Seung & Julie- A NYC proposal+Wine Country Wedding= A match made in heaven

Seung & Julie are a photographers dream.  I had met them and knew they would be fun to photograph but had no idea the magic that would happen on the other side of my camera.  As you can tell they are super photogenic!  It wasn’t just the cuteness factor, this couple is head over heels in-love.  My heart melted every time I saw how they adoringly looked at each other, and I must admit I even shed a tear during their ceremony.   My favorite part was hearing that he is a school principle and she is a  kindergarten teacher,  I think I might sell this script to Hollywood…

Our first date was at Cafe Lalo on the upper west side of New York.  It’s the cafe that was made famous by the movie “You’ve Got Mail” with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. It’s the cafe where they were supposed to meet and then he stood her up. Lucky for me he didn’t stand me up! hehehe

There was that random hurricane that was coming up the east coast early September…parts of NYC were evacuated. Our third date was hunkering down in his apartment ready with a stash of food, candles, flashlights, water, etc. in case things got really crazy as the city shut down for a couple of days.

We got engaged mid-February. We had a nice dinner at a restaurant on the upper west side. It was a bit rainy and cold that night. After dinner Seung insisted that we walk a bit…find some coffee or an umbrella perhaps? We walked a bit but I started to get cold, but he kept saying let’s keep going.

Then he said, “Hmmm, I totally forgot this is where Cafe Lalo was!” I knew that he was being a bit ridiculous. I told him, that he was playing dumb and of course he knew exactly where we were. When we first met he saw me sitting on the bench outside the cafe waiting for him. We walked over to the bench and he told me about how he remembered me sitting there. He asked if I could listen to a song on his phone. I had one earphone bud in my ear, he had the other. The song was “Marry Me” by Train. Then he asked me to dance in the middle of the sidewalk. ( I always gave him a hard time because we never dance, so he asked me to dance!) He sang part of the song to me. I was in tears. At the end of the song, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife! Soggy sidewalk and all!!

Callaway was amazing AS ALWAYS!  The food is top notch, their chef goes above and beyond for every wedding.

The construction should be done soon on their new tasting room. Check it out!!  It has amazing views of the vineyards.

I can’t wait to watch their future unfold on Facebook (hint, hint their babies will be adorable.)

  

Thank you Seung and Julie for being so much fun to photograph!  I will forever remember your story and the love you both share.  Everyone deserves all that you two have been blessed with. )

-Leah

www.leahmariephotography.com

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Angel & Darren- A fairytale come true

I met Angel & Darren for the first time on their wedding day.  I knew instantly they were a special couple, they both had magnetic smiles and were so in-love.  Once I heard how they met and how their love story unfolded, I knew why they were so happy. Here is their story. Enjoy!

The story of how Darren and Angel met began almost four years ago in early 2008. Angel had just started working for an auction company that sold vacant land and foreclosed homes. One morning a colleague invited her to go for a walk to the local Starbucks. And as fate would have it, this coworker also invited Darren to come along too.  They struck up delightful conversation right away and found that they had more in common than met the eye. Like how they both loved dancing, traveling, outdoor activities and trying new things. From that moment on they began a friendship which blossomed into the wonderful relationship they have today.

Finally after 3 years of dating, it was during their vacation to Germany that Darren planned the most romantic proposal he could think of – getting down on one knee and asking for Angel’s hand in marriage in a German castle.

And it was at that moment that their lives would begin down a different road, leading them both towards a wonderful new journey that would find them happier and more in love than ever before.

This is not the happy ending as with other fairy tales, but the happy beginning…

How stunning is Villa De Amore?!?  It’s like being in the Italian countryside.  The grounds are beautiful and the people that work there are like one big happy family.   Every wedding is unique and created to fit each brides style. I love it!!

The wedding was absolutlely amazing!  I loved every detail that represented their style.  Angel was a stunning bride (As you can tell), she was so easy to photograph and her bridesmaids were equally as fun and stylish.

The guys brought their ‘A’ game.  I always appreciate a groom and his groomsmen that are willing to have fun in front of my camera.  Thanks guys!!

 

Thank you Angel & Darren for allowing me to be a part of your special day!  I wish you all the happiness in the world!

