South Coast Botanic Garden Portraits | Palos Verdes, CA Portrait Photographer | Silas

Silas is (almost) TWO!!

I LOVE getting to visit with my little pal Silas and have had the wonderful opportunity to work with him and his parents, Anna and Matt, for all of Silas’ milestone sessions since he was just a few months old!

Silas is so much fun to work with –  he is the most adorable little bundle of energy with the CUTEST smile and the brightest blue eyes!! We had a blast wandering around and climbing “big rocks” at the South Coast Botanical Gardens in Palos Verdes.

I can’t wait to work with you again next time and watch you become the sweetest big brother, Silas!!

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Lake Elsinore Wedding Photos | Lake Elsinore, CA Photographer | Dan & Rachel

This intimate Lake Elsinore sunset wedding was such an honor to be a small part of!

Dan and Rachel met in a high school study hall class and while playing a game with mutual friends, Dan accidentally broke Rachel’s hand! Ever since then, these two have been best friends.

Surrounded by immediate family and a handful of close friends, Dan and Rachel said their own personal vows to each other lake side in the yard of one of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever seen. Dan’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time will forever be one of my favorite reactions to date. The genuine happiness that spread across his face and the stream of tears that fell immediately upon seeing his best friend walking towards him was priceless. Not a single eye was dry at this ceremony and you can bet I’m tearing up again as I write this just thinking about how beautiful it was!

The beautiful custom flower crown Rachel wore and the simplistic bouquets and floral arrangements adorning the tables were all created by the beautiful bride herself the morning of the wedding. With romantic twinkling lights hung all over the yard by Dan, his brothers and the fathers, these two danced the night away under the stars to some of their best friends singing a romantic duet and playing guitar together.

Dan and Rachel – wherever God takes you on this wild ride of life, I hope that it is as full of so much love and joy! Congratulations, you two! Love you guys!

(To see all my favorite images from Dan and Rachel’s beautiful sunrise Joshua Tree engagement session, click here!)

In Home Newborn Session | Newport Beach, CA Photographer | Charlotte Jo

Newborn sessions will always have my heart!

This family was absolutely precious to photograph! Harper and Jack were so excited to embrace their new baby sister and couldn’t wait to give her all the cuddles and tell her all their jokes!

In-Home Newborn Photos | Torrance, CA Newborn Photographer | Juliette Rose

Juliette Rose was welcomed into the world this past June and I had the privilege of meeting her at just 11 days new!

It was such a joy to have this new little family of 3 in front of my camera and I couldn’t wait to join them in their new home to document this major milestone. Little Juliette was so incredibly sweet and was sleeping soundly the entire morning – the perfect little model! I could not get over her beautiful, dark hair and I especially loved her light, boho themed nursery and cute sloth details!

Babies are seriously the best – those little toes and thigh rolls get me EVERY. TIME. GAH!! But one of my absolute FAVORITE parts about newborn sessions is getting to watch the new parents with their little ones. It is very rare that I’m not tearing up behind that lens watching these sweet little moments!! It is so amazing to see so much love and excitement and to hear all about their hopes and dreams for their new baby! Glenn and Colette couldn’t take their eyes off their gorgeous daughter and her teeny, tiny little fingers!

Juliette – you are a very lucky little girl and it is so obvious that your parents are head over heals in love with you! Welcome to the world, beautiful!

Malaga Cove Sunset Anniversary Photos | Palos Verdes Photographer | Brenna & Garrett

Brenna and Garrett are two engineers who met while moving into their dorms at New Mexico Tech on the very first day of freshman year. At a school with a very small boy to girl ratio of 4 to 1, it didn’t take long for these two to take notice in each other! After dating for 3 years, Garrett planned to propose to Brenna on campus and after she asked him when he would FINALLY pop the question, he did!

They began their planning for a beautiful backyard wedding surrounded by family and friends. Together, they built a large arbor for their big day and even carved their initials in the wood – how cute is that?! When they were setting up the final details before the ceremony, however, they discovered that a BEAR did not think it was so cute and clawed their initials right out of the arbor!

After 5 years married, these two are still very creative together and love spending their date nights woodworking, working out, searching for the best frozen yogurt and dreaming of their future together!

I had such a wonderful evening with these two running around the Malaga Cove Plaza and the Malaga Cove Library for their anniversary photos. The night was filled with giggles and romance! It is so easy to see how in love Brenna and Garrett are with each other and with their life together! They were so beyond sweet making each other laugh, reminiscing about their life together so far and dreaming of the future.

