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NICOLE + DREW | UCLA PORTRAIT SESSION

November 13, 2008 Portraits

Can I just say that I am in love with Nicole and Drew?! I hope that doesn’t come across as creepy. It’s just that they were just so darn awesome to shoot…so in love, so into each other, so comfortable in front of the camera…and they also have the most adorable dogs! Jer and I had a great time roaming around UCLA’s campus, shooting photos of Nicole and Drew with their dogs for their holiday card. And I think it’s fantastic that they also wanted to get some nice pictures of themselves as a couple. I honestly think you can never have enough good pictures of yourselves.

Here are a few from their shoot.

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TAGS: pet photography, UCLA, UCLA engagement photographer, UCLA engagement session, UCLA portrait photographer, UCLA portrait session

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PORTLAND

October 29, 2008 Travel

A few weeks ago, Jer and I went up to Portland to visit some friends of ours. It was nice to get away for a little bit since both of us having been working like crazy lately. We always love visiting Portland; hanging out with Viv, Lloyd, and Dan; and eating at all the yummy places Viv has discovered. My favorite place was Flavour Spot. Their dutch tacos – waffles wrapped around turkey, bacon, and cheese (and tons of other delicious combos) – are genius! I wish LA had awesome food carts like that.

All of us also took a road trip up to Seattle, so stay tuned for more pictures.

Also, I just discovered this cool little app for Macs called Poladroid. You just drag a picture onto the polaroid camera, and out pops a digital polaroid. I’m totally addicted. Almost as fun as real polaroids…without the expensive film. All these pictures were processed using Poladroid.

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TAGS: Oregon, Poladroid, Portland

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ERICA + JASON | ENGAGEMENT

October 28, 2008 Engagements, Weddings

*edit: slideshow has been added at the end of this post*

I am soooo not a morning person, but I’ll have to say that getting up before the crack of dawn for this sunrise session was definitely more than worth it! As much as I like shooting at sunset, I think I like shooting at sunrise even more (minus the getting up early part). Jason and Erica decided to get a little more formal for their session which I thought was pretty fab. And they chose a great location to shoot…Crystal Cove is gorgeous, especially in the morning light! Jeremy and I went to college with Jason and we couldn’t be happier or more excited for their wedding coming up next month. Congrats, you two!

And a few of the awesome shots Jeremy took.

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TAGS: beach engagement session, Crystal Cove engagement photos, Crystal Cove engagement session, Orange County engagement photos, Orange County engagement session, Orange County wedding photographer

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SANDY + BOB | CALAMIGOS RANCH WEDDING

October 23, 2008 Weddings

Sandy and Bob married at the beautiful Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. It was a gorgeous day made even better by the fact that these two were getting married! Sandy and Bob are both finishing up their residency, so you can imagine how busy their lives must be right now. Nevertheless, they put together a beautiful day and I am so happy for them! Hope you two got some nice R&R while in Bora Bora…you two definitely deserve it.

The girls got ready at Westlake Village Inn, and after JAC Beauty finished with their hair and make-up, the girls wanted to get some relaxed pictures around the beautiful hotel.

Lots of shoes!

Love this shot…Sandy looks so gorgeous!

The beautiful bouquet was designed by Fleuretica. Always love their work! They actually did the flowers for my wedding too!

A sweet moment captured by Jeremy.

Love this shot Jeremy got of Bob as he watches his bride come down the aisle. I kind of what to cry now.

Another shot Jer took that I love…it feels so magical!

Bob surprised Sandy with a song during the reception.

Dancing with her dad

Thought this was an interesting shot I happened to catch of the bouquet toss.

Dance off!

Stay tuned for the slideshow.

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TAGS: Calamigos Ranch, Calamigos Ranch wedding, Calamigos Ranch wedding photographer, Malibu wedding, Malibu wedding photographer, Westlake Village Inn, Westlake Village Inn wedding, Westlake Village Inn wedding photographer

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MAY + JEFFREY | RITZ CARLTON WEDDING

October 20, 2008 Weddings

*edit: added slideshow at end of post*

May and Jeffrey actually got married a little while back, but they wanted to throw a party for their friends and family to celebrate. And throw a party they did! May & Jeff had a gorgeous cocktail hour and reception at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel, complete with a tango for their first dance, four dress changes, some hilarious games, and hands-down the best 3-D slideshow I’ve ever seen (created by Imacron…you should definitely check out their work).

