Over 225 of their closet friends and family watched Jeremy and Allie wed as they stood under a custom made hoopa made especially for them. The weather was beautiful, an adorable entry down the aisle from the bride as dad got a bit teary. The pink themed wedding didn’t stop with the gorgeous decor in the ballroom. The table settings were adorable and each table was decorated with some incredible silver collectibles and GORGEOUS flowers. Simply beautiful. The reception was jumpin’ with an amazing live band that rocked their socks off while everyone got their groove on. One of the highlights was the father/daughter dance as Allie’s sister sang “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”. It was adorable!

You can see Jeremy and Allie’s engagement pics by clicking here. I look at these pictures and can’t help but smile when I see that glow in Allie. She was an absolute stunning bride! Congrats Allie and Jeremy…. wishing you all the best. xoxo. Be sure to watch the slide show at the end of this post for more pics

Of course a nice pair of Jimmy Choo shoes are in tow..

Look at her figure… Just love it!

Jeremy got a few laughs out of everyone during the ceremony…

Each table was decked out with some amazing silver from her step father’s collection. A beautiful touch to compliment those amazing flowers from Hidden Garden.

A darling little cake that tasted very delish! mmm

Allie and Jeremy had a very cool candy bar for guests with the pink theme running through the table. Candy Girl set up an amazing spread of sweets including: PINK lemon candy, white chocolate macadamia nut bark, chocolate cookie bars, white chocolate covered pretzels, old fashioned candy sticks, meringue clouds, chocolate balls, kisses, chocolate bark with peanut butter,  salt water taffy and so much more. It was a very SWEET table!

The band was rockin’ all night. Amazing music and made for some great dancing.

Press play below to see a slide show of Jeremy loves Allie…

Below is a list of vendors who helped make this wedding possible:

Venue: Brentwood Country Club

Wedding Coordinator: Joie de Vivre – Jennifer Hronek

Photographer: Gayla Elizabeth Photography

Florist: Hidden Garden

Cake: Rosebud Cakes

Officiant: Rabbit Yossi Carron

Music: West Coast Music

Lighting: Images by Lighting

Candy Station: Candy Girl

Videographer: Video Services Unlimlited

A very special thank you to Lucia for the amazing help throughout the entire day. You are GREAT! xoxo

It was a beautiful day. The weather was gorgeous as Erik and Tricia became one. Oddly enough, the very next day the island was hit with major lightning and thunderstorms. In fact, there were a few funnel clouds that were present on the island, which resemble that of a tornado. Shortly after, the island was drenched with rain. It came down in truckloads. Massive, massive, massive rain.  So, I’m so glad that Tricia and Erik were blessed with a beautiful day to start their lives together. You can see their engagement pics by clicking here.

Here are some pics as well as a slide show at the end of the post. Enjoy!

See a slideshow below by clicking play on the lower left corner:

The were so many beautiful details on this wedding. I remember going to photograph the wedding place cards, which were decorated with a beautiful Swarovski crystal and  I loved how they decided to name the tables after cars. Yes, cars. But…very cool cars. Like:

• Porsche
• Lamborghini
• McLaren
• Ashton Martin
• BMW
• Ferrari

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Proof books are highly recommended to ALL clients as it makes designing albums much easier. Often, album design is near to impossible without one!

Some of my wedding collections include a proof book, however, it can also be purchased ala carte if desired!

This wedding was filled with emotion.  Lots of smiles, laughter and tears.  Jessica’s sister, Julie was there to help Jessica get into her wedding gown; I could see the emotion from both girls and documented the tender moments.  The minute their father walked in and saw his stunning daughter, that was it.  His face went from being in awe to utter happiness in a matter of seconds. Julie was nearby to share in the moment and to share a few tears with her sister Jessica. These are the moments I live for…. beautiful and priceless moments that are documented and kept forever.

Jessica is quite the green girl… very eco friendly, so her very green shoes were…oh, so perfect. Loved them! Once she was dressed, it was time to do the first look; her soon to be husband, Ben waited calmly outside to see his beautiful bride.  You can just see the happiness and joy in both of their faces as they first saw each other. Just lovely. They decided to exchange their vows upstairs in the library of The Victorian, surrounded with a collection of books, flickering candlelight and a room full of friends and family. The ceremony was precious and again, filled with emotion. As Jessica said her wedding vows, her tender voice and words of love opened up the flood gates and the tears started to flow. It’s a good thing her bridal party came prepared with hankies, because the tears were a coming!  It was beautiful. Jessica’s mother was unable to attend, so in her absence, Jessica decided to put a beautiful boutique of purple flowers on the first chair to symbolize her presence. I looked at those flowers and knew her mom was there in spirit and thinking about her daughter’s big day.

