There are times couples book me through email and I don’t meet them until the engagement session. Or I meet with just the bride over coffee and don’t meet the groom until then. Or, as happened here, I met & got to know Allison over a fun meeting at the Culver Hotel, but since they had done an engagement session prior to even finding me online, I didn’t meet Elijah until the wedding day.

But I’d just like to say {as I hope these images below express} that just seeing them interact for the first time that day, maybe from just one or two seconds into their First Look(!), I could sense what an amazing relationship they have. In the way they both instantly relax in each other’s presence. Their constant smiles throughout the day. Joyful tears exchanged at the altar, their words exchanged in vows. An overwhelming excitement and support extended from their family and friends. It all comes together to say – this here? this is a special kind of love.

I am so happy they opted for a first look, as it allowed tons of time for portraits around the amazing Summit House. I love the cozy vibe of this venue and Allison & Elijah played that up with lots of warm and homey details, including amazing florals created by Kim of Art with Nature. I always love her soft & romantic arrangements!

Have I mentioned how blessed I feel to document days like this? :)

Love the bridesmaids’ bouquets (billy balls FTW!) and accessories. Those chunky necklaces were so perfect!

I don’t usually post too many silly pictures, but these seriously had me cracking up so hard I could barely sit still long enough to edit them. I adore this bridal party – SUCH DEDICATION.

While I was photographing the girls, Connie got this great shot of the groomsmen!

Aside from being fantastically in love, can we just take a moment to reflect on HOW RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING these two are??

Tulips are some of my favorite flowers… love when they make appearances in weddings! :)

My initial meeting with Gloria & Ed was extra exciting in a unique way – when Ed contacted me, he explained that he was looking for a wedding photographer, but he was also interested in chatting with Scott about guitar amps. He had read about Scott’s business on my blog and asked if I could bring him along. Of course Scott excitedly obliged, and so the four of us met in a sunny cafe on a weekend afternoon.

We chatted about weddings for half an hour, and then guitar amps for the other half. (Or more specifically, Scott & Ed chatted about guitar amps and Gloria and I eventually started our own conversations about more girly things :) It’s tons of fun to bond with clients about their wedding, but always exciting when you find other connections to grow mutually excited about. And although I got hopelessly lost somewhere in between “tolex” and “baffle”, I was still brimming with excitement to be finding connections by association :)

Gloria & Ed ‘s wedding was held last month at the beautiful Summit House. Gloria is a talented designer & artist and she put together programs, favors, and other details that took a fresh perspective on the often traditional pink, and were just stunning. They held photography with high importance and allotted an hour before the ceremony for their portraits, and then TWO more hours after the reception for more photos. It was a morning wedding, so after a fun goodbye from the guests, we headed to Cal State Fullerton for photo time galore!

Gloria & Ed – thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of your day. It was such a beautiful wedding and we are so glad we were able to spend the time with you afterwards – we not only got to take some awesome photos, but we felt we really got to know you both better and had such a fun time running around the campus with you!

I love the old-timey 1950s cinema feel this one has :)

I loved how the handcrafted details were whimsical and not too matchy, but all tied together perfectly. The sign-in table was a wonderful mix of colors and textures!

This little guy was awesome! He walked right up during one of the toasts and quietly waltzed around before returning to his seat:

But the fun isn’t over yet! Stay tuned for photos from our shoot at Cal State Fullerton (and more of that adorable dress!)

It was during her father’s toast that we learned about Beth’s special appearance in the OC Register when she was just 4 years old – featured for her best smile in all of Orange County. Which came as no surprise; on the day of her wedding, Beth was all smiles – the kind that can light up not just a room, but an entire reception hall – and radiated a pure joy that was absolutely contagious.

Beth & Eric got married at the gorgeous Summit House in Fullerton a couple weekends ago and it was an incredibly warm and heartfelt wedding. Beth and Eric were both so excited and just so straight-up happy – all the things everyone hopes to be on their wedding day. I felt so blessed to share the day with them and their awesome families. A big thank you to Dave for having me along!

While Dave met up with Beth & her bridesmaids, I hung out with the guys. We went out into the backyard to “get some air” (sorry, I just couldn’t resist being punny):

I also caught a glimpse of Beth’s stunning and timeless ring:

Meet the gorgeous Beth. See? All smiles! :)

Beth’s grandparents walk down the aisle as the ceremony begins. You can really see that the awesome cheerful demeanor runs in the family!

Loved the wine-influenced hues!! And I know I say that about every color palette, but seriously, I fall head over heels for the colors at every.single.wedding I go to!!

Portrait time in the most delicious light:

Loved this moment of Beth’s mom capturing the Father-Daughter dance:

Like all of the weddings I’ve attended with Dave, the guests sure knew how to break it DOWN! Everyone was up and about, including Beth’s mom and Beth’s 92-year-old grandfather! Too awesome!!