Our Story – The Beginning

Just 12 days ago I married the most wonderful man on the face of this beautiful earth!  I have so much to share with you all from these past few weeks, but first I want to go back a little further and start from the beginning.  The months leading up to the wedding were so crazy, I never got to show off our amazing engagement photos!  I’m so madly in love with our photographer, Amanda Patrice.  Not only is she incredibly talented, technically skilled and ultra creative, but she’s just an all around fantastic person and I’m so thankful for the awesome friendship we’ve developed over the past year.  So many people  asked me how I (as a photographer) was able to choose my own wedding photographer, but I swear, it was the easiest decision we made throughout the entire wedding planning process.  I love Amanda so much, there was no other choice!

Branden and I met at Fullerton College when we were both taking classes there about 4 years ago.  We never had any classes together or mutual friends or any real reason to meet.  It just so happened that my class was canceled on a day when he happened to be early and we ended up having a conversation beneath a tree while we both waited around for our next class to start.  The first time we ever hung out together, what you could call our first date, we went to the movies.  Branden looked so young that for the first time in my life, I was carded for a rated R movie.  It’s hilarious!  I was never even questioned as a teenager but the moment I hang out with Branden, at 26 years old, I’m forced to prove my age.  We’ve been laughing about that for years now!  Movies have kind of been our thing ever since that very first date.  These photos are so expressive of who we are and what we love and I love them so much!

I freaking love this reflection shot.  So creative!

One of our favorite places outdoors is the Fullerton Arboretum.  Many times we’ve gone together to just sit and read together among the beauty of the park.  I love this one.

For reals, when do you see me without a Diet Coke?  We had to.

I’ve shot at the arboretum myself many times and I’ve never “seen” this shot.  It’s so cool to see the same place through another person’s lens and I totally love it. 

This might be my favorite.  I LOVE color!  This is my all time favorite museum ever!  The Norton Simon Museum of Art in Pasadena.  Go!

It was right here, in front of my favorite Van Gogh, that Branden proposed.  It was the day after Christmas.  There were people, tourists, everywhere.  I’ve never seen any museum as packed as this was on this day.  And he still got down on one knee, shy as he is.  And asked the most important question of our lives.

After yeses, hugs and kisses, we escaped outside to the garden for some quiet alone time to celebrate in private.  I love this garden : )

Here are a few more of my favorites from our engagement session.

The e-session was tons of fun and it was a great preview of what our wedding photography was going to be like.  I can’t wait to show off the rest of our stuff!  There are so many pictures I’m dying to show off, from bachelorette parties/showers, to the actual wedding and honeymoon.  Everything was absolute magic!  We’re super happy!  Stay tuned!