I have been so lucky both last year and this year to work as an associate photographer for Callaway Gable! Basically, I have taken on some extra clients through Callaway Gable. I get to shoot these weddings and engagements as the lead photographer, but I don't deal with the editing of photos or delivering of images. It's been really cool because it has allowed me to shoot more and work with more awesome couples, without the extra work of post-production. Pretty rad! It's also been fantastic working for and learning from such amazing, award winning photogs like Allie + Brian of Callaway Gable! Such an great opportunity that I could not be more thankful for.Stacy + Sebastian are one of my Callaway Gable clients and I just adore them!!! They will be getting married this Summer and I am so excited for it! If it is anything like our engagement, I know it will be completely amazing! For our engagement we started off shooting at The Lumber Yard in Malibu. And then we finished the session at one of my faves, El Matador Beach! Awesome! Check out the photos below!

How fliipin' attractive are these two??? SERIOUSLY.

Stacy made this cute little banner! Love it!

SEXY!

This pic is one of my faves! Ever!

Stacy, you are radiant!

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Yay! It's always so fun to see my work featured on wedding blogs. But honestly the BEST thing about a publication feature is the 15-minutes of wedding world fame it brings my brides! My brides work so hard to pull together inspired, adorable, unique weddings and photo shoots. And getting their photos published is the ultimate validation that their creativity ROCKS! And they get to feel like a wedding rockstar for a day or so. And ultimately, I really want the ENTIRE experience of working with me to be "rockstar-esque," if you will.So yay yay yay for Rachel + Sean! Their adorable and heartfelt camping themed engagement shoot was featured on Ever Ours today! Go check it out:

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I absolutely LOVE engagement season! Such a fun time of year spent meeting potential clients, and getting to know my newly booked 2012 clients even better through engagement photo shoots! So exciting!I also have been having a ton of fun shooting in Santa Barbara, my new home! Even though Susie + Eric are getting married in LA, they were very excited about the opportunity to do their engagement pictures in Downtown Santa Barbara. Especially because Eric is an alumni of UCSB! We started off the session at the Santa Barbara Courthouse! I had heard that it was such a beautiful location... but I really was impressed at how awesome is! The architecture is fantastic and there are so many nooks and crannies with ridiculously pretty light! LOVED it!Of course, the best part of the session was just working with Susie + Eric! These two both have such a great sense of style, and they were so excited to be all gussied up and play super-model! Total dream clients! But beyond being ridiculously stylish and good looking, these two are just so sweet and fun to be around! They were always looking out for each other, and would just get lost in each others eyes! Sighhh. So adorable to witness! You can just tell that these two are super in love! And not only are they so sweet with each other, but they also bought me a hot chocolate to warm me up from a very cold, windy session! Can't ask for better clients than that! ;)So without further ado... love at the Santa Barbara Courthouse (100 Anacapa Street  Santa Barbara, CA 93101) ...

Seriously! Are they not just ridiculously adorable together?!

They know how to 'smise. That's "smile with your eyes," for anyone out there who doesn't speak Tyra Banks!

Hotties for sure!!

Work it outttttttt! ;)

Really, you two? Y'all should be in a magazine!

LOVE!

Love this sweet moment!

...and I LOVE this fierce moment! Rawr!

The light in the Mural Room of the Courthouse was oh-so dramatic!

We then headed down State Street to one of Susie + Eric's favorite places... STARBUCKS!!!

Eric is a true gentleman!

Oh yeah... then they got some soft serve ice cream! And then we took this amazing-ness!

To see more photos from Susie + Eric's Downtown Santa Barbara Engagement please watch the SLIDE SHOW!

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I am so lucky to have just moved to beautiful Santa Barbara! But I am even luckier to have already found some wonderful clients in my new area! Brooks + Samantha are completely awesome! Brooks went to the same high school as my husband (also where my husband now teaches) and his dad actually  was our amazing realtor when we moved! So I was super duper thrilled when Brooks + Sam said they wanted me to photograph their wedding!I had so much fun hanging out with Brooks + Sam, hiking around the incredible Coronado Butterfly Preserve, talking about yoga and our cats, and taking some fabulous images! It was the perfect day!Check out some of the beautiful images below!

I mean, really, you two. Could you be any more gorgeous??

Look at all the pretty nature surrounding these two lovebirds!

Sammie smiles with her eyes! LOVE it!

It's RIDICULOUS how good you two look together! <3

Samantha you are STUNNING!

