Yesterdays elopement in Joshua Tree went about as perfect as an elopement can go! The weather was a little cloudy for the ceremony which made it perfect lighting! I loved getting to meet and get to know Josh and Christina’s family. The love that surrounded them was pouring out of everyone, and even with all the things going on in the world nothing was going to stop this family from celebrating their love. While the ceremony was short and sweet, it was full of intimacy and heart. After their ceremony we raced into the park for their portraits, and the timing again could not have been more perfect.

Yesterdays Elopement with Jenn and Eric was so fun! While they didn’t get to have their original big wedding that they planned this felt so intimate and lovely. We started the day at Jenn’s apartment inside the park (she works for the National Park service) and then headed to Lucas Fabian Ranch for their first look. Eric looked so handsome in his suit, and their excitement for the day was so sweet. Jenn couldn’t stop smiling and neither could I. I loved that we had some time alone and while we were at Lucas Fabian they were able to do their choreographed first dance to Moondance.

Yesterdays portrait session was dreamy! The colors were beautiful and my couple was so so sweet. If you’ve ever been to the cliffs in Ocean Beach then you already know how beautiful it is, but when heading down to the beach it can be treacherous. Slippery rocks and sharp surfaces with crashing waves rolling in that can knock you over any second. But Yuki and Ben were ready for an adventure! We slipped and skidded into some stunning portraits. This sweet couple was in town from Japan for work and I feel so blessed that they found me to do this session. I loved that they really researched our beautiful town and found the perfect spot that really shows off San Diego’s best side.

Yesterday’s Session in La Jolla was hot, in more ways than one. Mike and Meghan were bringing the heat and it came through the lens. Even though the temperature was make us sweaty as we walked around the beach nothing was going to keep these two from getting close. We got super lucky with the clear skies and beautiful sunset for their session though and we all enjoyed our fun filled afternoon. Mike and Meghan were so sweet and so ready to try anything. Their love and affection came so easily I very rarely need to direct them, they just came together so naturally. After running around down on the beach by scripps pier we made our way up to The Gliderport for sunset and boy was it worth it. The view was a stunner and as the sun went down the sexy turned up.

What a beautiful fall day in the Teton’s to have an engagement session, this past weekend. Originally Ally and I planned to shoot on Saturday, but we were super worried about the smoke from all the fires. AND then we both looked at the weather and realized that oh crap, it’s supposed to storm all day. And by storm I mean, lighting/thunder, rain none stop. So what do we do? Luckily for us, we had another option where we both would be in town. SO Sunday morning rolled in and the sky was clear, the sun was shinning, and we breathed a sigh of relief. After all the rain the day before we were blessed with relatively smoke free skies, and just the most perfect fall day.

I LOVE early morning sessions! Oh how I wish more people were totally cool with getting up early and shooting at 7am. The light is to die for, and with the hot summer weather it is the perfect way to stay cool. Cool enough to even wear a jacket and sweater, in August, in Southern California. Even though we were out there super early in the AM Emily and Michael were so excited to shoot. We played music, danced around, and just generally had the best time. Engagement sessions are so fun especially when you genuinely like your new clients!

Like most weddings, Franki and David’s wedding didn’t go exactly the way they planned. First their ranch wedding with friends and family was cancelled because of Covid, so they came up with an amazing back up plan. Since they both worked at the ranch, they worked with their friends to plan and execute a back country elopement in the mountains. We all packed up from CM Ranch with horses and side by’s and made our way up to the remote camp in the woods, for 2 nights. It was a beautiful remote spot by Moon lake, and their sweet coworkers, friends, and bosses helped them set up an amazing wedding weekend, even if their families couldn’t be with them.

Friday was a record breaker in Aptos (a city just south of Santa Cruz). While the central coast is notorious for being foggy and cool during the summer, on Friday it was over 106 degrees! Despite the heat everyone was so excited and happy all day. None of us could stop mentioning the heat, because 100% there were moments where it felt like we were melting. BUT Nothing was going to stop these two from enjoying their beautiful day. 8 1/2 years in the making, even with covid changing all their original plans, this wedding was going to happen and it was a beauty. Set in the hills above the ocean, this home has a very California/Spanish/Italian villa vibe. With olive orchards and tons of beautiful outdoor spaces, it was the perfect backdrop for a wedding.

