Yeah, he's pretty stinkin' awesome.

Soooo romantical.

Awwwww! Love it! We wanted to take a few photos with Nicole riding on the front of the tandem bike, but we didn't have the tools to adjust the seats. So Nicole had to take a practice run with the longer pedals.

Rockstar!

These ones are totally my favorites!

Look at Chris' long legs! Too funny!

It was tough to put away the bike, but these two had another gorgeous outfit waiting and the day was slowly fading into a super romantic evening.

Who doesn't love a girl in a red dress?

You guys are ridiculously out of control.

Lovelovelovelovelove!!!

I know, I know - I have so many favorites, but I LOVE this one too!!

Just look at those beautiful lights... perfect!

Chris and Nicole: Never ever ever lose your awesome zest for life! The way you guys have adventures together is so inspiring. Whether it's in your backyard or in the jungles of Belize, I love that you're up for anything and you're up for doing it together. Promise me that you'll never stop going on adventures together ok? K. Love you guys!

Hugs,
Erin

But he really was feeling sick and for him it couldn't have happened at a worse time. He had been online dating for a little while now and was ready to throw in the towel. But he decided to pursue this one last profile - this adorable girl with a sweet personality.

This was Nicole's first date in the online dating scene. She was nervous about the entire thing - she gave a friend her backup number and told her the places she would be that night and the time she should be home. But none of it was necessary because this guy made her laugh and smile almost instantly.

And then he had to leave. Bummed, she walked with him outside where he kissed her goodnight and left. A few minutes later, she got a text from Chris that read, "That was awesome."

It was then that she knew he wasn't playing it cool, and she was so happy he really was sick.

When I asked Chris and Nicole about things they do together, I received a laundry list back with activities that they love to do around San Diego (and around the world too for these uber travelers). But the two things that stuck out to me the most? Board games and bikes. Bingo. So we headed to one of their favorite oh-so-San Diego spots - Balboa Park - and laid out a blanket to play some of their favorite games. I have to give these guys a standing (blog) ovation for rockin' the props. They brought the cutest blanket with stacks of games, playing cards, and old books, their favorite wine and a brand spankin' new red Schwinn tandem bike. Suweeeeeet!

These two love playing Scrabble together - and they're definitely competitive!

Apparently, the official Scrabble dictionary has come in handy many, many times.

Nicole LOVES the game Risk. In fact, I've never met a girl that loves playing Risk so much. According to Nicole, "Who wouldn't want to systematically dominate and take over the world?" Ha!

I love me some old books!

According to Chris, the smart and savvy Nicole ALWAYS wins. So he'll take the little victories when he can!

Another favorite game - Bananagrams.

Good grief you guys - could you just be a little less cute? It's making me jealous.

After getting our fill of board games, we hopped on their sweet tandem Schwinn. Fair warning: if you thought Chris and Nicole were adorable playing Scrabble, the cuteness factor is about to fly OFF. THE. HOOK.

My favorites!!

I know it's hard to believe, but these guys are going to get EVEN CUTER. We've got tons more tandem bike action plus downright adorable-ness coming your way to the bloggy-blog tomorrow. See you then!

Hugs,
Erin

We're switching gears today from Matt and Delshad's wake boarding boat on Mission Bay to the Gaslamp district of downtown San Diego, the place where Matt popped the question to this beautiful girl. I just can't get enough of these outfits - they're two for two on the perfect look!

I just love Delshad's heels. She may be little, but her fabulous P90X legs are a mile long.

I love a guy in a great suit and Matt was working it for the camera!

Three things you need to know about Delshad. First, she has super long amazing legs and she can catwalk with the best of them. Second, she almost never wears makeup because she's just that naturally gorgeous. She hired an amazing makeup artist for the session (the fabulous Sarah Cullado), but her natural glow is infectious. And third, she's totally off-the-wall goofy. I love this girl!

Matt has this intriguing natural charm and he's constantly lighting up around his goofball and beautiful girl.

At the end of the night, we stopped by the bridge where Matt proposed to Delshad. How romantic is this?

Matt and Delshad: You guys kept us smiling all night! We seriously couldn't stop ourselves from giggling after hanging out with you two. Your bubbly spirits are infectious and you bring so much joy to the world around you. Thank you for sharing just a bit of that spirit with us - your wedding is going to off the hook! Can't wait!

