I am so excited to finally be sharing Whitney and Nate's fabulous wedding which was held at the beautiful Long Beach Museum of Art! This wedding was extra special to me because just a few months earlier I got to photograph Whitney's sister's, Frances, wedding! Because of this, when I showed up to photograph Whitney's big day, I already knew her inner circle! It made photographing everything seem like a big huge family affair! LOVE!Though Whitney and Nate live in Chicago, Whitney grew up in Long Beach so the Long Beach Museum of Art was the perfect venue! And Whitney managed to utilize all the nooks and crannies of the venue-- from setting up croquet on the lawn, to the ceremony overlooking the water, to the dinner held in the historic building and dancing on the outside patio! There was so much fun happening that day and it allowed for everyone to see all the pretty sights the venue had to offer. Whitney is a huge fan of the color green so all the details reflected various shades of green. From adorable Twining Tea Tin escort cards to green bridesmaids dresses to her green bridal shoes! It was very pretty and a unique color palette for a fall wedding! But beyond the pretty setting and shades of emerald details, Whitney + Nate's wedding was so special because it was ALL about love. Serious love. Love of family. Love of friends. Giddy, joyous, snuggly newlywed love. I was so happy to document all the smiles, all the hugs, all the stolen glances and all the happy tears. That is why I love my job. And that is why I LOVE Whitney and Nate. Because they radiate love. :)Special thanks to Ami and Jenny for shooting with me this day... And now without further ado...the photos! Dun dun dun!

Could Whitney be ANY cuter or happier to get into her veil??? Seriously ADORABLE!

Frances fulled her Pippa duties as Maid Of Honor, Sister and BFF when she helped Whitney get into her dress!

Whitney, you are one gorgeous bride!!!!

The First Look. Seriously, I LOVE this! These two were sooooo happy to see each other. The First Look gave them extra time to soak each other in on the big day... and extra time for pics on a November day with an EARLY sunset. I call this WIN-WIN.

FIERCE! Whitney you look like Grace Kelly! So lovely!!!

I seriously LOVE how these two turned it out for my camera! HOT!

The ceremony took place at Sunset overlooking the water! Kinda like my own wedding! LOVE!

Photos of hands during a ceremony always make me smile!

After the ceremony, we were allowed inside the actual Museum Gallery for photos. Since it was dark, I worked out some funky, editorial, avante-garde photos using off camera flash! Gotta thank my homies Brian + Allie for teaching me how to rock this. LOVE!

Whitney knows how to DIVA it up! I love that about her!!! Yes I do!!!

I LOVE THIS! It's so...artsy...which works well for a wedding held at an Art Museum, no?

And then... party time!!! I love a good fun dancing shot!!! :)

To see more from this lovely wedding, please watch the SLIDE SHOW below!

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I am so excited to finally share Carolyn + Prescott's AMAZING Strawberry Farms Golf Club Wedding! Carolyn chose a fabulous venue when she picked Strawberry Farms. They have a big beautiful red barn where the weddings are held... and actually because it was a rainy Autumn day both the ceremony AND reception were held inside it! The Big Red Barn and Carolyn's Southern heritage helped inspire so much of the rustic, Autumn decor for this wedding-- most of which Carolyn DIY'd herself or found on Etsy!Carolyn is the owner of Half Baked Co, a bake shoppe featuring tasty treats at half the fat, and so of course she had a ROCKIN' dessert bar at her wedding! She also had two pairs of adorable shoes, and one of the prettiest bouquets on Earth. But beyond the amazing eye candy this wedding had, it is the love that beamed off both Carolyn and her hubby Prescott that made the day so very special. From their very personal ceremony, to the gifts Prescott sent to Carolyn while she was getting ready, to the way they danced together all night... There was SO much love filling up and warming up that barn on that cold, gray November day!Special thanks to Ami for second shooting for me on this wedding!So without further ado... the wedding...

I knew I adored Carolyn from her first email to me. But the fact that she chose these two pairs of shoes to wear on her big day?? Well that makes me love her even more!!

SO much excitement in the air while Carolyn got ready! She is so lucky to have a great momma and fantastic girlfriends!

It wasn't exactly the plan to have the ceremony in the barn... but I think it looked LOVELY! I loved all the twinkly lights!

The newlyweds!!!

I just LOVE this shot!!!!

Carolyn + Prescott have some really fun and really good looking friends! Seriously!!!

Adorable!!!!

Let's just all do a collective AWWWWWWW for how cute the ring bearer and flower girl looked!

I told you their peeps are full of fun and LOLZ! I seriously heart the ENTIRE bridal party!!!

We snuck away for some gorgeous portraits after the ceremony...

How good looking are these two??!! Seriously! It's ridiculous how gorgeous these two are together!!

Fierce super stars!!!!

Oh my goodness!!!! Carolyn you are a beauty!!!!!!!!

Adore this fun shoe shot!

L-O-V-E!!!!

Carolyn's dessert bar was AMAZING!!!! But who could expect any less of her?! ;)

Nom nom!

And then they partied the night away...

To see more from this fabulously rustic wedding, watch the SLIDE SHOW:

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I am always so happy when my clients choose to add on a Phunky Booth to their wedding day coverage! Doing a Phunky Booth is just plain fun and gives me and my team a new, super rad way to interact with guests and get PRICELESS pics!But don't be fooled, the success of a Phunky Booth partly has to do with the bride and groom. I ask that all my clients provide their own props so that each booth is unique! My bride Carolyn (stay tuned for her wedding pics soon) took my advice and ran with it! For her rustic inspired wedding, she set up a kickin' photobooth table. Complete with old-timey props with a Western, Cowboy theme! She had sooooo many AMAZINGLY creative props, from Sheriff badges, to hand cuffs, to western shirts and bandanas to old cameras! It was so creative and all her guests got right into character!Check out the pics of all the old-timey PHUNKINESS that happened below:Watch out for the bridesmaids... they're trouble!!! ;)Looks like there's a new Sheriff in town...Carolyn and Prescott...or perhaps Bonnie + Clyde!The guests came out with guns blazin'. Literally."Are ye deeeeeeeeaf?!"That's me trying to be very serious. Which was VERY hard. Because I am always smiling!"Say hello to my little friend!" (okay I know thats a mafia movie reference, not a western movie reference...but it still works right?)"There ain't room in this town for the two of us!"Don't mess with Texas... or in this case, bridesmaid Berlin!Awwww, sweet country love!To see more from Carolyn + Prescott's Cowboys + Indians Phunky Booth, watch the SLIDE SHOW:

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This year amazing things have happened for me, things that have changed me as a photographer and made me grow oh so much! One of those big things was meeting Brian + Allison, the husband and wife photographer team behind the luxury studio Callaway Gable. In March, I had the pleasure of second shooting a few weddings with Brian + Allie, and soon afterwards they invited me to become part of the Callaway Gable team as an associate photographer! I honestly was so flattered and thrilled I practically fell off the couch when they asked me ;). As an associate of Callaway Gable, I shoot a number of weddings per year under their brand as the lead photographer. It's super awesome for me because it keeps me very busy shooting on the weekends that I am not booked with my own weddings! And also Brian and Allie have taught me a lot of new photo tips and tricks that are taking me to a whole new level as a photographer! It's definitely an adventure that I am super excited about!Nikki + Dave's Malibu wedding was the first wedding I photographed as a Callaway Gable Associate. The wedding was beautifully designed and coordinated by Brandi of High Society Events. The ceremony was on the beach in Point Dume, Malibu... coincidentally neighboring the beach I got married on in 2009! Being a former beach bride myself you can just imagine how much I loved this wedding! After the ceremony, we headed to the lovely Villa Sancti di Bella Vista for a fun filled outdoor reception! It was a completely gorgeous day!Thank you to Candice + Becca for shooting with me and assisting on this big day! And now... pictures!Nikki wore amazing pink Badgley Mischka shoes!!

Nikki was incredibly calm and casual while getting ready! Props to her for being such a relaxed bride!!

Part of the Callaway Gable aesthetic is using artificial light for edgy portraits. Brian and Allie have taught me how they do this... and this is me putting it into practice!! Ferosh, right?!

A bridal portrait in my own signature style!

Sighhhhhh! The ceremony set up was gorgeous!!! I LOVE beach weddings!!!

A touching moment as Nikki's dad gives her away.

Dave was all smiles throughout the ceremony!

And Nikki cried tears of joy!

My favorite image of the day.....

The sun was harsh but we still worked it for some photos on the beach!

Nikki, darling, you are FIERCE!

Even though you can't see their faces, there is something so joyous about this next photo.

We then headed from the beach to Villa Sancti for some more portraits.

When I showed this next photo to Nikki on the back of my camera, right after it had been taken, she said "awww" and got all choked up. I agree, there is something so tender and evocative about this photo.

We ended the portraits with a few Callaway Gable style artificial light portraits. I do have to say, they are pretty rad! What do you think?

The reception was just lovely!! Look at that view!! Villa Sancti is an amazing venue for sure!

As the sunset these two laughed with each other and enjoyed being married! Just love!!!

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On Sunday I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Frances + Jared's wedding at the Sherman Library and Gardens. I had never done a wedding at Sherman Library before, but let me just say it is a fantastic venue! There is so much charm there with it's Spanish architecture. And they have an absolutely amazing succulent garden! So cute! The venue fit Frances + Jared's style perfectly as well-- charming, stylish, but also casual and comfy!Their wedding day started off so fun and relaxed. Frances got ready at home with her sister/maid-of honor Whitney (who's wedding I will also be photographing in November) and their mother. The three gals laughed as they got all made up, and also found some time to watch the Sex and the City movie! Love it!!! As the Kate Middleton inspired veil was being pinned into Frances' hair, Whitney squealed and helped make everything look perfect. She said she was fulfilling her "Pippa duties!" Also love!The First Look was a sweet moment! Jared was just floored to see Frances, but how could he not be? She looked STUNNING in her beyond fabulous dress! Their ceremony was beautiful with some sweet words by the Rabbi. I especially loved the story he told about their first date... the story that totally explains why these two were meant to be. You see, on their first date Jared accidentally knocked over and spilled the wine on the table. But Frances quickly told him it was all okay because all night she had been fearing that she might knock over and spill the wine. These two have the same cute quirks and it's why these two just get each other. As the Rabbi said it was clearly B'shert (a Jewish term for "meant to be") and I have to agree!Thanks so much to Ami for shooting this with me! And now... onto the photos!

Can we talk about how FIERCE that dress is?! LOVE!!! But that smile on Frances below?? That's even FIERCER!!!

This is Whitney fulfilling her "Pippa duties!" I LOVE it!!!! And doesn't Frances totally remind you of Kate?! Classic elegance indeed!

Frances, you are GORGEOUS!

The First Look was as romantic as ever! Loved that we were able to stage it in a greenhouse!

LOOOOOOVE this!

Frances + Jared, are you sure you aren't super models?! I mean, REALLY!

I just love this candid moment from the Ketubah signing! Their whole families gathered to watch them sign this marriage contract! And the looks on Frances + Jared's faces are priceless!

The ceremony was just lovely!

Officially MR + MRS! Mazel tov!!! These two were on cloud 9!

Seriously, I can't get over how gorgeous you two look together!!!

ADORE!

You two are too cute for words!!!

This is maybe my fave shot of the day! Just fabulous!!!

And a quick shot from the first dance! Soooo lovely!

To see more of this lovely wedding watch the SLIDE SHOW:

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I am so so excited to share that Lauren + Drew's Santa Monica wedding was featured on the front page of Style Me Pretty today! I am so excited about this feature for so many reasons. This wedding was so special to me because Lauren + Drew were old friends from high school. And I found their unique and DIY decor to be lovely and so inspirational to brides! I am glad SMP recognized the specialness of this wedding and also think it can inspire engaged couples!On a more personal note, it has been a goal of mine since the inception of my business to see my work featured on the main page of Style Me Pretty. I absolutely adore SMP-- to me it is the holy grail of wedding blogs. I even relied heavily on the site when I was planning my own wedding, which is why I have always wanted to be featured on the site! This year, I had work featured both on SMP's facebook page and on SMP California, which was huge! But this is the first time seeing my work on the SMP's front page and it is a dream come true! I will be doing happy dances all day for sure.Go check out all the lovely details from Lauren + Drew's wedding on Style Me Pretty and please leave a comment on the post:

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I am so excited to share these HILARIOUS pics from Becky + Bernadette's photo booth, or as I call it, "PHUNKY BOOTH!!!" Their wedding was Sunday and they were the first clients ever to hire me to do a photo booth in addition to wedding coverage! It was SO MUCH FUN and I love the way these photos turned out! Check it out below... I'll be sharing more info about this new service next Monday so stay tuned for that as well!

To see MORE photos from the booth watch the SLIDESHOW::

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On Sunday I photographed Becky + Bernadette's fabulous wedding at the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. The day was so beautiful and it was brilliantly planned and coordinated by my lovely Paola of Just Chic Events! I absolutely adored the beautiful late-summer color palette of orange, purple, brown and golds. I loved that Becky and Bernadette chose to have long communal tables, and the  long tables were dotted with beautiful stems of flowers arranged by the fabulous Little Branch. It was so nice to see all the guests-- family and friends-- come together as a big community to support these two in marriage. Everyone was so warm, inviting and just happy to be celebrating this big moment that had been a long time coming!There were so many touching moments about this wedding-- The First Look, the smile on Bernadette's face watching Becky walk down the aisle, the way the two laughed and smiled all the way through their first dance, and the amazing toasts by friends and family. There were many many moments that I nearly choked up with happy tears. But to me the most touching thing was seeing all the ways that Becky + Bernadette were already a family. How they were totally there for each other all day. How they can anticipate just what the other needs at any given moment. And how they just feel comfy with each other. I saw this at the engagement session, but I saw it even more on the big day. I saw it in their families too-- their two families already seemed like one big happy unit. It is always such a gift to witness love and commitment like this. I could not be more honored to document it.Also, big thanks to Candice for shooting with me and helping capture all the lovely moments of the day!Without further ado... pictures!!

It was so much fun capturing Becky + Bernadette getting ready! I always love the transformation of watching a woman go from "everyday girl" to BRIDE. Always fun to document that moment!

The first look! These two were so so happy to see each other!

Work it you two!!!!

The picture on my left is my FAVE PIC OF THE DAY! Becky + Berna look FIERCETACULAR (yes I said it again!)!! And Bernadette, you look smokin' in this picture on the right my dear!

La-la-love! Becky you are gorgeous!!!

Bernadette beamed as her brother walked her down the aisle!

Becky looked pretty happy walking down the aisle too!!

The ceremony was beautiful! It was officiated by a friend, and also close friends gave readings. There was not a dry eye in the courtyard!

Pretty reception details!!!

LOVE the long tables and use of chalkboard signage!!

The newlyweds toast each other!!!! I adore this photo sooooo much!!!

To see more from this lovely wedding please watch the SLIDE SHOW:

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Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling to the heart of San Diego to photograph the beautiful wedding of Skylar + AJ (remember their fab engagement session?!). The wedding was held in AJ's parent's amazing, amazing, amazing home in the Banker's Hill area. And the day was coordinated to perfection by Rachel of Plan It San Diego. Skylar had shared a *fabulous* power point presentation of wedding inspiration that she had showed me when she first booked me, and I have to say it all came together just as she had envisioned! There were so many thoughtful and stunning details to the day-- from the bride's little white Amsale dress to her Kate Spade shoes, from the lavish dessert spread to the make-your-own-smores station for a midnight snack, from the hanging pom-poms to the clustered garden style floral arrangements. It was stunning and everything I LOVE to photograph. A dream wedding indeed.But truthfully this day was a dream come true because two people came together and committed their lives to each other in front of all their friends and family. AJ's mom had said she had wanted Skylar to be apart of her family from the moment the two met, and she was delighted the day was finally here. AJ shed tears during his sweet and genuine vows. And Skylar was so overjoyed that all these years after spotting the man of her dreams she was finally getting to marry him.You see, AJ + Skylar met in high school. They were both part of the young Democrats club. Skylar noticed AJ immediately and AJ noticed her back. But he was a little shy. They became friends and when the school year ended, and it was time for Skylar to graduate, she made sure to leave her number in AJ's yearbook. He didn't call. He was shy! Later, these two reconnected when they were both living in New York. Again, Skylar made sure to give AJ her number. Eventually, AJ braved up enough to call Skylar and ask her on a date... and the rest is history!Skylar + AJ's wedding was so full of love, family, and warmth that it was infectious. I cannot express how much I appreciate their generosity and the generosity of their families! They treated myself and my AJ (who second shot this with me) like we were their guests, no, their family, and invited us into their inner circle. I truly felt surrounded by love the entire day and it makes the pictures even more special to me! I hope you enjoy...

So, how gorgeous is Skylar's bouquet and how amazing is her ring?!! And then, don't even get me started on her FABULOUS Kate Spade shoes!!! AHHHH!

A moment from their First Look... brings tears to my eyes just reliving this moment through the photo!

We then headed over to Spruce Bridge for some FIERCE-TACULAR portraits. Yes, I did just make up the word fiercetacular. Snap!