A special thanks to Paula Laskelle of Champagne Taste who did an amazing job of coordinating the event. Prior to that day, she did a great job of making sure I had all the details I needed, and throughout the day she was wonderful in making sure everyone and everything was where they needed to be. Also, thanks to Johann for shooting with me that day.

Videographer – Michael Bauch
Emcee/DJ – Machs Party Studio
Flowers – Robinson’s Flowers

Since I’m not quite done with the slideshow, I’m posting a few extra pictures for you all to enjoy!

Trying some off-camera lighting

Another shot of the dress

May had lots of jewelry inside these cute little boxes.

Loved the big bow on the back of her dress.

All the flower arrangements were gorgeous!

Spinning around in dress #1

May and Jeff impressed everyone with their dancing skills.

Doing the tango in dress #2

The maid of honor gave such a heartfelt speech.

Toasting tables in dress #3

Bouquet tossing in dress #4

A bouquet shot amidst the cool decor of the Ritz.

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TAGS: Laguna Niguel wedding, Laguna Niguel wedding photographer, Orange County Wedding, Orange County wedding photographer, Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel, Ritz Carlton wedding, Ritz Carlton wedding photographer

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JENNIFER + ERIC | WEDDING

October 19, 2008 Weddings

I am so excited to share Jennifer and Eric’s amazing wedding with you all! There were so many great moments throughout the day, and every single detail was impeccable…it made my job so easy! We started with some getting ready shots at the Westin Palo Alto, then headed across the street to Stanford for some pictures with the bridal party and family. It was my first time visiting Stanford’s campus and I was completely wowed at how beautiful it was. I’d definitely love to go back and visit again…I could shoot there all day! Their ceremony and reception were held at the Lucie Stern Community Center. It is such a gorgeous venue, the staff is great, and the food was some of the best I’ve had (no joke).

Thank you, Jennifer and Eric, for having me capture your wedding day! Thanks also for being so patient…I know you guys have been anxious to see your pictures. Also, a great big huge thanks to Adrienne Gunde for flying up to NorCal to shoot with me. She got some really great shots so be sure to check out her blog as well.

Loved the little rose on Jennifer’s shoes!

Seeing each other for the first time.

We got so many weird stares and comments for taking pictures in front of the “Gates of Hell“. Let me just say that we were well aware of what we were doing. Jennifer actually suggested it, and who am I to deny a bride’s request? Like NPH said on How I Met Your Mother, “It’s for the bride!”

The memorial court is a really popular place to shoot….I think we saw like 10 quinceanera courts and bridal parties there! I can’t blame them though…it’s a beautiful location.

Probably my favorite shot of the day….although there were so many to choose from!

Doesn’t Jennifer look gorgeous?!

The guys weren’t too bad themselves. =P

Walked down by her mom and brother.

Ok, ok…this might be another of my favorites.

Jennifer and Eric wrote such touching letters to their moms. I think Adrienne and I were sobbing inwardly.

This has got to be by far THE BEST unity ceremony I’ve seen. Jennifer and Eric did a little chemistry experiment, pouring red and blue liquids (representing Stanford & Cal) into a flask.

And here’s the end result.

Some of the gorgeous details of the day.

xoxo,
Serena | Serena Grace Photo

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TAGS: Lucie Stern Community Center, Lucie Stern wedding, Lucie Stern wedding photographer, Lucie Stern wedding photographs, Palo Alto wedding photographer, Stanford wedding photographer, Stanford wedding photos, Westin Palo Alto

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JENNIFER + MAHRU | RANCHO BERNARDO WEDDING

October 14, 2008 Weddings

Jennifer and Mahru got married at Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo. It is such a cool venue…they have a collection of old tractors and farm equipment scattered throughout the grounds, and the walls are lined with all kinds of neat antiques and artifacts….made for tons of great places to shoot! I got a little carried away with shooting detail shots b/c there were so many cool little spots everywhere.

