We want to acknowledge everyone that came to help us:

The  Staff, Faculty, Administration, and Students of CSU Fullerton.

      You Titans know how to support each other!

The  Staff, Faculty, Administration, and Students of Chapman 

Staff and Admin at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital

 Staff and Admin at St Josephs Medical Center

 Staff, Admin, and Patients at T Medical Center

      (I hope no one died while you were voting. LOL  just a joke)

Employees and Shoppers of Brea Mall

Employees and Shoppers of Cerritos Mall

Our friends and family

PhotogShootout

the [B] School

Our loyal readers

our client friends

Last but not certainly not least, our facebook and twitter friends.

Special mention: Thank you Mike, you were awesome! Your skills and tact are going to take you places! You are a great leader and entrepreneur, I'm honored to be your friend.

Kevin - Couldn't have done it without you!

Megan and Natalie, - Thank you! You guys had the hardest jobs of all! We appreciate all the running you did.

Special shoutouts: Mom, Dad, Victor, Frances, Heather, Owen, Shirley, Leilani, Vanessa, Dom, Kerry, Peyton, Mark, Jeff, Laura, Patty, Rebecca, Kevin, Sandy, Cassandra, Pat, Vennita,  Catherine, Cathy, Dana, Stephanie, Susan, Penny, Thao, Stefanie, Barbara, Shirley, Catherine, Dana, Matt, (SWOT!!!), Claudine, Jimmy, Robin, Norma, Leticia... omg the list could go on forever. I will personally thank you if I see you around!

Robert and Jessica

     Just a few days ago, "Jessica Elizabeth Photography" was honored as one of the Top 20 Wedding Photographers for California. This alone was such a surprise and blessing. It's always nice to have your efforts recognized and we're grateful for the consideration.

     What totally and unexpectedly blew us away however, was the amount of support we had this weekend....

     There are TONS of wedding photographers in California. The amount of OC photographers alone probably make up the population in Maine! Many who deserve to be in this poll... aren't (marketing? idk).  To be in the competitive ranks with some very talented and stylish photographers like Gavin and Erin Wade, Richelle Dante, Ed Pingol, Sarah Chen, and KLK to name a few, is completely humbling and inspiring.

     Jess and I currently don't have an awesome website... not yet anyway (but I'm totally loving Richelle Dante's ShowIT site), but we know what is most important. We have and will continue to do what we do best, BE Jessica Elizabeth Photography. There's so much more to wedding photography than just artistic photographs.  Jess and I pride ourselves in the experience we provide to our clients, our friends. It's the memories that we try our absolute best to create, and that itself is an art form. The talent we are surrounded with is hot. There are amazing new and veteran photographers that we respect and admire and it is an honor to be amongst them. 

     Whomever you supporters are: friends or family, colleagues or future clients, or readers even,  I want you to know that because of this pleasant surprise, we feel like we're on top of the world! You inspire us to be better. You inspire us to keep going. We've never come close to placing in contests before, and while the polls can change dramatically by end on July 28^th you should know it wouldn't matter to us if we lose. We're up against some heavy competition. To us, this has been a victory for Jessica Elizabeth Photography. We're doing something right. And we'll keep making a difference, one client, one friend, at a time.  Jessica and I want to thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. (The moment calls for cheese! Don't roll your eyes at the screen =P )

    But hey... it wouldn't hurt to win. =) 

Please vote for Jessica Elizabeth Photography 

here: bridepop

Voters are allowed one vote per day through July 28th at midnight EST!

Rock on!

Rob

I absolutely love old buildings, ones with lots of character and history: this former Archdiocese Cathedral was built in 1876, complete with Baroque inspired interiors. Check!

This venue was designed using a neutral color palette, so that all the colors and elements chosen in your design and decor will truly pop. A style and desinger's ultimate playground. Check!

Vibiana's choir loft is a photographer's dream because it allows us to capture those bird's eye view, scene setting photographs without having to climb up a tree or into another hotel guest's balcony. (Although Rob will do those things for the shot though- If that's what it takes.) Check!

Vibiana's carefully placed lighting fixtures throughout the Main Hall and the garden area makes adding up lighting or colored lighting a breeze for your DJ or event design team. Check!

As an added bonus, Vibiana provides a bridal lounge and a groom's lounge for the bride and groom to get ready along with their bridal party. Yes, the groom's lounge has a flat screen TV. The on premises day of accomodations are a huge plus because everyone can spend the day together and get ready all in one place instead of rushing around town. This is also a treat for us because we can easily move from room to room capturing photos of all the getting ready activities.

If you decide to do a First Look, we have a few romantic spots in mind already :) There are also several modern and also historic buildings located within walking distance if you would like to do a mini bridal shoot before the ceremony.

This is truly a hidden gem in downtown Los Angeles. I purposely chose to include just a few photos because although Vibiana photographs beautifully, an in person visit will truly allow you to experience all of its granduer.