-Leah

www.leahmariephotography.com

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Alex & Megan-The Condor’s Nest Ranch-A Perfect Pinterest Wedding!

There are moments in my life that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  They are the moments that make life worth living,   moments that take my breath away.   My first date with Spencer,  The Notebook, watching a Dad walking his daughter down the isle with a tear in his eye, a groom choking up as he professes his love in his vows.  When I think back on my life I realized that I get this feeling whenever I whitness love, real love, fairytale serendipitous love.  Maybe it is all the love stories I have watched that have turned me into such a mush pot, but I truly believe that these moments are what makes my job so wonderful.

Megan & Alex are one of these couples.  I was so honored to be a part of their love story.  I love story that started 6 years ago and was sealed with a kiss on March 24th 2012. Enjoy!

Alex and met back in 2004 when I got hired at the store he was working at. The first time I saw him, I KNEW. No joke, I told all my girlfriends…” I’m GOING to marry that man”. I knew nothing about him, but  it was like the cosmos aligned and fireworks went off. It was like gravity pulling me to him.  Done deal. Sadly,  we didn’t really talk too much at work and with in a month of me being there, he unexpectedly left the company and moved away. He was going to school at San Diego State University and moved back home to Simi Valley during Christmas break.

A couple months went by and I hadn’t seen him and then randomly one day I was at the front of our store and I see him walk by and he WAVED at me. This was a BIG deal for me.   I had a huge crush on him [clearly] and didn’t think he would have in a million years remember me, let alone wave to me. Very shortly after that I found out he was working at the store right across the way from ours. To my surprise, my boss found out he was back in town and re-hired him. I was a giddy school girl when I found out he was coming back to our store. After he came back we started to hang out and well, the rest is pretty much history. I was hooked…and I think he was too.

Fast forward to January of last year. Alex and I have at this point been together 6 years or so and are living in Florida. Alex tells me to take a weekend off of work and that we are going on an adventure to see what Florida has to offer. We end up going to the cutest town called St. Augustine. It is actually a historical town and I HIGHLY recommend a visit! The first night we went out and had some good food, saw a few things and that was it. The next day we went all over looking at super old buildings, a really cool old college, and at night we went on a ghost tour [for reals]. We decided before the tour to get a bite to eat and some drinks. So we have a little bit of time before the tour and walk through the court yard/park area in the middle of the town where all the trees are glowing with lights. It was rather romantic if I do say so myself.

At this point I started to get nervous because he was acting nervous. He kept looking around and being kind of weird. We stop in front of a fountain  [true story] and he hugs me. I knew what was coming, mainly because I could feel his heart beating a mile a minute. He got down and proposed right there with his grandmother’s ring. Obviously, I cried like a baby. He had talked to both his family and my parents  months previously when we came to California on a visit. It is all definitely something I will never, ever forget.

Megan and Alex were married at the beautiful Condor’s Nest Ranch in Pala California.  If I could re-do my wedding, this is where I would have it.  If you love the rustic country feel, this is your venue!

Oh my goodness!  Look at the adorable honey jars.. and the succulents.. and the flowers.. just noticed the mason jars… *sigh

Since Pinterest came on the scene wedding details have been getting better and better.  This by far the most spectacular wedding I have ever seen.  Megan did all of this herself!!!

How amazing do they look?!?  Such a fun couple to photograph!

I love a fun wedding party. Look at them gettin’ down!!  Thanks for being such great sports. )

My favorite part of the venue.  I love the huge oak tree (I am totally guessing that is an oak tree, could be wrong) not only did it provide an amazing backdrop, but I feel like it represents a marriage and a life spent together.  With proper care, a solid foundation your love will continue to grow stronger and bigger.

Thank you guys for allowing me to be a part of your big day.  I had such a great time with you and I am so happy for your new future together as husband and wife.

-Leah

www.leahmariephotography.com

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Stacey & Justin: A Zombie Invasion

Marcella had the privilege of shooting this  once in a lifetime zombie shoot.  I myself could not have dreamed up such a creative shoot to get guests excited for the upcoming wedding.  Enjoy!

