Mom and I were texting each other as we got to the park.  We parked on opposite sides of the park, but as soon as I saw the big “1” birthday balloon, I knew that was Mason’s family  🙂  Oh little Mason, I just loved your cheeks!  I especially liked when you smiled (even the cute little smirk that you gave me a couple of times!).  He was happiest playing with sticks and pushing our wagon (what child doesn’t love sticks?!).  He was adorable with his jeans and polo shirt.  The sun was exceptionally strong that day, but he powered through his shoot like a champ!  Thank you for driving out to see us, Mom and Dad!  We had a lot of fun with Mason.  Congratulations on celebrating his first birthday too!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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I knew we were going to be a great photographer/client match the minute I started receiving emails from her.  I loved the detailed timeline shared via Google, complete with photos of special guests!!!  Denalee…I truly appreciated your organization.  When you handed me my own labeled wedding folder, complete with timeline, guest list and seating arrangement, I had a flashback to my own wedding.  I did the EXACT same thing for my wedding party, LOL!  I know how much time you put into it. Despite being highly organized, Denalee was also one of the most flexible brides I’ve ever worked with…especially in terms of the timeline.  You were a dream to work with! So calm and elegant…just GORGEOUS.  Ka’eo, we are so happy for you both.  We loved how you incorporated your own style, and made the wedding so personal to you and your families. It was great seeing you and all of your friends again!

Thank you for sharing your special day with us, so many wonderful memories and friendships. We hope you are enjoying your first few weeks as a married couple, with many more wonderful years to come  🙂  Here’s your sneak peek (slideshow of the photos at the very end):

It started off as a beautiful morning.  The sky was a gorgeous blue…an amazing start to a wonderful day!

Denalee had a beautiful dress…and I loved her cute little “I Do” shoes.  Everything was so personalized.

Then there was the “Best Friends” trophy…a gift from two of the groomsmen to Ka`eo. It was later used as a drinking cup for champagne (for the guys, of course).

In the meantime, the bridesmaids and bride were getting dressed in an adjoining suite.  Loved the colorful robes…I’ll bet those were great selfies!

Finally, the official “first look”.  Just look at Ka’eo’s face as he sees Denalee for the first time.  Lots of cheering, some crying from the crowd.  Pure happiness!

We headed out to the beach for some Bride/Groom shots before the ceremony. I don’t think we could have asked for better weather.  It was clear, and amazingly, not too windy! Denalee, you were gorgeous! Ka’eo, stunning as always  😉  The groom and his groomsmen were dressed in true Ka’eo fashion, complete with slippers. What a great looking couple.  Hugs to you both!

We took some formal (and not so formal) photos of the wedding party.  I’m sure the photo I took of the groomsmen looking down on me looked pretty interesting if you happened to see us on the beach…

Time for the reception. Denalee’s father not only walked her down the aisle, but was also the marriage officiant. It made for even more tears (and cheers) as the guests saw him give her away to Ka’eo. It was very touching with the handing off of the robe from groom to father, and handing off of daughter from father to groom. When the vows were over and the rings were exchanged, Dad gave the couple a huge hug.  As they walked back up the aisle as a married couple, I stood behind Dad and continued to take photos. I saw him give a huge sigh as they walked away…

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed pupus and mingled, while the bride and groom signed their marriage certificate.  It’s official  🙂

The reception program…one word…hilarious!  I haven’t laughed so hard in awhile  🙂  I had a feeling Ka’eo expected no less from his friends.  Boy did they roast him!  Denalee’s friend gave one of the most heart-felt speeches, ever.

At last, it was time for everyone to celebrate and DANCE!  The lights were turned down low, and the glow sticks came out.  Practically every child and adult had a glow stick in his/her hand…and many of them made their way onto the dance floor.  What a show!!!

 

Thank you, Ka’eo and Denalee, for inviting us to share in your amazing day. From the excitement filled “wedding prep”, to the celebratory flashing and glowing lights at the close of your reception…it was one of the most joyous weddings we’ve had the pleasure of photographing!  We wish you both the very best in your journey together.  Thank you!!!

 

SLIDESHOW

 

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He had the cutest smile, complete with the most pinch-able cheeks and brightest eyes!  Graeson arrived ready for his shoot.  I was a little worried, because he was smiling so much before we started his photo shoot. Save those smiles, Graeson!  Luckily, he still had a few smiles to share (and so did his big brother, Jamison!).  He also had a thoughtful, curious look that I loved (just look at those eyes).  I also thought it was adorable that he kept on pulling on his shirt…love the shot with his little belly button showing. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sharing your little charmer with us.  It was great meeting you all!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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Remember little Evan?  Click HERE for his newborn shoot, and HERE for his 4-month shoot.  Our first shoot for him in 2017 was his 10-month old shoot, and this handsome guy was on the move!  He was incredibly curious, and wanted to explore our studio. He was accompanied by his “big sister” Yuri. I had to post a couple of “blooper” shots at the end of this post, because Yuri was hilarious!  I think she wanted her photo taken more than Evan did  😉  She even peered around him so I could take her photo (and yes, dogs definitely smile!)

