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Julie and Nick : Wedding
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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He loves her. He loves her with every ounce of his big heart.
Nick has always taken care of Julie in such a tender and caring way that it was no surprise when—after seven years into their relationship—he asked for her hand in marriage. So it was fitting for the two of them to host nothing but a tender and caring wedding with no detail overlooked.
Over two hundred guests traveled to Santa Barbara for their ceremony and the Doubletree Resort served as a gorgeous backdrop. With her rotunda suite overlooking the grand reception plaza, Julie stepped onto the terracotta tiles and into the sun. As the band set up below, she shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight with one hand and waved to her grandfather with the other. Much like a princess in a tower, Julie looked down hoping to get a sneak peek of Nick, but before she could, Julie’s bridesmaids beckoned her to don her gown and prepare for her beachside ceremony.
I’m so calm right now…I mean, I have no reason to be nervous because I know. I know there’s no one else but him. And with that, she and a group of girls crossed a busy Santa Barbara street and onto the beach where Julie blossomed into a Mrs. and shall continue to love Nick tenderly for as long as they both shall live.
Nick and Julie, THANK YOU for everything. You treated us like royalty and always thought about our needs before your own—it was definitely appreciated and did not go unnoticed! We enjoyed your wedding and spending the day with you both and we can’t wait to do it again! Much Love…
Nick found Julie's canary diamond wedding ring while vacationing together over a year ago. Not expecting to propose to Julie on the trip, he surprised even himself when he bought the ring spur of the moment and popped the question...the whole story is quite romantic! :)
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| Shoes and a little bling...two of my favorite things! ;) |
| I absolutely loved Julie's Romona Keveza wedding dress...here her mother is holding up just before Julie steps down into it. |
| JD caught this shot just as Julie was about to be given away...I think he caught the moment just perfectly... |
| Julie is a beautiful girl (inside and out!), but she looked positively stunning on her wedding day! |
| Nick was adamant about ordering Tiffany&Co inspired wedding cakes and he found them at Montecito Confections! Not only were the cakes beautiful, they were sooo good...or so I heard ;) |
| To view more of their wedding images, CLICK HERE for a slideshow! |
    
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Things That Make You Say Oooh
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The smell of wet pavement. A bouquet of flowers just because. A homecooked meal. Anything Godiva.
These are the things that make me say Oooh.
One thing that shall be added to the aforementioned list is this baby: |
While in Seattle last week for the Anti-Workshop, I was fortunate enough to borrow Jessica's 28mm lens. I've been shooting almost exclusively with prime lenses and it's radically changed the way I see weddings and the images I'm producing. I love my 50mm and my 85mm, but when I wanted to go wide, I'd turn to my 16-35, 2.8, but it sometimes left me wanting more--more crisp, more sharp, more of a fall-off.
Most of the images I submitted for our final group project was shot on the 28mm and I was smitten at first click. On my recent trip to Santa Barbara, I stopped by Samy's Camera before the wedding and bought the lens.
What can I say? I'm a sucker for things that make me say Oooh :) |
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Jen and Greg : Wedding
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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T hey didn’t have one toast. Or two. Or five. Jen and Greg were toasted—and roasted—in front of their friends and family on the most special day of their lives together by many. The large bridal party each took turns articulating what made their love unique and it was blatant that what Jen and Greg share is something wonderful. It’s as if the nucleus of their relationship is comprised of something a little extra. A little extra this, a little extra that, and a little extra of God.
There are no words to adequately describe the passion Jen and Greg share not only for each other, but for fellow man. While a student at UCLA, Jen opened her apartment to homeless children living on Skid Row and gave them a place of respite and comfort. Of things seemingly normal to most, but a fairytale to them. Greg likewise gives of himself to others and is a constant source of inspiration to those around him. Together, after Jen completes her Master’s Degree at UC Berkeley, they hope to live in another country teaching English and help others better their lives.
As they committed their lives to each other—tucked away in the grassy hills of Mission Viejo, California—they vowed to love more everyday and out-serve each other. It’s apparent the aftereffects of their love is sending shockwaves through many souls and it has only just begun.
Jen and Greg, I hope you had a wonderful time in Mexico on your honeymoon and I wish you the best as you carve your new lives together in Northern California. JD and I were blessed to share Father’s Day with you and your families and we’re honored to have met such resonating people as yourselves. Much love...
