Ashley & Paul hosted the party of the summer in Ensenada, Mexico! Their wedding celebration was one I’ll never forget and I’m so honored to have been able to photograph it! AND they’ll have some great stories to share with their kids someday. More details below…. 🙂

Ashley & Paul – THANK YOU for sharing your day with me!!

Ceremony and reception venue – Hotel Coral & Marina; Hair – Beth Lund

These guys…made me WORK. I definitely had to put them in their place a few times. All in fun, of course. 😉

Looking pretty handsome, fellas!

The GORGEOUS ladies!!!

Ashley’s dress was PERFECT!

What are the chances of this happening?? In the photo below, you see the initial cut into the wedding cake (top left)…keeping in mind this is NOT an ice cream cake…or cheesecake…just a normal, perfectly normal frosting/cake combo. AND…this is a BRAND NEW knife/server set that has NEVER been used. As you can see, the knife handle BREAKS. What I don’t notice until a few seconds later is that Paul’s finger is bleeding and he has been cut …BADLY. (you can see a little blood on the handle that Ashley is holding in the bottom left). He asks for a cloth napkin and says he’s fine. So they try again and use the server to attempt the 2nd cut. THE SERVER HANDLE BREAKS TOO. At this point (as you can see on Ashley’s face…bottom right), no one can believe this is happening and Paul needs medical attention. Don’t worry, though, he was lucky enough to have a friend at the wedding who had his medical bag with him at the hotel who bandaged him up (a few times) and he was good to go. Crazy, right?!!

Crisis averted… and then they danced…

And danced and danced and danced the night away….

No matter your relationship status during this time of year, we can’t ignore the roses, cards, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate ice cream… choc… oh sorry, I got distracted… and, of course, LOVE. Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and I truly hope there is LOVE in your life. Love is a beautiful thing and whether it’s with your soulmate, your best friend, your family, your dog or your cat… everyone deserves LOVE in their life because there is ALWAYS more room for it. You may have to take some huge risks to find it or get hurt in the process, but we all deserve to find it in any form and we’ve got to keep fighting for it. Love is louder than so many things and I, personally, hope to find true love someday so I can share my heart with someone who wants to share their heart with me.

Anywhoo… so where am I going with this you ask?? Well, thanks for sticking with me because it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!!! I’m a hopeless romantic who loves to celebrate LOVE and I can’t WAIT to give away a FREE PHOTO SESSION to one lucky couple!! This photo session will be something very special with a few amazing surprises (think Italian…)!

For the chance to win, you must be IN LOVE (duh!)…married, engaged or in a serious relationship AND you must be in the San Diego area (or planning to visit in the next 6 months). Sorry out of town folks, but the SURPRISE is located in SD and not able to travel (it’s super fun, just trust me on this one)!

Here are the important deets:

1) If you don’t already, follow me on Instagram (http://instagram.com/meganannphotography)

2) Send me an EMAIL with the following:

—A photo of the two of you
—A love letter to your significant other telling THEM (not me) your favorite memory of the two of you AND why you LOVE them (please keep it PG ;-)). Doesn’t have to be a novel, but be sincere and put your whole heart into it…I’m a hopeless romantic, so give it all you’ve got!
—Email these to me at megan@meganannphotography.com BEFORE Feb 14th at NOON PST

3) GUYS…you can enter too!! Surprise your lady and enter without her knowing!

4) Repost/share this message to your followers and your chances of winning will increase!

5) WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN ON FEBRUARY 15TH!!

I can’t wait to read your love stories!!😘

 

They had me at their first look…where they shared a cupcake and champagne. Erica and Mike are my kind of couple! 🙂 It was an honor to photograph this Pala Mesa Resort wedding, especially when Erica’s big sister is a good friend and photography mentor of mine. Allie and I have worked together regularly for the past few years, so when she referred me to Erica & Mike when they got engaged, I was so excited. These two were so calm and excited for their big day…two best friends who get to spend the rest of their lives together!

