Holy cow, talk about a stunning day! Megan and Dave's wedding at Anchor Inn in Pasadena couldn't have been more perfect, even if it tried! From the waterfront views, to the beautiful weather - the day was just great. The thing I love about the Anchor Inn is how the sun filters into the reception space. It gives every single detail an ethereal glow that makes me melt. The space is so incredible and it takes my breath away. Before fully diving into the day, I have to say: I love a groom that is involved with the wedding and has fun with it. In my questionnaire, there is a vendor information space. I always like to give credit where credit is due, so I compile a list of the vendors for things like this blog. One of the biggest vendors involved is, of course, the wedding planner name. For Megan and Dave, the wedding planner was ... Dave! Now, I know that he was the one filling in the questionnaire, so I feel like creative liberty may have been used at some points. But still, it's evident how much these two worked together to create such a gorgeous day. Add all of Dave's funny comments throughout the questionnaire to my adoration, and these two are my new best friends (whether they accept it or not :P). Each and every piece of the day held a part of them. From the love bench that acted as a guest book...

Chelsea and Ryan are married! Oh my goodness, the day could not have been more perfect. With awesome details, lovely emotions, and a little replica of their cute pup, Koda, as their cake topper - it was all amazing. I've been in awe of their Pier 5 Hotel wedding since Saturday, and - honestly - I hope that feeling never ends. It's been an incredible two years getting to know Chelsea and Ryan. Their day is one that I've been looking forward to for such a long time. Of course, I'm totally happy that we now have all of these gorgeous images to share, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit sad that the day is over. 100% my favorite moment will always be Chelsea's first look with her dad. I was not expecting the wave of emotions that hit everyone to happen, but it was beautiful. It seriously took me a minute to gather myself, and thankfully there was a pile of umbrellas that I could fumble with to make it look like I wasn't crying, haha! Once we all composed ourselves, we made our way to the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Baltimore, which is absolutely stunning. It was a breathtaking ceremony to witness, but the what blew me away the most was the gathering after the marriage declarations. Both families came together in a very tearful and emotionally charged moment that just about made my heart explode. Afterwards, we all hopped...

Hi everyone, Shawn here! As the weather warms up and wedding season commences, there is a lot of excitement for the couples beginning their life together. Most of the responsibility for a successful big day - including happy guests - falls on the shoulders of the bride and groom (and hopefully a select few who are tasked to delegate). However, in pretty much any wedding, there is an event where the loving friends and family have a chance to give back: speeches. I know that speech preparation varies from person to person, with some planning ahead and printing out several pages of amazing content, and other individuals waiting until the day of to give a more dynamic presentation (of which I am guilty). Through my personal experience giving speeches as a best man and a groom, as well as witnessing countless speeches, here are some recommendations I've gathered to make the best possible speech for a wedding. This applies to bridesmaids or groomsmen nervously preparing words, fathers or mothers expressing joy, or brides and grooms who want to politely aid (or warn) one of their upcoming speakers.   1. Set the Mood through Structure Weddings are very sentimental events, since they mark a huge point in the lives of the couple. But that doesn't mean they can't be a lot of fun, too! A wedding speech balances a fine line between the sincerity of the moment with the lighthearted fun of the celebration. Preferably, speeches capture both of these...

Shawn has been sick the past few days, and I've been feeling a little meh myself. I'm not sure if I'm getting sick or just in a funk, but I'm loading up on Vitamin C, just in case. Either way, by Tuesday, I was pretty sure that this week was a bust. Truthfully, the whole month has been a little strange. I've been feeling a smidgen at odds with my camera, and I wasn't sure how to fix it. I never thought that a fun day of shooting was what I needed until after Marlayna asked if I wanted to go to Centennial Park (which you may remember from Alexa and Eddie's engagement session or Lisa and Michael's snowy shoot). Turns out, even as a photographer, you need to have non-serious shoot days! Who would have thought?! I know that I most recently went out for the snow day, but this week's adventure was different. It was fun and exciting to be shooting portraits, but also posing for them. Now, I'm not the most confident model, but I was feelin' it on Tuesday. I finally got to unleash my years of ANTM knowledge all over Centennial Park. I'm not entirely sure if I would have made it past the pre-prelimary cycle of any modeling competitions, but I made my attempts! Sometimes it's necessary to step out of your comfort zone and just be a goofball. At the end of the evening, I think both of us were feeling a lot...