Dinner with Deigs and Kari

When Brian, otherwise known as Deigs, told me that he and Kari were coming into Santa Barbara for a visit....I made him commit to coming over for dinner at our place. Deigs works with me, and used to sit right across from me at the office. Then he went and moved to open up the Dallas office - against my better advice that is. :) Brett and I had just started to get to know both of them when they left...so we wanted to pick up where we had left off. Danielle's other half was out of town for the night, so I insisted that she come join us too!

I was excited to use our new dishes, glasses, and pots and pans to cook up a yummy pasta dinner. I also got to use our new placemats. I got used to using placemats after living with Laura, and now I love them.

Dinner was super. Between the 5 of us, we polished it all off so there were no leftovers. The girls hung out for a bit in the kitchen after dinner, and Danielle and are even more bummed that Kari isn't in SB anymore.

They're coming back to town in November for the SB Marathon....so maybe they'll be up for eating pasta again then. I hear you want to carb load before that kind of run. :)

A Wedding Story :: Laura and Benjamin

Laura and Benjamin.....what an honor to be asked to capture your special day. You have given Emily and me such a wonderful gift!!

Your story, well, it's been a wonderful one in the making. I guess I can tell it from my perspective....since I was fortunate to be there from the beginning.

First, I met and fell in love with Laura and her infectious laugh and smile at home group. I begged her to live with me (and Danielle), and she said yes. At some point, it came up, and several people encouraged her to just "go for it" and put herself out there on eharmony.com. She did....and then......AND THEN.....she was matched with a cute boy named Benjamin. That was nice and all....BUT....."He lives in Montana. I mean, I'm never going to move to Montana. I probably shouldn't even keep talking to him". But, with more encouragement from loved ones, she went ahead and explored this match. He was kind, loved Jesus, and they got along....incredibly well. Why not, right?

Well, it kept going well.....and I can still remember their first gchat video date. She was so nervous, but it lasted WAY longer than expected, and from there it just kept going. All of the sudden, Laura was driving to LAX to pick up Benjamin/Ben/Benny Montana....for his first visit. He brought her flowers and a wooden spoon. That might have been all it took to melt her heart.

But, that wasn't it. Soon, Laura was taking a trip to Montana. Ben was in SB again. They met each other's families. And then....they were talking marriage.

There was a ring. There was a proposal. There was a YES!

I am getting teary eyed just thinking of how wonderful their story is, and how it was all put in place by a God that is much bigger than us, has bigger plans for us than we could ever dream up ourselves, and bigger than eharmony! :)

Thank you for being a wonderful friend, a sister in Christ, and a beautiful bride!! I pray that you and Benjamin will have infinite years of happiness and wedded bliss. Love you both and hope you enjoy your wedding day story!

And without any further delay.....the wedding day of Benjamin and Laura!!

Laura and Benjamin opted for a "First Look". The place that we found on the property for them to see each other for the first time was just amazing. It was the most beautiful forest!!

Yeah!! Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Sears!!!

We couldn't help steal them away for just a few more shots after the ceremony. Do you blame us?

Laura had these little signs all ready for a great photo opp. I am SO glad she did....isn't this the most adorable image ever??

The toasts were heartfelt, especially when one of Ben's brothers gave Laura her very own adventure hat.

As soon as the DJ started the music, the dancefloor was packed. This crowd was having such a blast!!

After a wonderful night, the bride and groom went to change into their getaway outfits, said their goodbyes and slipped off together.

It was the most wonderful day, and I am so thankful to Laura for trusting Emily and I to be there to capture their day. We were smiling the entire time, and loved everyone we met.

For even more images, be sure to check out the slideshow!

Special thanks to all the people that helped make Laura and Benjamin's day happen!

Hair - Pam Tanchon of Accents Salon & Spa
Makeup - Kimberly of Kajal by Kimberly

Ceremony and Reception Location - Hillbrook Club
Flowers - Lowe's Greenhouse
Music - Bell Flower String Quartet/ Freddie James Disk Jockeys
Day of Coordination - Brandi Hammerstone of All Events Planned
Wedding Cake - Anne Ries
Photography - All Things Annemarie and e three

One Fine Day Celebration

Picking up where we left off....Emily and I came back to our home away from home and got ready for the rest of the evening.

