Kristin & Jose made their love connection in high school. They’ve had quite a long journey before they decided to tie the knot. One random spring night after discussing their business plans Jose looked over at Kristin and blurted out the magic words “MARRY ME!” She was totally shocked! Then he asked her again “Will you Marry Me?” Of course she said Yes! The morning of their wedding was beautiful! The weather was perfect for a mid September wedding! Kristin & Jose were both so calm about the whole day! They had no stress at all! I was super excited that they decided to have a “First Look” before they walked down the aisle. It gave them some time to enjoy each other before all the excitement of the day took place. The whole wedding was absolutely beautiful! Jose’s best man made a toast that was so touching… (and im horrible at repeating people word for word so I hope I don’t mess this up too bad) but he said “Im not going to wish your marriage Luck because Luck is full of doubt! Instead I have Faith that God will Bless your marriage and your family!” Ok Kristin & Jose I apologize because I know I totally got it wrong but that’s the main message I got out of it! And it touched my heart! Thank you both soooo much for allowing me to be apart of this special moment in your lives! May God continue to Bless you and your family! Kristin's hair was beautifully done by Aime Limon Meanwhile on the other side of the venue the groom Jose & his groomsmen were getting their final details on before the big First Look! All the beautiful flowers were provided by Darla's Designs Here comes Kristin sneaking up on her groom for their "First Look"... Gorgeous Couple! Look at those eyes! Stunning!! Kristin & her gorgeous gals... Jose & his handsome groomsmen... The Beautiful Barker Family... The wedding took place at the enchanted Hidden Oaks in Alta Loma, CA. It was so sweet that she had both her Father & Step father walk her down the aisle... Sand Ceremony... I Love the sign!!! Their first dance as husband & wife... Speeches... Father Daughter dances... Mother Son dance... Thank you so much to my second shooter Crystal Nicole for having my back!
2 Comments
Jennifer & Steven met in the 7th grade while attending the same middle school. They didn’t become friends until 3 years later their sophomore year in high school. Friends is an understatement… they were BEST FRIENDS! They were part of a group of 5 that were inseparable up until graduation day! It wasn’t until Jennifer left to Santa Cruz for College that they both realized that they had deeper feelings for one another! They took a chance on love and survived 4 long years in a long distance relationship. When she returned home after finishing college they were joined at the hip! After 11 years of dating Steven nervously popped the question in front of all their friends and family at Jennifer’s brother’s graduation party! I was actually one of the lucky guest to see the proposal go down & it was so emotional! Not a dry eye in the house! We had a blast at their engagement session! We took a train over to downtown Los Angeles to take photos at the fancy library. (I was totally stoked to ride a train for the first time in my little life! Which was cool then we switched over to the subway which was an interesting experience to say the least! There was a man who decided to stand & start stretching right in front of me almost back kicking me in the face! Strange Much!! ) Anywhoo… Jennifer & Steven’s love really shows through their photos! You’ll notice a lot of giggly photos & I wish I could take credit for being that funny but NO! I would just show them how to position themselves & they would start giggling to each other on their own! Steven kept giving her sweet little kisses without me having to ask him to! They definitely made my job easier! Thanks Jennifer & Steven for allowing me to be a part of this special moment in your lives! I am totally looking forward to shooting your wedding! Too Doggone Cute!!!
We wanted to announce the baby’s gender in a special way since we’re thinking this will be our last child. We decided to announce it last Sunday since we were getting together for a beach day! It was definitely hard to keep it a surprise since the gender was written in an envelope in the house for a whole week! I felt relieved to finally pass it over to the balloon store knowing that I didn’t have to fight that temptation any longer! I’m such a control freak… I made sure to call the balloon store before we picked it up to make sure that they were secured in the box & there was no way we could possibly peak! I really wanted to make sure that our families found out at the same time! To my surprise it actually turned out as planned!!! THEY PREDICTED... ITS A BOY!!!!We are super excited that we will be having another baby boy! That’s exactly what lil man wanted! I cant wait until February!!! Here are more photos of our the kids at the beach... Little Miss Ava will be well protected with boys all around her! Ill just have to borrow her when Im wanting to have a little girl! HeHe!
It was a pleasure second shooting for Aniram Photography a few weeks ago! To be honest with you I was a little weary because this was my first wedding since Ive been pregnant & I wasn’t sure how my nausea would hold up & if I would have enough energy to hang the whole night! To my surprise I was able to hang in there! I did have to snack throughout the day (hiding around corners munching on granola bars like a little mouse nibbling on cheese) & was totally excited when they brought out our meals for the night! The food was BOMB DEEZY! A balsamic salad with pears & almonds –of course I ate around the pears… Im weird when it comes to eating fruit in salad- & some yummy chicken with asparagus I was one happy prego woman! By the end of the night my back was killing me & I was exhausted but I was happy that I threw myself out there again! I am happy with the moments that I caught in camera and I’m definitely motivated to get my booty out & start crashing weddings! Just kidding! But shooting weddings sounds just as bad lol! The Bride was so sweet & relaxed... not to mention how stunning she looked!!! Gotta Love those pink Betsy Johnson heels!!! She was relieved when her mom finally arrived after getting stuck in traffic! For some reason i like this photo of the little flower girls chillin at the bottom of the stairs... but in some way it can seem a little creepy to like a scene out of a scary movie! They're waiting for you!!!! Dun Dun Dunnnnn!!! When you’re a second shooter you get to hang with the groom & his men most of the time to catch them getting ready for the big “I Do”! This group of guys was awesome! They were so cool & attentive to the groom & getting everything ready for the wedding. A nice father son moment! I love getting the grooms reaction when he sees his bride for the first time! This adorable flowers girl had tears of joy when the bride & groom were exchanging vows... so cute!!! They were all smiles as husband & wife!!! While Marina was organizing the bridal party photos I was able to catch this special moment between a father & daughter! The girls entertaining themselves while waiting patiently for formal photos to be over with… I love the way he's looking at her.... This lil cutie was dancing all night long!!! I caught mother of the groom raising the ROOF!!! She was definitely burnt out! Special Thanks to Marina for allowing me to second shoot with you! You were so awesome & worried about my prego needs... it was really sweet how much you cared! Thank you again!
My friend Darlene invited me & lil man to go to the fair with her & her little ones... There's nothing better than $5 after 5pm on Wednesdays! She lives near one of the back entrances so she had the great idea of walking! Or so I thought! Seeing that it was in the middle of the week ALL the back entrances were CLOSED!!! My feet were already swollen. Back was crampin. Belly was hungry. To top it off lil man started compaining! It felt like we would never get to an open gate! I was even trying to bribe some of the guards to sneak us in & we'd pay full price ( that is totally out of my nature, but I was desperate!)
We finally got in & all the pains went away as I munched on my King Taco carne asada nachos with extra salsa!!! Bomb deezy!!!! Something about the fair is soothing to me... The BBQ smoke in the air, the loud music, the bright lights! I just love it!!! The long walk was totally worth it especially after seeing the kids faces light up when they saw the farm animals! They even got to enjoy a few rides together! (I can't believe how big they all are... Tear! Tear!. Its bittersweet!) The night ended with some soft served ice cream & a LONG walk home! :) |
I'M JANELLE MARINA
Wife, Mama Shark, + Photographer. Most days, you'll find me in mismatched socks and a top knot, working behind my computer with a smile on my face, listening to Zac Brown Band and R&B --or, dancing in the kitchen with my 3 littles and hunka husband, seeing who could come up with the coolest dance moves. I'm a wedding photographer, West Elm lover, aspiring advocate for our buddies with special needs, and a Certified Dreamer since 1986. We live in a cozy city in Southern California and are always up for a good adventure. I enjoy telling stories with my camera, grubbing on spicy food, and solving the latest Dateline case.
All
December 2019
|