Ilona and Takaya met at Claremont McKenna College so it was only fitting that they shoot their engagement session along the beautiful tree-lined campus streets. As soon as I met these two last summer I knew they’d be a blast to work with – and I WAS SO RIGHT. Their engagement session was a breath of fresh air after a long workweek, and they reminded me why I love shooting couples who drip globs of gooey love. On top of that, they loved the camera and the camera definitely loved them. They’re getting married in August and I’m so excited to be working with Tina Chang of TCL Events (thanks for the referral)!!

Just for the fun of it, I asked Joe to take the reins as primary shooter so I could hang back and look for different angles. We also swapped cameras and there was something comforting going back to the crop body that I ‘grew up’ with (okay it was only like 5 months ago that I upgraded). These first three are his and I gotta admit I’m a little jealous of some of the stuff he captured… I should be proud but I just can’t help my competitiveness!!

I remember my first glimpse of college life was when I walked my older brother to his little Harvey Mudd dorm room on the Claremont campuses… I remember seeing leftover kegs on the balconies sucked dry from the night before, watching as the hungover dudes staggered back to their rooms as I held back the urge to throw up at the smell of throw up wafting up the stairwells. I was a bit shocked to walk through the campus again to see the sober, non-hungover version of it. With the sun glowing, flowers blooming and students quietly studying for finals, there was a quiet peacefulness that made for a perfect picture setting.

Tak’s jaw hit the floor when Joe showed him some portraits he took of Ilona. It was so cute how giddy Tak was at seeing pictures of his HOT fiance. I thought it equally adorable how proud Joe was of the hot images he captured.

Ilona and Takaya were comfortable in front of the camera from the start, but once their true colors started coming out there was no turning back. I will never object if Boy wants to get frisky with Girl in front of my camera

Spank!

Ilona and Takaya, thank you for capturing our hearts and for being such superstars in front of the camera. We can’t wait to see you at your wedding!

Here are some more images from Karen and Mitchell’s wedding at Hurst Ranch in West Covina. Not only was the location a perfect canvas for their rustic/burlap/vintage-inspired wedding, but Karen’s grandfather actually does all the farming on this ranch!  This was a true DIY wedding made possible by the ultra-creative bride and groom and their extremely talented team of friends, family, neighbors, sorority sisters, etc. Every single detail from the hanging twinkle lights to the Smokehouse mac & cheese was executed to perfection. Oh and by the way, any couple that serves Smokehouse mac & cheese at their wedding deserves +1000 bonus points!!!

Here’s a little recap of how the day unfolded…

Joe hung out with the dudes and captured this. It’s just a hint at some of the awesomeness to come later… I love me some FORESHADOWING!!

Karen and Mitchell exchanged gifts before the ceremony. Someday this world map will be covered in memories from all their trips together.

Mitchell seeing Karen for the first time as she walked down the aisle. The looks on their faces say it all.

You can’t tell from the picture but this was taken as Karen silently mouthed the words “I love you” to Mitchell.

Not a bad looking group, eh?

Following the ceremony, guests wandered over to the beautifully-detailed reception area and sipped on orange cream soda and shirley temples (favorites of the b&G).

Remember that picture of Mitchell and the guitar? He was rehearsing… One thing Karen loves about Mitchell is that he sings to her whenever she’s feeling down. Mitchell, being the super-groom that he is, surprised Karen during the reception with a song he wrote and performed just for her. I think she liked it… I get so tickled looking at this picture.

1. Mitchell wasn’t afraid to show off his DWTS-worthy moves that Len Goodman himself would have applauded; 2. One of my favorite candid moments of the night was when Karen’s grandparents were the first and only two on the dance floor – that giant grin NEVER left grandpa’s face. Best part was that I’m pretty sure they were dancing to some top 40 song featuring Ludacris; 3. Karen’s dad got choked up when he found out Karen had chosen the song “Surfer Girl” for their dance. He used to sing it to her when she was a little girl.

I’ll end with one of my favorites of the day. They are so in love.

Karen and Mitchell, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day. Your love is truly unique and inspiring, and I wish you both the very best. Hope you’re enjoying your journey around the world right now!!

Just two and a half months ago Karen wandered the aisles of a bookstore with a couple friends to pick up a “LET’S GO Travel Guide” for her summer trip with her boyfriend Mitchell. She scooped up the book and then did a quick double-take at the bookshelf. There tucked away in the rows of  books was a “LET’S GO Travel Guide” with an image of HER and MITCHELL on the cover. Confused, she picked it up and slowly opened the cover to find that Mitchell had written about the moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Karen. She stood there frozen, signature smile glued to her face and a million things running through her head, and unbeknownst to her, Mitchell was around the corner with a ring in his pocket. When he approached her with the ring and a question, Karen – quite possibly for the first time in her life - was at a complete loss for words.

Fast-forward 2.5 months and they’re now a happy MARRIED couple. Congratualtions Karen and Mitchell :) And a huge congratulations to their amazing family and friends who pulled off this incredible wedding in such a short amount of time. Here are just a few pics from the day with more to come soon!

As soon as I got to the venue my dad spotted a pair of lovebirds and we knew it had to be a good sign.




We’ve got hatchets and gizmos a plenty, whozits and wrenches galore. You want petrol oil? I’ve got plenty!
And if there’s any question left in your mind, yes folks, we iz on a RANCH.

While the men were busy weilding shovels, chains, and muddy tires, the ladies were busy… being beautiful.

You can just hear the trembling in her voice as she read her vows…

Karen, you are absolutely gorgeous.