I had the pleasure to shoot Sandy and John’s wedding last weekend at The Four Seasons in north Scottsdale. They live in New York City, so this was a destination wedding for them and most of their family members. And I think we lucked out with the weather. It poured rain all day on Saturday and their wedding was Sunday, where we were initially supposed to have more rain, but the skies remained clear and sunny all day. Yeah for Sandy and John’s good luck!

They had an intimate ceremony and reception shared with those they love the most. Sandy said they are big lovers of great food, and they did have some super tasty stations going on! Tapas, amazing tacos (perhaps the best I have ever had), a pasta bar, and a martini bar – delish!

Here are some of my favorite images from the day…

So pretty! Makeup by fabulous Linda Wagner.

Sandy walking down to see John for the first time…

Loved this moment during their first look.

And on to some bride and groom time!

I love it when couples do adorable things

And then on to the ceremony…

One of my favorite parts of the day is right after couples are officially married. Sandy says, “Oh my gosh, we are married!”

Sandy changed into her more comfortable pink shoes for the reception…

Practicing their first dance. John is a mighty good dipper!

A few more pictures during the sweet light time…

The first dance

John dancing with his Mom, a moment that brought tears to my eyes when I saw the big tears in her eyes. I could just see the love all over her face.

Sandy and her best friend.

The martini bar!

Someone had hiked a mountain earlier that day and tuckered out early :-)

A very touching moment where the family toasted Sandy’s grandfather, who has passed on, with his signature drink.

Thank you so much Sandy and John for allowing me to document your special day!

Debra and Harry were married last month at The Arizona Biltmore in an orthodox wedding ceremony. This was a unique, and therefore special experience for me to shoot. Debra was so wonderful about explaining the different aspects of the day, and what the different ceremonies meant. She specifically wanted someone who had a fresh eye and had not necessarily photographed a very orthodox Jewish ceremony before — and I loved that she wanted such a fresh approach.

Her gown, shoes and special gift for Harry. Check out the detailing on the train of her gown!

I just love this next one. Something about the way it feels…

I also love this candid of Debra with her flower girls. All of their expressions are just adorable!

We started the day with some bride and groom portraits, including capturing their first look:

Then the ceremonies began. Harry in the chosson’s tisch, where he is joined by family and friends to sign the Kesuvah, which basically serves as a type of prenuptial agreement.

From there, he is escorted to Debra and he places her veil over her face, where it stays through the wedding ceremony.

Then the wedding ceremony follows, where Debra circles Harry 7 times and then 7 blessings are recited by friends.

After, it is a huge celebration of dancing, food, skits, and more dancing!

I mentioned the food… YUM!

Debra and Harry, it was such an privilege to spend the day with you both, and your families, chronicling your very special day. I wish you both the absolute best in your life together!

In case you know anyone looking for a place to rent, I wanted to share with you guys that I have a great condo in Old Town Scottsdale available September 1, 2009.

2 Bedroom / 2 Bath condo, 1000 sq ft.
6 or 12 month lease available.

*Upstairs unit in charming, small community with pool and covered parking.
*ALL NEW carpet, paint & fixtures.
*All appliances provided, including washer/dryer in unit.
*Water and trash services are included in rent.
*10 minutes to Arizona State University and 5 minutes to Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall and all the shops and nightlife in downtown Scottsdale!

Rent & Deposits:

$850/month
Does not include electricity, cable or phone.
$200 deposit required for cleaning & application fee. ($100 refundable at move out if unit is clean and in great condition still.)

Pets:

One potty trained dog okay, but with additional non-refundable pet deposit of $150.
No cats please. (Nothing against cats, but their kitty urine is unfortunately hard/impossible to get out of carpets.)

If you know anyone looking, please forward along, or email me for more info.

Traci and Ryan live in Napa. Live there. If you have ever been, you know how incredibly beautiful it is. When they booked me to photograph their wedding, I was very stoked obviously. I love Napa and have always wanted to photograph a wedding there. But what I didn’t know is that they would be so damn cool, which has made me all the more excited to capture their big day. Just where they are getting married? See that image above? That is the driveway. Of this place.

After some thought about where to do the engagement session, they eventually settled on Napa, which I think worked out well because I could see the venue and get to know them on their turf. Having literally just met them for the first time in person, it felt more like I’d known them for years. The conversation just flowed and they were extremely easy to be around. Funny, generous, kind beyond belief. Just cool. We started the day with lunch at a tasty little deli-slash-restaurant-picnic area that felt very…well, Napa’ish. Yum. Then we decided it was time to hit some winery’s and see what we could get away with picture-wise. (Funny Cakebread Winery story below). We took lots of pictures. We drank a little wine. We found some sweet light. Then they introduced me to Taylor’s Burgers (voted one of the country’s best burgers) and I never wanted to go back home. Well, except to see my family of course. But that burger…AH-MA-ZING. Im still craving it.

Alright so here are some of my favorites from the day…yes, there are a handful. Or two.

We started the day a little more casual, around the winery’s.

This one is for Jeff. We met adorable Jeff at Cakebread who made some suggestions about what he felt would be a great photo opp. Ryan showing Traci the grapes. He was very sincere and it was truly cute, so we took this for him!

Then they took me to their wedding venue location…

Then we headed back to their home so they could change, we could drink a little vino, and I could meet their dog Cooper.

Then we headed into town… and stopped in a vineyard along the way.

Thank you again Traci and Ryan for everything! I can’t wait to see you guys again in just a couple months for your gorgeous wedding!!

I love these two with big brother L:

Registration for both workshops will begin on Monday, August 10th. We have 20 seats available and they are booked on a first come, first serve basis. The last round of workshops sold out within a week, so we recommend booking soon to reserve your seat!

BEGINNERS WORKSHOP

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Mesa, Arizona

$179 for the workshop ($149 early bird before October 15, 2009)
$49/$79 non-refundable deposit holds your space; $100 balance due at the door.

*Credit cards accepted. Only 20 seats available.

To Register for the Beginner Photography Workshop please click here. Registration will begin Monday, August 10, 2009.

INTERMEDIATE WORKSHOP

Saturday, January 16, 2010
1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Mesa, Arizona

Registration begins at 12:30 pm.

$359 for the workshop ($329 early bird before October 15th, 2009)
$129/$159 non-refundable deposit holds your space; $200 balance due at the door.

*Credit cards accepted. Only 20 seats available.

To Register for the Intermediate Photography Workshop please click here. Registration will begin Monday, August 10, 2009.

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We are so excited to have you join us for these workshops. If you have questions please visit our workshop website at www.createbetterimages.com and use the contact section to email us.

Create Better Images from Serendipity Videography on Vimeo.

If you need a videographer for your wedding, event or for a promo video, I highly recommend them!

NOTE:: If you are easily offended by partial or suggestive nudity, you might want to close your browser before scrolling down.

…And 2 pages from her 20 page album:

“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” – Hal David