The-Un trash the dress.

Josh and I are lucky enough to know these two beautiful people. Nicole and Jared are getting married this summer and between all of the planning Niocle ended up with an extra dress. So here we are at the “trash the dress” conversation. I had never photographed the ever-controversial trash the dress nor did I want to. I love dresses. I think they are pretty and they should stay that way. So I agreed on the grounds that as long as the dress looked pretty, and remained that way, I would shoot it. The pool belongs to Jared’s parents and they were kind enough to even heat it for them! This was probably one of the most fun shoots I have done in a long time and I love the images. We also photographed them earlier in the day for their engagement session that is also a part of this post. Congrats you two! We LOVE you!

P.S. you can follow Nicole on twitter here!

J&M

instlye-in

Congrats to my amazing husband Josh on his work being featured on In Style! Josh has teamed up with Celebrity Trainer and nutritionist Kathy Kaehler working out the Sunday Set Ups! You can check out more info about Kathy here. Thanks to our Good Carma girls Chrissy & Melissa for always prodcuing such glorious events.

ally + jon

Ally + Jon are really cool.

Ally had an amazing idea to fly us to NYC to shoot in Central Park. Because Michelle was 9 months pregnant that photo session was scrapped. Boo! Maybe for a one year wedding anniversary session we can make that happen! Being in SoCal seemed to fit these two just fine as we rocked some secret Malibu spots and got some GORGEOUS photos! We can't wait for this wedding! It's gonna be great!...and we get to work with the fabulous Bella girls too!

susan + david

Style...lots of it. Susan and David seem to drip with "coolness". With a creative vision from coordinator-extraordinaire, Lynda Mort, Susan and David dressed up his parent's Agoura Hills home for the celebration of their lives and it was freaking cool! With potential rain hovering overhead, we managed to stay dry and have a great day. Joining Bride & Groom at the altar were their dogs Georgia and Capone who seemed to enjoy the festivities. David's vows wowed the crowd and had my vote for best speech of the day until Susan's sister and Matron of Honor, Sarah, got her turn on the microphone during the reception. She wrote one of the best speeches ever written in the history of speech writing. Michelle loved it so much she took the note cards so that we could share the speech, just look below and be ready to laugh.

Susan and David, congratulations!


Dress: Claire Pettibone
Coordinator: Lynda Mort of Romantic Moments Office: 818.998.1838
Flowers: Stacey Martin
Caterer: Renaissance catering 818- 344-3231
Cake: Vanilla Bakeshop





Good evening, I'm Sarah, Susan's sister, and I'm honored to be here as the Matron of Honor. I've put a lot of thought into what I wanted to say to Susan & David at this moment. As a newlywed myself, I really wanted to pass on some helpful advice that I've learned. So Susan, my advice to you, as sister-to-sister, married woman-to-married woman, and animal lover-to-animal lover, is to treat David like a DOG! I know this sounds harsh but think about it....we all tend to treat our pets better than our spouses. Susan, here are some guidelines to help you treat David the same as you treat your dog, Georgia:

Show excitement and over emphasize your love and affection every time you see him.

Be patient, even the smartest dog can't learn a new trick over night.

Be forgiving. You would never hold a grudge against or delay forgiveness from Georgia.

Always remember to reward David's good behavior rather than punish bad behavior.

Don't nag too much. Nagging will get you nowhere when it comes to training a dog! Use positive reinforcement and encouragement instead.

If David makes a mess, don't rub his nose in it. Frankly, that would just be disgusting!

Don't keep David caged up - let him run on a long leash. Confined dogs make unhappy pets so allow David to have personal time to devote to his friends and hobbies.

When David barks loudly or excessively, don't try to match his bark, simply remind him, in a calm voice, to use his "inside bark." We all know that David can bark with the best of 'em!

Keep David well fed and surprise him with occasional treats, like a case of Guinness perhaps.

Keep David interested. Dogs love to play. Strive to keep his ears perked and his tail wagging.

I know the family would be extremely disappointed if I didn't also suggest that you breed David! Everyone is looking forward to the day you have a litter of puppies!

And, if all else fails, always remember to give him a nice scratch on the butt! That always does the trick... isn't that right, Jeff? (Cue Jeff: "woof woof"). Good boy.

With this guidance, David will be house-broken in no time! And, don't give up too early. He's just a puppy. It will take some time, but eventually, you'll have a loving and loyal life-long companion!

David, although my advice is to Susan, feel free to use some of these dog training tips on her too. My point is to remember to always communicate with each other, love and respect one another, care for each other like the other's life is dependent upon you, and never take a moment of your time together for granted.

Susan, I love you very much; you are my best friend. I am so happy you have found the love of your life. I am confident that David will take amazing care of you and you will live the happiest life imaginable. And David, you are perfect for Susan. When I see you together, I see your adoration for her. You are selfless and supporting. I am so happy that your paths finally crossed. God Bless you both. Cheers!