Back at it with Emilee at Tasteful Tatters Events and Lark Farnum Design. Started the morning at the Langham hotel Pasadena and ending at the Santa Anita Race park. The floral design was a stunning pop for summer.

California is stunning for the diversity the landscape provides. I was so excited when I got this inquiry for Michelle and Zach’s intimate Big Bear Wedding. We started off with the first look and romantics then went into the ceremony on the bottom deck. Reception followed inside and ended by the campfire. 

Patty & Jamie got to have their intimate wedding at the Joshua Tree Inn in California. Another couple who had to face the odds of the pandemic and finally made it to their celebration. Since planning they gave life to the sweet baby Ollie. We all had a lovely time meeting him and celebrating Patty & Jamie's love story.  Jamie’s blue suit was a great moment.

Hargo has been a client of mine here In the high desert for a couple of years nows. It was so exciting to have him reach out about maternity photos for him and his wife Alice. These two radiate light and positivity. It’s always an honor to create together. Shout out to Heidi Cicero who styled and supported the shoot.

Several years back I photographed Jaclyn and Cameron’s wedding at Casa Cody in Palm Springs. Susan, Jaclyn’s mom, reached out this year to do holiday photos while she had all her kids all in town at the same time. We met out in Palm Springs again and took a neighborhood walk. Since their wedding her sister has had a child, so great to see the family expanding and catch up!

Lauren and Kayla had their wedding at the stunning Sacred Sands in Joshua Tree California. It was a beautiful chill day surrounded by their closest loved ones. I had a fun time making them feel like the models they looked like all day. Love how the textures of their dresses went together. Sacred Sands never disappoints.

After dealing with postponements Justin & Megan finally got to tie the knot at Roblar Farm  in the beautiful Santa Ynez, California. Loved teaming back up with Christopher Robin Weddings , we previously worked on a wedding in Glendora for couple Molly & Jack.  My partner Stanley second shot the wedding with me capturing details and some great wide angle action shots throughout the day. 

Alexandria has been a client of mine for a few years now. I’ve taken photos for her therapy and counseling business. We’ve also worked together on family events and sessions. This was my first Christmas session with her daughter Sadie ! It was such a joy to follow them around and get some classic shots.

Betsy and Brian flew out from Ohio for a beautiful mountain side elopement in Palm Desert. Their faith is a big part of their journey and they had a beautiful intimate ceremony featuring hymns and beautiful words surrounded by their close family and friends. Couple timed everything perfectly for ‘golden hour’. 

My good friend Jenn had family friends planning a proposal in Malibu and referred me to Timothy to capture this special day. Tim and I had been in coordination for a couple months with his soon to be mother in law. The location and weather couldn’t of been more perfect. The bungalow laid up on the top of these beautiful mountains overlooking the sea. I snuck inside while Megan and Tim were enjoying a moment together in the backyard. He brought out the ring,  she said yes and we had a fun time getting some intimate moments together. Left these two with the biggest smiles on their faces. It’s beautiful to witness these connections and capture these epic moments. 

I remember the excitement meeting with Anna & Brenton for the first, little did we know what lay ahead for wedding plans with the pandemic. It’s been a wild year to navigate for all of us. It’s been beautiful however to see couples pull through and handle these hard times with grace together. Anna & Brenton ended up having to do their Catholic Church ceremony at Saint John Neuman’s parking lot because of the CDC guidelines for indoor activity during Fall 2020.  A challenge accepted , Stanley my second shooter started noticing the tree lines around and shot from lower angles  to get rid of distractions. I used my lenses to create some depth of field and the beautiful side lighting to create a focus on my bride. After the ceremony we got to take some formals with the wedding party at their venue Heritage Museum. It was a big group but we had a lot of fun playing with safe ways to get group shots of everyone together. I will be returning back to Heritage Museum this fall to capture and celebrate their wedding reception! 

The Santa Barbara Courthouse has to be one of my favorites of all time, I will always take on weddings in SB. Loved this colorful chill day with Lani and Paul. They had a very limited guest count of their closest family and a couple friends. The session was only a couple hours but we got a lot of beautiful shots.  Santa Barbara Courthouse has so many beautiful locations on their grounds with stunning details. So grateful for all my couples who put their trust in me to create these beautiful memories together. 

The great outdoors can be so unpredictable and beautiful. I’ve worked weddings in the states of Florida, Georgia, New York and California and you get different challenges no matter the location. East coast has lots of showers but that can also make for some beautiful soft light like in Raquel & Clay’s Pre Wedding shoot.  Some light cloud coverage made for an evenly lit session around  St. Augustine.  Let’s all admire Clay’s Velvet Jacket. On the West coast the desert sun does not mess around. Had to get creative with the Gallagher Family and use the bright light to my advantage. Really enjoyed the texture the light brought in the group shot. Look for shaded spots when facing the overhead light. Play with shadows! 

Love working again with vendors Tasteful Tatters and Lark Farnum Design . Pinky owner of Lark Farnum Designs first started off as one of my brides and we’ve been working together for over 4 years. Her floral designs are always from the heart and just stunning works of art. Emille of Tasteful Tatters was introduce to me by Pinky and we have done a couples of weddings together. She is sunshine and brings that to her wedding designs with clients. Loved their treatment on this elegant colorful wedding at the Santa Anita Race Park.

Here for a little mid year check in because lets face it 2020 felt like 10 years. It was wild to say the least and 2021 half way through is still just a guessing game. 

The past year has been the most challenging, but maybe some necessary insight into what will be important moving forward. One thing for sure it’s been full of new adventures, growth and change.

These are some of my favorite recent images…