You all remember my gorgeous mountain engagement session featuring these two lovebirds, don't you? Well those two tied the knot and I was there to catch all of the sweet moments - and the day was full of them! The couple had their wedding at the beautiful Monterey Country Club under a warm desert sun that heated up the air well into the night. The dance party lasted hours under the stars as everyone celebrated the newest pair. Tawny and Albert were inseparable and absolutely glowing. The love and emotion was palpable throughout the entire day as the night came to an end and the two slow danced together to an acoustic cover of "Just the Way You Are" by Boyce Avenue. Their happy friends and family sent them off with a sparkler exit and they drove away as husband and wife. Congratulations, Tawny and Albert! You had a truly beautiful day and I know you two are absolutely loving married life!
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Let me be clear: I love all of my clients. But I must admit, I have a special place in my heart for Chloe and Derek. We had only met twice before their wedding day - first at our rainy Starbucks consultation where they booked me on the spot and second at their engagement session in Coto de Caza where we laughed until we literally fell down. The rain came again on their wedding day at Giracci Vineyards in Orange County but it somehow only made the day even more magical. Handmade details & gorgeous florals graced the reception site as the rain softly drizzled on. Every guest had a smile on their face and a glass of Giracci wine in their hand. Once the food was eaten and the cake cut, the dance floor was full of some of the most fun guests I've ever seen. My second shooter, Jason, and I were pulled out at least ten times to join people under the glowing lights. By this point, we felt like actual guests at the wedding instead of vendors. That feeling was reinforced throughout the course of the next week as dozens of family and friends added me on Facebook and social media. There really is no better feeling than feeling like a part of the family when you're shooting someone's wedding. Even more rewarding is being able to keep up with your couples and watch their family grow over the years. I know the Siegmann family will be one to watch and I can't wait to follow along! Congrats to Chloe and Derek -- you two truly set the bar. Photography - Jes Workman & Jason Horrell Venue - Giracci Vineyard in Orange County, CA Florals - Foxtail Florals Dress - BHLDN DJ - DJ Drew Pierce Catering - Jay's Catering The San Diego Temple, to me, has always been a beautiful landmark on the way from Los Angeles to San Diego. On this day, however, it was a place of unity, tradition and love. Rachel and Taylor invited me to capture the celebration of their marriage outside of the majestic temple with all of their friends and family. The party was moved over to a private home in Newport Beach where the festivities continued in a lush, floral backyard decorated straight out of an Anthropologie catalog. Details and photographs covered every inch of the party and guests chowed down from the overflowing dessert table. Beautiful indie music set the scene and the newlyweds started off the dancing with one of my favorites, "XO" by John Mayer. The rest of the night was filled with even more dancing, freshly prepared BBQ treats and an exciting sparkler exit toward a sweet new sports car. We snuck over to the Palos Verdes Cliffs a few days before the wedding to get in some perfectly lit portraits and to ensure that Rachel and Taylor had enough time during their day to visit with their friends and family. It was an absolutely beautiful day! Be sure to join Rachel by rooting Taylor on as he brings the USA Men's Volleyball team to the 2016 Olympic Games! Congratulations to a wonderful pair! Photography by Jes Workman Videography by Phillip Goodwin Check out their awesome video here: https://vimeo.com/137406190 Vintage Rentals by Party Pieces by Perry Desserts by Society Sweets Locations: San Diego California Temple & private home in Newport Beach Reception styling & florals by the bride & groom's family Brace yourself, an incredibly gorgeous couple is about to grace your screen. You may remember Taylor from my end-of-summer family session last year on Balboa Island - yes, that straight out of Anthropologie family session full of beautiful, smiling faces. Taylor is the Sanders' oldest son and recently got engaged to his beautiful lady, Rachel. I couldn't say yes fast enough when they contacted me to photograph their engagement session and wedding day - just look at them! Aside from being good looking and stylish, these two are genuine sweethearts that exude love and warmth. Taylor is a current member of the USA Volleyball team and Rachel is his biggest fan, posting photos and good luck wishes on her Instagram when he's halfway around the world competing. These two even have their own following on social media with international fans of Taylor sending love to the almost-newlyweds on their photos. It's safe to say that I'm not the only one who adored this session! The two tie the knot at the end of July in San Diego, CA and I cannot wait to spend the day with them. All photos taken by Jes Workman on a Canon 5DMKIII in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Haidan and Jake invited me to their beautiful hometown of Yucaipa, CA for their engagement session. It's only fitting for a love story that started there even before the two knew it.
Jake and Haidan went to the same high school, only a grade apart, and never said a word to each other. It wasn't until they met again at their local Crossfit years after high school that the two realized they had found something special. A few weeks after chatting at a local coffee shop, they invited me back to adventure around the hills of Yucaipa. We first walked the grounds of the family home where they'll be getting married and found some great spots for portraits for the day of their wedding. It's so nice to be able to see the space ahead of time and get an idea of how everything will unfold, especially in a unique place like a private home. Side note, backyard weddings are some my favorites. There is a certain special feeling about being in an environment that is literally so close to home. Everyone is so comfortable and relaxed and the photos will be even more special to the family. Outdoor receptions are definitely my favorite - we live in Southern California, where else can you take advantage of an outdoor dance floor in almost any season? Bring on the wine and twinkle lights! After finding some cool spots for the wedding day photos, we checked out the awesome trees at Wildwood State Park. Haidan mentioned a gorgeous scenic spot along the highway close to where we were so we set out to catch the sunset. The sky gave us some beautiful light and Haidan and Jake were absolutely adorable. So adorable that we even had a special onlooker towards the end -- a baby black bear! He scurried across the highway right as we took a break to wait for the sunset. Thankfully, he disappeared into the safety of the canyon and we were free to finish our session sans dangerous wildlife. Let's hope he doesn't bring some friends to their wedding in October!
