stephanie & david: san diego wedding

i love it when brides are referred to me through friends. it is nice to be selected out of nowhere, amongst the field of all of the options in southern california… don’t get me wrong. but when the trust of a friend extends to someone else and then they trust in me… it creates this nice little circle i love. i usually like a challenge. so to complete a wedding and then experience the joy of the bride and groom saying to our mutual friend: “thank you so much for connecting us with tim”… i just love that.

stephanie came to me through my good friend ryan (thanks, ryan!). she had been the nanny of ryan’s little girl for a while, and it was easy to see why ryan and his wife were so sad to see stephanie stop being their nanny after this wedding. stephanie’s love for family and children (that is reflected in david, as well) was so completely evident within the first minutes i was with her.

stephanie’s hair and make-up all courtesy of her sister:

one of the three adorable bridesmaids:

a couple of ring shots before we move along…

while we waited for the walk down the aisle on the beach, the bridesmaids practiced some dancing. i loved these with the shadows and all:

sometimes, if you look my way while i’m shooting, you may see an enormous grin on my face behind the mask my camera creates. i was smiling immensely during this beautiful moment. everyone was lined up to walk down the aisle… waiting for music… people to sit… the usual. and the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride just kind of smiled at each other genuinely, both equally excited for what was about to happen. they had not met before this and then it hit them who they were. in that moment, they became like old high school friends that had not seen each other for years and years: smiling these tremendous smiles and laughing and hugging. it was incredibly touching.

just look how gorgeous this set up is! right on the beach and they could not have personally written a letter to God to ask for better weather. it was just perfect (after having been very gloomy right up until that afternoon).

i never pass up a good “picture in picture”

and, i know… i say “i love” this and “i love” that… but it’s true. i love weddings. sorry. i admit it. i am a sappy so and so. but i really do love hearing the vows and seeing how some couples make it their own. at one point drawing tears out of you, and making you laugh at the next:

and their two youngest, standing next to them, were cracking me up:

and i now pronounce you… halfway through my blog of this wedding. part two will come shortly.