I flew to Las Vegas a few weeks ago to shoot Angela and Thomas' wedding. The ceremony took place at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, which is one of the most beautiful churches I've been in. From the photography perspective it was a dream location, which is not often said about churches. It was bright and colorful - so unusual! The reception took place at Caesar's Palace and was full of excited friends and family, Greek dancing (some family members had flown in from Greece for the wedding!), and delicious food. I especially loved the time I spent with Angela at the beginning of the day as she was getting ready. She is a generous, honest, and warm woman and Thomas is a very lucky man (of course he's pretty great too!). What a couple!

(Sidenote: The photos of Angela getting ready are all unposed. The image of her in a doorway was taken when she finally had a few moments to herself and was feeling some butterflies.)

Christina and Paul started the day at the Omni hotel, which is one of my favorite getting ready locations. Once everyone was dressed and made up (Christina's makeup was done by Nikol Elaine, who does bombshell eyelashes like no other), we hopped in cable cars and limos to make our way up the hill to St. Dominic's church in Pacific Heights for the ceremony. The reception was held at another incredibly elegant location, the Bently Reserve, reminding me why I love photographing downtown weddings so much. I feel compelled to confess that I have a big crush on every single member of this bridal party. Look how gorgeous they are!

Cameron and Jason's Big Sur wedding was unquestionably epic and a photographer's dream come true. The ceremony and reception took place on a private point of land that juts out over the Pacific. There used to be a mansion on the point, but it fell off the cliff years ago in one of California's infamous earthquakes. The foundation, which Cameron and Jason turned into a bar and dance floor, is all that remains now. It was an unusually clear and warm day in Big Sur and that evening was the first time I saw the Milky Way on the mainland. When we were all wrapped up and the party was dying down, my good friend Carmen Holt (who I shot the wedding with) and I returned to our little roadside hotel to spend the night. We ventured to the hotel bar for a glass of wine to celebrate the day and warm up a bit. There was a live band playing and the bar and dance floor were packed. Not a half hour later the entire bridal party rolled in. As it turns out, that little hotel is a well-known venue for up and coming California bands. We sat and chatted with Cameron, Jason, and their friends until we couldn't keep our eyes open a minute longer. Cameron and Jason's wedding wasn't unforgettable just for them - I'm certain nobody who was present will ever forget it. Certainly not their lucky photographers.

I haven't found the right words to express the magnitude of my admiration for this family. I taught Cyrus and Maya math for about a year and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone smarter. They're smart in the best possible way. Effortlessly, passionately smart, with a healthy sense of sarcasm. I don't know Asha as well, but in the time we spent on this shoot I was bowled over by her personality and beauty. Their parents, Alyse and Billy, spend countless hours driving around the Big Island (which is a BIG island) so Cyrus, Maya, and Asha can pursue their diverse interests (baseball, surfing, and dance, to name a few) with a commitment that astounds me. I had a pretty unconventional schooling and know how tricky it is to find the right approach to education. Billy and Alyse have it figured out. You know those cool kids in school who everybody loves because they are actually that cool? Meet the Inglis family.