Amidst the palm trees & the incredible architecture of the Stanford campus, Emily & Scott’s paths first crossed. Their dorms were next to each other & they would often see each other in the dining hall or on the way to class. After freshman year, Scott left to France for two years to serve a mission for his church, and then just a few months before he came home, Emily left to serve an eighteen month mission in Japan. During their three years apart, they kept in touch by sending letters & cereal to one another. When Emily returned from her mission, they we were once again Stanford students together…and over the course of time they began dating, fell in love & realized that they never wanted to be with anyone else.

On that same beautiful campus where they first met, Scott sent Emily on a scavenger hunt where at the end, he asked her to marry him…and she said yes! They are getting married this summer in Boston & although I’m not going to photograph their wedding, I loved being able to get to know them while shooting their engagements! They are fun, easy going & completely, absolutely & totally crazy in love. Here are my favorites from their engagement session at the Stanford campus!

I love shooting at the Stanford campus because of the beautiful architecture & mosaics…

FAVORITE.

I love all the huge palm trees there! One of my favorites…

He would always try to catch a glimpse of Monica as she left class in high school. Jorge was in the classroom next door & he would see her every now & again in the hallway… Smitten by her good looks, Jorge was intrigued & wanted to get to know her. As time went on, they began to notice each other & through a mutual friend, they began talking. Over the summer, he got a call from Monica…they ended up setting up a date, planning on going to the movies but ended up going to different movie theaters! After they realized that they had gone to separate theaters, they met up & went for a walk instead. It was the first of many, many conversations that they would have together. They began talking on the phone for hours & hours and over the course of time, Jorge finally asked her to be his. And they’ve been together ever since! They are a dynamic duo who love to simply be together no matter what they are doing.

We met up in Emeryville for their engagements-I LOVE Emeryville because there are so many amazing backgrounds & unexpected colors everywhere. We had a great time exploring & laughing-I am excited to shoot Monica & Jorge’s wedding this year & can’t wait to see how beautiful their day is going to be! Here are my favorites from their engagements!

Monica’s ring is stunning!

This is one of my favorites of the day! Loved the light as the sun faded…

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!

It all began at Clayton Middle School…in Miss Sawyer’s English class…in the font row…and since Emily & Kealan were seated right next to each other in that front row, their lives would never be the same. Miss Sawyer put Kealan in the front row because he was rowdy & she thought if he was in the front row, he would behave better in class. And Emily was put in the front row because she was shy & Miss Sawyer thought that it help her to make friends if she sat in the front row. Well, Miss Sawyers’s wisdom in her placement of her students paid off! Emily & Kealan began dating & have been together ever since! In a time of life when most kids are confused & well, awkward, something came very clear to Emily & Kealan…they made each other happy. Wait: that’s an understatement: they made each other the HAPPIEST. They made each other laugh. They made each other better people. And they couldn’t see their lives without the other in it. I’m a big believer of romances that start at Clayton Middle School because that’s where my parent’s met!

Years later, one Christmas morning, Emily & Kealan excitedly checked their stockings to see what Santa had brought them (don’t you love how opening your stockings never gets less exciting-no matter what your age!?!?). At the bottom of her stocking, Emily felt a box. She immediately knew what it was….and she froze! She finally pulled the box out of her stocking to find it empty. She turned around & Kealan was on one knee with a beautiful vintage ring that fits fabulous Emily soooooo perfectly. She excitedly said YES!!!!! They are getting married in May & I am super, SUPER excited to photograph their wedding! On their wedding day, it will be 10 years that they’ve been together & I have a feeling that it is going to be the celebration of a lifetime!

Emily & Kealan thought it would be fun to shoot their engagements at the place where their story began-at the middle school! We were excited to find out that the day we were planning on shooting their engagements that the Reno Hot Air Balloon Races were happening so we started the photos there. I loved all the bright colors from the balloons! We had a great time & I am beyond excited to witness their wedding in May! Here are my favorites from their super fun engagement session…

Um….I LOVE THIS PHOTO!!!!