Once the ceremony was complete, everyone headed downstairs and partied the night away with help from Lee Dyson from Hey Mister DJ. Rockin’ DJ… just love him!  :-). The reception/dining area had the finishing touches of Abby LaDuke from Something Blue, a Los Angeles Wedding Planning Company.  Instead of name place cards, Jessica chose a name place “tree” and guest names were printed on leaves and hung from the tree at the entrance. So fitting for Jessica. Cute little gift bags awaited all guests at each table with a beautiful saying:

Life is partly what we make of it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose. – Tennessee Williams

It was such an beautiful quote and it was obvious they have chosen a great life with amazing friends and loved ones. They had guests from Arizona, Utah, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, London and more.  It’s always wonderful to see many people travel from all over the world to watch two people begin their lives as one. It was another great wedding for a great couple.  Many thanks to the Stefan and Wibberley family for choosing me to document your special day. Much love to you all. xoxo

Here are the wedding vendors:

• Wedding Venue: The Victorian in Santa Monica, Ca
• Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Something Blue Abby LaDuke
• Florist: Jessica Stefan
• Make up: Symmetry Beauty
• Bakery: Jamaica’s Cakes
• Photography: Gayla Elizabeth Photography
• Videography: Cinevent
• DJ: Hey Mister DJ

Enjoy the wedding photos below and be sure to catch the slideshow at the end for more!

Here is the special bouquet of flowers for Jessica’s mom, who was unable to attend the wedding…

Jessica surprised Ben with a special soccer groomsman cake from Jamaica’s Cakes!

Click the play button below to view the entire slideshow…

Jessica & Ben | The Victorian | Wedding Photography from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.

The wedding party included 1 best man, 1 Maid of Honor and 6 precious little ones that looked so cute!  Cute. Cute. Cute.  I enjoyed watching everyone get ready for the big affair, especially when it was time for the boys to get their makeup done.

Once everyone was ready, the Rolls Royce promptly arrived and chauffeured the bride and maid of honor to Central Union Church, where she awaited her knight in shining armor. I mean her TALL knight and shining armor. He is 6’6″ people… TALL.

The reception was to be held at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Coral Ballrooms 1,2 & 3 to seat the 400+ guests. However, 3 days prior to the 10-17-10 reception, 1500+ union workers walked off the job and decided to go on a union strike. YIKES… now, that is a reason to stress a bride out. I mean having your venue go on strike 3 days before your wedding reception… COME ON!  Yeah, serious stress alert. However, Ruth and Alan continued in stride, the hotel guaranteed everything would be fine and it was. Everything came out perfectly. No hiccups what so ever. A 14-piece orchestra entertained guests throughout the evening. Hawaii’s radio and TV personality Kimo Kahoano was the MC for the event and introduced a few special guests:

• members of the Society of Seven, who performed live
• model/actress Deborah Lin, who gave a speech on behalf of her husband James Gandolfini (who was unable to attend due to filming)
• Honolulu’s Mayor Peter Carlisle, who gave an entertaining speech and brought some laughter to the crowd

It was a beautiful classic, elegant wedding with great entertainment. I’d like to thank the Lin and Thompson family for including me in the festivities. Also, a big mahalo to Brian, Happy and my mom for all your help. Much blessings and love to you all.

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Ruth and Alan | Wedding Photography | Central Union Church- Honolulu from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.

Your wedding is coming…you will spend countless hours planning and coordinating your special day. Once you set the date and pick the perfect venue, you’ll put a lot of time and thought in the little details.  The picking of the dress, what kind of floral arrangements, the color and theme, the decor, the menu, the music, etc… When it’s all said and done,  the linens will be soiled, the flowers will have died, the cake eaten and the party over. The only thing you will have left to remember your special day is your images that were captured by your photographer. Remember, the photography will serve as a little time capsule for generations to come. That is why you should pay special attention when picking your wedding photographer. Destination or local.  If you love photos and memories… invest in a quality professional photographer. Trust me on this one.

Now, this post is about destination weddings in particular, so let’s focus on that. Find a photographer you love. Maybe it’s images you’ve seen on a wedding website such as: The Knot or Wedding Wire . Perhaps you’ve seen a feature in a magazine like Martha Stewart or Grace Ormonde.  Do NOT let the home location of the photographer deter you. Many photographers, including myself will do destination weddings and travel to your dream city. And, maybe it’s not a question about a destination city… in fact, maybe it’s YOUR city and the photographer lives somewhere else.  Whichever the case, ignore the home location of the photographer. It’s best that you find a photographer that has a style you like and is someone that you can trust on your big day. Referrals are big in the wedding industry. I met a few bridesmaids that lived in another state that asked if I would come to them for their wedding. My answer. Of course!  With Skype being so easy to use, phone conversations are a little more personal with the added video. I often do my consultations over Skpe with clients, even the local ones! It’s great. And, for those that don’t have Skype, you can always sign up… it’s free. Click here to sign up. If you are not that technical, then we always have the good old fashion telephone.

