"Santa Monica Proper introduces a looser kind of luxury to Santa Monica. Here, along sun-drenched Wilshire Boulevard, within walking distance to the beach, each of the 271 rooms, suites and spaces successfully optimize the city’s abundant ocean breezes and natural light, while the interior design finds inspiration in the organic tones and textures of the local coastline. Santa Monica Proper beckons guests with the only rooftop pool deck on the Westside, a one-of-a-kind setting that includes a Balearic restaurant, bar, and cabanas, where guests are front-row for sunsets over the Pacific; meanwhile, the landmark restaurant, Onda, marks an iconic collaboration between James Beard award-winning chefs Jessica Koslow and Gabriela Cámara." Read more about the incredible details of Santa Monica Proper on their website (and check out more photos below! 

Pepperdine sweethearts getting married at a historic church in the Highland Park neighborhood of LA? It just doesn't get any sweeter than this.

Katrina and Sergio's wedding was so totally THEM. They met at Pepperdine, so their ceremony was officiated by a beloved professor, who delivered his message beautifully in both English and Spanish, to honor the bicultural union of the United States and Bolivia. Bolivian traditional appetizers, Southern BBQ buffet for dinner. Bilingual table decorations. Live music from their line up of ultra-talented friends. Group dancing lessons taught by the bride herself. Desserts baked by the mother of the bride. What a wonderful way to kick off the lifetime of a wonderful new couple! 

Venue: York Manor
Food/Catering: It’s In the Sauce
DJ/Music: Alex and Wesley Park
Flowers: The Little Branch
Cake: Half Baked Co
Dress: BHLDN

Aaron and Anna picked Pasadena City Hall as the location for their engagement session. Initially when I read the words "city hall" in their email, I was like..... really? A government building? But ten seconds later after I googled Pasadena City Hall, I wasn't confused anymore. This is one of the most gorgeous buildings I've ever seen. With winding stairwells, gardens, walkways, and arches, the 1920s architectures provides the perfect backdrop for Aaron and Anna's timeless style. And the icing on the cake? Across the street from Pasadena City Hall, the corner is occupied by All Saints Church, a stunning example of gothic architecture that serves as another setting for Aaron and Anna's beautiful selves. (Check out Aaron's slick dance moves in one of the outdoor passageways of All Saints Church.) 

Jessica and Kyle's sweet ceremony and reception in her parents' backyard was full of tenderness, laughter, tears, and SHOES. (Get a load of Jessica's legendary Badgley Mischkas.) Jessica's dad is a set designer, so the backyard was transformed with a bridge over the pool leading to a sweet barn built for two where the happy couple said their vows under a late summer sunset sky. 
Then after sunset, all the guests danced the night away, taking periodic breaks for soft serve ice cream cones from an ice cream truck.

Rachel and Troy's golf course wedding was a perfect southern California combo of bright sunshine, cool ocean breeze, and sweeping views of the Pacific ocean. Add in pops of blush bridesmaid dresses and gray groomsmen and this was one of the most photogenic wedding parties of the summer. 

After wowing their guests with a choreographed first dance to the Lalaland soundtrack (not a dry eye in the house), we snuck away to the 11th green for canoodling beneath the sunset sky. 

Food/Catering: Los Verdes Golf Course 7000 W. Los Verdes Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
DJ/Music: Vox DJs (Brendan Shannon) 360-966-6983
Cake: Torrance Bakery
Dress: David's Bridal
Videographer: After Dark Media, Johnny Ortiz bookafterdarkmedia@gmail.com, 602-793-4132

I tend to shoot mostly people, so when I got the chance to snap photos of objects in a home, it was totally different and a little harder but also a little easier! Kristen O'Malley is a space designer. She does homes, sets (check out her Emmy in the gallery!) and more. Her taste is incredible and every piece has meaning as well as beauty and a great story. What a treat to photograph the work of a fellow creative! 

Patrick and Valerie eloped on the beach in Los Angeles. Well... sort of. They actually eloped kind of accidentally in one of the most beautiful and posh hotels on the beach in Santa Monica. Here's the story: 

Patrick and Valerie stayed the night at the Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica, CA. They fully intended to just walk out onto the sand and say their vows, snap a few photos with me, and be done with it. But after getting dressed up, the hotel security guard just let them (and me, and the officiant) into the gazillion-dollar ballroom. Turns out a wedding dress is basically a carte blanche. Fifteen minutes later, these two were hitched! 

How do you make a crowded tourist attraction like the Santa Monica Pier feel like you've got it all to yourself? With a little patience and a zoom lens, of course! Arpi and Edward have a classy, urban vibe but they still wanted to play up their Santa Monica home for their engagement session. So we headed down to the Santa Monica Pier on a busy spring weekend night to catch the golden light and find hidden corners for these two lovebirds to canoodle in. And it worked!!

This might be a new favorite spot..... 

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

I. Love. At home. Photo shoots.

And here's why: 

1. It's part portrait sitting and part photojournalism. As you can see, some of these photos are posed and Christmas-card or frame-worthy. Cool. Totally what most people want for family photos. BUT, lots of these photos are the "in-between" kinds of moments. The snacks on the kitchen floor. The diaper changing and "Let me show you my room!" kinds of scenes that only happen when kiddos are comfortable in their own space. You don't get stuff like this at a park or at the beach. This is magic, and it only happens at home. 

2. It's a time capsule. Not only will you have photos of your little looking the way they do today, but you'll have a snapshot of your whole space. Years down the road, these frames will trigger a whole host of memories, from "Oh, I remember that painting!" to "Look how small the trees are," to "Whoa that was before the remodel!" These photos aren't in a sterile studio or impersonal park; they're in your home. 

3. Everyone is way more comfortable. You. Your kids. Me. Your pets. No one is going to get a parking ticket. No one has to hike to the "shoot location." No one is worried about random strangers in the background. It's just all you, your family, and your love, in your space. So kick your feet up onto the couch. Take a break to nurse your child. Change your outfit if you're feeling it—because you can! 

Spent a sun-drenched afternoon chasing sun and shade and everything in between with the classy and beachy Danielle and Jacob. With such an easy breezy connection these two have and the fact they'll be saying their wedding vows in Danielle's childhood backyard at her mother's Manhattan Beach estate, their September wedding can't come soon enough!