Martha + Eric Wedding in Tulare, California

This was one of the last few weddings we shot before we had to wrap up business and prepare for whatever the Navy has in store for us! While Jonathan entered the DEP (Delayed Entry Program) with the Navy and had a shipping out date of June, we were trying to leave earlier if possible, which made advertising and booking weddings over the summer pretty much impossible. I didn’t think I’d miss photographing weddings so much! But I really do. I can’t wait till we’re settled again and business can resume as normal.

Anyhow, the ceremony took place at Martha and Erics church, and the reception was held at the Heritage Center in Tulare. We stopped by a tiny park in Visalia that had a cottage like building to do some portrait shots – it had a very fairy tale quality to it! The wedding took place at the beginning of the year and I really like the crisp, cool, wintry blue undertones the permeated the entire event. Also! This was the weekend that I found out I was expecting baby Tessa. ^_^

Victoria + Derek Wedding in Shaver Lake, California

I photographed this wedding right before Jonathan and I had our wedding, so I was in ultra romance mode for these shots! I loved the soft yellow and orange autumn theme of this cultured country wedding. The ceremony took place at a tiny rustic church in the middle of the mountains by a stream, and the reception was at the church hall across the street. It was secluded and nestled back off of the road. It was a classic American wedding, exactly what you’d picture when you think of when you hear “Here Comes The Bride”.

Krista + Evan Wedding at Royal Oaks Club in Kingsburg, California

This was a beautiful early fall wedding and reception hosted at the Royal Oaks Club in Kingsburg, California. The couple and their family spent the entire week at the resort, camping, swimming, fishing, and having a great time leading up to the rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception. So the atmosphere was very festive, everyone had already been on a prolonged vacation! After the reception the bride and groom took a midnight float down the river.. I was like, “How do you guys still have energy?!”

I’d have to say my favorite detail of the wedding was the photos of loved ones and old family wedding photos on charms around the bouquet, and the bottle of wine they had friends sign and then sealed into a box for a later anniversary!

Sarah + Kyle Wedding in North Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Jonathan and I had so much fun shooting this beautiful and (though it does not look it) largely DIY wedding! Sarah and Kyle are such a beautiful couple, not only did they have adorable personalities but they are impossibly photogenic. This is simply the prettiest Lake Tahoe ceremony and reception site that we have visited to date. It’s secluded and woodsy, yet close enough to the Lake to go play in the water. And yes, I am a sucker for paper lanterns and twinkle lights.

I couldn’t get enough of all of the tiny touches that made this wedding personalized and unique – from the guitar guest book, to the specialty cake topper and personalized “getaway bikes” to the touches in wardrobe and decor. Sarah did as good a job with bargain hunting and organizing her wedding as some paid wedding coordinators I’ve worked with! ^_^

Christine + Rick Wedding in South Lake Tahoe, California

Not only was this a destination wedding for me to shoot, but it was one for the bride and groom (and family!) that flew in from all over the country. Out of all of their guests, only 5 or so were actually from California! The ceremony and reception took place at Riva Grill in South Lake Tahoe. The day was beautiful! I especially loved the sixpence in the shoe and I thought the fabric and brooch bouquet was so unique and chic. I also loved that the cake had little paw prints on it for the animals they left back home. This is one of the many weddings we have been lucky enough to shoot in the Tahoe and Reno area on the California / Nevada border. Each time we go we fall in love with the locale more and more!

Jessica + David Wedding in Fresno, California

Jonathan and I shot this wedding and reception hosted at a private residence in Fresno, California. The property was absolutely gorgeous, with a koi pond, bonsai and succulent garden, manicured lawn and pristine grounds. We enjoyed shooting this gorgeous event! The family was clearly a tight knit group, and as always, it was a thrill seeing the beauty and magic of two families becoming one. The wonderful thing about being a wedding photographer is that I truly love my job. I love going to weddings. I love seeing the joy of the moment and capturing it on digital film.

Lilly + Oscar Wedding in Visalia, California

 

This is the very first wedding I shot when Jonathan and I decided to get into the wedding photography business. I was only there for a couple of hours to grab the ceremony and reception photos at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia, California, but it was enough to get my portfolio started and get the ball rolling to book more gigs! I was so nervous that the bride and groom would not like my shots. I’d never really officially “sold” my work before so I was still dealing with self-esteem and confidence issues. I know that I like my photography and would happily be my own wedding photographer, but would other people like my work for their wedding? Enough to PAY me?

When I dropped off the DVD of images for Lilly at a local Starbucks, we spent an hour talking, and she surprised me with how thrilled she was with the amount and quality of the images. Her enthusiasm – and the reactions from her family and friends viewing the images on Facebook – was the confidence boost that I needed to promote myself with confidence.

Looking back on these images I can see how much I’ve grown as a photographer. In addition to better equipment and more experience in navigating weddings to maximize coverage, I have grown in skill as well – in how I capture light, compose my shots and photoshop in post processing. That’s kind of why I’d like to keep posting my previous weddings and cosplay shoots – so I have them all in one place to review my photographic journey!

Samantha + Javier Wedding in Madera, California

 

These are some highlights from the May wedding that Jonathan and I shot in Madera a few weeks ago. I normally have a much faster turn-around time on wedding images, but with the last minute frenzy of Jonathan leaving for boot camp, these took me a bit longer to edit and process. I debated on whether or not I should post my business / wedding photos on my personal blog, but as photography is my art – my “thing”, if you will – that I may as well share this aspect of my life on my family blog too! Working together as a couple in business and in every day life is part of what makes Jonathan and I who we are, after all!

This wedding was very pretty! The ceremony was held at Saint Joachim Catholic Church in Madera, and the reception was at the Grooms parents private residence. I am a sucker for weddings with twinkly lights and paper lanterns! And perhaps because our wedding was a DIY affair, I loved that the flowers and decor were all DIY.

I hate that with the move, I don’t have any upcoming weddings planned. I feel so… unemployed! I can’t wait till we know FOR SURE where Jonathan is having A School, so I can start advertising in the area. And I kind of hope we get stationed in Pensacola… not only is it a decent drive from NOLA, but it’s by the beach. Can we say beautiful wedding spots?! (Again, I am biased, because our wedding was in New Orleans, haha.)

I am going to be going through my external hard drive in the coming months, so I’ll be slowly adding past wedding shoots and cosplay photoshoots to this blog for some show and tell. So bear with me. I hate having this growing blog and my favorite cosplays not plastered all over it. ^_^