Yayyyyyy! What an amazing year this has been! I have seen my work published in print, internationally, on Green Wedding Shoes, The Wedding Chicks...and now? Style Me Pretty California!!!!I am totally honored to see this post up on SMP today, because not only is SMP one of my FAVE wedding blogs, but I respect their sense of style so much. And I know they are quite selective in what they choose to feature. And of all the shoots I have done this year, I am so glad they chose to feature this one, as it is seriously one of my faves to date!Go check it out!
A few weeks ago, Mark + Kim's engagement session was featured on one of my fave hip & whimsical blogs Ever Ours! Thanks so much to Lydia for featuring this session!Go check out the full feature!
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:
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:
Two years ago today I married my best friend. The person who made me laugh the hardest. Smile the brightest. And dream the biggest. The first person I ever truly felt I could show all of myself too-- even my darkest, ugliest and most embarrassing parts. The first person to ever fully accept the real me. The first person, the only person, who felt just right.Our wedding was such a special night. We laughed (lots), cried, partied, and gushed love all night. It was so fun celebrating with our family, seeing all our planning and pretty decor come to life, going through the rite of passage, and just feeling the love. It went by in a blur. And to this day looking at my wedding album and reliving the day through photos gives me the biggest warm and fuzzies. The photos instantly connect me to the memory of THE BEST NIGHT EVER.And while the wedding was JAMMIN.... honestly? The best part of it all was committing myself to my favorite person on Earth. I'm the luckiest that I get to wake up every morning next to you, AJ. And that I get to spend a lifetime with you. Thank you so much for putting up with all my shenanigans-- I know I'm quite the handful. I love you more than anything, and am looking forward to at least 60 more years with you.xoxoxoxooxx
All photos above by the amazingly talented Palos Studio www.palosstudio.com
I will be out of the office today, 6/21 through 6/28... because ... I WILL BE IN HAWAII!! The Henning Family is going on vacation to celebrate my in-laws 35th wedding anniversary, myself and my husband's 2nd wedding anniversary, my mother in law's birthday, and my husband's 30th birthday! Woohoo! We have lots to celebrate. I will not be returning emails until 6/29. If you have an emergency please call me!Also...regarding Tuesday Top 5... I've decided to discontinue that. Tears, I know! But Tuesdays are a hard day for me to blog workflow wise, plus I was only talking about food anyways. LOL! So Tuesday Top 5 will now become two separate weekly blog features-- Foodie Fridays (hooray!) and random posts entitled Material Girl in which I'll talk about all the material things I love! So that's the story there!!Okay....HAWAII TIME!!! Aloha and Mahalo!
I am seriously in awe of all the publications that have picked up the Lady Gaga Wedding Inspiration shoot I photographed since it's initial debut on The Wedding Chicks! This thing went viral big time, beyond my wildest dreams. It's latest incarnation... the shoot was published in Marry Me Magazine, a new Russian bridal magazine. Yes, I said RUSSIAN! For real, brides in Russia are perusing my work for wedding inspiration??? What the what?? It's crazy. It's random. And I love it. I kinda feel like I'm on "The Edge of Glory" LOL!The editor of Marry Me Magazine sent me a pdf of the feature. Amazing!
So cool! So crazy! Thanks to Marry Me Russia for the incredible feature.... and hey, if any Russian brides out there wanna fly me over to shoot your wedding? Well I'd be down ;)
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!
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!
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!
One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to be featured on Green Wedding Shoes! I absolutely LOVE the site and all the photoshoots and inspiration they share. Brides who <3 Green Wedding Shoes style are my type of brides. So to be featured on the site would mean the world. Well, we're halfway through 2011 and I am super proud to say that I've now had my work featured on the site TWICE! Yep! We had the adorable Lady and the Tramp shoot feature earlier this year....and now an amazing Western and Silent Film Engagement shoot has been featured! Yippee! Trust me you don't wanna miss this!Check out Virginia + Alex's engagement shoot on Green Wedding Shoes:
And of course, I'll be blogging the images myself! Soon!!! So stay tuned!!!
I was super excited to discover that last week Christine + Tyler's wedding was featured on Recycled Bride's blog! Recycled Bride is a very cool site where you can buy lightly used items for your wedding-- from dresses to rings to decor! The idea is that you save money by buying a past bride's wedding goods, and save the environment by recylcing and reusing other people's items! Rad right? If you haven't checked out the site you definitely should!!And also be sure to check out Christine + Tyler's wedding feature on the Recycled Bride blog:
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!!!
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!!
