Melissa McClure Blog » personal http://melissamcclure.net San Diego Wedding Photographer Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:09:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Happy New Year 2011!! http://melissamcclure.net/2011/12/31/happy-new-year-2011/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/12/31/happy-new-year-2011/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:00:27 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=8011 I cannot wipe this stupid happy grin off my face as I relived memories from each of these weddings.
So much love, new friendship and lots of laughs.  I wish the very same for your 2012!

Thank you to our amazing clients in 2011 (including those not pictured here!)  My life has been enriched by knowing you, you are the reason I do what I do!

xoxo, Melissa (and Mandi too!)

 

 

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/12/31/happy-new-year-2011/feed/ 2 My Best Friend’s Wedding! http://melissamcclure.net/2011/11/21/my-best-friends-wedding/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/11/21/my-best-friends-wedding/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:16:32 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=7853 The blog has been a little quiet lately…mostly because I’ve been traveling all over the country! Three time zones in one week and my body officially is confused.  Jason and I headed to Chicago last Thursday to celebrate my best friend Nichole and her new husband Mitch at their wedding!  It was an awesome (mostly) camera-free weekend!  When the photographers showed up to the wedding I put the camera away and tried to become a non-meddling bridesmaid.  It was hard, I will admit! :) I’m excited to see what they created though!

   The following Sunday we were off to Maui to shoot two beautiful tropical destination weddings and two trash the dress shoots.  Thursday we were back on the plane to San Diego.  Friday was my good friends 10 year vow renewal and then my last 2011 wedding on Saturday!  It was a long tiring week but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything!

Just because blogs are so much better with photos…

Me and the bride to be at her rehearsal dinner!

At the salon the morning of!

The bride relaxing during one of the rare calm moments

Her gorgeous bouquet!

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/11/21/my-best-friends-wedding/feed/ 2 NYC in the Fall http://melissamcclure.net/2011/11/06/nyc-in-the-fall/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/11/06/nyc-in-the-fall/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:58:36 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=7830 My boyfriend Jason took me on my first trip to NYC (ever!) last week. The day we flew in a freak snowstorm hit the state and we had a little trouble finding our way to the hotel. The days following were much better and we got to enjoy what was left of the fall colors and even experience some snow on the ground! We had an amazing whirlwind of a trip, I can’t wait to go back since we didn’t have time to do and see everything I wanted to!

Proof that I have the best boyfriend ever?  He took me on the Sex and the City Tour!  For you Sex & the City uber-fans, this is the restaurant that Carrie and Big had their rehearsal dinner and this is where everyone sat!

The Empire State Building at night!

We loved walking around Central Park!  It was warm enough this day to actually shed our coats for a few minutes!

Being a huge Beatles fan, I had to visit Strawberry Fields and the John Lennon Memorial!

I was able to sneak in an engagement session for a super fun couple, Natalie and David!  They showed us around Central Park on Sunday afternoon and were troopers in the chilly weather when I made them take their coats off!  I met Natalie when she was a bridesmaid in the wedding I shot on my birthday (Full blog post on this shoot to come soon)!

Thanks for taking a peek at our journey to NYC!  Hope you enjoyed – stay warm!

xo, Melissa

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/11/06/nyc-in-the-fall/feed/ 3 Mission San Juan Capistrano – A fun shoot! http://melissamcclure.net/2011/06/27/mission-san-juan-capistrano-a-fun-shoot/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/06/27/mission-san-juan-capistrano-a-fun-shoot/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:24:09 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=7300 Wow, this post is waaaaaaaaayyyyyy overdue!  I took these photographs in March of 2010!  Over a year ago.  It was just a fun, personal shoot so it took the back burner. I didn’t even really look at the images until I was on my 14 hour plane ride to Africa.  My good friend Cathy was in town visiting after WPPI in Vegas and one of her wishes was to shoot at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. Along with another friend, Bethany and our gorgeous model (another good friend, florist for Exquisite Blooms – Sally) we headed north to take some beautiful photos at one of my favorite shooting locations!

 

I absolutely love succulent bouquets, and Sally made this one! Stunning!

After the Mission we headed to this open field near by for some more fun shots!

Bethany :)

My favorite Aussie, Cathy!

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/06/27/mission-san-juan-capistrano-a-fun-shoot/feed/ 4 My Trip: Ethiopia, Africa http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/24/my-trip-ethiopia-africa/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/24/my-trip-ethiopia-africa/#comments Tue, 24 May 2011 23:06:11 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=7125 Part three of my travel blogs, and then I’m back to the regularly scheduled blogging, I promise!  Lots of gorgeous weddingness and fun engagementness coming soon!  ;-)

We spent a few days in Lalibella and Gondor, Ethiopia.  Lalibella was an unreal experience!  We were there during the holiday of Maryam (Virgin Mary) and we got to witness the beautiful ceremony with dancing Priests!

