Descanso Gardens Engagement Session | Emilie and Dave

Emilie and Dave are people after our own heart!

Dave called us one day and quickly let us know he read the info on our website and he asked where our favorite ramen place was. It caught me off guard because our clients typically begin asking about photography, our style and so forth, but he really wanted to know our recommendations! I knew we were going to hit it off really well when we had a discussion on the Lakers, Japanese culture among other things and we spoke on photography for about 5 minutes out of a 2 hour conversation. 

He told us about their wedding plans and as we photographed at Storrier-Stearns Japanese Gardens he wanted us to photograph their upcoming wedding there. They happen to love Japanese culture as much as we do and they wanted to include that influence in their engagement and wedding images. 

So they opted to have their engagement session at Descanso Gardens in La Canada (right outside of Los Angeles) and we had so much fun in the different garden areas. 

We can totally see why Emilie and Dave are meant for each other. They're totally smitten with each other and if Descanso Gardens didn't close, we could have photographed them all day!

We hope you enjoy these images and look out for their wedding highlights. If their engagement session was any indication, their wedding is going to be one for the books!

Congratulations you guys and we can't wait to rock out with you guys!

Laguna Beach Engagement Session | Kate and Jeff

Through the hustle and bustle of life, it's so easy to get caught up in the stress of everything going on and it may be hard to take time out to allow ourselves to let our true feelings out. It may be cliche, but we absolutely love bringing out the best in our couples and we hope we were able to do that for Kate and Jeff. 

We've been to Laguna Beach many times for various engagement sessions and weddings and this session was very intimate. I'm not sure where to start as the vulnerability and raw emotion that Kate and Jeff brought to their engagement session made it an absolute pleasure to witness and we can't wait until their wedding day to celebrate with loved ones. 

Kate and Jeff may seem like you're everyday friends, which they are, but when they got comfortable they became overwhelmed with emotion as they realized the reason why they're getting married. They let themselves love on each other in a way that let the other person know they deeply cared for them. I'll let the images speak for themselves as their story is personal and unique yet their love for each other was on full display. 

Enjoy and be sure to give them some love in the comments!

Balboa Fun Zone Engagement Session | Christine and Karvin

We had the privilege of hanging out with Christine and Karvin for their engagement session in Newport Beach at Balboa Fun Zone and they absolutely rocked it all day!

They told me they don't take pictures and they were so nervous, but I think they lied to me! Why do our clients lie so much?! Haha! 

We're so happy to see these two together and get ready to be married in a few months. We can tell how much they love each other and we hope you can as well through these images. 

Enjoy a few images from their engagement session and make sure to give them your best wishes!

Hollywood Hills Surprise Proposal | Melissa and Lawrence

This past Monday, I got a phone call from Lawrence and he let me know that he was going to surprise his girlfriend by proposing to marry her. I was excited for him and I jumped at the honor and opportunity to photograph such a huge step in his and Melissa's lives!

He specifically chose the Hollywood Bowl Overlook in the Hollywood Hills to propose. As a lover of the big city, Los Angeles to be exact, I don't think he could have found a better place. 

It was so surreal to be a part of and unfold in front of my eyes!

As part of Lawrence's proposal, I also recorded my first Periscope broadcast and I have to say it was so awesome to have the raw iPhone footage to document and watch over and over again! It may no longer be on Periscope, so here is the uncut footage as it went down: Melissa + Lawrence Periscope Proposal

Congratulations again to Melissa and Lawrence and here's to the rest of your lives!

Los Angeles Wedding Photography | Araceli and Jose

What a blessing it was to be part of Araceli & Jose's wedding celebration.  We knew right from the moment we met for their engagement session how much love they had for one another and how important family was to both of them.

As in many cultures, weddings bring on many family traditions, and Araceli & Jose's wedding was filled with it.  Araceli's family welcomed their unity with 3 days of celebration, surprising the couple the day prior to their wedding day with festivities.  On the day of their wedding, Araceli & Jose married at St. Joseph's Catholic Church where they shared their love for one another with many friends, relatives and God.  They finished off day 3 with more celebrating and fun!

Needless to say it was nothing short of amazing for the happy couple.    More tradition's and memories were made at their reception, which included an awesome first dance (you know it's going to be awesome when part of their first dance includes Pharrell's song: Happy), surprise vocal performance by our groom, traditional la vivora de la mar, performances by family members, full mariachi band, a live banda, and so much more.

Araceli & Jose thank you for allowing us be part of such a special moment in your lives.  We look forward to celebrating many more milestones with you and your family.   

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