Jeanette and Pete are such a fun couple! They are playful with each other. They laugh out loud. They are vibrant. And they have a beautiful family together! These two are just so sweet together and I can see that they are already married in their hearts. But, I am SUPER STOKED to attend their wedding in September, and photograph everything as they make it official!

Enjoy the photos from this super fun beach session! As you will see, the light was GORGE (yes I just abbreviated the word gorgeous), and Pete & Jeanette are not afraid of the ocean!!

I LOVE this photo! Jeanette you are sooooooo beautiful!

To see more of Jeanette & Pete’s lovely Malibu engagement session please watch the SLIDE SHOW below!

I also got to say, Matt & Patricia know the key to my heart, which, by the way, is through my taste buds. They treated me & AJ to the nummiest funnel cake EVER after our shoot! It was deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious! And I am still touched by their generosity! It was oh so unexpected and so very sweet in more ways than one! Thank you both again for that!

This first shot is one of my all time faves! Love what the light is doing!

I might be weird but I love capturing people laughing! There is something so beautiful about laughter. It makes the whole face light up. And of course it makes people look so joyful. So I made Patricia laugh and hit the shutter button. I love the results! She looks radiant!

And if you want to see even more gorgeous pics from this fun, fresh engagement session please watch the SLIDESHOW below:

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But seriously, Mandi & Dan are a major inspiration to me. Because they always say yes. Nothing is impossible. And I love that about them! They are constantly challenging me & inspiring me to be more positive, to always try harder, to never quit, and to not get lazy! And that’s what friends should so, inspire you to be the best you possible! So thanks you two for all you give me!

And also thanks a bundle to Kristin Brancaleone of The Treasured Petal for providing Mandi’s awesome headband, and Miss Annie May for providing the beautiful necklace! It really made her look!!! And thanks muchos muchos grande to Elena Galaviz for the *fab* make up, and Liz Cadillo for giving Mandi this super cute hair do!

I love Mandi’s look! It’s so vintage glam and yet so modern and fresh! Don’t you think she is stunning and adorable?

Below is MY FAVORITE SHOT EVER.

Cuties!!!

Can’t get enough of Mandi & Dan? I can’t either! So let’s check out their SLIDESHOW below!

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So I have been looking forward to shooting Christine and Tyler’s Santa Barbara engagement session for awhile now!! And guess what? It more than surpassed expectations! Christine and Tyler are so fun! They remind me a bit of me and AJ. Tyler is pretty adventurous I’d say. And he is definitely comfy just throwing himself into nature! Camping, bugs, sitting in the grass? No prob Christine is more like me! We can appreciate the beauty but as long as there aren’t too many crawly bugs to spoil the fun! Hehe! But just like me and AJ, Christine and Tyler are so sweet with each other. They make each other laugh. They make sure the other is okay. They get lost in their own little world together. They keep each other warm during a very cold and windy session!! It’s so sweet! I just love it!

It was really cool that Christine and Tyler chose to do their engagement session at UC Santa Barbara. These two met at UCSB while getting their undergrad degrees. As we walked on the campus they shared little memories. And I gotta say I was a teensy bit jealous. I thought meeting AJ in Boston was all romantical…but um…UCSB may just be the most gorgeous and romantical campus I have ever seen! There is natural beauty everywhere! For their first date Tyler took Christine to the bluffs on the campus. AMAZING! What a truly special place to fall in love! I am really glad that I got to capture their relationship back at the beautiful place it all began! It makes the images that much more meaningful!

So here’s a looksy at Christine and Tyler’s fabulous engagement session at UC Santa Barbara! Beautiful couple, beautiful backdrop! These are a total must-see!!

Christine + Tyler — Yay!!! I had SO much fun during our session! And I cannot wait for the big day! I know it will be sooo super fun & awesome!! Hope you love the pics! xoxo

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And that’s what I love about Andrea & Barbara. In the short time I spent with these two I could really see that they make each other SO happy. And that they are always looking out for each other. And that they are always giggling and laughing. And that they can get lost in their own little fun world together, even when my camera is 10 inches from their face! That’s love!

I left this session feeling totally giddy. This is my job. I get to meet awesome, happy, adorable couples. And I get to create art with them and document their love story. And in the process I make amazing friends. Pinch me because this has to be a dream! It’s too good!!!! I’m so glad I met Andrea & Barbara and that this last minute sesh worked out! And now I’ve blabbed enough, so why don’t I be quiet and let you look at the pics!!!

We started out by checking out all the fun games and rides at the pier! Look at how fierce these two are! Ah, to be Italian!

And when the sun started melting us, we retreated to underneath the boardwalk…just like the song!

I am totally in LOVE with this next pic! Barbara, you are GORGEOUS!!!

See what I mean about how happy these two are? They have so much fun with each other, it’s contagious!!!

I’m in love with this photo. AJ took it though, not me! He’s got a good eye that husby of mine!!

Cotton candy mustaches always equal photography gold!!!

Aw, this photo is my FAV!!! I didn’t pose this at all. Barbara just looked at her ring and genuinely got so excited! It was such a sweet moment. When I look at this picture I can totally feel that “Ahhh!!! We’re getting married!!!” excitement! And that’s what engagement photos are all about!