This one is very cinematic.

Adore!!!

Love! Brooks, you look so handsome!

Fun!!! I love these last two shots of them so much! Just running through the fields! :)

The motion blur in this last one gets me every time! RAD!

I la-la-la-love it and can't wait for the wedding in May! I know it's gonna be absolutely lovely in every way!

...and I can't wait to shoot more at the Monarch Preserve! Such a stunning area! If you wanna check it out, even just for a hike, here's the info:

Coronado DrGoleta, CA 93117

To see more photos from this lovely engagement session watch the SLIDE SHOW!

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At the end of 2011, I got to shoot the lovely Angie + George's sweet engagement session in Downtown LA! I had so much fun with them, wandering Union Station + Olvera street! We found so many little nooks and allies and lucked out with some great light! Angie is also a very talented fine art +edgy fashion photographer, so I was very flattered that these two trusted me with their engagement photos! I just love the results! Check it out......Being a fashion photographer, Angie taught George how to make the "fierce" face. Rawr.I love shooting in this tunnel but always have to challenge myself with a new shot. I dig this one!We found some excellent light as we wound our way through the stalls and carts on Olvera Street! Love the colors here, and Angie looks GORGE!SUPER STARS!This engagement was such a great way to end 2011! I am so glad I finally had a chance to blog it! <3

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At the beginning of a New Year, I always love to a reflect on the year that just ended. I love  to see how how far I've come, and to remember all the wonderful moments I got to experience that past year! When I look back on all the weddings and love shoots I've done I get the warm fuzzies. Because again I'm blown away by how many AWESOME couples I worked with. Because I see how every shoot I become I better photographer. Because there my life is filled with beauty inside and out. These year-in-review posts are truly some of my favorite. And I look forward to creating them each January!I was very lucky to have SUCH fabulously creative and stylish couples in 2012. Many of my couples wanted to do unique engagements and styled them to perfection! I loved it! I can only hope 2012 is filled with such gorgeous engagements, though I have no doubt it will be! :) So without further ado, a look back at 2011's engagement shoots...Technically Brooklyn + Mark's shoot was an anniversary...but who wants to be technical?! They started my 2011 off in style on a drizzly February day!I got to photograph Diana + JR in Nevada, thanks to Candice!Andra + Nate celebrated Easter with a fun Pasadena engagement session!Kim + Mark brought the fabulous at Griffith Observatory!Carolyn + Prescott's Valencia engagement session was styled to be oh so very pretty!Virginia + Alex turned their love for each other and old western movies into one gorgeous engagement!!!Adriana and Phil brought sexy back in Downtown Los Angeles:Frances + Jared's Long Beach engagement was full of stolen moments to make your heart flutter!Skylar + AJ's engagement at The Lab was so stylish I'm sure Anna Wintour would die of jealousy over them!!Becky + Bernadette's engagement at Griffith Observatory was filled with love!Jen + Eric got real sexy at El Matador Beach...if the engagement is this hot I can't wait for their summer 2012 wedding! :)Rachel and Sean closed out my 2011 engagement season, with a sweet as s'mores camping themed engagement in the canyons of Malibu!

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Engagement sessions are super fun! And also, engagement sessions are when my clients and I really get to know each other--it's the first time we create gorgeous images together. Notice that I said, "create beautiful images together." Even though I am the one behind the camera, composing the shots and giving direction and guidance, so much of the look of the photo is based on what my clients bring to it. My clients ultimately choose the location, their outfits and accessories, and if they want they choose a theme and/or bring a few props. I might be the director/producer but they are the art directors and the writers of the story. So when you really think about it, engagement photos offer a huge opportunity for a couple to showcase their styles, personality, have fun, and create a little visual story about themselves. Sometimes it involves acting out a fantasy they have for their future and sometimes its just being raw and real. But either way there is no doubt that when my couples help style their engagement photos they get a truly unique collection of once-in-a-lifetime photos as a result.That said, I know styling your own engagement shoot can be daunting. Where to begin??  Below are four super easy tips to help you style your own engagement session!

1. Think about and collect props!

Props are little extras you bring your session. You can be really small and subtle with it. For example, my bride Jen just brought these little hearts she found at Michael's yet they made for such cute and unique photos.I've also had many couples get more elaborate with props-- especially when they come up with a theme (see my next tip for more on themes)! If you want to bring multiple props that is great! Begin collecting early. Search through your own house or garage for stuff, or maybe even at your parent's or grandparent's for family treasures. Thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets are also GREAT resources for finding fabulous props without a high price tag. The key is to begin thinking  and collecting early.

2. Come up with a theme!

A theme can be elaborate such as "Lady and The Tramp" or a little more casual and open for interpretation like " Spring-time Vintage Picnic." Your theme can also just be "Stuff we love!!!" Identifying a theme gives you  a jumping off point for finding appropriate props, and will also guide you in choosing what to wear. Some tips for choosing themes:1. Base your theme off the season/time of year we are shooting. My bride Carolyn chose a very Spring picnic theme, complete with a pastel color palette, because our session was in April.2. Base your theme off of pop culture. Do you two love a certain genre of movies or music? Or maybe just one movie, artist or song in particular? If you two have a strong link to something in pop culture go ahead and run with it in your engagement session. For example, Brooklyn + Mark love Disney movies so they chose a Lady and the Tramp theme to their session.On the other hand, Virginia + Alex both worked in the film industry, so they have a love of film, particularly Old Westerns. And that inspired their theme.3. Lastly you can base your theme around an assortment of things you like. Kim told me her and Mark loved vintage things, picnics, playing all kinds of board games and their alma mater UCSB... so she brought a lot of props that reflected that and we turned those things her and Mark loved into this:Ultimately, a theme can be anything you want and you are only limited by your imagination. Think about the things you and your fiance love to do most together and begin brainstorming. Then search google and other wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty or Green Wedding Shoes for some visual inspiration.

3. Make it PERSONAL!

Things that are truly personal or reflective of you and your fiance will always enhance a photo. You will love your photos so much more if you really honored who you two were when styling your session. Themes, and props can be made personal. And that's so important. My bride Rachel found 90% of the props for her camping themed session in her grandparent's home. These items all had an extra special place in her heart because she remembered them from childhood camping trips with her grandma and grandpa. Now these items made for one very cool photo shoot and every time Rachel sees the photos she will be reminded not only of her love for Sean and their future together, but also her past and family history as well. And isn't that what engagements and weddings are all about?? Families blending and coming together as one.Another way to truly be personal is to hand make a prop for your session. My bride Carolyn owns a bakery and so she baked adorable cupcakes, and frosted cookies pops for the session. This really speaks to who she is at heart.

4. Enlist help (professional or otherwise)!

For the busy professional, making time to find props or style your engagement shoot can be a challenge. Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Perhaps assign a task to your fiance. Ask your crafty friend to help you make something. Or even turn to your vendors. If a client brings props, I will always help arrange them at the shoot to make it look cute. However, hiring your event planner/designer or even your florist to style your engagement can make a huge impact on the look of your engagement. Plus this gives you a real taste of how your designer/planner translates your inspiration into a set up before the big day. It's a great trial run in working with your vendors, beyond your photographer.Intertwined Events, along with floral designer Megan Gray of Honey and Poppies, styled Brooklyn + Mark's shoot and the results were major!So those are my four easy tips to having a gorgeously styled, super cute, unique engagement! Hope you enjoyed and found it helpful!

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I knew I loved Rachel from her first email, but our meeting proved it! We laughed and chatted as she told me all about her plans for her and Sean's big day! And if that wasn't enough we also chatted about engagement session ideas. She said her and Sean love to camp and she would love to do a camping themed session. And ever since? I have been full of anticipation for this shoot! Well Sunday it happened! Sean + Rachel booked a campsite in Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu. The grounds were lovely. And even lovelier were all the props and camping gear these two brought with them. It made for one adorable, loved filled session that I am so excited to share!!

I am in love with all these vintage camping props Rachel brought! She found them in her grandparents' garage! How cool is that?! It's also proof you don't need to spend a ton on props to make an engagement session unique and adorable!

You two are SOOO cute!!!

Camping is not complete without roasted marshmallows and s'mores, right?! So we made sure to make some! Yum yum!

Love in a tent!!! Sooooo adorable!!!

I adore this sign that Rachel found at a yard sale for $3.99!!!! Amazing!!!

This photo really shows off how much fun Rachel + Sean have together!

You two are so cute together it's seriously ridiculous!!!! :)

To see more from this lovely camping themed engagement session watch the SLIDE SHOW!

