Five years ago, Michael tapped Mara on the shoulder during their microbiology class at CSULB. He wanted her number so they could study together.  That was Michael's first smooth move. Proposing to her a few years later on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, sealed the deal.

When I met with Mara about her wedding a year before the event, I was excited to hear she and her fiancee where getting married at the Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes. The glass chapel, designed by Lloyd Wright brings the beauty of the outdoors in and I had been dying to shoot there. It was close to were Michael proposed and seemed to tie their whole courtship together. The killer dinner and reception at L'Opera was beautifully decorated by Renee of One Sweet Affair.

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Whew... I love this last one.  Muy caliente! For more of their romantic wedding, check out the slideshow below.

Hair and Makeup: Fiore Beauty



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I was thrilled when Andrea and Doug asked about a day after session.  They wanted great portraits but didn't want to take the time away from their guests at the wedding.  This allowed us to pick a location and time we really wanted for some beautiful, artistic portraits. This is a great idea when your timeline is tight but gorgeous portraits are high on your priority list.  Andrea and Doug did their day after session two days after their wedding, but they can really be done at any time.

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A similar shot in black and white... I couldn't decide which I preferred...
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Shanna Says:

WOW...stunning!

(11.27.10 - 09:19 PM)
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Not many people plan a home remodel and a wedding at the same time. Especially when the wedding reception is to be at that home.  But Doug and Andrea took it all in stride. Even the rainstorms that slowed the progress down had no effect on their bliss.  Nothing was going to stop these two from sharing their day with friends and family.  Even if family was over 7,000 miles away in Malaysia.  Thanks to modern technology, Andrea woke her dear parents up at 3am and Skyped the whole wedding so they could see their little girl get married!  They even dressed up.  So sweet.

The ceremony was at the First Baptist Church in Woodland Hills (one of the cutest little churches in Los Angeles, with a traditional steeple) and the reception was at their finished home in Calabasas.  Even the rain behaved!

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I love black and white wedding photography, especially a classic portrait like this next one...

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And of course my favorite vintage-y, fine art ones...

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One of their friends was in charge of setting up the Skype broadcast to Malaysia and showing Andrea's parents the whole ceremony.

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I love this photo of Doug and his mother...

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...and Andrea with her parents as well...

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Their entire wedding was DIY, with Andrea's sisters and her BFF Gloria (co-owner of the new West Hills Yankee Doodles) handling the cake, food and decorations.

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Andrea changed into a more traditional dress half way through the reception. She ordered these creative favors from China.

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Man, I love those portraits of them.  If you'd like to see more of their wedding, please view the slideshow below.  We also did a killer day after session so make sure to come back next week to see those!




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Trying to catch up on all the amazing October photo shoots, including this wedding that took place on October 10, 2010, a busy day in the wedding industry!

Laura and Carl didn't let the 105 degree Los Angeles heat bother them as they said their vows at noon... outside... with no overhead coverage of any kind.  Yea it was hot but when you've had to postpone your original wedding date by almost a year for various reasons, nothing matters except saying 'I Do' in front of you're family and friends.

It was a nice, small wedding held at the Chateau Marianne.  The western theme was fun and different for me so I had fun processing some of the images to reflect the day.

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Nancy Nevins from Sweetwater was there and she sang a song at the beginning of the ceremony.

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Ruth Silver -- Chicago Wedding Photographer Says:

Absolutely gorgeous wedding! Love the details and car shots. Great work!

(11.04.10 - 09:06 AM)
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Style Unveiled recently featured Sandra and Kevin's wedding from this past summer. They had also featured their engagement session back in April so it was nice to have both on the same blog!  To see the full post, please head on over to the Style Unveiled blog.

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Garfield Says:

Wow, incredible photography. I've been looking for a chicago wedding photographer to help me with my wedding. I wish you weren't in LA.

(05.06.11 - 01:18 PM)
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