The ceremony was intimate and sweet. I loved the vows they read to each other. During the reception there was an open mic for family and friends to share their memories and well-wishes for the couple, and it was really special to hear how much everyone loved them and was touched by their lives. I also loved the twist they put on the traditional bouquet and garter toss. Jennifer & Mahru are avid ultimate frisbee players, so they threw frisbees instead…what a fun idea!

Jennifer decided to be non-traditional and wear a green dress.

I went a little crazy with the shoe shots. =P

The rings on some antlers

Here’s her other dress she changed into for the reception.

What a sweet moment!

xoxo,
Serena Grace Photo

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TAGS: Bernardo Winery, Bernardo Winery wedding, Bernardo Winery wedding photographer, Rancho Bernardo wedding, Rancho Bernardo wedding photographer

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ADRIENNE + CHRIS | TURNIP ROSE WEDDING

October 12, 2008 Weddings

Adrienne and Chris picked such an awesome place to have their wedding. Not only is The Turnip Rose’s Grand Newport Plaza a gorgeous venue, but the staff is outstanding! I was really impressed with what a great job the staff did in making sure the day ran smoothly. And did I mention the yummy chocolate-covered tuxedo strawberries injected with coffee liquors….they are to die for. =)

Check out some pictures from Adrienne & Chris’ wedding, and if you want to see more, there’s a slideshow at the end too!

The lovely bride

All the cuties

Adrienne’s mom with her 3 gorgeous daughters

Loved these shots Jeremy got from the balcony

There is always at least one moment at every wedding where my eyes start to well up with tears and I have to fight to hold them back so I can still see through my viewfinder. This was one of them.

Photobooth fun

I want to try injecting some strawberries with amaretto now. 😉

xoxo,
Serena Grace Photo

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TAGS: Grand Newport Plaza, Newport Beach wedding, Newport Beach wedding photographer, Orange County Wedding, Orange County wedding photographer, Turnip Rose wedding, Turnip Rose wedding photographer

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CECILIA + WAYNE | BoaVentura Vineyard

September 26, 2008 Weddings

Cecilia + Wayne
BoaVentura Vineyard

Cecilia & Wayne could not have picked a cooler place to have their wedding…..I mean a vineyard + a barn…..that can only equal AWESOME! On top of that, they had an ice cream social before the reception, Cecilia rocked some cute cowboy boots, and the whole bridal party got on the dance floor for some line dancing. I love their style!

Their event planner, Sanli Yang, did a great job of making sure the day ran smoothly and was a real pleasure to work with. And special thanks to Junshien for shooting with me that day and setting up some great shots.

The shoes Cecilia wore before she changed into her cowboy boots.

Their dog Indee was part of the festivities.

Bet you’d never guess this shot was taken in the restroom.

The ice cream got a little melty but that didn’t stop them from digging in.

They hung up their guests’ rsvp cards….look at all the cute responses they got!

Party time in the barn.

Instead of a bouquet of real flowers, Cecilia used a bouquet of pink flower spatulas for her bouquet toss. What a creative idea!

Cowboy Boots + Line Dancing

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TAGS: barn wedding, BoaVentura Vineyard, BoaVentura Vineyard wedding, BoaVentura Vineyard wedding photographer

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JENNY + ROBERT | WEDDING

September 23, 2008 Weddings

Jenny and Robert exchanged vows at the beautiful Villa del Sol d’Oro in Sierra Madre, CA. After going through all of their pictures, I am seriously in love with this place! It is such a gorgeous and photogenic location….you really can’t take a bad picture there. And it didn’t hurt that I had such an awesome couple to shoot! I’ve known Jenny for a few years now through Jeremy, and she is always overflowing with energy and just all-around fun to be around. And I had met Rob a few times at some previous weddings I’ve shot but only really had the chance to exchange “hellos.” So as I spent time with Jenny and Rob on their wedding day, it was really a pleasure for me to get to know Rob a little better and I was truly impressed by how kind, caring, and genuine he is. Jenny & Rob…..I am so happy for you two!

And a great big thanks to Johann for helping me shoot that day!

Love this shot of Jenny as her bridesmaid helps her with her dress.