Three years later, they made it official, and not too long after that, Mike told his friend he knew: she’s the one. So they rounded up their family and friends from around the country and came back to where it all started on top of a serene hillside in Julian, California.

The energy was peaceful and positive, the air was fresh and inviting and the sun kept shimmering in and around the trees, casting good Light all around as Emily and Mike shared in the sacrament of holy marriage. It was the perfect wedding for this perfect pair.

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He wanted to make it special. He wanted it to be a surprise. He wanted it to be perfect for his perfect girl.

So after 2,364 changes to the ‘plan,’ he settled on a surprise bottle of Dom in their decorated room at the Estancia Hotel where he could call her out to the balcony and propose from below, just like Romeo and Juliet, except that Brad and Sarah’s parents totally approved of course.

I hid a few balconies over and got into position to ninja-style-sniper-shoot the event. I couldn’t hear all that was said, but it was an amazing production to witness. Sarah was overwhelmed and excited and glowing from 100 feet away. She was absolutely stunning in her casual clothes and make-up-less face. And Brad was beaming from ear to ear. His smile lit up the whole courtyard.

When he finally told her the jig was up, I came out of the shadows and shot a few portraits of the freshly engaged pair. I worked fast so I could leave them alone again to continue their celebration. But I celebrated to myself the whole way home, because it’s always such a blessing to be a part of such special events. Thanks again, Brad and Sarah, for having me document this important moment in your lives. I’ll cherish it forever, as I know you will too!

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- my dad

- reading good writing

- sitting and watching the world walk by

- watching a sunset from beginning to end, not doing anything but just watching all the colors as they fade in and out

- cooking, eating and sharing creative food

- traveling

- listening

- feeling the wind in my hair

- the stories of people who started small and made something big

- Light

- people who laugh honestly and from deep within

- music that moves my body whether I will it or not

- the love of my poodle

- clouds

- memories

- the feeling of frivolity I get from squeals atop Ferris wheels and catching fireflies in the summer of sixteen

What inspires you?

image shot at Coney Island, New York, Dec 30, 2011

If you liked what you just saw here, sign up for The Picture of the Every Couple of Days. It’s an email I send out every couple of days with one image and a few words. It’s a nice refresher for your inbox, aiming only to keep your interest enthused and your inspiration engaged. Check out the most recent Picture of the Every Couple of Days here.

I’ve known Katie since she was just a bun in the oven. It’s hard to believe I’ve been attending our church for over 18 years, but that’s how we met. When she was brand new everyone would pass her around at our picnics and services. She was by far the cutest baby that season.

Then she grew up. And as the years kept turning, the more I began to respect her and value her as a young lady in our community. I remember one of our first one-on-one conversations at a holiday party when she was in sixth grade; I was surprised at how sharp she was and how brightly she spoke. And now that she’s a young adult, ready to take her next steps towards her future, I couldn’t be more proud.

Because Katie is sharp. She’s intelligent. She’s deep. She’s driven. She’s the type of girl you look up to, even though she’s young. She’s the type of girl that grabs life by the reins and says, ‘Let’s go!’ I’d ride with her any day.

Thanks for the opportunity to document this small segment of your life, Katie. I can’t wait to watch what you do next.

And it started with strong family ties in the girls room where Julia hung out with her sisters and mom, doing what they [still] love to do: color in coloring books. With a champagne back, of course. Julia was so relaxed and so full of love all day; you could really see her free spirit shine.

Over at Matt’s parents house where the guys were ‘getting ready’ (which, in guys terms, translates to, hanging out), the atmosphere was similar. Matt was relaxed too, but he walked with an air of assurance, of strength. He is, after all, a Marine. His dad leaned over to me as Matt was putting on his uniform coat and with tears in his eyes said ‘You’ll never find a man more solid than that.’

And tears came to our eyes throughout the day as we documented the celebration of two childhood friends coming together in holy matrimony. That’s right, Julia and Matt went to the same grade school at St. Irene, next door to their family’s church. So everyone was so happy and honored for this union to finally commence. It truly was beautiful and I was so thankful to play a part in such a special day.

For more image awesomeness, check out Robb’s amazing view of the day here. I included one of his headshots of Julia in this post because he showed me up. Same with all the details…why even shoot them when the Robbmaster has it covered…

Robb, makin’ a beautiful situation even more beautiful…

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Brad wanted to do something special for Sarah when he proposed, and after weeks of planning and preparing and changing his mind and the plan and planning and preparing again and again, he knocked her socks off with a beautiful proposal at the Estancia Hotel in La Jolla last Saturday. I’ll do a full post with more pictures later but here’s a sweet teaser for now. Congratulations Sarah and Brad! So happy to have been there to document this beautiful moment for you!