Also, a HUGE thanks to Evelyn Francesca Events & Design for creating and coordinating a truly gorgeous wedding day!! Enjoy the photos!

Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays everyone!! To say I’m behind in blogging is an understatement. BUT we are approaching a new year and I’m doing my best to catch up and KEEP up next year! For now, I’m starting with catching up with this gorgeous couple who were married in the Spring at the beautiful Green Gables Estate. Laura & Albert have a wonderful story together and I was so honored to be a part of their wedding day. Enjoy the photos and thank you for allowing me to do what I do!! Love you all!! XOXO!!

There are moments in your life that set you back, push you down and break you apart. Moments that make you sad, anxious, angry, confused, frustrated and fearful. You don’t want these moments to happen, yet they do. And they are inevitable. Life is hard. Love is hard. But you have a choice in how you deal with these moments. A choice that allows you to get back on your feet, face the fire and LIVE again. However you choose to guide that choice is up to you, but if guided by strength, courage, grace, faith and hope, you will find the answer you are looking for. The smiles will return. The hope will endure. The peace will set in. Joy will win. Love never fails. Don’t let days pass to let those you love know how you feel about them. Don’t let dreams fade because of fear. And don’t let your joy be taken away by someone or something you can’t control. “There may be pain the night, but JOY comes in the morning.”

I met Hannah and James on their wedding day. This wasn’t their original wedding date, but just a few months prior. You see, Hannah was diagnosed with cancer in early Spring and the doctors advised to begin chemotherapy as soon as possible. This meant moving their wedding date up to April…with just two weeks to plan. Family and friends set into motion and created a beautiful celebration in her parents backyard. The majority of the vendors donated their time and talent to bless this couple with their services in hopes to provide a day they would never forget. Faced with a tough road ahead, these two celebrated their love on that lovely April day and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to share it with them.

I’m happy to say that Hannah has completed her chemo treatments and is doing very well!! At such a young age, she’s dealt with more than most adults will ever have to deal with. Her strength, courage and faith are one of a kind and she has fought this battle so bravely. These two have a beautiful love story and I can’t wait to see where God takes them in the future! #coupleofquacks 🙂

Hair/makeup – 10.11. Makeup

I’ll always love Italy. I can’t wait until the next time I’m able to return to this gorgeous country. Spending a total of four weeks there over the past two years, it’s safe to say it’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever been and how lucky am I that I had the honor of photographing a wedding there?? Marianne & Gio have an amazing love story that began in Pacific Beach, CA. He barely knew any English as he had just moved to California from Italy and she, a Wisconsin transplant, knew no Italian whatsoever. But they had a connection that was undeniable and knew it couldn’t be ignored. After a few trips back to Italy and then back to the States, the two were married in a San Diego civil ceremony a few years ago. However, since all of his family resides in Italy, they both knew that an Italian wedding was in the cards. Flashback to last June when I had the pleasure of visiting Sorrento, Italy to photograph this beautiful affair. Marianne & Gio (and his family) had spent hours and hours and hours of planning from across the world in order to make this day possible. It was more beautiful than I imagined and I can’t wait to finally share it with you!

Getting ready – Imperial Hotel Tramontano Sorrento; Ceremony – La chiesa e il convento dei Frati Cappucini; Reception site – Towers Hotel Stabiae Sorrento Coast; Dress – Bliss Bride; Floral Design – Fiori Sorrento; DJ – Amalfi Coast Music; Transportation – Eurolimo; Veil – Alisa Brides; Bridesmaid Jewelry – Kate Spade; Hair – Beth Lund; Makeup – Jimena Puy

I’m not sure where to start since this blog post is WAY overdue, but we’ll just hold hands and jump in together, shall we?? Peggy & Eion were the sweetest couple and I’m so grateful for the honor of photographing their destination wedding in Hawaii!! Family and friends came from Vancouver, BC and Taiwan for the festivities. It was a 3-day adventure full of wonderful food, beach adventures, fabulous dresses (and SHOES) and of course, LOVE. Sit back, relax and enjoy this small glimpse of Peggy & Eion’s Hawaiian Celebration!!

