I feel that every time I write a post about a wedding I've photographed, I don't know where to begin because all of my clients take my breath away.  Each couple is so unique and most importantly, so in love!  However, Roxana and Mario are different, because they are real friends.  The kind we ask to be a witness when we got married through the courthouse.  

The same great friends that insisted we have a reception during our wedding and didn't hesitate to give all they could at a moments notice.  That is just who Mario is.  He is sweet, noble, and definitely a giver.  In short: A great friend.  When he found Roxana, we all rooted for him to put a ring on that finger because she is just as great!!!  Two great souls who have found each other.  Nothing more beautiful than that!

So, needless to say, this was one for the books.  Because  great friends are few and far in between and they deserve all the happiness in the world.  

This was a beautiful and intimate destination wedding at the Hard Rock Hotel in Puerto Vallarta with a beach ceremony and light up dance floor!  A great background to dance the night away listening to the waves break on the shore!  My favorite!

Wow, these two wear their hearts on their sleeves.  It was apparent during the whole day that Joana and Herminio are well loved and hold a special place in each of their guests' hearts.  Both are sweet, fun, lively, and love hard and deep.  They also love to get down on the dance floor!  

With an ocean view and underneath cafe lights, guests from near and far came to witness their beautiful vows at La Mansion Villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  The entire day was vibrant with laughter, heartwarming hugs, and beautiful personal details throughout the entire event.  Planning was done by Rebeca from The Wedding Mexico, and I think she did such a great job bringing Joana and Herminio's wedding to life.

Jo & Jg:  Thank you so much for honoring me with the opportunity to photograph your special day.  You guys made me feel like a part of the party and your guests were the most fun! I'm sending you lots of hugs and will see you next time I'm in California for sure!

*Day after session coming tomorrow!

There is nothing more exciting than photographing a wedding of family and close friends. Making sure to give them 200% on the day of the wedding and making sure that they get the best photos which they will cherish for many, many years! Also, having the possibility to truly convey to me what it is they want, what they're looking for, and how I can best serve them without holding back because they know - I've got them covered.  

I am so honored at the opportunity to share this wedding with you all.  It was filled with fun, laughter, love, and many sweet details all throughout.

Cristy + Julian:  Thank you so much for confiding and honoring me with your big day! I am so happy that everything worked out great and I was able to both share and capture special moments all through out the day.  Love you guys and I wish you all the happiness in the world!!!

Location: Crestmore Manor, Riverside, CA   //  Day of Coordinator: Events by Ari  (super recommend her!) //  Florals & Decor: DIY by the bride and her awesome team of bridesmaids, family, and friends  //  MUA: Make up by Row (@oh_dollface on insta)  // DJ: Heart Sound Ent. // Amazing Second Photographer: Mayra Ariza

I am at a loss for words, I never believed something so long awaited could be the most beautiful feeling in the world.  I didn't think much of my pregnancy as it was pretty normal and easy to say the least in comparison to others' experiences.  I had energy during the second trimester and into the third I was just ready to meet our little one. 

Aldo, my husband, and I decided early on that we didn't want to know the sex of the baby until the day came to meet him or her.  It's incredible that we didn't cave in and actually had fun not knowing, because in the end, it didn't matter to us.  Our baby, whether girl or boy, would be loved no matter what and as long as the  baby was healthy, that's that that mattered.

Finally the day came and my doctor opted to induce me.  The reason being is because our little one was not growing inside anymore and since they were full term, it was best to let him or her grow outside of the womb.  I was all for it.  I just wanted to meet this little one already!  We got to the hospital, Aldo meeting me there a couple of hours after. 

Friday came and our little Leon was born at 3:21pm weighing a solid 6 pounds.  First words out of my husbands mouth when Leon finally made his debut:  

"He is perfect.  Just perfect."

And he continues to be.  Everything they say about having a child is completely true, you have to live it to really appreciate it.  But never could you feel a love so intense and so natural.  Thanks to God for this little blessing.  I'm excited to watch him grow and get to know him.  

World, meet Leon.  

When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately thought of doing a studio type of session when the time came.  I was super happy to have my husband take the others in the mountains for me and they are some of my favorites, however, these in studio just have a different feel.  I am so happy with them!!!

If you know me, you know that I'm not particularly fond of showing so much skin but being pregnant I feel like the tummy needs to be shown off!  I love it when my clients show off their baby bumps and so I too had a lot of fun. 

We took our own photos right here in our home last night and it was such a great experience to be able to take photos and pose all while trying to beat the 10 second timer, haha.  

So here they are! (You can see Part I HERE.)

I love having the beach so close by!  Makes it all that more fun when I have families who are from out of town come visit and take advantage of the view with a fun family portrait session!

Tere contacted me via Facebook letting me know that she and her family were going to be in town.  We coordinated and I met them at their resort, The Grand Mayan, in Nuevo Vallarta.  What a gorgeous location! The best is when the hotels have beautiful  beachfronts to soak in the sunset!  We had fun splashing in the water and getting to know each other a little better.  

If you are traveling to Puerto Vallarta or anywhere in the Riviera Nayarit area, please let me know and we can take advantage of the beautiful views and get a sweet portrait session done! An amazing memory to take back with you from your vacation 😉

Seriously, this couple is the sweetest.  So in love with each other and very devoted to one another!  It was sweet to watch them on their special day.  Especially when it started pouring rain and we had to change venues, Jessica kept her cool and we were able to make some very beautiful and unique images at the new location.  

I'm so excited to share these with you guys! I loved seeing this family and group of friends again! 

