Alyssa & Alejandro - Wedding

After having a blast hanging out with this couple for their engagement photos, this was one of the weddings I had been looking forward to this season. Alyssa and Alejandro are amongst the nicest people we have met and we immediately felt connected with them even after our short engagement session. Since we had already moved up to Alaska, we flew back down on a mini work vacation to shoot their wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse and the Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center. For this couple, it was totally worth traveling all those miles!

Alyssa and Alejandro carefully crafted a beautiful Santa Barbara wedding. Loved having the couple arrive at the reception hall via bike carriage with everyone outside with colorful streamers and a mariachi band. The mariachi band continued on through the night playing for their first dance and serenading each of the tables individually. The Cabrillo Pavilion Arts Center is a great venue - it's got a high ceiling with exposed beams with plenty of windows to let in light; additionally, there's the beach right outside to run out and get really quick sunset photos on the beach.

Thank you Alyssa and Alejandro for including us on your wonderful day. Had such a hard time choosing amongst the photos for this blog. We had such a blast working with you and wish you the very best!

Jeanie + Stuart

Being backlogged is no good but I am getting the chance to revisit some of our work from Santa Barbara. This one was a short session that we shot at the Mural Room at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed shooting in Santa Barbara. Although the Mural Room can be a little difficult to shoot, I love how the light streams in. Loved working with this beautiful blended family! 

After the wedding, we followed them to Stella Mare to shoot a few pictures of the venue. Stella Mare is an awesome French restaurant near the Santa Barbara zoo. Jeanie and Stuart took over one of the smaller rooms in this quaint house-turned-restaurant. Again, the light in this room was gorgeous! Thanks Jeanie and Stuart for letting us capture your day!

Nick & Tara

January is actually one of the nicest months in Santa Barbara - temperatures can hit the 70s and the sky is blue with no hint of May Gray. Tara and Nick were our first 2013 wedding. We met the couple at the University Club where they were getting ready and would later have their reception. One of my favorite parts about shooting as a couple is getting to see what Scott and the boys are up to while I'm with the girls. The guys are typically working hard being goofy while the girls pull off the actual hard work.

The ceremony was in the Mural Room at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. This room can be notoriously difficult to shoot in depending on the light and whether the courthouse people have opened the heavy drapes (which you're "technically" not allowed to touch). However, today was a beautiful day with the sunlight streaming in and giving the ceremony an ethereal look. 

Then it was back to the University Club for the party. Tara, in Japanese tradition, folded 1000 cranes to bring good luck to their marriage. Music by Bonnie kept the dance floor busy and Pink Diamond (who also did Tara's beautiful makeup and hair) had an impressive, well stocked photo booth and guest book station. Tara and Nick were very gracious clients who always went out of their way to make sure that we were taken care of. Congratulations to the both of you!

Cameron & Shandi

Shandi was one of the first people I met in Santa Barbara. We met on roommates.com and were immediately drawn to each other since we were both from Hawai'i. It had been awhile since the both of us had lived with another "local" person and we both would laugh at the local customs we both still retained, such as a our no shoes house policy, our spam musubi makers, and tendency to slip back into pidgin English when talking to each other. We were both raised in rural communities and maintained a certain sense of self-reliance, which included dragging a full sized fridge up to our second floor apartment on our own. When Shandi mentioned she was getting married to this handsome guy, we of course needed to shoot their photos. Shandi is one of those special kinds of people who is always taking care of others. Even though I had barely met him, I had the sense that Cameron had the quiet strength to take care of Shandi. 

Shandi and Cameron had a simple ceremony on the beautiful grounds of the Santa Barbara courthouse with a small contingent of close friends and family present and ended the day with an intimate dinner at the Biltmore. Shandi drove down to LA to pick out the flowers, which she arranged herself. We were extremely honored to be able to capture their wonderful day. Congrats Shandi and Cameron ... you guys are a gorgeous couple with rock star quality! 

From the UK to California

Scott & Nicolette hail from the UK. Scott was already over in Los Angeles, traveling as the guitar technician for the indie rock band Arctic Monkeys. Nicolette came out to visit and get hitched. Their friends had been nice enough to rent them a Mustang convertible as a wedding gift ... so of course we had to get a picture. How Californian can you get with a hot blue Mustang convertible, bright blue skies, and lazy palm trees to boot??

Congrats Scott & Nicolette!

 

Rachel & Devin

Rachel & Devin came up from Los Angeles for a quick ceremony at the county courthouse. We had talked to Rachel briefly on the phone and were excited to finally meet the couple. Rachel's bubbly personality was equally matched by her brilliant smile. Devin complemented her perfectly with his smooth coolness. Rachel & Devin were accompanied by a small party of friends and family including Devin's son, Devin Jr. (little D). Rachel's beautiful flowers were made by Karen from "A Smiling Garden" (http://asmilinggarden.com/).

Congratulations Rachel & Devin! We're excited to shoot a family session with you guys! :)

~ Scott & Julia