Hugs,
Erin

Delshad looked down at her stack of copies, a smile spreading across her face. She had to walk past Matt's office to get to the printer, and lately he always seemed to show up just in time for her to pick up her copies...

Matt and Delshad's adorable copy machine office romance has been going strong for seven years now, and it's no wonder why they fit together so well. Delshad is a bubbly, high energy, real deal type of girl that's always up for a good time. Matt lives life at a more slow and steady pace, taking in the moments and the people around him with a smile on his face and his beautiful girl by his side. They compliment each other like cake and ice cream - they make each other better and they're always found at a party.

And when I say that these guys are up for a good time, I mean they're up for ANYTHING. One of their favorite things to do together is enjoy the San Diego sunshine out on Mission Bay on their boat, so it only made sense to take our cameras out to the water!

Boat shoes ready?? Ready!

I couldn't believe what a beautiful day it was! Bright, sunny, warm, and perfect for the water. A big thanks goes out to Matt and Delshad's buddy, Ernie, for letting us shoot from his boat!

I absolutely adore these two. They're just so incredibly sweet together!

These guys get so many bonus points I don't know where to start. They picked the perfect outfits with amazing colors (check), they were up for anything with their session (check), and they were perfectly adorable and cute during our not-so-normal shooting (double check)! These two basically rocked our socks off!

Some of my favorites...

Matt showed me a photo of this maneuver and I totally thought he was joking about trying it for the session... But then they totally pulled it off! I was seriously squealing from delight AND anxiety!!

Aaaaaaand then he kisses her - are you kidding me?? These two have been doing P90X hard core for a while now and it definitely paid off!!

See what I mean about being up for anything? These guys know how to have fun together!

What a perfect day...

Alright folks, if you thought Mission Bay was cute and adorable, just wait until tomorrow. We'll be switching gears from the water to the city, and when these two get dressed up to go out, they DRESS UP. See you then!

Hugs,

Erin

Something you need to know about Brenton - he's super humble and doesn't realize how stinkin' photogenic he is. Brenton nailed this lead-Heather-along-pose in the first try, which is super rare for a guy. Normally we have to do it a couple of times to get the look just right. Not with the dapper and classy Brenton. So Jeff suggested that I get on his SHOULDERS and we do the same thing since Brenton was apparently such a pro. So we did. I shot on top of Jeff's shoulders while we all walked backwards together.

NAILED IT.

Yes it was awesome and yes we all died laughing. I love that our couples are up for ANYTHING.

Lovelovelovelovelove!!!

My favorites!! Those eyes are killer!

Heather's dress is soooooo perfect for black and white. It's the perfect blend of sassy and classic!

Awwww yeah, sparkly shoes!

Major bonus points to Heather for coming out to these trees for us because it was COLD out in the open! So we let her snuggle up into Brenton to stay warm, which he was totally fine with!

We passed by a cupcake shop and Heather squealed that she loves cupcakes. What better way to end the session that a cupcake nightcap?

Brenton and Heather: I love that you guys have no idea just how beautiful and photogenic you are. It was immediately apparent that your smiles, your eyes, your hearts, and your personalities are 100% genuine and true. Your sweet college love story reminds us so much of ours and we are so honored to share in this part of it! Can't wait until September!

Hugs,
Erin

From the moment the bus pulled away, they began talking. They shared about their families and their interests. And then about their old friends and their new dreams. And then about their fears and their hopes. They were both in their first year of college, looking forward to an exciting and scary new life that lay ahead of them. Five hours of stop and go traffic later, the conversation was still going strong. In fact, they laughed and talked the entire day at the park until they boarded the bus again at midnight for the ride home.

This time, she planted herself next to him and slept on his shoulder. He didn't sleep at all. He spent the entire ride home thinking about her beautiful eyes.

Brenton and Heather are that couple in college that everybody else leans on when they need hope for love. They met in their first semester of school and were the strong couple that would be together forever. On the bus ride to Six Flags, Brenton found out that Heather was left-handed, and he wanted to take her to this left-handed store in Seaport Village. They wandered for HOURS looking for the store, Brenton swearing that it existed, until they finally found out that it had closed a few months earlier. Ha! But that bus ride and first date turned into love, and years later that love is stronger than ever.

So we headed over to Seaport Village for their engagement session since it's such a perfect piece of their love story!

Heather left me a message the morning of their session saying that she was at the salon and that they were all ready to go with their great outfits and cute shoes, so I was expecting something on the adorable side. Then Heather showed up in this dynamite dress and rockin' heels with the kind of legs that bring down nations and I just about DIED. Apparently by 'cute' she meant dead sexy. Heck YES!

Rockin' heels!

I just love how giddy Brenton gets when he's got his girl on his arm. Seriously, could they be any cuter? Such a blend of cute and sweet.

Heather has got some serious style. I mean, come on...

As a gift for Valentine's Day this year, Heather gave Brenton a MUSTACHE tie clip which my hubby totally fell in love with.

GORGEOUS!

Fun socks and fun heels? Yesplease.

I just adore this series of black and whites that Jeff captured - these guys can go from being silly and smiles to soft and sweet in just a moment, and I love that about them. You just can't help but smile when you're around these guys...

Heather is a nurse in the ICU, and Brenton LOVES the SF Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, so we had a few minutes of fun with some props they brought along. We asked these guys to be a little silly they made it happen. SO CUTE!

Stylin' you guys!

If you loved this part, you're going to love Part II of Heather & Brenton's engagement session - and don't worry, it's complete with new ADORABLE outfits (and of course, another set of heels that I absolutely loved!). See you tomorrow!

Hugs,

Erin

How ADORABLE are they?? They could do absolutely no wrong with our cameras.

Apparently Morgan's hands were super cold on Stefan's abs - men of the world know what I mean!

How amazing is this tree? The campus was super beautiful around every corner.

I love this series of 'come hither'. There was no directing on our part involved - it was just Morgan being cute!

It was UNCANNY how much we discovered that Jeff and Stefan had in common. They both wore their Sperry's and Fossil watches on the shoot. They both geek out about airplanes and had mom's that were flight attendants. They both absolutely love craft beers, and they basically use all of the same apps on their iPhones. It was hysterical to watch the two of them!

Oh, and they both love their gorgeous women... ha!

Stefan and Morgan: You guys are DA BEST! It was nothing but sheer delight to photograph you two and learn so much more about your hearts for life and for each other. Your story is amazing and your love is inspiring - and after hanging out, your wedding had better get here soon because we're DYING with excitement over here! Love you guys!

Hugs,

Erin

The long story is about a college boy working as a Public Safety officer with a longtime crush on a cute girl with adorable eyes. He wanted to ask her to his fraternity's formal, so he put a note in her mailbox that would lead her around campus on a mini-scavenger hunt. The note didn't have a name, but this cute girl with the adorable eyes was hoping in her heart of hearts that it was from Stefan.

But every story has a twist, and Stefan was pulled into (of all things) an HR training meeting just as Morgan was making her way around campus. Panicked, Stefan excused himself from the meeting and RAN around the campus hills to leave her the trail of clues, managing to stay just ahead of her at every stop. When she arrived at the final clue, Morgan found a sweaty, puffing Stefan sitting on a bench totally playing it cool. She was DELIGHTED, said yes to the dance, and Stefan bolted back to the meeting.

That's the best part of our jobs - the long story. The one that never goes as planned, that makes our hearts beat fast with it's endless twists and turns, but always ends with two coming together. Now a news anchor in Chicago and a grad student in Florida, Stefan and Morgan's long story took place during their years at Pepperdine University in Malibu. The place holds so much significance for these two that we had to capture their love story here for the engagement session, and when they showed up in their classic Mad Men style outfits, we just about DIED with excitement!

COME ON. These two are CLASSY.

Two things you need to know about these two. First, Stefan LOVES Mad Men, so we gave him total permission to channel Don Draper during the shoot. And second, these two are HYSTERICAL. Stefan and Morgan both have our exact same senses of humor, so we were laughing constantly!

Stefan has this epic Arnold Schwarzenegger impression that he could pull out at any moment. So anytime we wanted Morgan to laugh, he knew exactly what to do.

Some of my favorites! I love the colors and Morgan's stunning look.

I love a girl with a huge smile!

Some of my favorites - work those heels!

The chapel in which they're getting married is right behind them and then it's beautiful blue ocean. So gorgeous!

Off to change outfits for Part Two!

See you guys tomorrow for the second half of Stefan and Morgan's engagement session at Pepperdine University. And yes, the epic-ness continues!

Hugs,
Erin

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