Actually, first we met up with them in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano. We took some photos around the train station and movie theater before wandering Los Rios Street in search of some fun. Some of the ivy-covered walls still look like Autumn, as do the trees in the park. Just our style!

The sky threatened rain all day, but we had such good luck on Los Rios Street that we thought we might press our luck and try a new trail not far up the freeway to get a little different look: fields, flowers, oranges. There aren’t many orange orchards left in Orange County (at least not accessible to photographers) but this one beckons just over the railing, so in we went.  And we’re glad we did! Check out this adorable duo!

Apparently Morgan digs tractors, so to speak, and who can skip the chance to skipper this old jalopy?

Morgan and Ryan were great to work with, and they’re sweet with each other. We can’t wait to help them celebrate their wedding at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton this July.

This cute couple met at the 2005 Anime Expo, one of the largest Japanese animation and video game conventions which happens to be held right here in southern California. It’s like a Star Trek convention for gamers, to which many attendees come dressed as a favorite character. Jennifer came dressed as Yuna and Scott assembled his best Seifer. For fun, why not take the engagement pictures with a similar idea in mind?

Gamers will appreciate all the detail that went into the outfits: her gold sash, his grey suit, the nearly-to-scale weapons, and even small accents like a “Believe” bracelet that harkens to Jennifer’s favorite game moment.

But even without the fun outfits you can see how comfortable they are together.

We enjoyed our afternoon with Jennifer and Scott—they have great personalities make such a sweet couple. We look forward to helping them celebrate their wedding later this June at the Sea Cliff Resort in Huntington Beach. Here’s two last shots, our favorites from the session:

And we’re not the only ones who are in love with Jennifer and Scott’s creativity.  This engagement session caught the eye of Rock N’ Roll Bride, one of the top UK wedding blogs, who just featured the photos on their site.  Be sure to head across the Pond to check it out!

Last night, Keith and I thought it would be fun to take a look at all the photos we’d taken the past 12 months.  Our hard drives are full of 40+ family sessions, engagements, weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries that we had the awesome opportunity to photograph.

But it’s always better to show, not tell, right?  So to visually recap the year, we’ve put together this nifty collage featuring ALL of our fabulous 2011 clients.

So to all our our families and bridal couples, we’d liked to say THANK YOU.  Thank you for trekking through the tall grass, across the sand, or up the hill to find the perfect photo spot.  Thank you for dazzling us with your cute outfits, adorable hair ribbons, and stylish shoes. Thank you for your smiles, giggles, and the little dances in front of our lenses. But most of all, thanks SO MUCH for trusting us with capturing your celebrations, memories, and special moments.

A couple weeks ago we had the opportunity to reflect a little more on our school days when we met this cute collegiate couple, Zenna and Cruz.  Just like Keith and I, they met as students.  And now, to celebrate their third anniversary, they booked a mini-session with us at one of our favorite Orange County locations.

The relaxed atmosphere of our Irvine secret spot—tall grasses, a dry rock bed, and a charming tunnel—worked as a great backdrop for this young duo. Here’s proof:

Thanks so much to Zenna and Cruz!  Working with you both brought back great memories for me and Keith when we first started dating.  Stay adorable!

And if any of you, our loyal readers, are looking for a unique anniversary gift to surprise your spouse with, a photo session is a great way to go.  Just send us a note and we’ll help plan the details.

But could it be that her fluffy-headed poodle Buster is the magnet that attracted Joe, her Mr. Right and soon-to-be husband? Inquiring minds needed to know, so we met them for engagement pictures at the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach, the site of their first date.

Buster was kind enough to join us for a bit.

Buster doesn’t do Ferris Wheels. And neither do I—at least not the kind that swings wildly at every turn—but Becky and Joe do, so Keith was happy to climb on board while I watched from below.

A quick stop at the local candy shop brought out the kid in all of us.

After a quick wardrobe change, the four of us walked across to the pier and dipped our toes in the sand.

As the light fell deeper into the horizon and out of view, we wandered back to the Fun Zone for a last shot in front of the Ferris wheel before bidding them goodbye for the night. We can’t wait to see these two again this weekend when they exchange their vows. Congratulations Becky and Joe!

]]> http://www.loriandersonphoto.com/2011/05/16/featured-the-lds-bride-blog/feed/ 0 http://www.loriandersonphoto.com/2011/01/22/old-towne-orange-engagement-photos-kari-chris/ http://www.loriandersonphoto.com/2011/01/22/old-towne-orange-engagement-photos-kari-chris/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 14:44:17 +0000 Lori http://www.loriandersonphoto.com/?p=3309 When it comes to picking a location for engagement photos, a lot of couples in Orange County opt for the beach or perhaps a local park.  But Keith and I prefer to shoot at new locations whenever possible, especially if we get a tip from family and friends.  A couple months back my mom mentioned a cute spot see saw on TV–Pitcher Park in Downtown Orange.  From her description of the park, we knew we had to check it out, but we needed the right couple to visit it with us.  And that couple was Kari and Chris!

Pitcher Park is pretty tiny.  In fact, lots of folks probably miss it as they drive by the main entrance.  But what it lacks in size it makes up in charm.  Like this cute barn building, which served as great backdrop for this awesome duo.

Even on an overcast day, the greenery at Pitcher Park isn’t too shabby either.

After exploring the park, the four of us wandered through Old Towne Orange.

But I think we had the most fun along the train tracks.

And what’s a walk through Old Towne without stopping by the famed fountain in The Circle?  Pretty romantic, right?

Or how about a stop at Watson’s Soda Fountain for an Oreo shake?

Thanks so much to Kari and Chris!  You were our first engagement session for 2011, and you got our year off to a great start.  We can’t wait to help you both celebrate your big day in May.

To start things off, we each upgraded our cell phones to the Droid 2. One of us loves it, the other not so much. Guess who’s still missing the simplicity of their old phone? We also tried a new recipe, Paris Pasta, from a cookbook we got for Christmas. I’m pretty sure the cream sauce loaded with Parmesan cheese wasn’t the healthiest dining option, but it was pretty tasty. And finally, we had lunch with friends at a new restaurant, Lomeli’s, in Brea. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend the chicken fettuccine lunch special.

Over the weekend, Keith and I also spent some time reflecting on all the great clients we worked with over the past year. During 2010, we shot about 40 family sessions, engagement sessions, and weddings. It was a record year for us! And we’re so lucky to have worked with so many great couples and families. We’d like to thank all our clients with this week’s series of posts. First up, a look back at all our awesome couples who got engaged and allowed us to follow them around for an afternoon. We trekked through parks, beaches, and orchards to capture their smiles, giggles, and hugs—and we loved every minute of it. Posts on our 2010 family sessions and weddings are coming up.  Enjoy!

Heatherly + Chaz: UC Irvine

May + Son: Irvine

Diana + Phil: Dana Point Ocean Institue

Melanie + Keith: Irvine

Jenna + Matt: San Juan Capistrano and Aliso Creek Beach

Katie + Dustin: Oak Glen

Lacie + Scott: Huntington Beach

After that, we made our way down to the shore. Since the sky was clear that afternoon, we were able to take full advantage of the great golden afternoon sunlight.

And how awesome is it that Scott and Lacie met on Match.com.  They are perfect match, indeed.  It was great watching the two of them interact as we strolled along the sand.  We especially love how Scott knows how to make Lacie laugh.

Thanks so much to Scott and Lacie for such a fun afternoon.  We can’t wait to help you celebrate your big day next year!