MASHA.AND.RUSLAN.::.THEIR.STORY.

masha & ruslan rock!

masha was actually friends with my sister courtney during their years at buena high school, both members of the bull dog cheer squad. so when i got the call from masha that she was engaged and wanting me to shoot her wedding, i felt honored. not only that, but masha & ruslan were actually one of the first clients to hire me in my newfound career as a pro photog. i can't believe that was only last fall. since shooting their engagement, carlie & i have continually been blessed in our business and have had the opportunity to shoot quite a bit.

fast-forward from fall of 2007 to the 4th of july, 2008, and you will find carlie & i pulling up to spanish hills country club in camarillo. having arrived a bit early due to the divine lack of traffic on the 405, we poked around a bit before we were met by hallie, the most incredible venue coordinator on the planet.

it wasn't too long before the girls arrived in a stretch model a ford, about a half hour before the boys. and though i only understood about half of what was said throughout the course of the day [most of the attendees were russian & very fond of their native tongue], warmth permeated every conversation. masha, ruslan, and their families have a story that transcends words; one that follows the beat of two souls.

thank you so much for honoring us with the opportunity to tell your story with our cameras. the appreciation you have for what we do is what keeps us so excited about the job we have.

and i have to give a special thanks to masha's mother. while the slideshow was playing at the reception, she walked past carlie & i, caught my gaze, and gestured her hand towards the center of her chest as she said, 'those pictures came from the bottom of your heart.' thank you so much. thank you.

i hope the moments we captured serve as a memento for the days and years to come.

one of carlie's favorite details...



love the pearls.

so masha totally hooked up this rad 8 passenger limo, from stardust cruises, made out of an original ford model-a.  cherried out.



rockin' the floating vail trick.
by the tough-looks exuding from these 5 girls, you would have never known they would be goofy enough to rock out an entire dance mix, just previous, in the powder room [complete with vanilla ice, sir mix a lot, michael jackson, and the list goes on...]

masha looking ever-so-stunning on her wedding day.



can you find some air guitar...


mazzeltoff!


i wish i could take credit for this shot, but something tells me some of you might call me out.


probably my favorite moment captured from the whole day.
love.