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Santa Barbara Engagement : Sarah + Chris
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S he stood out for so many reasons. At that UC Santa Barbara party, on that one night her junior year, in that one sweater. Many singular elements leading to a collective moment of sheer gravity. Sarah was invited to a Lingerie Party, so she and a friend decided to attend, not having a clear idea of what people might wear. She threw on a pair of jeans, a lace-ish top, and sweater. When she arrived to the party, she was blinded by the amount of skin, cleavage, and silk lingerie. So much for the sweater.
Chris and a group of his friends walked into the party and caused a shirtless stir, as shirtless college boys can only ever do. Sarah turned and saw him, their eyes met, and she turned away. Throughout the course of the evening, despite the scantily clad girls around him, Chris only saw Sarah. They gravitated to each other and by the end of the night, he snagged her phone and programmed his number into it...and he stole her number in the process. This was just the beginning because Sarah was about to also steal his heart.
After their first date at Goleta Beach Cafe, they were smitten. They've been together ever since and are now planning a wedding in San Diego at the Coronado Hotel. I'm honored to work with such a special couple and I'm incredibly excited for what's in store this July! We spent the day in Santa Barbara for their engagement photos and started at the place where it all began...college... |
| One thing about Sarah and Chris is that they pretty much look good anywhere...on a bench... |
| ...and even in a delivery port! |
| This bike path is usually filled with students, but with many thanks to Cesar Chavez (and his holiday!) the campus was empty... |
| I mean, com'on...these shoes? Yes, please! |
| Not only is Chris very kind, thoughtful, and funny, his demeanor is much like JD's. I met him for the first time last week and I liked him instantly... |
| When Chris first met Sarah, she happened to stand next to a fan and he mentioned she looked like a model. Like that, with her hair waving around. Chris, I kinda know what you mean... |
| Many, many thanks to Tracey Taylor for doing Sarah's makeup and Sheila Stone for a fantastic job with hair. I've worked with Sheila before and I jokingly call her the "Hair Whisperer" because she's SO good at what she does! :) |
| After hanging out around the UCSB for engagement pictures, we headed to Goleta Beach (where they had their first date) to end the engagement session... |
| I'll end with one of my favs from the session! ;) |
    
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And my Coolness? It Just Oozes from Me.
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| I came across this picture JD took at the last wedding we photographed. Seriously? I mean, really. It took every bit of nerve not to toss it in the trash...but every time I see it, I laugh. Hard. I've never proclaimed to be cool, but here's proof that I'd never be even if I tried... |
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Kisses and Disses : Locks + Photographer's Edit
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Y ou know that feeling when you realize you've done something really, really stupid? And then you laugh? Okay, well, I laugh. Which is probably the worst thing. Ever. It's an awful trait I've picked up from my father and even though I try not to, I laugh when I make a mistake. Or do something stupid. Which is often.
A few days ago, I looked at the clock and realized I was late for a class at the gym and worried I'd lose my spot (here in the OC, the perils of losing one's 'spot' at the gym is akin to missing a flight, so hold the hating). I grabbed my gym bag and darted downstairs to catch JD and Polo before they left on a morning walk. No luck. I walked outside to holler a goodbye, but they were nowhere to be found. I ran back inside, grabbed my stuff, and exited through the garage.
When I returned home later, I walked through the garage door into the kitchen and that's when I heard it. Incessant doorbell ringing and rapid door-knocking. I froze in fear. I'm about to get robbed! Oh, yes, because in my world, robbers RING THE DOORBELL. Once I got enough courage to look through the peephole, I saw JD. Sweating bullets.
I opened the door and Polo collapsed at my feet, panting. JD walked passed me and muttered, You locked us out.... And that's when it happened...the thing I hate the most. I laughed. Not in the haha that's-funny kind of way, but in the haha I-can't-believe-I-just-did-that-kind-of-way. But most people only ever hear my laugh as haha. And when you're angry, that's probably the last thing you want to hear.
I quickly apologized, but Polo and JD weren't having it. That's when I brought out the big guns. The words you save for big blunders such as this. It's MY DAD'S FAULT! That's right. In my world (where you lock your loved ones outside in the heat, and robbers ring the doorbell), blaming a parent for questionable personality traits is totally acceptable. And this leads me to this's weeks Kisses+Disses... |
This week's DISSES go to...
*Doors that lock. Obviously.
*Taxes. Could be just me, but if I had the power to move the decimal point just one spot to the left, life would be so much better.
*Me. For blaming dear old dad, for locking my boys out, and for laughing at inappropriate times. |
This week's KISSES go to...
*Rainbow sandals. I've had my Rainbows for well over nine years and though JD thinks it's time for their retirement, I'm rooting for them. Best flip-flops ever.
*Photographer's Edit. Oh, how I love Nathan and his team! I outsource my raw processing to Photographer's Edit and they're just a wonderful element to my workflow...and life! {If you're interested in a 20% discount off your first order, use the jstar2010 code....holllllla!)
