But that’s not all!  Because of the great response for the contest, our second and third place winners won’t go empty-handed—they each receive an 11″x14″ print of their winning photos.  Congrats to the Matsuo Family (15%, 50 votes) and April & Matt (13%, 40 votes)!

In last year’s contest, the cute O’Connell Family won the grand prize of a 16″x20″ canvas gallery wrap.  This year’s winner will be taking home an equally cool prize: a 4″x4″ leather flush-mount album featuring photos from their 2009 photo session.

And we’ve got a great group of clients—eight fabulous families and three cute couples—who wanted to participate in this year’s contest.  Each photo below was hand-selected by them as one of their favorites from their sessions with us in 2009.  We might be a little biased (they’re all winners in our books), so we need your help to pick the winning shot! Whether you’re a friend of the family or just stopping by our blog, we invite you to cast your official ballot.  And it’s easy to do!  Simply review all the pictures in this post and then select your favorite in the poll box below.

To make things easier we’ve included client names on each image (and listed them in alphabetical order), which correspond to the appropriate line on the poll. Whichever family or couple receives the most votes by 9 a.m. on Saturday, February 27, wins the leather album.

But there’s no winner without your vote! So cast your ballot today, and remind all your friends on Twitter and Facebook to do the same. And we’re sure our families and couples would love to hear your cheers. Feel free to leave comments below. We look forward to seeing the results!

These two looked great—and kept laughing and smiling—as they inched their way into the water.  

By this point in the afternoon, we started to lose light fast.  But it was worth it.  The reflections in the water were awesome.

And it made for a few priceless moments.

To Sarah and Daniel…thank you for being such a fun-loving couple and for being so willing to brave the water.  This is one session we’ll never forget.  And we’re sure it will inspire some other adventurous brides who are planning their big day, or a day-after session.

And they are talented, too!  We had brought along this awesome red guitar (thanks, Dad!) as a prop.  We had no idea that any of the couples we’d meet that day could actually play.  But Daniel provided some fabulous music as he strummed through the session.  Plus, the red added a nice punch to the photos.

Be sure to check out the slideshow for more images.  Enjoy!

We’re lucky to have such great clients as April and Matt, especially since they have a wonderful eye for detail. All their planning made for a spectacular day.  And these photos remind us what a great venue the Newland Barn is as a ceremony and reception site.  To the brides out there, be sure to check it out when thinking about possible wedding venues.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank these great wedding blogs for featuring photos from April and Matt’s big day: The Wedding Chicks, My DIY Wedding Day, Wedding Channel, LA Style Unveiled, and The Wedding Decorator. We hope you enjoy the slideshow!

Answer: You get gorgeous bridal photos of one of Orange County’s sweetest couples, Lisa and Jake.

Last Fall, Keith and I met up with a number of other local photographers for a special group photo session.  The group, organized by fellow photographer, Diandra Ann, had one goal in mind—to take awesome bridal portraits of couples who craved a few extra photos to round out their wedding albums.

As luck would have it, we were paired up with Lisa and Jake.  It was great to photograph these newlyweds at such a fun location—a remote trail area in Yorba Linda, CA that was full of trees, tall grass, a pond, and plenty of open space.  For the session, Lisa wore her original wedding gown, while Jake opted for a more relaxed look with a vest and slacks.  Their wardrobe selections were perfect—Lisa’s dress provided contrast to the location, while Jake’s earth-tone inspired outfit blended beautifully with the landscape.  And let’s not forget about the details.  All the brides were treated to hair, makeup, accessories, and fresh bouquets.  Much thanks to these vendors for their help in pulling together the brides’ polished looks:

Hair & Makeup: Diana Deiny

Hair & Makeup: Lindsay Flieshman

Hair Accessories: Lauren Christensen

Flowers: Angie Varela

And much thanks to Lisa and Jake!  We hope you enjoy the slideshow!

We first met up with the girls at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. Matt’s sister, Natalie, did a fabulous job doing April’s hair and makeup.

Keith and I knew we were in for a treat that day when we saw April’s paper flower bouquet and Matt’s home-made boutonniere.  April designed and made each one herself.  The colors are amazing. And the best part is—these flowers will never die.

We love the vintage feel of April’s dress and hairpiece.  She made a gorgeous bride.

Keith went to go visit the guys getting ready next door at the Huntington Beach Hyatt. Matt looked quite dapper himself.

While most people who marry at the Newland Barn choose to do the ceremony next to the facility’s veranda, April and Matt opted to wed next to the water tower.  It made for the perfect location as the sun dipped below the Newland Museum during the nuptials.

A small preserve is located next to the Newland House.  We lucked out with blue skies for that warm fall afternoon.

One of our favorite shots of the day.

Remember our mention of peanut butter and jelly cupcakes?  They were, in a word: AMAZING.  Along with some vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, these tasty treats were baked by Miss Priss Cupcakes & Such in Long Beach.

Also amazing—In-N-Out for the reception.

April and Matt’s craftiness and attention to detail shined during the reception.  The glittery guest cards in their wedding theme colors were gorgeous.

April and Matt have a great appreciation for art and photography, especially Polaroids.  Instead of a traditional guest book, an instant film camera was left near the reception entrance for guests to take pictures of themselves and provide some kind words and advice for the bride and groom.  April and Matt also put together a personal photo collage next to a vintage camera for guests to peruse.

Stunning, vintage-inspired table decorations came to life at dusk.

And last, but not least, a shot of the rings on the back of their wedding invitation that was, of course, designed and embossed by the bride and groom.

April and Matt’s bridal party is one we will never forget.  There was a lot of love, fun, and humor circulating around this group of friends all day.  They started out pretty tame.

But once the yellow parasols came out, the fun really began.

Congratulations, April and Matt! Thank you for allowing us to share in your big day. It’s definitely one we’ll always remember.