I think she officially won my heart when she wiggled out of her mom’s arms as soon as she got outside because she just couldn’t wait to feel the grass between her fingers. Or maybe it was when she reached out for me to hold her and then cried when I put her down. Regardless, I think it’s fair to say that Addi has won the heart of most everyone she’s come into contact with, except for maybe her fellow passengers on the plane ride home from Hawaii last month. Addi’s parents look at her with such love in their eyes and they have created a fun, welcoming, and beautiful home in which Addi can grow.

Justin and Beth, thank you so much for inviting me into your home to document Addi as she turns one. She is so special, beautiful, and fun and I know she gets that from you two! I hope these photos capture Addi and the adorable person she is at this exact moment in time, because as all parents know, it just goes by so incredibly fast.

Here’s Addi a few days shy of her first birthday …

It’s certainly the beginning of a great love story – the story of Justin and Missy. These two are something special, folks. Sweet as can be with kindness radiating from their beautiful smiles. They married each other under historic trees in front of their closest family and friends and then partied like it was Cinco De Mayo … because it was! They danced, sang, kissed, and laughed. And then they added somberos to the mix. Justin and Missy soaked in every single moment of their time with each other and those they care about most and that made it an absolutely perfect day.

Justin and Missy, thank you for allowing me the joy of spending your wedding day with you.  The love you two have for one another and the love that was surrounding you on your special day was inspiring. You and your families have been such a blessing to me and I just can’t thank you enough for the privilege of being your photographer. Love you both!

Now, get ready for some photos of some beautiful people …

Missy is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met in real life. All night long, everyone kept telling Justin what a lucky man he was. He agreed.

Even though Justin and Missy had seen each other before the ceremony for their first look, he was still SO excited to see her walk down they aisle! Seeing each other beforehand didn’t diminish that moment one bit and both Justin and Missy agreed that they loved being able to spend more of their day together.

Coordinating and Florals: Ginger Holland

Venue: Heritage Museum

Make up: Courtney Vanderham

Hair: Carmen Witt

Videography: Steve Holmes

Photography: Megan Hartley Photography

Special thanks to Shauna Miller for second shooting!

Zach and Lauren live in New York and were only in Southern California for the weekend of the wedding, so we didn’t get a chance to meet until their actual wedding day. Even so, I felt so at ease with both of them within moments of our meetings. They are the kind of people who just put others at ease with their authenticity and friendliness.

Zach and Lauren, I couldn’t have asked for a more calm, more loving couple to spend the day with and I truly can’t thank you two enough. Your wedding day was beautiful, meaningful, and filled with love. And yes, that was some serious Oxford comma usage right there. You and your families were pure joy to work with and I look forward to watching your love grow for one another as you begin this new chapter of your love story!

Also, special thanks to Shauna Miller for second shooting with me and Ashley for recommending me!

Now, onto the photos!

Lauren and Zach opted for a first look, so we headed to a local park so they could see each other for the first time in their wedding attire. Such a sweet moment!

After the first look, we headed to the courthouse for their ceremony.

Zach’s dad works in China and couldn’t be there for the ceremony, but they were able to Skype with him in the ceremony room! How awesome is technology?

After the ceremony, we headed to a park for photos. Lauren was just so gorgeous!

And Zach looked pretty great himself! If it were up to me, men would wear bow ties in every wedding.

This quilt is a family heirloom and has a legacy of love attached to it. I was so happy that we were able to incorporate it into some photos!

Zach and Lauren ended their photos with a dance party! Lauren asked Zach if she should take her high heels off and wear her sandals since her feet were hurting and he told her that she should because those sandals were the shoes she was wearing when he fell in love with her. Shauna and I melted.

Awesome, right?

After photos were done, we were off to the reception at the Summit House in Fullerton.

Lauren and Zach’s family members worked so hard to make their wedding special for them! They made these gorgeous centerpieces and the tables looked beautiful!

Congratulations, Zach and Lauren! Thank you for letting me share your day with you!

