Last Saturday, my sister-in-law, Carrie, married her British sweetheart in San Diego. I had lots of help shooting it, as I was also Maid of Honor and, it turns out, it’s quite hard to shoot in a strapless dress and heels, while holding the bride’s bouquet My husband, Doug, was the main shooter for the day, and we had the help of Nic of Tamarack Studios, who I am lucky enough to have shoot with me quite often. It was sort of surreal to be working a wedding, where you know all the people there… very strange indeed. But, with the help of Doug and Nic, we got some really lovely images that I know Carrie and Adam will cherish.

Love this shot of Carrie getting ready (courtesy of Nic) -

Since it’s my blog, I get to post a pic of me and the bride! -

Carrie and our Dad, walking her down the aisle -

The bridal party -

After my MOH duties were over, I got to shoot some portraits of the happy couple -

A little TS-E action -

And Nic’s take on the same shot -

I love this shot of Carrie -

My first dance shot -

And Doug’s shot of Carrie dancing with her dad -

To Carrie and Adam: Congrats on your beautiful day! Move home soon

delightfully,

Chenin

I spent 08/08/08 with the lovely Robin and Steve.  Their wedding was a gorgeous reflection of their cool, laid-back style.  Kary H of Kary H Events did a fantastic job as always, and brought her classic, but edgy design to the perfect day.  Square Root didn’t disappoint with awesome florals, including one of my favorite ceremony set-ups I’ve ever seen.  Overall, it was a perfect day, with great vendors and a lovely couple.

A couple of bridal details -

I loved the ceremony florals, and especially loved the little bunny that wouldn’t leave them alone -

Robin had a great veil -

Special thanks to my second shooter, John, who ran all the way up to the lobby for this shot -

After the ceremony, we went down to the beach for a couple of shots of the newlyweds -

The ballroom looked gorgeous and so chic -

Robin and Steve’s grand entrance -

Robin and Steve kept their guests busy with a hand-rolled cigar station, a yummy dessert buffet and midnight munchies, including mini burgers, fries and the cutest little milkshakes I’ve ever seen -

And one last little shot -

To Robin and Steve:  Thanks for a lovely, laid-back day.  It was a pleasure to share in your special day!

delightfully,

Chenin

Sarah and Robyn were married at the Disneyland Hotel on Saturday and I was lucky enough to be their photographer. These two ladies are madly in love, have great chemistry and incredible families. It was really a fun day - you just can’t beat a madly in love couple, a super-fun venue and carte blanch to shoot whatever you want

Don’t attempt to adjust your monitors! Sarah’s dress was fabulous and red -

She looked radiant getting ready -

I love this photo of dad looking on as Sarah gets a little misty -

Robyn, waiting for her bride -

I was really feeling the back-lit foliage that day -

They had a great first dance, and I was enjoying the 85mm 1.2 again -

And my favorite shot of the day -

To Sarah and Robyn: Thank you for an incredible day! I am so happy for you! Enjoy Disneyworld!

delightfully,

Chenin

So, with the busy wedding season comes lots of time in front of my computer. Which means that I absolutely have to listen to music and my old stuff gets a little, well, old. How many time can you listen to “Destroy What Destroys You” - really? So, I’ve been poking around on my new and latest obsession - Pandora Radio - and have discovered some pretty interesting stuff. I’d love to know what stations you are all listening to - here’s some of mine:

-The first and absolute most awesome discovery I’ve made is Captain Bringdown and the Buzzkillers. Not only do they have the most kick-ass name in band history, their music rocks. It’s a little Operation Ivy and a little Big D and the Kids Table. Delightful indeed….

-Speaking of Big D, I went to see them play last weekend and, honestly, I was disappointed. I can’t figure out if they suck all the time, or if the lead singer was so trashed out of his head that he couldn’t keep up. Either way, it was like watching a male Amy Winehouse sing Ska songs and it was t-r-a-g-i-c. I was so bummed.

-What didn’t disappoint was Goldfinger. I have seen a lot of punk shows in my life, but Goldfinger is by far the best show I’ve ever seen. John is a total maniac when he performs. They got a good hundred attendees on stage for one song and even did a little diddy where the drummer shoved a Twinkie up his you-know-what and a fan had to eat it. I wish I was kidding. But even if you don’t love Ska and Punk, it’s worth seeing the show just for that. They are on tour right now and you can find out more information here - Shout it Loud Tour. If anyone does go, please report back and let me know whether Big D sucked at your show too.

-Another recent discovery - The Submarines. I know it makes no sense that I occasionally abandon my hard-core roots to listen to campy little ditties by Coconut Records or The Submarines… but I like it. So there. I highly recommend you check them out.

-On another note, have y’all heard the latest Snoop Dogg single, called “My Medicine?” My goodness. I don’t know if it’s Country or Western, but it’s definitely not straight out of the LBC. Still deciding if I like it…..

Now for stuff you might actually be interested in…

-I still have a couple spots open at the Image X Workshop in New Orleans. Get ‘em while they’re hot.

