Personal Archive

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!

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

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!

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

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!