San Juan Capistrano Engagement Photography | John & Kira

Welome to our new Blog site. 

  We couldn't think of a more perfect post to christen our new blog - than John & Kira's engagement photos! John and Kira have been fans of ours since Jessica Elizabeth Photography started up years ago.  We thank them for all of their love and support over the years, and we were so excited for their engagement shoot. We have been looking forward to taking these photos since John's proposal to Kira at LAX.

We planned the date and location for the shoot several weeks in advance and the days leading up to the shoot had typical beautiful and sunny CA weather (although a little on the cold side).  The morning and early afternoon of the shoot, it was gloomy, gray, and rainy- of course!  When we meet up with them for the session, John mentioned that Kira was a little bummed about the gloomy day, but John had reassured Kira and said "Don't worry- they'll fix it." Ha ha. No pressure!

With a little creativity, some brightly colored balloons that we picked up on the way, and experience in finding the light- we were able to turn the sad looking day into a cheerful one. Mother nature also did us a favor and threw us some sunshine every now and then. It continued to rain during the shoot and helped us in creating one of our favorite photos of the afternoon!  The rainbow that appeared was an amazing gift as well.

John and Kira- thank you for allowing us to be such a special part of your lives :) We love you guys and can't wait for your wedding!

Talega Golf Club | Wedding Photography| Ever After Session

David and Laura were married at the Talega Golf Club in San Clemente, CA. After the new year, Laura thought it might be fun for her and David to get dressed up again in their wedding attire and take some relaxed, creative photos in some of the locations around the venue that we didn't get a chance to go to on the wedding day.

It was sunny and clear until literally the minute David and Laura arrived for the shoot, and then it started to rain and hail!!!  But we had an absolute blast photographing out in the rain, and the stormy weather made for a dramatic backdrop in the sky as seen in the photos below.

We must give a very special thank you to Michael Voorhees at Talega for being such an amazing host and for allowing us to visit the venue again for this shoot. Michael even held an umbrella to help keep Laura's hair and make-up dry, and dried off the golf cart multiple times while taking us around the grounds for the photos. Michael, we can't thank you enough!

Talega Golf Club

990 Avenida Talega

San Clemente, CA 92673

Interested in having Jessica Elizabeth Photographers document your wedding or special event? 

Email us at: Jessica@JessicaElizabeth.com or call us at: (562) 201-9494. 

Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress

How to Find "The" Dress | Trying on Gowns

 

Gown by: Maggie Sottero 

Purchased at: The Dresser Bridal Couture

When you're dress hunting, it's good to bring photos of the types of dresses you are looking for, so that your bridal stylist can get an idea of the look you are going for. But be open minded and don't be afraid to try dresses that are different. You might surprise yourself and find an amazing dress!

Bring shoes that are about the same height as the shoes you plan on wearing for your wedding day.  If you already have your wedding shoes, even better! Bring those.

If the gown doesn't fit you just right, make sure to get an estimate on the cost for alterations so that you can factor that into the total cost of the gown.

A few questions to ask yourself with each gown you try on:

1) Am I comfortable?  Most brides will only wear one gown on their wedding day. You need to be comfortable enough in it to get through photos, the ceremony, dinner, and dancing.  If the dress is too heavy it might be hard to stand, walk, or dance in while wearing heels. If the train is very long, get a quote on getting it bustled, so that you can dance in it throughout the night.

      If the dress is A-mazing, but you know you won't be able to dance and party in it all night, consider getting a simpler yet elegant gown or party dress to change into for your reception.

2) Do I look gorgeous? One of the most important things in selecting a wedding gown is that you feel gorgeous! Feeling gorgeous in your gown radiates in your smile, your emotions, and your expressions. This translates into a stunning bride and beautiful photographs.

How do you know if you've found the one? Well, if you have the dress on and you can't stop smiling....that's usually the one.

Any brides who recently found their dress please share your tips on finding the perfect gown by commenting on this post. Thanks! 

If you are interested in having Jessica Elizabeth Photographers document your wedding or special event, please email us at Jessica@JessicaElizabeth.com or give us a call at 562-201-9494.

