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!

As Jaenee and I drove to the lake by her home, where she would be meeting A for their very first look on their wedding day, she smiled and explained to me how she wasn’t feeling as nervous as she expected. She said, “the fact that I’m so calm makes me realize how excited I am for the marriage – that it’s the marriage, not the wedding, that is so important to me.”

I photograph amazing weddings of all shapes and sizes, and Jaenee & A’s wedding was a perfect reminder that you don’t need to spend lavishly to make a wedding wonderful – it is the moments that fill the day and the fact that you make it yours. Their backyard wedding was low-key and intimate, but was unbelievably rich with beautiful, warm, and emotion-filled moments (not to mention stunning personal details that Jaenee lovingly crafted by hand). From the first time I met with Jaenee, she explained the importance of family to her and A, and their wedding was indeed a collection of efforts from all of their family members. The happiness and love exuded by everyone that day was overwhelming and it was an incredible experience to be a part of such an event. I believe I was the only vendor there that day; everything else – the location, the flowers, the centerpieces, the food & drinks, the music – was a collaboration of Jaenee & A’s efforts and the work of their family members. At the end of the night, Jaenee and A walked us to the door and we exchanged hugs – my heart was brimming with joy as we left as I truly felt we had witnessed the wedding of not clients, but friends.

Jaenee & A – Thank you so much for welcoming us so warmly into your home and giving us the opportunity to be a part of your incredible wedding. We feel so blessed to have gotten to know you and share in your celebration and to witness your amazing and inspirational love. I know you will have a lifetime of happiness to come! :)

The lovely bouquets, all assembled by Jaenee herself…

Her veil was adorned with lace from her mother’s wedding dress:

Jaenee’s bridesmaids were her sister and her cousins, her best friends since childhood…

A first glance in the mirror and writing down the last of her vows…

Their first look was so touching. I often recommend first looks to couples and Jaenee & A really showed how special that time together can be…

Love these identical childhood photos of them!

The programs were again works of art by Jaenee:

After the ceremony, we walked right across the street for some more photos…

The centerpieces continued with the tissue flower motif and were beautiful! I can’t imagine how long it must have taken Jaenee to put together each one:

A lovely alternative to paper place cards…

The night ended with tons of dancing!

And a quick shot with the happy couple! Congrats Jaenee & A and thank you so much for the chance to share in your special day with you!

When we first meet up with our couples for their engagement session, we always start by catching up a bit, chatting about the wedding, and then going over a quick description of how engagement sessions usually flow – that I’ll be giving some direction, but the ultimate goal is to capture you, the two of you, in your natural element being your totally awesome natural selves. And at the end of this recap, almost every time, the super sweet and beyond adorable couple claims that they’re horribly bad with photos. And every time, they go on to totally rock and make my camera fall madly in love with them :)

Jaenee & A were no exception. I met with Jaenee last year over gelato-filled mochi and she was one of the first clients to book me for 2009. Jaenee was so warm and so excited about her wedding, and had such trust in my photography, which meant the world to me, especially at that time when I was still somewhat of a newbie. On a sunny Sunday afternoon last month, I drove down to Seaport Village in San Diego to meet up with Jaenee & A for their engagement session. And as I mentioned before, their inspirational love and fun personalities made them so easy to work with. They’re getting married in just 2 (yes 2!) days in San Diego and we are beyond giddy with excitement to see them again soon!

Jaenee & A have this phenomenal coordinated walk that they do. Love it!

Scott captured the next one – love that juicy light!

After a change of clothes (check out that fabulous dress.. and the shoes, the shoes!), we headed to the San Diego Convention Center for a few more photos:

Loved this aqua wall. And don’t pockets on dresses make them that much more perfect?

I would have loved to take credit for this cute shot, but it was all their idea! :)

We finished up with some shots in the garage & fun with off-camera lighting…