Are these two SUPER STARS or what?! Shine on SkyJ, shine on!

Skylar, my love, you are STUNNING!!!! I can't even handle it!

Okay Skylar you are the QUEEN! Seriously gorgeous, darling!

My husband AJ took this next photo! It's a beauty!! I am a proud + lucky wifey!

La-la-la-LOVE! The purple socks were a suave touch AJ!!!

Swoony swoons!!!!

One more... because these two just rocked my camera so xcore!!!

The ceremony! Ah! It! Was! Lovely!!!! I loved that Skylar + AJ wrote it themselves, mixing in Jewish traditions (which is AJ's heritage). They were married under AJ's family chuppah. Key family members held it up, and both the parent's of the bride + groom sat underneath it. It was heartwarming!!

This photo from the grand entrance kills me!! Seriously, LOVE! Oh and my AJ took it. He's a keeper, that man I married.

The reception details were killer!!! Loved the floral clusters which sat on lounge furniture around the yard!

DESSERT BAR HEAVEN. You may wanna go grab a snack before feasting your eyes on these next few photos.

Heartfelt toasts were a highlight of the evening.

Care for a midnight snack? How about SMORES??? Seriously, Skylar thought of everything!!!

And then everyone partied hard! Loves it!!!

To see more images from this FABULOUS wedding be sure to watch the SLIDESHOW:

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It's a very common thing for me-- for clients to become old friends. But it's much less common when old friends become clients. However, that is exactly what happened with Lauren + Drew.  I had the pleasure of shooting Lauren + Drew's amazing handmade, vintage inspired wedding at The Marion Davies Guest House in Santa Monica last Sunday. Lauren + Drew went to high school with me. I was friends with Lauren, we had musical theater class together and also a science class (but don't ask me which science class as I have blocked it from memory). Lauren was always someone who brightened my day. Funny and sarcastic. Witty and ridiculously smart. And did I mention, the girl has the most BEAUTIFUL, powerful singing voice. On Earth. She is an amazing musician and performer.It's no wonder Lauren + Drew were drawn to each other in high school. Drew is also crazy smart, very funny, and not only a talented performer, but a talented writer as well. These two were a perfect match then, and they've grown together over the years. They have moved cross-country to Chicago, went to university, entered the work force and bought a condo together. And over these years, they just have just grown better together, more perfect for each other. And it's so amazing to have reconnected after all these years and to see how their love has grown. I am so happy for my friends Lauren + Drew, and I'm so touched that they wanted "Li'l Ashleigh" from high school to document this milestone moment in their love story for them. :)Lauren + Drew's wedding was truly a celebration. A celebration of family, of friends, of their history, of how it all began. I was not the only vendor there who went to high school with them. The cake baker, also went to our  high school (though a few years ahead of us) and actually went to musical theater camp (yes I said musical theater camp) with me! Small world! The hair + make up artist was a good friend of Lauren's from high school. And the ceremony? Well that was performed by Lauren+ Drew's favorite teacher from high school, and she made the ceremony so very touching, lively, and personal. Another adorable touch was that Lauren + Drew made crossword puzzles for guests to fill out for fun during the night, and the clues to the words were all based on their journey as a couple.All in all it was a BEAUTIFUL day and it meant so much to me to be there... Thanks so much to Ami for assisting and shooting with me that day! Please check out the photos below!

Lauren hand made the boutonnieres for the VIPs in her + Drew's lives (they did not have a bridal party). She made them out of paper from old books, lace, ribbon and netting. She also made her bouquet in the same fashion.

I loved that Lauren's birdcage veil and fascinator were "something blue." Such a unique and stunning detail! Even more amazing? She made both the veil and fascinator herself.

How ADORABLE are these two?!?!

Lauren + Drew got ready together, so there wasn't an official First Look. But we did take time for some fun, fabulous bride & groom portraits before the ceremony!

Ahhh! Lauren, you are STUNNING!

Seriously, Lauren? You're killing me here with your fabulousness!!! LOVE IT!

Leave it to two actors to deliver me some FIERCENESS! LOVE it!

The inside of the house was decorated with many special touches. Like vignettes of old books and pages. And Lauren + Drew's crossword puzzles!

Lauren hand made these adorable circle banners and they decorated different areas of the house with them! It was the perfect pop of color and decorative touch!

SO in LOVEEEEE with these programs! Again, hand made by Lauren! Love the whole library feel-- totally goes with the vintage look, but also is a great reference to high school and how they met.

Lauren + Drew went non-traditional and walked down the aisle together. I love the symbolism of it. Such a special moment.

After the ceremony, as the sun was setting, we ran out to the beach to grab a few more lovely photos. Drew remarked that they looked like they were doing some Boardwalk Empire Cosplay. And I was all HECK YEAH and I LOVE IT!

SWOON!!!!

I give you, MY FAVORITE SHOT OF THE DAY!  Fierce, fierce, fierce!

Oh you two and your adorableness! You kill me. Really!

Back at the house, there were toasts that were so funny I nearly peed my pants... but luckily didn't.

There was no dancing, but there was ROCK BAND and a photo booth!

Lauren + Drew hammed it up for the cake cutting. Love it!