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It never ceases to amaze me how some of my best clients find me by way of my hubby AJ. Actually, when I think of how many rad couples have come my way because of him, it almost seems like I should give him a bonus, or a foot rub, or both. ;) Anyways, Jen is one such client! You see my hubby is a big Dodgers fan and spends a good deal of his leisure time chatting and commenting on True Blue LA. Jen happened to comment there one day, and, while introducing herself to the other members, mentioned she was engaged. AJ got all excited and proceeded to rave about how I am "the best wedding photographer on Earth", his words not mine! So Jen checked out my site, sent me an email, set up a time to meet me and BAM booked on the spot! Which was awesome!!!And just like many of the fab clients AJ sent my way before her, Jen is totally rad. She has an amazing sense of style, is very funny and smart and has oh so much in common with me! It was as if it was meant to be! Ever since we met, I have been SOOOO excited for our e-sesh, and last Sunday it finally happened! And it was as amazing as I had been imagining!At the engagement session, I also got to meet Eric for the first time. And I finally got to see how Jen and him interact! Jen and Eric are pure adorableness together! Eric could't take his eyes off Jen, and gushed over how cute she is and how smokin' she looked in all her outfits. All of which is truth! And Jen loved to just hold onto Eric, hug him, and snuggle in close. But she also likes being silly for him and make him laugh. So adorable indeed! But honestly, these two are more then just adorable. They have great chemistry and we definitely took advantage of that and got some kinda steamy pics towards the end of the sesh! Love!We started off the session in the bluffs of Malibu...

Jen + Eric, you two are FIERCE! Love it!!

Are you sure you two aren't super models?!!! HOT!

Then we moved down to El Matador Beach....

The light! The water! Jen + Eric! I love everything about this!

One of my faves of the day... these two are workin' it!!!

Jen, and you said you weren't photogenic??? You are GORGEOUS!!!!

And this is when things got a little steamy in the sand... Jen you look damn SEXY in this photo!

...this one I focused on Eric's gorgeous blue eyes which Jen just LOVES!

To see more from this fabulous Malibu engagement watch the SLIDE SHOW below:

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Last Sunday, I had a blast with Becky + Bernadette for their Griffith Observatory Engagement session! We had so much fun and I am so excited that their wedding is just about 2 weeks away!!! It's going to be fabulous, especially because my beloved Paola is coordinating!Becky and Bernadette are so cute and sweet together! I loved that they brought a picnic set up, and that's how we started the session! A picnic in the hills surrounding the Griffith Observatory. Like pros, these two had a wine cooler carrying case, and a little gourmet picnic set, complete with a cheese block and cheese knife for gourmet cheese consumption! YUM! We set the area up and I was able to capture these two just how they really are together. Just laughing with each other, talking and dreaming out loud. After good wine & cheese was had, we then walked around the hiking trails for a few more casual pictures! In these moments I got to see how perfect Becky & Bernadette's love is. How they help each other, how they laugh, how they help bring out the best in each other. It was such a joy to document. Love is truly everything.Gah!!! I love this photo!! So SWOONY!Seriously, Bernadette & Becky? You two are TOO ADORABLE FOR WORDS!I love this next photo. When I see it, I see two people in love who can conquer the world together!After we finished are hiking/picnicking goodness, Becky & Bernadette changed into some fab outfits for some dressier pictures at the Observatory Building! I just LOVE the colors they chose to wear! They looked lovely and they really popped against the white walls of the Observatory building!FABULOUS + FIERCE! Love!Becky and Bernadette, you both are GORGEOUS!!!!!Sunset romance! Love how vibrant it is!!!Ahhhh you two are just STUNNING!! Want to see more from this fabulous session? Then watch the SLIDE SHOW!!:

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I am so in LOVE with Skylar + AJ! They are an adorable couple who found me through my husband. The hubs and Skylar were friends way back in the day and have kept in touch over the years via facebook. That's how Skylar learned of my work, and I was so thrilled when she emailed me a few months ago asking me to shoot her wedding!! She told me all about her fiance AJ and their plans for a hip and relaxed wedding at AJ's parents home in San Diego! She even shared with me the cutest power point presentation she made filled with wedding ideas. And every idea was SUPER FABULOUS!  I knew we were a match right away!The engagement session was the first opportunity we had to actually meet in person. It used to make me nervous to first meet a couple at an engagement shoot, but  this year over 50% of my clients have booked me on the spot via email, so I'm getting pretty used to it. The thing is, I become friends with so many of my clients via email and facebook these days, that when the session comes around it feels like we're old friends.  Meeting Skylar + AJ was no different, it was as if we'd been friends for a long time! And it was super easy to jump right into the session! I LOVE that they chose The Lab in Costa Mesa as the backdrop for the engagement photos. The fun, vibrant, funky vibe fits them and their style so well! And Skylar brought along the cutest outfits ever, and some adorbs Tory Burch wedges. LOVE!

