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Julie and Eric : Wedding
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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If love is what pieces two hearts together, then laughter is the glue.
And if Julie and Eric are any indication of this sentiment, they are stuck together for eternity.
The beautiful day began under the azure sky of Newport Beach, tucked away in a stunning Island Hotel suite. It was known in advance that the day was to have as little connotation of wedding formalities as possible. Afterall, their love is everything but ordinary, so why should their wedding be any different?
When Julie made her way down the palm-lined pathway to see Eric for the first time, they were both laughing before their eyes met. It was a laugh that not only betrayed nervousness, elation, and excitement, but also a laugh that betrayed unadulterated love.
If love is what pieces two hearts together, then laughter is the glue.
Julie and Eric…without sounding cliché, I want you to know that you melted my heart. Your kindness and care was ABOVE AND BEYOND anything I’ve ever experienced. JD and I felt truly loved and appreciated! Documenting your wedding was a highlight of this season, and I wish you nothing but amazingness and fabulousness until eternity. By the way, JD and I have never been thanked publicly during a bridal thank you speech…we were shocked to hear our names…and truly amazed with your selflessness. Have fun in Australia! Much Love and Appreciation…J*
There's no better way to start the day then with a little Cartier bling! |
| I loooove when my clients opt to meet for photographs before the ceremony! Julie and Eric had a fabulous First Look and JD captured one of Eric's very cool reactions to seeing Julie for the first time as his bride. To see more of their First Look, be sure to check out the slideshow! :) |
| Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks I'm funny... ;) |
| The Island Hotel has this totally awesome mirror and while I was shooting from another angle, JD snapped just a couple frames and his picture happens to be one of my favs...and I'm slightly jealous! ;) |
| This picture happened spontaneously. While the bridal party was addressing a groomsman's flower emergency, Julie and Eric were waiting, so I had them turn to me...I guess I just really like the lighting...and the fact that it's not a typical wedding portrait! :) |
| Julie had bookmarks made as favors...guests would take their picture in the Capital Photo Booth, and then slide their images into the back of the bookmark. LOVED this! |
| In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, Julie and Eric wanted Sprinkles Cupcakes! Yes! Before the reception started, Julie rushed over to me--complete with a champagne flute in hand--and said, There are three things you MUST do before you leave...eat dinner with us...take your pictures in the photobooth...and eat a cupcake! My job definitely has its perks!! ;) |
To see more of their wedding (and the tons of other pictures I wanted to blog!), CLICK HERE for a slideshow! :)
**A special thanks goes to the OCMA staff and the amazing catering attendants...they were simply fabulous!** |
    
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Wedding Details
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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L ast week I had the pleasure of working with a group of AMAZING wedding peers at the Mesa Verde Country Club…we all worked together to capture images for the uber fabulous Debbie and Alicia from Flowers Etc., Amy from In the Moment Wedding and Event Coordination, and Jennifer of Dress My Chair linens. The day was so remarkable and I felt honored working with such a phenomenal cluster of industry professionals!
Here’s a sneak peek at some of their handiwork and their amazingness…
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Roseann and Jerry : Engagement
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T hey stood holding hands, looking in opposite directions, in front of the oversized Spanish gazebo. A slightly out of tune mariachi band sent sharp ballads from its one portable amplifier, and the breeze shook the colorful streamers dangling from the sky. They fluttered in such a manner one might think they, too, wanted to inch away from the jagged melody. Roseann tugged Jerry in one direction and his black Converse remained in her elongated shadow.
They found themselves tucked in the crevices of Los Angeles’ Olvera Street and were not afraid to show onlookers just how in love they were. Kisses in front of the taquito restaurant, hugs in front of the maraca stand, snuggling next to the folklorico dresses. Jerry and Roseann loved openly along the streets where they first met.
Roseann saw Jerry from a slight distance when they were in the LAPD academy together and their relationship flourished over stake-outs, drug busts, and street patrol. Los Angeles has served as fertile soil for their relationship to lay its roots, so it was beautiful to watch to two souls pay tribute to the city that brought them together.