We decided to do a “big boy” boat photo of Evan, to show how much he’s grown in less than a year (just look at that boat photo in Evan’s newborn post)!  He was equally adorable, just in a larger size  🙂  I loved Evan’s soft wavy hair and his intelligent, inquisitive eyes. Next time we see you, Evan, you’ll be running!  Can’t wait for our next shoot. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sharing your little guy with us.  It’s always great seeing him and his cute outfits!  Here’s your sneak peek (including the photos of Yuri trying to be the star of the show!):

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It’s been a little over 2 years since we saw Cameron.  Click HERE to see his newborn shoot.  A lot changed since we last saw him.  He’s talking up a storm, showing off a full set of beautiful teeth…and he’s a big brother!  Meet baby Chloe.  She was just perfect.  Chloe had the cutest lips and nose, and I just wanted to pinch her little cheeks. Once she fell asleep, she was OUT.  She was happy and content…such a sleepy angel.  It was great seeing all of you again, Mom, Dad, Tayler and Cameron!  Congratulations on your newest family member  🙂  Here’s your sneak peek:

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It’s Senior Portrait season, and we’ve been blessed with some simply amazing high school seniors this year!  Andrew was no exception. He was easy-going, friendly and happened to be a great conversationalist. Seniors frequently need a “warm up” period before they feel at ease during their shoots. I remember my senior portrait shoot (a VERY long time ago) being quite uncomfortable…and it was worse because my mom was standing there, watching me struggle to look “natural” (I love you, Mom!).  Andrew seamlessly transitioned from location to location…no awkwardness at all! He gave me his friendly, easy smile, and we moved on our way. He was such an easy person to talk to, which always makes our shoots easier (and makes their shots appear more natural). Thank you, Andrew, for being so wonderful to work with!  I hope you were able to get all of that sand out of your shoes  😉  Here’s your sneak peek:

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I couldn’t wait to see Hailey 🙂  We did her two older siblings’ senior portraits previously (click HERE to see Brittney’s shoot, and click HERE to see Jordan’s shoot), and now it was Hailey’s turn.  Hailey was just as easy to work with as her sister and brother.  Mom and Dad, you are definitely doing something right…your kids are amazing!  We were chasing the sun (it was setting behind the trees, not over the ocean like we hoped), and it started raining at the very end of our shoot.  Luckily, the rain started after the sun set, so we were almost over with our shoot by the time the first raindrops fell.  Despite the less than ideal situation, Hailey was a great sport. She tolerated the rain, and sat on brush and stubbly stumps for me.  She flashed me her incredibly photogenic smile, and seemed completely at ease during her shoot.  Loved the pop of color that Hailey’s red dress gave us! Thank you so very much for working with us, Hailey. It was a pleasure seeing you and Mom again!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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It’s Spring, and the girls represented the season well in their happy little outfits!  Love that mom wanted some flowery/Easter type shots  🙂  Hayden was such a great big sister…she really tried to get Hailey to sit still for her sibling shots (well, she did her best, LOL)!  Hailey was on the go  🙂  She was ready to explore, and basically wanted to taste everything (that’s what teething babies do, right?).  I just loved her adorable facial expressions and mischievous looks once she crawled off the backdrop.  Hailey was a joy to work with (as was big sis, Hayden), and she did an amazing job with her multiple outfit changes (all of which were just as cute as she was).  It was great seeing you all again, Mom and Dad!  Looking forward to our next shoot with all of you.

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When Mom unveiled her precious cargo, I couldn’t help but gush over “R”‘s hair!  I loved everything about it.  It had so much character (and it brought me back to the 80’s…I think I had that hairstyle, but I needed a ton of gel to hold it up). I didn’t want to cover up that fabulous hair with hats, so we put little headbands on instead.  Don’t you just want to reach out into your screen and touch that hair?!  She also had the cutest cheeks, and red pouty lips.  “R” decided about halfway through, that she wanted to keep her eyes open and explore the studio.  Although she was awake, she remained calm…so we got a lot of shots of her with her eyes open (sometimes this isn’t very easy, because awake newborns often = hungry, upset and/or flailing newborns).  Mom, it was great seeing you again!  Hopefully, we’ll see “B” and “A” during one of “R”‘s upcoming shoots (click HERE to see a previous shoot with “A” and “B”).  Thanks for coming out to see us!  Congratulations  🙂  Here’s your sneak peek:

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One year already?  I still remember Kenzie as a newborn…with that beautiful head of dark hair!  Click HERE to see Kenzie’s newborn shoot.  The last time we saw Kenzie was about 6 months ago, and she was a smiley little one!  Fast-forward 6 months later, and she’s still smiling up a storm (but now she’s literally running across our backdrop!).  It didn’t take much to make her smile, just like her big brother, Aiden!  So many smiley photos to choose from–it was so hard to narrow them down for your sneak peek  🙂  Just looking at your photos makes me smile right back at the computer screen 😉  Happy birthday, Kenzie!  Here’s your sneak peek:

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