Not too shabby.

I hope you enjoyed these two posts featuring our 2011 couples' favorite images - they were some seriously emotional posts! But we're switching gears today from emotional to 'dear-lord-is-that-what-I-really-look-like?' with our recap of 2011 with this little golden nugget of a slideshow. It's all of the images that Jeff and I captured of each other throughout the year - our behind the scenes look at the past year of shooting. Some of these images were intentional photographs we took of each other to give our readers a glimpse into our shoots, some were taken for our own memories, but most (and folks, I mean a good 99% of them) were taken as test shots.

You'll see a bunch of us standing in for the first dance, the cake cutting, the grand entrance, the getting ready, etc. Basically anytime we had to dial in our cameras for a new lighting situation, we would stand in for each other. Or if one us of is posing the couple, the other person will take test shots to dial in their settings (you'll see a bunch of Jeff dialing in his camera for family portraits while I'm setting people up). I love that these are the real deal - we're sweaty, we're tired, we're laughing, we're keeping ourselves entertained, but most of all we're having fun. And through the thick and thin of it all, it's so encouraging to look at a slideshow of ourselves and know that we really do totally love our job!

Along with the two of us, you'll also see our wonderful friends and assistants making some cameos - Garrett is our handsome third shooter, Julie is our fabulous album designer/assistant/portrait shooter and helped me out at several baby shoots, Casey Figlewicz was our right hand man at the Exquisite Weddings gown shoot at Pelican Hill, and our videographer friends The Bui Brothers and Jared and Danielle of Side by Side Cinema make an appearance.

I hope that 2012 is just as amazing and fabulous as 2011! Enjoy!

It must have been over happy hour nachos (or a burrito or a flight to somewhere) that Jeff brought it up. Instead of recapping 2011 on the blog with OUR favorite wedding and engagement images, why not ask our couples to tell us what their favorites are?

My hubby is brilliant.

Not only do I not have to go through the gut-wrenching exercise of picking out my favorite photos from the year after 80 some photo shoots (seriously impossible - think Erin hitting her head against the desk with a confused Gracie rolling around nearby), but I'll let our couples do the gut-wrenching exercise of picking out their favorites to share - hee hee. But seriously, how amazing for all of us to discover what it is that our couples love about their photos?? I have to give a HUGE thank you to our couples for their responses. Not only did they take this seriously, but they put so much thought and emotion into their choices. I have been so moved, excited, surprised, and downright brought to tears by what they've had to say about the moments we were honored to capture for them. I know what these images mean to us - some have been instrumental in our creative journey, some make me cry every time I see them, some make me laugh out loud, and some just remind me of how much I love the people we've been able to meet because of our cameras.

But to hear what moments and memories are most special and meaningful to our couples is priceless.

So here they are - our 2011 couples have spoken and have given me their favorite images from their weddings and engagements in a two part installment. Keep in mind that this is only couples that had 2011 weddings (our engagements that we've already shot for our 2012 couples will come next year) and some couples weren't able to respond for one reason or another and some couples didn't have engagement sessions along with the wedding.

So today, we're starting with our couples' favorite images from their engagement sessions and the thing that stands out the most is that the images our couples picked were the ones that told the story of their relationship. And that's the what the engagement session is all about - it's about putting their love story in a beautiful and authentic context. And it makes me so happy to hear that our hard work at bringing people to an authentic place within themselves during a shoot hasn't been lost - it's totally shone through in the images.

So here we go, let's start with Craig and Melissa.

Craig and Melissa's Travel-Themed Engagement Session

This lovable Chicago couple flew out to San Diego last winter to soak up some San Diego sun for their engagement session with us. They LOVE to travel and they spent a few weeks traveling Europe by train together at the end of Melissa's study abroad program in the UK, so we grabbed some vintage suitcases (thanks to Courtney Toney for lending them!) and we shot in and around the Santa Fe Train Depot in downtown San Diego. Here's Craig and Melissa's favorite images, written by Melissa (I LOVE the first one!):

"With this first image, I love the vintage suitcases, the colors, the foot pop! Traveling is a huge part of our story and I love how we were able to include this in our engagement session!"

