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 Okay, you may want to settle in; this is going to be a long post.
Ginny and Dave's wedding this past Saturday at The Grand Del Mar in San Diego was pretty much the perfect storm of beauty, class, fun, amazing bride and groom and their respective families & friends, exquisite location, band, food... and did I mention FUN? Suffice to say, I was in wedding photography heaven. Rebecca Gaffney and her team at Red Letter Days Events, together with Ginny and her mom Terry, pulled together a truly wonderful event. But even as beautiful as the venue and details were, it would not have been as much fun without Ginny and Dave. They are one of the cutest, nicest, coolest couples I have ever had the privilege of photographing. And that is saying A LOT for me, because I really do love 97% of my clients.
Dave is my friend Sarah's brother, so I first met him and Ginny a few years ago before they were even engaged. I photograph their family throughout the year and told Sarah when I first met Ginny, "If they ever get married, I would LOVE to photograph their wedding! She is literally the cutest, sweetest person ever, and your brother is just so cool!" Sarah of course agreed and said she thought they would. So I was thrilled when they eventually did get engaged and decided to hire me. I was also excited it would be out in San Diego where Ginny grew up.
Ginny and Dave both went to UCLA, but did not really meet and fall in love until they both ended up in New York City for different jobs and reasons. As their Priest said during their full-mass ceremony, they were definitely destined to be together. I cannot say enough about their respective families and friends; it was literally one of the most enjoyable days I've had because everyone in the bridal party was so kind, welcoming and fun.
The talented Jeff Youngren, wedding photographer & Pictage User Group leader in San Diego, had the day off and came over to second shoot with me. He was great to work with - thanks again Jeff! Together with my sister Shannon, who also helped shoot, the three of us had several moments during the evening where we looked at each other, shook our heads and said, "That was awesome!" (Most specifically when Ginny & Dave got up on stage with the killer band and sang "Honky Tonk Woman" with as much gusto as any professional singer might.)
So I won't go on forever, I'll just get to the nitty gritty...   Who can beat a classic pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes  Congratulations Ginny and Dave! You guys are the best and we loved being there to capture your day and share in the celebration. Have fun in Bora Bora :) Labels: WEDDINGS
We are officially hitting the road back for Phoenix today! While I am very ready to get home, I am most definitely going to miss the amazing weather here. I wish I could bottle it up and bring it with me. Check back this week for lots of posts and updates, including images from Ginny & Dave's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G wedding yesterday at The Grand Del Mar here in San Diego. Labels: PERSONAL
I'm so excited to head down to San Diego today. I have a big wedding at the ultra-gorgeous Grand Del Mar this weekend with a killer couple that I am very excited to photograph, plus a little more down time before that with my Mom, sister, niece and daughter. It's a girls fest for a few days!
I also have SO MANY exciting things in the works. I can't wait to start sharing some of the good news in the coming weeks... a potential new partnership that I am stoked about, some exciting personal news, fun and rewarding contests and much more! Stay tuned over the next month for several announcements and lots of pictures (including the four shoots from this past week).
Labels: PERSONAL
That is what they tell you when you park your car, when you first enter the gates, and when you walk through the park: The Place of a Million Dreams. For a child, and even as an adult experiencing it through their child's eyes, that is indeed what it is. From the smells of freshly baked sweets making you feel right at home, to the sights and sounds, to the very-well-oiled-machine that is Disneyland and how they run the park, it was still as fun a place now as it was at 11--albiet fun in a different way. Chris and I got to experience it as parents of a 3 1/2 year old, who found herself in constant shock and awe (the good kind) and it was as much fun for us watching her as it was for her experiencing it.
We felt like we waited until the perfect time to take her. No, she was no longer free (2 and under get in free) and it was an expensive day, but she was also old enough and tall enough to ride most of the rides, and past the "scared of people dressed up like characters" stage and just appreciated it in general. Plus she was a perfect angel all day since she was #1) in Princess heaven and #2) mainly past her toddler tantrum stage that used to pop up even in the most unlikely of places. Suffice to say, we had an absolute blast last Thursday at Disneyland!
I didn't want to lug my big camera, so I only brought the point-and-shoot. Here are some shots from our fun day::
 Dad and Jordan on the flying dumbos. Mom avoids any rides that spin in a constant circle so as not to throw up.  In line for Autopia, the "race cars." This was the only thing that we could have done without. Man, these cars seemed so much faster as a kid! They are painfully slow now and the line was LONG.  Showing off our drivers licenses. Note the difference between posing with boring-old-Mom, and...  A REAL, LIVE PRINCESS. I think all you parents with little girls can appreciate exactly what this means for them to meet a PRINCESS, especially like Aurora and Jasmine, who soon came out to tell a story...   This is probably what my face would look like if Brad Pitt and George Clooney walked on stage to tell me a story.  Sitting on the same throne where Princesses Aurora and Jasmine actually SAT!  Meeting Mickey, another big celebrity, after touring his house in Toontown.  Are we having fun yet?!?! Oh yes!  And finally the parade at the end of the day, which we just happened to catch the last 15 minutes of, and where we saw Princess Ariel, the Lion King, Cinderella (CINDERELLA!), Alice in Wonderland, and so many more. I wish I could have bottled up her laughter and giggles of delight at how cool this was for her, which in turn made it pretty darn cool for us.
