Where did this year go? It flew by in a flash and yet somehow was filled with so many fantastic moments. 2009 was our first full year of business and I cannot believe how it panned out. At this time last year, I had 2 weddings booked for 2009 and you can probably imagine the lament-fest I was going through daily (“What if these are the only 2 weddings I have for the whole year? What if these are the only 2 weddings I have EVER AGAIN???”)

But January came and so did the emails. And in February came more. And now at the end of the year I can hardly believe how fortunate we have been to meet and work with so many amazing people. Clients who are now friends, who are supporters, who are some of the most warm and loving people I have come to know in this life. Photographers who are not competition, but comrades, who will give you advice late at night, who are happy to see you succeed, and other amazing vendors who offer both encouragement and inspiration. I want everyone to know that this year was shaped by you (yes, YOU!) and it is because of your support that 2009 has been so fantastic.

I am planning to release a post early next year with The Story, of how I got from being an utterly confused post-grad on the brink of applying to law school, to waking up every day to a job I love. I have been meaning to do such a post for a long time and have been piecing it together little by little. It may be a tad long, but I definitely want to document it here so I can come back to it every year and remember how it all started.

But for now, please enjoy the year in photos, some of my favorite moments from 2009. Happy new year and see you in 2010!

A friendly reminder: Cans for Comments is going on until 12/31! Any comments left (including those for this post) will turn into a donated can :) Thanks everyone for your awesome comments so far!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! It was so refreshing to take a breather for a couple days and really soak in the season, but I’m back in full working mode as there’s still lots more photos battling it out on my hard drive for their chance to make their blog debut. Keep an eye out for 2 stunning weddings & a heartwarmingly beautiful & intimate vow renewal. Such a wonderful way to round out the year! (I’m about 3 seconds away from gushing about 2009, but I promised I would save that specifically for a “Gushfest 2009” entry.)

So for now, I will be sharing this lovely engagement session! I first met Gia a few years ago, though only briefly, but we managed to stay connected through the magic of Facebook. I was ecstatic when she contacted me saying she had been following my work and was recently engaged! The holidays marked an especially meaningful time for Gia & DJ as they were married this Christmas… in India! Though it didn’t work out for me to be there to photograph their day, they shared all of the details with me as we sauntered through San Juan Capistrano… down to DJ taking an uber-traditional route and riding in on an elephant!

Gia & DJ are so in love – I usually give some direction to start off sessions & they just took off with it running, exuding love and joy that filled up every frame. It’s ridiculously easy to create photos when working with couples as beautiful {both inside & out} and in love as them!

The first photographer-client meeting is sort of like a blind date. You come in not quite knowing what to expect, get to know each other, find your common ground, and all the while, search for that special “click”. After meeting with Liz – as has happened in many wonderful initial meetings – I left totally smitten. She was laidback yet obviously so giddy-excited about her special day, full of great ideas, passionate about her wedding photos, and all in all a perfect Adrienne Gunde Photography fit. She explained that I was the first of a few photographers she planned to meet, so I encouraged her keep in mind that as important as it is to find a photographer whose style you love, it is equally as important to love their personality, as your photographer is with you all.day.long on your wedding day!

So you can imagine my excitement when I came across a sweet email in my inbox a couple weeks later, confirming she felt the “click” as well! We had a second meeting at a cozy Starbucks to finalize everything, and when we both ordered green tea lattes it most clearly was meant to be :)

I had tons of fun brainstorming this engagement shoot with Liz & Adam. We conjured up a batch of colorful balloons, a bouquet of the prettiest pink roses, and Save the Dates they handrew with love (and with admirable speed, right along Pacific Coast Highway!) We shot at my most favorite “secret” location, then chased the light to the beach to finish up. As evidenced below, Liz & Adam are so beyond sweet, wonderful as individuals, and absolutely perfect as a couple. I cannot wait for their wedding next July at the La Venta Inn!