I couldn't wait to post a little preview of this wedding.  Taken on a hot, beautiful day of some beautiful people.  More to come soon!

Michele and Shawn opted to have a First Look.  This is when the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony.  I know this may seem a little taboo, however, this is a great option on your big day.  Amidst of all the commotion, the First Look offers a quite moment to share alone.  Together.

It also allows us to ease into the portraits :)  Next up: Details, Ceremony & Reception!  

Happy Thursday!

Where to begin.  When we met at Starbucks I wasn't sure what to expect.  My hands were shaking and I tried to breath slowly.  I was meeting Michele and Shawn for the first time.  This wasn't my first wedding consultation.  I told myself, "I got this."

With in minutes I knew that I wanted to photograph them on their special day.  Because you can see love radiating from their eyes.  From the way they look at each other and how their family spoke about them.  Their love is the indestructible kind.  The kind that God sees as a blessing.  One that He has chosen to show to others just how wonderful love is.

Michele and Shawn:  I was so incredibly honored to have photographed your wedding.  I hid my tears behind my camera when the two of you promised forever and shared your vows with your guests.

And thank you Bryan for being my second shooter ... you are the man!

Here is Part I :  The Bride and Groom.

What a gorgeous bride! Michele you are so beautiful :)

And Shawn might I say you look quite the handsome catch here.

This last image is great because if you know Shawn, you know that he has this incredibly infectious laugh that literally makes anyone laugh.  And it was present through out the whole day making everyone share his happiness.  

Next up, Part II : The First Look

Happy Tuesday!

I couldn't resist posting this one up!  Can't wait to share the rest of this beautiful couple!

Happy Monday!

For me, being a second shooter is fantastic.  I get to help the main photographer and practice with out the pressure of being first.

I recently got to work with Emily Swanson who is a wonderfully sweet person and I had a great time being her second.  The wedding was literally a stairway up from the beach at a beautifully custom built beach home in Long Beach.  

Teri & Robert found each other late in life and definitely at the right time.  Robert is madly in love with Teri and Teri is madly in love with Robert. They had an intimate wedding with close family and friends.  Thank you for allowing me to be there and share this day with you.

Here are few details of the ceremony:

and the reception:

And the beautiful couple:

Happy Wednesday!

Ruth & Mark planned their wedding themselves.  With Ruth's attention to detail and great taste, they had a beautiful backyard wedding that was just delightful.  Accompanied by many close family and friends, these two vowed their love for one another.

Thanks to Alex Singh for assisting me that day and getting some great shots, of which you can see on his blog here.

On with the wedding!

Alex got this shot of Mark getting ready and I love it!

Ruth & Mark opted to see each other before the wedding and I was so excited when they did.  This gives the bride and groom time to soak in the day.  See each other and really have a special moment before sharing it with the guests.  And it gives way to better portraits in the end also :)

Ceremony time! And it was so cute to see Ruth being walked down the aisle by her father and son.

Married!

Thank you Ruth & Mark for having me photograph your wedding!

I seriously couldn't ask for better clients than Melissa and Cesar to break me into the wedding industry.  Yes, I have shot weddings before, some as lead and some as a second shooter.  And even though I have been to many weddings, shooting my first wedding as lead since 2007 was amazing.   The rush of being the one they count on to bring about amazing images of their special day is worth every second.

Melissa and Cesar tied the knot in April on a Friday at Wedgwood Banquet in Riverside.  They had a beautiful outdoor wedding in beautiful calm weather and then a fun reception that lasted way into the night.  Helping me was Alex Singh of Alex Singh Photo who is a great assistant and second shooter :).

Okay enough blah blah blah and on to the photos!  Melissa & Cesar: you two are the greatest! And I wish you the best in life as one.  

We started with the day with the guys.

Cesar looking handsome.

While the guys were out on the golf carts, it was the girls' turn.

And before the ceremony, Melissa took a little break from everyone and we got some quiet and beautiful photos of her.

Melissa's something blue belonged to her mother, who passed away but her memory was ever present through out the whole day.

Some details of the day

Ceremony time.

And I leave you with the first dance. 

Have a great Monday!