Katie and Mike are officially Mr. and Mrs. after a beautiful (and really really fun) wedding yesterday at Heritage Park in Dana Point.  The incredibly sweet and talented Melody Walker was hired to coordinate the event.  As always, she pulled it off flawlessly and kept Katie stress-free so she could enjoy her wedding.  We were fortunate enough to be able to take pre ceremony photos at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, then after the ceremony we headed down to the beach for a mini photo sess of the bridal party.  Guests enjoyed a beautiful view of Dana Point Harbor and perfect weather at Cannons Restaurant, where the reception took place.  We were also entertained with several toasts by the couple’s loved ones.  Until yesterday I had never seen a wedding toast involving two Cabbage Patch dolls…I think the bride’s brother referred to them as “nunchucks of death” or something hillarious like that.  Congrats Katie and Mike!  You make a beautiful couple and I am so honored that I was able to document your wedding day!

She looks just a wee bit happy, huh? 

The modern day bridal party photo- Blackberries in hand!

After the nunchuck Cabbage Patch doll demonstration…Luckily, no one was hurt.

Good lighting is always the first thing I look for when choosing a spot for photos.  Look how beautiful their skin is in this sweet light inside a hallway at the Ritz Carlton!

Katie has always wanted Mike to sing for her (he used to sing back in the day).  That wish became a reality when Mike serenaded his new wife in a surprise performance.  Not a dry eye in the house (including mine)!

Brandi was referred to me by one of my great clients, Courtney (see her ADORABLE little girl, baby E, here).  Last weekend I photographed Brandi’s beautiful family of 3 (with 1 on the way!) at one of my fav new spots – Quail Hill Community Park in Irvine.  Not only is Quail Hill a unique family portrait location with lots of space for little ones to run around, but it’s very private also.  Perfect for camera shy people   Photographing little ones is usually a challenge.  I’ve found that if I become a child myself (think funny faces, strange animal noises, and pretending to hunt for treasure) the little ones’ interest is peaked.  It turns out that baby M was more interested in my camera than anything else, and the bubble gun was broken, so I handed over my camera for her to photograph mommy and daddy.  I made a deal with her that I could return the favor by photographing her, and that’s when some of the best shots of the day were created.  I’ll do pretty much whatever it takes to get the shots I want- whether it be untrusting a 2 year old with my camera, or just making a fool of myself.  Thank you Brandi, Darby, and baby M!  Can’t wait to show you the rest of the images soon!

Kira and Colin’s Casa Romantica wedding was classy, chic, modern, and laid back- all at the same time.  Green Leaf Designs’ fresh arrangements of tropical blooms interlaced with succulents were a perfect compliment to the Pacific Ocean backdrop.  Kira’s impeccable style shone through in all the creative details of the wedding- from the coordinated paper products to the plush throw blankets and dancing flip flops.  Thanks to the fabulous Dalise Lindsay, everything was perfectly organized, on schedule, and stress-free (congrats on another flawlessly executed wedding, you rock!)  Now let’s go get this wedding published in The Knot!

Can you say GORGEOUS!  This is going on my wall.

Kira bought cardstock and created the escort cards and other paper products herself.

Bridal PARTY!  Aren’t those bridesmaids’ dresses cute?

There’s no way Colin could get through the night without showing off some of his stellar dance skills. 

The ceremony site at Casa Romantica.  Could a wedding venue be any more perfect than this?

Lori and Hugh made it official yesterday during a beachside ceremony at the picturesque Laguna Village in Laguna Beach.  Here’s a sneak peek of their wedding images!  There’s a lot more where these came from, so make sure to check back in about a week to see more!

Every year the holidays seem to creep up on us, and before you know it, it’s November and you haven’t even booked your holiday portrait session!  By the time your images are ready, you barely have enough time for your holiday cards to be made and mailed out on time.  As if you didn’t already have enough to stress out about in November and December!  Book your holiday portrait session now, and we’ll give you 24 FREE custom holiday cards if your session is before October 15.  October 29 is the last day we shoot holiday sessions, and October is already filling up VERY quickly!  Contact me (Carly) now to secure your spot.

