I wanted to share some more images from my wedding on April 24th, 2010. We started the beautiful  “getting ready’s” and bridal portraits at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, in which I most previously blogged about. From there, Michelle & Joe’s wedding ceremony including a Catholic Mass, was held in a church in Orange. The wedding romantics and bridal party pictures were then done in Downtown Orange, or the Historic Circle of Orange. Most commonly, engagement shoots are done in downtown Orange, but it is also the perfect place for wedding romantics. I love the look and feel of shooting in and around the circle of Orange.  It is rustic, edgy, pretty, and has amazing architecture to use for any shoot. For wedding romantics you can have a wide arrange of images to choose from making it look like many different locations. I have blogged previously on shoots in the Circle of Orange including an engagement shoot, a family shoot, a fashion shoot,  and most recently a high school senior. Michelle and Joe’s wedding was amazing!!! The images from this wedding range from classy to funny, from amazing and artistic, to edgy and interesting, as well as from detailed to candid. I will blog next about their wedding reception and details, held at the Taps in Corona. This is a great all around wedding, many images are pretty, edgy, detailed, funny, romantic, candid, etc…..This wedding is a great example of  choosing the right or perfect place for your wedding romantics and bridal party pictures! I also had the privilege of shooting with Miguel Pola whom shot second camera on this wedding, but is a well established Orange County Wedding Photographer as well.

Link to St. Regis Monarch Beach
http://www.stregismb.com/?PS=PS_aa_WSW_WestSouthwest_Google_BD_st._regis_monarch_Exact_051310_NAD_FM

Joe and Laura’s Wedding Video by Jason Daniel with Garner Films.
http://www.garnerfilms.com/video/joseph-michelle/

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Orange County Bride Magazine is launching their new website and online wedding magazine. Their new site boasts top designers, vendors and venues in the Orange County and surrounding areas, including links to all of these resources and websites. A featured link to my website can be found on OC Bride’s website, link provided below. This savvy Orange County magazine is going online attracting the younger demographic of online brides who don’t get out much or don’t buy print. Check out their new site and my featured link.

http://www.oc-bride.com/

The St. Regis Monarch Beach is one of Orange County’s premier wedding venues. Located in Dana Point, the St. Regis Monarch drips in class and style. For a photographer, it is a wonderful place to shoot bridal portraits and romantics. Brides seem to exude confidence and class while walking through the St. Regis to do their shoot. I notice the brides shoulders back and head held high on her wedding day at the St. Regis, almost regal, feeling gorgeous. There are a few options on where to have your ceremony on the premises, and many places to shoot the bride and romantics. As a photographer, I absolutely  love shooting the “getting ready” shots. It is the calm before the storm, where all the girls fuss over and adorn the bride. Months or years of planning have come down to this moment. I get to be artistic and spend an hour shooting the “reality” of the moment, and I get to shoot the details. All the while, music is flooding the background and all the ladies are getting excited to “dress” the bride. An ordeal that can take up to 30 minutes and many bodies and hands to help pull, tie, scrunch, cinch, whatever is needed for the perfect outcome.

The St. Regis can be over most brides budgets, however consider a daytime wedding there, or consider cutting your guests down and doing a more intimate wedding to have it a 5 star venue. I love doing “getting ready” portraits at this venue. As a matter of fact, many brides stay there the night before with their bridesmaids, so that their getting ready, bridesmaids, and bridal portraits are shot at the St. Regis and then off to the ceremony. This is a great idea for any high end venue. If you love it, but cannot afford to have your wedding there, like the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, consider getting a room to at least utilize the venue for more amazing high end wedding images.

Congrats to Michelle and Joe and their wedding on April 24th, 2010. I will blog this wedding a few times because their where 5 locations and there are too many great images to share. So I will blog this wedding in sections so you get a good feel of the diversity this wedding has due to all of the locations. The images have many different looks and feels, from classy to fun, from pretty to edgy. Giving the couple and myself many options to create a story for the wedding album design. Here are some getting ready images and some bridal portraits taken at the St. Regis, this bride once again did not have her ceremony there, but smart enough to plan to stay the night before her wedding to get images at this amazing high-end venue!