Roseann and Jerry are planning a fabulous wedding at Calamigos Ranch next April and I’m so excited to be a part of their special day! Everything about this couple oozes fun and I had a total blast at their engagement session photographing their love…I’m SO excited to be a part of their nuptials!
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| To view more of their engagement session, CLICK HERE for a slideshow! |
T hey stood on the corner of the Colorado and Fair Oaks waiting for the light to change from red to green. Erik wrapped his long arm around Angel’s petite shoulders and rubbed her warm. The grey sky menaced of rain, but the frigid air caused it to think otherwise, blowing precipitation away from the city streets. Angel looked up at Erik and flashed a pearly smile, a you-know-me smile.
As they made their way through the brick alleyways and brightly colored walls, they remained hand-in-hand, with Erik often guiding his beautiful wife away from oil streaked gravel or tepid puddles. They met and fell in love while attending UC Berkeley, and their feelings have changed little. They’re still very much in love and have the ability to communicate without saying words. The simple touch of Angel’s fingers upon Erik’s regal neck told him something no one else heard, and his lips on her clavicle was a silent paragraph of emotion.
Their love is spoken in a language understood by few, but longed for by many.
Angel and Erik, thank you for allowing me to document your love. It was truly an honor and I sincerely hope we do it again soon…let’s make it a yearly event! ;) I’m SO appreciative of your invitation to memorialize your relationship and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for your lives together! Much Love and Appreciation…J*
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| Before Angel and Eric arrived to Downtown Pasadena, I roamed the streets looking for places to shoot. I randomly passed Place Vendome and stopped dead in my tracks. The store--and all its prettiness--caught me off guard. It's impeccably designed and just all around lovely. I walked in, discovered it was a high-end jewelry store, and began a great conversation with the owner, Mike. We got along so well he invited me to shoot Angel and Eric in his store. How awesome was he?!? So, if you're ever in Pasadena, be sure to pass by Place Vendome and pick me up an Hermes watch! :) |
| Angel is a fabulous wedding coordinator and the force behind Events of Love and Splendor. If you're a bride in search of an amazing person to orchestrate your special day, be sure to check her out...or leave a little blog lovin' HERE. |
| To view more of their engagement session, CLICK HERE for a slideshow! |
FAQ: How Do You Market Yourself?
There are so many layers to this question, but I’m going to try to do my best answering it truthfully and candidly.
My photography business is still in its infancy stages, but I was blessed to book weddings and gain client trust early on. Because of this, I had—no, I’m having—a wildly amazing 2007. I am nothing without my clients and I’m indebted to their trust in my ability to succeed. I seriously LOVE my clients…they’re the best I could ever dream of!
And I kinda, sorta feel the sentiment is not a one-way highway…my clients like me too! ;) Because of a strong relationship we build throughout the wedding planning process (and, specifically, the engagement session), I’m invited into their lives during its most important part: Their wedding. When they see their images blogged and/or their slideshow, they’re immediately taken back to their special day and they’re quite appreciative. Their gratitude has taken the form of personal endorsement. My brides and grooms (and their friends and family members) have become a cheer squad of epic proportions and the only thing they’re missing are pom-poms…ooooh, and JStar cheer skirts would be way hot too! Most of my clients have been referred to me by a past bride, or is someone who has seen one of my slideshows from a friend of a friend of a friend of the bride.
It’s quite amazing and I’m humbled by the magnitude of it all.
The slideshows I link here on my blog have been the epicenter of my business growth…unknowingly, they have become a marketing tool…only buttressed by the personal endorsement from my cheersquad. When asked this question by other photographers, I’m proud to tell them I’ve never taken an advertisement or passed out business cards like they were on fire. My clients are my promoters—human commercials, if you will—and I couldn’t have wanted it any other way!
If you’re a photographer and would like to know more about Word of Mouth marketing, I wrote an article for Pro Photo Resource describing the nuts and bolts of how and why I don’t ascribe to traditional means of marketing…and how it’s defined my business. Feel free to CLICK HERE to read more about it!
The best part of registering for PPR is that it’s FREE…and it only gets better…the amazing people at ShowIt Slideshows are offering a limited time discount for PPR members and my blog readers, so to learn more, CLICK HERE!
Happy Tuesday!
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