I was so thrilled to travel to the Washington D.C. area for this wonderful Western/Indian Wedding Weekend this past year. Not only are Anna and Aarish just the nicest couple, but they were referred to me by Emily and Matt, whose wedding I photographed in 2011 in Newport, Rhode Island, so I got to see them as well!  They created a ceremony that reflected both of their cultures, merging both Indian and Western traditions in the most meaningful way.

It wasn't really a destination wedding weekend for them, as they all live and work in D.C., but it was for me, and being a Connecticut girl,  I was just loving the East Coast landscape of the rolling hills and trees surrounding the ceremony spot in Anna's parents' backyard. But with the East Coast landscape comes the East Coast weather and just as we were finishing the ceremony and grabbed a handful of photos, the skies opened up and it absolutely poured for about 30 minutes. But as is often the case, the rain stopped and we were able to climb a nearby hill and make the most of the gorgeous and dramatic skies.  And the weather certainly didn't put a damper on the spirits of the family and friends at the party!

So you may remember this gorgeous couple from their engagement shoot in Manhattan Beach here. We had such a fun day doing that shoot that I knew the wedding would be amazing. I have to say that, first of all, how much do I love a groom that wants to shoot pictures with the guys in a laundromat and liquor store? Plus, Sarah Porcaro at Love in LA Events did such a beautiful job with all of the delicious details that it was an absolute delight to capture. One of my favorite moments came at the very end of the night (which is why I ALWAYS stay 'till the end...I don't want to miss a thing). Billy and the guys got up on stage and did a full on performance, topped off by him serenading Terren stage side...how can you top that ending to a perfect day!

I just LOVE the Adamson House. The property itself is stunning and then you throw in that whole ocean backdrop thing and it just puts the whole thing over the top. Brooke and Michael are also the most wonderful, madly in love couple. I was so honored to capture their stunning wedding for them!

I have so much fun shooting at the Los Angeles Country Club, mostly because I get to sneak onto the most incredible bridge over the golf course for romantic photos of the bride and groom. Of course, we must always have an escort to make sure that no one is down on the course and about to hit anyone in the head with a golf ball (which might put a little bit of a damper on the day)! The ceremony was at the beautiful St. Albans Episcopal Church in Westwood and then we headed back to LACC for the reception. I had such a wonderful time with Colleen and Rick making the most of all of the stunning backdrops at the club.

And as is often the case, the party really got going after the cake cutting, especially with Chuck Wansley on stage and we had a ball (which is one of the big reasons that I always include ten hours with all of my packages as I don't ever want to miss those fun moments). Plus, Colleen changed into the most fabulous, little cocktail dress at the end of the night...wouldn't want to miss that either!

I have been having so much fun with my engagement sessions lately, especially since the California coast is in full bloom with wildflowers. This wonderful couple is having their wedding at the gorgeous Terranea resort at the end of May so we thought it would be great to do the engagement photos in this field of wildflowers right outside of the resort. The only problem was that due to an especially wet, cold winter, the flowers won't be blooming 'till June!


We needed a flowery field! Thank goodness for my incredible photographer friends as one of them suggested this flowery field in Huntington Beach and it was perfect! We then got to make a quick stop at the beach as the sun was setting for a few last shots. The funniest part for me was that the bride to be, Muyu, told me that she and Tuan had never had professional pictures taken and that they might be a little nervous. Well, I have to say, they were not only naturals in front of the camera but seemed so completely comfortable that I can't wait for the wedding.

One of my absolute favorite spots in Los Angeles is El Matador Beach in Malibu. If you are local and haven't been there, you must go. It is spectacular...the wildflowers, the cliff overlooking the ocean, the huge rocks that divide the beach below. Go, go, go.
I was so excited when Brooke and Michael wanted to do their engagement photos here! (Their wedding will be at the amazing Adamson House in July.)   We had such a wonderful time together and managed to catch the late afternoon light at just the right time to highlight all of the wildflowers in bloom right now. I just love this couple and am so excited for the wedding!