I mean seriously, how cute are these two?!?! Looking at these sunny photos just makes me SMILE!!!!

I love this next photo! Sometimes love shows best in the quiet moments.

Skylar, you are too CUTE for words!!!!

I love The Lab because there is always something funky and new to see. This time? A record store in a vintage trailer. Definitely made for some RAD photos!

Skylar, you are GORGEEEEEEEEEOUS!

Fierce + Fabulous! Just how I like it!

Seriously, these are too STUNNING for words! What little models my clients are! ;)

Lookin' good, AJ. Lookin' good!!!

GORGEOUS!

Seriously?! How CUTE are these two?!

Feel free to SWOON over this last one!!!

To see more from this adorable engagement session at The Lab check out the SLIDE SHOW below:

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I met Adriana through one of my favorite past brides, Dani! Adriana is so sweet, stylish and beautiful just like Dani! And her love for her fiance Phil is powerful! I absolutely loved getting to know these two and document this special time in their lives-- their engagement!Adriana wanted to shoot at Union Station in Downtown LA, which I love! That location is so historic and beautiful and it ALWAYS inspires me. I love downtown shoots-- especially mixing the old and new, the classic with the funky, the historic with the modern, the grit with the glamor! Oh yes, I love Downtown shoots oh so much!! After Union Station, I asked these two to follow me to a secret, amazetastic shooting spot I discovered via the Callaways. Only thing is we got lost and I think I made them circle some funky neighborhoods wayyyy too many times. Luckily I called Brian + Allie and they got my lost tushie back on track-- so thankful to them! Because the second spot really did make this shoot EXTRA awesome!Thanks Adriana and Phil for trusting me with your love story, and trusting me as your tour guide through some somewhat sketchy areas of Downtown LA! LOL! You two are so sweet and I know your love will last a life time! The images we created were pure magic and some of my faves to date! So thank you for rocking it for my camera. You are super stars!

LOVE this picture! It's so fun! And how cute that the colors of Adriana's outfit match the background so nicely!

Adriana, you are STUNNING! No seriously, YOU ARE!

The classic tunnel shot. Hey, it's a classic for a reason!

Work it you two! WORK IT OUTTTTTTTT!

Love these! Very sexy!

Rawr!

Seriously, you two are FIERCE! Love!!!

GORGEOUS!!!! Just gorgeous!!

Okay so are you two professional super models or what? Just gotta ask! Cause you two rock the camera!

Sexy! Love it!!

Fierce, gorgeous, BREATH-TAKING! Adriana, you are amazing! Phil is one lucky man!

Love it! Just love!

Be sure to see all the GORGEOUS photos in the SLIDE SHOW, set to the music of my current favorite love song, Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory":

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I just adore Frances and Jared! These two are so sweet and in love that it just radiates from them! Like seriously, love is just oozing out of their pores! It's awesome! I felt like we instantly clicked from our first meeting, and I'm so excited for their wedding this Labor Day weekend! It's actually very fun too because Frances's sister is also getting married this fall...and I will be photographing her wedding too! It's kinda a family affair! Love it!Jared and Frances live in South OC but Frances grew up in Long Beach. She still has close ties to the LBC and visits her parents there often. So naturally she wanted to shoot on her home turf-- but not the touristy areas like Shoreline Village. Frances wanted a simply sweet Long Beach engagement session at the parks and places where the locals go! We started at Marina Stadium and a Nature Preserve... then finished in Naples! It was super fun! Frances and Jared were so easy to photograph because they were in their own little love bubble! They just smooched and gazed into each other's eyes and snuggled. And me? I snapped away! Because the love they were sharing was GOLDEN! And I wanted to document every second of it.So without further ado... Frances and Jared....Fierce you two. FIERCE!!!Um could Frances be ANY PRETTIER? I don't think so! Look how gorgeous her smile is!! Jared, sir, you did good on the ring! Frances ascher cut diamond is one of the prettiest and most unique rings I have seen!I love this photo. Because it's so genuine. This is how these two are. This is their love. So glad they let me capture it!You betta work!!!! LOVE this!OMG Frances! You are STUNNING!This last photo in Naples is so fun!!! Love!Be sure to check out the SLIDE SHOW below for more pictures!

