Forever Trill...

We met Molly and Alex at another wedding - they were rad and cute and interesting and funny. We always knew the wedding was gonna be dope because their style is really unique, and they are 100% true and real to who they are. Fast forward to this pink paradise in Palm Springs, and it did not disappoint! It was amazing watching them interact and speak directly into each other's hearts - they were so connected. The ceremony had us laughing and ugly crying and laughing some more - time stood still for them, and it felt really special to be a witness.

This trailer will give you all the feels, and make you wanna hashtag GoalsAF ten thousand times a second.
"Like the words etched on the inside of those rings...we have, we will, we ARE Forever Trill".



xx
Maria

Thanks to Moonmilk Studios, Hello Gem and Pow Wow Design Studio for all the eye candy!!  And don't you guys die over their custom leather jackets from The Mighty Company?!

Love Trumps Everything...

On a day that for some isn't that great, devastating even, I wanted to share something that will make you feel joy in the purest form. No matter what you believe in, you can always believe in the power of love.

Ben and Matti are really special to us. We didn't know them personally before they came to us to shoot their wedding, but it feels like we have known them all of our lives - like family. They are incredible. They also did something that humbled us beyond belief, and told us that they had had a "Nick and Maria jar" they kept since before they were engaged! Beyond - I could literally sob, I'm not kidding.

Now back to them.

Guys, the kind of love, respect and admiration these two have for each other is remarkable. It actually makes me wonder if they have ever had a fight, because they are THAT perfect together, and it doesn't surprise me that they love so beautifully, as their parents are all kinda the greatest humans on the planet. Let's just say, this group of people have it figured out, and we are so lucky to be a part of it. This is officially one of my favorite weddings ever - intimate, emotional, fun, and sooooo beautiful. Guys, you killed it!

Just watch, and let any sadness leave your heart, even for just a couple of minutes.


xx
Maria

Double Featured! Sunny and Wally on Bridal Musings...

We are so excited to have this gorgeous wedding featured not once, but twice today on Bridal Musings, our favourite wedding blog!

Sunny and Wally were married on a gorgeous day in Malibu, California at one of the most epic venues we know of, Malibu Rocky Oaks. Located at the top of, well, a mountain in Malibu Canyon, you get a 360 degree view of the entire canyon and more from the property, and the helipad that the ceremony took place on! No joke, it is next level!

We loved shooting this wedding - obviously the location was stunning, but these two, and their people made it over the top amazing...not to mention Sunny's Monique Lhuillier dress made my jaw drop! To see the full features, click HERE for the film, and HERE for the photos.

If you still want to see more, you can check out their full film HERE

Special thanks to my second shooter, Sherri of Sherri J Photography, and to Berlanti from The Elegant Ninja for helping make this day go so perfectly.

x
Maria

What If...

"What if you didn't settle? What if you took your time, invested in your own development, met your own high standards, and waited for the partner who exceeded your expectations more and more everyday? What if it was possible to have it all?"

Jason and Kerri are the dream couple - they melted my heart from their first email, and I fell deeper into love with them when Kerri and I had an hour long phone conversation. They eloped on the coast in California, in front of their closest, and their love for each other is so abundantly clear. They didn't settle. They invested, they waited, and they now have it all.


xx
Maria

Did I Find You Or You Find Me...

I die when I think that these two might not have had this film, and I thank God that they do. Sometimes still images just don't tell the story as beautifully and thoroughly as a film does. Sure, you can cover every single detail, document every second of the day - capturing real, beautiful moments, but I swear, nothing moves me like hearing their voices and the music, and watching the motion of it all. The human energy and excitement that a split second sometimes can't give you. All this said from a still photographer... Now don't worry, their wedding photos are totally amazeballs, but damn, this film is just EPIC!

Sunny and Wally are fucking awesome. I just don't even know how else to say it - I thought about how I could get the same sentiment across without upsetting my dad, but it just couldn't give the same impact. Sorry dad, but they are. I am so glad that they are in our lives, and so glad that we get to see another couple of rad people when we go to LA to see our crew - they are totally our crew now, and I love that.

Their wedding was incredible - in Malibu, on a helipad looking over the entire canyon. Her dress...her shoes #dropsthemic Everything was beautiful, everything was fun, and full of joy and absolute sincerity. I am so excited to share this film with everyone, especially Jeremy Seney. So go get yourself a drink, sit down, relax, and be in awe of these beautiful people!

