It was one of the best phone calls I had received in a long time. On the other end of the phone was my ultra fab friend Jess, who told me that she was pregnant! I screamed, jumped up & down & laughed like a crazy 12 year old. To be honest, I’m almost always that ridiculous but when I talked to Jess on the phone that night, I was exceptionally rediculous. I was soooooooo excited for the great news because, quite simply, I knew that she & her husband were going to be the best parents ever. It is so fantastic when your friends have great things happen in their lives-it makes our own lives even better. And this was no exception. Hearing that she was expecting was wonderful, exciting & so fabulous!
Jess has the kindest, sweetest heart of anyone I have ever met. She is giving, totally genuine & is by far the best cook on planet earth. I’m not kidding. She’s made some meals that Sam & I talk about for weeks & weeks. I am so grateful to have a wonderful friend like her in my life & I am so excited for her sweet baby girl to make her appearance!
We almost postponed the shoot because it was hailing when I left my house, but I am so, so glad we did the shoot when we did. The light was incredible & Jess looked fabulous. We finished up with a few shots of her knitting at her house-she’s been knitting some darling things for her baby to be. I love, love how these photographs turned out! I’d love some comments! xoxo, marielle.
This first photograph makes me swoon! Ugggghhhh…Jess…you are gorgeous!
It all started with his car. Yes, his car. Luke’s gorgeous, midnight blue mustang GT. It pulled up into the 7-11 parking lot where Nicole & her friends were hanging out & that’s where it all started. Nicole approached Luke & asked, “Can I have your car?” He smiled his sweet smile & offered to give Nicole & her friends a ride in his car. And that’s how it all began.
Their relationship began just as friends & morphed into something wonderful. Something incredible. Something that without a doubt will last forever. Nicole & Luke have literally seen each other through life’s unexpected challenges & made it through as a team. If it’s going out for a night on the town or simply playing a game of Mario Kart, Nicole & Luke have the most fun when they are together. Because, quite frankly, there is no Nicole without Luke. And there is no Luke without Nicole. And yes, it’s as simple & as fabulous as that.
I had the pleasure of photographing their engagements at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. We had so much fun & I loved being able to see how sweet & kind they are to each other. They speak sweetly to each other, they care for each other & they are without a doubt each other’s best friend. Nicole & Luke were the winners of my February giveaway. If you haven’t read their amazing story, check it out here & bring some tissues when you read their incredible journey that they have gone through together.
Nicole & Luke, I had such a fun, fabulous time with the two of you! I am so grateful to have had the change to spend time with you & document your special love for each other! I can’t wait for your wedding! With much appreciation…xoxo, marielle.
There is just something about Friday that makes me want to jump up & down, sing at the top of my lungs & put on my most fabulous sequined shirt. The only problem is…which sequined shirt do I wear? There are quite a few of them in my closet so it might be hard to narrow it down…
I’m grateful for all things fabulous & thought I’d share some things that I feel give my simple life a little oomph.
* Cadberry Bunny Eggs. If you follow me on Twitter or on Facebook, you know I have a problem. Like a huge addiction with Cadberry Bunny Eggs. The creamy, dreamy goodness is just heavenly & I love, love, love them! They are fab.u.lous. I know there are other Cadberry addicts out there so don’t hate!
* My 50mm 1.4 lens. This lens just makes me happy. I love the bokeh, I love how fast it is in low light situations & I just can’t live my life without it. Simple as that.
* Being happy with who I am. Seriously. So what if I don’t cook dinner every night? So what if I talk waaaaay too loud? Who cares if I just happen to mix plaids with stripes? I can say that being myself & being okay with who I am is a liberating, fabulous thing. Start being happy with who you are & you’ll feel the same!
* Formspring. I just signed up on a fab website called Formspring where you can ask me questions & I answer them. They don’t all have to be photography related. I think it could be a great way for friends & clients to get to know yours truly! If you have any burning questions for me, please ask away! www.formspring.me/mariellehayes
* Hadley. Seriously. This girl is only two, but I think she has a pretty good idea about how rock it out like a celebrity. See below.
The waves crashed upon the north shore of Oahu as the palm trees swayed in the tropical breeze. The breeze blew through the hotel suite, creating a fabulous, pulsing energy. The energy of the bridesmaids making the final touches on their dresses…the energy from the clicking of high heels on the hardwood floor…the energy from every final spritz of hairspray & every final stroke of mascara applied…the energy & the emotion that came when Shariana’s bridesmaids helped her get ready… As the last button on her wedding gown was buttoned, her sweet bridesmaids oohed & aahed over how incredibly amazing she looked. The waves crashed on the shore outside the hotel & it’s energy mimicked Shariana’s excited energy. This was a bride who was ready-ready to walk down the aisle & become Will’s fabulous wife.
The bride & groom were surrounded by family & friends for their gorgeous wedding. The ocean provided a turquoise backdrop for their seaside ceremony & after they said, “I Do,” they partied like there was no tomorrow. If you follow my blog, you know that I am such a sucker for details & this wedding was chalk full of them! I loved the strands of paper lanterns adorning the reception site, the darling hand fans that were given out as favors, I loved Shariana’s incredible shoes. The reception was filled with hula dancing, fire dancing & even fireworks! At the end of the night, the bride, groom & their friends splashed in the ocean & had the time of their lives. Like I told you, it was a party to remember.
Shariana & Will-I hope you know that I love being around the two of you. I love the connection you have as a couple-I love how fun you are together. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have photographed your wedding! I wish you nothing but a fabulous life full of wonderful love & fun! With deep gratitude…xoxo, marielle.
The view from Shariana’s suite overlooked Turtle Bay & was gorgeous…
Shariana’s wedding gown was absolutely stunning. I was obsessed with the ruffles…
Love the look on Shariana’s face as she sees Will waiting for her at the end of the aisle.
This is my favorite photograph of Shariana & Will from their wedding. They look sooooo amazing!
I was so, so, SO excited about this photograph. ANY bride who is willing to lay on the beach in her wedding gown gets a gold star in my book! Love this photo so much!
The food was amazing. Thanks to my fab husband for making the food look picture perfect before digging in!
There was a fire dancer at the wedding who was incredible!
When I first met the Campbell family, I was blown away at how fun, stylish & fabulous they were. They are incredible, caring, talented & wonderful people who are just down right fabulous. And they have the most adorable kids on the planet, to boot! The best part about this is that Hadley is in love with their son, Thad. She talks about him all the time & sometimes even sings, “Happy Birthday, Dear Thad” at random times during the day. Sooooo cute!
I had a great time with them in this amazing field of yellow weeds! The kids were so well behaved & I think we got some pretty fab photographs. Looking at these photographs makes me sooooooo ready for Spring!
I’ll start out with one of my favorites from the shoot…
Looooove the expression on his face here!