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I was so excited when I first started speaking with Virginia and Alex about their engagement session! They both work in the film industry and have a love of all things vintage and all things film. Being film buffs they especially love silent films and old spaghetti westerns! As a gal who went to film school and used to dream of being a filmmaker, I knew I could help dream up something AMAZING, personal and unique for these two! I asked Tami of Fabulously Wed to collaborate and help style the perfect engagement session that would reflect their love of old films.  We chose to shoot at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills) because they have sets from Old Western Films and it is also surrounded by nature! I also had visions of lace and 16mm and 8mm film hanging from trees....Virginia and Alex loved that and Tami helped bring it to life!!!

Without further ado...pictures!

The desserts for the picnic set up were made by Fancy Fancy Breads. I tasted a few cookies and they were DELISH!!! All the lovely stationery was made by my girl Amber Moon of Pitbulls and Posies!!

Tami's flower arrangements turned out lovely!!! Love the use of ranunculous and parrot tulips!

Pie in a jar? YES please!

This just might be my fave shot of the day!!!!

Love the boutonniere Tami made with 16mm detail and the lovely bouquet!!

Swoon!!! Virginia + Alex... you two are...ADORABLE!!!!

The light that day was particularly amazing!

These two were so giddy with each other! It was like they were on a second or third date! ;)

So I had this idea that they should wrap themselves and lace and film. It sounded NUTS....but hey it looks AMAZING!!!

Oh the joy in these photos gives me goosebumps!

Amber made them cue cards like in old silent films! So stinkin' cute!

Swoooon! Right? Just SWOON!

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Back in April, I photographed Carolyn + Prescott's adorable spring/Easter themed engagement session! The shoot was featured on Style Me Pretty's Facebook Page and in a gallery on the main site! Super exciting!I absolutely adore Carolyn + Prescott! They are so super sweet and adorable together. They recently bought a house together in Valencia, CA and the home over looks a beautiful nature preserve! We shot our session in the nature preserve-- Carolyn collected some props and made some baked goods (she is the owner and pastry chef of Half Baked Co) and I also brought a few things! Together we styled an amazing little picnic set up that just screamed springtime love!I just love how the pictures turned out and I am so excited to finally share them with y'all! Hope you enjoy!!!Seriously how adorable are these sweets Carolyn made?? From cake pops, to chocolate covered oreos to mini cupcakes! ADORABLE! And Deeeelicious!Carolyn you are STUNNING!!!! And Prescott is so handsome! Loveeee!The photos below are FIERCE and FUN!!!! Which is why I <3 them!!!!!Swoon. That is all. Just SWOON!These are my two faves of the day. And they are sexxxxxy.How adorable is this marshmallow on a stick topped with a candy engagement ring?????? I die it's so cute!Gah! You two are just too gorgeous for words!!! For real!!!!To see more of this adorable engagement session watch the slide show below!What do you think of the images? Please leave your comments below, and help Carolyn + Prescott when a free canvas from their session!!

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Mark and Kim are such an adorable couple and I could not be MORE excited for their wedding this summer! I knew I liked these two from the minute we met, but this engagement session made me love them even more! Mark and Kim both put such effort into personalizing their photo session-- they made a sweet little wooden sign, brought a picnic set up, as well as some of their favorite board games!! Being a game lover myself, I have to say I was a bit smitten with this session!They chose to shoot at Griffith Observatory because that is where Mark proposed...or at least where he attempted to propose! You see a year ago Mark knew he wanted to ask Kim to marry him at the Observatory so he drove up and asked security guards if there were any special events going on the following the day. The guards said the day was all clear...so sure enough Mark drove Kim to the Observatory the following day. Only it was closed. Due to a private event! Ugh! But Mark went to plan C (yes plan B was a no go either) and proposed near the Observatory in the park! He made her picnic and cooked her favorite food. Le sigh....so you see this picnic Observatory session is SO them. And I love that! I love when my couples really help create a unique and personalized engagement shoot!Mark and Kim have been together nearly 6 years, they will be marrying on the weekend of their 6th anniversary. And judging by the RAD-ness of this session the wedding is gonna rock! Plus the Intertwined girls are planning it, so it will most certainly be fab! LOVE! Can't wait, can't wait!!!!

