5th Stop. Atlanta Georgia!!

Atlanta, Atlanta, Atlanta.....
So this is how our visit to Atlanta went down. We arrive to our hotel only to find out that the address given on google was non existent, so we had to make a snap decision on a hotel and ended up in not the best place in town. We didn't have time to look for another hotel seeing as we were already late to dinner with Mark Adams, Jenn & Adam Linke and Rachel of La Cour Weddings. Anyway, we get to dinner uber late and only have time to eat a few pieces of salad before our presentation.
But despite all this, the PUG in Atlanta was totally awesome!! It was held in this super cool floral shop and a ton of people showed up which was awesome. (Adam Linke took some great shots, so I'll post them when I get them...hint hint Adam! Just kidding :)
There were so many great photographers there and afterward a bunch of us went to get dinner (second dinner - since first dinner was almost non-existent!) We made plans to go to a cool vegetarian restaurant the next day with Mark Adams so we were excited.
So we wake up the following morning with the intent to go to the aquarium and see the famous whale sharks only to find out that someone broke into our car! AND they stole Michael's Prada sunglasses which sucks because this is his second pair (the first ones he accidentally left on a park bench and they were gone when he returned). So instead of doing some fun touristy things we ended up filling out a police report and returning our rental car instead! Fortunately, we had gotten ALL the insurance, so we didn't have to pay for anything. (Always get the insurance! Trust me!!)
But all in all, it was worth it because the PUG in Atlanta was so great! And we still went to that Vegetarian restaurant for lunch on our way out, so it was all good....

Fourth Stop – Asheville, North Carolina!

(Photo of Asheville PUG Coming Soon Once I find Our Card Reader)

Asheville was awesome. The people were great, the city was very hip and artsy. We felt right at home in this town. Regina Holder, the PUG leader for Asheville had the PUG in the conference room in her building and it was the perfect meeting place. (She also has a VERY cool studio in the building that we got to see. It smelled like cookies!) The photographers in this town were very cool and it was fun because after the meeting we all went to dinner and got to know everyone that much better! I’m so excited to reconnect with many of these people at the conferences coming up, like Pictage Partner Conference, PPA and WPPI.

The next day Michael and I took a tour of the Biltmore house. This house was amazing! It was built by George Vanderbuilt (who built it when he was 35 and still a bachelor!) It was build in 1895 and was really cutting edge for the time. It had electricity throughout the house, for one thing and it peppered with amazing works of art and other priceless pieces. A couple things that I thought were cool was that he owned Napoleon Bonapartes Chess Set. He also commissioned John Singer Sargent to paint the architect of the house as well as the landscape architect. There were also a couple Renoir’s in the house. Also, evidently George Vanderbuilt was extremely well read and had an amazing library. It was said that he read over 3,000 books by the end of his life, averaging something like 2 books a week! No wonder he was able to double his fathers fortune in 10 years! (Hint Hint – Join the book club on photoforthepeople.com) hehe ☺
Again, I love history so this was a really fun place for Michael and I to visit!


After the Biltmore house, Michael and I went to dinner at the Laughing Seed in downtown Asheville. This is a really yummy vegetarian restaurant that was recommended to us by some of the PUG members. It was SO nice to sit down at a restaurant and actually be able to choose anything on the menu! It was quite yummy!
All in all, we really enjoyed Asheville! Thanks Regina Holder and the Asheville PUG members for making us feel so welcome!



Weekend with Family

So, Michael and I have been reconnecting with family members that live out on the east coast. As mentioned in a previous blog post, we stayed with my cousin Dakota and his wife Charlotte in Raleigh, NC last Tuesday. And this weekend we are staying with my other cousin Eric and his wife Emily. Both of my cousins were so nice to have us come and stay. I was hesitant to call them since we really don’t get much of a chance to see either of them and I didn’t want to be annoying or intrude. But I’m glad that I was! It’s been really nice to reconnect with family. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity while I had it!
Family first!

Third Stop – Charleston, South Carolina!

(So I took the picture above off this website because our card reader is in the car and we just spent 45 minutes trying to get BACK into our hotel so I don't really want to go down there again...Its a long story...But it looks exactly like th horse & buggy ride we took while in Charleston...)

Okay, this place is really cool! First of all, its really humid – but me being used to a dry heat thought that it felt really cool. Also, I’m really not sure about the rest of the country, but in California it’s a very rare occasion that it rains in the summer (let alone the rest of the year actually!) So it was much to our surprise when we got caught in a rainstorm on the way down!
The PUG meeting in Charleston was scheduled to have a pool party during the first half of the meeting and then we were going to present during the second half. Well, the pool party obviously got canceled. When we arrived it was really pouring down rain and of course I was wearing off white Capri pants so I really wasn’t interested in getting them wet! But all in all we made it and were privileged to present for the awesome PUG group they have there. Faith Piper, the PUG leader for Charleston actually lives 2 hours away! She is SO weet and dedicated and was really excited because this was evidently the biggest turn out they’ve had yet! Yay!
The next day Michael and I went into Charelston and took one of those “Handsome Cabs” (the horse and carriage rides) throughout the city. It was awesome because we had our own private tour guide who gave us a ton of great history on Charleston. I love history, so this place really was exciting to me since it was established before the revolutionary war! We saw a ton of houses that were built before 1776! And they were still in use! Wow! We had a great time and I hope we’ll be able to visit again in the future!