Anaheim Sheraton Wedding Photography | Holly and Stephen

The cinematography team at Jessica Elizabeth had the pleasure and honor of documenting Stephen and Holly's ceremony at the Anaheim Sheraton. We love, love, LOVE their vows. They are enough to make a Vulcan smile. Check out their teaser. :)

Talega Wedding Photography | San Clemente, CA

David and Laura were had their wedding at the beautiful Talega Golf Club in San Clemente, CA. Here's a sneak peek from Laura & David's wedding this Sunday. More photos coming soon!

Talega Golf Club

990 Avenida Talega

San Clemente, CA 92673

Los Verdes Golf Club | Wedding Photography | Palos Verdes, CA

May and Florin's Wedding | Part 2

If someone was asked what qualities would describe May and Florin's relationship, some might describe them as down-to-earth, fun, and breathtaking (you'll understand later). Both are lighthearted and have an emphatic silliness to them, but their love isn't all just about fun; they are a cute and romantic couple. It is hard to be around them and not be enveloped in the moment with them. During their ceremony vows and reception toasts, it was hard not to be overcome with emotion. We hope the photos posted do justice to the love that they share. 

The first look

 

They toasted with a homemade moonshine that Florin's grandmother made from Romania. You can't feel your tongue afterwards. 

"Whoa... "

The bridal party "kidnapped" May during the reception. Florin had to win her back through a series of challenges, one of them being "Test your Might!". 

The bridal session

This is Rob's favorite photograph. Although it's the same one above, the edit below just brings out more breathtaking drama.

Los Verdes Golf Club | Wedding Photography | Palos Verdes, CA

The Jessica Elizabeth team had the honor of documenting May and Florin's wedding at the Los Verdes Golf Club. 

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, family and friends joined from all sides of the world in Palos Verdes to be together for May and Florin's wedding. May grew up in Southern California, but eventually settled down in the Bay Area, where she met her sweetheart, Florin. And the rest is history.  For the wedding, she couldn't resist the beautiful weather SoCal has to offer, and neither could Florin. Below, is a preview of their wedding ceremony. More stories and photographs to come!

The Processional

Its so awesome that the officiant of the ceremony is an old friend. He told some great funny stories.  

One of the stories he shared was May's love for the series Twilight. She loves Twilight so much that Robert Pattinson made a surprise guest appearance!

The bride and groom have a very goofy and rambunctious side to them. Their happiness is so infectious that we couldn't help but laugh and smile while editing these photos. 

Florin's mother read a beautiful poem by a Romanian poet. 

May and Florin exchanging their vows.

 "I promise to love you, in my own way." 

May had four gorgeous bridesmaids.

And Florin had five handsome groomsmen. 

As part of the ceremony, Florin and May joined hands, and the officiant asked for Florin's hand on top. "Remember and cherish this moment because this is the last time you will have the upper hand."

We love, love, LOVE this photograph. 

Los Verdes Golf

7000 W. Los Verdes Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Music and Sound provided by Luke of VOX DJs. 

Florals by Phylline Loza

Officiant: Yi Tseng

Portuguese Hall | Wedding Photography | Artesia, CA

      Jennifer and Eddie are a match made in heaven. We got to know them over the course of their wedding planning, and they are an adorable and beautiful couple. Jennifer told us the story of how she was feeling sick at work one day, and having heard this, Eddie, only knowing Jennifer as an acquaintance at that time, went during his break to go buy her some medicine. Later, a co-worker asked Jennifer if she would consider dating Eddie and Jennifer responded, "No. Because Eddie isn't the kind of guy you date; he's the kind of guy you marry." And marry him she did!

      We had the honor of documenting Jennifer and Eddie's wedding that took place at Our Lady of Refuge Church in Long Beach with their reception at the Portuguese Hall in Artesia. Because we like to tease, we are giving a small glimpse into Jennifer and Eddie's day. 

Jennifer and Eddie's wedding trailer

Jennifer's Beautiful Ivory Bouquet

Jennifer's grandmother passed down her wedding ring for Jennifer to have when she got married. And to honor her, Jennifer pinned the ring next to her heart inside her wedding gown. 

As a gift to his Groomsmen, Eddie gave out personalized flasks. AWESOME!

Eddie Getting Ready

Jennifer Getting Ready

Looking absolutely gorgeous, Jennifer walked out of her dressing room showing off her wearing the gown for the first time.  

