Leigh's Photography Blog

Rhea and Tim...

2006-11-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

are such a unique and awesome couple. They have known each other since they were five years old. They grew up together and even took family vacations together. What a great day their wedding day must have been for both families. It was so fun to hear their story throughout the day. How despite living in different countries for a number of years they managed to keep in touch and when Rhea moved back to the US the sparks flew. The rest, as they say, is history.

So I think a couple who has know each other that long deserves some extra pics. Also my year is winding down and this is one of my last weddings of the year so I might as well show off a little :) Rhea and Tim - I hope Maui is wonderful. Thank you so much for your call the day after the wedding to thank me. Can you believe it? The morning after the wedding and Rhea is leaving me a message and emailing me to say thanks. What a great person she is. I know you will be checking the blog so be sure and drop me a note. Or maybe even send me a postcard, haha!!! See you in January for the Trash the Dress session. I can't wait. Tim good luck finding a dress ;)

All the gals getting ready.

Sometimes getting in the dress can be an adventure.

Whew...Rhea actually had some major dress trauma a few days before the wedding. First the dress was too big, then when she had it altered they made it too small and she couldn't get it zipped. But she remained calm throughout the entire deal and the dress fit perfectly.

Putting on the final touches.

Three bridesmaids and a bride.

Seeing each other for the first time.

The lovely Rhea.

A little love.

A final few moments together before things really get going.

Bride in the parking lot.

Perhaps the sweetest flowergirl ever :)

Last minute pit stop.

Rhea helps dad get ready for the big walk down the aisle.

I love these green orchids.

Tim looking very dashing.

The handoff.

Rhea's bridesmaids wore lovely green dress. I love green :)

I had a little competition during the ceremony.

Love the moment before the kiss.

Do you think these two are happy to be married?

The first dance.

Everyone joins the bride and groom.

Rhea's dad gives her a GREAT BIG hug after the father/daughter dance.

Bridesmaid cheat sheet.

I mean this is the nicest way possible, but this had to be the all-time craziest bridesmaid I've ever seen. No really, she gave a great speech (all 10 notecards of it) and obviously really loves this couple. Everyone should have a friend like her.

Time to get down.

Rhea and the girls.

The yummy cake.

These two think they are soooooo sneaky!

Tanya and Pat...

2006-11-15T01:23:00.000-08:00

had a beautiful wedding this Saturday at the Lindley Scott house in Azusa. I love this place. And it was an awesome day to have a wedding. A little overcast, maybe not what brides dream about, but made for great lighting and great pics. When I first met with Tanya and Pat I just thought they were great. So relaxed, laid back but excited about the wedding day. They stressed how they wanted me to just capture the day as it happened and didn't want many posed pics at all. That works for me :) Not that we didn't do some posed pics with family and friends, we did, and I feel its important to do those but most of the day I was just capturing those real moments that happen. And there were a lot of them. Tanya and Pat were surrounded by family and friends who I think were just as excited as they were. So here you go! Tanya, I know those students of yours are waiting anxiously to see the wedding day. Thank you both for letting me be a part of it. Talk to you soon :)

Tanya and her mom. Probably one of the happiest moms I've seen all year.

Tanya initially was going to wear a different dress. She even brought it and was about to put it on but was just so in love with this dress her mother brought back from the Philippines she made a last minute switch. She would have looked beautiful in either but I think she made a good decision.

The happiest mom in the world!

Tanya and Pat see each other for the first time.

Did I mention Tanya had a looooong veil?

Waiting for things to get started.

They both were all smiles all day.

Another beautiful fall bouquet.

One last quiet moment together.

I could tell both Tanya and Pat are so close to their parents. Tanya says goodbye to Dad as mom and her in-laws look on.

Pat took a little good natured ribbing during the ceremony. Something about how at one time he said he didn't thing Tanya was his type. Famous last words ;)

The ring.

The ceremony.

The kiss.

The celebration.

Lots and lots of hugs and smiles.

There's that happy mom again.

Tanya and Pat are amazing dancers. Here's a view from the floor.

I love this idea of tying good wishes on a tree.

No weddings complete with babies.

And the hora. I love the look on Pat's face.

I'm not sure who this guy is but everyone was so excited and little shocked to see him.

Greeting the guest during the reception.

Toward the end of the night. A sleepy flower girl.

Calling all adventurous brides....

2006-11-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

here's a site dedicated to you and the adventurous photographers who love you. Mark Eric started a website called Trash the Dress - it showcases day after and bridal shoots that throw caution to the wind for amazing photos, yippee!!!

Here's what Mark had to say, I LOVE IT :)
Go ahead, you know you want to. Trash it. Get it dirty. Get it wet. Roll around in the mud. Drench it in the ocean. Totally trash it.
Why? … Why not? You’ve made a commitment to your husband. He’s your one and only. You’ll never need it again. Trust me, your daughter won’t wear it in 20-30 years. So you have two choices:
1) Suffocate it in plastic and throw it in a closet
2) Show your husband how commited you are by trashing the dress, and get some great fun pictures while you do it!
Then after you do it- send the pictures to us to publish for all the world to see. What are you waiting on? Call one of the trusted photographers on this page or find one you trust and go trash the dress!

Yesterday , Leigh Miller Photography was added to the photographers contributing to the mayhem. (You may remember April and Nate's Morning After shoot in Riviera Maya.) So go check it out. And if you are an adventurous, sassy bride - give me a call and lets go Trash the Dress!!! What a great after wedding surprise gift that could be for your new hubby. And he thought all the fun was over after the honeymoon ;)

Email from a bridesmaid...

2006-11-07T11:16:00.000-08:00

well Manuela is much more than a bridesmaid, but that's how i met her. She has been a bridesmaid in 3 weddings I've shot this year - first Donna and Ben's, then Ramona (her sister) and Darren's and most recently Lavinia and John's. And at every wedding she has always been such a blessing to have around - helping to gather people up, letting me know who's who and of course taking amazing care of the bride. She's a great positive person to be around. And she just made my day when I received the following email from her. Although I was laying around my hotel room in cabo with a horrible cold feeling sorry for myself, I felt so much better after finding this in my inbox, an email entitled -

hi leigh...from the ever-present-bridesmaid:

hi leigh, it's manuela. donna gave me the password to the wedding album and i was looking through it with tears in my eyes. then i went to your blog and looked at john & lavi's pictures which are incredible and realized how many amazing moments are missed by the eye and what an amazing difference a wonderful photographer makes. then i went and looked at my sister & darren's blog pictures with tears in my eyes once again. to say you're talented would be an understatment. i'm sure each of the couples have thanked you over and over for the amazing moments you've captured for them but i wanted to do it also because you seriously make all the difference. i loved each and every wedding that you have shot. thank you. thank you. thank you.

i don't know when i'll be getting married but i'm putting you on notice now that you'll be doing all of my pictures for it. there'll be no backing out and i'm reserving you years in advance!

you rock, manuela

and heres's the lovely Manuela, waiting right outside the sanctuary doors to be the first one to give her sister a hug. I can't wait to shoot your wedding Manuela!!! Thank you so much for your kind email.

Sanny & Oli, Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas

2006-11-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

I don't even know where to begin with Sanny and Oli's fabulous wedding! Sanny contacted me by email in May when I was actually in the Bahamas shooting a wedding. We hit it off immediately. After emailing for a couple of days I got the email - let's do this! I was so excited. It was also cool that we had a chance to meet before the wedding since Sanny and Oli live in San Francisco. We made arrangements to meet when I was up in the Sonoma area to shoot a couple of weddings in June and as we talked I knew this was going to be one fun wedding. Sanny and Oli were so easygoing, another great couple!

The wedding was at a private villa in Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I think it is my favorite destination wedding spot so far. I love everything about it. The weather was perfect, the villa amazing, and Sanny and Oli were just wonderful. So no more blabbing from me. Here are some pics. Hope you guys are loving the rest of your time in Cabo. Thanks for letting me come along. Safe travels home!

The legal ceremony.

Sanny looked great even before getting glam for the wedding.

Showing off the thumbs.

The lovely gown.

I love the colors all around the villa. I want a villa :)

Sanny takes a peak to see whats going on outside.

The beautiful ceremony location. Katie Thompson of Weddings in Paradise did an amazing job of bringing everything together.

Sanny's gals help her get ready.

Oli gets a little help too.

John, who is performing the ceremony, rehearses. And keeps a close eye on the ring.

Sanny and her dad.

The ceremony.

The kiss.

I've been spending a lot of time at the beach lately and I love it.

Aren't they great!!!

Sanny showing off a little.

And sending Oli some love.

Oli looks dashing. I love his suit - white linen from Banana Republic.

A little romance.

The beach in Pedregal had amazing rocks and scenery.

A private moment. (well almost)

Getting ready to head back to the villa.

But before we go a few more photos on the great rock wall.

Sanny picked a simple bouquet of lilies.

I love this photo. It has an intimate quality about it.

Some table details. Everyone sat at one long table together.

Looking out of the villa at the ocean at sunset.

A toast to the new couple. Probably my favorite thing about Villa Maria was how this entire wall in the living room opened up to the outside.

No children were eaten in the taking of this photo. Sanny playing around with her nephew.

Family and friends look on as Sanny and Oli cut the cake.

Everyone gathered down at the firepit at the end of the evening.

Lavinia & John

2006-11-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

I had been looking forward to Lavinia and John's wedding for sometime. They have actually been guests at two other weddings I've shot this year so I felt like I already knew them pretty well. And let me say, I'm not sure I've ever seen a more enthusiastic bride in my life! You could just feel the excitement pouring out of Lavi. On the wedding day these two were surrounding by so many friends and family. It was really amazing. Lavinia and John had also set aside some time after the ceremony and reception to hit the beach for some fun and romantic pics. Hey guys I think you are really going to like these! No more waiting....here you go. Hope you are having a blast in Maui. Talk to you soon :)

Lavi getting some attention from the bridesmaids.

A little mini bridal before the ceremony. I think Lavi's bringing sexy back!

This little gal was not as excited as everyone else. But who can blame her with the rollers and all!

Another wedding with beautiful fall colors.

This was such a fun part of the ceremony. Lavi and John each wrote their own vows and John started his with "Lavi, I love you..." and Lavinia was literally almost jumping up and down.

More love at the reception.

John and Lavi react to the Canadian flag being raised and the Canadian anthem being played. It was a surprise from the groomsmen.

Ramona and Darren whos wedding I shot in September.

Donna and Ben whos wedding I shot in March.

One of my favorite shots from the day. Off to the beach.

Great early evening light!

Doesn't John look great!

Taking advantage of the beautiful light and scenery.

The flowers by a trashcan. But hey, it's a cool looking trashcan!

Lavi looked so happy all day.

Just before sunset.

To say "the happy couple" would be the understatement of the year!

