Mark & Jenn : Falkner Winery, Temecula, CA

Mark and Jenn. What an incredibly dedicated and loving couple. We met Jenn, her daughter, mom and soon to be sister in law when we got together for their consultation. Mark was serving our country in Iraq. We knew the minute we met Jenn and her family that we wanted to be a part of Mark and Jenn's special day. When it came time for their engagement session, Jenn asked us if it would be possible for us to come to Camp Pendelton with her and capture Mark's return from his deployment of 7 months in Iraq. We were honored to capture such an overwhelming experience in their life together. When the day arrived, Jenn called and said he was scheduled to return anywhere from 11 pm - 2 am. We said, "No problem, we'll see you there." The experience is one we wouldn't exchange for anything. Jenn's anticipation of Mark returning was so invigorating and heart warming. Once she found Mark in the midst of the hundreds of Marines and excited family members, her anticipation turned into pure joy. Mark was an incredible sport. After flying for a LONG time and being apart from the love of his life for over 7 months, he entertained our cameras for their engagement shoot. We knew from then on, this is a very special couple. We were so invigorated after their engagement shoot. The drive home at 4 am was awkwardly energetic and alive. We were so humbled by the sacrifices so many make to defend our freedom and do what they feel called to do, serve our country first. Mark and Jenn are another extraordinary couple who live that out every day of their life.



Jenn filled Mark in on all the wedding details when he returned and all that was left was awaiting the big day. Falkner Winery did an incredible job as usual. It's obvious how excited Mark and Jenn were to start their life together as a family. They were both anxious to get the day going.


Jenn's mom officiated the ceremony giving it such an intimate and fun feeling. A beautiful moment in the ceremony was when Mark and Jenn exchanged rings and then Mark accepted the role of loving Jenn's daughter, Sierra, as his own. As a symbol of the three becoming one family, he went to put a heart necklace on her and she just starting running around saying, "NO!" It was really funny because she had no idea how hysterical her timing was. It was one of those moments you couldn't script. Of course, once the ceremony was over and it was just the three of them, they shared a special moment and took some fun pictures together.


After the ceremony and pictures with the wedding party and Sierra, Mark and Jenn spent some quality time together while we did a few more pictures of them and got an amazing sunset. They are so beautiful together.


Once the reception kicked off, you could see the love and joy these to shared and had around them with their guests. It was a very intimate group of people who truly adored the love Mark and Jenn had for each other and those around them. Mark's gentle spirit and light-hearted humor warmed the room. Jenn's joyful spirit and compassionate heart touched everyone she greeted and thanked. It was a fun night.


The whole night was a blast as you can see by the fun group picture. Mark and Jenn, thank you for continually putting others before yourselves. Thank you for loving people the way you would want to be loved and then some. We look forward to watching your family grow and sharing in many more memories with you.

Amar & Leigh Ann: Orange County

Amar and Leigh Ann are two of the most loving and sincere people. They share an intensity for relationships with people that is rare to find. During their engagement session, Amar's quiet exterior opened up to reveal a very humorous side. All afternoon he had us laughing and enjoying his intelligent humor. Leigh Ann's caring and compassionate heart overwhelms everyone she comes across. It was such a delight getting to know these two. Not to mention they were awesome sports when the afternoon turned into a rainy day! The umbrella came in handy for some fun vineyard shots.


Amar and Leigh Ann's wedding hit a very personal spot in our heart with their cross cultural event. The wedding ceremony was held at a Sikh Temple in Orange County honoring Amar's cultural and religious background. The wedding, true to any Indian festivity, was filled with color, love and a great deal of joy. Leigh Ann looked amazing as she adorned herself in the most beautiful of traditional Indian wedding garments, jewelry and mehndi (henna). Anyone who has experienced an Indian wedding knows it's filled with amazing detail.


It's traditional for the groom to have his face covered so he can't see his bride until she enters the Temple. Prior to the actual ceremony, there is a celebration with the family where the bride and groom give each other a floral garland. Once they have embraced each other in this manner, their family continues the tradition with each member of the family embracing one another in anticipation for the union of two families. They then enter the temple, groom first, his family removes his veil, the bride enters and they begin their entrance into married life together. You'll see in the pictures the part where Amar leads with a sword, promising protection to Leigh Ann, while Leigh Ann follows holding onto the scarf placed around Amar's shoulders. This is a sign of respect for her husband as they enter into married life together. It's a beautiful representation of two people choosing to put each other first.


After these two became husband and wife, they left to prepare for their second event of the day. The evening had a beautiful reception awaiting them. They changed from their traditional Indian wedding outfits to a beautiful evening gown and sharp suit. It's always a wonderful experience to see two cultures intertwined so effortlessly.


Once the reception was on way, the party began. True to any Indian wedding, the dance floor is the place to be. Amar and Leigh Ann's passion for one another and fun loving hearts lit up the reception. They never ceased to have a smile on their face and were continuously drawn to one another. It was truly a blessing to share in their wedding day and capture the memories of the joy filled celebration of their marriage.


At the end of the night, during their last dance together, Amar and Leigh Ann shared a moment that reflected the love and adoration they have for one another. It was the perfect ending to an incredible day of fun filled festivities. We enjoyed getting to know Amar and Leigh Ann so much and their genuine love is such a beautiful gift to everyone around them. Thank you both for allowing us to capture your wedding day. And as we said earlier, it's been awhile since we've really updated our blogs and our weddings. In the time between their wedding and now, they've been blessed with a beautiful baby boy! Congratulations on not only the beginning of your married life together, but your new family!

PICTURES PICTURES PICTURES

We can't believe 2008 is a thing of the past. . .it flew by! We have so many weddings we want to share with you. Thank you for your faithful support and interest in the images and stories we have to share. The last year was filled with a lot of amazing couples and fun adventures which left us neglecting our blog. We're making a conscious effort to catch up to 2009, so we'll be posting a ton of weddings that haven't made it to the blog yet. We are anxious to share the joys of each couple with you and can't wait for you to share in their day through their wedding images. We'd like to offer a sincere congratulations to everyone who tied the knot in 2008. Speaking from experience, it only gets better.

Keep a close eye on things. . .we'll be posting like crazy.

a calm in the storm : Issue No. 11 "A New Beginning"

Happy New Year! Generally, this time of year is huge for new year's resolutions, making goals, redefining your priorities, and seeking to move in the right direction in life. There is something powerful about the completion of one year and the start of a new. It's a physical milestone to change the things you don't like about your current situation or choices. There's a quote I found by Voltaire that reads, "Chance is a word void of sense; nothing can exist without a cause." It's so easy to blame your circumstances on things around you. We often hope for the "chance" to do something great. Or we often say, "If only...." and you can fill in the blank. Voltaire's quote hits the heart of the issue. Everything has a cause, whether you choose to not make a decision or make a decision yourself, you've still made a decision. Whether you are a victim of your circumstance or created the situation, you're still an active part . You can either let things happen to you and become a victim or you can respond to what happens to you. My mom used to have a quote on our fridge that read, "10% of life is what happens to you, 90% of life is how you react to it." Sounds like another way of repeating what Voltaire said...nothing exists without someone putting it into motion. There are times when you are a player in someone else's game. Often times, it's not your choice to play. But regardless, you're still a player which means you have control over the choices you make. You can't always control the situations, but you can control your reactions. So, our hope is to make 2009 a year where we are conscious of our choices. We've realized you can't please everyone all the time, but you can always stay true to who you are. Here's to an amazing adventure for 2009.
Happy New Year!