A Sunday spent with two lovely people in love, traipsing around Grand Teton National park, frolicking through fields of wildflowers, is a day well spent. Tessy and Kelsey have been together for 5 years and are one on the sweetest couples I have ever had the pleasure to know. This portrait session was a way for these two to take time and celebrate their 5 years together. Especially poignant with all that is happening in the world. It’s been a huge reminder for us all to appreciate the time, to get out and explore and to acknowledge the precious time we have with the ones we love.

Yesterday was the ultimate day for a wedding in the Tetons, perfect weather (sunny with cool breezes), and aside from the current state of the world it was perfection. Moose Creek Ranch is a beautiful ranch in a little valley that feels like a secret. Their wedding felt like a moment of calm and joy, in a storm of uncertainty. But Chase and Amanda were a glowing beacon of hope and love for the family and friends who were and were not there.

Erin and Adam’s sweet mountain wedding at Grand Targhee was a treat. A smaller version of the weddings we all used to see, with all the signs of Covid present(masks, hand sanitzer, lots of social distancing) but not enough to quell the joy of this couple. The Tetons put on a show with gorgeous blue skies, puffy clouds and sun during all the photos, and then right as the reception started a summer storm rolled through. I love summer storms in the Tetons, they roll in fast and they roll out fast, so as soon as I saw a sliver of sun again we went back out into the flower filled meadows and took some more romantic photos.

I am so excited to share these sneak peaks for Jen and Derek’s maternity session from this past weekend. It is such an exciting thing to do a maternity session, but when it’s your friend in front of the camera pregnant for the first time it is beyond exciting! I loved this session so much. Jen is a literal goddess and Derek is so excited and happy, and it is all over their faces and radiating out of them.

Eric and Alana’s wedding day may not have looked the way they planned (a wedding at Ponte in Temecula) but it was full of love and laughter . And their big party will still come! (next year :)) Arriving at Alana’s parents house in Rancho Cucamonga was a trip. They live in a very typical Southern California neighborhood and not at all where we would typically expect to have a wedding. This Covid life has been surreal, but going to people’s home’s and taking photos in their backyards is a new experience for me.

It was a sunny summer day, right in the middle of June and the middle of the Covid Pandemic, which was the catalyst for Sarah and Tim’s Laguna Beach Elopement. Their day may not have been the larger Laguna Beach wedding they originally planned, but they still got to have their sweet day. This Pandemic has made us all appreciate one another, especially the sweet kisses and cuddles, even if we can only do that to those who are closest to us.

Yesterday felt like taking a deep breath after you’ve swum up from the deepest part of the pool. Refreshing, life giving, and allows you to be grateful to be able to breathe again. I know we all have missed out normal routines, but getting a chance to take photos of a couple in love was wonderful reminder of why I love what I do .

Yesterday’s engagement session was sooooo fun! I got to explore up in orange county, which I don’t get to do all that often AND I got to do it with old family friends. I’ve known Ellen since she was in high school in Thailand with my little brother and it’s been amazing watching her grow and fall in love, all from facebook of course. But when I was lucky enough to be chosen as her wedding photographer I was thrilled.

10/19/19 was a perfect October day in Santee at Carlton Oaks Golf course. The sun was shinning all day but the temperature was so comfortable, which if you’ve lived in San Diego in October you know that this month can send some seriously hot weather. Allison and Michael made it such a magical and beautiful day. Their wedding was super intimate, and their vows were personal and beautiful, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

We met at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts which is a gorgeous theater with amazing architecture and the perfect backdrop for this beautiful couple. They arrived and we jumped right into it and did such an amazing job, and a huge part of that is how sweet they are to each other, and how in love they clearly are.

Ashley and Brandon’s wedding this Sunday in Ashley’s home town of Sonora was stunning. SOOOO many gorgeous details from their life in California and New Mexico, and such an amazing day full of love. I was fortunate enough to meet the bride and groom in New Mexico when I worked with a team there for a wedding style shoot. We got to run through an entire wedding day once before so I knew that Ashley and Brandon’s real wedding day would be just as beautiful as the love between them. :)