"I love this image because there were so many people in the train station, but it looks like we were the only ones there. I love, love, love the green of the sign and the fact that it says waiting room. This is such a gorgeous and romantic image."

"Could it have been any more perfect that there was an old vintage looking train that just happened to stop at the station when we were shooting our vintage/travel themed engagement session?! We loved the setting and it took us back to our travels in Europe and the fun that we had while riding trains through the countryside of Italy and waiting in train stations nestled in the mountains of Austria. Thank you, thank you for capturing these special moments in our lives!"

 Jason and Elizabeth's Rowboat Engagement Session

Jason and Elizabeth (known as Lizzy and Ipp to their friends and family) met at a houseboat party and got engaged on a sailboat, so we kept the boat theme going by renting some rowboats out on the colorful Corona Lake. I love that the two images they chose as favorites show both sides of their personalities - their romantic hearts that are crazy in love with each other, and then Lizzy laughing at Ipp's constant antics (I totally relate to a hubby that CONSTANTLY makes me laugh). These two are SO REAL with each other and with us, and it never fails that anything Ipp writes totally makes me cry. Just wait until you read about their favorite wedding images tomorrow - you'll need tons of tissues!

From Ipp himself on their favorite engagement photos, and don't be surprised if you find yourself saying "awwwwww!!":

"I knew that planning our wedding would be stressful - in addition to planning our wedding day, we were also planning the next big chapter of our lives. It was easy to find ourselves so wrapped up in the details that we would forget to cherish the memories of our engagement. It was nine months we would never get to experience again.

Mike and Sarah's Villanova University Engagement Session

Mike and Sarah met at Villanova University in Philadelphia and their sweet love blossomed while walking the romantic pathways of the school. Mike and Sarah are super romantic at their core and they truly believe in the power of beautiful storytelling, so they flew us out to Philadelphia so that we could tell their story in the gorgeous surroundings of Villanova in the springtime. It's one of our favorite engagement sessions to date, but this isn't about my favorites - it's about theirs! So here they are:

"We love the arch that we are cuddled up under. It reminds us of the architecture of Villanova. The connection made through our hand holding with the sun beaming through invokes such a warm and cozy feeling for us."

"This picture just makes us smile! Together we walked the pathways of Villanova's campus for so many years, creating great memories along the way. This picture reminds us of those moments - with the books in our hands and the look we are giving each other, it brings us back to the place we met and fell in love."

Matt and Holly's Engagement Session at Disneyland

Oh my goodness - Matt and Holly make my heart so happy! These two met at Disneyland in Anaheim and fell in love while working at Tokyo Disney (I know - does it get any more romantic than that?), so these theme parks mean the WORLD to them. But these two are softie romantics on the inside with a hysterical exterior, and their favorite image also happens to be MY favorite image of them. This is THEM. At their core. Everyday. Nothing tells their story better than this one.

"This picture is my favorite from our engagement session because the image captured my handsome jokester fiance making me laugh the way only he can.  Every time I look at this picture I can't help but smile and remember how much fun it was at our photo session, but more importantly how much fun it has been to fall in love with him every day of my life."

Jeff and Kelsey's University of Washington Engagement Session in Seattle

Jeff and Kelsey are the SWEETEST. They met in accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Jeff showed up at Kelsey's door every morning to walk her to class from then on (I know, Jeff is a total sweetheart). They love their pup, Fletcher, and they know who they are - both as individuals and as a couple. They're easygoing lovers of life - evidenced by the fact that Kelsey pulled out the perfect green umbrella and adorable hot pink Hunter Boots when the forecast said rain for their engagement session. I love a girl that makes the best of any situation! Here's their favorite, written by Jeff:

"It's only fitting that our favorite engagement photo includes our first pup, Fletcher, wearing doggles and was taken in a drizzly Seattle day at the Quad on the University of Washington campus. Only a few buildings away from where this picture was taken is the building where Kelsey and I started dating as the result of a couple fun Accounting 215 study sessions. We give ourselves bonus points for our footwear: Kelsey love's her Hunter boots and I love having a pair of Vans on my feet."