Stacey and Justin met in the summer of 2009 when Stacey was finishing her last year of college at Texas A & M, and Justin was in flight training with the Marine Corps.  A mutual friend introduced the two of them at a “Float Party,” where everyone in attendance floated down a canal in silly rafts and costumes until they reached their destination, a bar called Farah’s.  They hit it off and the next day went to see a movie together, appropriately titled “The Hangover.”  They continued to spend time together every day after that until Justin was stationed in Milton, Florida a month later. Thus began their 10-month long-distance relationship from Texas to Florida.

Justin was deployed to Afghanistan, and while he was there, he enlisted the help of Stacey’s best friend Katie from Texas to plan his surprise engagement.  Justin returned from deployment the day before Thanksgiving, and both he and Stacey planned to travel to Texas for Christmas. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Justin stealthily shopped for (and successfully hid) the ring from Stacey, keeping it safe and well-hidden during their flight from California to Texas. While Katie set up the scene, Justin asked Stacey to take him on a “tour” of the neighborhood on a golfcart.  As they drove, they found a tree with ornaments and tea lights illuminating a path to two tiny boxes under the tree.  As they stopped to look around, Justin told Stacey to open the smaller box.  She replied with, “I don’t want to open someone else’s stuff!” and that is when Justin got down on one knee and proposed to her. A beautiful solitaire diamond ring was inside the box, and in a separate box was a miniature bottle of champagne with two glasses.

Those are true friends!  I love the props and make-up, they went all out!

                                                                                                                                             

Such a cute couple!  If anyone can pull off pink skinny jeans it would be Stacey.  She is going to be a beautiful bride!

If you’d like to see more photos from their engagement session, please visit this link.

James & Claire: “A guy walks into a bar…” and Finds True Love

Today I reminded why I do what I do.  I love everything about LOVE!  I love witnessing the bliss couples experience before and during their wedding.  Claire and James could not be a more perfect couple to sum up how wonderful it is to find your soul mate.  This couple is as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside, and that is hard to top!  I loved hearing their story about how they met.  Before writing this blog post I asked Claire to send over a few extra details that I could add to the blog.  I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from James instead, below are all the sweet details written by a man in-love…

James and Claire met early in 2007, when James headed to the Shamrock Bar in Newport Beach for a quick beer. Little did he know that he would meet the woman of his dreams, who would later become his wife. Claire and her friend Lauren were also at the bar, when Lauren offered to buy a beer for James and the three struck up a conversation. Their conversation flowed easily, and James and Claire realized they had mutual friends in common. In fact, James’ roommate Dave went to the same high school as Claire. At the end of the night, James asked Claire for her number, figuring that Claire probably gave him a fake one. When James later mentioned to Dave that he met a girl from Dave’s former high school, Dave laughed and said, “Good luck dude; that girl will never date you.” Dave proceeded to tell James that Claire was the senior class president of their high school in Newport, and she would probably never date him because James was not from Newport Beach.

Thankfully that was not the end of the story, as James and Claire finally reconnected after she returned from a trip. Their first date was to The Cannery restaurant in Newport Beach on January 25, 2007.

For James and Claire’s engagement shoot, we visited Longshadow Ranch Winery in Temecula. This is a beautiful, rustic property with a winery, barns and horse stables.  If you haven’t been wine tasting here, I highly recommend it.  It is nothing like the other wineries, I love the laid back atmosphere and the wine is phenomenal!

We had soo much fun during this shoot.  Claire and James were such great sports and were willing to change outfits three times and continue taking pictures even though it was FREEZING!  I love it when a bride brings her whole closet for me to pick outfits from.  We had a great time picking shoes jewelry and dresses.

James and Claire will be married at the beautiful Los Angeles Country Club on August 18, 2012. Their ceremony will be in a gorgeous patch of pine trees nestled at the end of one of the golf courses, with the reception located inside of the country club.  I can’t wait for the big day, I know it will be spectacular!

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2011 Highlights

2011 was filled with beautiful brides, dashing grooms, fun families, new babies, happily engaged couples, and more.  Enjoy these highlights from 2011!

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Enter to Win!

This week we have an exciting contest happening:  Enter to win a $50 Nordstrom’s Gift Card!  See the flyer below for all of the details.  Be sure to follow this blog and “like” us on Facebook, as well as follow us on Twitter.  All entries must be submitted through the official Leah Marie Photography Facebook page. Simply send a message (through that page) for each entry you have completed. Contest ends January 31st.  Good luck!