One last beach pic :)

Ellyn and Rey :)

2006-10-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

It feels like it's been a while since I shot an engagement session, so I was psyched to be meeting Ellyn and Rey in downtown San Diego for one. (This is about the time of year the engagement extravaganza begins and it usually runs until about March. ) The funny thing about this engagement session is Ellyn and Rey are actually already married. No they aren't just confused about the order of things, Rey is in the Navy and heading off to Iraq so it only made sense for these two to legalize things now and then they will have the "real" wedding sometime later this year when Rey returns. We met at the W Hotel where Ellyn had already gotten permission for us to shoot and had a blast!!! I get the coolest clients :) So before you go Rey, here's a sneak peek of the pics. Enjoy and take care! Ellyn I will talk to you soon :)

And here are Ellyn and Rey!

Look how sassy Ellyn is.

These two could take great pics anywhere.

Chillin at the W.

Hmmm...the debate began. Does Rey make goofy faces?

Our country is in good hands. Look how strong Rey is :)

And how sassy these two are.

Gave Ellyn some love earlier, now its Rey's turn. Guess that answers the goofy faces question!

Hitting the streets.

In the garage. We got lucky here. Without any warning the garage door started closing. But Ellyn and Rey did manage to get out. Would have been too bad if they had to wait in there for a car to come along and let them out!

I swear going to Extraordinary Desserts wasn't my idea! But i have been begging my husband to take me back ever since. Check them out - www.extraordinarydesserts.com

One last pic in the restaurant. A big thanks to the W and ED for letting us shoot there.

Kim & Richard, Pasadena

2006-10-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

When I met with Kim and Richard about a month ago I have to tell you I was totally impressed! They had been planning their wedding for about a month and Kim brought a binder with all her wedding stuff in it. She had done a lot in that month!!! She was so organized and so detail oriented that I knew the day would be beautiful. And I was right :) Kim and Richard had their wedding in Pasadena at Kim's step-grandmother's house. It was beautiful. Very regal, old school Pasadena. The house was located in a shady cove with an amazing view of the mountains and the Rose Bowl. Everything just came together so well! Here's a sneak preview of Kim and Richard's beautiful Pasadena wedding. Congrats guys, I'm so happy for both of you!!!

Kim getting the royal treatment from her friend and make-up artist. These two have been friends since their clubbing days.

Nothing gets a bride ready for a wedding like an appletini :)

Three generations of Richard's family waiting for the ceremony to start.

The house had so many cool details. Here's the bouquet with an antique clock.

A few ceremony shots.

A kiss.

A quiet moment with Kim and Richard after the ceremony. Richard was all smiles all day!

The back of Kim's dress was just beautiful.

The table settings of green and brown.

Kim and her twin sister after the ceremony.

I'm convinced this is the true master of the house :) Or at least he thinks he is.

Best gal and sis gives the toast.

Kim had beautiful lights and candles everywhere.

The cake cutting got a little messy.

These ladies had a 50/50 chance. However I don't think one was very interested in catching the bouquet.

One last detail.

Kit & Matt

2006-10-18T14:51:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to Kit and Matt's wedding ever since we met months ago. They are both just so laid back and easy going I knew their wedding would be a joy to photograph. The also had great settings for their day Cuvier Park AKA The Wedding Bowl in La Jolla and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Both just great places as far as a photographer is concerned :) My day began by meeting up with Kit for a few getting ready pics and then wondering around down by the cliffs with Matt and Kit for some fun pics before the ceremony. I love this part of the day - when I have the couple all to myself! Here's a small preview of Kit and Matt's wedding day. I hope you two are having a blast in Napa. Thanks again for letting me be your wedding photographer! I so enjoyed the day - your guests and your families - even the camera shy ones. Talk to you soon ~

I'm loving all the fall colors in the bouquets lately.

The rings.

The lovely Kit.

The skies on Sunday made for some really cool pics! At times it was overcast and other times sunny.

Can you see the two people hanging over the wall yelling congrats? (pics will open larger if you click on them)

I love the look on Kit's face.

Matt had some sweet shoes so I'm going to give some love to the groom's shoes this week too.

Matt waiting for Kit.

Kit's dad really liked to give me a hard time ;) He didn't want his picture taken AT ALL. I have a feeling he will be glad I got this one.

The ceremony.

What an amazing view.

And here they are!!!

I thought they might just keep going :)

The sun just peaked out as everyone was talking after the ceremony.

The cliffs in La Jolla make for a great backdrop.

These guys really like cake.

Wondering around the museum. Matt was trying to pick a street.

A final hug from dad at the end of the night.

Debbie & Jason...

2006-10-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

have a beautiful, intimate wedding during the middle of the week. Yep, thats right, they got married on a Wednesday! A few times a year I shoot weekday weddings and I always enjoy them. They tend to be smaller affairs but still so fun :) When I first met Debbie we hit it off immediately, we're both southern gals here in southern Cali. We met for lunch and talked forever (like southern girls can do!). Anyway Debbie and Jason have an amazing story. They met when Debbie was visiting California and she ran into Jason at a bookstore in Coronado. They struck up a long distance relationship and before you know it Debbie was flying out here to visit Jason. Things took off and the rest, as they say, is history! Congratulations to you both! I hope you enjoyed your time in Vegas. You don't have to tell me what went on there cause as you know, what happens in Vegas.... Talk to you soon :)

Debbie had a beautiful dress. And I loved the peacock painting in the background.

Debbie had the most beautiful bouquet with fall colors and pepperberries.

I think Debbie's niece was awestruck!

Debbie's dad REALLY liked the flowers too.

The programs.

The ceremony was in the gardens in Balboa park and it was a perfect day.

These two look pretty happy.

I know I post the recessional pics a lot, but they are always one of my favorites. The first few moments as a married couple.

Debbie looking lovely :)

Lots of great architecture around the park!

Taking off for the Rolls.

Their amazing cake. It was so yummy!!!

Someone is happy to have a new uncle Jason.

I really like this photo. It's such a sweet moment between these two.

Julie and Mendel...

2006-10-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

get hitched at The Madison in downtown Long Beach. What a cool place and it so fits these two. I first met Julie last year and I knew immediately that I had found a bride who totally understands my style of photography. She actually wrote in the contract "no cheesy photos" and went on to describe a few old school poses she did not want to see! Maybe I should keep her comments as an addition to the contract :)

Anyway back to the big day. This wedding has been a while in the making. There's a bit of controversy about when Julie and Mendel actually became a "couple" but one thing they both agree on is they are a couple now - for life :) And such a great fit. They met due to their love of swing dancing and got to show off their amazing dance moves at the reception. I was so excited cause it made for some great pics. Here are a few from their wedding day! Congrats guys! Have a great time on the Queen Mary II. I'm so jealous!

Julie's mom checks in to see how the getting ready is going!

Julie looked so glam. She had her make-up done by the amazing Kelley Cua. That's actually how Julie found me. Kelley and I met at Salina and Joseph's wedding in April.

Last few touches before heading over to The Madison.

And here they are...

Mr. and Mrs.

And they're off!

One great thing about The Madison is the location. After the ceremony we ran around downtown Long Beach and had a great time. And got some great pics :) Looks like Julie and Mendel aren't the only love birds in town.

Mendel makes some great faces. Here's just one of them!

This is one of my favorite shots from the day. Veils are fun!

A quiet moment. This is right before Julie leaned over and kissed Mendel. The kiss pic is nice too but I like this one because you can tell she's getting ready to lay one on him.

I couldn't resist the amazing palm trees and the mirrored building.

These two are so romantic.

Julie picked the prettiest flowers and I loved the combination of red and green. It really complimented the dark woods and interior of The Madison.

I love sequences of pics. Here Mendel is telling Julie - "I'm going to do this."

And here Julie is telling Mendel - "If you do I'm going to do this." Don't mess with Julie ;)

Mendel and the ladies!

Julie and the guys!!!

I think Mendel was showing his ninja dance moves.

Julie has them too.

Fred and Ginger.

I love catching a moment between the couple in the midst of their guests.

Michelle and Greg...

2006-10-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

get married at the beautiful La Venta Inn. Michelle and I met about a year ago when she booked me to shoot her wedding. I was so excited to see her again because it had been so long. I was also excited to be shooting a wedding at La Venta Inn because I had heard such good things about it! Michelle and Greg had the perfect southern California day and were surrounded by so many friends and family. I was so happy for them. So without further delay here are a few photos from their wedding day! I hope you both are having a great time on the honeymoon! I will talk to you soon :) Safe travels.

Michelle gets the A-ok from the bridesmaids.

Michelle and Greg seeing each other for the first time. They did this before the ceremony so we could get some of the family photos taken early.

I just loved Michelle's grandmother.

The hand off.

Check out the beautiful blue skies and the ocean.

A few pics with the happy couple after the ceremony.

Of course they were all smiles.

More smiles :)

You know I love cake and Michelle had picked out the prettiest blue flowers for it.

Another detail. On the menu - salmon, yum!

The first dance as husband and wife.

And the big finish.

These two were so cautious when cutting the cake.

One last photo in the afternoon sun.

April's letter...

2006-10-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

A few days after I posted April and Nate's wedding gallery I got the most awesome letter from April. It really blew me away. I love what I do and it's so nice to hear from my couples how happy they are with their wedding photography and how much it touches their lives.

Wow Wow Wow!!!! Nate and I had friends over for dinner last night, and we got your email, and we all sat down, watched the slide show on the TV and cried. Thank you sooo much Leigh. The photos are beautiful, and capture every detail and emotion of our wedding day. I couldn't have wished for more beautiful and perfect photographs. They will be treasured each and every day. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Thank you so much for the beautiful photos! :)
Love, April

Here's a link to their wedding blog post.

Michelle and Brian...

2006-10-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

met me in Balboa Park for their engagement session. It was nice to finally meet them because they live in San Fran and they hired me after seeing my work online through emails. They are planning an April wedding at the Darlington House in La Jolla. I know its going to be a lot of fun and its a good thing cause they hired me for the entire weekend, so we will be spending lots of time together :) So nice to meet you guys! I can't wait for the wedding. Here's a little preview from the engagement session. I will be in touch soon.

Yes, one of the very first pics from the session.

I love phone booths.

I'm not sure what Brian was saying here but Michelle was all giggles.

Taking advantage of some of the beautiful architecture in the park.

I was afraid they might cause a collision, yowza!!!

Michelle has the best smile.

Here is Brian showing us how "sassy" he can be!

No engagement session would be complete without the choke hug.

And we're all done!

Heather and Brian...

2006-10-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

are two of the funnest most energetic people I've worked with. They have so much love for each other and it totally shows. Earlier this year we ran all around the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego for the engagement session on Heather's birthday. I was really looking forward to their wedding day and the wedding was great. Heather looked absolutely amazing in her beautiful Monique Lluillier dress. I loved it. And Brian did too! So on with the preview :) Congrats guys!!! I'm so happy for you both. Hope you are having a blast in Costa Rica.

THE dress.

I always like the getting ready pics and especially the first few moments after the bride puts on the gown.

All those beautiful pearl buttons.

And of course the sash.