Brian and Maria's San Francisco Engagement Session

They love to laugh and they love life! Brian and Maria met and fell in love while watching football games in a bar in San Francisco, and this totally describes their easygoing relationship! Since they live only a few blocks away, their favorite places to hang out in the city are the Palace of Fine Arts and Crissy Field with it's epic view of the Golden Gate bridge. I love Maria's description of their first favorite image, which is an image that we've gotten TONS of comments on:

"Does it get any better than this?" (My answer: nope)

"Brian and I laugh a lot together and this moment captured our relationship perfectly. It was a typical San Francisco day - cold, damp and windy. But we loved the colors and the backdrop of the green door."

"The background is beautiful and it's one of our favorite places." (Erin: This is totally one of my favorites too!)

"We just love the cherry blossoms and the lighting in the background."

"Our favorite pastime - picnic with wine. It reminds us of memories we both cherish and love." (I love a girl that brings props!)

Jared and Kathryn's Cowboys-on-the-Beach Engagement Session at Corona Del Mar

Kathryn is a Southern California girl that fell in love with a Texas boy at Wake Forest University. He's got that Texas charm that just melts your heart and she's got that bright spunk that only comes from a lifetime of living on the beach. So the best way to combine the two? Bring the cowboy to the beach! They both wore cowboy boots as we shot around the beach at Corona Del Mar, the place where Kathryn grew up and where they got married a few months later. These two have a deep connection with tradition, so I love that they picked a favorite photo that will be a hallmark in their story for the rest of their lives!

"This is probably my favorite picture of the two of us. Ever. We rarely take a picture that we both love, but we both love this one. First of all, we both look good! We are both genuinely happy and were having a great time at the photo shoot. I also love the colors and how they bring out our eyes. The beach in the background completes it. This is framed on our wall and proabably will be for years to come!"

Brian and Susi's San Francisco Engagement Session

We had so many amazing couples in San Francisco this year, but it was pretty cool to see the different sides of the city that they all loved. Outdoor enthusiasts, wine lovers, and big foodies, Brian proposed the night they moved in to their first home in the city. They had a home together, and now he wanted an entire life with this quiet, wonderful woman that had captured his heart so completely. Hanging out with these two at their engagement session was only a small preview to the AWESOME time we had with them at their destination wedding in Lake Tahoe, and I definitely feel like their favorite engagement photo sums them up so well. From Susi:

"We love this picture because of the Golden Gate Bridge backdrop. It is us, sharing a private moment in front of the bridge, which represents the city that means so much of us."

Ralph and Julie's Giants' Stadium Engagement Session

Ralph is a HUGE fan of the Giants, so it was only appropriate to shoot inside the stadium of the 2010 World Series Champs. Ralph is a super emotional guy (just wait until you hear what he says about his favorite wedding image - tissues required), so he and Jeff totally hit it off like nothing I've ever seen before. Think two crying men at dinner while Julie and I just giggled at our emotional men. It was pretty stinkin' cool to hang out with a couple that has the same emotional connection that Jeff and I have! This first image is Ralph's favorite:

"The reason I chose this image is easy.  We were in our favorite baseball team's stadium (Go Giants!), and completely alone in one of the most beautiful cities in the world with my incredible soon-to-be wife - I felt so at ease. I knew moments like these don't come everyday so I just took it all in. It was AMAZING!"

Julie's favorites (and yes, she chose both of these images. She's a girl after my own heart with pairing two images together!): "Ralph and I currently have very stressful lives. Our engagement photo shoot day was pure fun where we got to be ourselves, have our phones taken away, and enjoy each other's company. This shot captures us as real as you can possibly get. Ralph goes above and beyond, every day of our lives, to do whatever he possibly can to make me smile. And I always sigh and tell him he's a nut case. I also LOVE how modern, different, vibrant and amazing the background is."