To view, just type 'studio 1208' into the box below

xx
Maria

100 years of Happiness

When you head to Picnic day at college, usually the only thing you end up afterwards with is a hangover that could slay a walrus and IF you are lucky, your dignity still relatively in tact. It's probably NOT the place where you could ever imagine finding your one true love... But that really is the beauty of love, it follows no pattern, rhyme or reason and seeks to throw two souls unwittingly together almost always when we least expect it.

That is exactly what happened with Matt and Courtney. A chance meeting at the bar led to an incredible journey together, a proposal on a plane (by the pilot) over Santa Barbara and then finally to this - their wedding day. These two incredible people are just meant to be together, and they simply light up when they are around one another. So, surrounded by the most wonderful friends and family, they tied the knot at the beautiful Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, and danced the night away under the stars. As one of the maids of honor so beautifully said in her speech that night, Cent'anni!

"To one hundred years of happiness"!

**Simply type studio 1208 below to watch**


And if you haven't seen the trailer yet, you can check it out HERE
Nick x

I Woke Up Like Dis...

We got to work on a rad project on our last trip to California, shooting modelFIT's pop up shop in LA. They ran classes all week, kicking asses into shape through a mix of pilates, yoga, balance stability and functional training.

If you haven't heard of modelFIT yet, it is the fitness brainchild of Vanessa Packer and Justin Gelband, and they are already shutting it down over in NYC. Victoria's Secret models are there rubbing shoulders with us mere mortals on the reg. Teaming up with Sweaty Betty, Beaming and Fiji, the LA pop up a huge hit, with famous babes like Julianne Hough, Jamie Chung, Riawna Capri, Chrissy Teigen, Jen Atkin, The Haim sisters and Taylor Swift all making an appearance.
If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for us! Looked like super hard work from behind my camera....

Nx

As Long As I Got You, Baby...

On a beautiful, warm (ok, pretty hot) day in Southern California, Brittany and Willem were married in an outdoor ceremony under gigantic trees, surrounded by all of their closest friends and family. To say the day was perfect would be an understatement, and to say that these two are kinda cool or pretty good looking, would also be a gross understatement. I can't forget the best man, Spencer's speech, when he said "Anyone who meets them wants to become their friend - anyone who is lucky enough to become that friend wants to stay that way forever." How true that is. These people are good - great, even..and the people they surround themselves with just proves that you are the company you keep.

Even if you stripped back all of the beautiful details, the beyond gorgeous location and the impeccably styled..everything (thank you, Sitting In A Tree!!), this wedding would have been wonderful and memorable and perfect. It is about the people and the commitment to being absolutely present in every moment - letting everyone in to the magic that makes the two of you a team. All the rest is the icing on that perfectly styled (and delicious) wedding cake!

We couldn't be happier for Brittany and Willem and their inner circles. Thank you all for letting us in and throwing the best party ever. And to the girl who lost her damn mind during "Turn down for what"... you are my spirit animal, and I love you!

And if you missed their beautiful trailer, please check it out HERE

To view the film, simply type: studio 1208

xx
Maria

I Loved You Then And I Love You Now...

Happy Friday, everyone! Tough to get back into the swing of things after a nice holiday season, but we are so excited to share this wedding film trailer with you today! Not only is is gorgeous, but the story is beyond sweet too. Bonus!

Courtney and Matt met in college…you know, frat guy meets sorority girl, but more like super nice handsome guy meets beautiful go-getter girl. As cliche as it may sound, these two were completely meant to be and they continue to prove this with how they support each other through triumphs and tribulations. That's what it's really all about, isn't it? Being there for each other in a way that no one else can be, and being a support system for your partner through the good and the bad. Courtney and Matt are a great example of this, and the love they have for each other is impossible to ignore.

We loved being a part of their day, and the hilarious, sweet, thoughtful, teary moments we got to share with them and their nearest and dearest. They really are a great team. Speaking of team, we also loved working with the ever amazing Amber and her posse of badass ladies from Amber Events, who made this wedding truly spectacular in every way! Can't wait to share the rest of this amazingness with you!



xx
Maria

Make It Like Your Birthday Everyday...

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

What an amazing year it has been - so many things to be grateful for, and so many amazing memories have been made. I couldn't think of a more perfect wedding to share than Willem and Brittany's! Their wedding was gorgeous, and festive and full of love and fun - styled to perfection by the fabulous Sitting In A Tree Events.