 Link to St. Regis Monarch Beach Website:

http://www.stregismb.com/?PS=PS_aa_WSW_WestSouthwest_Google_BD_st._regis_monarch_Exact_051310_NAD_FM

I had the great opportunity last month to travel to Yosemite National Park for a media trip representing OC Bride Magazine. With all of the places I have been able to travel to, I have never been to Yosemite, nor have I heard much about Yosemite weddings. The beautiful and historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park invited wedding media for a 3 day trip to experience Yosemite and all of its beauty. Once we arrived,  I understood the hype……Yosemite was amazingly majestic!!!! I know majestic is a “cliche” word to use, but it is the only place on earth I have ever described like this. I was in awe!!! The drive from Orange County to Yosemite is absolutely beautiful and only 5-6 hours, I actually had to blog some of the images I got on the road because I was excited. Spring is the perfect time for weddings in Yosemite, the waterfalls are flowing, the sky’s are bright blue, weather is warming up, and everything is starting to bloom. Not to mention the amazing granite cliffs that set Yosemtie apart from any place else. The wedding images are breathtaking! Can’t wait to shoot there so please consider it as a destination and then call me! 🙂

When we arrived to the Ahwahnee I was very pleasantly surprised that the Ahwahnee Hotel faces Yosemite Falls, as a matter of fact, from my bed I had a perfect view of the waterfall. I am a huge sucker for waterfalls. The Ahwahnee Hotel was very rich in history and very famous. They treated us to a tour of the hotel, where I saw the wedding lawn, in which the wedding ceremony backdrop is Yosemite Falls and your guests are surrounded by a rich lush paradise. The Merced River rushes behind your ceremony as you and your spouse wed under an apple tree perfectly framing the falls. I imagined shooting a wedding there at least a thousand times. What a perfect place for an intimate destination wedding!!!! I included all kinds of images of this hotel. It is one of the only hotels in the park and had absolutely hands down the best location. The Ahwahnee dining room is very impressive and the kitchen was even more impressive. All of the meals are amazing as they treated us to a three course wedding meal and dinner in the Ahwahnee dining room.

The last morning we were in Yosemite we took a tour of Yosemite Valley and it began to snow…….it was breathtaking! The snow fell so hard you could hardly see through it. It was so gorgeous! Of course being from Orange County, I have not seen a lot of snow fall. Yosemite Valley was covered within an hour and I went on a shooting frenzy. I don’t pretend to be a nature photographer, and I am not Ansel Adams, but I did my best! My husband and I drove around the valley floor three times, I made him stop at least a dozen times with chains and all, I was so excited.

If I were a bride and considering a destination to have an intimate wedding at, I would really go to Yosemite. With only 300 weddings hosted in Yosemite a year, it truly is a unique and special destination.  As a photographer, it is a dream come true for wedding pictures. My recommendation, splurge on an amazing photographer and take them with you, you will not regret the spectacular images you can get there and really nowhere else on earth!

Awhanee Official Website:
http://www.yosemitepark.com/accommodations_theahwahnee.aspx

Yosemite National Park Reservations Link:
http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/yosemite_lodging_ahwahnee.htm?gclid=CKaR_cWBl6ICFR5ciAodSXbHXQ

        On the road trip to Yosemite from Orange County!

           Hanging my camera out the window going through the tunnel to Yosemite Valley.

     The Historic Ahwhnee invited OC Bride Magazine and other wedding media to visit their venue.

                The infamous and impressive Ahwahnee dining room!

      The Ahwahnee’s warm and inviting common area, a very relaxing area to sit and mingle.

The Ahwahnee Hotel, exterior view of the wedding reception room with Yosemite Falls in the backdrop. Standing very close to the wedding lawn where wedding ceremonies are held, however the ceremony view is much better of Yosemite Falls.

 

 

 Entrance of wedding reception room, has a very historic and natural rustic feel, befitting to it’s surroundings.

The Merced River is located directly behind the Ahwhanee property and is a very peaceful place to hang out while you visit. Many guests take bike rides and go hiking while they stay.

        The infamous view heading to the Ahwahnee or Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park.

                               
              Had to do it….my first time there and all!!!

The bus driver let is out on our tour of the Valley, the snow had just begun to fall hard….I was soooo excited!

         My husband Josh took this…..good job Babe! I have taught him well! 🙂

The following images  are of the snowfall and Yosemite Valley, my husband was a champ driving in the snow, putting on the chains, and stopping for me whenever I yelled out…….”STOP!” It was sooo fun!

         My husband of 10 years and I stopping for the only picture of the trip, we never get photos together!

        The Ahwahnee Hotel in the background as the snow fell at it’s best!

                           
      The Ahwhanee Hotel walkway leading to their cabins and the Merced River, BEAUTIFUL!!!

    Deer we spotted on the road, often sited as well as black bears and lots of other wildlife!

    On the trip home there sky was amazing, rainbows and rain nearby, it was also beautiful!

