Sarah and JT : just for fun

It's not entirely clear who adopted who.  But the fact of the matter is that when Sarah went to visit her friend Karen, she had no intention of leaving with a new family member.  Yet, that is precisely what happened. 

As I understand it, someone rescued him as a well-intended gift for one of Karen's ailing relatives.  Unfortunately that plan fell through and the little guy's fate was unknown . . . that is, until Sarah walked into the room.  Everywhere she went the dog followed.  Any time she sat, he sat with her.  He knew what she didn't yet know herself - that the two would one day be family.  And that they are.

With practically ungroomable fur of at least a half-dozen colors, and with one ear perked up (the other down) little JT is perhaps the scrappiest little guy I've seen.  In contrast, Sarah is classy and polished in her dress and heels.  Together, they're magic: pure joy and love.

These photos were taken last week near Sarah's home in Irvine, CA.

Thanks to the wind, for a minute there we weren't sure who had the messier hair.  But she got it under control.  (whew!)

Really Sarah, you're absolutely FABULOUS!!

Want to see more?  Click Here for a Slideshow!!

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Joanne & Randy's joyful summer celebration

They'd known each other for years and even went to a high school Sadie Hawkins dance together.  But as time went on they drifted apart... that is until they re-discovered each other.  Now Joanne and Randy couldn't be happier, starting their new family surrounded by TONS of loving friends and family members.

This is one of those weddings where, as I scrolled through my images from the day, I kept finding myself grinning and even getting a little teary (I do that sometimes) remembering all of the joy and positive energy of the day.  It's obvious that these two are so very loved, and I can certainly see why.

Joanne and Randy were married on June 26, 2010 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish.  And their reception was held at the Sheraton Harbor Island in San Diego. 

Theresa Manalang and Christa Yabut did a beautiful job on the makeup.  Florence and Rebecca of French Twist Salon did a stunning job on the hair for all of the ladies.

Did I mention that you two are fantastic?  You two are fantastic!

Showing off the new bling!

Exquisite Blooms provided the gorgeous flowers!  I just love the cheerful yellow against the cool, clean gray.  Nice choice!

My intention was to get the shoes in focus and show the gang jumping in the background.  But he looked so darned sassy I couldn't resist posting this one of Dad coaching for the photo.  Lookin' good Pop!

Joanne and Randy planned this whole event in just a few months but you would NEVER have known it.  From the candy bar, to the table cards for both adult and kids' tables, they thought of every little detail.  Lynn Bautista of Savvy Bride helped to make sure everything was smoothly executed.

To kick off the party, each pair in the entourage put their own spin on the grand entrance.

The first dance

Oh, now THIS was FUN!  The guys did a special dance number for Joanne, and when I say they did a dance number, I really mean it.  This was a rehearsed, choreographed routine to a mash-up of songs.  The crowd, and of course Joanne, LOVED it!!  Dad got some great shots of the whole group while I was able to get these fun close-ups of the performance and reactions.  And yes, those are Beyonce moves that Randy and his guys are doing in the lower left two photos... 

In fact, if you'd like to see it I just checked and sure enough, their whole dance number is posted on YouTube.  Seriously impressive guys!

Joanne and Randy - We had a great time getting to know you guys and helping to capture your day.  I'm so excited for the two of you and that little girl on the way because I'm sure that, just as you were on your wedding day, you will continue to be surrounded by love and joy as your family grows.  Congratulations on a gorgeous day and I wish you a long, happy life together!

Oh, and be sure to call me for those maternity photos... (wink!)

Nancy's Flowers | Admiral Kidd Club

Last night we set up a booth at the Admiral Kidd Club's tasting fair.  It's a great little event where couples who are planning to get married at one of the several beautiful San Diego on-base facilities can try out samples of the food provided.  After they eat, they come upstairs for the 'bazaar' portion of the event.  It's always nice to be able to chat with new couples and show off some sample albums.  This time we even ran into several of our existing wedding clients.  It's funny - even though we've only met with most of them once or twice at this point, it felt as though we were reuniting with friends we'd known for years.  I don't think I've said it enough, but we really have the most fun clients!

Not far from where we were set up, our friend Nancy Stevens had some beautiful and creative bridal bouquets set up for display.  I didn't want to miss the opportunity to take some detail photos of these beauties.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

On the left is Nancy with her helper (he's actually her good friend and future client's fiance).  Everyone loves Nancy and her flowers.  She's got such a great, warm energy - which shows in the hugs from just about every other wedding vendor in the room.  And so generous, at the end of the evening she gave away many of her bouquets.  Dad and I were even able to take some home for myself and for Mom.  Thank you again, Nancy.

