I walked into the restaurant, reminding myself to not bite my lip, twirl my ring, or talk too much in my nervousness. (Oops… I think I did them all.)  Because I was about to meet one of my heroes, Jasmine Star.

A little background for those who haven’t yet heard of her:  Jasmine Star is a wedding photographer who is very well known in the photography industry, as well as the local/national wedding industry. She is a young (30-year old) self-taught photographer. She had a full ride to law school but decided to give it up, realizing it just wasn’t the life she wanted to lead. Jasmine turned to photography, started from scratch… and made her dreams come true. She started out only about 5 years ago, and was charging $1,500 for her first weddings. Within her first full year of business, she booked & shot 40 weddings, and now averages $9,000+ each wedding. She works in the high-end market, shooting beautiful locations from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and also traveling for destination weddings. Jasmine has been voted photographer of the year by various companies, and has been published in numerous magazines.

Besides shooting weddings, she now holds workshops to help others in the industry. One of the goals I’d sent for myself for this year was to attend one of her workshops. So, when she announced that one was to be held in April, I jumped for joy… and held my breath that I’d be one of the 20 lucky attendees. And I got in.

Attending this workshop has been one of the highlights of my life so far. Seriously, it was just that good of a day.

You know how it is when you actually meet your heroes? How, oftentimes, they’re better in your head than in reality? This was SO not the case with Jasmine.  From the moment I arrived at the restaurant on Monday night, she was completely warm, welcoming, and sincere.  She made sure to take the time to greet each & every one of us as we arrived, and really made an effort to make us feel comfortable.  I’m glad I attended that night, as it gave me the opportunity to relax a bit in her company, as well as get to know the other attendees (and also our models for the day… Michelle & Colton) a bit better.

Tuesday was the BIG DAY. It was an all-day workshop, running from 9-6, and ending with a wonderful dinner at Maggiano’s afterward. Jasmine poured her heart into this day… sharing her expertise, her “secrets” and her SELF. And it was such an incredible experience… I can’t say enough good things about it.  Where words fail me, my tears of joy express it all.

I am so incredibly grateful that I had this wonderful opportunity, and wanted to share a few of my favorite images from the day.

We were all greeted with branded stationary and a personal note from Jasmine.

There was a photo shoot held during the day, so Jasmine could show us how she worked her magic.

Here she is, giving us a pep-talk before we get started.

Our models, Michelle and Colton.  You’d never know that they aren’t professional models, right? They both volunteered to be our “guinea pigs” for the day.

They might not be real models, but their love (and outfits) are 100% real.  They were recently married in January, and even more recently moved to Virginia, where Colton is stationed for the time being. And check out Michelle’s GORGEOUS wedding dress… yes, this IS her actual wedding dress. A friend’s mother made it for her. SCORE!

Thanks also to Kristen of The Treasured Petal for the beautiful bouquet & birdcage veil.  (And check out her etsy store for even more of her handmade wedding accessories.)

Jasmine… showing us all how it’s done.

Quite possibly my absolute FAVORITE images from the day! Um, HE-LLO?! Look at those SMILES?! And check it out… her shoes are PURPLE! best. shoes. ever.

Jasmine, jumpin’ into my shot…

I am still on Cloud-Nine from this amazing day.  If you’d like to see a few of Jasmine’s own shots (including a group picture of all of us from the day), you can head on over to her blog.

And see a slideshow of more of my images from the day by clicking here.

Book an “After-Wedding” session! It gives you a chance to get all dolled up in your finery again, and get those shots that you weren’t able to capture on your actual wedding day. This is your time to PLAY! Spice things up with a few new accessories (colorful shoes or sunglasses, or even tennies, if you’d like). Choose your location… want some pictures of you in your wedding gown on the beach? Go for it! Or maybe walking along the streets of downtown? Fabulous!

And for the more daring, you might consider a “trash the dress” session. This is not for the faint of heart, but can be QUITE glamorous. From wading in the ocean, to lying on the sandy shore, we can get the dramatic shots you’d like.

Below is a sample of an “after-wedding” session.  These shots were taken a few months after the actual wedding day.

And as the entrances were made, and hands were clasped, you could tell that they were both ready to make this journey together.  The priest commented on how one should enter marriage not looking for a savior, but a partner and a friend… and Adriana and Mario knowingly looked to one another.  Theirs is a friendship that is stronger than ever, and a love that is meant to last.

Their story began long before, when Mario’s kindergarten teacher’s aid happened to be none other than Adriana’s mother.  Flash forward several years, and Adriana and Mario became high school sweethearts.  But there is a lot of change that occurs between high school and adulthood.  And so, there were times when these changes forced them from each other’s side, as each individual needed a chance to grow more fully into themselves.  Yet, something kept bringing them back to one another.  And, having had the time to grow more as individuals, they were able to come back together even stronger.

Now, they are ready to begin their lives together as husband and wife.

The reception was such a BLAST!  It was definitely a celebration, complete with emotional toasts, an amazing dj, and even a mariachi band.  The mood was upbeat and festive, and I often found myself swaying in time with the music as I shot my pictures.  When it was time for me to go, Adriana invited me to just put down the camera and come DANCE!  I was too tired to take her up on the offer, and so I reluctantly left for the evening… the sounds of the party continuing in the distance.

It was such an amazing day, and I am very honored to have been a part of it.

Vendors:
ceremony:  St. Norbert Church
reception:  Cerritos Senior Center
catering:  Lascari’s
dj:  Elegance Elegancia DJ

If you’re looking for some inspiration and a way to meet some vendors in a fun, no-pressure environment, JOIN ME HERE:

I’ll be hangin’ out this an awesome party thrown by the people of Utterly Engaged. If you haven’t heard of Utterly Engaged before, you have GOT to go check out their website and see for yourself. now. right now.  Utterly Engaged is the 1st wedding e-zine. And they ROCK! Think Martha Stewart meets Urban Outfitters. Yeah, that kind of cool.

In any case, this party looks to be a great time. Check out this site to register or learn more: http://utterlyspankinparty.eventbrite.com/

I’ve already posted a sneak peek of their session in the park, but here are a few more favorites of mine:

After the park, it was on to the reception, held at King Harbor Seafood. WOW… all the different foods. It was a full banquet, served family-style. I was ushered to a seat by a family member, and when an auntie asks you to eat, you EAT. Here was the menu for the night:

The couple served tea to the family members who weren’t able to attend the tea ceremony earlier in the day:

And Susan’s father visited each of the tables, giving his blessings/well-wishes.

It was a beautiful celebration, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it. (Thanks, you two…)

Here are a few of my favorite moments captured from the day:

Before “giving her away,” the father of the bride made the gesture for “I’m watching you…”  Classic moment!

Erin and Justin were lucky in that they got to take a golf cart out for a spin… we headed to this area on the green that was next to their picturesque waterfall and lake. And thank goodness that things were running on schedule, because the coordinator told me that they would be turning off the waterfall in about 8 minutes.  Go, go, go!

Gotta love the guy who was leaping across the floor. Hah! He did this several times, actually. Maybe he REALLY wants to be next in line to get married, you think?

Some of the details of the day:

Venue:  Aliso Viejo Country Club (Coordinator: Gina)

D.J.:  Manny, from DJ Connection

Florist:  A to Z Floral Wholesalers

Officiant:  Rev. Bruce Danzara

As for the location, we started at the Chapman Chapel in Old Town Orange, and then moved to the Orange Circle (which might seem familiar because it has been featured in countless movies). I fell in LOVE with this one alleyway with brick on one side, white walls on the other, and a painted orange in the middle! Awesome! 

Anyways, here is the eye candy from the day: