Boy or Girl? We finally KNOW!

You may recall my previous update about the gender of the baby and the lack of cooperation from our child... ;) Monday's appointment turned out to be no different BUT we had an ace in the hole on this one - the prenatal cardiologist.

For those who don't know, my husband was born with a heart defect (officially called a "co-arctation of the aortic valve") that required open heart surgery when he was just 18 months old. He's had several procedures over the years to repair the problem and keep it in good shape - all of which has been quite successful. However, there is about a 5% chance of this defect being passed on to our baby, so we were assigned a specialist and this was round one of the special testing that they'll do. And that's where the ace in the hold comes in. Part of this first series of tests included a full & detailed anatomical scan. ;) And Peanut sure wasn't shy today!

So, besides finding out that so far everything looks totally normal and healthy with everything (heart included, though they'll keep an eye on it since it's so hard to diagnos at this age), we most definitely DID find out the sex of the baby......

Drum roll please.......


..............................


IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!! Most definitely a BOY. The due date is still set for January 27 and the name we have chosen is Cameron! Happy bday to ME. :)

We're both very excited, but it's a definite gear shift! Stay tuned for more baby updates, pictures, and details about baby showers, etc. :)

~B

Mark & Joy ~ Wedding ~

On Sunday the 17th, I was so blessed to get to shoot Mark & Joy's wedding at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu (one of my favorite venues to work with)! Due to some tragic events, their original photographer was unable to shoot their wedding, so we met last minute and I ended up shooting their wedding for them. I can't tell you how glad I am that I had that pleasure! Mark & Joy are positively overflowing with laughter, fun, and good cheer (and so are their families, let me tell you!). They truly laughed their way through the entire day and it was infectious. You could tell everyone there was so happy for them. I took along my friend and fellow photographer Nathan Board - here's just a bit of what we got!

First for some details....


The bride and her father heading down the gorgeous isle


Told you it was gorgeous. :)


The beautiful Matron of Honor. Even though you can't see her face in this shot, I just loved it. I love the colors, the light... I love all of it.


Mark's mom looked on while he read his vows to his bride. She was very proud I think (and looked great!)


Everyone shared a good laugh when Joy pulled the strip of ribbon she had written her vows on out of the front of her dress.... It's not like those wedding gowns come with pockets you know!


THE Kiss.


Some ring action fun with the cake topper. :)


Always laughing together.




Everyone seemed so thrilled for them - and it wasn't hard to tell where Mark got his fun personality from...


And a little motion shot of their first dance. They definitely came into the Reception to "I'm Too Sexy", but danced to "Fly Me to the Moon". :) My kind of peeps.


Thanks to Mark & Joy for letting me be a part of such a beautiful day! It really was an awesome pleasure to be there and witness such joyful wedding! Hope you're enjoying Bora Bora!

Btw, if you want to see their full slideshow, *click here*!

~B

Melissa & Daniel ~ Wedding ~

Melissa & Daniel had been dating for an INCREDIBLE 14 years before tying the knot. High school sweethearts, these two have been through a lot together - including the recent move to California. Even though they were camera shy, Jessica and I managed to get a few great moments. :) I'll start with a few details.





I love the recent trend of providing fans for the guests.


The lovely bride and her comical father (trust me, he was hilarious at the reception).


The ceremony location was pretty breathtaking. Minus the guys in speedos walking by (which you fortunately couldn't see if you were seated), the view, the sea air, and the sound of the surf was downright magical.


Some gorgeous light at sunset right after the ceremony. :)




One last image from the day.


Ok, off to bed for me. I'm headed out tomorrow to shoot a wedding with William Innes down in Redondo Beach nice and early. I'll be posting images from one of my FAV weddings of all time (last Sunday) later this weekend!

~B

Coming soon....

I think I'm booked pretty solid today, but before I run out to shoot with the Alemany Football Team, I wanted to post a little teaser from last weekend's August 16 wedding with Melissa & Daniel! The full post is coming soon (hopefully later today)!



~B

April & Steve ~ Wedding ~

Last Saturday, August 9, I had the pleasure of working with Neil Vance from Pasadena. I hadn't worked with him (or his wonderful wife Gretchen) before, but I had a blast! I love working with new photographers and learning about their styles - I always learn something new. Neil also managed to book a FANTASTIC couple in April & Steve. They met at the Alta Dena Country Club (where they also held their reception) as lifeguards. In fact, many of the people in the wedding party also worked there. These two definitely had the vibe that only being together regular for a few years can bring. It made for some magical portraits too.

I got to start with the gentlemen before the wedding. We headed over to St. Francis High School where the groom and all 3 of his brothers attended. It was a gorgeous campus and it was cool to hear about all the changes that have taken place in the 15 years since Steve was there.



Actually, where the guys are walking above apparently used to be a pool. Crazy.

Steve had to take care of some last minute details (I think he was arranging the limo pickup at this particular moment), but it made for a funny candid shot. The other guys totally had to tease him.


Hanging out by the lockers...cuz they're THAT cool.


I loved the lights in the back of the church. It made it dark for shooting, but I loved the effect the light had on the mood as she was waiting to head down the isle.








My favorite shot during the ceremony


And this would be the shot that I got snapped at by the coordinator for taking. It was an honest mistake, but goodness, I have NEVER been given the "church lady snap" during a ceremony before ever. Or frankly at all since I was like 5. At least it was a good photo. :)


The cutie-patootie ring bearer. He thought this was what he was supposed to do when a camera was pointed at him. :)


And now for some DETAILS.... :)


Here's Neil getting his bouquet on. Schnazzy....


The beautiful couple








Thanks again to Neil & Gretchen for bringing me along and best wishes to Steve & April!

~B

Khris-Liane & Santiago ~ 8.08.08 Wedding!

Ok, as promised, I'm finally getting caught up on some of my blogging! I had two weddings again this past weekend, so there is A LOT coming your way! Let me backup to the day of the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics (seems like forever ago now somehow...). I had the pleasure of working with Khris-Liane and Santiago down in Redondo Beach at the lovely Crown Plaza Hotel. Khris-Liane and Santiago had a beautiful wedding ceremony on top of the hotel on the Harbor Terrace overlooking the gorgeous marina and bay in Redondo. It was a great location and the weather could not have been better.

Here's Khris-Liane getting into her dress before the ceremony. Now, if you haven't been inside of a wedding dress before, let me tell you, it is WAY more work than it looks like. It takes a lot of maneuvering, a lot of people, a lot of breath-holding, and a whole lot of laughter & patience.


Khris-Liane was all laid back and smiling until she saw herself in the mirror for the first time. Then the tears start. There is something sort of overwhelming the first time you see yourself as The Bride on your wedding day. The girls tried to help save her makeup. ;)


A moment of calm before the wedding storm...


They made a smart choice to use tiki torches instead of candles for an outdoor ceremony overlooking the beach - they actually staid lit during the entire ceremony!


More details...




The MEN:


That happy newlyweds




What a ring!


Ok, that's all for now! Best wishes to Khris-Liane & Santiago! More wedding stuff (from 8/9, 8/16 and 8/17) coming your way!

~B