Michael and Jamie's Chapman University Engagement Session

Chapman University is the backdrop where Michael and Jamie came together and fell in love. It was between classes, hanging out with friends, and finding sunny spots on campus that they discovered each other's hearts and passions. A professional opera singer, Michael is a creative soul with a passion for all the good things in life - art, wine, food, and his beautiful firecracker of a girl with a spunky spirit. They had quite a long engagement, so these engagement photos were actually taken in the summer of 2009, but it gave us so much time to get to know these two and dive into their story. From Jamie:

"This to me was something that would have been a regular occurance at school. I loved to lay at this fountain and just hang out. I found it calming. This picture looks like you just happened to be walking by and snapped a pic of us. I have this one up at my office. "

"This was taken outside the science center, where we spent a lot of time as this was in between the two buildings we each spent all our time. I love how well we "fit" together and the happiness in our faces."

"This was used as our invitation background, and we have a print up of this in our living room. This picture captures the essence of us and our love for each other. We had so many memories in that same spot on campus that this moment was beautiful!"

Jason and Michelle's San Diego Engagement Session

After putting all of these engagement sessions together, it's so funny that this is one of the few sessions that we actually shot in San Diego - ha! We were all over the place this year! But Jason and Michelle are a perfect fit for San Diego. These two are actually from the east coast, and when Jason got a job offer in San Diego just a few months after they started dating, Michelle had to decide whether this boy was worth the move away from the east coast and everything she knew. According to Michelle, following Jason across the country from Maine to San Diego was the best decision she ever made. They LOVE San Diego and they love each other. So we picked a spot that combined the two coasts - the trees and color of Maine, but the warmth and sunshine of San Diego. Here's their favorites, from Michelle:

"I love how this image captures an intimate moment between us. It's like the camera isn't even there.  Jeff and Erin made us so relaxed that we were able to focus on each other and tune the world into the background."

"The different pose combined with the traditional feel of an engagement photo made this one of my favorites.  The lights/colors in the background highlighted the two of us without making it look posed at all."

"This image captures the enormous beauty surrounding us.  But more importantly, it captures our outlook on life as a couple.  Although life will be difficult at times, it will always be glorious and a wonderful challenge when faced and conquered together." (How they climbed up in that tree was truly a feat of positive inspiration! These two were down for anything and Jason was so sweet to help his adventurous lady climb out on the enormous trunk.)

"Our animals are so important to us and it meant tons that Erin and Jeff were not just willing to let them tag along, but also took AMAZING photographs of them. I use these for screen savers, framed images, and cards all the time!  They've never looked so photogenic and I can't wait to show them off to everyone!"

Tomorrow we'll be featuring all of our couples' favorite wedding images and this post is going to be one of my favorites from the entire year. Come prepared - you'll need a mug of your favorite tea, your favorite holiday treat left over from the weekend, and an enormous box of tissues. Our brides and grooms are SOOOO emotional! And I love them for it... See you then!

Hugs,
Erin

Oh.My.Goodness. Those eyes.... KILLER.

And Brandon again with that charming smile.

One of my favorites - I love how gorgeous and natural Katie looks.

There's nothing like a flowy dress on a beautiful beach with your man.

I could just drink that beautiful ocean.

Katie kept her Queen of Props status going with a cute picnic setup and champagne.

I love the birds and the calm ocean Jeff captured in this one.

The day only got more beautiful - seriously, I couldn't believe it was December!

Amazing right???

So cute and perfect - love these guys!

A favorite FOR SURE!

And one more favorite - I can't stop, I love them all!

Brandon and Katie: Thank you so much for your deep connection and for your willingness to be honest and open with us about it. We love that you have so many sides of your personalities and your relationship, but I love even more that you embrace all of them. If it's even possible, we are so much more excited about spending your wedding day right by your sides!

Hugs,

Erin

Katie is the kind of girl with a candy coated spirit. Strong and supportive on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside - which makes for the kind of girl everybody adores.

And what makes them so perfect for each other is that this nurturing guy has found somebody that has his back too. This soft girl has just enough strength to hold him up when he needs someone to lean on. And this strong girl has just enough softness to comfort his heart when it all becomes too much. They've formed the perfect kind of team. One that can take on the world together - with just the right amount of candy-coated sweetness.

