Please let me introduce Alissa and Ari who are the winners of the engagement session contest I held last December. Their story moved me so much that I had to meet them in person to learn all about their adventures, and it just so turned out they were also engaged. Here is what Alissa’s e-mail read:

“HELLO!!!
My name is Alissa Chapman and my fiance is Ari Olgun!
We met in 2003 at UC, Santa Cruz when we moved into the same house for our senior year of college.
We became fast friends and always kept in touch, even after Ari moved to San Jose and I moved to Spain.
In the Autum of 2005, I moved back to the Bay Area and our close friendship eventually evolved into Ari saying “Is it weird that I like you?” and me responding “Only if it’s weird that I like you back.” Ever since then we have been inseperable. Well, theoretically. For the first two years of our relationship, Ari contiued to live in San Jose and I lived in San Francisco.
In 2008, we embarked on a journey to escape from reality as we traveled and lived in the stunning country of New Zealand. We purchased a van, turned it into a bed in the back and we traveled the country living in our van. We worked in hostels, kiwifruit factories, ski fields, and anywhere else we could find a job. We simply just worked enough to live and lived a lot.
During our last month abroad we ventured out to Australia, just after our 4 year dating anniversary, we went scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef on a 3-day dive trip. On our last dive of the trip, as we were underwater taking in the beauty around us, Ari handed Alissa his writing slate that said “Will You Marry Me?” with a tick box for “Yes” and “No.” I, overcome with excitement, checked the box “Yes” as Ari flashed an “o” Ring for me to wear until we found a real ring”

Their wedding was just as insane! I felt like my finger was glued to the camera since there was so much going on. If Katrina and I bet money on who had better shots this wedding she probably would have won. I was jealous of more than a few of her shots to say the least. The Victorian was an absolutely intimate and gorgeous venue as well and I loved the warm tones that it gave. Alissa and Ari are now diving in the Bermuda Triangle for their honeymoon living life to its fullest. Keep an eye out on the blog for their engagement session coming up soon.

Out of the many venues I have worked at, The Parker Palm Springs always impresses me. Every detail of this chic boutique hotel is perfected and you really feel like you took a step back in time. Flowers and event planning were done by Artisan. Laleh’s beautiful dress is by Vera Wang and Hossein’s suit is compliments (literally) of Marc Jacobs himself.

I second shot this wedding for my good friend Farhad Samari.

This weekend included many firsts for the newlywed couple Johanna and Francis. It was their first time traveling to another country, their first time taking a shot at a bar, and their first dance, ever. Needless to say it was an exciting time for them and I’m glad I was there to share it with the two. Although it was their second time getting married in two months, emotions and excitement were still high throughout the morning. Johanna also surprised Francis with a Honda Elite Scooter since they work close to their homes. They spent the next four days traveling the rest of the east side of Mexico and enjoying their first vacation together snorkeling, exploring, and celebrating their marriage.

Their epic two song, three part slideshow here, or click below