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! ;)
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:
Here's another TT5 for all y'alls out there! Enjoy!1. Rebel Bite! So AJ told me about a new rockin' food truck we had to try called Rebel Bite, and it was coming to our neighborhood food truck lot! What was even better is that each day, Rebel Bite posts a trivia question or two on their twitter. First person to reply with the right answer gets some FREE grub! Ummm yes please!!! I really like FREE DELICIOUS FOOD! So I stalked twitter all day and bam! I won! Hooray! So AJ and I rolled up over there and ordered some deliciousness. AJ got the Karl B. Marx, a beefy grilled cheese. I got the cioppino (yum) and the roasted garlic eggplant grilled cheese (double yum). Rebel Bite made me a verrrrrry happy camper! Y'all should follow them and play their challenges! It's fun and the rewards are TASTY!2. Mexicali Taco Co Party! A few weeks ago, I wrote about Mexicali Taco and Co and how delicious it was. Last Saturday they threw a little party, and everyone who came down and ordered some grub got a free shrimp cocktail!!! Judging by the paragraph above, y'all should be aware that I love FREE DELICIOUS FOOD! So AJ and I hauled it to downtown and got our nom nom on! The free shrimp cocktail was so delicious it really should be on the menu permanently! But their quesadillas are also bomb, so I'm sure we'll be back again soon, free shrimp or not! ;)3. Carolyn's French Themed Engagement Party! So all my brides are awesome, but Carolyn who is getting married this fall has an extra special place in my heart! We hit it off since her very first email, and then the engagement session sealed the deal! This girl rocks! I was so stoked that she so generously invited AJ & I to her engagement party! Even better was that the party had a Springtime in Paris theme! J'adore la France!!! AJ and I had so much fun at the soiree, and we ate some delicious French food and got to meet all of Carolyn + Prescott's rad friends! So fun! I have a feeling the wedding will just be like hanging out with old buddies, which is RAD!4. Umami Burger. To be honest, I didn't love my Umami experience, but the place has been on my list of things to try for years now...so I figured I should write about it. I got the Portabello version of the signature Umami Burger, and yes it was dang tasty. It packed the punch with it's flavor for sure...but it was so small! And left me feeling so unsatisfied! We ordered the beet salad with our burgers and though I do love beets I was a bit disappointed in the salad itself. There were only 4 thinly shaved beet slices, the rest was arugula which was barely dressed. It was too bitter for me. I think where we mainly went wrong was not ordering enough sides like fries and onion rings. Oh well....perhaps I will try it again and feel better about it. Or perhaps not. I don't like leaving places hungry!!!5. New GAGA Songs! Eeeeep! With Lady Gaga's new album debuting next Monday, she's been releasing a whole bunch of awesome previews! As you know I love my Gaga, and I love getting these tastes of the new album! My favorite songs that have been released this past week are "Edge of Glory" and "Marry the Night!" I think y'all should give them a listen... so I am leaving the clips below! Check it out!
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....
Another week, another Tuesday, another top 5! And this week it's not all about food! But it is a little bit about food...because it's me you're talking to! So here we go!1. THE ROYAL WEDDING. Yes, I got such a bout of Royal Wedding Fever that I had to capitalize it. Obviously I love me some weddings. So a major wedding event like the Royal Wedding gets me all giddy and crazy excited. I LOVED every second of watching it, and maybe I might have cried tears of joy at one point. That cannot be confirmed or denied. ;) Point is, I swooned the whole way through. Kate's dress was amazing! LOVED the drop veil. LOVED the trees lining the church aisle. Loved her arriving in a vintage car. LOVED all the fascinators the guests wore. Love, love, love! The whole thing got me wondering...will any of my clients incorporate Royal Wedding inspiration in their big day?2. Tasty Meat Truck. Last night was date night at the food truck lot with my hubs. We ate many things including sushi, dumplings and nutella wontons. But one thing AJ reallllllly wanted was something entitled "the iron box" from the Tasty Meat truck. It's basically a box of fries topped with feta, tahini, and meat. I don't eat meat...but I do eat fries. So when AJ offered me a fry I was all, Okay, I'll just have one. Well...ONE fry turned into HALF THE BOX. Who knew fries could be even more deeeelicious with the addition of feta and tahini? Now it's all I can think about. Give me the IRON BOX, hold the meat please! ;)3. Mexicali Taco & Co. Saturday I photographed a fabulous wedding...and I worked up quite an appetite. AJ had the perfect suggestion...a taco table nearby in downtown LA. A Taco Table, friends, is not a truck but a mobile grill. It pops up at night... and this one is LEGIT. It really is largely for carnivores but the fine folks at Mexicali made me a garlicky quesadilla (entitled EL VAMPIRO). They have a lot of fresh salsas to top it with and some crazy tangy limed onions. Yummmers! It was GOOD! The best part though was sitting eating it in the parking lot, at nearly 11:00pm, with other in-the- know folks, with the entire backdrop of Downtown LA's skyscrapers behind us. It was unreal and beautiful and tasty. And its moments like that where I feel I live in the best city in the world.4. Words With Friends. Scrabble is probably one of my FAVE board games. And I play it like a beast! So when I got my friendly iPad 2, I was all heck yeah about the WWF app! I love to play but hateeee losing. I win pretty often but every once in awhile I face an opponent with (gasp!) superior scrabble skills than mine! I really thought I had the best skills too! Argh! Anyways, even when faced with a fiercer opponent than moi, I have so much fun playing this game! It rocks!!5. The Office. I used to love The Office like whoa. But a couple years ago I felt it began to lose it's funny and sparkle...BUT this season the writers have really been nailing it! I have been loving this year and laughing my pants off! I especially love Will Ferrell's recent appearances on the show. I am sad Steve Carrell (aka Michael Scott) is leaving but I have enjoyed the extra funny that's been happening lately! Here is a clip that makes me LOL!
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!