Ryan and Kendall are a fantastic couple, who are getting married this fall, and recently held an engagement session at Moss Beach with Kelvin.  They chose an outdoor, natural setting for their engagement session and after getting to know these two a bit, I couldn’t imagine a better location for them.  With their wedding coming up at Nestldown this fall, the outdoor natural landscape was a perfect fit to blend their engagement session into their wedding day design.

They both went to college together in Colorado and used their favorite team jersey’s as part of their personalization to the session. We love that!  They also wore a casual look and built denim into their wardrobe design.  I love that Kendall dressed up her denim skirt with super cute wedge heels and bold earrings – a great way to personalize her look and add texture to an outfit.

Congratulations Ryan & Kendall! We can’t wait to capture your wedding this fall!

Susie and Chris are a fantastic couple that are getting married this fall and we were thrilled to get to work with them in the bride’s hometown of Danville.  Downtown Danville has such a warm and cozy charm about it that Lara, Chris, and Susie all instantly had a great time bringing this session to life.  Danville has some amazing outdoor areas and is known for some of their trees and Lara loved working in such a natural environment because the setting made for a gorgeous backdrop.

We can’t wait to see Chris and Susie’s wedding this fall and capture all of their special moments! Congratulations Chris and Susie!

Jessica and Shane are amazing couple who are getting married this fall in Monterrey.  We recently held an engagement session at Moss Beach in Half Moon Bay with them and they gave us such a beautiful set of memories.  Don’t you just love the trees in these shots?  Kelvin was the photographer and he did such an amazing job of making it look as if Shane and Jessica were in another world.  We love how comfortable this couple is with the camera as well as each other.  They were great at being flirtatious with one another and their chemistry really shows in these photographs.   Jessica also wore such a cute dress that had a pattern to it which blended in perfectly with the natural environment. 

Congratulations Jessica & Shane! We can’t wait to capture your beautiful wedding this fall!

The wedding industry is a field full of so much talent, delight, and one-of-a-kind vendors, that it makes us love our work even more!  We are all so blessed to get the opportunity to do what we love and to work with such amazing clients.  I love working with Geoff White Photographers and have come across so many enchanting brides-to-be and love working with them to develop their wedding ideas even further.  The one question that I constantly am asked by clients is “Who do you recommend for makeup?” and it seems to be on every bride’s list of items to determine.   Knowing and trusting who we all work with is key to giving our clients the best wedding experience possible.I’ve gotten to know Geoff, Lara, and Kelvin quite well over the past year and am so thrilled to have developed such wonderful relationships and partnerships with them all.  I trust their work behind the lens just as they trust my work with a makeup palette and brush for my cosmetic company, Mirabelle. I am so excited to be teamed up with the Geoff White Group and offering professional makeup services to a variety of clients and various shoots!  A fairytale fantasy come true for me and I can’t wait to work with brides this season for engagement sessions, bridal portraits, and weddings to create beautiful and timeless makeup designs!

Shirley and Clete are an amazing couple who really got into their engagement session at Baker Beach recently with Kelvin.  Shirley wore an amazing printed dress with jewel toned blues throughout it that worked perfectly with the natural setting of the sandy beach and blue ocean backgrounds.  We love that this couple really relaxed and enjoyed each other, with Kelvin, and had such a natural presence for the camera.   Engagement sessions are such a great way for couples to get to know their photographer before the wedding and we have no doubt that Shirley and Clete are prepared for their wedding day photos. They also were lucky to get an amazing day of beautiful weather in San Francisco which really highlights the natural beauty of the Golden Gate Bride, the hills in the coastline background, and sunset on the gorgeous rocks at the beach.  They are currently planning their wedding for this fall and we can’t wait to see it all come together!  These two are naturals in front of the camera and we know that their wedding day will be full of fun, beautiful, and natural moments for our lens to capture.  Truly a great couple and we can’t wait for the wedding!  Congratulations Shirley &  Clete!

We always get a lot of questions from couples regarding what they should expect on their engagement session. This post is meant for anyone getting ready for an engagement session, whether with us or another photographer! This is just plain old great advice!

First off, don’t be nervous! Engagement sessions are totally fun, relaxed and easy going. If one of you  is nervous (often guys get more nervous about it), just let him know that there will be lots of kissing, and his main job is just to adore you, so there’s nothing to be nervous about! Plus you should really just think of it as a mini-date. I mean, c’mon, how often do you really get to go for romantic walks on the beach, strolling along, hand in hand? Or just on a park bench giggling? I’m betting the answer is, “not as often as you’d like!”  So just relax, have fun and be with each other. Do that one thing and your images will turn out great (as long as you have a professional behind the camera!)

A great way to get loosened up is to enjoy a glass of wine or champagne to celebrate the session and help transition from work mode to fun/relationship mode. If it helps you feel more relaxed, go for it!  Just don’t overdo it.

Another big way to really make the most of your session is to play up your relationship for the camera. At first you might feel a little nervous and shy, which is very typical. In fact, we usually don’t get many great photos during the first 20 minutes or so, as the couple gets warmed up to the camera. So don’t worry if you feel nervous at first, but do try to have fun and relax. The idea is to capture the real relationship between the two of you, and the best way to do that is to act naturally with each other, but in a way that reflects your relationship. If you are typically goofy with each other, then ham it up for the camera. If the two of you tend to be more intimate,  go ahead and snuggle up, hold hands, embrace, look into each other’s eyes. If you are very romantic and tend to be more on the sensual side, then don’t be afraid to show it!

