Nick and Melissa felt the same way so they decided to come out from Virginia and get married on the sand at San Clemente. It’s a smaller beach, but the views coming down from PCH are spectacular and there’s even a wooden pier. The Pier was once one of Orange County’s entry points for smuggling of liquor during the U.S. prohibition era of the early 1900′s.

The couple wanted an intimate wedding so it was just the two of them, the pastor and myself. I met the two at the hotel and we walked down to the sand to meet up with the Pastor, taking pics along the way. A crowd began to gather once the couple started their vows, which was pretty neat to watch. Melissa really wanted shots with the pier in the background during the vows so it worked out perfectly. After the ceremony we walked around the best outdoor studio in town and took pics. Enjoy.

What a sweet couple.  A fireman and a nurse, they both are really two caring individuals.

When we were arranging an engagement shoot for Matt and Michelle, I mentioned to them the idea of and underwater shoot.  I let them know I had never tried anything like that before, but that I’m always trying to grow the creativity in my work.

They both were excited from the get go about the idea.  Matt and Michelle have close friends with a salt water pool which was perfect for the shoot.  For two weeks before the shoot they searched second hand stores in the area for a wedding dress and tuxedo, and they found just what they were looking for:  A perfect fit wedding dress and tuxedo for Matt.  We decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to use the actual outfits for the wedding day.

So, with the outfits set up, we began the shoot.  We broke it into two sessions, day time and night time.  I wanted to capture them with heavy sun, and also at night so I could direct two 1k watt DP lights into the pool and create more dramatic lighting.  I knew I was also going be filming underwater, so the placement of the lights during the night session was crucial.

Jumping in and out of the pool around 30 times can get tiring, especially trying to maintain facial expressions that prevent water from going up your nose.  In the end we were all very happy with the final product.

What a blast!  Sam and Jennifer decided to get married up in Santa Barbara, which meant I had to spend the weekend there too.  What a rough life!  The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel an the reception was at the Zoo.  I highly recommend both venues for anybody looking to get married in SB.  There are some pretty swanky hotels to hold your reception, but I have to tell you, the Zoo is the bees knees.

So, I Went up a day early to scope out the surroundings and research the area.  Such a beautiful area, there were so many options.  The Zoo was perhaps one of the best Zoos I have been to in years.  They had everything except polar bears.  Bald eagles, penguins, gorillas, lions and tigers, even an awesome vintage mini train.

Sam and Jennifer really wanted highlight photos of the train, and feeding the giraffes.  So, with a little finesse and a little bit of walking, we made it happen.  Thanks to Sam and Jennifer for such a fun wedding!