Here is to being a parent on days like this. :) Labels: PERSONAL
Jordan and I made it safely to Hermosa Beach yesterday afternoon and are enjoying a little down time at Shauna, Steve and Ella's before the shoots pick up in a couple days. Chris arrives in about an hour and we are taking Jordan to Disneyland tomorrow, so I'll probably be offline most of the next 24-36 hours. I'm just way to excited to be a kid again and get Jordan some Mickey ears! If I'm slow to respond in the next couple days, I hope you understand. But if you are a friend on Facebook, you may have seen a few pictures here and there. I am addicted to that thing right now! Disney pictures to come soon... Labels: PERSONAL
So I almost went and bought another Canon 5D today and then thought, "You know, I better see if I can find any more out about those pesky 6D/7D/3D (oh, what will it be named) rumors circulating. I mean, it has been 3 years since the 5D release and Canon is well overdue for an upgrade." And sure enough, after digging through multiple sites, I think I found some decent sources here and here indicating the 5D replacement might be out later this month or next month in time for the Photokina show. I don't know that I would lay all my savings on that bet, or even if these specs are 100% accurate, but I know they will want it to compete with the latest Nikon D3 and am hoping it might be right around the corner. Canon: I really want this before my big wedding at the end of month in San Diego, hint hint. Anyone else hearing any buzz? Labels: NEWS, RESOURCES
Elissa and Ryan tied the knot at the Ashley Castle in Chandler two weeks ago. It was a super hot day even though it looked like we'd get our usual evening monsoon this time of year, the clouds abated and it stayed pretty clear. I spent some time with Elissa and Ryan at their engagement session several months ago, and found these two to be very, very in love. And they have a pretty cool story of how they fell in love...they originally met by taking out trash at the same time! Elissa came in and called a friend and said, "I just met the man I'm going to marry." They dated for just one month when Ryan was called away for his Marines Boot Camp training and he spent four years overseas. When he came back a year ago, they began dating again and picked right up where they left off. Suffice to say they were both just trilled to finally be getting married! They wrote their own vows for part of the ceremony and Ryan gave a very endearing and personal toast to his bride and guests. It was a fun reception, where Birkett Entertainment kept the crowd very entertained and the great team at Serendipity Video provided video coverage and were wonderful to work with. And thanks to the always great Andy Andrews for coming to second shoot with me.
My favorites from the day:
Andy took the top left image above. This was not staged at all. These two just starting walking on the path after they saw Ryan and Elissa do it. So cute!  The girls being sexy  The boys being funny   The kids were loving throwing the flowers  Lots of reception fun:  Congratulations Ryan and Elissa! Thank you so much for sharing your day with me! Labels: WEDDINGS
I just saw that Sheryl and Dane's gorgeous wedding from this past April was featured on the equally gorgeous Southern Weddings Magazine blog site! They have such a great blog with so many beautiful weddings and amazing ideas for those getting married, that is a real honor to be included. I absolutely love their blog and check it almost every day. Check it out for yourself
Here are some of the amazing details from Sheryl and Dane's wedding at The Valley Ho in Scottsdale, as featured by Southern Weddings blog.  I have to say, I think square tables add an entirely different dimension to an event, especially paired with the chiavari chair. I loved this set up! Ashley Stone, owner of Something Blue Events, produced their wedding and did a great job! Bridesmaid dresses are from Twirl Boutique, cake by La Dolce Pesca, and flowers by the fantastic Gina at Fiori Floral Design. I have done several weddings with Gina, and she never ever disappoints. Labels: NEWS
Happy weekend! *Beach Session Cancellation*I have a spot that opened up for the beach sessions in Manhattan Beach next week. If you live in the area or will be visiting the general LA beaches area between Aug 13-18 and would like to set up a session, please contact me at jen {at} jenniferphotography dot com for more info.
I will be over in California for two weeks visiting friends, doing these shoots, photographing a wedding in San Diego, and trying to cool down in those lovely beach breezes. I'll still be working from there, so please to contact me if you need anything. *********** *Fall Photography Workshops - Save the Date!*I have been receiving lots of emails about our next photography workshop for beginners so I wanted to pass along some preliminary info, so you can "Save the Date!" Kim Jarman and I will be teaching two more workshops on November 1, 2008. One for beginners, just like this one, and one for intermediates, that will feature an actual shoot with live models and will work off the fundamentals taught from the beginners workshop. If you already took the beginner workshop, or know how your camera works pretty well, and just want to take your photography to the next level, this might be the one for you. We will share more information in September about the times and more details, so please stay tuned. If you have sent me (or Kim) an email requesting more info, you will also receive an email from us sometime in September as well. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the summer! Labels: NEWS, WORKSHOPS
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