The famous Lalibella cross, which was stolen a few years back.  It was a huge ordeal but was returned when the thief was caught.

12th Century paintings

After two nights in Lalibela, we went to Gondar which is the former capital.  We toured King Fasiledes’ castle, here is my mother at the castle.

Haile Selaisse’s church had amazing paintings all over, including the ceiling.

A street scene in Gondar

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/24/my-trip-ethiopia-africa/feed/ 6 My Trip: Tanzania, African Safari http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/22/my-trip-tanzania-african-safari/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/22/my-trip-tanzania-african-safari/#comments Sun, 22 May 2011 18:01:38 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=7107 When my parents and I were planning this trip to Africa, I only had two requests.  To go on an actual safari and to see Lalibella, Ethiopia (next blog!)  We chose Tanzania for the safari because it is smaller than Kenya and has less tourists.  What a beautiful country!  So green and the clouds are amazing.  I saw some gorgeous animals, up close at Lake Menyara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.  I would highly recommend visiting Tanzania some day!

My parents, married 41 years in August!

We got the opportunity to visit a traditional Maasai Village where they welcomed us with their dancing

And I met this little cutie, Nema!

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/22/my-trip-tanzania-african-safari/feed/ 7 My Trip: Istanbul, Turkey http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/20/my-trip-istanbul-turkey/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/20/my-trip-istanbul-turkey/#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 00:20:48 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=7098 I’m home from my 3 week trip!  I came down with a stomach bug in Africa, so I’ve spent the last week trying to recover from it.   The trip was very eye opening, to say the least.  I feel that there were 3 major parts of the trip (Turkey, Ethiopia & the safari in Tanzania) that I’m going to post three photoblogs about it.

For the first three days, we took a long layover in Istanbul, Turkey.  The mosques were the highlight for me!  They were created so beautifully, great subjects to photograph.

My parents :)

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/05/20/my-trip-istanbul-turkey/feed/ 3 Maui, Hawaii Photographer – We are safe! http://melissamcclure.net/2011/03/11/maui-hawaii-photography-we-are-safe/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/03/11/maui-hawaii-photography-we-are-safe/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:05:30 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=6797 The tragedy in Japan is just devastating to watch and read about. My heart goes out to all the people living and visiting there! The earthquake caused quite a stir around the world, including West Maui where we spent our last day of vacation!

Our hotel evacuated around 1am and we fled in our rented Jeep to higher elevation. We listened to the radio, tried to nap and talked about the tsunami that was going to hit Hawaii and eventually the West Coast. We snuck back to our hotel around 6am when we felt it was safe enough. Whew what a way to end an amazing vacation!

Still haven’t heard how the rest of Maui fared but I hear we got hit worse than the other islands. We had just taken a snorkel trip out of Maalaea Harbor not even 24 hours ago and it was one of the areas with a lot of damage. See two of my photos from yesterday’s snorkel trip below.

We appreciate the concern and support by our friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, Email and text messages! Love you all! Our next adventure…find out if our planes are really flying out today or not!!!

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/03/11/maui-hawaii-photography-we-are-safe/feed/ 5 Happiest of Happy New Years Wishes! http://melissamcclure.net/2011/01/06/happiest-of-happy-new-years-wishes/ http://melissamcclure.net/2011/01/06/happiest-of-happy-new-years-wishes/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:44:15 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=6474 As I was pulling images from each of our weddings this year I got an overwhelming feeling of gratification.  I am so blessed to have met each and every one of my clients and each of them touch my heart in a different way!  I am completely humbled by the people I have met, new friends I have made and the current friendships that have been made stronger.  I wish I could hug each and every one of my blog followers – I am so grateful for you!!

2010 was a big year of change for me.  I traveled more for business and personal time than ever before (84 days = the amount I was away from home!), Tim and I decided to mutually split up, I won Bridal Insider’s Photographer of the Year, was published in some awesome magazines/online blogs and I turned 30 years old!  It was a definitely roller coaster but would not change one thing.

I look forward to an even better 2011 with new couples, some returning clients and all my future brides and grooms!  I hope you all have a prosperous and eventful 2011!

xoxo, Melissa

]]> http://melissamcclure.net/2011/01/06/happiest-of-happy-new-years-wishes/feed/ 8 Home! http://melissamcclure.net/2010/11/05/home/ http://melissamcclure.net/2010/11/05/home/#comments Fri, 05 Nov 2010 08:31:19 +0000 Melissa McClure http://melissamcclure.net/?p=6014 After 3 weeks away traveling for 3 weddings out of state (and one out of country) I am back in my own bed tonight. I have a ton to catch up on so I appreciate your patience!

Hope this photo of Mandi and me makes you smile!  It was taken on the first night of the cruise, where we shot Shawna and Jason’s amazing underwater trash the dress and wedding at the Atlantis Resort!

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