Seriously, how ADORABLE are these two????

Kim you are just soooo beautiful!!!!

I just ADORE the way these two look at each other!

Aw yes, work it you two!!! Work it!!!

These two images just get me! Love the light, the colors, and how happy these two are!

To see more images from this adorable session, please check out the slide show below:What do you think of the images? Please leave your comments below! ;)

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I knew I liked Andra from the moment she emailed me! She was genuine, honest and fun! She told me her wedding was going to be a little bit vintage meets rock-n-roll and I was SOLD! ;) She and Nate booked me just based on my website, so the engagement session was our first time meeting in person!I had so much fun wandering the alleys of Old Pasadena with Nate and Andra. Andra and Nate laugh together, and can be silly together. He loves to hug her and hold her and just be close. They were giddy in love like they had just met, but the truth is they've been together for years! I learned that they met in college in Arizona and have been sweethearts ever since. When Nate had to move to Virginia for military training, Andra followed him and lived in DC. Now they are back in California-- Oceanside to be exact. From the southwest to the east cost and back west again, their love has traveled the country, which makes me know their marriage will go the distance.I can't wait until these two tie the knot in July! I know their wedding is gonna be rad and I get all excited just thinking about it!!! But for now here are some images from the engagement session in Old Pasadena! And if you want to see more, make sure to check out the slide show as well!I love the tenderness of this photo! Gives me the warm & fuzzies!!!Nate + Andra can bust out the fierceness! Proof is below!!!Andra your smile is so bright and gorgeous!!!!!!!!Sexy couple alert!!!!We risked life & limb to get shots on the Colorado Bridge. But the photos were SO worth it! Love this one...almost feels European to me!To me this photo captures how silly these two are together and how much fun they have! LOVE!Gah!!! You two are soooo gorgeous it hurts!!! LOVE this!!! And don't forget to check out the SLIDE SHOW below!

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I feel so fortunate to have met so many wonderful people in the wedding industry over the past year. This industry is truly filled with warm, sweet, creative people! Alex, planner extraordinaire of Sterling Engagements is one of those people! I cannot even tell you how flattered I was when she asked me to photograph her engagement party! I did a happy dance, said yes, and a few days later I was at her beautiful home in Agoura photographing an amazing love-themed and love-filled party!You can see a ton of photos from the party over at Hostess With The Mostess, but I wanted to share a few favorites here with you!Fantasy Frostings made an incredible dessert buffet. And yes, those treats were as tasty as they were pretty!!!I loved the paper pretties for this party!Alex bought this cute LOVE sign from Etsy! Gotta love Etsy!Love these pics of Alex with her other man, Jackson. And Jono is posing with his "be my groomsman?" shot glasses!Congrats Alex + Jono!!! I'm so thrilled for you two!!! :)

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While in Las Vegas for WPPI, I was invited by Candice to tag along on a couples portrait session she had set up! To be honest, my first instinct was to pass. I felt gross from spending 4+ hours in the car getting to Vegas, was tired from the trip and it.was.COLD in them thar hills! But Candice was all, "it's gonna be super awesome!" And I was all...ok....you twisted my arm.We drove for an hour into the boonies of the Nevada desert. There were seriously NO CARS on the road and I had visions of our car breaking down and being attacked by a family of serial killers. YES, I have seen Wolf Creek and The Hills Have Eyes one too many times! However, much to my glee we pulled into the ghost town of El Dorado Canyon in Nelson Nevada without any problems, or ax murderers following us, and it turned out Candice is a brilliant planner!The Nelson, Nevada ghost town is SOOOOO cool! It looks like an American Picker's dream. There were old buildings and barns and soooo many antiques! There were old cars to play in and even a blown up airplane that had been used in a movie. It was nuts! Seriously, a photographer's dream location. Then there was this amazing light coming between the hills of the desert... and then...There was Diana and JR. The most adorable couple ever. Diana is buddies with Candice and works at FIDM. So her fashion sense is rad! She totally dressed the part for the session and styled up her man JR as well! Beyond being well dressed, these two were so so in love. They light up around each other, and these two have the brightest smiles! They were such a joy to photograph I didn't even notice how cold it was!

We were allowed to hop in the hold cars and trucks that littered the property and play! So fun! I wish random old trucks would just be at every photo shoot I do!

Diana you are GORGEOUS!!!!!

The light was AMAZING! Gah, I love what just the sun can do! This is our world in all it's glory!

