for this wedding. Michelle and I had met at Priscilla & Chris's wedding last August, and ever since I have been itching of working with her again, because as I said she is *fabulous*. So imagine my glee when she wanted li'l ole me to shoot her best friend's wedding! I nearly died of joy when she asked! And then I heard it was going to be in Santa Barbara, and I was double sold! Sweet!But I hadn't met the bride and groom, Jenni and Jamie, and that is always strange for me to show up on the wedding day not knowing the couple. As I have said before, I always try to develop relationships with my couples prior to the big day. So on the drive up to Santa Barbara I was a little nervous of how the wedding day would go. No surprise though, Jenni & Jamie are as equally fabulous as their BFF Michelle and we hit it off right away! Remember how I was talking about Soul-Clients on Tuesday? I think they are yet another example of this! I see a lot of myself in Jenni. She is fun, has an amazing laugh and smile, is refreshingly open and candid, says hilarious things, and knows how to get down low on the dance floor. My kind of woman! Jamie is one cool dude as well. Very funny and very kind. You can see how much he loves Jenni just by the way he looks at her. These two can joke together at ease, make each other laugh, calm each others nerves, and party with each other like teenagers. And its awesome! I could hang out with them all day, just laughing and chillin'. They are that cool! And I am so happy to have witnessed their union. It was a beautiful and personal ceremony-- a bit of laughter, a bit of tears, just the way I like it! I have no doubt these two will be loving and laughing together for the rest of their lives! They are an amazing pair! I feel blessed to have met them and documented their big day! Really, really blessed!Love and laughter is all it takes to make a wedding fabulous. Everything else is icing on the cake. Well, this wedding had a LOT of icing! Because the eye candy was overflowing! Michelle, her mother Ellen and the rest of team at Lehr and Black did an amazing job coordinating and designing every detail of the day. From the gorgeous flowers by Lehr & Black's own Jane & Rudy, to the couture invitations that Lehr and Black are famous for, to the candy buffet, to the stunning tablescapes, to the views from The Santa Barbara Villa they had rented for the affair! Gorgeous! As a surprise to the bride and groom, Ellen hired Santa Barbara based Enjoy Cupcakes to set up the most fabulous dessert bar set up ever. No wait, you do not understand. Enjoy Cupcakes has this vintage trailer and they brought it to the wedding and set up the CUTEST little area for the desserts. Absolutely charming! And then the cupcakes themselves were DELICIOUS. I could have ate them all but that would have been rude. So I didn't! But, really, I think Kevin at Amber of Enjoy Cupcakes are amazing and all brides should be booking them for their weddings, like, RIGHT NOW!All right, I am chatting your ear off and all you want to see are pictures. And there are a ton I tell you! A TON! Thanks to Jenn King for coming along to second shoot for me last Saturday! :) Now for the eye candy!
The invitations were a work of art. Love the silk boxes they are presented in! It's like a little gift! The paper on the invites was so supple with a hint of texture! Luxe! I LOVE it!
The girls' bouquets! Michelle's on the left (loveeee the anemones) and Jenni's on the right! Pure romance!
Are you kidding me Jenni? You are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!
Laughing is sexy. I think people look so pretty when they laugh-- it just brightens the whole face! Jenni has a pretty beautiful laugh! But her model face is also sexylicious.
I <3 first looks!
I found a random field nearby and took Jenni & Jamie there for some romantics after the ceremony! Gorgeous light, gorgeous Santa Barbara, gorgeous newlyweds! 'Twas my lucky day!!!
Jenni you kill me with your prettiness! Jamie is one lucky guy!
Pure romance.
The trampoline. The Villa had a trampoline on the property and all anyone wanted to do was jump around on it and take pics! AWESOME!!! Look at the fun!
The candy buffet!
The GORGEOUS reception details!!!
How cute is this idea?! Combo placecards and menus! I love how personalized they were as well!
The view at sunset from the villa! Oh Santa Barbara! You kill me with your beauty!
Rad!!
Did I mention I love a girl who knows how to get down on the floor?
Yummy. Yummers. Yummerton. Look at those beautiful cuppies!
And if cupcakes aren't enough for you, there was espresso chocolate cakes, chocolate covered strawberries, and raspberry tarts!
Jenni and Jamie enjoyed the treats in the privacy of the trailer! Adorable!!!!!
Wow, what an amazing day. Thank you again sooooo much to Michelle for telling Jenni & Jamie to trust me with their big day! It was so fun! And thank you to Jenni & Jamie for having me along! I think you guys are awesome and I am so so happy for you! You two make an amazing pair and I feel so honored to have documented your union! Please keep in touch! You are officially friends now!!! ;)
And just in case you didn't get enough pictures from this GORGEOUS wedding please check out the slideshow below!!!
The ceremony was touching beyond words!
Jessica was sooooo happy!!
And so was Norm!
Definitely an emotional moment!!
And so full of love!!!
After the ceremony we enjoyed the beauty of the beach!!
Jessica you are gorgeous!!!
Dancing on the beach... so romantic!!
The roadtrip begins here!!
LOVE!!!
How cute is the bus?!!!
We wanted to spend some time in those gorgeous rolling hills of Santa Barbara!
GORGEOUS!!
Jessica's bouquet and floral headpiece was by 
BEAUTY!!
I styled and put together a little reception table for them! It turned out so sweet! Cake is by 
How can you not just ADORE these two?!!
Back to the bus we go!
Just Married!!! There they go off on their roadtrip honeymoon adventure! LOVE!
Heather + Johannes got married at the gorgeous Calamigos Ranch in Malibu (full wedding forthcoming):
And on 12-12-12 Jessica + Norm eloped in Santa Barbara (blog forthcoming):
