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Laguna Beach Engagement : Rodhelen+David
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S he worked seven days in a row, but enjoyed the following seven days of respite a bit more. Rodhelen worked in Northern California and wondered when her crazy work schedule might open for love. Her friends encouraged her to email a great guy in Southern California who had the same seven-day work schedule because he'd be a great friend who understood the demands the medical world often presented. They emailed and texted and soon discovered they enjoyed their daily correspondence.
On a whim, David flew to meet Rodhelen for ice cream at the Stanford Shopping Center. Over Haagen Das, they connected on a deeper level, leaving David with the desire to truly know the beautiful girl who sat across from him. When he asked how he knew Rodhelen was the girl of his dreams, he responded by saying it was in thanks to his refrigerator. When she visited his house, she organized the items in his fridge and lined everything up perfectly. This girl, he thought to himself, is a neat freak like me...we're bound to get along wonderfully!
David's intuition was right and three years after they met, they plan to wed at Pelican Hill Resort in September. We spent the afternoon getting to know each other better at Laguna Beach and I'm excited for their wedding this fall! |
| Rodhelen is originally from Hawaii so the beach at sunset feels like home...David's first date was planned at Half Bay Moon Resort, so having engagement photos along the coast was special for the both of them... |
| Many thanks to Joyce Luck for a lovely job with hair and makeup... |
| David is so caring and attentive with Rodhelen...I love it! Speaking of Rodhelen, I have to take a minute to commend her for being such a great sport. She booked me online, so we finally met in person at the engagement session. For the entirety of the session, I pronounced her name Rod-Helen, but it wasn't until the end when she suggested pronouncing it Rod-Deh-Lin...and then, boom, I melted into a puddle. Mortified!!! I apologized profusely, but she promised she didn't mind because I seemed really focused on getting photos that showcased her love for David. Love her! |
| I'll end on this note because it's a good memory...just after this kiss, a wave came up and splashed us...leaving us soaked. We were laughing so hard and it might have continued if not for the shivering that shortly followed...they were SO much fun and I can't wait for their wedding! |
    
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Carondelet House Engagement : Robyn+TJ
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S he found herself in San Diego, amongst palm trees and balmy breezes, but it didn't feel like home. Robyn migrated from the Midwest to California in search off laying roots that grew along the Pacific Coast. A bit later as a new resident of Los Angeles, she was in search of a place call her own, a niche in the world that she carved with the impression of her thumbprints.
Robyn enrolled in a photography courses at a local college and took odd jobs as she built her business. When summer rolled around, Robyn packed her bags and returned to Chicago, the city of her childhood dreams. She took a job as a cocktail waitress her first week home and a cute guy sat in her section of the patio. You're nursing your drink, she teased, and T.J. quickly responded by poking fun at his apparent drink monitor.
Robyn and T.J. discovered they worked summer jobs next door to each other and ended up seeing each other a few times in her first week home. The following weekend, they went on their first date...and a month later decided T.J. should move to Los Angeles because their lives? They were incomplete without the other. And they knew it in matter of days. For the first time Robyn realized that home isn't where you hang your hat, park your car, or take Sweatin' To The Oldies workout classes with Richard Simmons (sparkly shorts and all), home is where T.J. is...and this makes her happy.
I was incredibly honored to spend the afternoon at the Carondelet House with Robyn and T.J. last week photographing their engagement session! We had a blast and I can't wait to meet their family and friends at their destination wedding in Las Vegas later this year at the Four Seasons. |
| Three and a half years ago, Robyn and T.J. moved back to Chicago, but Los Angeles still holds a special place in their hearts. They wanted their engagement photos to have an editorial flair, so they chose the amazing Carondelet House for the engagement session. With it's exposed ceiling, wood floors, and organic vibe, it was the perfect backdrop (many thanks to Melissa Teigue and her team for making us feel so welcome!). |
| Upon their return home, Robyn dove full force into photography and has since started her own photography business in Chicago...I'm always honored to photograph industry peers...but also a little nervous! Thankfully Robyn and T.J. were fun, easy going, and great people to have in front of my camera... |
| After a quick outfit change, we finished their engagement pictures roaming the many corners of Carondelet House...and then I wanted to steal Robyn's sequined dress. Amen. |
I have to take a second and thank Robyn's amazing beauty team...she's a naturally gorgeous girl, but they dolled her up something gorge last week!
Hair: Janet Miranda with Be NYLA
Makeup: Melina Ruiz with Reign of Beauty |
| I'll end this post with this photo because it showcases a portion of their saucy personalities just perfectly... |
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Garden Engagement : Elise + Chris
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T heir chance meeting was due in large part to a slice of pizza. A slice of free pizza, but Elise and Chris know the events surrounding that bribe may also have been enticing. Chris and his USC fraternity brothers hosted a mid-afternoon party at their frat house and invited Elise's sorority for a day in the sun and on the slip-n-slide.