Just a little sneak peek into their bridal session at the gardens.

Last but not least, we have to mention a little surprise that goes by the name of Neal and his Thunderbird. Eddie, you got yourself some stiff competition there. ;) inside joke. 

Neal happened to see us as he was driving and graciously volunteered his Thunderbird for a couple bridal portraits!

This picture is for you Neal!

More to come! 

Aquarium of the Pacific Wedding Photography | Long Beach

   A few weeks ago, we previewed Tina and Erik's wedding at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Without further adieu, here is their wedding day, complete with a video highlight. This wedding was particularly special as Tina is my sister. Despite being a bridesmaid, and without a camera for many parts of the day, our awesome Jessica Elizabeth team handled the photography, cinematography, and interactive photobooth with stride. To my amazing and talented husband, Robert, thank you for making this day so beautiful! Special thanks to Kevin and the rest of our Jessica Elizabeth team for rocking this event! Because of you guys, Tina and Erik have wonderful memories to look back at. 

 Tina& Erik's Aquarium of the Pacific Wedding Highlight Video:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Congratulations Tina and Erik! Have fun in Germany!

 

Santa Monica Pier Engagement Photography | Santa Monica CA

To kick off the unofficial start to summer, here are photographs from Alice and Ben's engagement session. We took them to Santa Monica Pier for a little bit of beachy fun and headed over to the promenade thereafter. As you browse through, you might think "What? No carnie pics?" No, these guys are too cool for that. Instead, we took our party underneath! Our own adventure was destined to be atop on the risers. In our opinion, this was definitely better than a ride around the ferris wheel. And for your information... No animals or clients were hurt in the making of this production. Enjoy the memories!

Santa Monica Pier Engagement Photography 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aquarium of the Pacific Wedding Photography Long Beach CA

A few years ago Robert and I co-hosted a New Year's Eve party with my sister Michelle and her husband Mark. Mark's brothers Pete and Erik were in town, and they joined us for the party. Erik spent most of the night carrying around an enormous foot tall champagne glass. LOL. Apparently this caught my sister Tina's attention and shortly after the party they started dating.Dating wasn't always easy for Tina and Erik as Erik in the Air Force. Over the past few years Tina has gone to visit him in Louisiana and Texas and Erik has come to visit her in CA. I'm sure the visits always seemed too short and the times he was away seemed too long. Through Skype, over the phone movie dates, and Facebook they made it work. And on May 11th, another Tincopa sister married another Boets brother.

Here are a sneak peek of their Aquarium of Pacific Wedding:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orange CA | Wedding | Photography

Robert and I like to keep our skills sharp by attending photoshoots and workshops to learn from other photographers, practice new techniques, and keep up with current trends in the photography industry.  A few weeks ago we had the honor of leading the SoCal Photog Shootout for the Three Year Anniversary event!  

We had a wonderful time leading and learning from other photographers and working with the stunningly beautiful Charise.

Thank you Charise for being so patient and fabulous all afternoon- even braving the cold windy weather. You are gorgeous, and we hope you enjoy the photos!

A big thank you to everyone involved in making this event possible. We have a special shout-out to all of you below :)

Special thanks to everyone involved in the preparation, planning, and execution of this Shootout:

Makeup:

· Lead Makeup Artist: Jennette Pulecio www.jennettepulecio.com www.facebook.com/muljp

· Denise Marquez https://www.facebook.com/makeupbydenise

Hair:

· Lead Hair Stylist: Shyan Bailey - https://www.facebook.com/Shydohair

· David Lira https://www.facebook.com/pages/DaLi-hair-makeUP/198078846906805

· Jade Gallo https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=507942367&sk=wall

· Jaime Castillo

Styling:

· Kaylee Sizemore www.thetangledvineonlosrios.com

Co-Leaders:

Matthew Saville www.matthewsaville.com

Paul Schaefer www.psphotomedia.com

Kaylee Sizemore www.thetangledvineonlosrios.com

Hanssie Trainor www.hanssietrainor.com

Vendors:

The Tangled Vine - accessories/styling www.thetangledvineonlosrios.com

THE MODELS:

Tina Burns

Koko Laimana

Shyan Bailey

Charise Parra

Vanessa Cedeno

Avia | Hyatt| Long Beach| Wedding Photography

Last summer we had the honor in participating in a wedding vendor challenge for Best Wedding Sites.  The challenge was to create and style a Bridal Shower using the colors Yellow and Blue. 