I always feel humbled when another photographer wants to shoot with me. I felt especially honored when Tawny Franklin, a long-time friend in both real life and the photography community, asked me to shoot her own wedding. I said yes for a million reasons - I adore her and Albert and she would look absolutely gorgeous in front of the lens!
They both may look a bit familiar - I shot Albert's sister's wedding (Alex and Brett) last year in Palm Springs and they were both in the wedding party. Tawny absolutely stunned in two gorgeous outfits and Albert rocked two perfectly styled looks. They were all smiles throughout the whole session and it was so easy to work with someone who inherently knew which poses were flattering. We spotted a tree way out in the middle of a fenced off field that was too perfect to pass up and we sprinted - dress, sandals and all - through tall, thorny bushes to catch the perfect sunset light. The sunset seemed to last forever and my favorite type of creamy, cool light gave us enough time to shoot some film clips as well. If this was just the engagement session, I can't wait for the wedding in May! Congrats, Tawny & Albert!
Now check out a short teaser film I shot during this session:
All photos taken on a Canon 5DMKIII and processed with Mastin Labs
Carlee and Joey celebrated their wedding day at Corona Yacht Club just outside of Palm Springs, CA. A yacht club in the desert, you ask? Although the name brings to mind an ocean-view marina, in reality it was their very own private lush oasis. The estate was a sprawling Spanish-style villa with several cottages, palm tree covered gardens and an open patio that wrapped around a sparkling lake -- wooden dock and all. It truly was their own special hideaway tucked secretly into the desert landscape. The day was full of love and romance but my favorite part was the party that began right as the drinks started to flow. Carlee and Joey's friends know how to have a good time! I was laughing throughout the entire day and dancing throughout the entire night. This is the first of my weddings that I created a private "blooper" reel for -- they were that fun! I had such a great time shooting this wedding. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Frazier! Marlene and Salo are my favorite kind of people. They invited me into their home, offered me a meal and started playing music. Art was displayed on every wall, candles were lit in each room and Marlene's designer shoe collection could put any celebrity closet to shame. After Salo serenaded Marlene and their soon-to-be son at their piano, we headed to a spot close by their house to take advantage of the gorgeous Laguna Beach landscape.
There are a few places that every photographer has on their "to shoot" bucket list. Hummingbird Nest Ranch was at the very top of mine. It wasn't until our in-person consultation that Lorena and Ruben casually noted that their wedding would be taking place there. They explained their love of hummingbirds to me and told me about their first visit to the gorgeous Santa Susana estate when a hummingbird greeted them at the gates and zoomed back towards the gardens. With my eyes still wide, I touched at the hummingbird tattoo on my ribs. It was fate!
Lorena and her bridal party got ready at her home in Eagle Rock. The atmosphere was so warm with love as family members sipped coffee in the kitchen while her mother steamed one of her two gorgeous gowns. Her nieces and nephews ran up and down the front steps as we all watched from her living room window. After a morning ceremony at their church around the corner, the caravan of 300+ guests traveled to the grounds of Hummingbird Nest Ranch. It took several minutes to reach the main house from the front gate. The perfectly manicured Southern California landscape was radiating in the summer sun. After my second, Bri, and I scouted the property, Lorena and Ruben arrived with their wedding party for portraits in the courtyard. The guys donned wrestling masks and did a few moves while the girls cooled off by many of the properties flowing fountains. Cocktail hour featured a traditional spanish duo, Bolero Soul, tapas service, a quick dance by the bride and groom and of course, drinks. Guests made their way to the sprawling patio in front of the main house for the start of the reception. This place was truly incredible! The natural Spanish style of the house matched the colorful decor and traditional Latin theme. A full mariachi band played the bridal party down the front steps of the house while the crowd cheered on. Two traditional Azctec dancers in full head dresses began a ceremonial dance at sunset and their energy was absolutely entrancing. Guests feasted on a gourmet Mexican fusion spread cooked up by Tortas2Die4 (not exaggerating - this was the best meal I have ever had at a wedding!) and continued dancing through the night. The day truly could not have been any more spectacular. Hummingbird Nest Ranch & Soltana and her team at Velvet Alley Events put on an amazing show and every guest (and vendor!) had a wonderful night under the stars. Congratulations, Lorena & Ruben! How do you surprise your client at the soonest possible moment with a sneak peek into your shoot? You send them a photo or two! It's simple, it's quick and it's a great way to get your clients excited and anxious to see more. It's also a great way to hold them over a bit during the editing process. For video, however, this isn't always so quick and easy. Introducing Quick Looks! A 15-second, Instagram-ready highlight of your wedding video. I generally know what my favorite shots of the day are so whipping up a quick edit the day after is proving to be a lot easier with the more films I do. They're also crazy popular on Instagram! Here are my latest three Quick Looks from weddings from the past two weeks. They'll be included in all of my cinematography packages from here on out. Enjoy! |
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