If you liked what you just saw here, sign up for The Picture of the Every Couple of Days. It’s an email I send out every couple of days with one image and a few words. It’s a nice refresher for your inbox, aiming only to keep your interest enthused and your inspiration engaged. Check out the most recent Picture of the Every Couple of Days here.

Win Dinner for Four at Haven Gastropub in Orange!!! Send Lovato Images a referral this month and get entered for this great give away.

As a business that is based primarily on referrals from great people like you, we decided to do something awesome to thank you for spreading the Lovato Images love. So for sharing the Lovato Images name with others this May, we’d like to share something in return. And dinner for four at a fab restaurant is right up our alley…right? Right!

Here are a few things to listen for to easily refer [your favorite] photographer to your friends:

1. “My daughter/he/she/we just got engaged!”

2. “My son/daughter is graduating next month [and we need senior portraits]!”

3. “I need a headshot” or “I’m on LinkedIn [and probably need a headshot].”

…after all of which you respond, “I know a great photographer…!”

You can also refer your friends with new cameras to our beginner’s photography class, Camera Basics, on May 20.

Contest runs May 1-May 31 and referral inquiries must book to be eligible. Don’t worry, we always ask how they got the Lovato Images name. You’ll be notified by email once you’ve been entered. Multiple referrals/entries totally allowed! And in advance, thanks!

If you liked what you just saw here, sign up for The Picture of the Every Couple of Days. It’s an email I send out every couple of days with one image and a few words. It’s a nice refresher for your inbox, aiming only to keep your interest enthused and your inspiration engaged. Check out the most recent Picture of the Every Couple of Days here.

Rachel should be an event planner, I say. I mean, just look at these details and try and tell me this isn’t something that should be featured on bombassevents.com or something. I don’t know if that’s even a website but it should be and this party should be on the front page.

Anyway! The new mama pulled together a fantastic party this past weekend for their beautiful son, Kingston. The little man ran around with his new dump truck and was all smiles all day. He smiled especially big when he was with his dad. I bet he was super stoked on all their fantastic friends and family for joining his fabulous first party. He seemed to be anyway!

If you liked what you just saw here, sign up for The Picture of the Every Couple of Days. It’s an email I send out every couple of days with one image and a few words. It’s a nice refresher for your inbox, aiming only to keep your interest enthused and your inspiration engaged. Check out the most recent Picture of the Every Couple of Days here.

We women are an interesting breed. We’re all so different, from the colors of our hair and the shades of our lips to the colors and shades of our attitudes and feelings. Yet we’re all so alike. So closely similar, we find ourselves judging one another for things that end up being reflections we see of ourselves. So diverse in so many ways, yet so simply the same.

When we bind together, we’re stronger than we are alone. But so often, so many of us select the solitude. We feel like the way we feel is the only way its ever been felt and that no one could possibly understand. But when we open ourselves up to new possibilities we gain strength from the strength of others and become powerful beyond our wildest imaginations. We can acknowledge unique situations, yet we’re far more capable when we tie them together.

The best is when we strip ourselves of the differences our differences create and sit together completely bare. Often it’s around a quiet kitchen table, or sometimes it’s in the corner of a loud bar. Often tears are shed and laughs are shared and sometimes no words are spoken at all. But the shades shift and colors combine and we sit with a knowledge that we’re in this together, and that the women surrounding us create in us a more solid woman than we ever could have been on our own. And it’s moments like that that make me proud to be part of this interesting breed.

Looking forward to some bare table moments in the corner tonight.

If you liked what you just saw here, sign up for The Picture of the Every Couple of Days. It’s an email I send out every couple of days with one image and a few words. It’s a nice refresher for your inbox, aiming only to keep your interest enthused and your inspiration engaged. Check out the most recent Picture of the Every Couple of Days here.

Aubz and I set up in the corner of one of the rooms and photographed headshots for women after they were all done up. It was fantastic! Not only because I love shooting portraits and working with women, but because these women were different. These women were all about empowering other women and working hard towards their own personal unlimited success stories. It was really great to be in the midst of such motivated women all day long.

If you haven’t experienced Mary Kay’s skin care products, let me know, girl! I’ll hook you up with a consultant and you can get going on flawless skin for the rest of your life. Or if you’re interested in a career opportunity, I think the Mary Kay vision is superb. I don’t have much personal experience with either, but it’s a product and company I fully respect.

And because every blog post is better with a visual aid, here’s a few headshots of some of the fab women…

If you liked what you just saw here, sign up for The Picture of the Every Couple of Days. It’s an email I send out every couple of days with one image and a few words. It’s a nice refresher for your inbox, aiming only to keep your interest enthused and your inspiration engaged. Check out the most recent Picture of the Every Couple of Days here.