Congrats to Jessica and Jacob married on April 3rd, 2010 in Orange County. This great couple had a fun, simple, personal backyard wedding in Fullerton, California. I have noticed a rise in bookings of backyard weddings this year. I am guessing due to the economy, couples are deciding to do their weddings in theirs, their parents, or a friends backyard. I am starting to love them! I love daytime weddings anyway, especially in Spring, they are always less rushed and have a feeling of simplicity. Backyard weddings are also much more easy going then a typical or upscale wedding. I have done some really tastefully well done backyard weddings, they do not have to be cheesy or tacky. If they are planned right they can feel very customized and personal. What I love about this wedding is that is was not done at a huge home or an estate with an acre backyard, this wedding was done at a “normal” home with an above average size backyard. It was cute, detailed, fun, and easy going. We got to choose where to do the wedding  pictures, it was not about the venue we were at, and we could tell any story we wanted and choose anywhere to shoot. We did the bridal party and some romantics at a local park, then did some more romantics in downtown Fullerton, both meaningful places to the bride and groom. A Good Affair,  http://www.agoodaffair.com/ was the coordinator on this wedding and did a great job with the florals, design, details and making it about the couple and who they are. She chose more natural tones, and rustic organic decor for the details. The groom and bridal party also wore a natural khaki toned suit, instead of black to go with the daytime, Spring, earthy tones.  Colette’s Catering catered the food, with my personal favorite the mash potato martini bar. Simply Sweet Cakes made the cutest cake detailed in mushrooms and the table pieces and bouquets had mushrooms in them as well. Old Fashion mason jars hung from the trees flickering with candles and the trees were lined with lights. Everything took place in the backyard with about 100 guests in attendance.  Consider a backyard wedding and getting a coordinator to help with the food, details, and moving guests around and over seeing the day of. Some coordinators do design, will help with decor, florals, and table settings, which can also cute down on budget.  If you do it right you can have a personalized custom wedding for less then a country club or hotel, which has little to do with the couple. The pictures below also show how cute and personal a backyard wedding can really be. The sign sat on the front porch inviting guests into their wedding. Other images below that may not be so self explanatory is some of the details. Jessica and Jacob lined the fences with photographs of their life together so far on clothes and twine. The florals were all wrapped with bark and twine for a more earthy feel. Ziggy the duck is their pet which they included in the reception. Along with the mushroom, there was also a “Happy Trails” theme that carried throughout. The “Happy Trail” favor was accompanied with a baggie of organic nuts. Just love the ideas here!

Wedding Coordination, Florist, and wedding design. Natalie has impeccable taste and will save you money with her team of vendors and  amazing design and floral skills.
http://www.agoodaffair.com/

Simple Sweet Cakery- Cakes By Brooke
http://www.simplysweetcakery.com/Simply_Sweet_Cakery/Welcome.html 

Colettes Catering:
http://www.colettesevents.com/

When I shoot maternity or pregnancy portraits, new baby, boudoir shoots, or any other studio shoot……my studio travels to your home! I come to your house and set up a portable backdrop and portable studio lighting. This is especially heaven for new parents or parents of multiple children! You no longer have to get everyone ready, pack up, drive over, unpack, walk to, check in, wait, keep kids at bay, snacky time, then our turn, cheese, okay now view them, what do we want, what do we order, kids getting cranky…..let’s come back and make an appointment and order them one by one!?!?!? Whew! No more of all of that! No more malls, or trips out……..I simply come to you. You may not know how cool this really is until you try both. Men especially love this. They can watch TV until I get there, and then I find them back in front of the TV when they are not needed. Mom can stop to breast feed, or get a little more modest while doing maternity pictures. Everyone is more comfortable. Here is a recent maternity shoot I just did, I urge every woman to do at least one maternity shoot at least one time. It is spectacular how much your body shifts and changes, capture it! I can fix the dimples….don’t worry! 🙂 In this pregnancy, my previous bride was a bit modest. That changes throughout the shoot, as we were are her home and she was very comfortable, so I was able to get some maternity boudoir, or sexy boudoirs! None of these are retouched, as I wanted you to see the reality of a pregnancy shoot, however the client gets her choice of 10 retouched images.

Jason Garner presents a video featuring one of my weddings, Michelle and Joe, Married April 24th, 2010. See me in action shooting shooting this wedding with the web URL below. Jason is awesome and his work is very crisp. We work great together as we have shot together many times. Starting at St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, it made for beautiful getting ready pictures. The wedding ceremony was at a cathedral in Orange, romantic and bridal party pics were shot in downtown Orange and the historic downtown Orange Circle, and the wedding reception was held at the bride and grooms restaurant, Taps in Corona. This wedding was awesome!!! The bride is gorgeous, the setting beautiful, the restaurant was transformed and the food spread was one of the best I’ve seen at a wedding. You may want to watch this video if you are planning a wedding to get some ideas, or just for fun to see me shoot! 

Cut and paste the link below in your browser to view video.

http://www.vimeo.com/11277572

Check out OC Bride Magazine’s new blog and website! They are showcasing their venues, vendors, and any related Orange County bride info or events. Their site is a great resource for Orange County Weddings. They also have a link on their homepage to my website! I love OC Bride Magazine, they are very good to their clients and very concerned about their readers happiness and interests as well!

http://www.oc-bride.com/ 

http://ocbridemagazine.blogspot.com/