It’s crazy how things come full circle. Trina & Anthony first met over 20 years ago in middle school…they were close friends & they even had a short relationship (like most middle school romances it lasted about 36 hours!). Over time, they realized that they were just the best of friends. They would see each other at church dances, in the hallway at school & they’d talk after school-making each other laugh like crazy. As time went on, Trina & Anthony moved on to High School, getting wrapped up in their schoolwork, extra curricular activities, school & LIFE. Years went by & one day Anthony saw Trina on Facebook (thank Mark Zuckerburg!). Suddenly a wave of memories came back to Anthony & he remembered the beautiful, funny & fabulous Trina. He HAD to contact her. Anthony had to be persistent with Trina & convinced her to go on a date with her. As soon as their date began, they picked up right where they had left off…and once again they became the best of friends. They would meet for dinner every few weeks & as time went on, they realized that they could not be without each other. They made each other laugh, they had a blast when they were together & most importantly, they were head over heels in love with each other!
As they were celebrating a family member’s birthday, Anthony stole Trina away from the party in a limo & took her back to the same middle school where they had first met. He explained that it was in those halls at that very school where he fell in love with her all those years ago…that he never wanted to be without her in his life again. He got down on one knee and presented her with the most GORGEOUS ring and asked here to be his wife. After a few minutes of being speechless & looking at that ring……she said YES!!!!!!! I am SUPER excited for their wedding at Tahoe in the spring!
Funny story about their engagement location…they wanted to go to Baker Beach-a place where I’ve shot dozens & dozens of engagements. Apparently Baker Beach is a nude beach & so every.single.time I go there with a couple, I always mention, “this is supposedly a nude beach but out of the dozens of times I’ve been here, I’ve NEVER seen anyone in the nude.” When I took Trina & Anthony there, I gave them the disclaimer about it being a nude beach & we laughed about how funny it would be if we saw people there in their birthday suits. As we walked closer & closer to the Golden Gate Bridge, we saw off in the distance a horrifying sight: an old man doing YOGA in the nude!!!! I almost died laughing. The waves were bigger than I’ve ever seen them at the beach & I LOVE that Trina & Anthony climbed up these rocks so we could get this awesome shot…
LOVE THIS ONE!
Nice work on the ring, Anthony!
At this time of year, it’s clear to me that I am ready for a little break. So far this year I’ve photographed 36 weddings, taken over twenty five thousand photos (just at weddings alone!!!). In addition to my job as a wedding photographer, Sam & I were asked to teach an early-morning Bible class (Monday-Friday starting at 6:30am!). It seems like every second of every day there is something to do, somewhere to go, something to accomplish, hugs to be given, laundry to be done, weddings to edit, candy to eat, owwies that need to be kissed, dinner that needs to be cooked, a kitchen that need to be cleaned, paperwork that needs majorly needs to be filed. At this time of year my eyes, hands & my whole body needs a break. And I’ll be honest…being a working mom is HARD. But being a working mom helps me realize that even though that even though my plate is full (sometimes I feel like it’s so full that it’s overflowing), that my plate is also filled ten times more with blessings from God. It’s so easy for me to look at the things in my life that I need to do & I end up overlooking the things that I am blessed with.
The other day I had an appointment & instead of parking close to the building where I was headed, I intentionally parked six blocks away. I know that’s not a big deal for some of you, but walking six blocks for me is like RUNNING A MARATHON. Normally I (like everyone else in the world) would pull out my phone & check my emails while I walked but this time I decided to walk & look at all the beautiful things around me. The red & orange leaves rustled in the trees. They were beautiful, rich hues with golden light pouring through them. As I walked, I realized how thankful I was to have legs that move. To have a body that works. To have eyes that can see the beauty of the earth around me. I realized how grateful I was for my arms which could pick up my darling daughter & hold her. I remembered that the reason why I have all of these blessings is because of a loving God above.
Even though my plate at times seems overwhelmingly full, I realize that my plate is overflowing with beauty, love & blessings from God. And even though the rush of the holidays is here, I hope we can take the time to appreciate all around us. Wishing you all a very blessed Thanksgiving!
Dark clouds loomed over the temple. It was a cold morning & the clouds threatened rain. But as Mallory & Jordan walked out of the Oakland Temple, hand in hand…they could have cared less about the weather! Rain or shine-they were ready for the best day of their lives! The clouds eventually parted & there was hardly any rain for the whole day (until the reception started!). Mallory & Jordan spent the entire day simply beaming. It was evident that they had found their other half, their missing piece & their forever best friend. Mallory & Jordan are the kind of people whose relaxed nature puts others at ease. They just want everyone around them to be happy & to have fun. And that’s exactly how they were on their wedding day-Mallory was the most laid back, easy going bride ever & Jordan made sure that everyone around was having fun. I had never met either of them until they walked out of the temple, but we had a blast taking photos & it felt like we had been friends for a long time!
