Well, we’re still tired from last weekend (and we have three more next weekend! Eek!) – Leanna and Brian hired us for a wedding that spanned two days, and ranged from intimate and romantic, to grand and exquisite. Thursday, we shot an afternoon ceremony at a little-known beach in Laguna called Moss Point. It was close friends and family only, in an intimate ceremony nestled between the cliffs, and serenaded by the sea (okay, and the ukelele player, who was really cool, and made me want to go to Maui on the next flight)
So there were the flower petals, the sand, the waves lapping at the shore, and the golden afternoon light – really a beautiful little ceremony, and it’s always nice to get to shoot a wedding with no shoes on 
Leanna probably had the most energy of any bride we’ve ever shot. She literally required a shutter speed about a stop faster than usual to catch – Chenin and I were joking about that later Thursday night, while looking through photos where she had literally jumped around so much that parts of her body had flown out of the frame. She had this infectious energy, and was so much fun to shoot. Just one example – when we were shooting the last of their portraits on the beach, just after sundown, I told her something to the effect of “go stand over there and be yourself,” to which I got this reply:
She was laughing and jumping around in this white dress, not a care in the world. I remarked to Brian and Chenin that she was like Tigger in a wedding dress – she literally bounced like she had springs in her feet… too funny!
After a break Friday, we travelled up to the very exclusive and beautiful Bel Air Hotel, which is probably exclusive more because it’s impossible to find than for any other reason. Thank God for GPS navigation systems – if we had to follow a map to get there, we’d probably still be stuck up in the hills of LA, running out of food and water. Anyway, it was a little strange for us to photograph a reception without a wedding, but at the same time, the pressure was really taken off us, schedule wise, and it was a nice break from the norm.
Little detail of the dress
I love this portrait – the butterfly lighting here was actually accomplished by taking the shade off a nearby lamp, and having Chenin hold it out like a boom above the bed. We’re constantly re-arranging furniture and lighting wherever we shoot, and I’m sure the maids hate us. But I’ll be darned if the results aren’t worth it!
Waiting around
One of Chenin’s portraits
The band was a hoot – kind of a swanky lounge-act-meets-rat-pack thing. The singer had this fake cigarette he kept in his left hand the whole night, and of course, wore that wild jacket, with the hat pulled down low on his brow. I was immensely entertained.
I love when they put the cake somewhere pretty, like this, instead of hiding it away in a dark corner somewhere. TO ALL HOTEL WEDDING COORDINATORS: cakes cost some serious coin – for heaven’s sake, find somewhere nice to put the thing!
Chenin and I both like this shot – not the usual, but it really captures Leanna and Brian’s personality, I think.
That’s all for now!