Studying in her Delta Delta Delta sorority house, Elise looked up from her books at the clock and realized she could probably sneak over for a slice of pizza and get back to studying without being detected. She no doubt enjoyed the extracurricular activities of Greek life, but Elise simply wanted to focus on school at the moment. She slipped into a red bikini top and shorts, and made her way to Sigma Phi Epsilon.
It was there she met Chris, a charming, vivacious, humorous guy who easily persuaded her to spend the afternoon studying the art of Fun. Seven years later, they've traveled the world, created memories, and are set of embarking on their most exciting adventure yet: marriage. I'm extraordinarily excited to document their wedding at Pelican Hill Resort later this fall and I know great things are in store based on our time together last week! |
| One of the reasons I was particularly excited for Elise and Chris' engagement session was because of the personal attention they paid to choosing the right location. Wanting something unique, Elise suggested meeting at her grandparents' house in Orange County, surrounded by 10 acres of gardens, foliage, and sun-dripped backgrounds. It was the perfect location for engagement photos! |
| I'm very thankful for Jeannie Savage of Details, Details sending such amazing clients my way...from the moment we met, it felt like a perfect fit! Just look at how much these two adore each other... |
| Elise, you are something FIERCE...love it! |
| Elise spent her childhood roaming the gardens of her grandparents' home and their gardeners use their cherry-picker truck for most the harvesting, a detail Chris always seemed impressed with! ;) |
| There's this thing I think to myself sometimes behind the lens. Hairology. You know, the study of just how awesome someone's hair can be? As I photographed Elise, it took everything in me not to reach out and touch it. She's like a real life Pantene ProV commercial... |
| Chris told me at the beginning of the engagement session that the garden attracted the most amazing sunset light and he hoped I'd capture a bit of it...Chris, I hope I didn't let you down! ;) |
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Viceroy Santa Monica Engagement : Sonya+Eric
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I t happened on a Sunday Fun Day, a day of the week filled with good times, laughter, and, well, fun. Sonya's friend invited her hang out on a Sunday afternoon along the beach and while there, Sonya met Eric. He was vivacious and funny and somehow snagged Sonya's phone and called his own...just like that he had her number programmed on his phone. To ensure Eric had her often waning attention throughout the evening, he grabbed a pen and scribbled on Sonya's arm, leaving a mess of marks on her forearm.
Five days later, and after a good scrubbing of Eric's pen marks, Sonya drove to San Clemente to meet friends at a beach house. Famished, she raided the pantry, plopped on the sofa next to the guys, threw her feet on the coffee table, and poured a bag of barbeque chips into her mouth. It was then--watching Sonya shovel crispy snack after crispy snack into her mouth--that Eric fell. Hard. He loved her independence and disregard to what others thought and was determined to make her fall in love with him.
For the next few weeks, Eric texted Sonya...daily. Small quips, salutations, and wishes for sweet dreams. Overtime Sonya looked forward to hearing from Eric and missed his communication if he forgot his daily text. She agreed to go to dinner with Eric and fell. Hard. She loved his humor, personality, and heart and was determined to spend the rest of her life with him. |
| I am incredibly excited to work with Eric and Sonya later this month for their wedding. We began their engagement session at the Viceroy Santa Monica and spent time doing what they do best...laughing, joking, and loving. |
| Ooooh, Sonya, you're such a beaut...really. |
| I love the way Sonya and Eric love. They're completely themselves around each other and can make each other crumble into a fit of laughter in a matter of seconds. Many thanks to Erin of Sterling Social for connecting us and ensuring we were a good fit...clearly, they think I'm HILARIOUS. ;) |
| We walked down to the beach in Santa Monica and enjoyed the amazing weather and beautiful sunset... |
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Malibu Engagement : Claire+Steve
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I t hadn't been a few days and her inbox was filled with responses. And winks. Claire wasn't used sure how this online dating thing worked, but when she signed up with match.com, she was pleasantly surprised to see such a warm welcoming via email. As she sifted through pictures and profiles, Claire saw Steve and something was different. A tiny spark of interest was about to ignite the flame of love.
Steve had a successful career and loved what he did, so dating sometimes took backseat to his business ventures. He created a dating profile with the hopes of finding a special person to share life with, and when Claire's picture popped onto his screen, he was smitten. His first thought was, This girl is hot, so he decided to sit and write a letter.
Claire had never received such a sweet, kind, and genuine letter online. Ever. She wrote back and started the correspondence that changed the course of their lives. On their third date, Steve invited Claire to Point Dume in Malibu. They walked to the top of the hill and overlooked the southern most point in Santa Monica Bay. It was the place they returned for their engagement session, a place where they had fallen in love.
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| After spending time with them in Malibu, I can't wait for their wedding in July...their days sounds nothing short of amazing in part to Amanda Auer's hard work...their wedding should be a customized version of their love. |
| Life is crazy is some ways...Claire moved to New York City for college, just a short distance from where Steve lived. They moved to California shortly thereafter but it took the internet to finally hook them up... |
| I'll end this post with this photo of two sweet people madly in love... |
| I'm honored to be a part of this wedding and I can't wait for what's in store this July! |
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