Tag Archives: Las Vegas

Busy Bees

So where have we been? Life has been incredibly busy recently between weddings, engagement shoots, newborn shoots, consultations, and planning my bestie’s bridal shower and bachelorette party. We are currently being booked for a lot of Spring 2011 dates so if you’re interested in us for next years spring season, we suggest you contact us soon! Meanwhile I’ve been working on a couple of blog posts for this week!

Take a peek:

Bethanny & Brendan:

Richelle & Mark:

Karla & Jeff:

And last but definitely not least, Nikki & Mike:

A Leap Of Faith…

Doubt. It plagues me sometimes before a shoot or a wedding. As artists I think all photographers occasionally find ourselves doubting our abilities and our creativity. It happens. Whenever I start doubting myself though (especially when I’m about to shoot something that is unfamiliar or unknown), I let a little prayer out. “Dear God, let me deliver on my unspoken promise to be the best I can be” and really? Isn’t that a prayer that we all send out occasionally as husbands, wives, daughters, sons, and especially mothers?

A little over a week ago, I did a maternity shoot for my good friend, Christina. I had asked her to volunteer since I, by no means, am an expert on maternity photos. Give me a girl and a boy in a white dress and a black tux, and I’ll rock it out! But a beautiful pregnant woman and a man who loves her about to embark on the great journey that life has to offer? I was ready to upchuck from nerves. All I knew was that Christina and Bobby had given me their trust, their faith to take some beautiful images, and I took that trust, mixed it in with some moxie, took a deep breathe and did my best.

In honor of all the mothers in the world, I give this gift to you Christina. Happy Mothers Day!

You know all those cliches about pregnant women having this beautiful “glow” (which by the way I try to recreate by spending a ton of money on makeup and yeah doesn’t work!), Christina’s got it!

I mean really got it!

I asked Christina if Bobby, her husband, and her stepson, Ryan, would mind joining us. While maternity photos are usually all about mom, I loved capturing the “family” as well.

My idea of a modern family portrait:

Any my favorite image of the day:

Phuong-Anh & Simon=Hitched

What can I say about Phuong-Anh and Simon? Other than that they are amazingly wonderful people that are surrounded by equally wonderful friends and family. Phuong-Anh and Simon made Josh and I feel so welcomed on their wedding day. They made us feel part of their amazing friends and family. Their wedding consisted of a gorgeous day full of love and laughter, but one part  really stuck in my head Simon’s father got up and gave a toast. In his toast he mentioned that a wedding is only one day, and he requested that Phuong-Anh and Simon remember that it’s the normal day to day actions that make a marriage full of love. It was such a simple and beautiful message that I think every couple should be reminded of from time to time, including Josh and I.

The day began and ended at The Venetian on the Strip. Makeup was done by the talented, Sarah Vickrey and the amazing flowers were created by Janis Pollen. Josh and I love to work with Sarah. She’s insanely talented and fast! Two traits that we love :)

We then all traveled to Lake Las Vegas for a first look and portraits before the ceremony. Phuong-Anh and Simon were having a late afternoon ceremony at Guardian Angel Cathedral, and agreed to do a first look so we had maximum time for photographs instead of trying to fit a ton of photographs after the ceremony and before sunset. We really recommend first looks to all of our brides and grooms that are limited in time and light.

Phuong-Anh and Simon’s bridal party were so much fun and very relaxed.

Guardian Angel is such a pretty church and very conveniently located right on Las Vegas Blvd next to the Wynn.

So back in December, Phuong-Anh and Simon invited us to appetizers at their reception location, Bouchon Bistro, inside the Venetian. Josh and I were blown away by how incredibly tasty everything was. Dining at Bouchon’s is an experience. Their wedding reception was no different. The reception patio was beautiful, the food was amazing, and the staff was incredibly nice. It definitely made for a wonderful evening. We would recommend contacting Annie (the private dining sales manager) if you would like to inquire about having your wedding reception there!

The toasts were amazing at this wedding. They had me and everybody else in tears!

And the night for us ended with a slice of yummy cake!

Thank you again for Phuong-Anh and Simon for sharing a peek of your amazing lives together with Josh and I. We’re truly blessed to know you!

Joyous Occasions

We often get asked by our brides what is our number one advice to make their wedding day wonderful. While we could answer “Hire us!” or “Invest in a good makeup artist” etc. My advice most often than not is to “relax and enjoy.” Simple right? So often brides and grooms spend so much of their time investing into the details of the day or what goes wrong (something always goes wrong)that sometimes you forget to just sit back and enjoy. The day goes by so fast that you will want to soak up every single minute of it and commit it to memory so when you look back, you’ll remember and say to yourself “my wedding day was full of joy and happiness and absolutely imperfectly, perfect”

Speaking of joy and happiness, last Saturday Josh and I got to witness exactly that at Sam and Brandon’s wedding. We were incredibly blessed to of been part of something very special, and because I know Sam is probably “DYING” for a sneak peek, I couldn’t resist!