Since you are going to be dressed up for professional pictures, why not ask your photographer to take a couple of head shots for each of you? You never know when you are going to need a nice head shot for work, Facebook or whatever. It only takes a minute, so take advantage of the opportunity!

Since you’ll already be all dressed up and “in the mood” why not plan to make it a date night after the session is over? Just an idea!  Be sure to arrive a few minutes early and allow for parking, etc.  If you are late to the session, that is going to cause extra stress and eat into your session time, so plan ahead and don’t be late!

When I got married last year I had a  difficult time finding a makeup artist who really understood makeup the way that I saw it for myself on my wedding day.  I wanted a beauty look that was natural yet glamorous, timeless and elegant, without feeling like I was wearing pancake heavy makeup.   As a certified makeup artist myself, I knew that this was a conflict of terms in itself, but I also knew it was achievable with the right products and application.  Looking flawless for your wedding day is essential and it can be challenging to find someone who understands the look you are trying to achieve.

Saying I love makeup is an understatement in itself.   I have a passion for makeup that runs deep, since childhood, and it got me to thinking that it was time to announce my love for the trade publicly to other brides struggling to find a natural beauty artist out there.   I am very excited to announce the launch of my site, Mirabelle Cosmetic Artistry,  and to offer makeup application services to other brides.   While I still work with the phenomenal Geoff White team by day, I am a licensed Cosmetologist and Makeup Artist by night, who has been working with brides to develop their wedding day look.  My philosophy at Mirabelle is to provide clients with a luxurious and professional cosmetic experience for wedding or everyday events.  Polished, natural, timeless beauty is the core of my makeup design and philosophy.  I hope you enjoy my site and welcome you officially to Mirabelle!

Are you a person who just loves shoes? Maybe you have a closet filled with racks of all your favorite foot delights like Carrie Bradshaw.  If so, this post is dedicated to you.   One of our favorite aspects to our sessions with clients is seeing what clever and beautiful clothing and shoes they decide to wear.  I have a personal love for shoes and thoroughly enjoy how these clients picked such interesting footwear for their session.  It add such a great element to the already gorgeous pictures.   Us ladies really love our heels and don’t mind trekking through dirt, mud, or sand to have cute shoes in our photos.  Case in point with some of our clients who go so creative in their footwear selection and really played this dress element up in their overall engagement session look. We always recommend your wear and select footwear for your shoot that represents you and your personal style.   Maybe you love stilettos or maybe you love sneakers – either way, it’s all about being who you are for the session. We love brides who put their best foot forward and pick such cute footwear.  Cute, fun, flirty, and personal – all elements that make your engagement session that much more amazing!  Up next, the darling delights of wedding shoes and style…

Stuart Weitzman Bowright Wedding Shoes

Here’s your perfect marriage of elegance and sass with a tapered 3″ heel and crystal embellished open toe. Dyeable white silk satin construction provides a subtle luster and ultimate comfort.

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Kate Spade Evie Bridal Shoes

This cute low heel is practical too. Gathered fabric at the toe gives you texture and interest without overwhelming your look. This shoe is made with luxurious white silk satin and is available in a wide selection of sizes. Heel measures 2.75″. See how Kate Spade measures heel height. Determine which size to order. Add comfort with easy-to-use shoe pads. Are these shoes right for you? Discover your true style.

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Benjamin Adams Charlize Bridal Shoes

Perfectly placed Swarovski Aurora Borealis crystals give this shoe all-over sparkle and a fabulous couture look. Hand crafted with ivory duchesse silk and soft leather lining for comfort and structure. The heel measures 4.25″ and is complemented with a platform sole. This shoe is not dyeable. See how Benjamin Adams measures heel height. Determine which size to order. Get our top tips for dyeable shoes. Learn how to match your shoes to your dress. Add comfort with easy-to-use shoe pads. Are these shoes right for you? Discover your true style.

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Helena and Dilip really wanted a location for their engagement session that reflected not only their personalities but their relationship. We just loved their choice of Moss Beach and couldn’t believe what luck they had with the weather for what was a cold, rainy week.  Stunning sun, sand, and surf made it one of the most amazing backdrops for winter time in California. We also loved the chemistry that these two shared both on and off camera.  They were absolute naturals with the camera and had a great time in the woods and on the beach together. Don’t the trees make for stunning texture and backdrops in the pictures?  Helena and Dilip were so relaxed and had fun with each other during this shoot.Helena looked radiant and we loved her selection of a patterned dress for the shoot!  It added even more design to the photographs and truly reflected her own style, which makes for stunning pictures, and an interesting composition.  We can’t wait to see what Helena and Dilip have planned for their wedding this year and know it will have design, style, and beauty all around.

Kai and Douglas recently held their engagement session at the lovely Villa Montalvo in Saratoga.  The grounds are simply amazing to photograph as there is beauty all around you in every direction.  We loved their choice and Kelvin had a wonderful time capturing these two out on the grounds.Kai and Douglas were extremely natural in front of the camera and got to spend some time practicing for their wedding day with Kelvin.  We always recommend client engagement sessions to get to know your photographer and get comfortable with the camera if it isn’t your forte normally.  We also love how these two dressed up for the session and Kai wore an amazing black dress with heels! Just gorgeous!It is our recommendation that you wear not only something you feel represents your personality but also that you would enjoy looking at in years to come.   We think Douglas and Kai captured the meaning of “timeless” perfectly and love that they had a great time at Villa Montalvo for their shoot! We are looking forward to their wedding in April and know it will be gorgeous!