Second Stop – Raleigh, North Carolina!

(Above pictures taken by none other than the talented Millie Holloman!)
The highways here are so beautiful and so different in comparison to Southern California. North Carolina’s highways have very tall trees lining the road and its all very lush and green. I especially love the vines that sometimes grow over entire patches of trees. Its almost looks like wild topiaries.
When we finally made it to Raleigh, the first thing we did was stop to see my cousin Dakota and his young family. They have a beautiful home and it was nice of them to have us over since Charlotte (Dakota’s wife) was about to have their third baby any second! Fortunately, the baby stayed put until we left!
After checking in with our cousins, we made our way over to Raleigh PUG, which was actually meeting in Durham NC. And what is even funnier is that Millie Holoman, the awesome PUG leader, lives 2 hours away! But there were a ton of great photographers that showed up and we had a fabulous time getting to know everyone. Millie is such an awesome person/photographer and it was wonderful to be able to get to know her better. I’m excited to hear her speak at the Pictage Partner Conference this September in L.A! Thanks Raleigh PUG for having us!

First Stop - Richmond, Virginia!

Michael and I made it to Richmond on Sunday night and have been enchanted ever since! Virginia is so beautiful with its lush vegetation and wide open fields and rivers. We got lost on our way to the Richmond PUG and I'm SO happy that we did because we took this unbelievable scenic route that we would have completely missed!
Thanks to Arlene Hope for hosting the PUG and for all those that came! The group was small, but that was good because it gave Michael and I a warm up for the rest of this tour!
It's so cool to be on the East coast. Michael and I have only been to NYC a few times, but never ventured anywhere else on this side of the country, so this is a treat! I can't wait to see more!


A couple things that were interesting when we got to Virginia is that we forgot that many states still have Smoking & Non-Smoking sections of restaurants here. We ventured into a Waffle House on our first night here since we were starving and there wasn't anything else. After the waitress took our order, she went in the corner of the restaurant and lite up! (We're not use to that anymore in California) I also wished we'd brought in our camera because there was the coolest looking black guy sitting in the corner wearing a white suit with a white Fedora. Would have been an awesome shot...
I also have really been enjoying the look of the homes that are built here. In California its all stucco, but here almost everything is brick! The contrast of the deep red against the emerald green lawns and trees is quite striking! I love it!

Next stop - Raleigh North Carolina!

I am trying my hand at writing. What do you think?

I really enjoyed writing my American Idol experience before and got so many great comments from you guys about it. (That is was descriptive and fun) Thank you! So, now Michael and I are submitting our good friend/client/fellow wedding vendor Ariel Yve's wedding to a magazine for possible publication, so I wrote a little something about the event to try and give the editor a feel for the evening. Let me know what you think!

Ariel + Joey
As the guests began to arrive to celebrate with Ariel and Joey on their wedding day, it was evident from their first glance of the scene that this was unlike any other wedding they had ever attended. The decadent ceremony alone was a sight to behold as roman columns and a Grecian statue (brought in exclusively for this event) rose high above the enclosed garden. With the inspiration of the wedding deriving from the brides’ love of faberge eggs, her logo could be spotted from the dance floor to the invitations. And if one looked closely they could see it embroidered on the table napkins as well.
The roses were in such abundant one couldn’t fathom the amount let alone the unbelievable fragrances that hung over the garden, like a halo. And the local bees were thrilled as they hummed in excitement around the colossal arrangements lining the aisles of the ceremony site.
As the union of Ariel and Joey was about to become official and the exchanging of rings was to commence, the audience was enchanted as "Dazzle" the miniature horse came trotting down the isle to deliver the goods.

Pink Martini’s, which were lovingly named “Blushing Bride” along with mini ice cream cones and other delectable’s, were served during the cocktail hour under a beautifully draped canopy with hanging French mirrors on the white fabric walls and white-carpeted flooring. And of course, accents of pink could be seen at every turn

Once the reception began, none of the guest could have guessed the surprises that were in store for them as they walked into the enchanting ballroom. The impressive lighting, the decadently dressed feasting and round tables as well as the faberge egg logo beaming against the dance floor were breathtaking. The sight of the room accompanied with the sound of the band and the fragrance of yet another horde of roses gave a sweet foreshadowing of the romance and fun that was still to come.