I LOVE how so many weddings now are DIY weddings-it makes weddings more creative, it makes a wedding more personal & much more fun! I learned very quickly that Mallory’s mother & her sister Whitney are like Martha Stewart (but much nicer!!!)-they handled everything from the beautiful invitations, the decor at the reception, down to the perfectly tied platinum bow tied around Mallory’s wedding gown. Both of their families worked hard & made their reception look incredible. Painted strips of butcher paper hanged from the walls & the ceiling. Guests enjoyed homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert…Twinkle lights were everywhere (which always makes for fab photographs), the darling cake topper was made by Whitney & each guest took home a little envelope filled with yummy lemon drops. Their hard work paid off because the reception was downright GORGEOUS. Guests spent the evening dining & mingling as Mallory & Jordan smiled all the way down to their toes.
Mallory & Jordan-I LOVED shooting your wedding! You guys were amazing to work with…thank you for trusting me & for choosing me to photograph your perfect wedding. I loved seeing how you guys just light up when you are together…wishing you both all the love & happiness that this beautiful world has to offer-you deserve all of it & more! XOXO, marielle.
Sooooooooo my favorite from their wedding…
Mallory-you are stunning!
The one on the right is one of my favorites!
Yes…that IS the cutest little wedding cake I’ve ever seen….
I always have so much fun doing ring shots-I love how this one turned out!
And a special thanks to my friend Melinda who was my second shooter for the day!
I let out an audible sigh of relief when Sam excitedly told me that he wanted to smoke a turkey this year for Thanksgiving. We have been married for almost eight years & in all of those eight years of marriage, I have cooked a Thanksgiving turkey ONE TIME. It was our first Thanksgiving where we were planning on staying at our home for the holiday so I rushed to the store to buy a turkey. I called my mom to ask for directions on how to cook the darned thing. She explained to me multiple times that it was PERTINENT to reach inside the turkey & find the plastic bag that held the giblets & remove it. So there I was, my hand reached all the way up inside this turkey & for the life of me I could not find that darned plastic bag she was talking about. I figured that the turkey I bought must have been special because I couldn’t find the bag no matter how hard I searched for it. So I threw the turkey in the oven & baked it for what seemed like a million hours (can you tell I don’t cook often!?!). We pulled the turkey out & began carving it. After carving it for a few minutes, we realized the was something shiny inside the turkey. Guess what? My turkey had not one but TWO plastic bags inside of it…and they were melted & still filled with all the giblets.
And that is the reason why for the past few years I’ve opted to cook a Thanksgiving ham instead of a turkey. I.WAS.TRAUMATIZED.
Please tell me that nobody really uses the giblets during their Thanksgiving meal. PLEASE. And please don’t ask about the first time I made Macaroni & Cheese for Sam. It’s simply humiliating.
Let’s be real here: cooking just isn’t my thing. Clearly.
To redeem myself from the humiliation of being a horrible cook, here are some fabulous photos that I am proud to say that I made…without having to worry about burning, undercooking or being traumatized with the sight of a melted plastic bag holding giblets.
I think it goes without saying, but I choose photography over cooking every.single.day.of.the.YEAR.
He writes the music. She paints the pictures. Together, they make the world around them more colorful, more beautiful & soooooooo much more fun. Brent & Kristin are THE dream team-a couple who makes every moment funny & a couple who invites everyone around them to share in their happiness & joy. On a lovely September day under a gauzy chuppa, the sun shined on Kristin & Brent’s smiling faces as they said their vows. In front of their friends & family, Brent vowed that he would write the incredible music. And Kristin vowed that she would paint the amazing pictures. And they vowed to make the world around them more beautiful. Together.
Kristin & Brent are one of the most talented & incredible couples I’ve had the pleasure of working with. The wedding was held in their beautiful home where everyone was surrounded by the incredible paintings that Kristin made. Their driveway was converted into the reception area & a lovely white tent they set up became one huge party room! They had the most fabulous food-palella that was made on site & even an ICE CREAM TRUCK. It should be a requirement for all weddings to have an ice cream truck! Their flowers were bursts of vivid color-from deep purples to bright pinks…with thistles & even peppers in the mix. The flowers were fabulous! Kristin’s niece who is a fashion designer designed & made her perfect turquoise wedding dress. Guests spent the evening laughing, laughing some more & having the time of their lives. Kristin & Brent sure know how to throw a party!
I know I always talk about how lucky I am to have such amazing clients..and I probably sound like a broken record but it’s TRUE!!! Kristin & Brent-you are such a fun, funny, talented & kind couple. I feel beyond honored to have been able to document your wedding & to witness the excitement you have for your new lives together! I wish you all the happiness, love & laughter in the world. With love & appreciation, XOXO, marielle.
The answer is yes if you are wondering if I DIED when I saw Kristin’s shoes. Turquoise.Betsy.Johnsons.with.leopard.print. I DIED.
Kristin was so excited to be married to Brent!
There was a private road right behind the house where we did the bride & groom portraits. The light was lovely…
I love these two photographs because you can see just how fun their personalities are!
This could possibly be my favorite ring shot of all time. LOVE!!!
Each guest took home a jar of locally grown honey, some delicious nuts & a locally grown apple…
I love how sweet they always are to each other…