The team consisted of Miriam of Miriam Corona Events, Samantha of Paper Mints, florals and linens from Cristina of Posh Peony Event Design, and the adorable sweets from Eileen at Cucamonga Cakery. Our team had tons of fun running with the challenge and our design even made the cover of the September Issue of Best Wedding Sites Magazine. 

Since I know many of our brides are currently working on the themes and floral designs for their summer weddings, I thought we would post a little inspiration on this beautiful summer like day in February here in SoCal. This post may also be helpful to all you MOHs (Maid of Honors) out there looking for inspiration for that Bridal Shower you will be hosting soon.

To read more about the details and design of this shoot, check out the feature article here:

http://www.brendasweddingblog.com/blogs/2011/8/29/photo-shoot-mix-of-textures-patterns-for-modern-nautical-ins.html

San Juan Capistrano Photography | Aaron & Teri's Valentine's Session

Cupid works his magic 365 days of the year. About 15 months ago, Cupid's arrow struck Aaron and Teri. They met while studying at CSU Fullerton and ever since then, their adoration for each other grow with each day. They're really cute - a month ago they decided to start a wine blog called, "The Vino Duo", where both of them write articles on the wines that they try together. When Aaron contacted us, he explained that he was so averse to taking photos that he and Teri didn't have any of each other. This photo session was to be a surprise for her this Valentine's Day. We met up with them this past weekend in beautiful San Juan Capistrano. If there was any sign of nervousness from either of them, it definitely wasn't apparent. Aaron and Teri, we hope you love the photos! Now we're wondering how you will top this one next year Aaron - a different kind of session perhaps...? 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Woodson Castle Wedding Photography | San Diego Wedding, CA

Pete & Erika's Woodson Castle Wedding

If you look back to one of our earlier posts, we blogged about a sailor and his mate. We first met Pete when my sister Michelle started dating Pete's brother Mark.  Shortly thereafter, my sister Christina started dating Pete's brother Erik.  When we first met Erika, she asked Pete if he was sure he wouldn't prefer to date one of my remaining 4 sisters (aka those sisters not already married to one of Pete's brothers.) As you can see Erika has a pretty awesome sense of humor and a wonderful personality.  Erika is super sweet and down to earth.  She is also one gorgeous woman!  I'm sure Pete would agree ;)

Pete is the classically handsome Navy Sailor.  He's a fun loving guy with an equally great personality.  And lucky for Erika, Pete had absolutely no interest in dating any of my sisters. LOL.

Pete and Erika were married at the enchanting Mt. Woodson Castle in Ramona, CA. I must say Rob and I were a little jealous of the wedding venue as we both had dreamed of getting married at a castle.  Fortunately, we had the honor of being a part of Pete & Erika's dream wedding day.

Here's a peek of their day:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electra Cruises | Wedding Photography| Newport Beach, CA| Mark & Carrie

Carrie & Mark were married aboard the "Eternity" in Newport Beach.  Although the forecast had called for a chance of rain earlier in the week, the weather was beautiful and the sky amazing!  

Here is a sneak peek from their wedding day:

Newport Beach, CA

Carrie's Gorgeous Wedding Gown

Carrie is the 14th grandchild, so she was given this beautiful handkerchief by her grandparents embroidered with a special message and the #14.  The ring pillow below the handkerchief was sewn by Carrie's mother and made from both of her grandmother's wedding dresses. So sweet and touching.

The Shoes

The Rings

Floral Design by Sweet Flowers at the Ceremony Site:

Carrie's mother lit the candle for the Curtis family and Mark's mother lit the candle for the Fitzpatrick family. Then Carrie and Mark lit the Unity Candle together.

"F" for the new Mr. & Mrs. Mark Fitzpatrick

The Handsome Groom

The Proud Parents

We took Carrie & Mark up to the upper deck after the ceremony to sneak in some sunset Bridal Portraits.