Congrats so much to Lauren and Drew! To see more pictures from this fabulous wedding be sure to check out the SLIDE SHOW:

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I am so thrilled to finally be able to share this amazing desert and hippie inspired love shoot with you, which was featured on Style Me Pretty last week!This whole thing came about when I met Jackie. I met her at a bridal show when she stopped at my booth and I instantly LOVED her. She had the cutest personality and sense of style. Apparently the feeling was mutual and soon we were meeting over coffee and talking weddings and photography. Jackie told me how she is getting married in her hometown of Chicago this fall and (bummer) had already hired a local photographer to shoot it. Though she is crazy excited for her Chicago wedding, she was an avid Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, and Once Wed reader and had just been dreaming and swooning over the idea of a California wedding. She even had some dream vendors lined up for it, like florals by Honey and Poppies. She knew two full blown weddings weren't in the budget...but perhaps a styled Mr. & Mrs love shoot could work!Jackie and her charming fiance Tony are uber hip and stylish. They look like modern hippies and ooze that relaxed cool vibe. I helped them translate that vibe into a lovely Hippie inspired shoot out in the desert...Joshua Tree to be exact! And since it was to be a mini, California dream wedding, we HAD to have Jackie's dream florist make the arrangements. As usual, Megan of Honey and Poppies knocked it out of the park and created some swoon worth florals!My love, Amber, of Pitbulls and Posies created some amazing stationery for the shoot! Hope Stanley chose the perfect look for Jackie to wear. And Jackie's headband was made by the always breath-taking Lo Boheme!! The talented Susie Chhuor Studio completed Jackie's look with amazing hair & make up (though the desert wind sure did seem determine to mess up Jackie's hair all day!). Lastly, I asked my friend Candice to come along and help me style the shoot! All in all it was a dream team, and Jackie's reaction to the final set up was one of pure joy! She told me it was all she wanted and more and that she was so happy to be getting her dream California wedding! Hooray!!!!I'm so excited to share these photos with y'all! They are some of my faves to date! Hugeeee thank you to all the amazing vendors who worked on this shoot!Floral Design: Honey and Poppies - http://honeyandpoppies.com/Stationery: Pitbulls & Posies - http://pitbullsandposies.com/Wardrobe Styling: Hope Stanley - http://hsbridalstylist.blogspot.com/Dress: Mary Me Bridal - http://marymebridal.com/Hair Adornments: Lo Boheme  - www.loboheme.com Hair + Make-up: Susie Chhuor Studio -  http://www.susiechhuor.com/Set Styling: Candice Benjamin - http://candicebenjamin.com/The sweetheart table was TO DIE FOR!!!!!

The stationery Amber made had the CUTEST motifs! Feathers & cactus! LOVE!

I loved the brass containers Megan used to show off the different blooms and succulents! So lovely! Brides hoping to create a similar look should ask their florist if they can provide such containers and/or start going to flea markets and thrift stores throughout wedding planning to collect the goodies!

These details?? SWOON!!!! I LOVE that Tony wore a light colored suit! And I loved Jackie's look of layered necklaces and bangle bracelets! While traditional diamonds and pearls make lovely wedding day accessories, I think it's really fun to see colored stones (turquoise!!) and a funkier approach to jewelry!

Jackie, you are GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

There are literally a MILLION reasons why I love Megan's floral arrangements. Reason #18976? She wrapped this bouquet with crepe paper streamers!!

Ahhhh! Jackie & Tony you are too cute for words!!!!!!! I'm literally SPEECHLESS!

ADORE!

These two are so flirty cute together! LOVES it!

We DIY'd ribbon wands for this shoot! (Which takes like two seconds and basically involves tying ribbon to a stick just fyi). They really made for some FUN photos!

Puttin' that desert wind to good use!

In addition to a sweetheart table, we created this little lounge area so the two could just relax and enjoy each other. This is Jackie + Tony being themselves! Laughing and just living in the moment!

Adorable right?!!!

Check out all the photos from this shoot on Style Me Pretty!

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You may remember Kim + Mark from their absolutely ADORABLE and playful engagement session. Well, on Saturday these two college sweethearts married and I couldn't be happier for them! And I couldn't be happier about the images I captured, of course along with the help from my amazetastic hubby AJ and fab photog Ami! Another fun part of this wedding was working with coordinators extraordinaire, Katie + Meghan, of Intertwined, and rockin' After Dark Entertainment DJs. :)What struck me most about Kim + Mark's wedding was how strong a role family and their heritages played in the day. Both sets of parents walked with the bride & groom down the aisle. Most of the bridal party was made up of family members (who were also clearly BFFs with Mark + Kim!). Kim's bouquet was tied with a locket holding a photo of Kim's late grandfather. There were many fantastic toasts from family members as well. On the cultural side of things, Kim's Vietnamese heritage was honored throughout the day. She also wore a traditional Vietnamese bridal outfit for part of the reception. Also, in keeping with Vietnamese tradition Kim & Mark took the time to visit each table, hear toasts from guests at each table, and talk to each guest at the wedding personally. Very sweet! And to honor Mark's Filipino heritage he wore a traditional Filipino outfit for the ceremony, and at the reception there was a performance from a Filipino dance troupe. There was such a since of pride in the atmosphere all day. Every time I looked over at Kim + Mark's parents they were beaming. It clearly was a milestone day-- not just for the bride & groom but for the entire family. :)Kim is one crafty gal and DIY'd so many items for the big day. From crafting the stationery, DIY'ing the flowers, to creating her own candy bar layout and making adorable touches like a wooden sign and flip flop basket for guests... Kim saw to it that no detail went untouched! Adorable!Kim had a beautiful Maggie Sottero gown! And I love the vibrant colors in her bouquet!Kim got ready at home, with all her bridesmaids, a few cousins, and parents hanging out too! It was a family affair! You'd think it might get chaotic with so many people around for getting ready, but it was quite the opposite. Everyone was so calm and helpful! I loved the warmth in the house-- so much love there!HOW ADORABLE IS KIM?!?! Answer: Soooooooooooooo ADORABLE!Mark + Kim had a traditional Catholic mass for their ceremony. I loved capturing the stolen, flirty looks Kim kept giving Mark throughout the ceremony!The newlyweds! Such a joyful moment!!!Everybody betta watch out! We got TWO FIERCE SUPER STARS ON THE LOOSE!!!On the wedding day, I learned Mark likes-- nay, LOVES-- golf! So the golf cart picture? It was a MUST! And I have to say, it's totally adorable!!Kim, you are so STUNNING!!!I know the day was pretty traditional, but I had to throw a little sexy in there! I mean it's me here! And this photo? It's def a little sexy and a whole lotta sweet!Kim and Mark were so connected to each other during the first dance! So sweet!!At the reception, Mark surprised Kim by reciting personal vows to her in Vietnamese. This is a pretty big deal because Mark? He's Filipino and doesn't speak Vietnamese. Or didn't until he began lessons secretly about six months ago. Kim was incredibly surprised, and so touched by his gesture to learn a huge part of her culture. And her family seemed pretty impressed as well! After he recited the vows in Vietnamese he translated in English for the rest of us. And the part that choked me up was when he said "Everything I do is because of you." I mean...SIGH...right? Just sigh!!!Kim + Mark- I'm so very happy for you two! You two are such a perfect pair and the love you two have for each other just radiates off you two and even warms those around you. Thank you for trusting me to capture your big day! I wish you so much happiness! xoxoFor more photos from Kim + Mark's lovely wedding please watch the SLIDE SHOW below:

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Last Saturday, I had the absolute joy of photographing Andra + Nate's wedding in Pasadena! I knew from our engagement session that their wedding was gonna ROCK! Because all through the engagement Andra + Nate laughed, canoodled, and just had a ton of fun! But Andra + Nate's wedding was so much more than a rockin' good time-- it was an incredibly meaningful day. In fact, it was exactly how Andra described the feel of her wedding to me in her initial email: Vintage/Traditional meets Rock-n-Roll!!! LOVE!Andra wore an amazingly beautiful dress! She looked like a fierce/fab modern princess in it. The dress was extra special because it was actually worn by her grandmother and mother on their wedding days as well! So much history there! I love it! Nate, who is in the Marines, wore his dress uniform and looked so very handsome! The two together looked like they should be on a magazine cover.The entire wedding had homages to traditions, the Marines, and yet had a lot of fun and Rock-n-Roll to it! The color palette was Navy Blue and Hot Pink! Love! With a polka dot motif! Love love! The bride wore military inspired camo pumps to go with her vintage dress. The two were married at church, but the reception? That was at a pub owned by a family friend! I loved how everything about this wedding was old mixed with new.... And all of it was filled with LOVE!Thanks so much to Ami for second shooting with me!!So let's take a look at the pictures now shall we?The day started with Andra getting into her gorgeous vintage heirloom dress! The dress was quite delicate, and had a lot of tiny buttons to carefully hook! Luckily, mom and sister Jamie were there to help!Let's not forget the groom! The details of Nate's uniform were beautiful. Nate looked so handsome in it!I LOVE the next two photos of Andra + Nate, right before they saw each other for the First Look! They were SOOOO excited to see each other! The fabulous Ami caught the photo on the left and I grabbed the photo on the right!The First Look!!! The look on Andra's face is priceless!!!!! :)Andra + Nate had a beautiful Catholic ceremony. Andra looked positively giddy the entire time! So sweet!The newlyweds!!! Or, as they have named themselves, The WEBCHOWS (it's a combo of their two last names)!!! And dang, don't they make look marriage look SUPA FINE!?!Gaaaah!!! Andra, you are BREATHTAKING! Just gorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgeous!!!!Just stop it, Andra! You are too stunning!!!!! Like a movie star!!!The light for the portraits was just amazzzzzzzzing!!! I'm so in love with these!FIERCE!!!SWOOOONSIES!The back!! Of Andra's Dress!! Is FABULOUS!!!!!!!I love this shot of these two during the toasts! Totally sums up the feel of the night!! Chillaxin', Partyin' and Being Happppppy!!!To see more of Nate + Andra's  RAD wedding check out the SLIDE SHOW:

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Earlier this year I had the chance to shoot a wedding in Downtown Los Angeles with Atlanta based photographer Evie Perez. I was completely flattered she wanted me to shoot her cousin's Downtown Los Angeles wedding with her, and the day actually turned out more fabulous than I could have ever hoped for!Karla and Waldo's wedding amazed because it was so stylish and yet they did it all on a tight budget! How did they pull it off? Well, first of all they rented a raw space-- the floor of a historic building in downtown LA. This building, while it has hosted corporate events and has had film crews rent it out, is not a "wedding venue" so they charged MUCH less to rent the space out. Karla was able to bring in her own (affordable) caterer, her own alcohol, which also saved a lot of money. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, she bought several cakes and pastries from Porto's for a dessert bar. She also had a separate candy buffet which served as party favors!Karla chose a vibrant color scheme which really helped make her decor pop and stand out! She had a mix of floral and non floral centerpieces (the non-floral ones were lamps) also saving money. Where she splurged a little was on the lighting-- but it isn't too costly and did transform the space AMAZINGLY! It is truly incredible what you can do when you think outside the box and also put a little DIY into your wedding!Below are some of my favorite details of the day! Thanks muchos to Evie for having me a long! This wedding was an inspiration!...Waldo was a very handsome groom!The bouquet and the boutonniere-- both just lovely!Karla was full of anticipation as she was getting ready!We did the First Look in the Bradbury Building downtown! Pinch me now! Soooo beautiful and classic!Karla and Waldo... you two are STUNNING together!!!I mean seriously, how GORGEOUS are they??? Answer: so very.I loved the way the color palette of yellow, white, black, and gray made it's way into everything! So happy!We took bridal party pics on the rooftop of the building, with all of the LA skyline around us! How cool is that?! I snapped different angles of the set up while Evie shot the straightforward angle.

While Evie finished with the bridal party I went down and shot the ceremony set up before the guests arrived. The ceremony set up was sooooo fantastically modern and yet mixed in perfectly with the Art Deco building.

Candles and petals lined the aisle. Swooooon.

The altar set up was just lovely!

The ceremony was truly beautiful!

