Across the Young Life room, he saw her. She didn’t even notice. He tried to be funny… she still didn’t notice. He persisted…. and months later…. she went on a date with him and was pleasantly surprised to find out he wasn’t who she thought he was. Their friendship continued and blossomed into a romance…. and then he asked her to marry him. After all his hard work, he got the girl of his dreams to give a resounding “yes!” and she couldn’t be happier. Joe and Rachel have such a fun and carefree love, and I had such a blast spending time with them up in Sacramento shooting their engagement photos! Here’s my favorites from our afternoon of adventuring…

Last time I blogged, I was still engaged, still planning and preparing for the wedding, and still losing my mind. It’s amusing now, as I look back on it all, but  I’m thankful life is slowly returning back to normal. Settling into married life is exciting…. still odd when I realize I’m a wife… but exciting none the less. It’s the little things like not having to coordinate who is sleeping at what house, someone to help clean and put things away, building our home together piece by piece, and knowing he’s there as I fall asleep at night. It’s such a fun/crazy/amazing/unbelievable/believable/challenging/once in a lifetime/never trade it for anything/joyful  thing to get married to the love of your life and I feel nothing less than utterly blessed.

She was nothing less than light and energy on our trip through Thailand. She was fearless in trying spicy food, and was up for an adventure any time of the day or night. She let everyone else eat all the peanut butter for breakfast, and was never upset when there was only rice and vegetables to eat in the villages. She loves people relentlessly and, to this day, whenever I see the word “gentleness”, I think of her. I admire her ability to see the world through wonder-filled eyes and the science nerd in me loves that she always wants to know what plants are called and where they come from. Jasmin won my heart the second I met her and I was ECSTATIC when she emailed me saying she’s coming to visit. On this trip, she brought her fiance, Michael… who has pretty much won my heart over just as fast as she did. His humor is “hammer” (the bomb), his rock band style is SO COOL, and his love for Jasmin is enough for me to say, “awwwwwww.”  Together, they’re ADORABLE, and I had such a great day shooting their engagement photos with my partner in crime, Betsy Lackey. There are so many I wish to share with you, but here are just a handful of my favorites…

Michael and Jasmin, I feel so lucky to call you friends and I’m so grateful you made the long trek out here from Germany to visit. Your hearts for God inspire me and your fierce love for each other and for those around you challenge me to love differently. May he richly bless you and your upcoming marriage…  Ich liebe dich! <3

The quiet and reserved lady behind the Brotbäckerei counter patiently waited as I chose a pastry to enjoy with my fresh cup of Kaffee. I pointed to the flaky looking pastry with something that looked like chocolate drizzled over the top of it and handed over a few coins, hoping I understood the amount correctly. She nodded her head and silently went to help another customer. I let out a sigh of relief and walked out into the crisp air to enjoy my treats…. and I smiled as I thought about how I had just walked through a forest in a small town in Germany to get a pastry and coffee…. by myself. In that moment, I felt so independent… like I was living life as full as I possibly could.

This happy memory flashed through my mind upon reading an email from a young couple from Germany. They mentioned they were traveling to Orange County and desired to spend an afternoon with me documenting their love with a photo shoot. And on a warm summery afternoon not too long after, I met David and Mirjam (more affectionately referred to as “David and Mim”) at a Starbucks to chat and laugh over some iced coffee and tea. They told me all the things they love to do, their goals and passions, and we all bonded over our common experiences in the great land of Germany. Mirjam is a bright and cheery-eyed girl who loves her Lord and loves her David. David is a dedicated tech guru who, besides loving his wife more than anything, also loves photography with a fiery passion. Together, they’re the perfect mix of sweet and serious, playfulness and thought, and most of all…. they’re more in love today than they were the day they got married.

We left Starbucks and headed off to our first location…. an Orange County favorite of mine…. Irvine Regional Park. There, we did a bit of hiking, a bit of shooting, and a lot of laughing. Here’s some of my favorites….

From the park, we made our way to Newport Beach, a place David and Mim were especially excited about shooting. This part of the shoot was probably the most fun because those two acted as though they had died and gone to heaven…. they were STOKED to be at the beach. They ran, laughed, splashed, kissed, hugged, jumped, and took it all in… here’s my favorites from the beach….

It was such a beautiful day, and spending time with David and Mim was a dream. I left feeling full of life and excited for marriage. Thanks for bringing your light and laughter into my life, Kandelhardts…. peace be with you as you travel and continue on in your journey.