I have known Brittany since we were pretty young. She was one of my best friend's little sisters, and I always adored her to pieces. She is just a really amazing woman, completely badass, and totally ridiculously hot (I MEEEEEAN!). She and Willem make a perfect match - not just because he is also ridiculously good looking. It was beyond an honor to have shot her wedding - to see her transform into a bride and become a wife in front of my eyes was magical. We are so lucky to do what we do, and even more lucky that people who know us (and don't!) trust us to tell one of the most important stories of their lives!

Thank you all for allowing us to be a part of your lives, and for letting us in. We couldn't love what we do more, and the people we work with are truly a part of our family! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

xx
Maria

Bring Me A Higher Love....

We already introduced you to Steve and Daniela a few weeks ago, and we can't wait to share their full film with you. Shot in a rainy downtown Los Angeles, I was totally honored to witness such beautiful people, such beautiful friends hold each other's hands and say I do.

They have known each other a lifetime already, meeting at school and even staying in touch through college. They have traveled many different paths that all led back to the same road. Fate? Chance? Destiny? Maybe it was a touch of all of these, with a little luck thrown in for good measure. Whatever the universe did, however, it got figured out - whichever higher power made this so, the fact is, it brought together two people who were meant to be. I think Daniela put it best herself when she wrote to Steve on the morning of the wedding:

"I realized I hade been following your around for 11 years without even knowing it. Every change and lesson brought me closer to you, and prepared me to love you"

With such preparation, and that time allowing a friendship to grow into a wonderful relationship, I can only imagine what their life will be like together from this point on. Full of laughter, full of joy and without doubt, full of love. We love these two with all our hearts, and we know you all will too.

Steve and Daniela…

Nick x

It's Like Rain On Your Wedding Day...

Steve and Daniela are beautiful people, inside and out. You know those folks who just exude happiness? Those people that make your face slowly creep into a smile no matter what the situation? Times that by ten, and you might get close to Steve and Daniela. They light up the room, and most importantly, they light each other up. When they say each other's name, or read a note that the other has written, you can literally see love on their faces. To say they are 'in love' with each other just doesn't cut it. They exemplify all that encompasses finding that one person you care for so deeply, nothing else in the world matters.

A knot that becomes wet is extremely hard to untie, so according to Hindu tradition, when you “tie the knot” on a rainy day, your marriage is supposedly just as hard to unravel. Given that Steve and Daniela got married on probably the rainiest day in LA in the past five years, I would say that makes their union unbreakable. Knowing these two like we do, I would bet my life on it.

Nick x

Spring Has Sprung...

I just love this shoot!  I am so happy to finally feature the photos we did with the Meredith family on our last trip to LA. If you missed their super cute film, HAVE to check it out - they are the raddest little family, with the coolest, most effortless style you've ever seen. I can't wait for our next play date with Zach!

And a little side note, crafty mom Kelly has the raddest business called Kelto's Totes, where she makes unique and personalized canvas bags made from recycled organic cotton with felt letters made from recycled plastic bottles. Seriously, so cute!

xx
Maria

Let's Ride...

So, recently our good friends Kevin and Kelly asked us to hang with them at their house to take some pictures and shoot some video. We obviously jumped at the opportunity, and had the greatest time hanging out with the beyond cool Zach, and his bestie, RB Jones. Watch this video - you will totally want to BE them, they are THAT awesome. Pics coming soon!


xx
Maria

Old Friend, New Love ...

Peter is an old friend. The life of the party, one hell of a designer, and hands down one of the craziest, funniest people I have ever met. In fact, we met in an airport terminal, along with his (and now my) good friend Tim, and they graciously accepted me into their group of awesome / mental friends. Almost 10 years later, here we are. Enter Sarah. Gorgeous, sweet, a fantastic designer, and patient (crazy) enough to put up with Pete and his friends. She tamed him, perhaps (and hopefully) not all the way, but he is a new Pete, a Pete in love.

It is always the coolest thing when a friend trusts you with their wedding, and we can't wait to do this one next year and to get to know Sarah better. They wanted to do their engagement shoot in Downtown LA, because that is where they have made their life together in a beautiful loft with their dog, Willow AND that's where they are getting married. I think it is perfect for them.























xx
Maria