Suzy & Matt - December 19, 2009

Our last wedding of 2009 was a wonderful event in Rancho Palos Verdes. Suzy and Matt were very fortunate indeed to have a warm, sunny December wedding, while the East Coast was getting a thick blanket of snow! This was especially appreciated by the great many guests who flew in from some of these chilly regions, including several of Matt's VMI buddies. The reception was a blast, including some fabulous photo booth action! Continuing with the "warm" theme, the newlyweds are off to the blissful summer paradise of Australia and New Zealand for their honeymoon. Suzy & Matt, thank you for including us in your special day, and we wish you all the best!

Kauai - December 2009

Aloha! During the first week of December we took a little break from the photography biz for a short getaway to Kauai, Hawaii. The main reason for the trip was the celebration one of those “BIG” birthdays (you know, one that ends in a “0” sort of like forty.) However, as is common with professional photographers, with the astounding natural beauty of the Garden Island, we just could not put down our cameras!

One of the really fun things we did there was to book an hour-long flight on the Cessna 172 Skyhawk belonging to Wings Over Kauai (http://www.wingsoverkauai.com/), which is owned and operated by Bruce Coulombe and his wife, Ellen, who provides the excellent customer service in the front office. With a Ph.D. in Agronomy, Capt. Bruce’s commentary during the flight, including information on the native vegetation and interesting facts about the amazing sights of Kauai (some which are only viewable by air) was fascinating! We were so thrilled to see this beautiful island from the air! What a breathtaking experience!

During our stay, the North Shore of Kauai experienced 30-50 foot waves, so we HAD to drive up there and witness them (and photograph them) for ourselves, after having seen them the previous day from the air. One extra big wave surprised everyone by surpassing the previous waterline by over 30 feet, making everyone scramble for shoes and bags!

So here is just a tiny fraction of the pictures we took during our mini-vacay, including a few from the air, as well as the obligatory stunning sunrise and sunset pictures (with and without palm trees). Check back in a few days for our last wedding of the year featuring Suzy & Matt! Mahalo!

Taking flight over Kauai

Flying past our hotel - the one with the green roof

Beautiful waterfall in Waimea Valley

The impressive Na Pali Coastline

The huge waves hitting the North Shore

Hanalei Bay

Sunset (with palm trees)

Sunset (without palm trees)

Wailua Falls (as seen on Fantasy Island)

Gorgeous sunrise on our last morning

Lizette & Matt - November 21, 2009

Oh my gosh! What a fabulous wedding day for high school sweethearts, Lizette and Matt! The whole day held a marvelous mixture of faiths and traditions, including a Jewish blessing, a lasso ceremony, a wine blending ceremony and the breaking of the glass! Felicitaciones and Mozel Tov! Once married, Lizette decided to take advantage of the resources at Black Gold Golf Course to brush up on her swing (LOL!) Afterward, the party got into full swing as well, and contained more dancing per square inch than most, thanks to the awesome talents of Michael with Vision Groove Entertainment! What a great celebration! Matt & Lizette, we wish you all the best as you begin your lives as newlyweds!

Gretchen & Jeff - November 14, 2009

We've really been looking forward to Gretchen and Jeff's wedding and in no way did their wonderful day disappoint! With the exquisite St. Regis Monarch Beach as the backdrop, this formal affair had both touching moments which included an ancestral ceremony and a tea ceremony, and the whimsical fun of a cartoon artist and an outrageous candy table! We could not have asked for a more beautiful day with mild temperatures and blue skies overhead to wish Gretchen and Jeff all the best as they begin their life together as husband and wife.