I honestly have no trouble admitting that I am a terrible blogger. I am so behind on blogging all of the wonderful weddings and couples that I have had the chance to meet in the past months that I don't even know where to start! But I wanted to make sure I shared photos from this fabulous wedding.  Mahshid and Mike had a really special blend of traditions at the ceremony and the whole day was absolutely perfect. My favorite part, of course, was sneaking onto the rooftop of the hotel for some especially romantic photos with a pretty spectacular view. I'm not quite sure if Mahshid and Mike noticed the view as much as we did as they were so wonderfully smitten with each other!

Venue: Keswick Hall
Dress: Monique Lhuillier
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Coordinator: Barbara Shifflett
Floral Design: Floral Images, Charlottesville



Destination weddings are always a special treat. Of course I love going to new, fabulous locations and having a whole different palette of colors and backdrops to work with but I also love the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with a couple and their friends and family. Krissy and Chris' wedding at Keswick Hall was the most wonderful, gorgeous, East Coast, October weekend. Being an East Coast girl, myself, I was in absolute heaven.  From the autumn hues to a dawn walk with 50 bloodhounds to the charming rehearsal dinner at the Hunt Club with a bluegrass band to the spectacular wedding day, this wedding had it all!  Plus, Krissy and Chris have an incredibly fun group of friends and family which made it even more enjoyable for us to capture.

Krissy and Chris also really wanted a very hands-off, documentary-style approach to the weekend, which was music to my ears.  Here is part one of this gorgeous wedding with a very, special couple and their wonderful family and friends.

I have been so incredibly fortunate to have been able to photograph so many types of weddings, from fabulous hotels to bluffs overlooking the ocean to the top of a mountain in Vail. But I hadn't ever done a wedding that took place in a secret garden before! This little garden is tucked away and hidden and so magical and beautiful that it perfectly suited Kathie and David's intimate wedding. Kathie's smile is so completely infectious and this couple is so madly in love that each and every guest felt their amazing energy.

I also loved the fact that the Ketubah signing was not only extended but shared with all of the family and friends and became part of the ceremony. But what I most loved about photographing this wedding was that it was all about the emotional moments of the day, which for me are what wedding photography is all about...about getting images that not only remind you of how you looked on your wedding day, but of how you FELT. And for these two, I think it's wonderfully clear how they feel about each other and I couldn't be happier for them!

Location: Saddlerock Ranch Le Dome
Coordinator: Dana Haber Haber Event Group
Florals: Butterfly Florals
Valet: Premiere Valet Parking
Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop
Catering: Command Performance Catering
Band: Decades Band
Acoustic Guitar and Vocals:  Christopher Wooley

I LOVE photographing weddings at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! It is truly one of the most spectacular settings for a Southern California wedding. Kat and Ryan were just as enthusiastic about the location as we were and planned extra time to do some photos in the lower area of the ranch, which is also absolutely stunning. Kat and Ryan are just the most wonderful, authentic and warm people and Kat was absolutely breathtaking. The ceremony overlooked the entire canyon and the sun set on them as they shared their vows. Kat and Ryan collaborated with the wonderful Dana Haber of Haber Event Group to choose fabulous, unique details and decor. It was truly picture perfect!

Florals: Hector Martinez for Green Leaf Floral Design

I love all of my family portrait sessions, but I get especially excited when I have the opportunity to photograph a wedding client's little ones. It's such a honor for me to stay a part of my client's lives and continue to document all of life's moments, big and small. I photographed this amazing couple's wedding weekend in Cabo a few years back at The One and Only Palmilla which was unbelievable! My favorite moment of this recent shoot was when this gorgeous little one's mama (who is equally gorgeous) pulled out her wedding album and we all looked at it together. All of a sudden, the baby started pointing to the pictures in the album, "Mama, mama!!" The wedding felt like yesterday but there we were already onto the next chapter in her life... with her stunning little girl with baby blues...enjoying some books on a Sunday.

Florals: Hector Martinez, Greenleaf Floral Design
Wedding and Reception: The Beach Club, Santa Monica

Venue: Bel-Air Bay Club
Coordinator: Theresa Shlimanoff, Hustle and Bustle Events
DJ: Feet First Eventertainment
Ceremony Musicians: Angelica Strings
Florals: Willow Floral Design