Diana is so fierce! I love it! She totally harnessed her inner super model!

And JR did an awesome job too! Look at how handsome and cool he looks!

Look at the way JR soaks Diana in! That is love! No wonder she smiles so big and bright!

This feels so dark yet Anthropologie! LOVE it!

This one just makes me laugh though! It reminds me of the type of thing I'd do to AJ, and exactly the way he would glare at me! Haha!

Diana's eyes say so much! I love!

Love JR's smile!

When we heard there was a blown up plane on the property we were all, yeah we gotta take some photos with that! Sounds funny in retrospect, but come on how often do you get to shoot near a demolished plane!

So moody! I love!

The nice thing about roads in the middle of the boonies? You can take tons of photos right in the middle without worried about getting hit!

More road shots! I love them!

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Yesterday one of my favorite wedding blogs, Green Wedding Shoes, featured this anniversary shoot I recently worked on! I am so thrilled at the reaction to this shoot because it is one of my FAVORITE sessions to date! So of course I am excited to share more images from the session and a little more of the back story. :)Brooklyn and Mark have been friends of mine for what now seems like for-ev-er! I met Mark before I even started my photography business, before I was even engaged to AJ. We took an acting class together and Mark was always the funniest person. He blew me away with his creativity. A short while later Brooklyn joined the class and I think it was fairly obvious to everyone that sparks were flying between them. It really was almost like fate...they were both actors, both from Colorado originally (in fact they lived 10 minutes away from each other without even knowing it), and they both had a major major love of Disney. Let me emphasize the Disney thing... these two go to the magic kingdom all the time to relax and they also love Disney animated movies with a passion...So when it came time to celebrate their anniversary, it seemed a no-brainer to have a Disney themed shoot. And seriously, what movie is cuter and sweeter than Lady and the Tramp! We all love the scene where Tramp takes Lady on a date to the alley behind the Italian restaurant and they are serenaded by the waiters. Bella Notte. It was perfect.We collaborated with an AMAZING dream team of wedding vendors make this idea a reality. The work everyone put in to making this wonderful dinner for Mark to surprise Brooklyn with was unbelievable! Here's the break down of the dream team who rocked this shoot:

Styling/Coordination - Intertwined http://intertwinedevents.com/Florals - Honey and Poppies http://www.honeyandpoppies.com/Cake - Erica O'Brien Cake Design http://www.ericaobrien.com/Stationary - Pitbulls & Posies http://www.pitbullsandposies.com/Make Up/ Hair Styling - 10.11 Make Up http://1011makeup.com/

And photos by me! Of course! So without further ado here is Brooklyn & Mark's Lady and the Tramp inspired dinner!Since the dinner scene in Lady and the Tramp is an Italian set up, we wanted Italy to inspire the shoot as well! Unfortunately, we couldn't make it all the way across the Atlantic so we decided to set our scene in the Venice Canals of Los Angeles instead!It drizzled a little at first and I was all OH NO! But luckily it stopped pretty quickly and didn't ruin a thing!After our little Venice Canals photo shoot we walked a few blocks to the alley way for their surprise! Of course, we needed a few shots w/ their pup as well!Then the big reveal of the dinner scene! Brooklyn was SO surprised and excited!Cheers!Megan of Honey and Poppies created the MOST GORGEOUS florals for this shoot! To say that I love them would be an understatement. I mean look... their are blackberries in that arrangement! Blackberries! And basil too! Basil in the arrangements for an Italian inspired shoot! SO thoughtful!The most famous shot from Lady and the Tramp recreated here...Yep... they slurped it till they kissed! Adorable!This shot just makes me laugh. hehe. Sorry Mark!In the movie Lady and Tramp get serenaded by their waiters playing the accordion and singing "Bella Notte." Mark brought along an accordion and did his best to serenade Brooklyn......which she found charming, endearing, and apparently HILARIOUS.The sun began to set but Mark had one last surprise up his sleeve...An anniversary cake designed by the fabulous Erica O'Brien! YUM!The fab paper goods for this dinner were all done by Amber of Pitbulls & Posies! I just LOVED the doily sign, wine label and menus she made just for them!At the very end of the shoot I played around with some night shots of our dinner scene. I loooove photographing in natural light and that's mainly what I do, but this was so fun to play with!I loved being able to capture the beautiful twinkly candle light!Love!!Romantica!One last night shot for fun....

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