I LOVE a good candy display! And this vibrant yellow and black one was right up my alley!!! Candy displays are always a hit with guests and are an affordable yet chic alternative to traditional party favors.

If candy somehow wasn't enough, Porto's brought the desserts. NOMMMMM.

Each table was a little different, as there were mix-n-match linens, and centerpieces! It was fun photographing the different variations on the tablescapes! Each one looked so chic!!!

Karla's cousin sang "Fools Rush In" to them as the newlyweds danced their first dance. I usually don't get misty at the first dance, but this time I did. Big time. The photo on the right shows just how tender their first dance was!!!

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Elaine and Angel had a beautiful wedding at The Westin at Pasadena! Elaine must be the calmest bride I have ever seen. When Christine and I arrived to the bridal suite, Elaine was just lounging watching the football draft on TV and finishing folding some last minute escort cards. She was excited to marry Angel, it had been a long time coming, but she wasn't too anxious or nervous. Just happy and serene in the notion that the day was finally here!Angel and Elaine were just meant to be. You see they went to high school together, lived in the same areas, and ran in the same circles...without knowing it. Technically speaking they went to prom together! Well, in the same group, same limo...but with different dates. They shared a good mutual friend, but never paid each other any attention. For years. Then one day their mutual friend threw a party and realized "hey maybe these two would be a good match, especially now that they are both single." Introductions were made and everything finally clicked! Years after going to prom in the same limo, they realized they were meant to be!The day was very warm and full of love! Elaine and Angel had so many wonderful friends and family members sharing in their joy! It was a great day and I was honored to document it... So without further ado...PICTURES!Elaine loves bling!!! From her jewelry to her shoes to even her nails, girl just dazzled!Elaine was so giddy during the First Look! I just loved her reaction!I told you Elaine had bling on her nails!!! ;)Elaine you are gorgeous!!! What a glowing bride!!!Elaine was just beaming as her brother walked her down the aisle!The ceremony was so beautiful!!!To see more from this wedding, watch the SLIDE SHOW:

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I remember when Elizabeth Anne Designs and The Sweetest Occasion teamed up to announce last years Inspired Creations contest... a contest where teams of wedding professionals would create concepts for a fab DIY aspect of a wedding, execute this concept and of course show it off to inspire brides. The ideas last year were so creative and I wanted so badly to have the courage to ask someone to collaborate me... but I was shy and scared.SOOOOO very much has changed for me since that time last year. I've come out of shy shell and really developed so many friendships in this industry. I have worked on many wonderful inspiration shoots and have developed good relationships with many of the industry's talented and uber creative wedding professionals. To me these florists, coordinators, stylists, stationers, bakers, and beauty stylists aren't wedding vendors... they are WEDDING ARTISTES. And I feel so super blessed each time I get to collaborate with them!I was so thrilled when event designer Tami of Fabulously Wed asked me to photograph her concept for this year's Inspired Creations contest. Tami had an idea for a Japan-inspired wedding and wanted to create the perfect sweets table for it. She used an unexpected color palette of pink, purple and gold. My favorite detail though was the hanging gold paper cranes as a backdrop! This small sweets table was very budget friendly but uber cute and I'm glad I got to photograph it's loveliness!Go check out all the details featured today on The Sweetest Occasion:

And here are a few of my fave details.... The paper cranes and the beautiful fabric Tami found to cover the table with.

Beautiful purple Iris and sweet take out containers to pack your treats in!

And an overall shot of how it came together....

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The wedding season hasn't totally kicked off for me yet, with my first big wedding happening on April 30, 2011 (holla to my bride Elaine!!) But this month I very suddenly picked up two small yet love filled weddings! And even though on both occasions the weather was a bit cold, windy and drizzly, the weddings themselves were quite warm and wonderful! I am so glad I had the opportunity to document both of them!The first wedding was for my cousin (technically cousin-in-law) Jami! Jami & Jose have been together but over New Year's they got engaged! In Paris! Tres romantique! They didn't have much time to plan the wedding because Jose is being deployed at the end of the month. When I learned that I was available for their date and being that Jami is a very close family member of AJ's, AJ and I decided to shoot their wedding for them as their gift! Here's a few of my favorite shots of the day!Jami told me many times when discussing the photography timeline for the wedding that she is a "simple girl" and not a model. She also mentioned she hated being on camera. But between you and me, I think she had a great time taking this photos! And she definitely pulled out a some fierceness, leading me to question if maybe she secretly IS a model!Five days later, Hanna & Chris were married at the Beverly Hills Courthouse! Hanna had contacted me just a week before to see if I could squeeze in their small mid-week courthouse ceremony and luncheon! I was free and happy to oblige! I loved Hanna & Chris's wedding because it was simply about love. Two people promising forever to each other. What is more beautiful than that?! After the wedding we all headed over to The Grove for their luncheon. I snuck a few shots of Chris & Hanna in the bar. It was a totally different location than I normally shoot brides and grooms which made me love it!And Hanna & Chris looked fierce!I love stolen moments......and stolen kisses! So there you have it! The tale of the two small weddings I shot just 5 days apart! I love that my April turned out to be filled witnessing more love than anticipated! I can't wait for all the love I get document in the 2011 wedding season! Hooray!

