Beautiful Day Photography

Naghmeh Melody’s Baby Shower

laura — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:23:08 +0000

I have to say that Persians definitely know how to throw a good party, but I am definitely taking notes on how to throw a baby shower one day when it’s my turn. Basically, there were no silly games, opening presents, or dainty bites to eat. Instead, it was all about eating and dancing the entire time and then the men join halfway through. Naghmeh looked gorgeous in a coral colored dress and super hot heels. She definitely is a glowing mamma-to-be, but she is even luckier because she has a huge community of girlfriends who are all due in the next few months! I think there were 9 pregnant women at her shower, including my girlfriend Mahsa (you may remember her wedding photos from my blog: Mahsa and Abtin). I am sure there will never be a shortage of friends and family around to dote on these babies.

Thank you so much for including me as your “associate persian sister” for the day;) Anytime there is Persian Music and food, I’m there! Congratulations to you and Fardad and the beginning of your new family together! To view the rest of the photos from this event, just click on this link

April and Clark’s Wedding at Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes

laura — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:27:39 +0000

I have to give a huge thank you to Brian Leahy for these amazing photos from April and Clark’s wedding. I HAD to blog this, because April and Clark are just too adorable! They only hired Beautiful Day to have their ceremony photographed, but even though Brian only spent a short time with them, he really took advantage of the entire property on the gorgeous grounds of Wayfarers Chapel. The dresses were amazing and so was the soft, overcast lighting…(it gives that dreamy effect to all of the photos). Sometimes having a bright, sunny day isn’t the best lighting for photos and these photos are proof! Congratulations April and Clark! I wish you two all of the best in your new life together!

To view the rest of the photos from this wedding, just click on this link

Annie and Jeff’s Wedding at PGA West in La Quinta

laura — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:01:29 +0000

I HEART Annie and Jeff! you may remember their engagement shoot that I did in Lake Tahoe (one of my favorites!), but now they are officially husband and wife! I have never met two people so shmoopy in love as these two. Honestly, the morning of the wedding Jeff sent over a bound copy of all of their love emails to each other while they were dating and they are just always smiling, laughing and DANCING when they are together…it makes me love my job THAT much more! These two have known each other for years, survived a long distance relationship and even moved for each other, so I KNOW they can handle anything they put their minds to. It’s so awesome to witness:)

Their ceremony and reception were at the gorgeous PGA West Club in la Quinta. All of a sudden right before the ceremony these hurricane winds came out of nowhere, but I am not joking that the sun came out RIGHT when Annie was walking down the aisle! It was such crazy weather, but that didn’t stop them from beaming at each other the entire time. Annie looked AMAZING in a completely backless dress that only she could pull off:)

I knew that their reception would be a huge party since they have all known each other since high school, but Jillian Rose and I were absolutely NOT prepared for the insanity on the dance floor. LOL.. I HAD to blog a ton of pics, because you just have to see it to believe it! People were jump roping, ripping off their clothes, slip N sliding and just about anything you could possibly think of. SO HILARIOUS! I had so much fun with you two and I cannot WAIT to come back up to Lake Tahoe and visit soon. You two are are an inspiration to us all!

To view the rest of the photos from this wedding, just click on this link

John and Linda’s 1st professional photo shoot after 38 years of marriage!

laura — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:03:12 +0000

John and Linda are the parents of Coreen Adkisson, one of my former brides, and have been Facebook friends of mine for a while:) When a recent trip to India fell through for them to attend a wedding, they didn’t want their gorgeous Indian garbs to go to waste, so they decided to do a couple’s shoot so that Linda could rock her amazing teal sari. I soon came to find out that this was their very first couples portrait shoot EVER!! After 38 years of marriage, they had never had portraits together, not even at their own wedding!! I was shocked and also very honored to be their first photographer:) They were SO adorable and were giggling the entire time. I can only HOPE to have the relationship that they have 40 years from now (and to look like Linda too!). You guys are an inspiration to ALL couples out there! I hope you had as much fun as I did. Enjoy the photos and congratulations!

Keeping up with the Landun Family!

laura — Tue, 14 May 2013 05:30:11 +0000

Sarajane (of SJL Events), her husband Brian, and their little jet-setter Hayden are one of my FAVORITE families out there. I love that I have been trying to stop by to say hi and photograph these guys for 6 months, but we couldn’t ever seem to get our schedules together in LA…then I run into them at the Four Seasons in Punta Mita, Mexico!! Too funny! Little Hayden is the best little traveler and already has her little diva sunglasses:) I love it! We first started the day with the FABULOUS Tara Dowburd of Make-Up Therapy and had a mini- hip hop dance off in her adorable new apartment before deciding to run around my hood in Venice Beach to shoot. We really didn’t have a plan, but just wanted to have fun…so we did:) I can’t get over how ridiculously CUTE these pics are!! Love you guys!

Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary to Jillian and Adam at the Disneyland Hotel!

laura — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:55:04 +0000

It was SO great having a Disneyland reunion with Jillian and Adam. Today is their one-year wedding anniversary, so I felt it was apropos to post their blog today:) They opted to celebrate their anniversary by getting dressed back up in their wedding gear and running around the Disneyland Hotel. Afterwards they spent the weekend running around in the park and doing what they do best…conquering Disneyland! You two are just as cute together now as when I met you and I wish you many many more years of wedded bliss!

Karin and Billy’s Wedding at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa

laura — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:06:46 +0000

I have been SO excited to blog about this wedding, because not only do I LOVE working with Shannon and Vicki with All You Need is Love Events, but I love shooting at the Ojai Valley Inn. I first met Karin and Billy right before I was leaving on my trip to Peru and they, too, were going to Peru and we completely bonded on our love of travel…shortly after, we had our ridiculously fun engagement shoot in Malibu and I KNEW this wedding was going to be an amazing time! It is so nice to see two people so in love and to see how much their families love and respect each other. The best man and maid of honor speeches were SO good, it was like they paid someone to write them professionally:) But honestly, some of the best highlights of the evening were on the dance floor…I had to blog a bunch of party pics, because they were so hilarious! I also want to give a shout out to Brian Leahy for being my second shooter partner-in-crime. We always have fun shooting together!

Congratulations Karin and Billy!! I hope you had an amazing time in Kauai on your honeymoon(I hope you took the helicopter tour!) and hopefully, this is the beginning of some fun travels together…with ME of course!:)

To view the rest of the photos from this wedding, just click on this link

Jennifer Wahl’s 40th Birthday Soiree at Oliver and Rose in San Diego

laura — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:43:43 +0000

I LOVE working with two of my favorite, fabulous, fierce, fashionista women; Catherine Bachelier-Smith and Tam Ashworth! Catherine, of CBS Lifestylist, is exactly that…a life stylist. Not only is she a friend to the birthday girl, Jennifer, but she is her stylist in all aspects of her life as well. Tam, of Isari Flower Studio (who did the florals with me recently in Punta Mita, Mexico), sourced all of the gorgeous glassware and florals that decorated the dinner table. She is truly an artist! The juxtaposition between the candelabras, elegant florals and funky, NY-style exposed brick feel to Oliver and Rose was a perfect combination…but then, that is the genius of the juxtaposition of Catherine and Tam as well:) Jennifer and her family and friends were so much fun to spend the evening with and they give me inspiration and hope for my forties as well:) Congratulations for finally getting “Over the Hill”:)

**Special thanks to Vanessa with Alchemy Fine Events for designing Jennifer’s gorgeous invitations!

To view the rest of the photos from this event, just click on this link

Anaheim Hilton Indian Shoot

laura — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:13:00 +0000

I just wanted to give a HUGE thanks to Madiha Khan with Exquisite Events and Inna Savluk with Butterfly Floral for creating this gorgeous Indian-themed Ceremony site for the Anaheim Hilton‘s Lanai Rooftop Deck. Thank you ladies for all of your hard work and effort! The twilight shots were my favorite of the day:) Can’t wait to work together with you both again, but until then we deserve drinks soon!!

Amy and Jeff’s Wedding in Rancho Palos Verdes

laura — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:45:39 +0000

I LOVED being a part of Amy and Jeff’s wedding day. They had such a relaxed, intimate wedding with just their closest friends and family in a private home on a cliff overlooking the beauty and vast blue of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Their ceremony was held literally minutes away at the famous Wayfarers Chapel and was SO close, that for the rest of the evening we could enjoy the church bells in the distance. It was such a pleasure to capture the fun of this day. All of their friends and family helped out, from catering the event (Harvest Fine Catering Elizabeth Sturton and Phil Wright), to making the flowers (Anne Warring) , to folding the menus, everyone contributed to making the day so beautiful and relaxing. I have to also thank their “day of” wedding coordinator, Jamie Moore, for helping the day flow so smoothly:) What a great team! They even had a bean bag toss and fun lawn games for the “kids” even though it looked like the adults took over:) But my favorite part of the day was catching sweet moments between Amy and Jeff and there were SO many:) You could tell these two are very much in love. One of my favorite parts of the wedding was the musical entertainment, Ten String Dream, their violin/ guitar duo. They are by far the best I have seen and they even played my guilty pleasure song, “Sailing” by Cristopher Cross:) But the highlight of my day was the AMAZING Paella and spread of food and desserts to enjoy. After salivating over photographing the food, I got to sit and enjoy it and it was SO delicious! Amy even ordered an additional cake for her mother’s 70th birthday and I think every person gorged themselves on treats all evening! What a perfect day!

Amy and Jeff, I wish you all of the happiness and love that you deserve and thank you for welcoming me like I was an honored guest for the day:)

To view the rest of the photos from this wedding, just click on this link