We had such a blast shooting Krisie and Chris last weekend at Balboa Island. If you haven't been to Balboa Island, you must go. It is such a fun community of shops, cute restaurants and quaint boutiques. If you have a sweet tooth you must get a Balboa Bar. Its vanilla ice cream on a popsicle stick dipped in chocolate and then covered in sprinkles, oreos, heath or whatever you want. I wouldn't let Sean leave without buying me one! TO DIE FOR! Sean and I enjoyed the day walking around in the sunshine and eating lunch on a boat dock. Later in the afternoon we met up with Krisie and Chris to do their engagement photos. They were a bit timid at first but it didn't take them long to loosen up and truly enjoy the day. Krisis and Chris have been dating for nine years. They both attended college at U of A and when Chris moved in next to Krisie and all her friends, they began to hang out a lot with one another. Chris knew that he was falling fast for Krisie when he couldn't imagine doing anything without her and constantly wanted to be with her. They continued to date and Krisie patiently waited for Chris to propose. He surprised her on her birthday with an adorable date that included a bike ride on their new beach cruisers along the Santa Monica bluffs concluding with a picnic. He set out their food and things and then began telling her how much he loved her and asked her to be his wife! Their love for each other is apparent in every picture. We love how when Chris looks Krisie, her whole face lights up. We are so excited to shoot their wedding in May at the La Quinta in Palm Desert. After the shoot we enjoyed getting to know them more over a drink at a local bar. It was so fun to just sit down and talk to them about them and learn more about who they are. Thank you again for letting us be a part of your exciting day. We hope you enjoy a preview of your engagement photos.
I am sure we all know somebody that serves in the US military. But I don't think we give them enough credit for all that they do for our country every single day. As some of you know, I love taking pictures for military families because I feel it is important to share their story to remind us of the sacrifice that takes place not only in distant regions of the world, but right here at home.
I want you guys to meet my friends Josh and Lauren. Josh and Lauren are getting married in July and I am so excited I get to be there to capture their big day.
Immediately when I met them, I knew we would hit it off because their outlook on life was so optimistic and inspiring. This is the first "Free Military Shoot" that I have done as an engagment shoot. It opened my eyes to the reality of all the new challenges and changes they will have to face in a few short months as their relationship grows from dating to marriage. Here is a little of their story...
"It has always been my desire to be in the military. Though I graduated from high school with a 4.22 GPA and scored reasonably high on the SAT’s, it has always been my desire to serve my country. Before I pursued my higher education, I wanted to immerse myself in what it meant to earn the title United States Marine. My grandfather was a 30 year Marine, working his way from E1/Private to O5 Lt. Col.Whenever I visited my grandparent’s house, or they visited ours, I listened to the amazing stories that my grandfather had to tell of his military career.My grandfather landed on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and Saipan and earned the Navy Cross as a Platoon Sergeant on Saipan on June 24, 1944.My grandfather’s devotion and passion for the Marine Corps inspired me to want to be a Marine.
My father also had a great deal of influence on my career path.My dad believed that discipline, respect, and hard work were very important aspects in life, and he instilled these virtues in me with sound reasoning and instruction, practical application (attention to detail in my chores), and through observation and debriefing (telling me what I did exceptionally, and what I did wrong).I was raised with a solid set of core values from my Christian beliefs instilled by my parents and church, and through my father’s guidance in my household duties and in school.From everything that I had formally known, the Marine Corps offered the most difficult basic training of all of the military branches; so I thought it would be the best test for the virtues that I had developed."
In all, Josh has served for the Marine Corps (R) for the past 6 years with one, six month tour to Iraq. As a reserve, Josh is in the process of graduating from SDSU and upon completion he willingly will go on to Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA.
Lauren will admit that she isn't fully prepared for what life will be like as a military wife, but at the same time she exudes such an optimism for the road that lies ahead. I feel this speaks so deeply of confidence she has in Josh and their relationship. When I asked them what it was about their love for each other that will help give you strength during the toughest challenges you may face as a military couple Lauren spoke about their friendship that serves as their core foundation.
"Josh and I have known each other since elementary school. When we started dating, we already had such a strong foundation to build on being that we already knew each other. That foundation will help us as we face tough challenges together. Long before we fell in love, we were friends. When Josh was deployed to Iraq, I was there on base the day he left. I still am unsure what led me to go that day, but I know God’s hand was on this decision preparing me for life as a military wife. While Josh was deployed, we exchanged emails and I sent him multiple packages filled with yummy goodies. Josh and I both have a strong faith, both in our religion and each other. We know things will not always be easy, but we trust in each other and know that we have a God that will hold together the love that we have for each other."
Aren't they AMAZING? I have had a great time getting to know them and have been inspired by their relationship. Getting to take their engagement pictures was an added bonus.
Two weekends ago I had the privilege to be a part of Lisa and Kent's amazing wedding. It took place at one of the coolest venues San Diego offers: Scripps Forum in La Jolla. It is right on the water and the design of the building and facility are both modern and chic. I had never been to a wedding at this venue before, but now that I have, I will definitely recommend it to others that are looking for an amazing view of the ocean and yet have a sophisticated building for the option of being indoors.
At first Lisa and Kent weren't planning on having a big fancy wedding, but one of Lisa's best friends/bridesmaids was Alesha from Ever After Events who persuaded her to design a gorgeous wedding. Since Alesha was in the wedding party, my sister, Jamie who also works for Ever After Events helped coordinate the day of. All the details came together beautifully and it was a blast working along my sister.
Onto the day of the wedding. It was a classic San Diego sunny day. Lisa and Kent were relaxed and ready to have fun. They were such a fun couple to shoot because they were up for anything and everything and had laid back attitudes regarding the schedule of the day. You could tell how happy they were to just celebrate with their loved ones.
We hope you are having a blast in Italy and France. Thank you for letting us be a part of your very special day. Hope you enjoy this preview of your photos!
We also had the oppurtunity to shoot Lisa and Kent's engagement photos at Balboa Park. It was a fun day of getting to know them more. To view Lisa and Kent's engagement shoot, please click on Lisa + Kent.
After postponing the original shoot due to my terrible snowboarding accident that left me barely able to walk and in the ER all night long, I was finally able to get together with Celeste and Damion for an awesome afternoon of shooting. Balboa Park is definitely a hot spot on the weekends, but for some reason it seemed that all of San Diego happened to be there Sunday afternoon. We got creative and found as many spots as we could that were tucked away from the crowd. Celeste and Damion are getting married at the end of the month and let me tell you ... I cannot wait for their wedding! They are the type of people that just attract you to them. I have only gotten to hang out with them on a few occasions and already I feel like I have known them forever. During their engagement session, not only did they make me bust up laughing the majority of the time, but it was so apparent the love they have for each other. Celeste and Damion, your wedding is going to rock! So excited to be apart of the big day!
