We begin with Miranda and Patrick's Torrance beach sunset wedding. Afterwards, we asked Mom to pose by the water, and her kids picked up on it. Look below to see the shape of one child immediately afterwards. And they were all going out to a fine Mexican restaurant to celebrate. Luckily, they brought along a change of clothes.
For Nisa and Jeremy's wedding in Venice, California, they wanted to get a nice shot of them with the dogs. The pups didn't really want to cooperate here!
Back to the kids.Below is the moment when the DJ calls all the single ladies to the dance floor to catch the bouquet. Someone neglected to tell the little boy at Toni-Lynne and Robin's Long Beach wedding, who was having too good a time to stay away.
Cathy wanted to reward husband Earl with a rendition of "I'm So Sexy," at their reception, complete with a lineup of ladies who agreed 100% with her. Folks, you just don't see stuff like this every day. Earl was in heaven....
The dance of the year. At Gaby and Dave's July wedding, there was a Mother/Son dance like we'd never ever seen before. Mo (mom) was just the happiest mother of the groom of all time--and quite a dancer--as you can see below!
Favorite location: the amazing Malaga Cove section of Palos Verdes.
Cathy and Earl live in Northern California, and wanted to wed down South, near the parents, at a church in Carson, with reception in Torrance. We had a two-hour block for photography in-between, and offered a few of our favorite nearby spots. "I want to go to the prettiest spot in Southern California, Palos Verdes," Earl said. Not a problem! We used to ride our bike to P.V. every Saturday for several years before wedding photography entered our lives and know it well.
We stopped by the gazebo, which has a killer P.V. to Malibu view, and asked the happy couple to do a dip for us. Then we turned to Photoshop afterwards to enhance what was already a dynamo sunset. When they make a movie about Cathy and Earl, I hope they use the picture for the movie poster!
Bridesmaids Just Want to Have Fun: Toni-Lynne and the Gals @ Queen Mary
This is our "Sex and the City," shot, one we always opt for at weddings, the girls linking arms and having the time of their lives. This is our best ever, thanks to the priceless expressions of the ladies on the deck of the stately Queen Mary. We visited the old ship three times in 2008, and look forward to returning in 2009.
Best Dress: Amy and her three gowns!
Amy put on a real show at her Palos Verdes Trump National Golf Course wedding with three wedding dresses. One for the ceremony, another for the grand entrance, and a third for the wedding cake and bouquet shots.
Most Romantic Venue:
Mary & Steve @ La Venta Inn
Back to idyllic Palos Verdes again, to the quaint, hideaway charm of the La Venta Inn. Mary and Steve wed on Labor Day, in a gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean, again, from P.V. to Malibu, with family and friends looking on. After the wedding, we stole the couple for a quick kiss shot at the other gazebo, on the other side of the property.
Best Surprise: Gaby & Dave and the Bruins.
Gaby and Dave didn't meet @ UCLA, but they're both Bruins, and love the school sooooo much. Dave and Gaby call each other on the phone--their ringtones play the Bruin fight song. So they insisted we do their engagement session at UCLA. And after the wedding at St. Timothy's in Los Angeles, they wanted to stop by UCLA for couple shots. Like it's not one of the greatest backdrops in the world? We were thrilled to be there with them.
For their reception at Mountaingate Country Club in Los Angeles, they made their grand entrance with the Bruins themselves. Go UCLA!
Best Sunset: Hermosa Beach Engagement Photos
One of the great things about being a Manhattan Beach based photo team is running down to the sand and surf for engagement sessions. Susan and Benjamin wanted to be photographed at first on a bike together. Fantastic--bring it along. Then, when sunset wrapped around, we dipped by the Hermosa Beach Pier, and asked her to jump into Ben's arms. Lucky for us. We got one of our favorite iconic images, by Sam Graham for Los Angeles Wedding Photo.com
Dampest Location: Palos Verdes Wedding
Jenna and John wanted to have their wedding party photographed on the steps of the Malaga Cove library in Palos Verdes. But it was raining, and everyone was going to get wet. Luckily, we had umbrellas in the car. Let's face it--the umbrellas bring the shot to life, doesn't it?
Jenna @ Malaga Cove
Simple solution to the rain: move under a covered roof. That's exactly where we brought Jenna afterwards, to the beautiful, European style Malaga Cove shopping center.
Best Cake:
We spent a lot of time with happy same-sex couples in 2008 in the pre-Prop. 8 good times. Let's hear it for Max and Paul, Lissa and Marty and all the other happy couples who were able to tie the knot in 2008. Our best wishes for 2009.