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It is no secret to anyone that I love myself some Lady GaGa. Like whoa. I really am a fan!So it seemed like fate when I was contacted by the fabulous Mai Hoang of Bunch Studio and Olivia Wu of Zoie Events asking if I'd like to be a part of a GAGA Wedding inspiration shoot they were creating! I said yes! And voila! Here we are today! I am sooooooo thrilled to be sharing this amazing shoot with you! So many amazing vendors put their hard work into this shoot and the details of it all still blow me away! I absolutely LOVE what we created, and  I can only hope we'd have the approval of GaGa too!!Thank you to Wedding Chicks for featuring this shoot as well!!And now let's play a love game...Our Lady GaGa model, Jessica Gabriella, served up a plate of fierceness! Rawr!The amazingly talented Amber Moon of Pitbulls & Posies created the most gagalicious stationary for the shoot!Laurie Mura of I Believe It's Cake created a jaw dropping wedding cake and cupcakes. I'm in awe!!! Look at the incredible detail! So avant-garde!Mai Hoang of Bunch Studio created the amazing florals!! I love how she incorporated these clear bubbles a la GaGa's bubble dress!In our world, GaGa has two grooms. That just seems sexier. LOL!I Believe It's Cake also created a fabulous dessert bar! LOVE it!And our GaGa had a costume change...of course!!! ;)Special thanks to all who made this shoot possible! Let the credits roll:

Event Coordination & Styling:

Olivia Wu of Zoie Events

www.zoieevents.com

Event Design & Florals:

Mai Hoang of Bunch Studio

www.bunchstudio.com

Cake & Dessert Bar:

Laurie Mura of I Believe It's Cake

www.ibicake.com

Hair & Make-up:

Susie Chhuor of Susie Chhuor Professional Hair & Makeup Studio

www.susiechhuor.com

Paper Goods:

Amber Moon of Pitbulls & Posies Press

www.pitbullsandposies.com

Bridal Headpieces:

Mai Hoang of Bunch Studio

www.bunchstudio.com

Bride & Groom Jewelry:

Shop Ruche, Threadsence, various retail shops

www.Shopruche.com

www.Threadsence.com

Styling Assistant:

Mike Walrond

Models:

Jessica Gabriella

Khalif Boyd

Don Jeanes

Rentals:

Classic Party Rentals

www.classicpartyrentals.com

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On Monday, I blogged all the details from the Serra Plaza Launch Party which I had the honor of photographing! Well part of the event was a FABULOUS bridal fashion show, styled by the amazing Hope Stanley and made up by Vivian Tran and the All Made Up Team!!! :) LOVEEEEE!!! The models all looked so amazing and as each one walked the runway I found myself swooning and saying "oooh if only I was getting married again I'd wear that!" "No! I'd wear that!!!" Yeah, I'm kinda a sucker for wedding couture!After the show, I got to have a little photo shoot with the models who could hang around! The idea was that Serra Plaza could use the photos for promotional reasons, but hey, who am I kidding, I just wanted to take pictures of these amazing models!!!!! So I did. And I LOVED it! Here's a look at those photos!!I love this first look! It's not too formal and has a great casual-chic feel to it! I LOVE the look of layered necklaces with a wedding dress! Fab!!!

Aughhhhhhh. This look KILLS me!!! If I was getting married again I totally would go this route. Honestly, I originally wanted a dress like this but never really found one that worked for my uber petite body. SO I ended up wearing a lace dress! LOL! So opposite. But yeah, if I ever get a redo, I'm all over this!!

I had so much time with the last model, Amanda, and I had a great time photographing her! I also LOVED her look! So chic and retro! And I love that the dress is short! Some times I wish I would've worn a short dress because they are so unexpected and stylish. But truth be told I guess I'm just a little too traditional. Still...maybe for a vow renewal I could wear this?? AJ do you approve??

Hello shoes!!! I love you? Will you be mine? Oh what's that? You don't come in size uber tiny???? BUMMER! Okay fine, I'll just live vicariously through my photographs.

Is Amanda fierce or is a Amanda FIERCE?!  You betta work!

The photo on the left is one of my favorites of all time! Ohhhhh Amanda! You are GORGEOUS!

So if you haven't gotten your wedding attire yet, you should definitely check out Hope Stanley. Because she will help you find the PERFECT wedding outfit and accessories. And then contact Vivian Tran and she will glam you up mayjah!!!

Special Thanks again to all the *fab* vendors who made the Serra Plaza Launch Party possible:

In The Now Weddings and Events (Rachel took the lead on this one!)

Andrei’s

Annabelle’s Coffee

BBJ Linen

Cheesy Photo Booths

Creative Media Print

Cynthia Bower at Classic Party Rentals

Delicieuse French Ice Cream

French Buckets

Good Gracious! Events

Hope Stanley at Mary Me Bridal

Izze

Jay’s Catering

Joel at Studio EMP

Martin at Waveform Events

Serra Plaza

Sundried Tomato Cafe

Sugar Tart

Vivian Tran and the All Made Up Team

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Last week I posted about being featured on the front page of Wedding Chicks and how completely giddy I was over the feature! Now, finally, I'm sharing more images from the fabulous shoot with you here!! :)I was totally flattered when back in November florist extraordinaire Kate Baker asked if I could come photograph some details of an event she was working on. Though not a wedding, this event had AMAZING details and a unique Kentucky Derby theme! Honestly, there was so much inspiration to be had everywhere! I could totally see a bride getting married on a ranch, equestrian center, or country club taking some of these horse racing motifs and running with it! From the delicate florals, to the pennant escort cards, to the vintage horse racing props...every detail was thought out! I am so thankful to have been a part of this shoot and so thankful to Wedding Chicks for featuring it! I hope it will inspire many brides out there!! ;)The amazing vendors who worked on this event are:* Floral Design and Décor: Kate Baker Floral Design  www.KateBakerFlorals.com* Event Production: Kat Napolitano of Entertainment Plus Productions  www.eplusproductions.com* Stationary Design, Peilin Chen-Breller Style and Design  www.peilinbreller.comAnd without further ado...the pictures!!!

The horse-shoe shaped head table was a true show stopper, decorated with tall and low floral arrangements!

The programs were adorable! Thanks to AJ for hand modeling for me ;)

Bling, silver, delicate flowers...the event was luxe all the way!

LOVE these pennant escort cards!!

And if you haven't checked out the feature on Wedding Chicks yet, you can do so by clicking here!!

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