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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!

On a lovely Sunday afternoon, we met up with Erika & Julian for their engagement session. As I mentioned in my last post, this was the 2nd weekend in a row we shot at the colorful Santa Monica Pier, and I loved the challenge of getting creative with new spots and perspectives. Erika & Julian also brought along something that made their session extra unique – their adorable dog Shep! He was ridiculously cute and so full of energy and I loved photographing all 3 of them!

Erika & Julian will be getting married in …wait for it… New York City next year, and it will mark our first out-of-state wedding! I am honestly SO in love with NYC and hope it will be the first of many amazing weddings there to come! :)