a colorful parasol and an old suitcase

Hi everyone!  Here’s another shoot with the stunning Nichole Porges.  A friend of mine bought the beautiful parasol for me at a yard sale.  When I saw the parasol, I was immediately inspired.  I knew that the pale pink dress from my grandma would go perfectly with the colors in the parasol.  Nichole and I had so much fun on this shoot.  I loved incorporating the parasol and the vintage suitcase into the shoot.  I hope you enjoy the photos!

On another note, I’d love to share some news…  I’ve booked 10 weddings!  I am so excited and am feeling incredibly blessed.  So, look out for lots of brides, grooms, and lovin’ on the blog!

 

eucalyptus bride

Let me just say…this post is long overdue.  I did this shoot at the end of June.  And, like I’ve done before, I totally forgot to blog it!  Anyhow, this was my first time working with a real model, Nichole Porges.  Nicole liked my photography page on Facebook.  I saw her thumbnail.  She is drop-dead-gorgeous.  I had to photograph her.  I asked her if she would be my model.  She accepted.  And, here are the photos.  {You can view Nichole’s profile on IMDb here!}

I had been dying to do a mock bridal shoot, and was looking for someone willing to model as a bride.  Nichole was happy to do so.  She was amazing; I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.  It was so nice to work with someone who just knows how to move and how to pose.

The dress Nichole is wearing is from a thrift store – only $3.  The boots are also from a thrift store – $4.  And, the beautiful, unique ring was a gift from my grandma.  I made the bouquet with flowers from my mom’s garden.  My friend, Britney Evans, made the beautiful headband out of dried eucalyptus leaves.  And, my little brother made the homemade apple-cinnamon cake.  I topped it with dried eucalyptus leaves, and he was saying I ruined his cake and that we were going to die from the eucalyptus leaves.  He made me paranoid, so I looked it up online; only cats can die from eucalyptus leaves!  How random!

One last thing…my photos were featured on Postcards and Pretties!  You can see the post here.

beautiful del mar wedding – mike + cambria

This post is quite special to me.  This was the first wedding I photographed all on my own!  I could not have asked for a nicer, more-in-love couple.  Mike and Cambria were so wonderful; they treated me as if I were a guest at their wedding.  They started off the day getting ready in their hotel room with their children at L`Auberge hotel.  Everyone was so relaxed and calm.  Every once in a while, Cambria would let out a shriek of excitement!  Mike left for the ceremony, and I took a few quick bridal shots of Cambria.  Then, we headed over to Powerhouse Park for the ceremony.  Cambria looked so stunning walking down the stairs and down the aisle.  Mike smiled ear-to-ear as Cambria walked toward him.  The ceremony was small, simple, and stunning, overlooking the ocean.  After the ceremony, I took some shots of Mike and Cambria with their friends and family and entire wedding party.  Then, we made a quick getaway to grab some romantics shots.  I barely had to direct them; they just fell into these beautiful, romantic poses.  You could tell they were just so excited to be married and were enjoying every moment together.  Guests enjoyed dinner, dancing, and cake at Powerhouse Park.  Then, we headed back over to L’Auberge for Reception #2.  This was just a chance for Mike and Cambria to enjoy time with their guests under the stars.  Overall, it was such a beautiful day.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to photograph this wedding.

I had sent Cambria a sneak peek of the photos a few days after the wedding.  She sent me the sweetest response.  Things like this make my job so fulfilling:

Oh, Marissa!  So pretty! I  cannot express how much it means to me that you captured so many special moments on the happiest day of my life!  Love you!