-My adorable husband and the evil mastermind behind Totally Rad Stuff for Photographers will be speaking at the August PPA in Dallas, TX. He’s sort of cute and really smart, so you should go see him

-Don’t forget we are having a Totally Rad Sale, through Sunday!

That’s it! Thanks for checking in!

delightfully,

chenin

Yay! We just found out that the nice folks at Bludomain held a contest for Best Actions of the Year and we won!

There was some seriously formidable competition, so we feel very loved! And to share the love, WE ARE HAVING A SALE! That’s right! From now until midnight PST on Sunday, August 3, get $20 bucks off all Totally Rad Products. It’s just our little way of saying *thanks*

So, if you’ve been lusting over TRA2 or have yet to delve in to our Totally Rad World, click the banner below and save yourself some cash!

delightfully,

Chenin

I am so thrilled to be featured in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and I can’t wait to share it with you all!  This year, Grace did a spread on some really cool cakes and two of my lucky couples’ delicious cakes were featured!  Congrats to Claudine and David, whose awesome black cake, designed by Gigi Bobb, was featured on page 150.  And to Cherine and Justin, whose ginormous crochenbouche, by Linda at the Cake Studio, was featured on page 153.  It’s really a thrill to be in Grace again and I am especially excited for the fabulous ladies who made these cakes!  Congrats Gigi and Linda!

delightfully,

Chenin

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of working with an incredible team of vendors on Alona and Jeff’s gorgeous wedding at the St Regis Monarch Beach Resort. The absolutely delightful Jeannie Savage of Details Details spearheaded the effort, along with Sunny from White Lilac who designed the florals. It was a perfect day, with a wonderful couple, so I have lots of photos to share!

Alona’s Monique Lhuillier dress was perfect -

Alona was definitely a girl after my own heart -

A little getting ready -

They were married at the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano, which was the most beautiful church I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting in -

Y’all know how I love my “coming back down the aisle” shots -

After the ceremony, we headed to the Mission for a couple of shots of the bridal party. I saw this little nook and couldn’t wait to shoot a few -

The super-cool bridal party -

And one more shot of Alona and Jeff at the Mission -

Jeff’s family had this really darling little car! All of his siblings used the car for their weddings and it is a tradition to have this specific shot; Jeff’s brother and sister have a variation of it as well!

Then they were off to the St Regis!

Once we got to the hotel, we headed down the beach for some quiet time and a couple of portraits -

The ballroom looked beautiful!

The grand entrance -

Alona and Jeff did a really lovely choreographed first dance -

And one last little toast -

To Alona and Jeff: Thanks for sharing your perfect day with me! Enjoy your honeymoon!

delightfully,

Chenin

On Saturday I braved the sticky heat to shoot Jen and Mike’s lovely wedding at Rancho Las Lomas. The delightful Courtney Toney of Joyful Weddings and Events saw that every detail was just perfect for this adorable couple. The flowers were designed by Allison at Flower Allie, who always does a beautiful job. All and all, it was a truly splendid day!

I loved this little sign that Mike hung in the bride’s room -

The all-important shoes -

Jen, putting on the finishing touches -

I *heart* this photo of Jen in the limo -

A couple of little pre-ceremony details -

Jen’s very sweet and attentive brother, Arthur, gave her away -

There were three *delicious* little flower girls at this wedding, and I couldn’t get enough of them! -

The two older girls, reminding each other to be quiet -

After the ceremony, we headed to Rancho Las Lomas for some portraits -

The reception was truly gorgeous, and I love the color combination that Jen dreamt up -

And a couple of first dance shots -

To Jennifer and Michael: Thank you for your generosity and faith in my work! Enjoy Bora Bora!

delightfully,

Chenin

I have been looking forward to shooting Jen and Patrick’s engagement session ever since they booked me. We actually never met before Wednesday, but I could tell, from chatting with Jen, that this couple was delightfully rad. And I wasn’t disappointed. Jen and Patrick are a super-cool-beans couple and I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in October! Ok… enough chit-chat - let’s see some pics.

Jen and Patrick have awesome chemistry. This was about 10 frames in to the session, and they were already naturals!

Admittedly, I shot this to show off Jen’s bitchin’ shoes -

I think this is so crazy-romantic-

This was right before some disheveled looking lawyer walked by and made fun of us for not shooting in a park (He’s probably just jealous that I was having a better day at work than him…)

To Jen and Patrick: Thanks for an awesome time! I can’t wait for the wedding!

delightfully,

Chenin

Last Sunday, I shot Tiffany and Henry’s intimate wedding at The Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach. Despite the heat, it was a lovely day and pleasure to be a part of. The delightful Lisa Moon coordinated the event and saw that every detail was in place. Here are some favorites from Tiffany and Henry’s big day!

Getting ready -

The lovely couple -

A couple of details -

Ceremony time -

After their ceremony, I stole Tiffany and Henry away for a couple of portraits -

I thought their cake was so cute -

The grand entrance -

I love outdoor receptions, because it means plenty of light for the first dance -

And their cake cutting -

To Henry and Tiffany: Enjoy Hong Kong and Japan! Thanks for sharing your day with me!

delightfully,

Chenin