The ceremony took place at Mary Star of the Sea in La Jolla.

Can you tell how happy they are?

The ocean is a very important part of Heather and Brian's life. I'm sure they are enjoying the surf and waves in Costa Rica.

Heather was a real trooper. No place was too hard or far to get to for the pics. Here she is climbing back up the cliff in La Jolla.

EVERYONE wants a pic of the happy couple.

The flowers and shoes were discarded, but only for a minute.

The reception took place at the Park Manor Hotel on the rooftop. Before Heather and Brian went up we took some time to take pics in the lobby.

Things got a little HOT!

I had to leave the room ;)

The cool thing about the piano in the lobby is you can lay on it...

but you're not allowed to play it???

I always love the first dance.

Another one.

This was such a sweet moment. Brians mother died when he was about 9 or so and during the reception he danced with each of his three sisters. There were reminders of his mother sprinkled around the reception area.

Heather's brother teaches the kids some of his moves.

Heather and her mom get down!!!

Erica and Brent, The Inn at Rancho Capistrano

2006-09-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to finally meet Erica and Brent! They hired me last year to shoot their wedding and since they live up north we did everything through email. This is the first time I had shot a wedding at The Inn and it was beautiful. Amazing spanish architecture! And of course a lovely bride and groom. Erica also has some experience with wedding photography so I knew I'd better really be on my toes! So without further chattering on my part, let's get on to the photos. Thanks guys for letting me be your wedding photographer. It was a beautiful wedding. Talk to you soon!

Erica has a quiet moment before things get started.

Putting on the shoes.

All the bridesmaids react to seeing Erica in her wedding gown.

Isn't Erica just beautiful!

Brent gets a little choked up when he sees his lovely bride for the first time. It was very sweet.

What a beautiful venue.

Can't you just tell Brent is the happiest guy on the planet?

I loved all the cool places to shoot on this property.

The guys showing off a little.

Mr. and Mrs.

Loved the fence and trees.

Don't they just look stunning.

A few moments before heading to the reception.

And they're off.

Night falls in San Juan Capistrano.

The dancing at this party was great! Look at how sassy Erica is!!!

And just in case Brent had any doubt about who is in charge here ;)

The yummy cake.

Brent gets a bit of the cake.

The last dance. I love shots like these. I turned off my flash and shot it only using the available light.

Ramona and Darren, Dana Point

2006-09-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

I apologize! I'm a bit behind on my blogging. So here I am playing catch up! And I'm starting with Ramona and Darren. You might remember them from their engagement session. They were just so much fun that day I knew the wedding was going to be a blast. They were also a referral from another great couple, Donna and Ben, so I also knew their guest would be fun too! It was nice to see so many familiar faces. And I will see them all again in another month when I shoot Lavinia and John's wedding! So without further delay here's a small preview of Ramona and Darren's wedding! I hope you guys are enjoying the honeymoon, talk to you soon!

I just can't help loving these shoes! They were silver and just gorgeous.

As was the dress.

I really like this photo of all the women hanging out at Ramona's house waiting to leave.

One last check before leaving!

Ramona's grandma was just so sweet. I was taking the getting ready photos earlier upstairs and her grandma walked in and up to me and kissed me on both cheeks. I could tell this was such a happy day for the entire family.

Lovely Ramona.

Darren looking pretty good himself!

Darren checks out his new bling.

Immediately after the ceremony. These two were just so happy!!!

This photo is a little bit of a private joke between Ramona, Darren and me. I love the look on Ramona's face.

Ramona's bridesmaids were so stylin' with the beautiful brown dresses and red flowers and shoes. Loved the red shoes :) And I promise that's the last shoe post for THIS wedding.

Congrats to Lavinia and John whos wedding I will be shooting next month! I can't wait.

Relaxing in the limo on the way to the beach.

Right when we got to the beach we saw this amazing piece of driftwood and I knew immediately thats where I wanted to photograph the wedding party! What luck :)

The happy couple.

I love series of pics! This was so funny. I asked Ramona and Darren to standing on the beach down by the surf and I knew if I waited long enough something like this might happen. You can't really tell in the photos but the surf was coming in fast. These pics were taken less than 1 second apart. Don't you just love the look on Ramona's face! #1

#3 Look at what a great job Darren is doing trying to help Ramona and the dress keep dry :)

The lovely Donna and Ben. The were my first wedding of 2006 and referred Darren and Ramona and Lavinia and John to me. Thanks guys :) You are just great!!!

Julie & Todd...

2006-09-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

just returned from their honeymoon and had the following to say about their wedding photo preview -

We love them!!! We just got back from Jamaica and I couldn't wait to see your blog! The pictures are wonderful... You really captured our personalities and the over all feeling of the day! From the beautiful ceremony shots to the dance floor stagediving, we love the pictures! We are so excited to see the rest of them! Thank you so much for photographing our wedding, you are an amazing photographer and we feel so lucky to have had you as a part of our wedding! Talk to you soon! - Julie &Todd

Jamie & Journey, The Frank Sinatra Estate, Palm Springs

2006-09-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

this Saturday was a real treat for me for a number of reasons. #1 :) I got to go back to Palm Springs, one of my favorite places on earth. #2 :) I got to second shoot for the wonderful Teri Stumpo of White Sand Photography. #3 :) I got to shoot at the Frank Sinatra Estate and #4:) I have the most wonderful husband in the world. (more on that in the next post!) It's been a while since I second shot for someone and it was so much fun. I got to spend a lot of time with the guys which is where I usually send my second shooter so I got to get some different kind of getting ready shots! And hear a lot of stories that I don't normally hear when hanging out with the bride and the bridesmaids, yikes!!! So here are some pics from Jamie and Journey's fabulous Rat Pack wedding. Teri thank you so much for taking me along with you! And congrats Jamie and Journey. I know you two are enjoying some honeymoon time and massages at the Viceroy :) Best wishes - Leigh

(I always forget to say this but clicking on photos will open them larger in a new window. stay tuned for my new blog - coming soon with BIG pics!)

The guys relaxing before the day really gets going.

Journey enjoying a cocktail pre-ceremony, just like Frank would want him to!

Did I mention already it was the Frank Sinatra Estate???

I love this photo of Journey. He just look so cool and debonair.

Gotta give some love to the ladies too.

Can't ignore the shoes either.

COOOOOL!

Jamie and Journey see each other for the first time.

Jamie hanging out waiting for things to get started.

Wouldn't be right to not feature some martinis!

The lovely couple.

The kiss.

More martini love :)

Mr. and Mrs.

Dusk in the desert at Frank's place. WOW!

April and Nate...

2006-09-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

love their wedding and day after photos! A few days ago I got the nicest email from April and Nate and thought I would share it.

AH-MAZE-ING!!!! Amazing, stupendous, outstanding, breathtaking, etc.etc.etc. doesn't even BEGIN to describe how we feel about our photos! We have received an awesome response to our slideshow we've forwarded to everyone... you're making 200+ people cry everytime they watch it! Thank you so much for being such a wonderful photographer and person to be present at our wedding. You meshed so well with our guests, and were such fun to be around, it impressed our guests tremendously! We love our morning after photos on your blog too... good response from those too! ;) Nate and I are itching to see all the rest of the photos. Feel free to call/email whenever! We're home now, still getting our feet back down to earth!

Talk to you soon! ~April & Nate

Julie & Todd, The Martin Johnson House, La Jolla

2006-09-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

You may remember Julie and Todd from their fun engagement session in Balboa Park last month. We had such a good time shooting that day I knew their wedding would be a blast and I wasn't disappointed. It was a beautiful wedding and all the guests were so much fun. I saw somethings at this reception I'd never seen before - go here to their preview to get an idea of what I'm talking about!!! Julie and Todd had the amazing Kev Kline (kev@kevkline.com) as their coordinator and let me tell you things were perfect. The decor amazing! You can see more of Kev's working in the preview. I made sure to put more detail shots than normal cause she had so many great ideas!!! I know there will be lots of people checking in on the blog to see this wedding so enough from me. Here it is! Julie and Todd - thank you so much for letting me be there to photograph your wedding day. It was amazing! Hope you are having a great honeymoon. Talk to you when you get back :)

Trysta & Steve, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla

2006-09-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

When Trysta and Steve hired me I knew I'd better pull out all the stops! Trysta's step-dad is fellow San Diego photographer Richard Thacker. Actually Richard contacted me first and said he had passed along some names of photographers and Trysta wanted to meet with me :) I was so excited. When I met with Trysta and Steve we immediately hit it off. Trysta is a buyer for a major clothing store so we talked "business"! She travels all over the US and Europe. And I thought my JOB was fun! Poor Steve was probably bored to death at that meeting. But alas not too bored as they hired me to photograph their wedding and I was thrilled. At the time I had no idea what a fun wedding it would be! The setting was beautiful, the bride and groom lovely (um..ok...steve, handsome!) and the band was absolutely ROCKIN!!! Apparently they found this band playing at Jimmy Love's in downtown SD and boy what a find. The Reaganomics had every person, no matter their age, getting down at the reception. It was all 80s music and it was, like, totally awesome :) So without any more jabbering on my part here are a few pics from Trysta and Steve's amazing totally 80's wedding. And a preview :) Anyhow, have a great honeymoon guys. Can't wait to see some pics when you get back.

April and Nate's Fun in the Sun...

2006-09-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

did I mention before how much I love doing destination weddings? Well here's another reason! No, it's not the getting up at the crack of dawn to do the day after shoot but the fun and amazing pics we get when we do them. Here are a few from the morning after April and Nate's rockin wedding. I hope its the only time the rest of the week you two had to get up that early :)

Congratulations to me...

2006-09-05T18:40:00.001-07:00

I'm going to do a little bragging now! I have been a member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association for a little over a year now and have recently been accepted into the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. This is a great honor as the only way to to be accepted is to place in one of their quarterly contests. Here's what the AGWPJA says about its photographers and membership -

The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA is a group of international wedding photojournalists, who capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing. The [AG]WPJA is a division within the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA); one which specifically promotes Fine Art Wedding Photojournalism. The [AG]WPJA hosts quarterly contests, in which only WPJA members may participate. Photographers whose images attain 1st-10th place, receive a personal invitation for [AG]WPJA membership. This is the only way to become a member of the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association--by invitation.

Only 30 images were selected in the latest contest and there are only 12 photographers in California who have been invited to join the AGWPJA. Here's the photo from Melissa and Brian's wedding that placed in the details category. Thanks guys for letting me be a part of your wedding. I have been blessed in so many ways (not just this!) by knowing you two :)

April and Nate, Riviera Maya

2006-09-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Riviera Maya, Mexico where April and Nate had the most beautiful wedding. It was such a celebration with their closest family and friends. I feel so honored to have been a part of it. I love doing destination weddings because it gives me the chance to get to know the most important people in my couples' lives. This wedding was a blast!!! Not only are April and Nate beautiful people on the outside, they are wonderful people on the inside too. And both have the most fun families. You'd think these two families had been joined for years. So enough from me, here is a brief preview. Or if you'd like to see more click here for a slideshow from the entire day. It may take a moment to load but will be worth it!!! Congrats you two. Enjoy the rest of your time in Mexico and we will talk when you get back. Also check back tomorrow for some photos from their morning after shoot. We all went down to the beach and played in the water. Thanks for getting up so early to do that!!! Talk to you soon.

