A wedding in Costa Rica : Lex and Lee : Pura Vida!

Can I come to Costa Rica to shoot your wedding? Um, let me think about that. YES! I like to be open and honest with the world. So I'm going to let you in a little something about this next wedding. I get nervous when I travel. I LOVE traveling- let me make that known. But, I have a fear of the unknown that sometimes cripples me and creates pains deep down in my stomach. It's like I am standing on a diving board looking at a pool full of water that I know is absolutely freezing and I just have to jump in. I know it will take my breath away and sting my skin as soon as I make contact with it but I argue with the pains in my stomach until I convince myself that I have the courage to jump. (Whether the courage actually exists doesn't really matter.)  Of course, as soon as I jump- as soon as my body is submerged in the icy water- the water doesn't feel so icy anymore. In fact, it feels refreshing and awakens my mind. It felt so good to jump into Costa Rica and to jump into Lex and Lee's story. That said....

I was nervous about this wedding- like crippling stomach pain nervous. I am good at what I do, that I know. I am humbled that someone would want to fly me somewhere to photograph them and I try to remain as confident in my abilities as I can. (Of course, I am an artist and artists are constantly questioning their ability.) So, as you can imagine, flying to Central America to shoot a wedding does not mix with my fear of the unknown very well. It's a good thing that Lex and Lee and their entire wedding did! Minutes upon arriving at the amaaaazing wedding venue, Villa Caletas, my worries subsided. We had made it there with all of our luggage, we had survived the flight, the van ride, and our Spanish was proving to be pretty good! We were greeted with warm towels for our face and yummy juice and I immediately looked over at Heather and thought to myself, "I could get used to this."

Lex and Lee and their entire friends and family were a dream. I photographed Lex's sister, Ileana's wedding to Carlos 2 years ago (hi guys! pina colada, anyone?) so I already knew that I was head over heels in love with them but the way they all put my stomach at ease and welcomed Heather and I into their celebration was over-whelming. I was chatting with Lex on gchat recently (because we're besties now :) ) and we were commenting how we sort of feel like we were never there- like it was literally all a dream. We remarked, "Thank goodness there are pictures!" Yes, thank goodness! And with that- thank you to Lex and Lee and your familes for having me out to document your love. I was overwhelmed with the intensity of what you feel for each other and am so honored to have played a part in your special day. You are not clients, you are friends forever!

Onward!

Lex's bridesmaids made her garter out of pieces of their bikinis. :)

Wondering what that gorgeous stone is? Lee surprised Lex with a black Tahitian pearl as her engagement ring.

Puda Vida!

To view a complete slideshow of their wedding day images click here.

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Bay Area Wedding Photographer : Julie and Garth : A Hollywood kind of Wedding

Julie and Garth were my last wedding of 2009 and my last wedding I would shoot as an official Los Angeles wedding photographer. Literally, 2 days after their wedding everything we own was in a moving van being driven up the state of California! I could not have asked for a better send off! They are the sweetest couple with the sweetest families I have ever met and it was such a joy to be a part of their day. The wedding was held at Wolfgang Puck Catering at the Hollywood and Highland Center and was coordinated by the great Lisa Kahn of Lisa Kahn Events with floral design by Tracey at The Flower Tray. Julie got ready for her big day in a gorgeous corner suite with tons of beautiful natural light at The Renaissance Hotel. Almost died when I saw her shoes.

Make up by my favorite, Jasmine Dashtizad!

So handsome :)

That's Regis Chen's arm I am shooting through ;)

Garth is really one of a kind- Regis and I kept giving each other grins from across the room during the ceremony because Garth is the first groom we've seen talk so much during is ceremony. It was totally endearing and so Julie and Garth- relaxed, friendly,  and just plain awesome. He had the whole room in stiches :)

Since Garth and Julie chose to see each other for the first time at the aisle and the sun sets so early in December, we ended up doing all of their bridal party and shots when it was dark which was a relatively new and totally fun experience for me.  Obviously, shooting a wedding after dark is a challenge so I spend a lot of time in my off months perfecting my off camera lighting skills. Luckily, we had plenty of fun light to work with from Hollywood Blvd and also used a handy video light in most shots.

Julie is a dancer as were most of her bridesmaids, so they coordinated the most killer bridal party entry dance ever- One Singular Sensation from A Chorus Line!

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Bay Area Wedding Photographer : Los Angeles, CA : Jennifer and Lucas

A new year a new office. Things have been a little a little slow on the production front here as we've been doing our best to get acclimated to our new surroundings. I've never been someone who can function when things are out of order- that's not to say my room never gets messy, but more like, I reach a point where it's so messy I can't function, sleep, or practically breathe until it's clean. I have always enjoyed cleaning- it's one of those tasks where you can actually see your progress. Anyhow, things are back on track now and I thank you guys for your patience! Jennifer and Lucas tied the knot in early December at a lovely little church in Silverlake. It was particularly nice for me because it was literally right down the street from where I used to live! Heather came out to assist and we had such a great time with Lucas, Jennifer, and all of their friends and family!

Bay Area and Los Angeles Wedding Photographer : Thoughts on 2009

The New Year, for business owners, brings reflection. Our tax cycle is over, our 2009 client folders can be retired, and our hard drives backed up, saved, and archived. Thinking about where I was a year ago is almost overwhelming. As I glance over my 2009 goals list I made last year at WPPI I am amazed, and dare I say proud of myself, at all that I have accomplished. This year was not easy, it was extremely busy, filled with the stress of creating your own paychecks, and the hope that you will find your clients fulfilled and happy. But, this year was splendid in a way that no year has ever been. I am my own boss and there is nothing better than that. Yes, when sh*t hits the fan, it is my mess to clean up. I am not going to lie, there have been times when I wished I had someone higher up to straighten things out or make decisions- but I am forever learning, as a business owner should, and I cannot wait to take on the lessons 2010 will teach me. Most importantly, 2009 has been FUN. Thanks to all my amazing clients for trusting my ability to document your love. You are forever part of the Meg Perotti story and I love you all to pieces!

ANGIE + BRETT

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DAVIDA + PAUL

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BRITTANY + ADAM

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ERIN + STEVE

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DIANA + JACOB

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ERIN + JAKE

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HELEN + TYLER

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MINDY + DAVE

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LESLIE + SIM

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GINA + RANDY

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STACEY + MARTY

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ERIC + JEN

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CAITLIN + TIM

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NICOLE + KEVIN

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DANA + KEITH

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MONICA + KRISTIAN

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CARRIE + PHIL

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JACKIE + DAVID

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CHRIS + CARLY

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ANNE + SCOTT

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JENNIFER + LUCAS (sneak peek!)

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CJ + DUSTIN

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JULIE + GARTH (sneak peek!)

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Here's to another fabulous year of documenting love!

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