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I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the Oliver Winery in Bloomington, IN for Courtney & Nick's engagement session. I was just expecting rows and rows of grapevines, but it was obvious that the winery wanted their guests to stay and relax with all of its pretty landscaping and walkways, which helped set the tone for the engagement session.
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I love apples- not really to eat (not a big fan of fruit but have been trying to eat it for breakfast everyday after reading this book) but to look at! They are so round, shiny, colorful and cute!

Kadidja came to me with visions of orchids and green apples in her head. She chose a fresh palette of chartreuse, white, chocolate brown and accents of gold. Vibrant, lush, playful and cheerful was the look of the day, but the gold accents and candles added romance and elegance to the decor.

I was totally bowled over by the talented Sarah K. Chen's images. I have admired her work from afar, and have wanted to work with her for quite awhile. Her style of photography was just perfect for Kadidja's wedding- vibrant, fresh, modern… I also got to see Jonilyn of Jonilyn Photography, who assisted Sarah that day, and Paola of Just Chic Events, who coordinated all the intricate details.

As you can see, Kadidja is a drop dead gorgeous bride. She is also warm, friendly, and has a calming way about her. I so enjoyed working with her every step of the way.

Here is a sneak peak of their wedding, courtesy of Sarah K. Chen!

There she is, the beautiful bride.
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How do I love Stacie + Todd? Let me count the ways… actually, I won't do that because I would never get around to posting the fab pictures from this wedding!! I'll just say that I heart this couple SO much. I first met Stacie for our consult at a Coffee Bean in Huntington Beach. We clicked INSTANTLY and had the best time gushing over ideas and inspiration photos she had brought. Over the course of her planning, we swapped HUNDREDS of emails about every last detail of the big day. Stacie is a insanely creative graphic designer (mostly working in the web design field… check her out!) and hand-crafted all of her stationery, printed ephemera and signage. She also had a fresh, offbeat style and vision for her day that really inspired me. I knew her event would be one-of-a-kind and like nothing I had done before.

Stacie + Todd are both avid surfers and the ocean was the backdrop of their blossoming love story. It was no surprise, then, when they chose the hip + beachy W Hotel in San Diego for their venue. They were wed on the hotel's rooftop “beach” (complete with sand and surfboard bar) and then set the scene for a swanky lounge-inspired reception in the great room. To create a unique, club-like vibe for their reception, we dismissed the idea of fixed guest seating and tables. Instead, we brought in dozens of white leather couches and loveseats, paired with clear ghost chairs and LED-lit cube tables. Add a sleek black dance floor, dozens of Chinese paper lanterns and modern arrangements of orchids and wheatgrass… and you had an ultra stylish space that facilitated a fabulous party.

Guests enjoyed heavy tray passed hors d'oeuvres along with a selection of tasty food stations: 3 types of salads, made-to-order Pad Thai (YUMMM) served in Chinese takeout boxes, freshly prepared sushi and a carving station for the meat lovers. The perfect sweet ending to the evening: a decadent dessert display with nostalgic treats in the couple's signature chocolate + chartreuse palette. One of my favorite bands, Masta, kept the energy up and guests on the dance floor!

Enjoy another photo-overload post courtesy of my ultra-fabulous and amazing photographer friends, Nate + Jac of The Image is Found. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know they are 2 of my fave people on the planet. They are also two of the most creative folks in the biz, always pushing the envelope with their images. On top of all of this, they are a TON of fun and I loooove working with people I love! Check their radtastic blog for lots of eye candy! Here we go…
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I met Nari and Wyatt in Sierre Madre for their engagement session back in February. There was a little park not far from where they live and it had the coolest trees and scenery. I loved it. The whole time we were there I thought about the photos of my mom, uncle and grandparents from their family vacations in the 50s and 60s, and how this place reminded me of those old photos I have looked at all my life. So I processed these photos to have that same feel.

Nari and Wyatt are so awesome! Wyatt was a little nervous and said at first it was as bad as a trip to the dentist. By the end he was ready to write a testimonial for the blog saying it's not so bad after you get used to it. Send that on anytime you're ready Wyatt. I had a great time.

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The headlines report of gloom and doom.  The stock market crash is giving me the blues.  The forecast says fog is rolling in.  It’s hard to find something to smile about.  We all need a little lift.

At this moment, I need something to give me life, something that’s sweet, something that reminds me of sunny days and careful moments.  So today, I dug into my archives and came up with one of the most cheerful weddings that I have ever done.  Thanks in part of the wonderful husband and wife team of Geoff and Lara White who captured the vibrancy of this event.  From the orange tie that the Groom wore to the colorful bouquet that the bride held, it truly was one of the most vibrant weddings I’ve done.  Tell me, can you resist little white shoes with bright green pom pom mums attached to the buckle.  Come on - you’ve got to smile! 

While Tec and I are on our two-week sabbatical from all things work related, we've tried our darnedest to stay away from the computer, email, phone, bla-bla-bla. But after receiving this email from Emily, we had to investigate further:

I have always wanted to do an engagement session at a zoo, so when Kate told me that she used to work at the Indianapolis Zoo and wanted to do her engagement session there - I was (imagine me singing this) THRIIIILLLED! I loves me a challenge!
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I recently finished this invite for a couple in London getting married in Nigeria. 400 invitations and Directions card. Whew! I am tired! The colors are a chartreuse/lime green and a plum purple. Looks gorgeous!!

I made a really quick arrangement for the photos — I first had it in the white globe vase, but changed it to one of many chair springs, in which I use for all things candles, flowers and wall art. Thought the chair spring looked more “old world” for this invite…

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The afterglow of the engagement has begun to wane and reality sets in: you have a wedding to plan!! Although most brides are excited to dream up ideas for their big day, many are daunted by the task of planning, designing and coordinating one of the biggest parties of their lives. After all, this is probably the first (and hopefully the only!) wedding you will ever plan. It's at this point that many people decide to enlist the guidance and expertise of a wedding planner. In honor of what many people believe to be the hottest engagement season of the year (the holidays!), I thought I'd write up a little post on how you should go about picking the perfect planner for YOU.

1) The sooner the better. I strongly recommend hiring a planner as early in the process as possible. A great planner will be able to assist you with key initial tasks like drawing up a realistic budget, scouting for the perfect venue, and providing you with personalized referrals for the best vendors around. Also, if you intend to utilize a planner for event design, you will want them around as you begin considering palettes, floral designs, etc. Once you decide you want a wedding planner (or even a coordinator) on-board, begin researching fab ones in your area.

2) Make a list of your “wants.” What exactly do you want your planner to do for you? Make a list of basic duties you'd like to delegate to him/her. This will help you as you research local options and sort through their lists of services. A key question to consider is: How involved do you want your planner to be in the design of the wedding day? Do you need a creative visionary to shower you with unique, custom-tailored ideas and personalized service? Or do you see yourself just needing an industry “insider” as a sounding board for your own ideas? Having a clear picture of what you want your planner to do will help you find him/her!
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It was many months ago that Melissa and Patrick asked me to shoot their big wedding down town. As things progressed, it became a small wedding uptown, with their closest friends of family, at the wonderful restaurant across the street from their amazing apartment. The best part was - Melissa wore her mother’s AMAZING wedding dress from 1976!! Her mom really had amazing taste back then, because I have seen some pretty fluffy dresses from that time, and Melissa's dress was just so simple and quaint and beautiful. Just like this wedding.

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