I'm off to Mexico...

2006-08-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

tomorrow I leave bright and early to go to beautiful Riviera Maya to shoot April and Nate's Wedding. I will be back in the studio answering emails and phone calls on September 5th. Have a great holiday weekend and be sure and check the blog early next week for some great pics from Mexico :) - Leigh

Sunday was a beautiful day...

2006-08-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

to have a wedding in southern California and I was lucky enough to be shooting Rebecca and Eric's wedding in Mission Bay. They got married surrounded by palm trees, family and friends. It reminded me a bit of my wedding :) And they rented to most amazing house - The Caldwell House - to have the reception.

When I first met Rebecca and Eric I thought they were a really cute couple, a little quiet, but really nice and fun. Well I had it all right but the quiet part. During the couple's shoot after the wedding I found out Rebecca has quite a wild side and a little supermodel in her. Of course she's beautiful to start with but I had no idea how SASSY she is :) Eric will definately have his hands full. But don't be fooled, these two are wicked smart - Rebecca is a drug dealer (the legal kind) with a PhD and Eric is starting on his second graduate degree later this week. Thanks guys for letting me be a part of your wedding. It was so nice meeting all your great family and friends. Hope you're having an amazing time in Vegas. Talk to you soon!!!

Congrats to Danielle and Chris...

2006-08-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

who had a great wedding this Saturday! Saturday was a looong day but so much fun. You may remember Danielle and Chris from their engagement session in downtown San Diego earlier this year. We had a great time that day so I knew their wedding would be a blast and I wasn't disappointed. Danielle and Chris had their ceremony at St. Pius in Santa Fe Springs and their reception at Ponte Winery in Temecula. Both just beautiful places to photograph. There were a lot of great moments, so much celebration, and a few tears (the father/daughter & mother/son dances!). So enough of my chit chat - here are some pics from their day. Thanks for being so much fun guys. I hope you're having a great time in Sedona. I will talk to you when you get back :)

Everything is blue...

2006-08-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

in southern California. Yesterday I met Kit and Matt down at the beach in Coronado for their engagement session. I couldn't believe how blue everything was looking. Incredible blue skies and blue water. Believe it or not, it's not always that way. So what a great day to shoot at the beach. And Kit and Matt were so much fun and so easy to work with. I can't wait for their wedding in October at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. What a cool venue and a great couple!!! Thanks guys. Hope you had as much fun as I did :)

Yesterday Margaret and Bryant...

2006-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

tied the knot at the beautiful Villa Del Sol D'Oro. It was an amazing California day, the bride was lovely and the groom handsome! Could a photographer ask for more? Margaret and Bryant booked me a few months ago online and it was so great to finally meet them. Margaret and I are both social workers (well me in my past life!) so we had an immediate bond. And we both love photography too! Maybe we were separated at birth? Anyway without further delay here are some pics from their wedding day. And here's a link to their wedding preview if you want to see more :) Congratulations guys! Have a great time in Greece and Turkey, I'm sooo jealous!!! Don't forget you promised me a post card.

Yesterday I got to meet...

2006-08-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ramona and Darren who hired me about 4 months ago to shoot their September wedding. Ramona and Darren were a referral from another great couple Donna and Ben. I love it when really fun couples send their friends my way!!! So Ramona, Darren and I ran all around Balboa Park and got some great pics. These two are so fun and so much in love. And so romantic. Darren proposed to Ramona in front of their entire church congregation. He had someone lined up to video and take pics of the whole thing. Obviously a very confident guy :) I can't wait until the wedding. Thanks guys for doing such a great job yesterday. See you in September.

The beautiful April...

2006-08-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

asked me to come over and take some sassy pics for her to give to her fiance on their wedding night and I think the results were spectacular. (April and Nate are getting married in September in beautiful Riviera Maya and we don't think he reads the blog, so we're ok here!!!) April, of course, is so beautiful its hard to NOT take a great picture of her. We had a blast and shot some really fun and sassy pics. I don't get requests to do these kind of photos very often but I really like doing them and they are a great surprise gift. And honestly something I think every woman should do at least once in her life. I think April will second that! Here are a few "blog safe" ones I thought I'd share - as I maintain a rated G or at least PG blog :). Thanks April, it was fun and you were great!!! I can't wait for the wedding!

Exciting things...

2006-08-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

are happening here at Leigh Miller Photography!!! I'm so excited to share my first CD cover with everyone. If you've been following my blog you may remember I've been working with the amazingly talented Linda Sargent on images for her upcoming CD release and press materials. Today Linda sent me the final proof for the CD cover and I am just so happy with it :) Happy for me but so excited for Linda too who has been working her butt off on this album. I can't wait until it hits the stores. If you go to Linda's website you will see she has many exciting projects in the works!!! I will be sure and post here when her album is released so everyone can rush out and get it.

The shoot where I took this pic was so fun. We rented a studio in LA and with Linda's music blasting really got into it and great things happened. Have I mentioned today that I love my job and love my clients??? Thanks Linda for letting me be a part if such an amazing project. I'm so proud of you :) You can look here and here and here to see pics from a few of my photo shoots with Linda.

And stay tuned. As soon as I have time I'm posting pics from Mike's photo shoot. Another up and coming singer. Mike and I met a few weeks ago in downtown San Diego to do some shoots for his press kit and upcoming appearances. I just haven't had time to post them! But now I'm off to LA to do a sassy shoot with a bride. She's surprising her husband to be with some boudoir photos on his BD. Stayed tuned for a preview of those!

WOW...

2006-08-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, but in reality it hasn't been that long. I blame it on this time of year and the fact that its high wedding season :) But I'm so excited to be posting pics from Julie and Todd's engagement session today and my first ever slideshow. Julie and Todd were so much fun I decided they deserved a slideshow, not just a regular posting. So without further delay - here you go! Thanks guys I had a great time! (ps if you have a slow connection it may take a moment to load the show the first time. i know youre going to watch it more than once right??? haha!)

Leslie and Brian...

2006-07-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

have one rockin wedding!!! This past weekend I got to go to Pennsylvania for Leslie and Brian's wedding and it was a great one :) You may remember them from about a month ago when we met for the first time in NYC and shot their engagement photos. You can see those here. Leslie and Brian are just two of the funnest people and again just make me love my job so much. Brian said they are going to come to SD next year to visit and I can't wait. This time I will take them out for some margaritas :) Congrats you two. I know you will have a long happy life together and a great marriage. So without further delay, I will be quiet and get on with the show...

Mr. and Mrs :)

Can you tell Leslie is a little excited to be married???

This was a great moment. Leslie and Brian were sitting on this bench after we finished the pics with their wedding party and I said something about them being husband and wife. They got a big kick out of this and were laughing cause they couldn't really remember when they became "grown ups".

Using the window light in the mansion we got to use on the Wilkes-Barre Penn State campus.

We were taking this nice quiet photo when...

this happened. Leslie's veil got caught by the AC. I really like the look on both their faces :)

As much as I love California, I do love the scenery in the east.

These two were all smiles, all day.

The lovely Leslie.

I really like this shot here of a wedding guest with their hand on Leslie's shoulder and her own hand with her wedding ring and of course her beautiful dress.

An action dance shot! They danced to what else but New York, New York. A camera flash from a guest went off but I like the way it looks in this photo and I love the movement of Leslie and Brian dancing.

I love cake :)

Finally time to get down!!! Stayed tuned for more. I will be posting a slideshow later next week. A new thing I'm hoping to do after weddings.

What a great way...

2006-07-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

to start my week off! Today I had a shoot with Sheila, her mother-in-law and three daughters on the beach in Coronado. Sheila and I crossed paths in the 90's in Lawrence, KS at KU (we had a mutual friend michelle - hi mish!)and I was so excited when she contacted me and asked if I would be available to take some photos when they were here visiting. I feel like it was MY lucky day cause they are such a lovely family. I could have stayed and taken photos all day long, but alas they had other things to do :) It was so nice to see you Sheila and meet your MIL and girls! I hope this isn't the only time I get to photograph them. Talk to you soon!

My baby brother gets married...

2006-07-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

and I take a trip to KS to shoot the wedding and visit my family.:)

I finally have a moment to catch up on my blogging and I'm so happy to be posting photos from Evan and Faith's wedding. It was a great day and everyone had so much fun. I was just so excited to be there!!! I'm surprised my phone hasn't started ringing asking where are the pics? So without further delay here are a few photos from the day.

But before I move on I want to thank David from Life Uncommon Photography for driving down and working with me. Thank you David. It was so nice to have you there so I could take it easy a little and visit with my family!

Faith's dress was just beautiful. It was perfect.

This is one of my favorite photos from the day, I think it's hilarious and I know Faith will too!

The beautiful Faith. Faith we are all so happy to have you in our family. I hope we can see you guys soon :)

This photo really is Faith. Happy and full of life!

My Granny and my niece, baby Lauren.

The happy couple.

In the car.

To take photos after the ceremony we heading to downtown Pittsburg, KS and took advantage of all the amazing old buildings down there. And the blue sky.

Faith is just amazing in front of the camera. I'm serious thinking about flying her over to CA for a bridal shoot. She knows exactly what to do. As David said - Shooting her feels almost like cheating, it's so easy!

Ok, I just had to.

I posted this photo of my mom, niece and brother because he deserves it after all the years of torture he put me through.

Faith and her dad.

My brother and my mom.

I love this photo of Faith's grandma dancing and have a great time at the reception.

Chris, my son, and Mason, his friend, get down to some Saturday Night Fever at the reception.

While I was in Kansas...

2006-07-15T00:49:00.000-07:00

I met up with a friend of mine, Yona, and did a quick photo shoot at the park with her kids. I can't believe how much they've grown since we lived down the street from each other 6 years ago. I guess you just don't notice so much with your own kids because you see them everyday. So here are a few pics from the park. Aren't they just adorable!!!

Yona it was so nice seeing you again and the kids are just lovely - well except for Easton, hes handsome :) You're in my thoughts everyday.

While I was in New York...

2006-07-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

it was the perfect opportunity for me to meet up with Leslie and Brian, whos wedding I'm shooting in Pennsylvania in July. They were the best tour guides and we went all over NYC taking photos. It was the longest, and one of the funnest, engagement shoots I've ever done. (eventhough it was cut short due to the late afternoon downpour!) But that didn't stop us from hang out and having fun, we ended up at a restaurant drinking margaritas in Brooklyn!!! I can tell this wedding is going to be a blast :) So here are a few from the day!

Look I'm on the calendar :)

Warming up in Manhattan.

Making use of the New York landscape.

