Chacho + Stephanie

Saturday I had the great joy of shooting Chacho and Stephanie's wedding in Palo Alto, CA. Being that it was my first time there, I found the downtown beyond charming and very enjoyable to walk around. Their wedding was only a few miles from the downtown area and was a blessing to be a part of. Stephanie's mom is on staff with the church and she actually got to marry her daughter. I have yet to see a mother have such a special role in the ceremony and it touched my heart. Both Stephanie and Chacho have a personality that is contagious to be around...I found myself laughing and smiling as I watched them from behind the camera.

Justin + Stephanie

Changing lives....there are some weddings where things stick out in my mind...this is one of them. Yes, Stephanie and Justin were such a joy to be around but what really touched my heart was the toast that Justin gave his new wife. With them both being teachers, many kids lives are touched and changed by these two. In Justin's toast, he explained that a motto/saying they have had since they were dating was "changing lives." I love it! What an amazing tag line and goal for a couple to live by. He went further to explained that Stephanie has forever changed his life and what a blessing it was been...I don't know if there were many dry eyes in the room. Congratulations you two and thank you for the honor of shooting your wedding!!

Taylor + Kristin

This was an amazing day! I started off meeting Kristin at a bridesmaid's house for her pictures and the setting ended up being perfect for pictures. Since Kristin was an Ag major at Cal Poly, the "barn", horse and rustic setting could not have suited her better. Both the bridesmaids and the groomsmen were a lively group so there were many laughs exchanged. The ceremony was one that I will remember for a long time because it had such a sweetness to it...Pastor Aaron at First Baptist Church lead an amazing, initmate ceremony that was so personal and gave us a unique peak into Taylor and Kristin's relationship. Yes, this is a beautiful couple, but their sweet spirit about them made them even more special. Best of luck!

Andy + Melissa

...relaxed. It's so refreshing when a wedding is calm and not a stressful event...this is exactly how Andy and Melissa's wedding turned out. We changed last minute the location for the before-ceremony pictures due to the weather and it's turned out great. We were going to a bluff overlooking the ocean but the sun was very patchy so we decided to cruise around downtown Pismo. We found some great venues and walls as we walked around and it turned out to be a great time with the couple. One of my favorite points of the day was when Andy and Melissa had finished taking their couple shots (they saw each other before the ceremony) and we met up with the groomsmen at this local restaurant where they were having a drink. Both Andy and Melissa pulled up a seat to relax and then they walked together down the street to the church to go get married. It seemed to fit their personalities perfectly and it was how they wanted their day to go...smoothly and relaxing.

Ben + Sceona

I am learning that I enjoy more and more the spur of the moment switch for picture locations! Ben and Sceona just told me that they wanted to use The Rock at Morro Bay for some of their pictures and then they were willing to go where ever after that. I have not cruised around downtown Morro Bay for pictures so I got excited at the possibility. We found some great spots with amazing colors and of course there was the MB Movie Theatre! We had a great time taking all their pictures before the ceremony so when we arrived at the Sea Venture in Pismo Beach, we just had the ceremony, family shots and the reception. Ben and Sceona had an intimate wedding with their closest friends and family. It was a joy being there and I wish them all the best.