Then we headed over to Clayton Middle School…which was an amazing location!

Check out Emily’s fabulous vintage ring….isn’t it incredible? Love Kealan’s ring, as well!

I’m sure they couldn’t be any cuter together! LOVE this one.

It’s been one whirlwind of a summer! Here are a few sneak peeks of what’s coming up on the blog!! As always, I can’t wait to post the entire sessions of these!

He knew she was “the one” from the first time they met. Jessica was working at a salon & had a boyfriend at the time. Spencer would see Jessica & make casual conversation…and Spencer patiently waited until Jessica was single to ask her out. After their first date, the rest was history. Together they appreciate each other’s ability to achieve their goals, they appreciate each other’s sense of humor & above all, they are each other’s best friend. They love playing mini golf, eating great food & spending time with their dog, Patches (who they brought along to the shoot!!) They fell in love quickly & just knew that they were meant to spend their lives together. They are getting married in Utah in August (I soooooooooo wish I was shooting their wedding!) and I was lucky enough to snag them for their engagement photographs in San Francisco.

We met up for their shoot at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco & then ended up at the beach. I loved meeting Spencer & Jessica-aren’t they soooooo beautiful together (and aren’t you obsessed with Jessica’s outfits? I know I am!) They are both fun, sweet & were so easy to work with! Here are my favorites from their shoot…

They were on a boat ride together when Haley saw a bottle floating in the water. She grabbed the bottle from the water & inside was a letter from Jonathan telling her the reasons why he loves her. It didn’t take too long afterwards until Jonathan pulled out a ring & asked Haley to be his wife. They make each other so happy & it’s obvious that they really are the best of friends. I was so lucky to be able to photograph Haley & Jonathan’s engagements in San Francisco. Haley & Jonathan are getting married in Utah this summer & I wish I was shooting their wedding because I know it’s going to be amazing!

I love these photographs because Haley & Jonathan were sooooooooo comfortable in front of the camera & so crazy in love with each other! And I love the locations that they chose for their session-shooting in San Francisco is one of my favorite things-the architecture, the feeling of the city, the colors…it never gets old to me! It was fun to get to know them better while exploring the city.

Here are my favorites from their session…Congratulations to both of you! xoxo, marielle.

When I asked them about their relationship, Neil said it perfectly…that he & Vanessa are like two puzzle pieces that are jagged & crazy on one side, but that they are two puzzles pieces that fit together perfectly. He & Vanessa met long ago in school & re-connected again through Facebook. Vanessa had friended him but had forgotten how they had originally met. When Neil reminded her who he was-and what class they had together in High School, it all clicked. HE was the kid who sat in the back of class who was funny & mischievous. HE was the kid who made her laugh. They met up for a first date & the rest was history. Now they are a fantastically FUN couple who are absolutely hilarious together. They are planning a wedding next month at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.  It’s a total understatement to say that I am SO excited for their wedding! If their engagement session was any indication of what their wedding will be like, I know I’m in for an exciting & fabulous wedding!

When I first met up with Vanessa, I knew that I wanted to be her new BFF. She is energetic, fun, exciting & has the best wardrobe I’ve ever seen. When I asked her what Neil is like, she told me about how awesome he is-and she was right! They are literally the perfect match and their engagement session was a total blast. They brought their own props-and even brought along their darling dog Beefcake. We.had.so.much.FUN! I am so excited to share these photographs with you all-so here they are!

We started out in San Francisco where it was sunny & gorgeous…

Favorite…

Neil wasn’t too excited about holding the flowers…obviously!

Once we got down to the Embarcadero, it was pouring rain!!! Vanessa & Neil were total champs, though & I love how the photos in the rain ended up!

We took a dinner break while it poured rain outside & when we finished eating, the light outside was perfect….and the rain was gone!

This photograph perfectly shows just how much fun Vanessa & Neil have together-I LOVE it!