For more lovely images from this fun session check out the SLIDESHOW below!!

Andrea and Barbara — thank you sooo much for trusting me to document your love!! I had a blast with you two, and am glad to now be able to call you friends!! Congratulations again!!! I am so happy for you!!! Best of luck with everything and please keep in touch!

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Zoe & Nima are incredibly sweet together. When I met them, I knew in an instant that I loved them…and I could see how much they loved each other! We talked over coffee for hours at our meeting and when they booked me on the spot I was thrilled!! I knew our session would be fab…but I didn’t know just how fab it would be! I love how Zoe picked out two colorful over-sized balloons for our shoot! They bring such a lightness and fun energy to the photos! I also love the location, The Santa Monica Pier! Seriously, that is one of my fave spots to shoot at! Its always a blast! But as it turns out, Zoe & Nima didn’t just want to shoot at The Pier because its colorful and makes for a good backdrop in photos…They chose the Pier because it meant something. This was where they had their first date. The Santa Monica Pier is the place that started it all!!

I really love when couples choose locations that have meaning to them! And I love that the Pier was where the first love sparks flew between Zoe & Nima. And I love that these pictures show the sweet kind of love Zoe & Nima share! So enjoy these images below!

And to see more pics from this fun Santa Monica Pier Engagement session please check out the SLIDESHOW below! I absolutely love how this one turned out! It’s soooo sweet, like a gumdrop! You can really feel the love!

Christina emailed me on my birthday last year inquiring about info for her wedding. After a few emails it was clear to me that she was totally awesome, so when she booked me online without even meeting me I was thrilled! We have become friends online and through facebook. But I actually had never met her or her fiance Syl in person. When we met at the Lab a few Saturdays ago,  I was sooo over joyed! She was everything I thought she’d be and more– cute, funny, bubbly, bright! She has the best laugh and she laughs hard just like me! And Syl is just wonderful too. He reminds me a bit of AJ, very chill and low-key, but totally funny and sweet and so caring. He was so attentive to Christina the whole shoot and so tender with her! I just LOVE it!! I cannot wait for their wedding later this year in San Diego! I know its going to be a BLAST!!!

Christina & Syl picked the most awesome spot for our session– The Lab in Costa Mesa, which is a mall, or technically speaking an “Anti-Mall,” that is home to a bunch of trendy shops. The Lab is very quirky and fun! The perfect backdrop for our shoot & also the perfect place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon! Here’s the info if you want to check it out:

The Lab
2930 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-966-6660

And now its time to share some pictures!! I hope you enjoy these colorful images!!!  I know I loved taking them!!

This is probably my favorite picture of the whole day!! So cute!!!

We met in Downtown Culver City which is one of my favorite places to shoot. It’s always low key while still feeling urban, has great backdrops every where you look, and is a pretty unique spot as not everyone shoots here! Yep Culver City is kinda a hidden gem! And I LOVE that about it.

The thing I loved most about this session was that Elena & Memo had the passion of a newly engaged couple! They were so giddy, they couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Clearly these two are meant for each other and are doing something right! I also love their fierce and fabulous style! They worked the camera so well, it was like they were professional models! And Elena, if you didn’t know, is a very talented make up artist so of course her make up for the session was impeccable! She just looked stunning! Culver City has never seen a hotter couple, I am sure!!

I love the way Elena’s blue dress just POPS in every single picture! Ladies, this is why I tell you to wear “jewel tones, jewel tones, jewel tones” for our sessions!

I love the way you two look at each other! I really do! Its just…sizzle!

Ryan & Kristina chose the most beautiful spot for the session, the Los Angeles Getty Center, but they didn’t just choose it because its gorgeous. They chose it because it means something. This is the place these two go when they need a break. When life gets stressful. When they need to slow down and just enjoy each other. And as we walked around the grounds of the Getty I could tell these two were totally in their element. The way they gazed at each other, the way they held hands, the way they laughed– it was like all they could see was each other. Seeing them together, so caught up in each other’s eyes was really a beautiful thing!

The other great thing about this shoot was that my husband came along and second shot with me for the first time! And guys, my husband has been hiding his talents from me!!! He shot the whole thing in manual and nearly every shot was exposed perfectly! And he captured some great moments! It was really fun having my lovey with me at a place as romantical as the Getty, with a couple as fun as Ryan & Kristina! I can see us all catching some dinner together sometime soon! Perhaps Ryan can make us some stuffed salmon with the herbed goat cheese, eh Ryan? You KNOW you want to

Now of course we did have a lot of amazing vendors that came together to make this shoot so extra fabulous! Thank you to Pamela of Pamela’s Parasols who donated the amazing parasols for the event, Sabrina Sloan who was the fashion consultant/stylist and also provided custom made wardrobe, and Lance Durant of Hire Old Cars who provided five absolutely gorgeous classic cars! The make up was beautifully done by Robyn Mason, and Rebecca McLaughlin from Beaucage Salon handled the hair styling! Lastly, the amazing location we shot was the San Dieguito Heritage Museum! Also special thanks to ShootDotEdit for hosting the after party and to Tofurious for being the guest speaker and teaching me a ton!!!