Aaron & Brittani: June 16

Aaron & Brittani met us at a pre-marital counseling class called "Love for a Lifetime." We've referenced this class in a previous "a calm in the storm." It's the class Glenn and Barbi Rouse lead together. We recommend this class to every couple interested in marriage. It's incredible and Glenn and Barbi are an amazing asset to a marriage and a well of wisdom. Anywho, I say, Aaron & Brittani met us because they saw us at the class before we saw them. We are so grateful they called us. They moved their wedding date up and called us hoping we had the date free, and with God's perfect plan, we did. I can't tell you what a privilege it was to photograph their wedding. We met with them for their engagement shoot and grabbed a bite to eat afterward. Brittani's personality began to blossom with a sarcastic humor that rivaled ours. It was so much fun. Aaron's one liners and joyful personality complimented the conversation. He is hilarious. Below are a couple of shots from their engagement session that really show their adoration for one another. We learned very quickly that night that these two were meant for each other.





Aaron and Brittani's wedding day was personal, simple and completely about their relationship. They had an intimate wedding at one of our favorite chapels, Needham Chapel, in Costa Mesa. Their family and friends were supportive and loving. We were privileged to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of people, we felt like we were part of the family. Aaron and Brittani's families have known each other for many years, so it was one big happy family long before their wedding day. Hopefully, these images below will give you a feel for their sincere love and joyful disposition.






Their ceremony held so much of Aaron and Brittani's personalities. The marriage they were committing to was the main focus of the day. The ceremony was cheerful and grounded on the covenant blessed by God. It was beautiful.



Brittani's dress was one of the most unique I've seen. She reminded us of an elegant and sophisticated woman from the 20's. She looked amazing and radiant.



Aaron's suit complimented Brittani's sash. We loved that he was wearing a tan suit to continue the lightness and brightness of both the chapel and Brittani's white gown. He was comfortable and striking all at the same time.



Brittani is one of those women that doesn't realize how amazing she is, but Aaron knows! We loved to just capture him watching his bride, this was a natural pose for him. On the same note, Aaron is one of those guys who doesn't realize what a gem he is, but Brittani gets a spark in her eye when she sees Aaron that only he brings out in her.



This picture captures it all! Aaron is so funny and such a pleasure to be around. If you're in a bad mood, he'll help you relax and is sure to make you laugh.

There was no shortage of affection and happiness between these two.





As the day came to an end, Aaron and Brittani's family and close family friends assembled to send them off as husband and wife. The chain of bubbles was a beautiful site as the happy couple were on their way.



We were excited for them and a bit sad that the day had come and gone. We really enjoyed their company.
Aaron and Brittani, we'll be praying for you both as you begin your marriage together. You are such a joy and a great blessing to everyone who has the privilege of calling you friends.

Jacob & Amanda: June 2nd

After we came back from Belize, we had the privilege of photographing Jacob and Amanda's wedding. On our first meeting with Jacob we saw his quiet personality as he listened attentively to everything we had to say. A couple weeks later we met with both him and Amanda and instantly we saw their connection, their balance and their joy.

Our engagement session together was so animated. Jacob and Amanda bring out a playful and infectious joy in each other as well as those around them. Amanda drew out Jacob's fun side and Jacob provoked Amanda's spontaneity. We had a blast. Below are a couple of images from their session. You can see more of them on our website as well.


Jacob and Amanda are an inspiration in their confidence in each other and the life they are starting together as husband and wife. They held onto their personalities throughout their entire wedding planning process. Amanda managed to create a hot pink, black and white color palette that was striking and beautiful, just like her. Jacob's unconditional support and subtle, but passionate, ideas tied the atmosphere together. Both of them have an artistic eye that showed through on their wedding day. We chose a group of images to show some of their personality and a hint of their wedding day.


Jacob's groomsmen were all individuals and while they shared inline skating in common, they each had a unique perspective to add to the group. It was very telling of Jacob's qualities as a friend to see so many different people find a common connection in him. You could see how much his brother, Dylan, enjoyed Jacob's company and the friendship they developed with one another. Jacob comes from a family that supports you and loves you for who you are, not who they want you to be. It's becoming a rare quality in people.

This picture makes us smile. Amanda's family shares the same passion toward relationships as Jacob's. She and her sisters were having a blast goofing off while we were doing their portraits. This is one of our favorite times where everyone can have fun and show off their personalities. There was definitely no shortage of laughing throughout the day!


We love this picture because it shows the beauty of Amanda's spunky personality. Not very many people can pull off a white and hot pink wedding dress! Continuing on her theme of walking off the beaten path, she mixed up her bridesmaids dresses to keep it fresh.


This picture defines Amanda and Jacob. They're joyful, connected and always looking out to see those around them. These two are considerate and thoughtful. Jacob's cousin was celebrating her 21st birthday on their wedding day. They arranged to give her a birthday present during their reception to recognize her and honor her on such a monumental birthday. Their hearts are selfless and loving.


Another great example of the use of black and white. I love this umbrella. Their wedding reception was in Amanda's parents' backyard. It was BEAUTIFUL. Her older sister helped in a lot of the decorations and changed the whole ambiance. Again, it defines Amanda and Jacob: simple, unique and playful.

One of our favorite things is our time with the bride and groom during their portraits together. Amanda and Jacob are a couple who truly love each other and know their priority is not the wedding day, but the celebration of the beginning of their life together. This couple, as well as their families, understand the importance of relationships in life and keeping them as your primary focus.



Congratulations, you two! It was a lot of fun capturing the memories of your day and laughing non stop throughout most of it! If your future together is half as fun, successful, selfless and exciting as your wedding day, you're in for a great journey.

an epic summer

The other night we were spending time with some friends, Dan and Rachel, whose wedding we photographed last year. We met them as clients, but we became lasting friends. They surprised us with a visit while they were in town. We decided to watch a movie so we all agreed upon "Gladiator." While we were watching the movie, I began thinking about how inspiring the story and characters are in epic films. Russell Crow's character of "Maximus" reveals the brute strength of a man who stands for the right thing with honor and dignity. He has a gentle heart and suffers great trial, but never loses sight of what's important. It inspired me to share the amazing qualities of each of the couples whose journey we've been privileged to photograph. Andrew and I didn't want to simply put up pictures we've taken because through our time with each of our couples they have become more than just clients, they are friends, people who inspire us as individuals and as a husband and wife. We hope each of the couples whose weddings we share with you will encourage you in who you are and where you are. Each of these couples have made us better photographers and more importantly, stronger people. I looked up the definition of epic on dictionary.com and one of the definitions was: heroic, majestic, impressively great. Our summer has been and continues to be epic. Keep an eye out for each of these weddings as we post them over the next couple of weeks.