And on the right is Shirley, The Cake Lady.  I'm definitely a fan of Shirley's cakes but hadn't met her in person before tonight.  She and Dad have known each other for years, since he was new in the business.  I've heard nothing but great things from brides about how easy she is to work with, and I can personally attest to the fact that her cakes are not only beautiful but super yummy!  I want to plan a big party just so I can order one for myself!

Before we packed up, I had to get a photo of the patio of the Admiral Kidd Club.  I LOVE the trend we're seeing of paper lanterns at weddings - and you can see here what a gorgeous impact they have.

Nicki and Chris party like rockstars in La Jolla

I had barely set foot in the door of Nicki and Chris' house when I realized that this would be a fantastic day.  Nicki and her bridesmaids were so much fun that I almost wished I were a guest rather than their photographer... I did say "almost".  I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on the opportunity to shoot this one.

Nicki and Chris met while playing soccer (how fitting that they should be married during the World Cup) and I understand both are quite good.  We heard stories throughout the day about what an amazing goalie Chris is, and about how impressed he was with Nicki's legs the moment he saw "the new girl" on the field.  We also learned that Nicki and her maid of honor Andrea met through soccer back when they were kids growing up in Virginia.  Several of their friends are also fellow team mates, so as you might guess there was plenty of heckling and ribbing.  But any teasing aside, these people were there for one very good reason: to party.  It is so much fun to be at a wedding where it's so clear that everyone is there to have a great time.  Laughter and silliness took over while everyone's positive energy and good feelings filled the air, surrounding the bride and groom. 

Now I love love love to take photos of beautiful relationships.  In fact, one of my favorite things to do in the whole world is to capture a moment that shows the connection between two people in love.  And there was no shortage of that here.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that this wedding was a pleasure to shoot for the physical beauty of it as well.  Nicki and Chris put together not just a killer party, but also a gorgeous and elegant event.  In fact, the toughest part about this blog post was selecting the photos.  There were so many I wanted to share.

Check out this stunning dress by Demetrios Bride.  The neckline was amazing on Nicki and the way it caught the afternoon sunlight was perfection.

Of course I had to get some photos of Nicki's beautiful shoes, but today we're featuring Baby Maddie's (first) shoes too.

How sweet is that little dress!

There's the happy girl!  At 10 months this little angel just giggled and smiled all day.

 

The other baby girl of the house, Lilly.

... yes, she wore something blue, Dolce & Gabana's Light Blue in fact.

The wedding and reception were held at what is now one of my favorite venues, The Martin Johnson House in La Jolla, California.  As I mentioned in last week's post, this venue is like a blank canvas so it was interesting to see how different it looked as the backdrop for the last two weddings.  For this celebration, the simple house and decks were completely transformed by the incredibly fabulous Arturo of Artquest Floral and Gifts.  The delicious food was provided by UC San Diego Catering and the decadent cake was made by the amazing Shirley the Cake Lady. 

Megan, Stephanie, Andrea, Michelle, Breanne and Joellyn - you ladies are absolutely amazing!  I don't always leave a wedding feeling like I got to know the unique personalities of each bridesmaid, but this time I don't know... maybe it's because you're all so outgoing with such unique traits: edgy, witty, flirty, sweet, sporty and sassy, all tied up in a great big bow of gorgeous!

And don't even get me started on you Nicki - is there such a thing as too much fierceness for one photo?  I think not! 

A camera-shy ring bearer hides in his dad's jacket.

I love the smile when she kisses him.  You really are a rockstar Chris!

Here's that cake I was telling you about.  Not just beautiful, but so good!  By the way, thank you Shirley for the treat.  I know the mini-cake said "for Tony Eisenhower" but he was on a diet that night so I took it home and enjoyed it the next day with friends.  We all LOVED it!  (For the record, Dad did enjoy a piece of the wedding cake below at the reception) 

The ladies show off their silly sides.  Megan displays her mustache tattoo (yes, it's a real tattoo) while Andrea listens to Michelle's well-disguised bump.

Here are some photos taken later in the evening.  DJ Gary B (check him out at www.feelmygroove.com) absolutely won the crowd over... and then some.  In fact, when the evening was over Chris grabbed the mic specifically to thank Gary for such a great party, which says a ton about Gary.

Chris wears his sunglasses at night.

Nicki gets down with Megan and her mom.

Is it just me or does it look like they're having a good time?

Nicki and Chris - It's clear that you really wanted this to be a fantastic party and I'd say that you absolutely hit the mark on that one!  Everyone who was there expected to have a great time and you two delivered.  Side note: speaking of delivery, I should mention that Chris even ordered pizzas so his guests would be sure to leave on a full stomach after partying so hard.    And as for the two of you, it's so much fun just being around you because it's obvious you don't just love each other, but that you're also buddies, and that really is awesome to see.  I just know that as you grow old together you'll continue to have each other's backs.  

 

Congratulations on finding each other.  Happy marriage you two!

To see more photos of Nicki and Chris click HERE for a slideshow!