Chris & Hana — Married!

Chris and Hana were so much fun to photograph! Before Chris saw his bride, I was taking a few photos of him and I was about to ask him to smile. I realized I didn’t have to — he couldn’t stop smiling!

This classy wedding at Brentwood Country Club was such a fun day to be apart of. Thank you, Chris and Hana, for allowing me to document your special day! You two are wonderful.

Here’s their story, as told by Hana:

“Chris and I met around Christmas time in 2006 at ADP Inc. in Pleasanton, Calif., when I started working there. We worked in different departments and one afternoon I was walking by the row of his teams’ cubicles where he was putting up Christmas lights and trying to spell “Merry Christmas” with them. I teased him that his lights were a little crooked and we started laughing and hit it off right away.

A couple of lunch dates later, he invited me to come to his New Year’s Eve part where we shared our first kiss. Exactly six month after our first kiss we shared a midnight kiss in San Francisco on July 1, 2007 where he asked me to be his girlfriend.

We traveled every chance we got: Croatia {where Hana’s family is from}, Italy, Mexico, Lake Tahoe, annual Disneyland trips, etc. Three years into our relationship he asked me to move in with him and it’s been the best decision we ever made.

On April 20, 2013, Chris surprised me with a trip to Monterey just before he left on his business trip. We went to the aquarium, walked around Cannery Row and had dinner at one of the restaurants by the water. After dinner we went for a long walk on the beach, running around barefoot in the sand. He knew that my favorite place in the world to be is to be on the beach, so he proposed to me right before the sunset. He got down on one knee and asked me to be his partner in life, his wife. It was the most beautiful and romantic day of my life! We’ve been together for six years and didn’t want a long engagement so we decided on getting married on August 11, 2013 in Brentwood. It was a bit hectic trying to put everything together in such a short time but we were able to pull it off and had our fairytale wedding that we shared with our closest family and friends.

It was truly a magical day and we are so happy our photographer was able to capture those moments so beautifully.”

Congratulations, Chris and Hana!

Vince & Ashlee — Expecting!

Vince & Ashlee are such a wonderful couple! Ashlee is one of my good friends, so when she asked me to help her announce her pregnancy through photos, I was ecstatic! I just know Vince and Ashlee will be wonderful parents, and their husky Koda will be a great big “brother.” Congratulations to the Petrilli family!

David & Carissa — Married!

This was definitely a fun and unique wedding to say the least! The ceremony and reception both took place on the bocce ball courts at Campo di Bocce in Livermore, Calif. Between the bocce-playing, the cake-smashing and the photo-boothing, there was never a dull moment! David and Carissa are friends of my parents, and we’ve known David for years, so attending this wedding was for both personal and professional reasons. Congratulations you two!

Rachel & Nick — Engaged!

This couple holds a very special place in my heart — I’ve known Rachel since middle school and this was our third photo session together! Nick and Rachel have been dating for quite a few years now and Nick recently proposed at Disneyland. With Rachel heading off to college soon (and possibly studying abroad!) their wedding won’t be for quite some time, but I can’t wait to be their wedding photographer, too!

>>Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com

Kimmie and Scott — Engaged!

The day after I flew back to California from D.C., I had a photo session. And it was an awesome one, to boot! I met Kimmie and Scott in San Francisco and we visited various locations in the city for their engagement session. Enjoy these images!

>>Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com

Sarah and William — Engaged!

Unfortunately, this photo session marks the last shoot in D.C.! Congratulations to Sarah and William — they’ll be married this August in Sarah’s home state of Mississippi.

The Capitol Building and the surrounding area provided a unique and beautiful setting for many photographs, but now I’m back in California and ready for the wedding season!

>>Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com

Featured on All in a Soiree

My engagement session with Sara and Casey was featured on All in a Soiree today! Check it out HERE and leave some love 🙂

>> Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com

April, Head Shots and Portraits

My roommate April is graduating from Wheaton College in Illinois this semester, so I was happy to take a few portraits so she could post an updated photo on her social media sites. She is a great godly woman and it’s been a pleasure to live with her this semester. Good luck April! I’ll be rooting for you from California.

>>Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com

Photo Ministry in Washington D.C.

While studying in D.C., it was one of my goals to serve the community with my gifts. I volunteered at the local crisis pregnancy center, which gave me the idea to offer free photo sessions to families who usually can’t afford to pay for nice, professional portraits. A few of my friends tagged along and the day turned out better than I ever could have imagined. I couldn’t stop laughing behind the camera! [Yes, my friends did make fun of me … ] I became aware of the blessings I take for granted — even the simple fact that I can go out and take nice photos with my friends. So, enjoy these images! I am so happy to share them with you.

>>Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com

And here’s a bit of a look behind the scenes (for those of you who don’t know, that’s me in the striped dress):

*Behind-the-scenes photos taken by my friend Jacob Bechtol

10 tips for the wedding couple to connect with their photographer!

Photo by Lanie Louise Photography

This helpful blog post by Southern Weddings offers advice to brides and grooms about wedding day photo bliss. Here’s a short synopsis:

1. Book an engagement session as a “test run” in front of the camera for your wedding day. This will help you and your spouse-to-be to get comfortable with your photographer!

2. If you ask for photos of you and your bridal party while you’re getting ready, keep the space clean and choose a room that looks good in photos (natural lighting, neutral colors, calm atmosphere, etc.).

3. Invite close family and friends to be there while you’re getting ready for your day! And ask these special people to get ready early.

4. Allow your photographer as much time as possible for photos — “create a generous timeline.”

5. DO a first look. The Southern Weddings blog says “consider” it, but I say do it! There are so many reasons why: hair and makeup is fresh; you’re not making your guests wait for you; you’re calm for your ceremony because you see your significant other first; you have more time for photos … need I say more?

6. Trust your photographer to get the right photographs. You can’t predict special moments: “Dad whispering last minute advice to groom” is one of the specific [and somewhat ridiculous] requests SW lists on their blog. We do the best we can — you chose us, right?

7. BUT create a shot list for group photos, like family shots. Who do you want in the photos? When? What variations of grouping? Get this together for us photographers.

8. Once it’s ready, distribute it to everyone who will be in them. This will save time [and possibly prevent hair loss].

9. If the small details are important to you [from the wedding favors to the table settings], get it all ready early! Your photographer will want to take photos of the reception area BEFORE everyone arrives. Make it as easy and clean as possible for your photographer to capture every part of your special day.

10. Ask your photographer questions! Anything from “how can I help you do your job” to “what else do you need to know” helps us ensure everything will be captured in our images.

And this, friends, is a wonderful list to remember. Use it! 🙂

>>Lanie

lanielouisephotography@yahoo.com