My two faves of the day (both kissing shots because I’m a sucker for romance):

A Punch In The Gut

Sometimes when I’m downloading photos after a wedding, I look through the photos, and I get a punch in the gut. Don’t know what I mean? I mean that I come across a photograph that speaks to me on an emotional or artistic level that hasn’t been reached before. A photo that makes me tear up, gasp, laugh, and an array of other emotions. This weekend while I was taking a look at Phuong-Anh and Simon’s (full wedding post soon to follow) wedding photographs I received two punches in the guts. A sign of how full of joy their wedding was? I think so.

Todd+Kerry=Hitched

Last week we had the pleasure to of been able to photograph two really wonderful people, Todd and Kerry. We consider their wedding to a be a truly special one in our photography careers. Why was this wedding special to us? That is because not only are Todd and Kerry two very fashionable and hip people, but Todd is also a photojournalist. Josh and I are were extremely flattered when Todd and Kerry chose us to be their photographs on one of the biggest days of their lives since well, Todd knows what the heck Josh and I babble about when we start talking about ISO’s and ambient light. A fellow photographer thinks we’re so awesome that he wants us to capture him and his beautiful bride on their wedding day. Wow. Now that is a compliment! One that Josh and I didn’t take lightly.

Kerry had her hair and makeup done by the gorgeous and talented, Amelia Cline. The ceremony took place outdoors in the beautiful Terraza Chapel at MGM, and was followed by an intimate reception at the yummy Mexican fusion restaurant Yolo’s inside Planet Hollywood. Kerry and Todd invited us to hang out with them during their reception dinner, and both Josh and I were stunned by how good the food at Yolo’s.

My version:

Josh Version:

My fave of the day:

Todd and Kerry, we only hope that we made you proud!

Sneak Peek: Heathers Senior Session

Just a peek:

My Bestie

My  Bestie’s getting married this year. I say that to myself over and over again, and it always manages to catch me by surprise. Not because I didn’t think she wasn’t ever going to get married or find an awesome guy, but because she is THAT special to me. You see, I don’t know about everybody else, but I have always felt a little uncool. I have always been clumsy, and I always spurt out whatever I’m thinking about at the time, and I’ve never considered myself very stylish, and really I could go on but let’s just suffice it to say, I’m a little uncool and I am personally cool with that. That is until THE cool girl decided I was her bestie. Yes, that’s right, you know her. The girl with the gorgeous hair and eyes, that manages always to act so, well, cool without even trying. That’s my bestie, and we love each other like sisters.

We met at my second job, I was eighteen and dating Josh, with really bad hair, and we happened to of shared a cubicle wall. We probably would of never spoken except for I happened to of noticed a stray dog hanging around our office on a searing hot Vegas day. We worked out in the desert in a car auction, so I was worried that the dog would suffer heat exhaustion. I went straight to my manager and begged her to let me take my lunch early, so I could hunt the dog down and get it some water. She said yes, except I don’t think she wanted me to go alone, me being eighteen, with bad hair, sky high heels, and an inappropriately short skirt for the office. That’s when Jazzmen said “I’ll go.” I’m sure I must of looked surprised, but I accepted her help. Apparently we both shared a love of all animals as well as miniskirts. There we were, eighteen year olds, in sky high heels, and inappropriately short skirts, in the middle of the desert searching for a large stray dog (in retrospect we were a little crazy). We never found that dog, but what we did find, was to me, an everlasting friendship. Since then we have faced life together with humor, a sense of pragmatism, and a healthy dose of vodka, and I feel truly blessed to be friends with my “cool” bestie.

I don’t know what life has in store for us, but I am so happy that she has found somebody as “cool” as her to marry. Brad, her fiance, is a very special guy. He understands her better than I do, which is just fine in my book, and I just know that they are going to have a wonderful life together. I can’t wait to be able to witness Brad and Jazzmen’s marriage. Whatever happens, though I do know it will be full of humor, a sense of pragmatism, and a healthy dose of vodka.

And just because this is after all a photo blog, I have to present, their engagement photographs. I will not be shooting Jazzmen and Brad’s wedding (I am after all designated MOH), that will be Josh’s job that day, therefore I felt it was only appropriate that I at least shoot their engagement photographs.

I mentioned my bestie is gorgeous right?

I HAD to include this one because all three of us nearly died getting this shot.

And one last one:

Oh and just in case you’re wondering. All their daytime photos were photographed at Town Square, which is one awesome outdoor shopping center. I don’t think it’s very popular right now for engagement shoots, but  I think once brides start noticing how beautiful it is out there, it’s going to be very popular.

Thank you again Jazzmen and Brad! You guys are so very special to me, and I love you both!

Brandon & Sam: Engaged

A fresh new start. That’s what 2010 represents to Josh and I this year. We are so happy that our first shoot of the year started with Brandon and Samantha. They are exactly the kind of couple that we fall in love with. Modern, romantic, and yes, fresh. We had a blast hanging out with them having a couple of drinks discussing their very quickly approaching wedding in April, and our love of all things technology (Fry’s gift registery? Why not?). Thank you guys for being such wonderful clients and trudging through bird poop with us!

My fave:

Josh’s Fave:

We told Brandon and Sam that if they felt any posing inspiration to just go for it, and then they busted out this move:

We ended the night in the virtual dark although you really can’t tell from this picture:

Thanks again you two, and we hope you enjoy the Asti!

Sneak Peak: Allison & Bryan

Can’t wait to show off the rest of this wedding! Simply amazing!