Vendor Love:

Welcome reception location and catering- The Modern Honolulu; Wedding day accommodations- Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort; Wedding ceremony- Ocean Crystal Chapel at the Hilton Hawaiian Village; Wedding coordinator- Allyson Hoy; Officiant- John Fuchigami; Wedding reception location- The Kahala Hotel & Resort; Flowers- J’Adore Floral Design; Videography- My Moviie

Phenomenal food and desserts at The Modern Honolulu…

I mean…this…just this…YUM. Can you see the chocolate cone that these macarons are attached to?? 🙂

Day 2 on the beach! Engagement photos with Peggy & Eion. They finally had the chance to relax and have some FUN with just each other. Such a lovely afternoon!

And last, but not least…the wedding day…

Just a little bling to start the day.

Not a bad view, eh?

Ready to get married!

Married!!

Next up…time to party at The Kahala Hotel & Resort!

A little rain couldn’t damper the post-ceremony portraits.

No Hawaiian wedding is complete without fire dancers!

Perfect end to a perfect weekend. ALOHA!

Can I just say that 2014 weddings have all been AMAZING and I’m so thankful for this “job” of mine. Ryan & Caitlin’s wedding was no exception and definitely one of my favorites. I’ve been able to see this relationship grow from the beginning as I shared an office with Ryan and the FortyOneTwenty boys just after they first started dating. They will always be my little brothers and I love seeing them as happy as Ryan was on his wedding day. Caitlin, you were the PERFECT bride…so relaxed, joyful and beautiful all day long! Thank you both for the honor of photographing your wedding day! I know how much work was put into this wedding and it was all well worth it. It was SO MUCH FUN!

A few shout outs to some amazing vendors who created this gorgeous day:

Venue – Hidden Oaks; Weddings; DJ – Pacific Entertainment; Videography – Sean Horton (FortyOneTwenty) & Shane Aguon (Pure Cinema Productions); Officiant – Josh Carter; Hair – Jill Jacobi; Make Up – Annie Hardy; Flowers – Lisa Martin; 2nd shooter – Katrina Louise

Sit back, relax, and enjoy Caitlin & Ryan’s wedding day…

The most gorgeous floral crowns and bouquets!!

First looks are my favorite. And these doors?? LOVE.

GORGEOUS hair and florals!!!

Handsome boys and their bouts.

But first…let’s take a selfie, grandma!

A gorgeous backdrop!

MARRIED!

Oh this light…dreamy…

The details…

You break it, you fix it! 😉

Will they be nice?? ….

Or not so nice?? 😉

My favorite! 🙂 Good job Caitlin!

HAPPY MARRIAGE YOU TWO!!! XOXO!!

The first time I met with Maria and her mom, I knew this wedding was going to be one to remember. Over a year in advance, they were already making the vision for Maria & Eric’s day come to life. And it did not disappoint. The venue alone is rustic, unique and vast. With the help of family and friends, Maria & Eric transformed Leo Carrillo Ranch into the wedding of their dreams. It was truly a beautiful day!

You may remember these two from their Balboa engagement session HERE.

I learned two things about peacocks on this wedding day. 1) They are not shy around people. 2) They are LOUD.

Maria was a GORGEOUS bride!

HOMEMADE salsa for wedding favors!!

Who needs a reason to wear your wedding dress again?? I say rock that dress every year on your anniversary!! 🙂 Audrey and Miles were married in June of 2013 back home in Georgia. They now reside in San Diego and wanted to celebrate their first anniversary with photos at the beach! I was happy to oblige as these two are as sweet as can be and both pretty awesome athletes as well. I’ll brag about them for a bit because they are both so humble…Miles played baseball and Audrey was a star gymnast, both at University of Georgia, which is where they met. Impressive, eh? So their future children will not only be ridiculously good looking, but they’ll have some amazing genes too! 😉 I had a blast hanging out with these two on Coronado a few months back and they completely rocked it. Makes my job so easy! Enjoy!

Trying to put on a veil in the dark is not easy… 😉