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Where do I possibly begin without going on for 5 pages.  I can’t do that because these beautiful people have waited too long to see this!!  So I will try  (I said “try”) and let the images speak for themselves.  On November 5th I had the ultimate honor of shooting Tori and Aaron’s beautiful wedding at The Resort At Pelican Hill, looking over the beautiful Southern California coastline in Newport Beach.  The day before was one of the coldest and rainiest storms in So. Cal to date.  It seemed only God could have opened up this perfect day by the way it unfolded.  Tori had requested that I shoot it and I knew that being that Julie, her mom, is one of my closest friends, she and I really pondered over John and I being “guests” or if I would shoot it, enjoy it and eat!  ha! (it’s one or the other and you have to make a decision when you are a professional).  The fact that I had watched this sweet young girl grow into such a gorgeous, kind and generous woman and had photographed her high school senior portraits was really weighing on my heart.  Which do I be?  guest? or photographer?  I know that I can’t photograph my own daughter’s wedding next year  – so this was as close as it came and I have to say my nerves and tears had to be locked away in some deep place that only God could take from me.  I also contracted two special people, Bill, my old friend and associate and Amy, my sweet assistant.  They held me up emotionally that day and I thank them for that.  I am still going through their work, so just a bit of it is here and I am blessed to see how our work came together.  In 1999, we made a big change in our lives, sold our starter home, rented a home and broke ground on the home we live in now.  It was to be a long year and the person in our family it truly affected was our daughter Brynn.  It meant a change of schools and a loss of seeing her best friend everyday.  Little did we know that when we got in the 5th grade line for the first day of that new school that the very first people we would meet were Julie and her girls.  They told us how nervous they were to come back to So. Cal. after living in Michigan for over 7 years and that the girls had left all of their friends behind.  wow.  They were such a blessing to our emotions and eventually our lives.  I often wish we could have had more time together over the years – but crazy-busy family lives tend to make that more challenging.  Dan, Julie’s husband and the rock of the family is the president of the ICEE company and the family keeps busy with the interesting and exciting opportunities that having that kind of profession entails.  I will always treasure each lovely “tea” Julie hosted and is still hosting and how she pours her heart into her family, friends and basically in everything she does.  She is truly an amazing Christian woman that defines the word “servant.”  Always giving of her blessings.   An absolute pillar of strength and someone that will be your friend for life.  no matter what.  So.  What – a – celebration this, her first daughter’s wedding.  Every little detail had been dreamed and planned for many, many years by Julie.  Tori met her sweet prince, Aaron while in college at APU and as you can see from the images, she is captivated by him and he her.  I loved listening to her dad and her sister, Tawni, talk about her and what seemed to consistently resonate was how kind-hearted she is.  But.  Not on the tennis court.  HA!!  I got the pleasure of photographing her play tennis and watching her is something fierce.  I LOVE that competitive, strong side of her and I think Aaron better stay away from the tennis court and stick to golf!!  Since getting back from their honeymoon Tori has told me how happy she is and how much she is loving to decorate their new home for Christmas.  I look forward to seeing where this young couple will be in the next 5 years.  They have strong goals and one of them is to see Tori and mom in an event planning business or possibly a tea house.  I CAN’T WAIT.  It is their God given gift!!!  Aaron wants to continue to grow in the Icee company and he has now added to his own beautiful family (he has the most beautiful sisters and sweet mom and dad) and even stronger support system to cheer him on.

What a start.  What a life ahead.  God Bless you Tori and Aaron.  Thank you for this overwhelming honor.  Julie, your trust and faith in me over the years and your prayers have never been taken for granted.  I love you friend.  God Bless you all.  now and always.  oxox