Before we left for the night, it was the perfect afternoon to hang on the porch, enjoy some of Jeff's home brewed beer, and each other's company. Emily and I stole the bride and groom to be away for a few quick photos.

These two are so timeless. The picture on the left feels like it could be right out of the 40s to me.

Emily and I decided that we'd walk down to Town Hall....and we bumped into some of the groomsmen on the way, sporting their new hats. They took the cameras and we took the fedoras for a few minutes too.

Chagrin Falls is the most quaint, charming town I've ever been to. I loved all the buildings, friendly people, and we actually had pretty decent weather too!

Laura and Ben's families hosted a fantastic party for the wedding guests at the Chagrin Falls Town Hall. Teresa, Ben's mom, and her helpers put together a wonderland of love for the One Fine Day party and celebration. She said to me that she was wanting it to "look like Laura", and I think the mission was accomplished. It was such a fun night and all of the details were amazing!

The room was packed and everyone was smiling all night long!

Since we had walked there....we were walking home too. It was a little bit after 9 and the downtown was lit up so perfectly. The crowd outside the ice cream shop was bustling too!

We can't wait for tomorrow....THE actual One Fine Day.

Congrats to Laura and Benjamin and may you get all the beauty rest and sweet dreams you need tonight!

Be sure to check out the slideshow for more pictures! All of the pictures are a blend of the ones that Emily and I took. I think we make a great team and I can't wait to shoot LB's wedding tomorrow with her! :)

The Start to a Great Ohio Saturday!

So....we made it to Cleveland. The flight ended up going pretty fast. I wouldn't say that I got a full 4 hours of sleep, but I feel a little rested.

Who knew that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum was only 15 minutes away? I sure didn't! Maybe Em and Laura Roth will end up there one day. What do you think?

Jessica was waiting for us as we exited the terminal....fresh off her own redeye flight from San Fran. Fun!!

It was about 7 in the morning Ohio time....4 CA time....so what did we do about it? COFFEE!! And of course, since we stopped at Dunkin Donuts, I had to have one of my favorite....Bavarian Creme donuts!

We made it to Chagrin and Em and I were greeted to kindly by Jeff. Laura set us up with family friends and we were greeted by a sweet gift bag of goodies too! Of course LB did something so sweet.

We met up with the rest of the bridal party at the rehearsal to check out the stunning location of their nuptials tomorrow. So excited for their day - it's going to be beautiful!!

Afterwards, we had some time to kill, so we meandered....which is about what you do in this town...meander....around downtown Chagrin. We kept saying how much we loved it all!!

We ran into Jess, Laura R, and the boys down there too.

Off to the Rehearsal Lunch with the bridal party and friends. Everyone here is so sweet and kind and I know it's going to be a great weekend!

We met up with everyone at the home next door to where Laura grew up. When we walked up, we were asking ourselves if it was truly real. The green grass, the blue sky, the freaking awesome lake that was in the backyard. I mean, for real.

The food was great, and the hosts were extremely hospitable! A great afternoon and looking forward to a night of the same!

Oh me oh my oh, look at Miss Ohio....

We are on the red eye flight from LAX direct to Cleveland...it's a 4 hour flight and I hope we can get some sleep!

Emily and I are honored with being the lucky ones to capture the big wedding day for Benjamin and Laura!

OHIO.....here we come!!

Hot Spot

Friday morning. Different place. Same time. Same lovely faces.

Loved this mural painted outside the coffee shop. The colors just made me smile.

Worship Night

Our homegroup had the honor of serving our church tonight for the Reality Worship Night in Carp. Brett and I loaded up on our favorite Trader Joe's salad and dished it out to our fellow churchgoers for the big dinner.

It was a great way to spend some time with friends and our Lord on Thursday night.