Archive for the ‘Engagement’ Category

“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

My dear friend (and fellow photographer) Michelle and her husband Gary celebrated their 4 years of marriage with this lovely photoshoot. Since they love to travel, Gary gifted Michelle this beautiful world map for their anniversary and I had the honor of capturing them “pinning” all the places that they’ve visited together. Such a cute idea, right?! I always get to hear about their crazy fun adventures when they come home and it totally makes me want to see more of the world, too! (hint hint, Benny! hehe) Michelle is actually in Korea for a few months to teach English right now and I am starting to miss her dearly. So this post is not only for all of you to enjoy, but for me too, as I cope with her absence! Haha. Hope you are having the time of your life, Michelle! Come home to us sooon! : )

So excited to kick off blogging again with this classy session of Andrew and Ying. When we first met up they were a few weeks away from their wedding and we had so much fun sharing stories of our engagement period together. While it was too rushed to actually take their engagement pictures before they were married, we planned and brainstormed ideas for a full day session in Los Angeles anyway! A few weeks after their wedding we headed out to The Viceroy in Santa Monica for the first part of their session and oh! how I LOVE this venue! The bright colored walls and decor were the perfect backdrop for Andrew and Ying. They are ambitious people with high dreams and such generous hearts. Stay tuned for part two! : )
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Kayce and Tim have such a beautiful love story. Every time I think about it I am reminded of God’s goodness and just how perfect His timing is. Tim and Kayce coming together was literally an answered prayer and it all started when Kayce began school at Cal State Long Beach. Long Beach was farther from home and naturally, the transition was difficult. There was one particular school day when Kayce was feeling especially discouraged about her situation. She sat by herself and prayed desperately for a community of friends. Almost immediately, a few guys from class came up to her to ask if she wanted to hang out with their group of friends downstairs. Kayce followed along that day not knowing that she was about to meet a great group of people and the man she would spend the rest of her life with! : ) Ahh, don’t you love it?!

I know Kayce from high school. She is my sister Eunice’s year, but we were all on the cheer team together. (good times!) I am so thankful for this opportunity to connect with Kayce again and to meet Tim. Thank you for a wonderful session you two! I can’t wait to celebrate with you in November! : )

Jeff and Michelle are getting married in less than two weeks!! It has been so much fun getting to know them this past year and I am SO excited to celebrate with them on their big day! Their engagement session was such a dream. We started out in Eaton Canyon and ended our session at Michelle’s school where there is a beautiful orange grove. The light was golden and made for such perfect pictures to capture this season of their lives!

Jeff and Michelle first met on a church white water rafting trip. Although Michelle caught his attention, Jeff was too shy to talk to her at that time. But not to worry! There were plenty of opportunities after that for them to interact through Pacific Union College and through Michelle’s home church. During Jeff’s first weekend at the church, he knew he was in trouble when Michelle first got into his car. He wrote in his prayer journal, “Help me not to fall for her. I probably already have, but help me to get over it quick.” I think we are ALL thankful that God didn’t answer his prayer! : ) And now 5 years later they are getting married!!

Aimee and Jason are getting married this November!! It has been SUCH a blessing to have this girl by my side as we both plan for our upcoming weddings. I have known Aimee since the first grade. Can you believe it?! In high school and all throughout college we would take walks around our neighborhood praying and wondering who our future husbands would be. Now we take walks and talk about our fiances and marriage and wonder what life would look like in just a few months. I love looking back and thanking God for his faithfulness and perfect leadership in our lives. He is so good! : )

Aimee first mentioned Jason’s name when we were just chatting over frozen yogurt one day. He had been emailing Aimee and we were trying to figure out his intentions. Throughout the next few months I was so excited to get updates about their growing relationship and learn more about Jason’s serving heart. And I love that he had a heart for missions, something that is so dear to Aimee! They are so perfect for each other and their love sure does shine through these photographs! : ) Thank you for such a wonderful time you two! It was so fun to double-date on this shoot and enjoy such a delicious meal together. LOVE YOU!!

Our second stop was in Temple City, where Aimee and I grew up. We came to this park for school activities and fairs, but most importantly, this is where Jason proposed! : )

What a colorful session we had with Thanh and Karen! They introduced me to their neighborhood in Claremont and I just fell in love! The Claremont Colleges were made up of beautiful buildings with pops of color throughout the campus. It was so fun walking around with these two and getting creative with some of the props (like the funky double-rocking-chair below!) we found along the way. What a perfect backdrop for this cute couple! oh, and LOVE that Karen brought along fresh peonies to our shoot!

Yay, can’t wait to celebrate with you two in November! : )

Where did you have your first date? David took Christine to The Last Bookstore…and later brought her back to ask for her hand in marriage! I love that we returned to this super cool location to take photos and relive some of those sweet memories! : ) Cafe Kaldi was another meaningful location for David and Christine. It’s right in their neighborhood and it’s their go-to place for yummy drinks and a relaxing environment to read. Right across the street is the South Pasadena Library, where we took our time enjoying the evening and soaking in the golden light. What a beautiful pair you two are, Christine and David! Hanging out with you guys was a great reminder of God’s goodness in all of our lives. I can’t wait for your wedding at the end of the year : )

If you are looking into locations for your engagement session, try taking a stroll down memory lane and picking out places that have been significant in your relationship. Not only will these photographs mean more to you in the years to come (especially if you move and cannot visit your favorite spots as often), but a familiar setting can also help you feel like yourselves and more comfortable in front of the camera.

I loved spending the afternoon with Charissa and Sean and getting a glimpse of what their relationship is like. Their love is just too sweet! I was so moved by something Sean did I just have to share it here: Benny and I drove Charissa down to San Diego where Sean was already waiting for us. When we got there Sean handed Charissa these lovely tulips (pictures below!). She seemed surprised, because it was just Charissa’s birthday the week before and he had already gotten flowers for her then. Why more flowers?! Sean explained that the other ones weren’t like these ones and that he just wanted to. I love the way Charissa’s face totally lit up! : )

We went around UCSD for their engagement session and Charissa and Sean introduced me to different parts of the Stuart Collection and wow, how I wish UCLA had interactive art pieces like these around the school too! We had so much fun exploring the campus and then headed over to Mount Soledad where Sean had proposed to Charissa. The view there was breathtaking. I am officially in love with San Diego!