It’s March, which means it’s nearing the end of “wedding booking season”. Now marks the beginning of the transition into wedding season! Woohoooo! The sun’s staying out longer, it’s getting warmer outside… and thawing out my constantly cold extremities FINALLY. I can’t wait for beach weather, iced tea, and refreshing swim workouts! I know it’s a little ways away, but I wanted to share just a little reminder of the glory of summer.

This past September, I had the opportunity to shoot with a new friend, Gabrielle Fox, a San Diego Wedding Photographer. I had met her earlier that year at another wedding and we hit it off. She’s such a fun girl to work with… and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her! She invited me to come and shoot Paul and Kristi’s wedding with her… and, as I’ve mentioned before, I LOVE LOVE LOVE 2nd shooting for other photographer friends… so of course I said YES!

Here’s some of my favorite shots from this beautiful summery day…

While Gabi hung out with Kristi and the girls, I spent some time with the guys as they got ready for the day… they were so funny… such a tight and quirky group of guys…

I loved this shot… when I opened the door behind me, there was some super bright light streaming into the room. It bounced off the shiny linoleum floor and gave this super sweet lighting on their faces…. very dramatic!

Meet Lance, the brilliantly charismatic driver from Haynes Chauffeuring. He loves his cars and is an excellent salesman! He almost convinced me to rent one myself! If you ever need excellent and awesomely vintage cars for anything…. give him a call. He’ll be your best friend.

The lovely reception was held at the Beach House in Cardiff by the Sea. It was really cool how intimate and beautifully decorated it was… the staff at the Beach House did a really nice job of personalizing everything. If you notice the picture on the lower left… there are real gold fish in the vases under the candles! Such a cool decorative idea!

So as we look forward to the warm months, I hope you’re getting as excited about this summer’s weddings as I am! If you’d like to schedule a wedding, an engagement, or even a portrait session, I’d love to talk more about that with you! You can contact me here to inquire more. Hope to hear from some of you! Happy Wednesday!

I never turn down an opportunity to shoot with my friend Jack. He’s awesome. The brides and grooms he gets to shoot are SO sweet… it’s always a pleasure to hang out and shoot. This particular wedding took place in the beginning of December 2009… when the weather was still wintery. (I figure I should blog this one before it’s no longer wintertime. Ha!)

Daniel and Mandy’s wedding and reception were held here… at Orange County Mining Company. The “old barn” look and rugged accents gave an organic and intimate feel to the wedding… and the people were warm and SO excited that these two were finally tying the knot!

Any chance I can get… I love to shoot with other photographers because it gives me the chance to step out and try new things without the stress of shooting the entire event myself. It’s nice to take a step back, help where needed, and spend time taking more artistic and intentional pictures. So some of these shots are different from the usual wedding images I blog, but I love them… they’re relaxed and beautiful. Enjoy!

Epic Jack… Epic.

Daniel and Mandy… thanks for letting me hang with you guys on your wedding day. You’re too cute… and spending time with both of you left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. You’re a reminder of what a newly wed couple is supposed to be like… utterly IN LOVE. Twas a pleasure…

Also muchos gracias to my good friend Jack Ratana… you rock!

January was full of new and exciting things. It was the first month of the 2010, thus serving as a perfect starting place for improvements and ideas. And although January isn’t prime wedding season, it’s definitely a big wedding planning and booking month…. which is exactly what’s been keeping me busy lately. In talking with my brides for this year, I’ve noticed a common point of frustration… there’s just SO much out there, it’s hard to choose what… and where …and how …and what colors …and what music …and what venue… etc. There’s invitations to write and design, there’s venues and vendors to book, there’s dresses and tuxes to pick, and then there’s the smaller details like whether or not to include RSVP cards with return stamps… or not. And even though I’m not a bride yet, I sympathize with their frustrations and feeling overwhelmed…. there really is a LOT out there.

So this year, I’m excited to offer something that eases just a little of the frustration and overwhelmed feelings my brides have voiced. This year, I’m offering personalized wedding websites for every wedding I shoot this year! Wooohoo!!!

Wedding Websites are a great way to hit several birds with one stone….

* Save money on paper RSVP cards and postage…. and request that all your guests RSVP directly on the site.

* Have a centralized location where your guests can view directions, view wedding details, and your engagement/wedding pictures

* Direct people to a Registry page on your website where your guests can see where you’re registered, click on the link, and start online shopping right then and there

*  Create a cool and super fun way to share your love story and excitement with your family and friends

Pretty much the best idea since sliced bread, if you ask me…

Here’s a few pages from a site I just finished for Billy Jack and Alissa, whose wedding in May is going to be super fun It features their wedding colors, their story, picture galleries, their wedding, registry, and vendor details, directions, times, and addresses, a place to find them on the internet, and a place to RSVP…. basically everything they could want in one stop! Check it out…

You can view more here.

Like I said before, It seems like there’s a million possible ways I could make myself and my business better… the trick is finding what fits who I am and what my business is about. I could offer infinite possibilities to my clients and become something like a Walmart style wedding photographer…. something for every common man… but I’ve chosen not to, for the sake of creating a “one of a kind” type of experience. And today, I’d like to show you yet another tremendous product I’ll be offering this year…. Renaissance Albums.

What do you think of when you hear the word “Renaissance”? Classic…. high class… romantic… with an artistic flare. That’s what I think at least. And really, truly, that is what this Renaissance Album is. All that in one beautiful experience. Renaissance blends a high class album experience with a modern, romantic, and artsy overtone. The unique high point of choosing this album is that it’s completely customizable…. to make an wedding album that is…

Truly Yours….

Upon opening the box, you will find this high class beautiful black leather box. Such a great way to store your treasured memories!

Once you slide the lid off the box, the first thing you see is the Renaissance slip cover…. another very cool way to keep your album fresh and new looking through the years…

And Voila! How cool is the customized cover? I absolutely love it…

What’s cool about the cover, is it’s got a modern spin on the concept of a timeless heirloom. There’s no leather cover… it’s Acrylic (so it’s super durable and easy to clean)… and I have the creative ability to design it however I want. I like that…

The cover is held together by a black silk brocade (you have different choices of color and style)….

And this album has the “layflat” binding with premium pages for enhanced book structure.

Another cool thing about this book, is it opens to the first page spread instead of leaving a blank first page…

The photo prints in this book are 2 pages wide, and there is no break in the page… which gives Ahhh-mazing full panoramic page spreads.

You can see the middle of the book here…. the print is seamless…. and the paper they print on is resistance to fading and wear/tear.

Like I mentioned in the other Album post, print quality is a huge factor for me… it makes or breaks the album (in my opinion). And I’m proud to say that these prints are beautiful… and immaculate. Top notch print quality if you ask me…

Basically I’m in love with this wedding book… and I think you will be too! If you’d like to view the entire album design, I included it below… enjoy!

And if you’re interested in a custom designed album, email Kate here.