Before Grace and Richard’s engagement session, I had never shot a portrait session at Quail Hill Community Park in Irvine.  What a cool location!  I felt like I was inside an Anthropologie catalog.  Grace and I did a fair amount of consulting prior to the portrait session, and I could tell she was really into the whole photo thing (the balloons were her idea).  I could go on and on about what a fun time we had frolicking through the wide open meadows at Quail Hill, how Richard is such a good sport for pretending a balloon was whisking him off into the distance, and how much I love Grace for putting my business on Yelp and writing the most amazing review EVER, but I will just let the pics do the talking.  Thank you Richard and Grace for an awesome afternoon!  Can’t wait for you to see all the images!

Jenna and Mark’s wedding at Bella Collina Towne and Golf Club was SO MUCH FUN!  I’ve been really lucky this summer with fun, laid back brides and beautiful wedding venues.  Jenna is my kind of bride in every way…didn’t think twice when I asked her to lay down in the grass (on the petticoat, not the actual gown!) and had a ton of personality in front of the camera.  Mark treats Jenna like a queen, and it was such a pleasure to document all the emotional moments of their wedding day.  Thanks a million to my past bride turned friend Brooke Bakken for referring Jenna and Mark to me!!  Now for the pics…

Jenna, you are my hero for letting me capture this image!

My 2nd shooter Brian took this beautiful shot in the wine tasting room.

Since Jenna and Mark took photos together before the ceremony, we had time for a golf cart ride and some romantic pics.

Perfect weather…

Love the attitude ladies!  Work it!

This image was created using an off-camera light to combat the strong backlighting from the sun.

Bridal party, ready for the party.

C’mon Jenna, you know you love it…haha!

Jenna’s friends made the DELICIOUS cupcakes.  The red velvet was to die for, and the frosting was perfection!

The Turnip Rose is a photographer’s paradise with its sweeping staircases, majestic fountain, dramatic front gate, and of course the atrium.  I knew right away that I was a perfect match for Adam and Colleen’s playful and laid back attitude (shout out to Chad for referring me!)  They’re those people who are so much fun, you KNOW their wedding is going to be the party of a lifetime, and you PRAY that you’re lucky enough to get invited.  Do you know anyone who was escorted into their wedding reception by storm troopers and a fog machine?  Didn’t think so.

Every bride needs a good pair of dancing shoes, right?

Working with a 2nd photographer is essential for capturing moments like this – Colleen and her daddy waiting to walk down the aisle at Holy Family Cathedral.

Another example of why a 2nd shooter is awesome – Steve Hoffmann captured this beautiful close up image…

While I captured a wider shot to show the beautiful atrium.

They are called the bridal PARTY for a reason, right?!

I love a bride who bedazzles (look at the heels)! Adam begged to show off his studly calves, so we let him…jk, he didn’t really beg

The refreshingly unique floral design was created by a friend from Camfeldt’s Flowers and Gifts

A surprise appearance by the storm troopers caught Adam and Colleen completely off guard.

Shout out to my Alien Bee flash for producing this awesome lighting for the bouquet toss!

The guys encouraging Adam as he removes Colleen’s garter.

The Turnip Rose looks just as good at night as it does during the day.

Don’t mess with these newlyweds, grrrrr!

Hotel Accomodations – Fairmont Newport Beach

I had so much fun yesterday photographing Mini Sessions of some of the cutest little people ever!  Check the blog often to see when another round of Mini Sessions are being offered.  There will be special perks for all past portrait clients :)  Here’s a sneak peek of some of yesterday’s images…

Baby K was a little show off in front of the camera (in a good way!)  She made some HILLARIOUS faces

Baby E was a little shy to accept Mommy’s offer for a kiss

 Baby E scored these precious pink, angora booties from the Oprah show.  I want some too Oprah!

 Baby B was much happier in mommy’s arms than in front of the backdrop, which turned out to be fine because I snapped this cute pic of her 

When Rosie and Kory told me they wanted to play around in the ocean and get wet, I knew I had a fun engagement session ahead of me.  Rosie expressed to me that she definitely wanted photos on the beach, but she also liked the hip, young, urban look, so we decided to shoot their session in downtown Laguna Beach.  I had just renewed my business insurance (thankfully), so if a wave took me and my cameras out (which almost happened a few times), it wouldn’t be the end of the world, haha!  This adorable couple hails from Utah, and will be getting married at the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City this summer.  When you two have babies, you better bring them back to California so I can photograph them!  Or just fly me to Utah