Sarah and Paul's wedding was in Turlock, CA. Where is that you ask? The quiet part of the country where they grow cotton and food crops. Where BEEF is what's for dinner. Well, actually...not so much anymore. There were a lot of vegetarians at this wedding! I had a wonderful time meeting their families...and this sneak peek is overdue for them...so let's get to some pictures! There were cute kids at the reception... and lots of cameras... And when this happened all I could think was "How do kids know the exact time when a spouse gets anywhere *close* to intimate with the other spouse????" LOL...their timing is uncanny. Some danced the night away... and some took a breather in the back...

Christine and Brian got married at the incredibly beautiful Carmel Mission on a slightly drizzly Monterey weekend. This marks my second wedding in a row with a large Portuguese family presence. Perhaps I should brush up on my Portuguese since the only word I know is "she-she" which means "pee"? I have no idea why I even know that one word...but for some reason it has stuck in my head all these years. I had so much fun listening to people at this wedding...portuguese sounds like a mix between french and spanish, like I could *almost* understand it. For certain I understood all the smiles, laughter, and good natured joking. And, I also now understand about Portuguese cheese. Now, where to buy some myself? Brian gave Christine two rings, one for an engagement ring and one for a bridal ring. LOVE that. {Note to my husband...jewelry is good. i love rings. christmas is coming, sweetie.} Normally, I don't get to see the guys getting ready, since I'm with the bride and her friends. But, this time a couple of the groomsmen got ready at the house with Christine. I really think the guys preparations are the way to go. Seems pretty laid back to me. Eventually, the guys did get ready...but Christine did their ties and cuffs for them. She's so sweet! Christine carried her grandmother's rosary for her something old, borrowed, and blue. The one quiet moment she had before the ceremony started. LOL.

How about some formal portraits for mom and dad?

Christine danced with her dad to a song in portuguese, which sounded like it was sung in a little girl's voice. I imagined she was singing about how she's going to love her daddy forever. At least, that's what Christine's face looked like when she was dancing with her dad. Don't you remember hiding under the tables when you were a kid?

So, I never did finish sharing some photos from Stacy and Eddie's wedding. My life took ahold and got so stupidly busy that I am just now getting some massive blog posting ready. You all who stuck around waiting for some updates should be pretty happy...there's a lot to share. But FIRST, let's have a peek at Stacy and Eddie's awesome wedding at Lost Canyons Golf Course in Simi Valley. Such a sweet end-of-summer wedding (yes, I consider October still summer). LOVE the look in Stacy's mom's face as she watches her minutes before the wedding started. Stacy and Eddie got married in a circle of friends and family. Possibly one of my most favorite photos of all time...love the intimacy here. So warm. We were all a little choked up as Eddie read his vows called "give and take" and to show all my photog friends...I do occasionally use flash for formal photos. LOL..how could I not with that beautiful sunset staring me in the face?

I am downloading the images from Stacy and Eddie's wedding right now...card 1 of 5. So, I haven't even looked at all of them yet, and I just HAD to share this one. Stacy and Eddie met through dancing, so you just knew their first dance would be hot salsa. I'll be back later with a larger set of images, but until then the Marc Anthony song is running through my head. Stacy had the smallest ring I have ever seen. I picked it out of the box and thought I'd made a mistake. I thought I'd gotten a toe ring or something. Seriously, I couldn't even slip her finger onto my pinky finger beyond the first knuckle. It was TINY! I finally asked...she wears a size 3 ring. So, this next ring shot will likely never be duplicated. The wife's ring, with a raised diamond setting, fits entirely within her husband's ring.

I have so many wonderful memories of Alicia and Jim's wedding in Kauai yesterday, that I don't know where to start! I suppose we could start at the very beginning of their relationship. Alicia and Jim met at their friends' wedding in Kauai 4 years ago. They didn't know each other before the wedding, but they spent their time in Kauai falling for each other. They were long distance for awhile, and then Jim moved to San Diego where Alicia lives. When Jim proposed, they started planning for a San Diego wedding. But then a light bulb went off...what about having the wedding in Kauai? The island has such special meaning for them, it was a natural fit. I am so pleased that I was able to be there with them, so let's share the photos. For those that are curious about the details for your own planning purposes Location: Moana Mele in Kiluea on Kauai's north side Coordinator: I Do Weddings Florist: Martin Roberts Caterer: Kauai Cuisine

I heard from reputable sources that Jim designed the rings and settings. These were beautiful rings, so cool even from the side! Alicia's dress is in my top three favorites of the year. The fabric was so beautiful, and the cut was perfection on her! Alicia getting her make-up on. I swear she was absolutely radiant! Dawn, the Maid of Honor Jim's nieces, Avery and Grace, were the flower girl and junior bridesmaid. They were simply adorable (and reminded me of my girls all day long). Um, yeah!? Don't you wish you got married here?! Paradise!! The ceremony was unbelievably touching. The officiant included some Hawaiian traditions, including a fresh coconut drink (as in...he sliced a coconut open right there on the spot!). One of my favorite parts of the ceremony though was watching Alicia and Jim's family take turns blessing them and their rings. And, then the officiant had Alicia and Jim take a quiet break, brought their heads together, and had them *feel* the love that was surrounding them from all sides. Family, friends, each other. As they were joining their lives together, he had them "breathe the same air". A short note about the weather. Kauai was dumping rain the morning of this wedding. And, literally 15 minutes before I started to shoot, the rain stopped. *insert angels singing* It didn't rain a drop more until about 15 seconds after Alicia and Jim were pronounced man and wife. It rained a short but sweet amount just show us a lucky rainbow (and get a few quick rain shots).