Bella Collina Wedding Photography | San Clemente Wedding Photography | Mike and Courtney

A Lovely Bella Collina Wedding:

Courtney & Mike were married at the lovely Bella Collina in San Clemente, CA.  The day began with a very unusual Southern California hail storm. Yikes! But by wedding time the hail had moved on and the sun was shining bright. Our team, which included Peyton and Kevin as well, had such an blast at their wedding!

Courtney & Mike are such a sweet and adorable couple. They are gorgeous people inside and out.  I'm sure all the guests could see how incredibly in love they are and that they were on Cloud 9 celebrating with all of their friends and family.

We had the chance to work with the wonderful ladies at de Luxe Weddings and Events who did an amazing job coordinating and designing all of the details and working with us to squeeze in as many photos as we could!  We also got to enjoy working with Luke Sensebe from Premiere Events Group who rocked the party!

Special thanks to Tanja Janjic from Bella Collina for giving us the grand tour and for making sure we were taken care of on wedding day.

The florals were created by The Flower Girl.  The guests were well fed by Jay's Catering.

Now onto the photos from Courtney & Mike's Special Day.... 

 

P.S. We also had our cinematographer Kevin along with us for Courtney & Mike's wedding day, so make sure to check out the Teaser from their day below.

The Hail:

 

Courtney's Beautiful Wedding Gown in the Bella Collina Wine Room.

 

 

The Sweet Custom Hanger. LOVE it!

 

And the shoes:

Courtney got ready with her bridesmaids and her mother Joann in the Ladies Locker Rooms at Bella Collina.

 

Then the ladies headed over to the organic garden for some bridal party photos at the trellis. 

Meanwhile Rob was over with the guys for some getting ready photos and the groomsmen portraits.

Apparently the guys wanted to see if they would be able to catch Mike if he ran away.

 But for those who know Mike- they know that if he were running anywhere on the wedding day, it would be toward Courtney <3.

 

 

 

Courtney walked down the aisle with her mother Joann.

Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Michael Rice!

 

 

 

This jumping photo was a special request from Courtney & Mike. OK, just Mike.  Awesome :) 

 

 

 

 

Courtney had spotted a pitchfork while we were out photographing the bridesmaids. We just had to work it into a photo. LOL. So here's our take on "American Gothic".

 

 

 

Courtney & Mike let us sneak them out of their reception for a few minutes to capture this Night Portrait.

 

And they had some fantastic sparklers so we couldn't resist a little light painting!  Check out that heart. Nice work guys.

Love, Laughter & Celebration! Congrats you two. It was an amazing night.

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Bella Collina Towne & Golf Club: 200 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente, CA 92763

If you are interested in having Jessica Elizabeth Photographers document your wedding or special event, please email us at Jessica@JessicaElizabeth.com or give us a call at 562-201-9494.

Brea Maternity Photography | Craig Park

We photographed Victor and Margaret's maternity session for their first child, Mateo. With their second one on its way, we had the privilege of photographing their family again.

Congratulations Rojas Family!

Cannon's | Blue Lantern Inn | Dana Point | Wedding Photography

Sharon & Fred's Wedding: Part 2

Sharon & Fred stayed at the beautiful Blue Lantern Inn, in Dana Point, CA for their wedding night.  We had the opportunity to take a few beautiful bridal portraits of them before heading over to Cannon's Restaurant for their ceremony & reception.  

These photos were taken of Sharon looking out onto the water from her suite's balcony.

I think Fred likes what he sees. Yep- she's gorgeous!

Although we had scoped out the beach just a few days before the wedding, the beach was crazy bright and insanely windy and cold on the wedding day. But Sharon & Fred are troopers and braved the jetty long enough for Robert to capture this photo.

We were able to sneak Sharon & Fred out of their reception for just a few minutes and take them to the Blue Lantern Inn next door for these photos.

What a bunch of handsome guys!

It wouldn't be a wedding without an official toast to the happy couple.

The view from the Cannon's roof at night. Robert the climber and roof jumper captured this photo. 

Fred & Sharon Weiss' Wedding at Cannons | Dana Point, Orange County

Sharon and Fred are a sweet and entertaining couple, and they're not bad looking either. =) They are two of the most happy-go-lucky people we know. Below is a preview of their wedding at Cannon's Restaurant in Dana Point. 

Part 2 will be up tomorrow evening! Stay tuned!