Brandon and Katie drove down to our neck of the woods in San Diego for their beach engagement session and it was one of those sessions that filled our hearts with peace. Brandon and Katie really do fit. Their personalities, their senses of humor, their identities - they really are a great match for each other. And those kinds of couples make our jobs painfully easy. They were so natural with each other and with our cameras, that we felt like we needed to have them stand on their heads just to give us a challenge. So to tide you guys over during this Christmas break, here's Brandon and Katie's totally lovable engagement session in Solana Beach.

Check out Brandon's smile - isn't it so pure and real?

Shoes say so much about a person - and I love these ones!

Brandon and Katie - heating things up in Solana Beach since December 2011. *winky-face*

I love Katie's makeup - her lashes and eyes are perfect.

This one makes me go 'awwwwwww'.

These are my favorites! I got this idea from my new best friend, Pinterest, and Katie gave me the perfect opportunity to try it out. I'm kind of in love with how this turned out...

Katie was the queen of adorable props for this session - she brought along a scrapbook filled with notes and cards from their relationship. I absolutely love when couples bring cute mementos like this for their sessions!

Tomorrow we're taking Brandon and Katie down to the beach for a GORGEOUS sunset - the kind that only comes in the beautiful San Diego winters. See you then!

Hugs,

Erin

Marilyn changed into this adorable pink polka dot dress that her mom found as an old giveaway item (go Mom), and it brought this session to a whole 'notha level with James lookin' good in his crushed velvet jacket and dynamite smile.

My favorites!! Love, love, love!

Absolutely gorgeous!

We tucked into some lemon trees and it was like a fabulous bomb went off - we were kids in a candy store from then on!

Does it get any more romantic than this?? Tucked into the arms of your sweetie in a lemon grove?

These two make me smile.

James and Marilyn: Your story, your tender hearts, and your palpable love for each other took this session off the charts. I know I love your outfits (a ton), but honestly it's your devotion and connection that made our time together so special. I'm so excited that we get to hang out again in March - only 95 days! Yay!

Hugs,

Erin

But the twist to the story is that she wasn't sure. She was head over heels for this adorable, caring boy, but she was 17 - could this really last? Was it really the kind of thing that could last through college - through growing up? But he stayed with her, never doubting that she was his girl, and slowly she found her answer. Yes, it really could last forever.

So years later, after two colleges, six months abroad, countless phone calls, and the ups and downs of growing up together, they're still sweethearts. And James and Marilyn are still as head over heels for each other as they were that night at the senior prom.

These two are simply the most romantic couple EVER. James is just as emotional, loving, caring, and sweet as my dear hubby, so they were two peas in a pod while we were shooting their engagement session in downtown Rancho Santa Fe.

What did I tell you? How adorable are these two??

Marilyn is cute, cute, cute! I loved her eyes and sweet smile!

A little f/1.2 action on the 85mm. That's right, I've now fallen in love with the 85!

Oh. My. Goodness. This tree is dynamite! But definitely not as dynamite as James and Marilyn!

I *heart* these ones.

A fave! Marilyn was rockin' those heels!

Soooo we've got so much more sweetness on the way from these two - you're going to absolutely FLIP over Marilyn's dress tomorrow! Teaser: it's pink with polka dots and I just about died when she put it on... These two were lookin' GOOD. See you then!

Hugs,

Erin

What a handsome guy!

As the sun sank down, we did an outfit change and headed out to the Huntington pier and the sweeping beach.

I knew we loved these guys - they both changed into TOMS for this outfit! I'm so close to getting those wedges for myself...

Jenny brought along a blanket as a prop and I LOVE this image! Definitely one of my favorites from the session!

Whaaaa?? How amazing is this sunset and pier??

Some twilight skies to round out the session...

These two are Jeff's black and whites - *love*

And this was mine. So cute!

