Can we talk about how gorgeous Rosie & Joe are!? This couple is fire and full of fun, spontaneity and style. I love that their friendship is so obvious the second you meet them and they’re just oozing with affection for one another. We had so much fun together taking their engagement photos at the beautiful Fullerton Arboretum. The garden grounds are so lush and have so much variety!

We are just about a month away from their big day, which will take place in gorgeous Palm Springs! Cannot WAIT to share even more of their love story with you guys – it’s gonna be amazing!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Okay let me stop happy crying for a minute so I can write this! This Grand Canyon proposal was extra special because the recipient was my baby sister, Ashley! We grew up in Arizona & our family planned to visit for the Thanksgiving holiday – so Sam started planning. He researched the perfect peak at the Grand Canyon to pop the question and gave my siblings and I a detailed map leading us to hide in the right spot! After tricking Ashley into thinking it was her idea to drive to the Grand Canyon for a siblings outing, his plan was in motion. After driving into the park & finally snagging a parking spot, the rest of us executed our perfectly crafted excuses for why we needed to stay back & Sam was able to have a slow walk to the peak with Ashley – reminiscing about their relationship and talking about the future. Before you knew it, they arrived at the peak, Sam was on one knee & he put a ring on it! We celebrated with some fun photos of them in the park & a dinner of her favorite restaurant in Arizona. I am beyond thrilled for Ash & Sam’s union & cannot wait to celebrate their wedding day this August!

I am obsessed with Christa & Kyle’s vibrant and colorful anniversary session at The Saguaro! Christa & I went to college together, and now both work as wedding photographers. We made a trip out to the desert in November where she shot a wedding with me, and we just couldn’t head back home without capturing she & her husband at the famous Saguaro hotel.

My favorite part of the session was when C & K broke out their swing dancing moves for me!

Did you know that 40% of engagements occur between November and February? The holiday season is the perfect time for engagements, since people have time off work and usually travel home to visit their families. What does that mean?! That means a decent amount of my 2019 & 2020 couples got engaged THIS WEEK!! I am beyond excited to meet each and every one of you, whether you were engaged on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas or even about to be engaged on New Years.

I bet you’ve been playing with your ring, watching it sparkle in the light and your heart is exploding with love + excitement. Suddenly, it hits you…”What are we supposed to do now!?” Don’t worry, there’s nothing to stress over! I’ve got your back with the 3 first things you should do after you get engaged.

1 | Call Your People

First & foremost, call your people. I’m talking Mom & Dad first, then your sibs, besties, anyone you’re really close with. Call them on the phone, don’t text them, don’t immediately hop on insta story. These are your people, and they deserve to know this big news before anyone!

2 | Think Big Picture

It may be tempting to head on over to your “secret” pinterest board and immediately dive in to the nitty gritty details of planning your wedding. Rather than dive in eyes first, set aside a couple hours to brainstorm the big picture with your fiancé. Ask yourselves/each other these questions:

How do we want our wedding to FEEL? List 50 words, then narrow it down to 3 together.

What kind of venue will you get married at? Will their style inform your decor and wardrobe?

What is most important to you about your wedding? The dress? The food? The venue? The party the DJ or band will begin? It’s great to start off knowing where you’ll want to spend the bulk of your budget and begin nailing down the most important details first. This will look different for every couple, so don’t feel like you have the wrong answer here. Do you, boo!

3 | Book the Major Players

Now that you know which elements are most important to you, begin researching and reaching out to the vendors who provide those services and build your squad. I always recommend starting with a planner (here’s an article with some why’s), then venue (to make the date official) and then your photographer (because we book up quick! I’m already 50% booked for 2019 so get that inquiry in!). Having your key players down, you’ll actually have time to focus on the fun stuff like dress shopping and menu tastings!

If you were engaged this holiday season, shoot me an email because I’d love to be one of your major players! Congrats! Xoxo

I absolutely adored getting to know Kara & Mike at their engagement session. Kara just has a heart of gold and I loved Mike’s sense of humor. The pair got engaged in Sausalito at Cavallo Point, so we knew we’d be revisiting that spot for their engagement photos. We began the session by popping some bubbly at beautiful Rodeo Beach and then drove over to Cavallo Point for the sunset! This was such a gorgeous afternoon on the other side of the bridge – I hope you enjoy the photos!

Rodeo Beach

Cavallo Point

Engaged?

Inquire HERE so we can capture your love story!

I met Chelsea as a bridesmaid at another wedding – an organized and totally attentive bridesmaid at that, who was also partially responsible for the design & beauty of the day. I can only imagine what she & James are cooking up for their special day here in San Francisco next May.

We started their engagement session on the secret rooftop of their apartment in the Marina & then headed to Fort Point for some photos near the Golden Gate bridge. We finished off with some pizza and beer at their favorite local spot, Final Final – a family owned sports bar. I’m still heart eyes over this session at some of the places that are most special to Chelsea & James. This shoot is classically San Francisco and so authentic to who these two are and their journey as a couple here in SF. Can’t wait to celebrate them & see where their adventures take them next!

Cheers!

book your engagement session today!

contact jess

Holy cow – you guys are literally going to FLIP when you see how cute Jillian & Justin are! These two were introduced [*cough* set up?] by Jillian’s Aunt who was Justin’s co-worker at the time. The pair was engaged this summer in Jamaica, how fun is that!? Pretty epic.

We began their session at the iconic Palace of Fine Arts in the presidio of San Francisco, then headed to Baker Beach to catch the sunset near the bridge! Be sure to catch Justin’s ACTUAL backflip at the beach! These two are planning one heck of a wedding party & I cannot wait to capture it all next August. Cheers to J&J!

Palace of Fine Arts

Baker Beach

Engaged?

Inquire HERE about your engagement photos! I’m available in the Bay Area & Los Angeles!

Okay, story time! First things first, the second Jessi’s inquiry came through to my inbox I was so excited! See, I went by Jessi for years as a kid – spelled just like that with no “e” at the end. Kindred spirits already! Then on top of that, I found out she & her fiancé Craig are friends of friends of mine & Chris’! We got to meet them at our friend’s wedding just a couple weeks later.

For their engagement photos, we started the session at the spot where Craig proposed – a classic SF corner with a view a.k.a. “their spot”. Then we walked around North Beach during golden hour! Jessi & Craig’s Fall wedding next year is going to be SO much fun & I cannot wait for the major party these two are throwing!!

When Gaetano & his brother reached out about his proposal to Erica during their trip along the California coast, I could not contain my excitement! Erica & Gaetano live in Toronto and were making a trip along the coast all the way from San Diego up through the Bay. Gaetano wanted to propose with the beautiful golden gate bridge as the backdrop, which was so lovely!

We tricked Erica by telling her we were just doing a photo session to capture this leg of their trip (the two have hired a photographer on vacations in the past, so this wasn’t out of the ordinary for them!). Little did she know that Gaetano had a surprise for her down on the beach! Her surprised reaction was so pure & exciting to capture! We even got so lucky because the beach was totally empty that evening and they had the space to themselves. Please enjoy these precious & exciting moments!

Planning on proposing soon? Email me so we can make a surprise plan!