In central park, before we got stuck in a tunnel to keep from getting soaked for about 45 minutes!!!

In the subway or as everyone calls it here "the train".

Wow, I surprised myself with these shots AFTER the margaritas :)

Last but not least. Leslie and Brian were great and indulged me a bit. How could I come to NYC and not get a couple in the cab shot? And this cabbie was so nice, he graciously allowed us to use his cab and didn't even charge us. Who says NY cabbies are difficult???

Sara and Chris...

2006-07-01T21:51:00.000-07:00

get married at the fabulous Snuff Mill at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx! I finally got to meet Sara and Chris and of course all their friends and family. Sara and Chris hired me some time ago to shoot their New York summer wedding and I could not be more thrilled :) I absolutely love New York City and feel so blessed, AGAIN, to have this amazing job that I do. There were also some family members from my neck of the woods, San Diego, small world!!! But enough of that, here are some pics. Congratulations Sara and Chris and thank you, thank you so much. Best wishes for a great future :)

This is the bag Sara's mom wore at her wedding. I'd say it's very much a good luck piece considering her parents have been together for around 40 years!

The lovely Sara waits for the ceremony to begin by sneaking a peak at the guests arriving.

A nice moment at the beginning of the cermony!

What an amazing backdrop.

All smiles during the ceremony.

Sara and Chris met at Fordham and luckily it was right across the street from the gardens, so we had to go over there and take some photos!!!

The bouquet, I won't even go into my bit about peonies, don't worry I think their season is almost over :)

The wedding party catches a ride.

Chris did a great job of making both the women in his life cry. First Sara, just because she loves him...

...then his mother by picking the first dance song from his parent's wedding as the mother-son dance song! What a guy :)

But then the partying begins and there are nothing but smiles.

I love this pic of Sara and Chris. You can just see how much they love each other!

NYC here I come...

2006-06-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

well actually I'm already here :) I am in NYC until Sunday to shoot Sara and Chris' wedding at the Botanical Gardens. Look for great pics sometime after the 2nd. I will be back in the office answering emails, phone calls, etc... on the 3rd, but feel free to email me or call if needed and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!

A pic of Manhattan from my really old point and shoot taken right before landing. (Honey if you look you can see central park there in the center!)

It's official...

2006-06-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

I am superman, or superwoman that is! You might ask why??? Because I braved the 115 degree heat to shoot Mimi and Gabe's wedding in Palm Springs yesterday. Now this wasn't as bad as one might think for two reasons - #1 I love Palm Springs and #2 I love Mimi and Gabe. You may remember them from their two, yes two, engagement session in December. You can read about them here and here. Mimi and Gabe are just so much fun and so much in love it was a great day! Also The Parker is a photographer's dream :) I hope to shot many, many weddings there! Thank you guys for letting me be a part of your wedding. Talk to you soon!

A few final touches before heading to the ceremony.

Once again, getting married when peonies are in season, a great idea!

Mimi is the ultimate DIYer. She was actually interviewed for Martha Stewart, The Apprentice. The details and decorations for the wedding were just amazing!

The beautiful Mimi. In addition to being a teacher Mimi works at Erin Cole Bridal Couture where she got this amazing veil.

Mimi and her father. It was a very emotional day and Mimi was fighting back tears all day.

Before the ceremony we were all just sitting around in this room waiting for things to begin. I thought Mimi might as well sit here and it made for some great photos as she interacted with everyone!

This is why you get married in Palm Springs, no matter what time of the year.

Heating things up with the kiss~

Mimi is my second bride with Pedro Garcia shoes. These are by far my favorite shoes for brides. My brothers getting married in a few weeks and I think I might need a pair to wear to his wedding! Oh and check out Gabe's cool socks and shoes too.

This resort is made for lounging. All over the grounds there are hammocks and sofas, all kinds of places for hanging out.

Or you can swing in these cool "egg" chairs. They kind of remind me of a nest.

Mimi gets the party started with the bridesmaids.

Mimi's sister, Sarah, and her best friend for about 20 years, Natalie. Natalie is also a photographer so I knew I really better show what I'm made of! No really Natalie and I have worked together and she is great and always says the nicest things about me. I hope we get to hangout some more this year Natalie.

Karen and Gareth...

2006-06-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

had a great wedding at Ponte Winery in Temecula. I had never been there before and it is just beautiful. Of course Karen and Gareth aren't too tough on the eyes either. We met earlier this year for their engagement photos , so I knew I was in for a really fun day. This wedding had everything a great wedding needs - a totally head over heels in love couple, two great families, a bunch of friends, a baby and apparently music from the Grease soundtrack! There was a lot of laughing and a few tears. Congrats guys! Talk to you soon.

I just loved the back of Karen's dress.

This is the first pic I took of Karen. She looked so amazing even before her hair was done and her dress was on.

It was a beautiful ceremony. And I will admit it, I got a little misty. The Reverand read a passage that was read at my wedding last year.

The bridesmaids having a little fun while the groom and his guys were getting some photos done.

The celebration. Karen's dress had such beautiful beadwork on the bodice and the hem.

Here I am taking advantage of those gorgeous blue eyes Karen has.

Karen dancing with her father. I love this time of the day and this photo. It really shows that no matter what Karen will always be her daddy's little girl.

And Gareth with his mom too. He made a speech right before they danced and told mom to bring on the waterworks and she did not disappoint.

Then the party really started.

Next to Gareth this had to be the happiest man at the wedding.

And of course the baby. Every wedding needs a baby :)

What do you do if you get cake on your hubby's shirt during the cake cutting? Well you lick it off of course.

When the light got a little better I stole the couple away from the reception for a few pics.

Karen looking lovely.

Gareth was all ready to head off to the honeymoon.

Summer loving....had me a blast.

And of course, you're the one that I want! Something tells me these gals spent many an hour doing this.

Toward the end of the reception Karen and a few bridesmaids got a little emotional.

Congratulations to Jacqueline and Dan...

2006-06-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

who had a lovely wedding on a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon. You may remember them from an engagement session earlier this year. We had the best time then running around the Gaslamp district in San Diego. Of course they were just as fun on their wedding day! It was a very emotional day for everyone and I can tell that these two are so in love. Best wishes guys, eventhough I know you don't need them! Talk to you when you return from the honeymoon.

I really like this photo of Jacqueline and a few of her bridesmaids right before heading out the door.

The elevator had some cool mirrors!

These guys were having a serious conversation about the ringbearer responsibilities before everything got started.

All smiles!

I got some great shots during the ceremony with the lensbaby.

The ring exchange and the beautiful beading on Jacqueline's dress.

After the ceremony we ran around and had a little fun. Of course taking pics of the two of them was no problem!

I really like this photo, it reminds me of old hollywood for some reason. And Jacqueline has a killer smile!

Right after the ceremony we ran to Cal Tech. We didn't get to stay very long because it was kind of spur of the moment and we didn't have a permit, but we did manage to get a few nice shoots before we had to go.

Dan showing off his good looks too!

Later Dan tries to steal a kiss, but he's not that sneaky.

A chinese dragon dance started the reception off with a bang.

Another sweet pic and you can just see how happy Jacqueline is.

I can tell one day this little girl is going to be a photographer. Once she got her hands on that camera she didn't stop taking pics all night! Luckily by the time she's ready to start working I will be about ready to retire.

A few first dance shots, the closeup.

And the full length.

This gentleman just made my day! He was so happy and just having a blast once the dance floor opened up. Every wedding needs a guy like this to get things really going.

The bay right outside the reception hall.

Susie and Tony....

2006-06-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

knocked everyones socks off with an amazing wedding at Viansa in Sonoma. Susie and Tony live in NYC and hired me last year to shoot their wine country wedding. I was so glad to finally meet them and I had no doubt but we hit if off splendidly. So well in fact the videographer thought Susie and I had know each other for years!!! Thats just how I like it to be. This wedding was so fun. Such a great group of family and friends and I could tell these two are just crazy about each other. I miss them already. Congratulations guys. I hope I get to see you when I come to NYC later this month. Susie give up on selling the dress and lets go have some fun :) Talk to you soon!

Doesn't Susie just look amazing? She has such an elegance about her.

There were about 100,000 place to take great photos but I really liked taking advantage of all the dramatic lighting in places like staircases.

Seeing the bride for the first time! Trish was working with me again and it was great cause we could get this shot from two angles. I love the lighting from this angle.

A fun shot. Tony looks pretty good too!

Again finding some fun light. You two are HOT!!!

I love the exits and entrances. So here's the bride leaving for the ceremony.

And then I ran up to get the entrance. Great photos and little exercise for me, bonus!

The ceremony.

A few minutes alone after the ceremony.

The grand entrance!

And the first dance that left everyone speechless.

Well almost. There was cheering!!!

The party gets started.

The reception.

Lastly the evening.

My kids are growing up...

2006-06-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share for family and friends, Curtis and his GF right before their junior prom. Unfortunately I was out of town but my sweet husband took this photo and emailed it to me right away. I've already blocked that weekend off my calendar next year cause there's no way I'm going to miss his senior prom. You guys both look great. Love you :)

Woohoo, Robin and Mark...

2006-06-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

get married and I get to go to Napa Valley for the first time! Robin and Mark had an amazing wedding in Napa at the Culinary Institute of America. It was a beautiful, intimate wedding with about 40 of their friends and family. You may reconize Robin from various commericals and print ads as she is a model. I love these smaller, intimate weddings because I get to know everyone a little better. I hadn't met Mark until I arrived for the wedding but he called me the day before and was so nice and made me feel so welcome. Robin has really found a good one! Throughout the day I got to see how beautiful, both inside and out, these two really are and how much they love each other! And I felt very fortunate to have my good friend Trish Couvillion along with me. She is such a great friend to hang out and shoot with me for 5 whole days.

Congrats guys. It was my pleasure to be there! And Robin lets do a bridal shoot in LA. Mark please come too :)

A few getting ready pics to start things off.

I could tell Mark's daughter and Robin already have a close bond! She stayed with Robin the entire time she was getting ready.

Robin's brother getting ready before the wedding. I love the light coming in the window and his is such a handsome young man!

Peonies are in season. They were the main flower at both my weddings this weekend and my favorite flower!

I love this photo of Robin and her father before the ceremony. Everyone at this wedding was just overjoyed for this couple!

The happy couple leaving the ceremony.

Robin and her mother right after the exit.

I call this the green acres photo, no really I love this simple photo of the couple holding hands in the vineyard.

This moment was over in a split second. I'm not sure what the secret was but these two were so cute. The ring bearers wore white converse!

In the vineyard, but in color.

This was a great moment. The couple didn't know their wedding party was going to throw petals as they walked in. Made for a really great photo.

The guests and couple sat at a long table and the only light in the room was candlelight. It was beautiful!

After dinner I spent a few minutes with Robin down in the wine cellar area. The light was really cool.

Did I mention Robin is a model?