Chris and Jenny: We laughed so hard with you guys and every second with you two was incredibly heartwarming. Thank you for being so into each other and for wearing your hearts on your sleeves! Have an amazing and romantic holiday season - summer can't get here fast enough!

Hugs,
Erin

So walking along the beach, stopping in the galleries, and chatting through the night, Jenny quickly found that this cute, charming guy had a reflective soul that loved everything about art. He was a natural leader with a creative mind. In fact, he was exactly the kind of deep, romantic person she had been waiting for her entire life.

Chris and Jenny didn't meet until college, but they both grew up near each other in Huntington Beach, a place near and dear to their hearts. So we met up with them on a gorgeous day to wander through this picturesque little beach town, and I love how cute these guys are when they get all gussied up!

These guys were adorable with the first click of the shutter.

Some of my favorites!

I could seriously shoot in this hallway for HOURS.

Love this image that Jeff captured.

Check out those ruby blue eyes!

Love these two - so sweet and perfect!

Their adorable rating is totally off the charts. Sheesh.

We wandered towards downtown Huntington Beach and Jenny did a quick jacket and shoe change for a different look. I love a girl that comes prepared with plenty of fabulous options!

How fab are those heels??

These two are cute and fabulous the whole way through - and tomorrow is going to be off the charts! I can't wait to share more from this crazy adorable engagement session in Huntington Beach! See you then!

Hugs,

Erin

It. Was. Gorgeous.

The weather was the most perfect it's been all year - clear skies, golden sun, and crazy blue water. I felt like I was in one of those Hawaiian Tropic adds with golden rays of sunbeams bouncing off of our lush, tan skin. Aaaaaand it's December. I love California.

And I also love Richie and Kathy - how cute are their outfits??

These guys are just so sweet together. They could stand on their heads and look completely photogenic. Sheesh.

I *heart* this one.

And this one too...

Ok, and this one too.

See? What did I tell you about that warm, golden sun and blue water? So beautiful!

Aaaaaand adorable. Go.

We hopped down underneath the pier and it was EP(to the)IC.

Definitely a fave.

And another fave. Ok I have a lot of faves from this session...

I love how golden the pier is in the sunset! *love*

Richie and Kathy: You guys are da bomb! The way you laugh at and with each other is just hysterical, and we thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it! We seriously can't wait to hang out with your families next year and are so stinkin' excited to spend this journey with you guys!

Hugs,
Erin

She walked into his life at his parents anniversary party, a party that was for family and close friends only. But she was invited by her brother who was invited by a family member which landed her as the only stranger in this big family gathering. So this spontaneous girl picked up the microphone and started singing with the band. At first, she was the strange girl that nobody knew, but one thing lead to another and Richie picked up the microphone next to her and they sang cheesy love songs for the rest of the night - laughing until their stomachs hurt.

We met up with Richie and Kathy for their engagement session at Balboa Island in Newport, and the first thing we learned about Kathy was that she thinks she's totally awkward. But the second thing we learned is that not only is Kathy NOT awkward at all, but her and Richie are so stinkin' cute in front of the camera that we barely had to do anything. Plus, I love a couple that doesn't know just how incredibly fun and adorable they are...

Once of my favorites!! Squeeeeeze!

Lookin' so stinkin' GOOD.

So in these ones, we didn't tell them to do anything besides stand together. And Richie wasn't saying anything either. This is just how much they laugh together!

I totally fell in love with Kathy's heels! She chose the perfect dress and heels for the backgrounds and for her teensy figure.

Balboa Island is a fun little tourist beach town with a small carnival area. So yes, we definitely hopped on the ferris wheel!

Then we headed over to the arcade...

For me, this feels the most like them. Love it!

Ha! I love this girl and how she's up for anything.

We won! Yay!

Richie and Kathy are both Vietnamese, and Kathy spent her childhood in Vietnam. So after wandering the carnival area, Kathy changed into a traditional Vietnamese outfit for a few photos.

So cute!

Right after this, we headed down to the beach and the Balboa pier, so we've got a bunch more to share tomorrow. They turned out SO GOOD - I can't wait!

Hugs,
Erin