*our blog has moved. please visit us at eight20photography.com for all the latest from eight20 :).

i couldn’t wait to shoot jennifer and rick’s wedding at hartley botanica! not only is the couple fantastic, but i’d been dreaming about shooting at this location for years. plus, the place holds a special place in the hearts of our fam: eric’s sister was married there in 2001 and i just knew it would be a wonderful venue to revisit. i imagine if we lost all the words to describe what heaven looked like, we could just share a photo of hartley botanica and everyone would nod in understanding. it’s a dream-like setting that combines romance and nature — perfect for a wedding day that celebrates the natural love of a bride and a groom!

the flowers were in full bloom, creating the most beautiful backdrop, and the june gloom decided to leave for the last weekend of the month, providing an opportunity for the sun to come out! jennifer’s dress, decor, and flowers all worked perfectly to give her the vintage flair she was looking for in her wedding theme! many wedding enthusiasts and wedding photographers would probably agree with me when i say that one of my favorite parts of a wedding is when the bride walks down the aisle and the groom’s face beams with love for the woman walking toward him. precious! rick looked on in that classic loving way as jennifer walked down the aisle and every wedding guest could share and enjoy the love that the couple feels for each other based on their faces alone. pure bliss soaked their eyes and smiles providing picture-perfect moments!

jennifer and rick: we had a wonderful time celebrating and capturing your wonderful day! we wish you a lifetime of love that blooms like the hartley botanica!

p.s. can you spot eric hiding in one of the photos? anytime eric pulls a waldo i will see who can find him ;).

location: hartley botanica
flowers: fancy’s flowers
cake: skiffs cakes
catering: command performance
dj: bruce barrios
photo booth: action photo booth

*our blog has moved. please visit us at eight20photography.com for all the latest from eight20 :).

we knew it would be a good one. a guitar has that kind of power. those luscious strings serenaded us into shooting some fun photos. and nothing says “fun” the way a pair of bikes do. so when michelle and kevin arrived for their engagement session at the pike in long beach with props in hand, we were sure that this engagement session would rank a 10 on the fun scale. how right we were!

i love the use of props during photo shoots, especially when they correlate with the couple’s personality and relationship. kevin is a musician and he utilized his guitar throughout the session the same way he would on a date with michelle. no wonder she said “yes!” who can deny a man with a guitar? kevin played us some music while michelle sat and smiled. they rode their bikes, laughed, danced and kissed. if that doesn’t sound like a picture perfect date right out of a movie, i don’t know what does! we had a wonderful time wandering around the pike with  the happy couple and cannot wait for their wedding in september! michelle and kevin’s engagement session was so playfully romantic, it’s certain that their big day will be full of music and joy.