Mark and his father during the reception. I really like the emotion in this photo. Mark was emotional all day. He even wrote a poem for Robin and read it to her! What a great guy.

Of course the first dance!

Congrats to Sue and Vikas...

2006-05-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

and it was so nice to finally meet you both! Sue and Vikas came down from the bay area and had an amazing wedding at the St. Regis in Dana Point on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day and a fun, fun wedding. Some of their guests came all the way from India for this wedding!!! Sue looked amazing and was so relaxed. And Vikas was a hoot - singing and dancing during the entire reception. There was so much energy and you could just tell everyone who attended was so happy for this couple. I felt so welcomed when Vikas' mother gave me a big hug after the ceremony! That's just the kind of family these two have. Congrats guys, thank you for having me there and for your hospitality. Have a great time in Italy! Here's a phrase that might come in handy - Dov'è la toletta? But for now - A presto!

Sue almost ready to go. I loved her Vera Wang gown. It was so unique and such a beautiful color.

The bouquet had beautiful satin and velvet ribbons binding it together.

Right outside the elevator I saw this little bench with dramatic lights over it. I asked Sue to sit down for just a minute and we took this photo.

This shot reminds me of a locker room right before the team comes out. There was a bit of a delay and Sue sang The Waiting is the Hardest Part by Tom Petty to the bridal party!

As soon as these two saw each other the laughing began. Do you Sue take Viiiikas to be your lawfully....

A great wedding in southern California, does it get any better?

The St. Regis has a beautiful rotunda. I especially liked it cause it looks like my logo :)

I asked Vikas if he might dip Sue and this is what happened. I'm not sure I ever got the dip shot but this is even better.

Just beautiful light and a beautiful couple.

One of the restaurants in the hotel had this amazing wine cooler. I just had to stop in and use it. They were so kind to let us take a few photos there.

Vikas steals a kiss.

The first dance.

Sue dances with her father.

Vikas' family gets DOWN to Thriller. Something tells me they had a lot of practice with this one.

Bride and groom get down too!

Rosanne and Jon....

2006-05-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

get married in one of my favorite places in the world - the palm desert area! I love it there cause I got married in Palm Springs last year and going back just reminded me of my own wedding. It was a warm but beautiful Friday and Rosanne looked amazing and planned every detail (Jon you were stylin' too! and I know you worked really hard with the planning, right?). I've included more detail pics than I usually do, but these details were so cool! I knew these two loved Starbucks (cause we shot some of the engagement photos there) but I didn't know how much until the wedding. Wait until you see the wedding favors!!! But on with the show. Thanks Rosanne and Jon it was a beautiful day and I so enjoyed being there on your wedding day. Talk to you soon. Happy honeymooning :)

Rosanne's dress was beautiful. She actually picked a dress and then had this sash made for it and sewn on! Great idea.

Love these shoes with the crystal flowers.

A sweet moment between Rosanne and her father as he is giving her away.

After the ceremony, do you think they're happy?

Some moments alone with the couple before the reception.

See guys, I can ignore you and cool things happen.

The reception was at the La Quinta Resort in La Quinta. It has beautiful architechture!

And here are some of the beautiful details from the reception. Above is a place set to remember family members who are no long with them.

I loved the cherry blossom centerpieces, everything was pink and chocolate!

These are some of the coolest wedding gifts I've seen. And yes, Rosanne and Jon are all of those things, especially hot and steamy :)

Lately I've seen a rise in couples giving each other the business during the cake cutting. I don't think they realize the photos will capture who started it so there can be no debate later! Looks like Rosanne is the troublemaker here.

Love the back of Rosanne's dress and how it bustled.

The first dance as husband and wife.

Life goes on at home without me...

2006-05-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

and my husband is forever in charge of photoshopping (see following photo!). Man I'm missing some fun times with my family while I'm working in the Bahamas. Today I got the following email from my husband:

Hey Babe,

Chris says, "Everyone backwashes, just a little. Did you know that?"
"Yeah.", Ryan replies, laughing.
"I just thought of that."

Just a little taste of home for you. I got a little bored this morning and started to debate with myself about whether or not 300 million tons, squeezed into the size of a thimble, is or is not impressive; Turns out that it is. (see attached picture).

I'm getting your car stereo installed around 2. Can't wait to see you again!

LOVE,
Ryan

Thank goodness I will be home tomorrow. Things are getting a little weird without me!

If you're going to get up...

2006-05-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

at 5:30 am to shoot the day after photos, I found out things don't really get hopping until the bride, groom and photographer jump in the pool! I'm NOT a morning person but boy did I wake up after that. And this was one of the funnest shoots, thanks guys. And sorry about your wallet Allen, but I think it was worth it. Enjoy the rest of your trip and your honeymoon. Talk to you soon!

Christine and Allen's...

2006-05-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

big day is finally here, and I'm so excited to be a part of it! It's day 3 of my trip and what an awesome day it turned out to be. Including Mariann, who is shooting with me this weekend, and myself, there are about 40 people at the wedding. That really makes it fun and I get to know everyone a little bit. But enough about why I love DWs, who wouldn't! Here are some pics from the day. Christine and Allen congratulations and thanks you again! I can't wait until tomorrow morning when we get together for the day after pics :)

We all know what an important part of the wedding the shoes are!

Christine making a few final touches.

I love the expressions of brides when they get the dress on.

Christine was the most generous bride. She did all the makeup for her bridesmaids and they looked fabulous.

This photo is so Christine. . .fun, classic, elegant but not fussy!

Blue, blue skies!

The happy couple!

I loved Christine's hair, it was so beautiful with the white orchid against her black hair.

Who would have thought this little peanut would love Frank Sinatra. When a Sinatra song started playing she headed straight for the dance floor and stayed until the song was over and then gave herself a big round of applause. Everone was rolling!

The cake cutting got a little messy.

Christine getting the cake our of her nose and touching up her makeup so we can do a few shoots of her and Allen before they head off to the beach for the rest of the day.

I don't always do ring shots but this fan provided the perfect backdrop for the rings. Christine's uncle drew the flowers on it during the reception. It was beautiful!

One last photo for the day. We are meeting at 6 am tomorrow to do a shoot on the beach. I can't wait and I'm not even a morning person!

Back in the Bahamas...

2006-05-19T23:13:00.000-07:00

again! It has been a little over a month since I was here for Kelly and Jon's wedding and my honeymooon, but now I'm back for Christine and Allen's wedding. Chrisine hired me last year for this amazing destination wedding. We hadn't met when she hired me but we were able to get together a few months later and I knew it was going to be a great wedding after meeting her! She brought so much stuff to show me so I could really get a feel for how she and Allen envisioned their day.

So tonight Mariann (who flew all the way down here from NYC to shoot with me!) stopped by the rehearsal dinner, where I got see Christine again and meet Allen as rest of their family and friends. I can tell the wedding is going to be so much fun! Here are a few pics from the evening.

The pool overlooking the ocean. I have some plans for this pool later on this week!

This little sweetie was so cute! I'm sure there will be many more photos of her as the weekend goes on :)

A wonderful dinner right on the beach! Stay tuned for more...

Another rave review...

2006-05-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

from Melissa's sister that I thought I'd share. Since I get so excited about shooting weddings, it means a lot to me when people take the time to send me a note and tell me how they feel about my photography. Yesterday I got the following email from Melissa's sister:

Hello Leigh!

I just wanted to write to compliment you on the absolutely stunning photos you took of my sister's wedding! I have never seen a wedding done more beautifully! Frankly, I'm jealous that I didn't have such a talented photographer at my wedding! Thank you for capturing this wedding as well as you did. I'm absolutely stunned and I can't wait to get the photo I ordered.

For future reference, do you ever travel outside of california for photography opportunities? I don't know when I'd need a photographer again...but in the event that I do...or if I'm presented with the opportunity to recommend you, that information would come in handy :)

Thanks again! - Lindsey

Thank you Lindsey so much for the compliment! Melissa and Brian both have such amazing families and I feel so blessed to have this job that I do. And of course I am available for travel anywhere! I will be sending your pic as soon as I return from the Bahamas :) Talk to you soon - Leigh

Another photo I just love of Melissa and Brian!

Well it's a tough job...

2006-05-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

but I will do it!!! I'm off again to the Bahamas for Christine and Allen's wedding. I'm taking the red-eye and will be there Thursday morning. I will be returning phone calls and emails when I get back to the studio on 5/23/06. So stayed tuned for some amazingly beautiful pics :)

Salina and Joseph...

2006-05-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

sent me the nicest email after viewing their wedding pictures online. I thought I'd share! (and thank you both for letting me be a part of your wedding. Enjoy the honeymoon!!!)

hi leigh!

Greetings from Seattle! We have splotchy access but have been able to see some of the pictures and they are just fabulosa! Thank you SO much! We will certainly have a hard time choosing favorites. What we love most is that you totally showed your photojournalistic style and got tons of great pictures of us with the people closest to us as terrific candids that beat any portraits we could have lined up.

We are leaving for our cruise portion of our honeymoon tomorrow, but wanted to write a quick note to thank you for your hard work and your TALENT!Interestingly, some random girl contacted me to ask me how I liked my makeup person - she happened to see pics you took or heard that you were the photographer and she just fell in love with your work! It obviously speaks for itself.

Thanks againSalina and for Joseph

Elena and Tom comment...

2006-05-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

on their wedding photos. Last week I sent Elena and Tom the link to their wedding photos. Within hours I got the following email from Tom -

Just saw the pics of our wedding online. Just wanted to give you my initial reaction: fabulous. They're really great - T

Then later that evening I got this email from Elena -

Hi there. I loooove the photographs, Leigh. The more I look through them, the more grateful I feel. You guys did a magnificent job - you were all over the place! I don't even remember half the things you captured. Can't tell you how happy we are with them. There are some shots that just floor me - they capture exactly what I imagined and hoped my wedding would be. And the pictures of the children are amazing.

I'd love to hear about your ideas for an album. I'm really excited about putting one together with you.

Thanks for everything! Elena

No matter how many weddings I shot and how many times I hear how happy people are, I never get tired of it!!! It is such an important day in people's lives and although I talk a lot about having fun at weddings and all the great things about being a photographer, I still take it very seriously. Thanks Elena and Tom for your kind comments. I'm ready to get busy with that album when you are :)

Congratulations...

2006-05-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Melissa and Brian!!! Another weekend, another great wedding and I'm having a hard time finding things to write about except how much I absolutely love my clients. You may remember Melissa and Brian from an engagement session back in March. It was so much fun, I really didn't think the wedding could be any better, but it was :) When we started talking about their wedding pics they both were adamant about staying very hands off and told me to just do what I do! So I did :)

It was so nice to meet all your friends and family and see how your love and energy is so contageous, it was a beautiful wedding and a great party. Congratulations you guys, thanks letting me be there!!! See you when you get back.

The girls all met at a salon in Del Mar to get ready. This is such a fun part of the day.

Melissa had a beautiful, elegant wedding gown, of course.

Melissa reacts to seeing herself in the mirror after the dress is on, it was great!

