Nicole & Joe E-pics

Meet Nicole & Joe who are getting married next August. We met up for a SUNRISE engagement session recently, and I think getting out of bed at 4am was totally worth it. In the photography world there is something we call the "magic hour", which is the hour BEFORE sunrise or sunset, where you get this glorious golden light. I had originally asked Nicole and Joe to meet for sunset but it turned out it wouldn't work with their schedules. Not wanting to reschedule and not wanting to miss the magic hour I asked them if they would be up for a sunrise session, and YEP, they made it happen! So excited about these images, I honestly think this is my favorite engagement session ever. Nicole and Joe you have the BEST chemistry, and you make the cutest couple! I CANNOT wait to photograph your wedding next year!!

Seriously, does it get any better than laying on blanket with your sweetie waiting for the sun to rise?












And there's that light!


And more!












Then off to around Oakland for some daylight pictures. Another bonus of doing this was it was much cooler than shooting in the middle of the afternoon in summer:






Nicole you are just gorgeous, how do I end up with all these beauties?






U guys are SO much fun, this is what engagement pictures are about, not being stiff but showing your love and having a blast together!










So I got a new lens, and it produces RAINBOW flare instead of the colored bubbles of light. Oh YEAHHHHHH!














See you guys next year!!!!!!!!!! =D

Chrisi & Justin

Meet Chrisi & Justin who got hitched on July 24th. So what makes this couple so special? Well one, they are both the sweetest nicest people, and they compliment each other so well. And two, Justin was....wait for it.....wait for it...he was OUR wedding photographer!!! Talk about the irony!! So we got married 7 years ago, before I was an official photographer myself, and hired an unnamed studio to shoot our wedding. Justin was a working photographer at this studio, and he was appointed to us. We didn't get to meet Justin until the day of our wedding, but he turned out to be awesome, and was great to work with. (Rule of thumb, meet your photographer before the wedding and hire him or her based on their personality and images, which isn't something you can do when going with a larger studio, so in retrospect, I feel pretty blessed and fortunate that Justin was the guy who showed up at our wedding). =D Fast forward 6.5 years, and I met Chrisi and Justin at a brideshow, and we make the connection that he was our photographer. And their date was literally my last open date this summer, so yes the stars aligned and fate brought us together once again. Not to mention it is always an incredible honor when a fellow photographer asks you to be their photographer. So enough about me, and onto some images of this fabulous couple:

Hello GORGEOUS GORGEOUS girl! (ya did good Justin!)


Chrisi & Justin did a 1st look so we could get most of the portraits done beforehand. I love how they have identical expressions here: (left image by me, right by Ben)


Fun bridal party! We had a blast hanging out with them at the end of the reception as well!








They pretty much knew how to work the camera, I'll thank Justin's photography experience to that!








And if you thought couples that did a 1st look ruins a groom's reaction watching his bride come down the aisle, let this picture prove you wrong!


St. Catherine of Sweden Church, modern and beautiful!










Oh colored light, thank you for being there for this shot!!


A few more portraits officially MARRIED!!








Justin custom designed Chrisi's engagement ring, notice there are no prongs, I think that's called tension set, VERY cool!


Chrisi & Justin went to Africa together for peace corps work (correct me if I'm wrong Justin), so they wanted to reflect that in their wedding cake. Coolest cake ever!!


Love the pink gerber daisy theme also!


Their awesome 1st dance!!




And us all together at the end of the night, this was a must have:


Slideshow:


Congratulations Chrisi & Justin, it was truly an honor to be a part of your day!!