If you are still searching for an amazing venue, take an afternoon and go check it out. And as they say at Vibiana: "Experience the Divine."

I owe a big thank you to Anika for giving Kerry and I a first class tour of Vibiana!

Vibiana is located at: 411 South Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90012  Phone: (213) 626-1507

Check out the layers of century old marble that adorn the Grand Stage at Vibiana.

These Baroque columns stand 45 feet tall and contain some of the original painting and artwork dating back to the 1800s.

Standing at the center of the Main Hall of the former Cathedral is quite awe inspiring!

 

This is one of the rooms available as part of the Bridal Lounge. Sweet!

Once you are finished getting ready in your Bridal Lounge, we'd love to take some gorgeous Bridal Portraits here.  Love the light streaming in through the windows!
 

Check out this beautiful garden area that can be used for your cocktail hour or an outdoor reception.  At night it will be lit by the lovely LA Skyline.

 

Contact Jessica Elizabeth: 

Jessica@JessicaElizabethPhotography.com

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What is the "First Look"? 

To put it simply, the First Look is the first time on the wedding day that the groom sees the bride in her wedding gown, with hair and make-up complete.

In present day, this superstition is largely a myth.  The tradition began when arranged marriages were the popular custom.  Often, a bride's family was trying to marry their daughter into a wealthy/wealthier family to secure a dowry.  The bride's parents did not want the groom to back out on what was largely a business transaction if the groom saw the bride and found her unattractive.  Thus, the bride was not allowed to see the groom until the veil was lifted at the conclusion of the wedding ceremony.

While many couples find the tradition of not seeing each other until the ceremony romantic, a look at the history of the ritual reveals that it is in fact quite the opposite of romantic.

One of the most important benefits of a First Look is that it allows for a more intimate and romantic experience.  At Jessica Elizabeth Photography, we often tour the wedding venue with the couple prior to the wedding to find the best locations that will allow for privacy during the First Look, so that the couple can enjoy the few moments together without distractions.  This allows the couple to take a time out and just focus on each other with out all the other guests and details interfering.    This helps the couple relax and creates much more genuine expressions which makes for better photos that truly capture who the couple is.

Since there is usually more time available for portraits prior to the ceremony, we often get to spend closer to 25 minutes instead of only 10-15 minutes taking portraits of the bride and groom during a First Look.  This extra time often allows us to take photographs in a variety of settings and backdrops, as well as take not only traditional photos but also the more creative and artistic photos that our clients enjoy.

Based on the other elements of your wedding day timeline, the First Look often allows for time to take the family and bridal party portraits before the ceremony.  This allows you more time to spend with your guests after the ceremony.  This also allows your family and bridal party to spend more time enjoying the cocktail hour and reception.

During the ceremony, you are getting MARRIED.  There is nothing that could possibly make the significance of that particular moment less special.  You may have seen each other earlier in the day if you chose to go with the option of a First Look, but this time you, the bride, are walking toward your groom for the last time as a single person.  You look at each other in an entirely different light at that moment and know that shortly you will be husband and wife. 

Well, if you are not doing a first look, then by default that means that all of your formal portraits as well as all the group portraits with the family and the bridal party must be taken AFTER the ceremony.  We like to allow 30 minutes for the portraits of the bride and groom and at least 15 minutes each for the family portraits and the bridal party portraits.  So, if the sunset occurs within one hour of the time your ceremony ends, it is essential to have a First Look. 

Here in Southern California, we are blessed with plenty of sunshine, but the sunset time is of particular concern for weddings in the Fall and Winter (September-March).

We don't require it.  Like all other aspects of Jessica Elizabeth Photography, the experience is designed uniquely for each of our couples.  The First Look is largely a personal preference.  But honestly, you'd be kinda silly not to do it :)

Of Course!!!  And I can tell you right now that it didn't make the walk down the aisle any "less special."  If anything, those 15 minutes during the First Look are some of my most favorite moments of my wedding day.  We were able to escape from all the hustle and bustle that is a wedding day and spend just a few minutes together reflecting on the significance of the day and each other.  

If you didn't get the hint by now, we highly recommend it!

Here is a peek at Ashleigh and Luke's first look.  We had the entire rooftop pool deck at the Shade Hotel to ourselves for their First Look.  

After a brief session on the rooftop, we had some time to take photos by the Shade Hotel's fountain, one of Ashleigh and Luke's favorite areas of the hotel.

We also had the opportunity, to spend some time at their ceremony site before all the guests arrived...so romantic!

And we even had a few minutes left to take some fun photos with the bridesmaids :)

Special thanks to their wedding coordinator Kerry Pulverman of de Luxe Weddings & Events who was instrumental in developing a photographic timeline with us and overseeing it on wedding day, so that we could fit in all these photos.

