onelove photography | blog » Engagements

{brett + jessica = bressica} santa monica picnic & rooftop engagement

onelove — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 03:04:45 +0000

Any couple that has created a “merged name” (a.k.a. “Brangelina”) is automatically more fun. Brett and Jessica, sometimes referring to themselves as “Bressica” are so stinkin’ adorable I can hardly stand it!

When Brett and Jessica contacted me, they were getting ready to move away from their beloved city, Santa Monica. They wanted to capture their engagement photos in the place where they fell in love, to remember the amazing years they had there.

Brett works in two worlds, one of them as a manager for an up-and-coming band in LA. He’s a great musician and they both love spending time together around music, so we had to do some improv playing in the park. Jessica has a history in the acting and performing industry, and she was a total ham in front of the camera. Like I said, aren’t they TOO adorable to stand?

Oh yeah – they are madly competitive at Scrabble, too – I bet they could have kept playing for hours if I didn’t pull them away to our next shooting location… haha!

Some of the last images from the shoot were quite emotional ones. We were shooting the night before they were moving away. Literally. Boxes were packed. So, we headed up to the rooftop of their apartment complex where they emotionally said farewell to their favorite city.

This is where Brett originally proposed to Jessica: The Laemmie Santa Monica One of their favorite views of the piers and amazing cliffside beaches in Santa Monica A tearful goodbye to a city they loved…. and where they fell in love.

May these photos be a wonderful encapsulation of the many years you started the foundation of love, a wonderful life together that will soon become marriage. I wish you all the best!

{justin + danielle} Carmel Forest and Beach Engagement

onelove — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:18:49 +0000

Justin and Danielle are phenoms. I swear.

They are probably two of the most talented and successful young people under 25. Danielle works as an executive for State Farm Insurance, and Justin works in Sales for Pebble Beach Golf Course. (This meant I got a special sneak peek of the course after the recent US Open! It was my first time on the course and I was giddy!)

It was so great hanging out with these cuties, I feel like we’ve been friends for a while – we both have very close mutual friends and I can see why. They’re awesome!

{aeron + christin} venice beach maternity engagement

onelove — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:36:21 +0000

Venice Beach comforts me, strangely. It’s a wild and eccentric place, but I think that I feel oddly at ease, because it reminds me of home: The Bay Area – particularly Berkeley… (aka “Bezerkly”).

Aeron and Christin came to me with a creative idea – a maternity engagement shoot! They are getting married next April, and wanted to celebrate this special season of their lives, with their little girl, Milayah. All three of them have GOT IT GOIN’ ON – I’m tellin’ you – I’ve never seen a more photogenic family…all the way down to their little “ham,” Milayah! She had the sunniest eyes and brightest smile that lights up anyone’s heart just watching her.

{zack + megan} tomales bay oyster love

onelove — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:43:43 +0000

Mmmm! Oysters! You either love ‘em or hate ‘em.

Megan and Zack love ‘em!! And they invited me to join them on Tomales Bay for such a yummy engagement shoot. We all sat around and enjoyed some tabasco-and-lime-covered delicacies with a little Prosecco. Mmmm…

Not to mention, I got to play with their little puppy Sierra… I am serious – this is how ALL photo shoots should be! We explored the adorable downtown Point Reyes and finished with a truly stunning landscape of the northern San Francisco Bay Area. It felt like Ireland. Or the Sound of Music. You get what I mean… The coolest part is that they are getting married in my hometown, Danville, this summer. I can’t wait to photograph them in my childhood stomping grounds!

{kevin + jamie} san francisco engagement

onelove — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:39:42 +0000

I am starting to see a theme with Jamie, Kevin and I. It’s beer.

I first met them over beers back in 2008, while shooting the MLB All-Star Party in San Francisco. I snapped a shot of them with the legendary Wade Boggs, while celebrating with everyone that night. Months later, I heard from them: “We’re engaged!!” And the rest is history! I am shooting their guaranteed-to-be-STUNNING wedding at the Four Seasons in San Francisco this weekend.

