The sun shone brightly at the 5 o’clock hour. As we walked through the wildflowers, a soft ocean breeze gently blew through her hair and the smell of cool salty waves filled the air. He gazed at the blue horizon, his arm holding her close to his side. Picture perfect. This is how Peter and Carol’s engagement shoot went… perfect, picturesque, and utterly romantic. Their love for each other displayed itself naturally… from the way he held her hand, to the way she looked into his eyes.

I first met Carol in junior high. We were two silly kids who happened to like swimming and we decided to take a summer water polo class. I remember the first day of the class, we both realized VERY QUICKLY that water polo was A LOT harder than we thought. So in between bobbing up for air, giggling at our incompetence, and then choking on water…. we survived the class and continued on as friends through our high school years. From high school, we both went our different ways to college, we both had some traveling adventures… and sure enough we both met our Prince Charmings. And now, as Carol and Peter are nearing their wedding day…. I can’t help but be excited for my longtime friend! Here are my favorites from the evening…. I think you’ll agree that they are TOO CUTE!!

This is one of my favs!

Special thanks to Danyell Weinberg for the beautiful job on Carol’s makeup!

Rob and Jackie met in high school. Being introduced by mutual friends, they started the first years of their relationship as friends…. hanging out at lunch, studying, and discussing the future of their young lives. When it came time to decide on colleges, Rob landed a place at USC and Jackie decided on an east coast school. They hung out all summer with their friends, and it wasn’t until their first college school year started to approach that they began to realize they didn’t want to lose each other. Rob took Jackie on their first official date to Laguna Beach and as they enjoyed a delicious dinner at Las Brisas, he asked her to be his girlfriend. She said yes.

Then, as life often happens, school drew them apart to their prospective universities…. but they maintained their deepening relationship through the distance. The tragedy of “9-11″ happened and Jackie and Rob found themselves shaken and uncomfortably aware that the “important things” in life needed to be prioritized a little better. Jackie transferred to a university back in California to be closer to family, and to Rob. And 12 years after that first date, we found ourselves back where it all began to document their engagement before they tie the knot next month.

These two have a love that is rare…. their love runs deeper than deep, and their friendship truly is the foundation of their relationship. The comfortability, the predictability, and the intuitiveness toward each other’s needs is remarkable. I absolutely loved spending the evening with them. Here are my favorites from the evening….

How beautiful is Jackie?!!!! Danyell Weinberg did a beautiful job with the hair and makeup!

Rob, you’re pretty handsome yourself…

Back when I first started my business in 2008, I worked part time at a local coffee shop called It’s a Grind. It was one of those bucket list jobs that seemed to be available at the perfect time in my life… and I met so many wonderful people. While I am no morning person… the shift I enjoyed most was the opening shift which started at 5:30am. I would roll out of bed at the sound of my alarm, make an angry face at the darkness outside my window, and stumble out the door to start brewing coffee and get the store ready for the day. That part of those mornings, the waking up and getting out the door part, was the hardest…. but the fun part began at about 6am when the daily customers started rolling in. This was where I first met Bill. He’d come into the store more chipper than any other human being alive at that time of morning. He’d ask me how my morning’s going, poke fun at my sloth-ish mannerisms, sip his black coffee from his travel mug, and tell me about the new things in his life. His buddy would come in right after him and join the conversation…. then they’d sit down to read and answer emails on their Blackberrys for the next 30 minutes. Those early risers MADE my morning.

Well, fast forward to 2011… I got a phone call from Bill excitedly telling me he met someone and that they had just gotten engaged. He asked if I was still doing wedding photography and asked to meet up and talk about possibly being his wedding photographer. Long story short, I am his and Leslie’s wedding photographer and I couldn’t be more excited for their wedding day! These two are SO GREAT together and the life that shines out of their relationship is refreshing and inspiring. And Leslie…. Leslie, Leslie, Leslie. Leslie is a complete joy and her laugh is so contagious I could feel myself laughing with her every time she tipped her head back and giggled. She brings the “lovey dovey” out in her strong and shrewd business man of a fiance… and I absolutely love them together! Here are some of my favorites from their engagement shoot at the Orange Circle in Orange….

Bill and Leslie, thanks for choosing me to tell your love story. I’m stoked for your wedding day later this month…. and I’m so glad you’ve found each other!

Before I begin, I have to tell you that I LOVE Kyle and Stacy’s story. I really really do.

They first met at work. She was the new girl who had just moved to California from Texas. She was a brilliant blonde whose love for conversation and relationship annoyed Kyle a little bit. To Kyle, this chatty country girl wanted to talk too long as she walked by his desk, and smiled way to much for his liking. So he kept his distance and maintained a professional respect for his outgoing co-worker.

Kyle happened to be a somewhat quiet young man who prided himself in focus and hard work. He was a high achiever and had ambitious plans for his career future. Stacy just saw him as a stuck up surfer dude, and left him alone after countless attempts at conversation with him.

But, as experience teaches us time and time again, first impressions aren’t always a true reflection of a person. And THANK YOU JESUS, for that!! A little while down the road, Kyle realized he was wrong about Stacy, and Stacy realized Kyle really wasn’t mean and he wasn’t really a surfer….. and they both kind of fell in love…  in the forever kind of love.

Kyle loves Stacy more than words…. and Stacy has truly found the man of her dreams. He appreciates her excitement for life… and her relational personality has brought out the best in him. For two people who came from such different backgrounds, they’ve truly found “home” in each other.

I met them at their old stomping grounds, Hermosa Beach, and we had a great time walking, talking, and shooting some super cute engagement photos. Here are my favorites from the afternoon….

Kyle and Stacy…. you were a dream to work with. I had so much fun with you two and I’m so glad we had the chance to meet and document your engagement. Thanks for sharing your story with me, and I hope our paths cross again someday. You’ve got something great in each other…. God is SO GOOD.