Shade Hotel:

1221 N Valley Drive

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

 

Contact Jessica Elizabeth: 

Jessica@JessicaElizabethPhotography.com

View Portfolio 

Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club is a lovely venue, that honestly, until a couple of weeks ago Robert and I did not even know existed.  We didn't want you to miss out on this place, so we thought we would share it with you here on our blog.

If you are still looking for that perfect Southern California wedding venue, this is one place you should seriously consider checking out. 

Kerry Pulverman of de Luxe Weddings and Events invited us to the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club Bridal Show, and we fell in love with this venue.  Here are just a few of the photos we captured during our visit. Hopefully, you'll get some floral inspiration here too!

The 2,500 square foot Wedding Garden at Arroyo Trabuco is simply breathtaking!  I love the large tree that hangs over the ceremony site.  So romantic :)

  

  

The Arroyo Trabuco Ballroom is 5,600 square feet and can comfortably seat up to 240 guests.  The Ballroom also has a cozy patio looking out to the canyon hillside and lake area- perfect for a cocktail reception.

This lovely White, Pink, and Green Centerpiece was created by Holly-Hill floral design.

I thought this display with the bird and the books was just adorable.  This display was created by Green Leaf Designs.  So was the Yellow and White Centerpiece below.

These elegant Purple and Green florals were also designed by Green Leaf Designs.

In case you hadn't noticed, Purple and Green is quite the trendy combo this year.  This fun and vibrant design was created by Elegant by Design.

Now that's one HOT Candle!

These beachy florals were also created by Elegant by Design.

Arroyo Trabuco Country Club is located at:

26772 Avery Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92692

A big thanks to Alyson Gabaldon, the Catering, Sales, & Event Manager for showing us around!

Contact Jessica Elizabeth: Jessica@JessicaElizabethPhotography.com

View Portfolio 

I guess they've run out of ways to say "Luck will come your way." Instead, fortune writers are turning to nonsensical words of wisdom like "It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end." ........ WHAT???? O.o

 But tonight, I got a very appropriate note from my little yummy treat. 

Profound isn't it?

So since I'm in some weird "Confucius say:" mood, I will write my post in good ole' fortune cookie fashion...

Some of these are plain and simple, but most have a hidden, epiphanic, mind-blowing, WHOA.... type moment, so take the time to think and if you figure me out... AwEsomEnEss! :) Hope you get something out of it!

What does this have to do with photography? well... your mindset and philosophies manifest in your performance and art.

1. Count your blessings.
2. If you think you have the most horrible life, just remember that you're not living in (insert 3rd world country here)  fighting for your own life let alone basic human rights.
3. There's always someone out there who will be ahead of you... except if you turn the other direction and pull out a mirror they will always be behind.
4. Success isn't tangible. It's a journey with no final destination.
5. If you think you're doing fine, you're not. If you think you're doing bad, you're not.
6. Everything can be answered by this one equation, E = MC squared.... a child who can say "mom" or dad" knows this.
7. Failure is when you've accepted something is impossible. 
8. Be  _______________.
9. A 'To do' list... is transactional, but a 'STOP doing' list, is transformational.
10. You can have it all, you just can't have it all at once.

Rob

This love affair was painfully obvious to everyone around me by high school.  In the 12^th grade, one of our projects, as part of a life long learning class, was to plan our own wedding.  Apparently, we were just supposed to cover the basics.  Most of my classmates turned in 2 or 3 page reports.  I, on the other hand, made a custom wedding album covered in silk and lace with a place to insert a photo of me and my then high school boyfriend on the front.  I made a bridal bouquet and a garter, I picked out the pattern for my flower girl dresses, I cut swatches for the bridesmaids gowns, and more- but you get the point.

I guess I might have scared that high school boyfriend a little- he broke up with me shortly thereafter.

As the years went by I kept adding to this album.  I would tear out pages from magazines to keep as inspiration for my own wedding many years later.  However, there was one magazine that I could never bring myself to tear the pages out of.  The magazine was just too gorgeous to even think of tearing a page from it.  So I kept them all. 

As luck would have it, the Editor-in-Chief of this magazine had been "tearing" out the pages for me all this time.  She collected all of her favorites from the past 10 years and assembled them into a book.  Who is she you ask?  She, is the one and only: Grace Ormonde.  The book is "Being in Love Never Goes Out of Style."  What a fantastic title! I couldn't agree more.

And now.... A Winter Romance- When Vintage Meets Modern....

I'm going to have to break these photos up into a couple of posts, since there are so many to share.  Check back soon for more photos and to learn about the vision behind the theme, the set design, and the floral design.  A very special thanks to Rebecca Salimpour of Natural Charms for the stunning floral design.  We must also thank Andre Movesesyan for assisting us in this challenging shoot.  Cinematic footage from Step 1 Productions coming soon!

If you are a bride looking for inspiration, make sure to purchase Grace's new book here: http://graceormondebook.com/ .

The book also makes a fabulous gift for brides to be.