I just have to say that Amy and John are madly in love.  I can see this.  I shoot enough weddings to see genuine, true love.  These two have it and I was brought to tears again and again just seeing the way they simply looked at each other.  This blog post is very “ceremony heavy”, but I thought it was one of the most beautiful and authentic ceremonies that I’ve been to.  And I can’t complain about the gorgeous light pouring in from behind, either!   Congratulations, Amy and John.  I hope to see you soon for some belly shots!

If you’re coming, print out this JPEG. It will save you half off at the door/ normally $8 but only $4 with this coupon.

Check out this basement video by yours truly for a teaser…

And please be sure to fan Jesse on Facebook for future info on their upcoming shows, etc! Click Here!

“Adam proposed when we were skiing at Mary Jane.  We go up there a lot so it was the perfect setting, especially because it was a gorgeous, warm, blue sky day in the mountains.  Not sure if you’re familiar with Mary Jane at all, but at the very top of the mountain there is an area called Parsons Bowl so we rode the lift up there with his cousin and cousin’s girlfriend who were in town from D.C. for the weekend.  All of a sudden his cousin & cousin’s girlfriend said they were going to ditch us so they could race each other down the hill.  I thought that was a little strange but was like whatever, I guess that’s what out-of-towners do when they come here to ski   So Adam and I were skiing by ourselves and all of sudden he took a spill and was really slow to get up so I skied over to where he was and he was still on the snow grasping his knee in pain.  I was really worried he might have torn something since he has bad knees to begin with!  So I told him he should pop out of his skis and stretch a little to see if that would help.  Well when he popped out of his skis, he also popped out the ring and proposed!  I couldn’t believe it was happening then and there but was so excited and surprised that I said yes right away and we skied down to the bottom of the mountain and met up with his cousin and had some celebratory shots at the Cable Car!!!  I couldn’t have asked for a better proposal, because not only was it a surprise but it was at one of our favorite places and doing one of our favorite activities…..”

Aren’t they adorable?!  And their sweet little husky, Kiva wasn’t too bad, herself!  We had a great time meandering around Jefferson park…  it was a very easy and comfortable shoot–again, like I have known them for years!  I’m  very much looking forward to their wedding in June.

Lighting this event was no easy feat however. Candles and twilight make for a very difficult white balance situation with the mixture of  all the warm and cool tones.  To top it off, when you have 20 other guests using direct flash on the bride or the large windows facing downton, it is a lighting nightmare!  I stuck to  “Julie’s rule of thumb” though and focused on getting the moment and trusting my instincts technically, instead of fretting about the light, where to set up my flash and what shutter speed to use to both capture the ambient light, and still have my subjects in focus.    I hope these images convey the beauty of the day and the gorgeous design and decor.  One thing is for sure—they do convey the emotional highlights of Leah and Phil’s most important day…  the laughter was contagious…  doesn’t an image say 1000 words?

The bridesmaids had the best jewelry!  The earrings and necklaces were to die for.  And better yet, they were  handmade by Phil’s mother…

And this hairpiece was dreamy!  A gorgeous, artdeco piece of art!

It’s easy to get caught up in the hoopla of a wedding day…  but I appreciate it when I see my clients take a “time-out” for a blessing… what a wonderful way to start “forever”.

For those of you who insist  on using “actions”,  just mix tungsten light with incandescent and you’ll naturally get that “70’s” feel.  Haha!   I tried working this image to balance the whites, but ended up liking it just the way it was…

Leah and Phil met before the ceremony to take communion together.  I was honored to get to witness and document such a private and sacred ritutual.

Here’s the tungsten/incandescent thing again…  I actually love mix of hues in this image.

Stacy Pisani did an amazing job designing this room.  It’s not alwasy easy to work with hotels, but this  ceremony site felt like a romantic scene out of an old movie…  it was perfect.

I don’t want to eat my words and actually thank people for pulling out their flash during the precession, but this time somebody’s direct light actually made the image!  The picture before however was Leah with a red radar on her face.  That one will also be black and white.  Hee hee

Another “outtake” for my website!

Leah and Phil had a great party after the ceremoy.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much joy and laughter!  It truly was contagious.

Finnegan and Obadiah (right)

Obadiah has the most sage expressions…  He seems almost regal.

Look at those eyes!

Finnegan is Obadiah’s spry little brother.  He is  all play!

Obadiah is still enjoying the snow…  so cute!

Regina’s huband, Jay made it home later so we went to Regina’s studio to snap a few candids of everybody hanging out…

This one cracks me up!

Blue steel—literally.

I’m not sure what it is about this image that I love so much… it feels a little cold and eerie.  You can almost hear florescent lights buzzing.  Yet there is much comfort between Sheri and Geoff.  I guess I love the juxtaposition.