All I can say is WOW!

The wedding was in La Jolla at Cuvier Park overlooking the ocean.

Melissa and Brian were married by a long time friend, he had a few stories to tell.

The time after the ceremony alone with the couple is just great!

The first dance as husband and wife.

The bridesmaids got Brian out on the dance floor. They were so much fun, but I think they thought this wedding was all about them! When they would head out to the dance floor they would come get me and say "you better come out here, we're dancing again!" I have some blackmail pics I'm saving for later ;)

Debbie kisses a frog...

2006-05-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

and gets a prince! Wednesday I had a really fun engagement session with Debbie and Jason. Not long into the session they were talking about this frog with a violin in somebody's yard and I just had to see it. They were good sports and we got some pics with the frog. I could have done an entire photo shoot right there but I'm sure Debbie and Jason didn't want their entire session with the frog and we were trespassing and I wasn't sure how long we could get away with it ;) So we ran around Coronado a little bit. They have a lot of sentimental places here as this is where they did most of their dating when they first met.

Debbie and Jason are getting married in October on a Wednesday in Balboa Park and I'm really looking forward to it. Debbie and I will have the chance to take some beautiful portraits too before the wedding as she is getting ready at the Glorietta Bay Inn in Coronado. Jason we will figure out something stunning for you too as you get ready in the alley behind the hotel, haha!!! Thanks guys you were great sports and I had a fun time.

Another photo shoot...

2006-05-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

with Linda Sargent. If you've been watching my blog for a while you may remember that I have been working with artist Linda Sargent on creating images for her upcoming CD cover, booklet and press materials. Linda and I met when I shot her wedding to Cameron last year. In November we got together to shoot in studio pics - you can see those here - and then again a few weeks later we went to a studio in LA to shoot some glam pics - you can see those here. This time Linda wanted photos that were very natural and real looking, so we went to the bay, a few blocks from my home and this is what we came up with. I'm not sure which ones she will choose but these are a few that caught my eye. Look for Linda's music and vocals in the upcoming movie Cold Storage. She and her husband Cameron also own a webdesign studio and are working on my new website. Again just another example of the amazing clients I am lucky enough to work with!!!

The sun breaks through...

2006-04-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

just in time for Ashley and Justin's Sunday Wedding at the Grand Tradition in Fallbrook, and I'm so glad because I know Ashley was worried about it as she emailed me the morning of the wedding!!! But alas these things always work out :) And it was an amazing wedding down to every last detail. Ashley planned everything perfectly and looked so beautiful. (Props to Justin who looked very handsome too!) I swear most of the brides I work with could become wedding planners if they wanted too! It was a great day and I know I sound like a broken record but just two great families and so much fun. I know you two are off in St. Thomas but congrats!!! I look forward to hearing from you when you get back so we can start putting together this album, its going to be a stunner :)

I love shoes :)

The detail on Ashley's dress was just beautiful.

Ashley and the girls react to the amazing flower designs of Paul Kauffman of Studio Flora. These place cards were too cool.

A close up of the place cards.

Ashley and her dad trying very hard not to get choked up before the ceremony.

This is something Ashley really wanted to do. Have a moment with Justin before the ceremony but not let him see her. It never would have worked for me, I would have peaked just ask my husband, my mom, my granny or anyone else who's ever tried to hide a Christmas present from me!!!

The bridesmaids peaking to see the wedding guests coming.

A ceremony photo taken by Dana Grant who was working with me on Sunday. I include second shooters with all my packages because unfortunately I can't be in two places at once! Luckily I am fortunate enough to have some amazing photographers working with me! I also want to thank my most frequent second shooter, Melissa Murphy, for helping me out with yesterday's wedding! As I have time, I plan to post more of my SS's work on my blog as I think it important to show the quality of work those who work with me produce as well.

Ashley's beautiful sister and bridesmaids. Ashley's sister (directly to her right) and I will share the same wedding anniversary when she gets married this fall on September 17th! Congrats Jayma :)

Husband and wife after the ceremony! This is one of my favorite parts of the day.

One thing I loved about this venue is that it reminded me a lot of Tennessee and the south where I grew up. This pic totally looks like it could be a country road somewhere in Tennessee or Mississippi.

Almost as much as I love shoes, I love cake :)

Not the first dance, but the last, surrounded by family and friends.

The exit. It's getting hard to narrow these wedding photos down to my 5 or so favorites!

More fun with Joseph and Salina...

2006-04-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

only this time it was at the wedding! I know I'm always raving about what wonderful clients I have, but these two were just too much fun. The both have an amazing amount of energy and spirit as well as dedication, they have been carrying on a long distance relationship since they first met in 2004. I strongly believe my job as a photographer is to capture the moments that happen throughout the day and this day was full of them. There was never a dull moment, with two wonderful families and about 400 guests!!! This day was filled with so much joy and a few surprises. Joseph surprised Salina by singing Jack Johnson's We're Always Better When We're Together to her during the reception! Thank you guys so much for letting me be a part of your day. Congratulations and I'm just sorry (but happy!) you will be living on the east coast so far away from CA and my camera.

Salina looked amazing! I mean really like a queen, very elegant. But don't let that fool you, she's a doctor and super smart, and now a pastor's wife too!!!

Everyone needs a little practice before the ceremony.

Salina and her mother right before the handoff.

The moment right BEFORE the kiss.

It was a little windy but that usually makes for some fun photos as everyone tries to rein in the veil!

The happy couple.

Since Joseph has been living in Boston and Salina in LA, I don't know how they pulled this off, but it worked! A fully choreographed first dance.

Salina's father telling the story of how he met Joseph and Joseph's email asking permission to marry Salina. Salina's father waited a few (I'm sure agonizing for Joseph) days to respond and jokingly described it as the worst day of his life.

The surprise serenade!

As always I just can't get enough of the bride and groom dancing.

Another one I just love.

A few pics...

2006-04-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

from our Bahamas honeymoon. What a trip it turned out to be. It was fun, but I learned a lot!!! So here you go -
1.) They don't show it in all the travel brochures, but it can rain, I mean pour, for 5 days straight in the Bahamas.
2.) If you are flying Bahamas Air, make sure you have "time to spare," apparently everyone knew that but us :)
3.) Bugs may eat you alive despite the amount of Mosquito Quietus you slather on your body.
4.) You really can live off peanut butter sandwiches and cheese and crackers if you have to.
5.) Eventhough you look for the cabbie without a beer at the airport, he may still stop and get one on the way to your destination!

Feel free to contact me if you are considering a trip and want more info, I have lots more to share.

We spent the first 4 days or so in Freeport hanging out with Kelly and Jon and shooting their wedding. After that the real adventure began. We were supposed to take a flight to Governor's Harbour, but our flight was delayed by 4 hours or more (but they only tell you this in 45 minute increments, I guess so you will continue to be hopeful that in the next 45 minutes you will have access to a working bathroom, but I'm not really sure why) so we ended up in Rock Sound looking forward to a hour and 1/2 or so cab ride to our rental house. Thats where we met Buffalo, our cab driver. A really nice man and he looked the most promising because he was about the only cabbie without a drink in his hand at the airport, but alas he did stop for a beer on the way to our house :)

By the time we got to our house it was so dark we couldn't see a thing and were locked out. Everything looked a bit more promising in the morning but within a few hours a major storm blew in and decided to hang around for the next 5 days. But we still had a great time!!! And we would go back again in a heartbeat. We were miles away from almost everyone (except the 4 adults and five kids who were renting the other house on the property!) had really crappy food (but good booze!) no TV (but a bunch of old VHS movies to choose from) but it was our honeymoon so who cares!!! It was awesome.

The round house we rented for the week. It was pretty rustic but we still loved it. I found it about a year ago on www.vrbo.com, a great resource for vacation rentals. Click here to learn more about it. It really has a facinating history and Taja and Doon were great to work with. In fact Taja wanted me to come back next month and shoot her wedding but I was already booked.

The view out of our front door. A few hours the first morning we were there before it really started raining.

When your husband is stuck in the house for 3 days he will go out into the rain and slay wild coconuts. This is actually harder than it might seem but it did give him something to do for a few hours one day.

The bounty :)

A beautiful but deserted beach at Cocodimama. A place we found a few days after being in Governor's Harbour.

One day we took a day trip up to Harbour Island and on the way we crossed the Glass Window bridge, where the land narrows to little more than the width of a one lane road. On the one side is the Atlantic. Above you can see the storm clouds and waves crashing.

One the other side is the Caribbean, calm and clear. It really is surreal.

The painting my sweet husband bought me while we were in Harbour Island. I think I'm going to put it in my new studio. Its called It's Getting Wet and the artist is Rosalyn Palmer.

All over Eleuthera and Harbour Island there were chickens and roosters running around. This little family was right outside the art gallery. I kind of felt bad cause a few kids were kind of terrorizing them.

But when we came out of the art gallery I felt worse. At first I thought "oh good someone put them behind the fence away fromthe bad kids" but then I looked harder and saw there were fenced in with a bunch of cats. Now the kids weren't looking so bad after all :(

Finally a sunny day. One of the churches in Governour's Harbor.

You can learn a lot about a town if you go to the cementary. This was right outside the library. Most of the graves dated to the 1800s.

Governour's Harbor.

The Haynes Library and communication hub of the town.

Finally a day at the beach!!!

Ryan trying to figure out what kind of seed he found.

I love the bright architecture of the area. It gave me a lot of inspiration for my little studio!

To find out more about Eleuthera click here. Thanks for stopping by and seeing a bit about our trip. Check back at the end of May for more pics from the Bahamas as I will be back there shooting a wedding again next month :)

Bahama Love...

2006-04-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

what fun!!! I just returned from Kelly and Jon's Bahama wedding and my own belated honeymoon :) I have to say if you are considering a destination wedding I highly recommend it. This wedding was so fun. For a photographer its a totally different experience as I get to spend so much more time with the bride and groom and their guests. I can't wait until next month when I return to the Bahamas again for another wedding :) what a job!!!

Congrats to Kelly and Jon, their families and friends. It was nice to finally meet you two and get to spend so much time with you guys as well as getting to know your wedding guests!!! What a fun and nice group of people. Thanks for letting me be a part of it all!

Great photos coming soon :)

2006-04-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the Bahamas to shoot a wedding and then enjoy a belated honeymoon, yippee!!! I will return to the studio on April 19th with amazing photos to share. I will also be responding to all emails and inquiries at that time too. Thank you for your patience and have a great day - leigh

Who gets married on a Monday...

2006-04-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

well Elena and Tom do!!! Monday I shot a beautiful wedding in downtown LA. I met Elena, the bride, at the Biltmore Hotel where we started with the getting ready photos and some fun couple's pics then we moved on to Cicada, a really cool restaurant in downtown LA for the ceremony and reception. It was an elegant evening and very fitting of Tom and Elena. I usually don't feel short but Elena is supermodel tall and looked every bit the part! And Tom was very tall and dashing too :) I had a great time. I feel so lucky to work with such great people and their families and friends. Congratulations guys. I hope you are having a great time in Palm Springs, one of my favorite places in the world :)

Beautiful Wedding in Anaheim...

