They had me at Jin Cake. Jin's has a very special place in my heart. I used to go there on Sunday mornings with three of my closest friends to vent, gossip, gush, squeel, and walk down Abbot Kinney for the few hours we could spare from our schedules.

But, seeing the 5 cakes, high tea, and gorgeous chocolates from Jin's that Cate and Jeff served brought it all back, if just for a moment (and the offers of tea and chocolates helped).

This was their second, and official, wedding. I hope that this is what you two envisioned, because to an outsider, it was a beautiful, elegant, personalized, and intimate affair. Every aspect of your wedding seemed to compliment the Elings Park location so well, and your Minister Mia was fabulous, as she was last time (although I'm sure she was much more comfortable in her own clothes as opposed to a wetsuit 300 feet out to sea).

And then, there was THE DRESS. Cate, and her very charming mother Sandy, searched all over the UK for the perfect dress. And after a fruitless search, decided that the only remaining option was to design a dress themselves. Perfect Choice. It was stunning; from the intricate lace design to the delicate beadwork, it was very impressive, you two.

Enjoy your September UK wedding celebration! (Great choice on the invite cover image, BTW).






How awesome is it to have your Maid of Honor feed you S'mores while getting your hair done?!?!?!?





OK, Even I got a little teary for a second when this came in



















For these next three, I took them away from tea and champagne...completely worth it.

Karen Leah on 07.30.08 @ 06:50 PM PST [link]

A couple weeks ago Brian and I had the privilege of photographing the wedding of Kristen and Phillip. I am truly at a loss for words to describe the emotion and love that was obvious to everyone who had the pleasure and honor of attending this wedding. Kristen and Phillip (and their amazing friends and family) were an absolute joy to work with. In addition to being incredibly photogenic (it was so hard to narrow down a few photos for this entry) they hardly needed any suggestions at all; they way they naturally interacted with each other was beautiful to capture and they were unbelievably receptive to anything we did suggest (and had a few great ideas of their own.)

The wedding was held at the Repertory Play House in Santa Clarita. Kristen, Phillip, and their friends absolutely transformed the theatre. No matter how many years I've been doing this I discover new things all the time, and this was my first opportunity to shoot a wedding with professional theatre lighting... and the combination of that lighting and the two of them was stunning. (And their pre-ceremony "reveal" was one of the highlights of my day).

The food was remarkable; tasted amazing and was beautifully displayed by the team at RSVP catering (the potatoes and rice were absolutely worth the calories) and a stunning cake was created by Jills Cake Creations.

And a personal note to Kristen and Phillip: It really meant a lot to us that you were constantly asking how we were doing, if we needed anything, and really made a point of making us feel as comfortable as possible. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as we enjoyed working with the two of you.

Karen Leah on 07.24.08 @ 08:58 PM PST [link]

I had so much fun editing this sitting. Little Jacob was adorable, and far beyond his years, or, months, in his case. Lucy and Chris, I can't wait for you (and Jacob's many, many family members) to see the rest soon.

Karen Leah on 07.19.08 @ 11:18 PM PST [link]

A few weeks ago Brian and I photographed the wedding of Jaclyn and Jeff. After such an amazing engagement sitting, we were really looking forward to this one. Usually, even the most strictly scheduled weddings run a little late ("wedding time") but even though I got there early (this tendency to run early carries over into non-wedding life as well; which is great for making sure I get parking wherever I go, but bad for, say, almost arriving early at my own surprise birthday party a couple of weeks ago), Jaclyn was already out of hair and makeup and just waiting for our start time to get into her dress. So, as luck had it we were able to start early and get some of my favorite shots of the day.

Needless to say, the rest of the day ran just as well. It was another great event held at the Alta Vista Country Club; the weather was on our side and even with some bustle problems and a quick outfit change, we were still completely on time all night long.

Karen Leah on 07.19.08 @ 10:53 PM PST [link]