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| Lighting of the Unity Candle |
| JD captured this shot of Jen's father delivering a heartwarming speech... |
| ...and he captured this shot (sidenote: he mentioned something about getting a 'raise' every time one of his images appear on my blog...I totally vetoed this idea!) ;) |
| To see more of their wedding, CLICK HERE for a slideshow! |
Lastly, I want to kudos to Courtney Toney and all her team at Joyful Weddings and Events. Like always, they put together a spectacular display for the wedding and reception! I will most likely be blogging about the wedding details in the next few days, but I also want to give a shout-out to Catherine and Fayth of Three Petals for leaving nothing untouched. If there are brides looking for linens, flowers, and details, give them a call because they're fantastic! :) |
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Bloggin' from Santa Barbara
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Whew...I'm totally happy right now. A little tired, but mostly joyful.
Last Friday, I flew into LAX and was greeted by the a perfect face and warm arms. JD was waiting for me at the baggage claim and, after not seeing him for four days, his black eyes pierced my heart like the first time we met when we were 17 years old. We spent most of the warm afternoon driving slowly along the 405 freeway and then up the 101 until our sights fell upon one of our most favorite sights...the Santa Barbara coastline. Of the many places worldwide we've visited, Santa Barbara is the only place we'd ever consider residing besides Orange County. We absolutely love this city.
Yesterday JD and I shot an amazing wedding that I can't wait to blog about, but we're spending the rest of today doing what we do best: Dining (I see Arigato in our near future!!), lounging, roaming...and, of course, shopping! JD doesn't quite know it yet, but we're off to browse our favorite stores :)
Because I had a bum internet connection at our hotel, JD and I are sitting at one of our favorite coffee shops--Java Jones--with tea and the world wide web. With the Pacific breeze making its way in through the large open windows, life doesn't get too much nicer. |
T oday was the last day of the seminar. It was kind of sad saying goodbye to all the amazing photographers I met here in Seattle, but I find solace knowing our paths will cross again because the industry is quite small and interconnected. Today was probably the best day of the seminar because it's when all the dots were connected and the proverbial "Ah Ha" moment occurred. The first two days were spent laying the foundation and today the walls and roof were completed...and the interior design? That's left up to me.
Today the Boutwell's and John Michael Cooper discussed everything ranging from workflow, album design, and Photoshop and I have to give Chenin major props for keeping the lectures on track and thoroughly fruitful. Everyone has been completely transparent and willing to answer every and any question and I encourage anyone reading this to immediately sign up for the next seminar because it was worth every penny--and oh the many pennies there were! ;)
One of the main differences in this workshop is that while we're given models to photograph, it's not necessarily to buttress our portfolios, but, rather, to apply what we learned and prove that the hours of planning and lecturing have not been in vain. So we were assigned 24 photo projects to shoot in two hours around Downtown Seattle. A little daunting, eh? And to make things better/worse (depending on one's perspective), the class was comprised of some out-of-control-amazing photographers, so everyone wanted to shine. Duh...who doesn't want to look good in front of my not-so-secret-crushes?!
I was paired with Kate, Jen, and our amazing model, Rena. We couldn't have dreamt for a more sweeter, kinder, and more courageous bride than Rena...she's the true reason our images/pre-visualizations came to fruition. At the end of a very long day yesterday, Kate, Jen and I sat together and chose images that aptly reflected our assignments and tentatively submitted our final cut. We were happy with our choices, but after viewing the images the other groups were producing, we knew the Boutwell's and Cooper's were going to have a tough time choosing a winner.
Flashforward: This morning.
Everyone sat in class and waited to see each other's work...I have to admit when our images were projected on the projector, my stomach somersaulted a few times because the class' body of collective work was pretty darn cool. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful everyone's images were! What a talented group of photographers! At the end, when Chenin was about to announce the winner, there was a collective pause of breath. When she announced that my team WON, I was beside myself with pride. We worked hard and to be noticed for our images was beyond rewarding.
I want to personally thank Chenin, Dalisa, Doug, and John (my kick-butt pool partner from this evening!) for all their hard work. I've been blessed to attend six or seven seminars over the past year and this has got to be one of the very best. Nothing was left unnoticed and no question unanswered. The seminar was a true reflection of who they are as photographers, but--more importantly--as people. They're nothing short of fabulous. From the bottom of my very deep heart, thank you.
Here are a few of my photos from our group submission
Assignment: Backlit
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| Assignment: Shoot Down on Subject |
| Assignment: Shoot in an Unexpected Place |
| Assignment: Masculine Photograph |
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