In the center of the ballroom stood the regal wedding cake, towering above the room and decorated with seemingly thousands of tiny sugar flowers that emitted an aroma of icing rather than of the floral persuasion. The cake, like any other piece of artwork was presented beautifully on an exquisite table draped with linen shaped roses and detailed fabrics. The renowned wedding cake artist Sylvia Weinstock was to blame for this masterpiece.

As the evening progressed one could not have been more satisfied by the delicious and rich food that was served, the tear-filled toasts that were given and the dancing that made the soul sing. And much to guests’ surprise, an entire dessert buffet made up of a variety of dainties covered with pink icing or other pink accents were presented for their pleasure.

As the night came to close, one more surprise unfolded as a troupe of break-dancers emerged from the sidelines and performed unbelievable moves that any normal human would question as possible. The crowd, cheering and screaming with delight couldn’t believe the immense satisfaction that came over them from being so lucky to attend an event such as this.

To Buy, or Not to Buy...That is the Question.

As Michael and I were traveling home from our adventure last week, we started going online to view homes for sale. It was a great way to kill some time and get excited. We'll we got a little TOO excited I think and came this close to offering on a condo yesterday. We had all the paper work and even a check signed, but last minute realized, "Oh wait, we're going out of town for a million years, why do we think we have time to buy a house??"
So we decided, that purchasing a home probably takes a little more consideration than some internet surfing and looking at two properties, right?
I think we'll reconvene in October or December and see what we want to do! But above are pictures of the condo we were looking at. Hopefully, we'll be able to still get something along these lines since we like a more modern look!

Fun and Busy Weekend!

Lately, I've been feeling like I'm losing my mind. But I mean that with all the gratitude in my heart. Lately, Michael and I have been blessed to be busy with jobs, projects, traveling and exciting new ventures. Its a fun time in our lives and I'm grateful for all we have going on.
This last weekend Michael and I were able to shooting the wedding of Sasha & Paul. I can't express how much I love this couple. They are kind, relaxed, fun-loving and generous. When Michael and I get the chance to shoot weddings for these types of people, it makes it seem silly that we get paid to do this!





After the wedding we made our way down to Santa Clara, CA since Michaels sister who lives there just had a baby! It was so awesome to see them and their new addition to the family, Calista! (So cute!) This is baby number 2 for them, so its been really fun to see them grow their family. It's making me a little baby hungry though...

Secret Passions

What are the innermost desires of your heart? Besides the important stuff, like family and loved ones – what are you most passionate about? What deep dark secrets are your hoarding that you dream about but never speak about?
Life is long and full of ups and downs. We mostly do things day in and day out that equate to basic survival – work so we can buy food, cloth ourselves and provide a roof over our head and the heads of our family members . And since family is the most important thing, providing for the ones we love is more important than our passions. But why can’t we have both?
So what is it? Have you wanted to be a marine biologists since 4th grade? If given the opportunity would you sit around all day making baskets? How about charity? Would you devote your time to helping others?
I’m not looking for a “right” answer – but I am looking for an answer from anyone who reads this blog because I am truly curious!!
So to be fair, here are my passions:

I have been in love with performing and singing since I was a little girl. I love attention. (Just ask my husband). I love to create and I love to do things that most people would think impossible and would scoff at. I decided recently that if I was given the opportunity to be on Broadway, I would take it – but its not necessarily something I would seek out right now. I would love to record an album. I would love to figure exactly what my niche and style is so that I could market and brand myself. So singing is one of my not-so-secret passions.
Writing. I have no talent to speak of in this arena. But I have an idea for a book that I really want to write, so I have embarked on writing it. Translating your thoughts, opinions, life history and feelings into writing is a remarkable expression of ones soul. Any art form that makes you aware that your alive and creates a concoction of emotions reminds the soul that you haven’t completely forgotten about her.
Dancing. I LOVE to dance. Do I ever get a chance to dance. Of course not. But if I could train all day long because I was on “Dancing with the Stars” that would be my idea of fun!

So what about you? What do you love to do more than anything else? I’m excited to see everyone’s answers!

Featured on THE INSIDER & L.A. RAG MAG!!!

Lynn and Alex - talented writers of L.A. Rag Mag did this awesome story on Teresa Strasser and her wedding, and it got picked up on The Insider! Both L.A. Rag Mag and The Insider are huge so we are super super stoked that our images are feature on those sites. Thanks to Teresa, Lynn, Alex and Michelle Buckley of Mint Julep Inc.
Check out the article Here and Here.

Photo Booth Magic!!

Do you like my Gothic version of Marie Antoinette?? Michael and I shot this amazing wedding at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara for Mayleen & Greg last saturday and I must say it was AMAZING! Ariel Yve from Soiree Design Group was the coordinator, so of course everything turned out absolutely perfect! She is such an amazing visionary and the event went off without a hitch.
Mayleen & Greg are such a fun, loving couple that they hired Polite in Public to set up this super fun photo booth at their reception! It was way fun! Stay tuned 'cause we are going to post more pictures from this amazing wedding!!