Joel & Rose @ South Bend Indiana [wedding}

Looking back at this wedding, I'm so thankful I was asked to photograph, but equally thankful that
all the logistics worked out to get out here and make it happen, flying east is hard since you loose time, and finding a 6am flight out of CA to the midwest is hard when you have to start shooting that morning and you loose 4 hours of time. We made it happen and with my team of 4 photographers, we all had a great time capturing this amazing day. Dan, Joel's dad did an amazing sermon as he officiated his second son's wedding. What a blessed and wise man. Two really cool sons and now two sweet daughters-in-law. Here is a few of the best of from the day.

This is really cool, So the story goes, Joel put this box in the ground, buried for many months until he brought his girlfriend to the tree, and unburied it, and had his proposal note in the box in the orange orchard. What a unique cool way to propose. I'm gonna give it a 10.

Joel LOVES to play guitar and sing songs, so all the guys wrote a song and played guitar, harmonica and hand drums to sing this love song about Joel & Rose. The whole place was in a roar as the song was perfect and everyone shed tears of laughter and joy.

Well, guys, thanks so much and see you in Cali again soon!

and thanks to my friends Kenny Kim & Matt Hall totally helped me out.

Some of our fav Couples - friends...

It felt like flying out to a family reunion. I was honored to be asked to come out here with my wife to photograph Joel & Rose's wedding. It was really cool to come in and see them waiting for my flight to arrive and get me out here. I was a bit nervous making sure my connections would get me here in time, but my buddy Kenny Kim & Matt Hall totally helped me out and it was fun to capture the whole event so completely. Right next to Notre Dame, we photographed at the Tippacanoe Mansion, and it was really beautiful.

I'll post more images from the wedding later, but the one shot from the day that leaves me thankful is this:

starting on the far right is Josh & Lauren (7/06), Joel & Rose (6/08), Mark & Christyn (6/07), Jon & Savannah(Sav is back in Cali), they got married last month (5/08). Then my sweet bride on the side of me. All of these couples are so amazing and fun. I can't believe they are all here at the same time. We have grown to know them over the last months, and are blessed to have been asked to photograph their wedding day in a way that portrays them as they are. I am so glad they got the best I could do. Its my prayer that their marriages would be blessed and they would be mutually encouraged by each other. To see the joy of your marriage recorded in your face, actions and in the expressions of those supporting you is really something that goes beyond the posed shots. Its the hundreds of in between moments that happen and then are remembered, now forever. These are the moments that make being a human being in a relationship blessed and loved by God.

To love someone is a choice, and just as we choose to be enamored with the best qualities of our spouse on our wedding day, its knowing that is a choice we need to make every day. I pray i would do so, because it means i put aside anything selfish in myself to hold against my wife. I am choosing to see her as perfect; even thought both her and I are not. Doing this action daily, is the foundation of my marriage, and I bless my wife by being the leader in this thought process and string of choices.

I have years to continue to grow and do this better, and I pray that I would be able to love her better every day. I battle my habits, the worlds trends, and I know that with the example of Jesus, I am able to be a better servant to my wife, a better partner and a better person. To that, I say I am thankful and blessed.

Matt & Crystal Wedding : Avila Beach

A few feet from where I got married, this was a dream wedding, a flashback in time for me. I wish I had more time to post, but I'm heading home for dinner, but I wanted to get up some images from this wedding.

Matt & Chrystal, you rock, your family and friends are awesome, have fun on your honeymoon.

Enjoy your weekend...