Jessica + Joel:  Thank you so much for having me on your special day! It was great to see the profound love you two have for each other and I wish you nothing but happiness!!!

Sometimes, things don't go so according to plan and you end up with even better results! We were headed to the beach on Saturday to take these but low and behold, it was pouring rain.  Like thunderstorm and wind pouring.  No chance of getting any sunlight at all.  So we aborted the mission and on our way home, Aldo turned to me and said, "Can I take some with the hills and the fog if we find a good spot?" I said, "Sure!"  As we made our way back home, we found a few good spots and quickly jumped out to take some photos.  

I love that Aldo has such a different perspective when it comes to taking photos and he can always make me feel absolutely comfortable in front of the camera.  

I LOVE these photos!!!

This is only part one.  Part two is coming soon ;).   We are so ready to meet this little baby of ours... the due date can't come soon enough!

I love seeing families grow.  I photographed Sergio and Karla's wedding 3 years ago! Little did I know that I would be photographing Sergio's sister's wedding now.  It was so great to see the family, meet Joel, and photograph another beautiful wedding for this family.

Jessica and Joel are sweet natured and so, so, so in love!  We decided to shoot their engagement session at the Campestre Golf Club in Chihuahua, Mexico.  Such a gorgeous venue!  

Usually during this time, Chihuahua is a hot mess with temperatures in the high 90's, however, I was greeted with rain!  I can't complain, I'm 7 months pregnant and welcome rain over sunny any day!  It was such a fun shoot, we got rained on and then the sun peeked out for a little bit before setting.  

Hey brides!  After choosing your photographer, you will most likely work alongside them to create the best timeline for photos on your big day.  This is really important because it will help the photographer to get an idea of where to be, what time the major events are happening through out the day, and carve out the best time for the portraits of you and your love!  It also helps us photographers with knowing where the light will be and how we have to adjust in case we need to take photos in bright noon sunlight or during sunset at the beach.  

I'm going to outline some of the more important photography moments that should be worked into your timeline.  However, take note that it all depends on how long you contracted your photographer for, where you are getting married, and other factors. 

Getting Ready 

Ah, the getting ready shots!  These are my favorite to start the day with.  If they can be worked in, I highly recommend it!  If you're pressed for time, shave off an hour of the reception coverage for these, trust me, you will not regret it!  It's a quiet time when you and your girls or perhaps just you are getting ready and can really soak in the day.  At this time, I usually take advantage of photographing the dress, shoes, jewelry,  and any other important detail the bride has chosen for her day.

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I also love to get candid shots of the bride with her family and friends and allow things to flow and just happen.  Sometimes we get the best emotional photos out of these moments.  

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This time also allows me to get photos of just the bride alone right after she's done getting ready.  It's such a special time to just breath and take a look in the mirror  and get excited! I love being with brides during this time.

Oh, sometimes we get shots of the grooms getting ready too ;)

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Bride & Groom Portraits / First Look

I love to do have the bride and groom do a first look after the Getting Ready shots.  It makes for a more impactful surprise and during this time there are guests around which makes it truly special for the couple.  They are alone, together, for the first time the entire day.  After the portraits, the couple is surrounded by people the rest of the day.  So, I love it when we carve out enough time to take the portraits.  If your timeline allows you to do this before your ceremony, I recommend it! You'll also look fresh and excited.  

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However, sometimes the bride and groom opt to see each other after the wedding ceremony, which is totally ok too! Just make sure you have enough time and a location away from your guests and bridal party so that you can have that time alone!

Ceremony

This one is obvious! You must and should have at least 15 - 20 minutes buffer before your ceremony to relax, touch up make up, and allow your photographer to get the ceremony location with out anyone in it.  

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All of the decor has to be photographed because it was chosen by you! And that makes it extra special.

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Bridal Party / Family Formals

These are great to get done right after the ceremony when everyone is present and no one has disappeared to the cocktail hour yet. Also, I like to do these at the same time or one right before the other.  The reason being is because most of the time, the bridal party is made up of family! So rather than have two separate times, we do it all together.  You might not like the idea of having family wait for formals or vice versa, but it takes all about 30 minutes to get these out of the way.  

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These are also when I take a more formal approach to the photos and allow different combinations to occur.  It all depends on how big or small your bridal party and families are!  

Sunset Photos / Cocktail Hour

These can be done at the same time or scheduled so that you can enjoy the cocktail hour and then slip away for a bit for beautiful sunset photos.  These photos really offer beautiful golden light during one of the most sought after times for photography! 

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If your photographer has an assistant photographer, they usually will have them taking candid photos of the cocktail hour and your guests.  This way you don't miss out on capturing some great moments of your guests :).

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Party / Reception

This part of the day is usually more relaxed for us photographers.  I like to make sure I get to the reception venue a little early to get all the details of the decor, just like the ceremony.  Depending on how many hours you have your photographer for, make sure they get your grand entrance, if nothing else.  

I don't really have a set a timeline as most of the major events are announced by the DJ.  I do try and work with the DJ so that we're on the same page and he knows who I am and we'll check in with each other during the reception so we're both ready and don't miss anything important.  

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The main events during the reception include: Grand Entrance, First Dance, Mother / Son and Father / Daughter dances, cake cutting, toasts, garter and bouquet toss, and lots of dancing!

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Grand Exit

If you have a Grand Exit in mind make sure you speak to your photographer about the time and if you have anything special planned!  We'll need to be set up and ready to go before you actually exit and make sure we're in a good position so that people don't crowd us or we don't miss where you're going to be walking through.  And if there are sparklers, we love sparklers, we'll need to set up for that too!