It was such a blast exploring SF with them last month, I think we are nearly ready for the big blowout this weekend!

{steve + diana} country apple farm engagement

onelove — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:58:54 +0000

At the end of our engagement session I said to Steve and Diana: “I don’t know HOW MANY rules (ahem… “laws”…) we broke, but we got AMAZING photos!”

We jumped fences, trespassed several times (maybe more unknowingly), laid in the soil of orchards, and juggled apples on a farm. I loved shooting these two. Who would have thought that two extremely talented medical residents would be so radical and rebellious!

Diana and Steve are getting married in Livermore at Casa Real in September – a week before my wedding in Napa! Wahoo!!!

{eric + michelle} records + a cafe engagement

onelove — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:30:39 +0000

Eric and Michelle could not be cuter – except when they pull out their adorable little pug, Pebbles – the cuteness factor goes through the roof!

We had such a great time traipsing through their favorite things about the city: good music (hence, Aquarius Record Shop), good wine and drink (Eric is a winemaker for Freeman Winery), poker and picnics on the beach! They are getting married at Freeman Winery in June, with vintage-inspiration in their theme. I am so excited to see Pebbles again… in a little doggy-tux, pretty pretty pleaaase?? :)

{chris + tannya} beach + woodsy engagement

onelove — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:21:54 +0000

If “being in love” was a drink… Chris & Tannya would be champagne! They are bubbly and sweet. So adorable.

Tannya and I have so many mutual friends (I have photographed a number of their friends’ weddings….the list keeps growing and growing….we were destined to shoot together!) it was awesome when she called me up to do their photography. She recently went to India a group of my friends, and I had just gone in 2008! This girl has such a big heart, I can’t even believe how someone could give and love like she does. But I can tell, Chris is a huge part of that. They are sooooo in love.

We hiked through the Presidio together and she risked her brand-new yellow shoes to the terrain. Totally fearless. I was super impressed! She bared her shoulders to the icy cold wind on China Beach – again, no fear! Amazing.

I look forward to seeing them with all of our friends in August!!

{ted + megan} downtown danville engagement!

onelove — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:36:59 +0000

I seriously love shooting in my hometown. It was great hanging with Ted and Megan today in all the places I spent my childhood. I had flashbacks of being a 10-year-old-terror in most of the places we went ;)

We wandered around the old historic downtown Danville Hotel (built in the 1860’s!), and then made our way up to beautiful Mt. Diablo, just north of where Megan attended high school. It was nostalgic for all of us, I guess! That was really cool.

The only thing missing from this session was scuba gear and abalones. Ted (and Megan says she tries to be) are avid abalone fisher-people!

{matt + carrie} beer, ice cream + laundry engagement!

onelove — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 05:42:35 +0000

I love this town. Matt + Carrie were the greatest hosts, and they made my first trip to North Carolina a memorable one! Matt works as a middle-school educator and Carrie is a photographer (see her work here!) as well as an Air Quality Engineer. Thus – they are very passionate about the environment and being respectful to the land we live in!

From Carrie: “We’re having a “beer” and “eco-friendly” themed wedding. We’re trying to be sustainable in pretty much everything possible–right down to the 100% recycled soda bottle ribbon that is holding together our mismatched silverware (procured from thrift stores all over, and we’re donating it once we’re done!).” Check out more details on their eco-friendly wedding here.

We had a great time incorporating their love of beer, the earth, and their awesome downtown into their session. So much fun!

Beer from one of their favorite local breweries, Lone Rider Brewing Co. They hosted their bridal shower with this brew!Ice cream from Ox & Rabbit Soda & Sundries on 9th Ave. near Duke University!Carrie’s best friend is the author of Supergirl!Thanks again for the wonderful trip, guys! Can’t wait to see the photos from your wedding :)