On a very windy Sunday, we met Amy & Bryant at the Scottsdale Waterfront to shoot their engagement portraits.  (I’ll get back to the WINDY part of the story in a minute by the way.)  We had a great time getting to know this very sweet couple :-)  They shared a lot of great stories with us over the course of their session and we really felt like we got a glimpse into their love story.  The two location choices for their session were entirely up to them and they did a great job choosing places that were a part of their history.  Bryant popped the question this past New Year’s Eve on a trip to Prague (gotta love a European engagement story, right?)  Since we couldn’t exactly make it to Prague to reenact the proposal, they choose the Waterfront instead because this was where they made the decision to date exclusively.  They had dinner at PF Chang’s and had “the talk” outside near the fountain.  When Bryant asked if she wanted to be exclusive, Amy responded by saying that she had better get on the phone and call up all the other guys she was dating!  Love it!  They were so cute together during the whole session and made our jobs really easy.  Lots of laughter and love :-)

Now, before we get to our favorites from their session, we need to get back to the WINDY part of the story!  This kind of crazy wind in Arizona is NOT normal!  It was out of control and poor Amy & Bryant had to put up with it for pretty much their whole session.  So you can see what we’re talking about, I just had to post this image . . .

Poor Amy!  They totally toughed it out though and had an awesome time, despite the minor irritation.

Some fun shots around the Waterfront:

Super LOVED this great spiral staircase we found:

At the bottom of the staircase was a parking garage . . . we had some great fun in there too!  Love both of these!

Then it was off to our second location.  I’d link to the website, but I’m pretty sure there isn’t one!  When they first started dating, Amy was traveling a lot for her job so Bryant would bring her to this spot near the airport where they’d sit and watch the planes take off and talk until she had to leave.  Very sweet :-)  Most of the time people park their cars and watch the planes from where the nearby street turns into dirt road, but for their photos we opted to take the road less traveled and do a little fence hoping into “FAA” territory.

There’s something about this image that reminds me of the final scene in Casablanca.  Is it the black and white?  The plane overhead?  I don’t know, but I LOVE it!

They’re so cute together :-)

A great view of the airport in the behind them . . .

This next one is definitely one of our favorites!  We had actually waited around for a long time trying to get the perfect plane shot.  We had pretty much decided to “photoshop one in” (Shhh – don’t tell anybody, ok?), and then we ended up with the perfect shot!  This shot was really intended to show off Amy & Bryant’s matching “Bride & Groom ‘09″ t-shirts, but the opportunity presented itself . . .

He he!  So fun!  And a quick note about the shirts.  Amy & Bryant met through eHarmony.  The t-shirts were a free gift when they canceled their accounts!  Don’t you think eHarmony should really be advertising this?  “Find the love of your life AND get a free t-shirt!”  Now THAT will motivate people to join, right!

One last shot from sunset :-)  Love it!

Amy and Bryant, we had a blast getting to know you guys!  Can’t wait to capture your very special wedding day in the fall!

To see more photos from their engagement session, click on the “view slideshow” button below:

Last Sunday, I met up with Amber for her senior portrait session in downtown Scottsdale.  I’ve gotten so used to shooting couples and families, it was actually a really nice change to do a photo shoot for one person!  Amber looked gorgeous and was so comfortable in front of the camera.  I can’t imagine being able to take a BAD photo of this girl!  Seriously!  Her mom, aunt and boyfriend came along for moral support (not that she needed any :-), so the five us walked around the Civic Center and chatted in between shots on a lovely Sunday afternoon.  After graduation, she plans to go to school and pursue a career as an elementary school teacher.

Here are some of my favorites from our session:

I totally loved that Amber could rock the more serious look – you’d be surprised how hard that is for most people.  I think her eyes look really intense and beautiful in this one.

Such a classic beauty!

I’m sure you all know how I feel about reflection shots :-)

I really loved this last outfit :-)  She looks so stylist and it just seemed to fit her personality.

This one might just be my favorite overall . . . love the colors and the little bit of sassiness in her expression :-)

And of course, we had to wrap things up with a little bit of silliness:

Thanks for the awesome session Amber!  I had a lot of fun getting to know you guys and best of luck after graduation!

On Saturday, we had the pleasure of shooting the fabulous wedding of Chris & Lauren at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix.  We really had a chance to get to know these guys during their engagement session back in December so we’ve been looking forward to their big day!  Chris & Lauren are such sweet and genuine people.  Their love for each other and for life in general really shined throughout the whole day.   Not only are they awesome, but it was also so great to work with their bridal party and families!  We felt like we were there not just as photographers, but as honored guests.  The whole group had seen their engagement photos and they all kept telling us how awesome we were – we felt like celebrities!  Seriously though, it was such a lovely day – one we won’t soon forget :-)

The day started out with lots of preparation.  They both got ready at the resort so Ryan and I split up so we could capture both of them.

The shoes:

The dress – loved the detailing and asymmetrical design.  Chris said it was ”So Lauren!”

A shot of the handsome groom.  Just loved the pinstripes on his tux – very modern and chic!

And Lauren was such a lovely and elegant bride.

Lauren & her gals – she had two maids of honor and they were BOTH named Lauren.  So pretty much at any given moment you could say, “Hey Lauren!” and all three of them would look at you.  It was very entertaining.

Chris and his guys looking oh so cool!

They decided to see each other before the ceremony to do their portraits so we set up a very private and intimate first look . . . you can really see the emotion in both these shots.  Such a special moment :-)

A few portraits of the bride & groom.

love Love LOVE this one!  Don’t they look just like a page out of Vouge?

Their ceremony was so sweet and touching – not a dry eye in the house!

We really enjoyed capturing the many unique Jewish traditions – like the breaking of the glass during the ceremony.

Man & Wife!!!!  Absolutely love the joy on their faces in this shot!  It just makes you smile doesn’t it?  :-)

Then it was party time!  And what a party it was!

Here’s a cute shot of the newlyweds enjoying the toast made by Lauren’s two and three.

SOOOOOOOO many great dance shots!

One of my favorite moments of the night: Chris and Lauren did a little “routine” to the Grease Soundtrack Medley.  It was AWESOME!  Not sure if they had done this before or if they’re just that hilarious, but the entire reception ate it up!  I believe this was during ”Oooooohhhhhh – Those summer nights!”

And of course, the Hora!  Loved it!

Thank you so much to Chris and Lauren (and all your family and friends)!  We had such a blast!  We wish you guys all the blessings in the world and can’t wait to drop by to see you sometime in San Francisco :-)

For lots more photos from their big day, click on the slideshow button below!