An engagement, a wedding, a new addition to the family – all are wonderful opportunities to get in front of the camera and create some photos. But what about the in between times? I firmly believe in the importance of taking photos “just because” – to capture any given moment in your life, to celebrate the everyday. Jen was turning 29 and wrote me the most beautiful email about how she wanted just a simple beauty session, to create a time capsule for this particular moment in the last year of her 20s, so she {and her kids one day} could always look back on these photos. This past year was a big one for her – moving to Canada to be with her husband, being away from her family and friends, enduring various changes and challenges – and I’m overjoyed that she took this moment to celebrate coming through all of this with so much grace, to embrace a milestone birthday, and just carve out a small bit of “me” time. Although we wanted this session to focus on her, her sweet hubby Andrew came along and I was so happy I could capture a few of the two of them together as well :)

Also, that beautiful pocket watch necklace you see her wearing below? I swooned over it the entire session and at the end, she pulled out another one that she had bought as a gift for me! Seriously speechless.

Thank you so much Jen for giving me the chance to be a part of capturing all your beauty (both inside and out!) and this particular moment in your life. And if anyone is interested in a similar beauty session, please do contact me – this was such a rewarding and fun process to be a part of :)

I always love when a couple chooses a meaningful spot for their engagement photos. Like perhaps, the pretty courtyard of a Thai restaurant where they had their very first date? These kinds of memory-filled locations just instantly seem to have a certain magic to them – you’re transported back to those moments where you had your first quiet conversations, shared your first laughs, where you felt that excited pitter-patter and that glow in your heart, and secretly hoped and wished with all your might that they felt it too. Because a pretty backdrop is pretty backdrop, but it becomes all that more beautiful when it’s a paramount piece in the story of your relationship :)

I had so much fun exploring Pasadena and visiting the gorgeous Saladang Song for this shoot! MaiKhanh and Jeff are so awesome – I remember at our first meeting it felt like we had a million things to talk about, and I loved getting to continue our conversations over delish Thai food at the end of the session. (And on that note, I realized the past couple sessions I’ve posted here have concluded with a delicious meal. I suppose it’s a cold hard fact – if you like food, we’re going to get along just swell :)

I always love photographing at the Pasadena City Hall and this time of year was especially perfect, with pretty flowers in bloom around every corner! Frances and Andrew are super laidback and happily went along with my every whim (“can you hold this flower?” “LET’S THROW PETALS!”) and I adore how soft and romantic this session came out. They also have the sweetest and most fun chemistry together, which just added to all the wonderful romanticky-ness of this session :)

Their wedding at the Walt Disney Concert Hall next month {coordinated by my dear dear friend Jenn Yamauchi} is sure to be amazing!

P.S. Frances’s beautiful make-up is by Kelly Zhang, whose studio is right down the street in Pasadena! :)