Meet Leah. She’s from Canada. She works behind the scenes at a news station, and she has a fun personality to match her good sense of fashion (check out her earrings).

Guam. Canada. Why not meet in the middle—say, a Kinkos store in Palm Desert? Which is where this international romance got started. Apparently, somewhere between color copiers and the shipping desk lurks love potion number nine.

Fast forward a few years, and now we’re at our Secret Irvine Location taking engagement pictures ahead of their wedding which will be in Palm Desert in January. They shared some laughs, then jumped right in to being too cute for words.

Toward the end of the session the sprinklers turned on—a first for us, but we quickly relocated before anyone got a soaking.

We had a great time working with Leah and Richard, and we can’t wait to help them celebrate their wedding in January. They’re a perfect couple and we see many happy memories in their future, whether they end up in Guam, Canada or somewhere comfortably in-between… like Palm Desert.

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

A couple weeks ago, Keith and I hit the road for our first “destination” engagement session—Oak Glen! We ditched our usual Orange County spots in favor of a little fall apple-picking fun in the mountains just north of Yucaipa. And we couldn’t have picked a better couple to photograph in this rustic little city. Meet Dustin and Katie. This awesome duo is getting married in January. Even though we faced some pesky bugs and prickly brush, these two kept a sense of humor as we strolled through the apple orchards and local nature conservancy.

Are you a fan of Oak Glen? Are you a friend of Dustin and Katie? If you are, let us know!  Just click the awesome “like” button at the bottom of this post.

We hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

We met up with these two at the perfect spot: UC Irvine.  It turns out both Heatherly and Chaz met and attended school here.  It was fun to hear them share a few stories from their own college days and Greek life as we strolled through the campus.

And I can’t forget to mention Bon Bon, Heatherly’s Pomeranian.  This little cutie joined us for a few shots.

Family portrait.

Heatherly and Chaz are getting hitched August 1.  Unfortunately, we aren’t able to photograph their wedding; we have another session on the books that day.  But whoever does photograph them is lucky.  These two are easy to work with and fun to be around.  To Heatherly and Chaz: Thanks so much, and we wish you the best as you start your new life together.

Keith and I met up with Diana and Phil at one of their favorite locations, the Dana Point Ocean Institute in south Orange County.  We LOVED the location they selected.  The institute’s building has great architecture, not to mention fabulous wood siding, which makes for a great backdrop.

This series of closeups is one of our favorites from the session.

After exploring the grounds of the Ocean Institute, we made our way down to the beach.  It’s unfortunate that right as we reached the shoreline, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped.  But Diana and Phil were good sports—they willingly walked and explored the rocky coast despite the chilly blast.

Before the end of the session, Diana and Phil gave us a tour of a little gazebo that overlooks harbor.  The view is pretty special.

Thanks so much to Diana and Phil.  It’s been great getting to know you both over the last few months.  Keith and I can’t wait to help capture your big day in August.

Yesterday, Keith and I had the opportunity to take engagement photos for an awesome couple…Matt and Jenna.  We met up with this duo at our new favorite location…the historic district in San Juan Capistrano.  For their session, Jenna got creative with these cute blackboards she picked up at a local craft store.  We love it when couples take the time to personalize their sessions with thoughtful props such as these.

One of our favorite shots—a romantic stroll on the train tracks.  But don’t worry, the trains weren’t running that afternoon.

After a quick outfit change, we headed to Aliso Creek Beach to enjoy a little time on the sand.

It didn’t take long before everyone got wet.

Thanks so much to Jenna and Matt for making our job easy.  We hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

But first, we couldn’t wait to share a few shots from yesterday’s engagement session at our secret Irvine location.  We’ve used this top spot for a number of our family sessions, but never for engagement photos.  Thanks to this awesome Orange County couple, Melanie and Keith, we were able to change that.  We met up with these two late yesterday afternoon.  The soft, warm afternoon light an hour or two before sunset is our favorite time to shoot.  And we feel so lucky to have spent the afternoon with Melanie and Keith.  It was so much fun watching them interact.  They were constantly making each other smile and laugh, which in turn, made us smile and laugh even more.  Thank you Melanie and Keith!

The laid-back atmosphere of Dana Point was the perfect backdrop for Diana and Phil’s easy-going personalities.  Diana had mentioned that she and Phil always enjoy hanging out at this spot.  And we can see why.  Between the relaxing meandering paths around the Dana Point Ocean Institute and the gorgeous view of the waves breaking along the rocky shore, Dana Point is the perfect spot to relax.  These two are getting married in August and we can’t wait to be a part of their big day.

Thanks so much to Diana and Phil for such a great afternoon, even if it was a bit chilly.  We hope you enjoy your sneak peek!  And Keith and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding!