MONICA.AND.PETER.::.JUST.BECAUSE.

they flew out from deleware to enjoy a sunny summer weekend in so cal. and with reports of temperatures in the 90's from the weekend before, their hopes were high. but when they stepped off the plane, they were greeted by a crisp 65-degree quasi-spring atmosphere.

oh well... on with their vacation.

monica contacted me recently, excited to surprise peter with a 'just because' photo shoot during their vacation. and when we met down at the cedros design district in solana beach, carlie & i had a blast hanging out with this east coast newlywed couple. we cruised past the scattered art galleries & boutiques, surprisingly vacant for a saturday afternoon, and just had a relaxed good time. monica talked a bit of shop with carlie & i, as a newer photographer herself, sharing photoshop recipes and gear talk.

there is something so refreshing about what carlie & i are blessed to take part in, from an engagement shoot, to a hi-fashion bridal shoot, to shooting, well... just because. we love meeting new people, hearing new stories, and capturing those stories in time. here are some of our favorite moments from our time with monica & peter... rock on.

[by the way... carlie rocked out 100% of the post processing on this shoot]





probably the first time peter had to get on his tippy-toes to kiss his bride.

we almost passed this little gem, when peter mentioned THE 'must-have' shot.


try to find the invisible photographers.

one of carlie's fav's.



these last two are by-far my fav's...

enjoy.the.story.

so, 'later' has officially arrived... here is the slide show

ANDREA.AND.BRETT.::.THEIR.STORY.

not much more can be said about andrea & brett.

these two spared no expense when it came to planning the details. andrea's bridesmaids pieced their bouquet's together, while andrea hand painted all the signs directing & inviting her guests deeper into their story; andrea & brett's story. and now that the day had finally arrived, friends and family gathered poolside to be witness as two pledged their lives together. and, it was the details that i will remember... [and the lemon bars... and the tacos... and the home-made-red-velvet cupcakes... okay, so andrea & brett had some incredible food at their wedding]

you two rocked our socks off! from the amazing time we had during your engagement shoot to the final hug before you left your wedding as man-and-wife, we were excited to be a part of it all. and brett, i want to give you an extra special thanks for your kind words at the end of the day. carlie & i wish you the best in the rest of your story, and are so glad to have found two new friends.

and thanks to dane sanders for referring this one. here are just a few of our favorites, but you will have to check out the slide show because there were just too many moments to choose from...





the girls hung out upstairs as brett & his boys arrived at the mcdaniel's house for some photos. carlie snapped this moment of anticipation.



isn't she just stunning...

oh yeah, and the boutonnieres were handmade by the girls too.

i just love this first look. when i saw where andrea would make her entrance at the ceremony i was stoked... probably the coolest cacti i have ever seen [and the biggest]. and carlie caught this moment with brett as his thoughts cleared out everything but his approaching bride.
andrea's dad works in landscaping and probably has the coolest backyard ever. here's a shot i sniped from behind the bushes.






the 'hey we're married' shot.

like i said, andrea & brett paid attention to detail. i love it!

gorgeous light for the first dance.

and probably one of my most favoritest shots ever! [it was totally carlie's idea to grab the chair. and i am so glad we did]


drum roll please... meet mr. & mrs. brett zundel.

I.COULDN'T.WAIT.

so, i'm not typically the teaser type, but i couldn't hold out any longer. andrea & brett's wedding day just busted at the seams with awesomeness! so, i thought i would share this little diddy, as a prelude to the complete post which is in the works.

CAROL.AND.GREG.::.THE.INTRODUCTION.

carol and greg love being outside. and when they found out that i include an engagement shoot in all of my packages they knew the perfect location. so, carlie & i made the trip out to claremont last week to meet this couple, who happens to be tying the knot in less than two weeks!

both students at the claremont school of theology, carol & gregs lives crossed, much like the winding pathways of the botanical gardens where we captured their engagement session. and though greg claims carol may have been living in denial, she will tell you when they first met, carol wasn't interested.

but, things change, hearts soften, and a few shakespearean sonnet's later, carol found herself drawn to spending her life with greg. carlie & i are so glad we got the chance to meet the two of you, carol & greg, at such an exciting time in your story, and just days before your wedding.

we can't wait for the big day at the end of the month! here's a few moments from our time together at the rancho santa ana botanical gardens in claremont.


just moments after we met, and carol & greg already felt comfortable with their personal paparazzi.





i had to step away for a few moments [ask carlie... it was more like 20 minutes]. here's a shot carlie captured of carol & greg 'mugging it.'

their spot.

carol seemed to be tracing greg's every move, always a bit curious as to his next...






carol & greg... to the music...

LESLIE.AND.KEITH.::.THE.INTRODUCTION.

seeing that they met @ westmont, and found themselves back in santa barbara for the weekend, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to shoot leslie & keith's engagement. carlie and i started the morning out with a couple of savory crepes at coffee cat, a chic little cafe just off state street, and then made our way over to the mission where we met leslie & keith for the first time.

i can't tell you how much i love santa barbara. and i can't tell you how much keith loves leslie.

if laughter is the cure-all medicine, leslie & keith will have a long full life. ask leslie to put on her serious face and she laughs. ask keith to say something funny to make leslie laugh, and before he can say a word, she laughs.

leslie & keith, we had such a great time roaming state street [watch out for aggressive cyclists] and hearing more of your story & your travels. carlie & i are so stoked to be a part of your wedding up in napa this fall.

until then, keep laughing.

we found these murals that just happened to look exactly like leslie & keith, on this giant white wall on state street... too weird.

a loving gaze



carlie snagged this little gem.

and keith snagged this little gem for leslie... future grooms, pay attention.





there's that laugh

no photographers were [seriously] injured in the making of this image.

another one of carlie's... doesn't she have some skills.

although keith had pursued leslie vigorously with dates masked as friendly tennis matches, aldo's was the local of their first real date, where leslie fell to keith's charm

the much anticipated slide show... enjoy.

1989.PLEASE.

basically, i decided to throw on an outfit i already owned: slim-fit denim, checkered vans, bright t-shirt, and my members only jacket... seeing as we were headed to another 80's party. i thought it almost comical that i was walking out the door in my everyday attire for a 'costume-only' party. so i googled '80's hair' for some inspiration. up popped a poster of a flock of seagulls, and i manipulated my unfortunately short locks into the best representation i could.

carlie on the other hand... rocked it out. my wife is a sexy goddess straight from 1989, and even better, she has the hair to match. here are a few images from the party.

the life group girls: carlie, sarah, keisha, & ashley

i believe it is pronounced 'oh-duh-lay'

like i said... my poor attempt at 'a flock of seagulls' [i think mike wants you]



not the only time we saw this face tonight...

...see.

sarah & mike are obviously on a different page.

i think many of us remember the ever-so-rock-n-roll board game [invented in the 1940's... not in the 1980's] candyland.  the effects of carlie's journey over gum drop mountain... a red-licorice unibrow.  we'll have to see if it wears off.