Vanessa’s mother gave Neil this awesome wrestling mask for Christmas-these photos were so much fun to take-we were all laughing so hard!!

She knew it wouldn’t work out. Even though she & Alan had the best conversations on the phone & sooooo much in common, she just knew that their geographical differences would make it impossible to have a relationship. Of course, she didn’t tell this to Alan who had plans to meet her for the first time in person over the 4th of July weekend. But the minute that she & Alan met face to face, she knew that it would work out. That they (as my friend Tim Gunn on Project Runway says) would make it work. That despite the fact that she lived in California & he lived in Oregon, they could definitely be a couple. After Alan left after his short weekend trip, they had already planned the next trip when they’d see each other again. And again. And again. And thus began their long-distance relationship-every two weeks they flew to see each other, learning more about each other & having a blast together. Despite those pesky geographical differences that Jen had worried about in the beginning, they feel deeply in love. Needless to say, love will find a way to make things work when it’s meant to be.

On a trip to visit Jen, Alan proposed to Jen at Hakone Gardens-the place where they will be getting married next month! Finally they will be able to live in the same state together-starting a new chapter in their lives without having to take flights to see each other! Jen & Alan are a darling, sweet couple who both have the kindest spirits & the biggest hearts. I am always so lucky when I have clients who I feel are my friends-and I definitely feel this way about them!

We had planned on taking their photographs in San Francisco but the location was closed for construction throughout the month. So we ended up in Tilden Park & I’m so glad we did because I think it suited them perfectly…

DYING over this one..

In love with this one…

Their story began in the classroom at UVU. Morgan & Dallon found themselves enrolled in an Ethics and Values class, a required class that neither of them had any desire to take. At the beginning of the class, the teacher mentioned how it was required that each student participate in 20 hours of service, and that if we weren’t interested in the service, that they should drop the class. Morgan toyed with the idea of dropping the class because she simply wasn’t interested in the 20 hour service project. After thinking it over, it was set in her mind that she would drop the class immediately. pronto. right away.

But.

But….

But then her plans instantly changed the second the classroom door swung open & Dallon walked in. Suddenly she was certain that she would NOT mind doing the service project, especially since it gave her the possibility of being in class with the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. When it was time for the class service projects to start, Morgan & Dallon were put in the same group. They began to get to know each other quickly-they had a lot in common & instantly hit it off. After a date on Halloween, they realized something so important: that they could be 100% themselves around each other. They began hanging out together, having fun together & falling in love. Their love story has evolved over the space of a year and a half, and it is something that is truly beautiful to see. A few months ago, Dallon secretly flew to Nevada to ask my father’s permission to marry Morgan, swept her off her feet, decorated her room with balloons & asked her to be his wife. In a nutshell, it’s the best love story you’ve ever heard.

Morgan is my youngest sister & it is wonderful to see her so in love!!! I’ve photographed each of my three sister’s engagements & weddings and it is such a joy for me to capture these exciting moments in the lives of my favorite people on earth.When they got engaged, we started thinking of fun ideas for their photos. We came up with some awesome locations that included a beautiful field, a carnival, a vintage airplane & an abandoned barn. Over a two day engagement session with 1200+ photos taken, I was finally able to narrow them down to some of my favorites. And I totally won’t lie-I actually cried when I was editing these photos. It’s crazy to think that my baby sister is so grown up, so beautiful & so in love. What a joy in my life it was to capture this exciting time in their lives! They are getting married in August at the Oakland LDS Temple & I am so excited!  Although I shoot some amazing weddings, I know that my little sister’s wedding is going to be my favorite wedding of the year. Hands down. Now on to the photographs!

One of my favorites…

While we were driving around, we saw an airplane hangar with actual war planes from the 1950′s. The guys inside were so kind that they let us use the planes for the photos-can you say awesome!?!?

Love how these ones with the bubbles turned out!

We found an awesome carnival & I am obsessed with how fabulous the carnival photos are!!!