2006-03-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

this weekend! Rachel and Ben's wedding was just so beautiful and so fun and totally reminded me why I love shooting weddings. They both had the nicest families and I just feel in love and wanted to go home with Rachel's parents :) (Don't worry, I'm too busy to add stalking to my daily activities!) The ceremony and reception were both at the Anaheim Hills Golf Club and it turned out to be a beautiful day and everything ran so smoothly, I think Rachel could start a career as a wedding planner if she wanted to. The ceremony was extra special because it was performed by Rachel's father and there was barely a dry eye in the house. Congratulations guys and thank you for having me be a part of such an amazing day!

Happy Birthday...

2006-03-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

little man!!! Thats right, my little guy is almost all grown up. 12 years old last month. Due to scheduling conflicts and some strange rainy Saturdays, we had a belated BD party this weekend at, where else?, the skatepark. It was a great opportunity for me to earn some cool mom points by bringing the pizza, arizona raspberry tea, and a mootime ice cream cake,...SCORE!!! Happy Birthday Little Man. I feel so blessed to have such a sweet, caring and smart guy as my son ( I can here the, oh mom!!! already.) I love you :)

(ps Curtis you are sweet, caring and smart too!)

I just spent a week in Newport...

2006-03-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

beach with the amazing Mike Colon. If you aren't familiar with Mike, he is one of the premiere wedding photographers in the US and honestly one of the nicest, most generous photographers I've come along since I started doing this. We had a number of shoots throughout the week and I thought I'd share some of my work from the workshop. We shot on the beach one day with models Jasmine and her twin sister, Bianca. They were both so awesome and need I say it, beautiful.

The second set of photos are from a shoot Mike was doing for wedding gown designer Marianne Lanting. Marianne and Mike were nice enough to let 20 of us tag along and even take pictures of our own!!! It was a lot of fun and probably the next best thing to accompanying Mike to a wedding (a girl can dream!). If you still haven’t purchased your wedding gown I highly suggest taking a look at Marianne’s collection. I have seen these gowns close up and they are gorgeous!!!

Thanks again to Mike, Kristin, and Shyla and also to Marianne for letting us all invade her gown shoot!

Donna and Ben...

2006-03-21T21:53:00.000-08:00

were my first wedding of 2006 (only about 29 more to go!) and I want to send them a great big congrats :) They had a beautiful wedding in Laguna Beach. Donna and Ben really wanted to take advantage of all the great locations in Laguna Beach so we went out on a wedding party photoshoot before the wedding and then to the beach with the bride and groom alone after the ceremony. I love the photo below as Donna's bridesmaids part and she sees Ben for the first time. Congratulations guys, it was a lovely wedding and I feel so honored to have been a part of it. I can't wait to get to work on your album, there are so many cool shots to chose from :) 'cause you guys were just so easy!

Fun with Salina and Joseph...

2006-03-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

in Corona del Mar. Yesterday I met up with Salina and her jetsetter fiance Joseph for their engagement shoot. We headed back to where it all began and took some shots where they had their first date. We had a great time and I learned that if you are dizzy make circles around your eyes with your hands (see below) and it will help! We also did our own version of Where's Waldo in a window that looked like the Easter version of the North Pole. Thanks guys, I had a great time :) and I love the look on your face Joseph when Salina and I were being a little silly in Balboa Island. But you know you love being admired! See you in April.

The beautiful Thea and ...

2006-03-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

I hit Little Italy for a bridal shoot. Thea is getting married in April and wanted to have some photos done as a surprise for her soon to be hubby (let's hope he doesn't read the blog!) so since her family owns Che Bella in Little Italy and live in Little Italy it seemed like the perfect place to take her pics. Thea wore a really lovely blush pink lace wedding gown that just was perfect! And it was so fun to watch all the locals ooohhh and aaahhh over seeing her all dolled up. She said they are all used to seeing her in her work clothes at the flower shop. It was also kind of cool to take her photo in front of Vanessa Lemen's "Chalk La Strada" as Vanessa painted a portrait of Thea that is still displayed in her parents home (see below). Thanks Thea, I had a great time and you look truly beautiful :)

The engagement extravaganza continues...

2006-03-09T23:18:00.000-08:00

with Danielle and Chris today back at the Gaslamp district in San Diego. You may have noticed I've been spending a lot of time there lately but there are so many cool places to go I don't think I could ever get tired of it. And it was great to finally get to meet Danielle and Chris who hired me last fall to shoot their August wedding at a winery in Temecula. I'm really looking forward to it :) So today, despite horrible traffic and rain, we had a great time and got some fun pics. These two warmed right up to the camera and I'm sure to get some great photos at their wedding cause they are full of energy, laughs and yes, of course, love for each other. I had a great time today guys and you did a wonderful job. Hope you had a nice dinner and didn't get too wet. See you soon!

Another...

2006-03-07T23:48:00.000-08:00

fun photo shoot in downtown San Diego and Coronado. Today Heather and Brian drove down to hang out in SD, get some engagement shots and celebrate Heather's BD - Happy Birthday Heather! We had a great time running about in the Gaslamp district. In fact these two were so much fun people were stopping to have their photos taken with them!!! (see below) This area had special meaning to them because this is where it all began. We even paid a visit to the bar where they used to hang out all googly-eyed!

Heather & Brian found me online and this is the first time we'd met but I can already tell their wedding is going to beautiful and fun and they are just the kind of people I really enjoy working with. Thanks for doing such a great job guys!!! And dorks rule :)

I love shooting...

2006-03-06T01:08:00.000-08:00

in the Gaslamp District because there are just so many cool place to shoot! And with clients like Jacqueline and Dan its easy to get great pics :) Sunday afternoon I met them down there to do some engagement photos and we had a great time, they were so easy. We found the coolest restaurant and bar that let us shoot inside. This place looked like something out of a movie and I think Dan and Jacqueline did a great job looking like movie stars. You guys were great and make my job so easy :) See you in June for the big day!

Today I shot some pics...

2006-03-06T00:41:00.000-08:00

for my favorite flower shop that is going to be featured in C-California's Lifestyle Magazine.

Che Bella is owned and operated by the Bassi family, Jim & Carla and their daughter Thea, you can barely see Thea in the photo below. (Look for Thea early next week as I will doing a bridal shoot with her on Friday). I cannot tell you how much I love this place. I swear if I worked there I'd never want to go home. Its just so beautiful. I dream one day that the walkway up to my door can look like Che Bella!!!

While I was there I got into a little earring trouble as these earrings handmade by Deborah Berry were just a little too tempting to pass up! I bought the second and third pair from the right :) Deborah has the most amazing line of jewelry called Rarebird and she makes it all by hand. Here's how to reach her if you are in need of some fabulous ornaments :) 619-246-8442

The final product that will be submitted to C magazine. I love, love, love peonies :)

A bit of Little Italy with...

2006-03-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

Melissa and Brian. Today I got to shoot engagement pics for two great people whom I've gotten to know over the past few months since they hired me to shoot their May wedding. Melissa works at the gym where I try to drag my sorry butt each week as well as does life coaching. She is just so spunky and full of energy. And Brian works for Apple, is an Apple guru, as well as an amazing artist. You can see his work here. We ran the streets of Little Italy this Thursday taking their pics and I have to thank all the great businesses that let us invade their space and take some photos: Architectural Salvage, Che Bella (the only florist I will use and awesome great people – see my post and pics from Saturday) and Chi Chocolat. Really what engagement session is complete without a stop to the chocolate store? Thanks for the great afternoon in Little Italy guys. Melissa I will see you at the gym this week :) I promise~

I finally got to meet...

2006-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Karen and Gareth who hired me last November to shoot their wedding. They are getting married in June at a Winery in Temecula. I can't wait for that one :) We had a great time in beautiful downtown Coronado and on the beach. It was nice getting to know them both a little and we had a lot of fun! Karen and Gareth met at work and Gareth did a super romantic proposal on the loudspeak in an airplane!!! How cool is that? Thanks for making the trip down guys it was great fun and and you were great models! I'm very much looking forward to the wedding in June!

I'm going to the big D...

2006-02-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

and do mean Dallas. Yes, it's true I'm off to Dallas for a week to attend an amazing workshop I'm totally excited about. I'm not sure what my internet access will be like so please be patient if I don't get back to you right away. And if you have something that needs attending to right away please call me and leave a message, 619-913-0913. I will return on the 25th with amazing photos to post so please check back around the 27th or so. Thanks :) - leigh

Rosanne and Jon....

2006-02-15T18:49:00.000-08:00

took me to where it all began to shoot their engagement session. We took a trip to Loyola Law School where they met and spent many an hour studying and smooching back in their college days! We had such a good time and they are so much fun, I can't wait for their wedding in the Palm Desert this May. That trip will be extra special for me too 'cause it will my first time back there since i got married last September. Here are a few of their pics from Sunday.

Congrats guys, you did a great job and I hope it wasn't as bad as a trip to the dentist :)

A day in the life....

2006-02-07T21:23:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago I had a great session at the Hotel Del Coronado. My good friend and fellow photographer, Susie Grant, asked if I would do a family session for her and I was more than glad to! I went with Susie, her hubby, and two little girls to tea at the Del and then to the beach for some fun in the sun! I always feel very honored but a little nervous when I'm shooting for another photographer. But I think we got some good pics and I had a great time. I'm looking forward to working with Susie this wedding season if our schedules permit. Without delay here are some pics from our afternoon together!

Danger ahead....

2006-02-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

if you're trying to watch what you're eating and stick to those new year's resolutions! I went to Doug's a few weeks ago to finish the food shots for his website. You may remember Doug from a few posts back, the chef extraordinaire and owner of FLAVOR. I won't be surprised to see Doug in Martha Stewart one day or writing his own cookbook. Well here are some of Doug's amazing creations!

I love a man cooking in the kitchen!

This photo actually got me thinking about doing a Flavor sassy calendar but Doug wasn't too keen on that. Party Pooper :(

We're all a bit under the weather at home right now, I sure wish we had some of this amazing tomato soup (hint, hint if you're watching Doug).

Without a doubt my favorite food of the day :)

I think Gracie was hoping we'd drop the tiramisu on the floor.

It's a tough life......

2006-01-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

being a photographer in Southern California, especially with clients like April and Nate!!! I had another great ES in Coronado today. I met these two last week when they hired me to shoot their wedding in Cancun and we wasted no time in getting the engagement session done. As you can see from the photos these two are great in front of the camera. They really knew how to turn it on for the camera :) But there was a lot of giggling going on and even some cartwheels! I won't go into details but Nate had a line that kept April laughing and I thought for a moment I was going to get flashed!!! Good thing Nate's a firefighter 'cause these two were smokin'! I can't wait until Cancun guys. Have a great time next week.