Mojave Desert

Mark Maier and his fiancee Tricia McNulty are getting married tomorrow at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.
Knowing Mark's love of all things cowboy ( I've seen the Stetson, the lariats and the obsession with that Dallas football team... ) I thought I'd let Ralph Lauren be my inspiration when designing their engagement shoot.
Mark and Tricia have known me ( and my work ) for years and this is probably why they let me drag them on a two and a half hour drive to the Mojave Desert where the temperature was 105 degrees!
You see, I'd found this perfect little "old west" town the week before while location scouting. It even had a saloon dating from 1857, a barbershop, a little old clapboard church and a general store. Wow....it looked as though the set designers had constructed it just for us!
With beautiful blue mountains in the distance and a railway track running through.....all we needed was to hear the howl of a passing train to make the day perfect.....luckily for us ( as you can see in their slideshow below ) one did just that!

Wine Country Wedding

The beautiful process of wine-making has long been synonymous with the cycle of life...and so it is that I feel transported to some ancient Tuscan hilltop to celebrate a Bacchan festival each time I have a wedding at a vineyard here in California.
The spicy scent of the earth, and the beautiful backlit vines create a stunning environment for timeless wedding photographs.
Emily and Owen's wedding took place at a private vineyard in Paso Robles.
Emily's gorgeous dress was very Grecian in style and, with her simple Roman sandals, further added to the feeling of being in some timeless, classic setting.
Lots of family members flew in from other parts of the country and stayed for a few days...with wine-tasting tours on the wedding itinerary, such a great idea for out of town guests.

Trash The Dress

I ususally call these after-the -wedding sessions my " Vogue Bride" shoots....but Kristen's photoshoot certainly does deserve the Trash the Dress moniker ( even though the bride does look like a fashion model ).....did you see that first image?? The dress isn't exactly ruined but it's certainly one adventurous lady who is going to be up for this Bond-girl pose in the ocean!!!
If you would like to see the slideshow of her complete shoot it's right here : Kristen's Slideshow

Vintage Chic

Old-Hollywood Glamour.......that was the theme throughout Angela and Mike's beautiful, sophisticated wedding in downtown Los Angeles.
The day began with getting ready at the historic 1920's Checker's hotel.......the bride wearing a stunning Jenny Packham gown and glossy red lipstick....shots of the boys at the Art Deco library....and the ceremony and reception at one of my favorite locations....Marvimon,which was once the home of a 1930's Italian race-car driver.
Taking shots of the newlyweds on an historic bridge with downtown in the background simply added to the feeling of being in a movie from the Hollywood Studio days......and two-generations of family wedding dresses on display was a very unique nod to nostalgia.
Their stunning wedding can be seen in this slideshow....