Now the big question is: ” How much does it cost to get a destination photographer?”.  The truth is destination pricing will vary from photographer to photographer, so there is no universal answer for it. Some photographers primarily do destination weddings and it’s incorporated into their wedding collections or packages. Others are primarily local photographers and charge extra for destination weddings. Some do an equal mix of both.  It really depends.  The best thing to do is inquire more with a photographer you are interested in.  A general rule of thumb is the couple is responsible for airfare, hotel, rental car and meals. And with great travel prices and packages nowadays, it’s really not as expensive as one would think.

Some advice for those brides looking for a wedding photographer:

• Ask friends or relatives for referrals and how their experience was. This a personal referral that will go a long way.
• Look at wedding websites, blogs and magazines for inspiration and a style you like. Take note of the photographer.
• Check out some of the reviews by past clients.
• Do all your “window” shopping online… Visit photographers websites and blogs. See their work and read a little about them. Of course, find photographers whose images you love. But, try to find out a little more about them. What they like to do, hobbies, etc… Maybe they are a dog fanatic or love Modern Family.  Anything you can find out is always a plus.
• Pick 3 photographers to call. C*A*L*L. You know, as in telephone!
  . I’m so big on this, just because I think it’s crucial to speak to the photographer. It’s more about the relationship…the connection. Set up an in person consultation. If they do not live near you… hop on Skype. Bottom line….speak to them.
• Pick a photographer you love as a photographer AND as a person.

While I am based out of Los Angeles, CA, I am available to shoot in the city of your choice. I have a special bonus for my Hawaii brides.  Being that I am from Honolulu, I only charge for airfare and rental car for my Honolulu destination weddings. I stay with my family and always get fed with some great home cooked meals, which means Hawaii brides can save some extra $.  In fact, I’ll be heading to Hawaii tomorrow to shoot a wedding this weekend. Yay!  Well, I guess that’s my cue to start packing! Aloha…

I admire the love in Jessica’s life.  And, not just from Luis…but, from her entire family.  Parents, siblings, grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and fellow church members. I always believed that there are 3 key things you need in life: trust, love and family. Those 3 simple things will get you through anything and it was apparent that Jessica has an abundance of all. To see how happy she was to marry Luis and vice versa was wonderful. Sometimes, it’s just the simple things in life that make it all worth living.

While the morning posed some threats with some serious clouds, about 20 minutes before the ceremony started, the clouds started to part…and in came the sun, shining brightly as they exchanged their vows. No thunderstorms…just pure light shining from above.  It was wonderful to be apart of a great union and I wish both of them a very happy life, filled with many laughs and tons of love. And of course many Trojan victories. Go USC!

I did some engagement photos of Jessica and Luis earlier this year at Union Station. You can see their engagement pics by clicking here.

To see more photos from the wedding, see the slideshow below by clicking play…

Jessica + Luis | Wedding Photography | Porter Valley Ranch Country Club from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.

Lauren and David who reside in New York, decided to have their fairy tale wedding amongst the quiet hills that make up Malibu Wine’s Saddlerock Ranch. True to ranch form, there were zebras, horses, llamas and buffalo across the 1,000 acres it rests on. As you enter this private estate, you pleasantly escape from “the real world” and enter a very serene place that instantly calms your soul. It was such a beautiful day in August,  the sun shined nicely throughout the day and began to set beautifully behind the mountains as Lauren and David exchanged some very touching vows under the gorgeous willow tree. It was beautiful.  Many guests included friends and family from across the nation and it was so great to be apart of a wedding filled with so much love and joy. I was moved by the amount of love that filled that wedding. Both Lauren & David had their grandmothers present (both in their 90′s and both got on the dance floor to shake it too!). It was one gorgeous wedding that was purely magical.

So many details were present with the help of Event Planner Tricia Nicole Events. As guests arrived on property, they were greeted with servers serving fresh juices presented in classic mason jars that sat upon barrels at the front entrance. This was my first Jewish wedding that I shot and boy, do I love it. From the Ketubah signing, to the smashing of the glass and the hora… AWESOME. I did the first post on this wedding a couple weeks ago and you can see it by clicking here.

To see more photos, view the slideshow below:

Lauren & David | Wedding Photography | Saddlerock Ranch from Gayla Elizabeth on Vimeo.