Photographer: Megan Hartley

Makeup: Sophia Pickle

Ceremony: Fullerton Courthouse

Reception: Summit House

Bride’s dress: Etsy

Melissa and Jorge, thank you so much for inviting me into your gorgeous home to photograph your family. You guys are amazing and even in the few short hours I spent with you I could just feel the love radiating from your home. I look forward to staying in touch and watching sweet Max grow!

Laura and Nick, thank you so much for inviting me into your home to take these newborn photos of darling Olivia. She is already such a blessing to all who meet her and it was my privilege to spend the afternoon with your sweet family.

The amazing vendors whose work is featured below:

Photography: Megan Hartley Photography
Stylist: Whit Mitt Design and Events
Desserts: Sweet and Saucy
Florals: Art with Nature Floral Design
Make Up: Flawless Faces
Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals
Boutonnieres: Rosie as a Button
Cake Stands/Plates: Sweet and Saucy Supply

Now, the beautiful Mark and Beca! Their real life love for one another made the photos authentic and so special.

Whitney and her sweet husband, Mark, created this gorgeous background to serve as the ceremony site! How amazing are they?!

Kim of Art with Nature Floral Design put together all of the florals and I was absolutely blown away by her creativity and beautiful work! She also made the gorgeous floral crowns for the bride and flower girl! Thank you so much, Kim!

Even though it was an elopement, we still wanted to have a flower girl and ring bearer because … well, they are cute! They added such great energy to the shoot and are such sweet kids!

{Found} Vintage Rentals provided the perfect chairs  for our sweetheart table and they also provided the yarn spools which gave the shoot just the vintage feel we were going for.

Beca looked absolutely gorgeous thanks to makeup by the amazing Flawless Faces! For all of my 2012 brides – book them! Seriously … they are the best!This awesome cake from Sweet and Saucy Shop incorporated so many of the elements from the shoot – the desert color palette, the yarn details … I am pretty much in love with everything Melody from Sweet and Saucy Shop dreams up!A million thanks to all of the incredible people who made these photos possible! It was such a great day spent exploring creativity with a wonderful group of people! Thank you!!!

Rachel and Jeff, thank you for choosing me for your photos! I had such a great time with you both and I am so glad we were able to celebrate your 1 month anniversary with a fun and beautiful session. I wish you many, many more months of happiness and joy together!

Another bonus of “day after” sessions is that you can change things up a bit and have more than one look! Rachel added a beautiful flower in her hair and red lips to give these photos a more elegant, romantic vibe.

Josh and Ashley, I can’t thank you enough for choosing me to document your day. I treasure your friendship and I am over the moon happy that you two have found deep and abiding love in your relationship with one another. It was an incredible honor to experience the day with you and I wish you a blessed and fun-filled marriage!

Also, endless thanks to my wonderful second shooter for Josh and Ashley’s wedding, Stacy DeGroot!

A lady bug landing on a bride on her wedding day? It doesn’t get much luckier than that!To see a slideshow of Josh and Ashley’s wedding images, click here!

My favorite thing about people watching and photographing people is watching how they interact with one another. The way a Mom gently brushes her child’s hair off of her face. The way a husband reaches out to grab his wife’s hand as she steps off a high curb. The way a baby lights up at the sight of his sibling. These are the moments that make up real life and these are the moments I love capturing in photos.

The following photos are perfect examples of my favorite kinds of photos to take – 3 people just being a family. No props, no gimmicks, just pretty light and lots of love. Daniel, Rita, and David … thank you so very much for choosing me to capture photos of your precious little family. Our time together was short but so enjoyable for me. My goal was simply to capture you three being yourselves and I hope that was accomplished. Thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your lives and I hope you enjoy your photos!

Meet this sweet family …

Sheila, thank you for being you. Your honesty, your compassion, your sense of humor … I simply adore it all. I will continue praying for your time in Haiti and I know that you will bless all those you come into contact with, just as you have blessed me with your friendship.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”