What a beautiful Thursday for a wedding! That’s right, Thursday! Last week, I had the pleasure of shooting Jill and Troy’s wedding at The Montage in Laguna Beach, CA. Such a gorgeous setting for a great looking pair. I couldn’t ask for a more fun couple to be around. Troy is just an awesome and fun guy and Jill is a super sweetheart (you’ll see below). It was an intimate affair with close family and friends and I was honored to be there along with the one and only, Regis. It was a real all-star cast of vendors, along with Square Root, Carcano DJ and Tucker Films. Special thanks to Kelly, Kimberly and Tammy from Kelly Michelle Weddings for putting it all together. Congratulations to Jill and Troy!

Here’s Jill looking amazing!

And here’s Troy and his pre-wedding ring finger!

Can you say…absolutely perfect?

A beautiful ceremony and I loved this moment.

They had a beautiful and touching tribute to Troy’s parents on the beach.

This was Troy’s rose for his mom and dad.

We had about 15 minutes on the beach for some B+G shots and I was like a kid at a candy store!

They looked hot!

I can keep on going…

And going…

And then there was Jill’s dress which was…Breathtaking!!

And one final shot on the beach.

The little ring bearer was free after his duties.

Troy ending the first dance with his Zoolander pose…

…and a gangster look! Too funny!

They had props for the dancing…it was awesome and everyone was having a BLAST!

Last but not least, the amazing details and florals.

As a photographer’s son, Lucas is subjected to the occasional photo shoot. Here he is in our living room, sitting on his little IKEA chair striking a pose. This was NOT set up by me as I would never subject my son to such a pose! HAHAHA This was Tey’s shot and it turned out to be pretty funny. I think it’s his lips/mouth that crack me up…

Have a great weekend!

So while in New York, I shot a portrait session with my good friends Lisa and Tim. Tim proposed while they were vacationing there earlier this year, so it was cool to get some shots of them around the city. I’ve been thinking of this shoot for some time now, and I wanted scenery that was very “New York” but still fit into my style…if that makes any sense. So, we went to SOHO, Central Park and did a midnight shoot in Time Square (which was an adventure all on it’s own!). Thanks to Dennis who was my emergency lightstand! Here we go:

Two weeks ago, Julie and Tony were married on a glorious day in Malibu, CA. Driving up Hwy 1, I was reminded of how lucky we are to live in Southern Cali. It was just perfect! Their ceremony was at Stauffer Chapel on the University of Pepperdine campus. It’s a pretty killer view from that campus and I’m sure all you Pepperdine peeps are aware of it ;) Their reception was at Duke’s Malibu Restaurant just a few miles down the road, right on the beachfront. We were able to get some pretty neat stuff on the beach. Thanks to Julie & Tony and the wedding party for putting up with our antics…it’s all for the greater good of photos! Here’s a quick recap:

Well, it was a long, tiring, fun and exhilirating 5 days in New York City. It was definitely a challenge bringing Lucas around the city, but it was worth it as he had fun with the gang. There was a total of 9 of us (including Lucas). We decided on an NYC trip, because Tey had never been there before and this would be our last opportunity for a getaway until late next year or early 2009! And, it was a good opportunity to visit my aunt who lives in the city. Our friends Huey & Mezzi, Tim & Lisa and Dennis & Wendy completed our travel group. As usual, travelling with a large group is not so easy, but we made it work. We split up on many occasions and had dinners together and meet ups here and there. It was a good team effort! Let’s break it down…

Day One: The Show

We took the redeye and arrived at 7am…ugh! Initially, we wanted to rent an apartment for the group but it was difficult finding a place for 8 people. So we ended up staying at a hotel in Midtown by the Public Library. We walked around like zombies until check-in time and finally took a nap. Lucas was pretty exhausted from the flight and he knocked out for 3 hours. That evening, we split up from the group and met up with my Aunt. She babysat Lucas for a few hours while Tey and I watched a show (Jersey Boys). Such a cool show…I totally recommend it. Thanks Didi! So we picked up Lucas and we had some awesome Pizza from this tiny shop in the Upper West side, Freddy & Pepe. Sooo good! Anyway, we bussed it back home to the hotel and Lucas knocked out at 2AM. Yup, that’s right…his sleeping schedule was so messed up because of the flight and the time change.

Day Two: The Rain

Nothing beats a rainy vacation! After an afternoon of yummy cart food it started to downpour! So, I bought a $5 umbrella from the dude on the corner and we chugged along. We went to the Guggenheim museum to get out of the rain, but it was Thursday, and it was closed! That sucked! So, we trekked through Central Park in the rain trying to get back into our hotel room. That night it was just pouring so we ended up hanging out in Time Square. Rain and a walking city really doesn’t mix, so it was a wasted day for me!

Day Three: The Bus

We started off the day taking the red double decker tourist bus. It’s cheesy, but it was helpful in getting around to the touristy stuff right away. And of course Lucas loved it. He’s definitely a subway and train kind of boy! We pretty much saw most of downtown Manhattan and it was pretty tiring. That evening I shot an engagement session with Tim & Lisa. They got engaged in NYC and asked me to shoot them…it was fun! There are endless possibilities for locations and we decided to shoot in SOHO, Central Park and Times Square. (these photos are coming soon!) Dinner at Tribeca Grill (De Niro’s restaurant) and then some yummy cupcakes at Magnolia bakery at midnight!

Day Four: The Longest Day

After getting lost in Chinatown, we finally made it to Dim Sum. Too much walking! Who knew that East Broadway is a totally different street from Broadway, 10 blocks away…SHEESH! We walked towards the ver cool Brooklyn bridge and the World Trade Center. The WTC was pretty surreal and my aunt was describing how the towers were so dominating that it was always so much shade there. And now there is just empty air. Interesting and spooky at the same time. We ended up splitting up as the fam and I went with Didi to Central Park so Lucas can frollick in the park. I just love the Park…it’s just awesome that such a metropolis has something like that. I think it makes Manhattan so unique. After a carousel ride, a purple trumpet and throwing coins in the fountain, he was good to go. He wanted to see the “Umminals!” but the zoo was closed. We all met up for dinner at the new Time Warner building at Columbus Circle and ate at Landmarc. It was yummy. We dropped off Tey and Lucas home to sleep and we all then went to Greenwich to look for some dessert. Because of subway repairs, we took an extra long time to get down there. It was brutal and we ended up walking an extra 10 blocks to get to a bakery that was closed. Argh! But it’s all still fun walking among the drunkards in the streets…it’s all about the travels, right?!

Day Five: Going Home

We had enough time to have a nice lunch at Bryant Park before it was off to the airport. There was also a street fair going on on 6th Ave. So, we had a chance to get Lucas an “I Heart NY” shirt and eat some of my favorite dessert, crepes! It was off to JFK International and back home. I love coming back to my bed after a trip!

Slideshow Time!

Ok, it’s slideshow time. Four minutes of NYC fun. Thanks for reading!