Brenna and Garrett – You guys were such a DREAM to photograph and I cannot thank you enough for letting me be a small part of your love story! I can’t wait to see what God has in store for your future together! Wherever life takes you guys – home owning, parenting, or modeling, perhaps?! – I wish you guys all the love and joy in the world!

Happy 5th Anniversary, you two!

“One of the things I love about Garrett is that he is like a real, strong, lumberjack kind of man. I love that he can just do or build anything.” – Brenna

“Brenna is just so beautiful and smart. I’m so lucky.” – Garrett

Holiday Acres Resort Wedding Photos | Rhinelander Wisconsin | Destination Wedding Photographer | Paige & Garrett

This wedding day is one of my favorites to date!

Paige and Garrett met online just about 2 years ago and after their first date at AppleBee’s, they knew their fairytale had begun! These two have been inseparable ever since the day they met and their love is so true and beautiful.

Garrett proposed to Paige in such a romantic and creative way – he got her off work and sent her on a special scavenger hunt using letters listing all the things he loves about her! At the final location, he was waiting for her with roses, a handmade ring box and a custom made, one of a kind ring specially designed just for her! *swoon* I was even so lucky to be in on the secret and helped Garrett plan a surprise engagement photo session for these two at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve shortly after their engagement! Now if that proposal doesn’t sound amazing enough, wait till you see a peak at their wedding! Their wedding day was absolutely PERFECT!!

Paige and Garrett got married at the beautiful Holiday Acres Resort in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The day was spent surrounded by amazing friends and family! One of my absolute favorite things about this wedding is all the attention to detail that these two incorporated into their day. All of the photos displayed from the entirety of they relationship, their baby bonnets as each others handkerchiefs and the romantic album Paige made for Garrett were all AMAZING but my very favorite detail? All of the petals the flower girls tossed were saved and pressed from every bouquet of flowers Garrett gave to Paige since day one!! HOW ROMANTIC IS THAT?!?!

Paige and Garrett – it has been such an honor to be a part of your love story and I am so incredibly blessed to have such amazing clients and friends like you guys! I wish you guys all the best in your life together and cannot wait to see what God has in store for you next! Congratulations, lovebirds!!

(And a special thank you to my good friend and fellow photographer, Christina, for tagging along to assist and photograph with me!)

 

Sunrise Desert Engagement Photos | Joshua Tree, CA | Dan & Rachel

This romantic sunrise Joshua Tree desert engagement session is one of my FAVORITE sessions to date!!

Dan & Rachel met in high school and quickly became best friends after Dan accidentally broke Rachel’s hand during a study hall game! While their friendship grew, so did their love for each other! After graduating high school, Dan joined the Marines and these two spent some time apart from each other. But the distance couldn’t stop these two! Through daily letters during their time apart, phone calls whenever possible and short visits home during his leave, these two are inseparable and have always known it was meant to be!

On one of his short visits home, Dan & Rachel visited a jeweler to scope out what type of engagement ring Rachel would like someday. Little did she know that Dan had purchased the ring right there that night! Soon before they had to part ways again, they planned a romantic date night downtown. They got all dressed up, went for a romantic dinner at the top of a skyscraper overlooking the twinkling city lights of Chicago, and finished off the evening walking through the park. Then, at the bench where it all began, Dan proposed to Rachel!

Joshua Tree National Park was the PERFECT spot for this romantic and adventurous engagement session! Dan & Rachel were troupers getting up so early to make the desert sunrise – that 4am wake up call was SOOOO worth it!! These two were so full of laughs, snuggles and genuine happiness throughout their entire session and their love is so obvious just in the way that they look at and hold each other!

One thing Dan & Rachel love most about each other is that they both bring out the best in one another and have the same dreams for their future together! Following their wedding and Dan’s service, these two are excited to pursue careers in education to further God’s kingdom and see the world together!

This session has been an extra special honor for me to be a part of because Dan and Rachel are my brother and soon to be sister-in-law!

Rachel – I remember the day that I met you for the first time – I came home from work and you and Dan were dancing around and making fruity crepes in mom and dad’s kitchen and I swear I’ve never seen Dan smiling so big! I instantly knew that you guys were perfect for each other and it has been so much fun watching you guys grow from being best friends learning to make crepes to planning your wedding! I know that I can speak for our entire family when I say that we are all beyond excited to have you join the Tobin clan!! (YAY for another sister!!!)

Dan – We are all SO excited for you!! Watching you throughout this journey has been so awesome – you truly could not have picked a more amazing woman to love and continue your life with! It has been such an honor to be able to capture your joy and relationship with Rachel!

I cannot wait to see where God leads you both in the future and I am SO looking forward to sharing your intimate June wedding!! Love you guys!!