*Modern Family on ABC. I didn't watch this show until a couple weeks ago. While stuck in bed with food poisoning, I browsed Hulu and came across Modern Family. This show is so hilarious and well written and just darn good. Big kiss to quality programming! |
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Pelican Hill Wedding : Michele + Emin
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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T he bridal suite at Pelican Hill was covered with wedding details and pink accoutrements, like bags, boxes, and frilly lace. Michele was, after years of dating her dream date, marrying the man of her dreams. Her bridesmaids floated from room to room always making sure a glass of champagne was ready to be hoisted for any moment's toast to the good life. With the iPod perfectly set to Lady Gaga, the entire room raised and clinked crystal glasses in honor of a perfect wedding day. After moving a few pink boxes out of the way and finishing her champagne, Michele exited the bridal suite and collected her to see her future groom, Emin.
Standing on the terracotta tile, Michele took a deep breath, then the tears fell like honey. Slowly, methodically. As much as she tried, she couldn't hold back her emotions. Little did she know, the flower girls watched from the suite, then immediately ran out to comfort her and dry up the tears. As soon as they hugged her, Michele was ready to see Emin. And their embrace was everything it should be on a wedding day. Tender, raw, complete. The rest of their wedding flowed like honey, only this time, it was slow and sweet.
Michele and Emin, thank you for simply being you. Wonderfully and perfectly you. I couldn't think of a better way to start Spring than spending the afternoon in Newport Beach with you and your amazing friends and family. You're perfect for each other and I hope you're enjoying Turks&Caicos...so jealous you didn't take me with you! Much Love and Appreciation... j*
I fell in love with Michele's Jenny Lee wedding dress she found at the Jenny Lee couture store in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach... |
| ...and who doesn't love a little Stuart Weitzman on a wedding day?! |
| Wholly and completely gorgeous...special thanks to Makeup by Berit for a lovely job... |
| Here's a snapshot of the flower girls who helped keep Michele in the best of spirits... |
| I know I always say it, but--really--I LOVE when a bride and groom opt to see each other before the ceremony. It's totally poignant, raw, and beautiful, and it makes me all emotional! ;) |
| The best part about a bride and groom seeing each other before the ceremony is there's plenty of time to roam the Pelican Hill property for wedding pictures! |
| I love working with JD...unbeknownst to me, we were both getting the same shot at the same time of the bride and groom...his is on the right... |
| JD captured Michele doing what she does best: smiling. |
| Is it just me or is Michele RADIATING in this picture? Love her...and her bridal headband. For brides interested, she purchased it at the Jenny Lee couture boutique in Newport Beach... |
| JD is wonderful at capturing candid moments... |
| Okay, JD is also great at just capturing details and people too... |
| I wanted to give a little blog love to Michele's bridal party...they were more than fabulous! |
| The day was simply perfect for a wedding at Pelican Hill and JD captured the essence of the glorious weather in this photo... |
| A HUGE shout out must go to Stephanie Lairson for planning such a perfect day and ensuring e very detail in place. I adored working with her and it's always an honor when our paths cross... |
| All the amazing florals were provided by Karla at Elegant by Design in Newport Beach and she's absolutely lovely to work with... |
| A special, special THANK YOU must go to Erin (the Catering Manager) and Michelle (the Wedding Butler) at Pelican Hill for making the day so wonderfully smooth and enjoyable...I'm so thankful work with such an amazing team! |
| Emin's groomsmen were hilarious. Never before have I experienced heckling during a First Dance, but they made quite an interesting experience and put the pressure on Emin to really bust out his smooth moves... :) |
| One thing was for sure, Michele and Emin knew how to party...and the dancefloor was packed the entire night... |
I 'm one of those people who thinks she's a great party planner. Oh! The! Ideas! I have! I plan color schemes, choose flowers, decor, themes...I'm all over it. These parties are epic and everybody is dancing to Ke$ha, eating delicious food, and laughing at my jokes. Then I raise my glass to JD, who's standing in the corner, as a way to say, You see, I am FUNNY! And then I light a match and hold it...okay, never mind...
Oh, and there's jugglers. All my parties have jugglers. Clearly.
But guess what? I never actually have it. The party. I've never thrown a party because the whole doing it gets in the way. A couple days ago--while walking Polo--JD and I started to plan a party. I got super excited and wanted to go buy a Limbo stick and roller skates, but then JD reminded me that if I made it too big, I'd never do it. He's right.
In light of this, we're proud to say we've planned a low-key mixer for a few of our friends. Hollllla! If you've attended a J* Workshop, we'd like to invite you to join us on Saturday, May 15, 2010 from 2-4pm for light fare and delicious wine at Maggiano's at South Coast Plaza. For more information regarding the event, you can CLICK HERE and if you'd like to RSVP you can do so HERE. |
We planned this party around the same time of Escalate Conference because I heard a lot of my past workshopees were coming to the event, so I wanted to hog them to myself for a little bit. Hey, I can't help they're all so dang amazing I want to lick them and claim them as mine. Don't hate.
**WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT**
JD and I opened a private workshop in Tuesday, May 25, 2010 here in Orange County from a waitlist from a previous workshop. There are a couple seats open, if you'd like to snag one, complete a registration form and you'll hear back from us within 24 hours.
Happy Thursday! |
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