Getting Ready Location
The Island Hotel
690 Newport Center Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
If you are having your wedding and reception in Laguna Beach, a great place to get ready is actually the next beach city over Newport Beach. There are less crowds and you won’t have the 2-3 night minimum that the Laguna Beach hotels have. Jenni and her girls got ready at the beauitful Island Hotel at Fashion Island in Newport Beach . . .

Excited bride going for a little strut down the runway!! . . . Looking good! . . .

The girls out by the pool at the Island Hotel . . .



Ceremony and Reception Location
Laguna Village
577 South Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651









First dance (using 2nd lighting equipment) . . .

Happily Ever After, for sure!!!
Florist Weddings by Melia
2nd photographer Gavin Holt

This is a unique set of pictures in the sense that most of the day I operated as 2nd photographer to my associate Brian Jost. It was a lot of fun for me as the responsibility of lead photographer was not mine. I spent most of the time following the groom/groomsmen around and then following Brian around. Once agian, Newport Beach is a great place for a wedding and a wonderful place for wedding photography.

Getting Ready Location
Hyatt Regency Irvine
17900 Jamboree Road
Irvine, CA  92614

Starting out in the room where the guys were getting ready I thought about all of the groomsmen gifts that I had seen over the years – cufflinks, zippo lighters, flasks, etc (all personalized of course). Another good gift for the groomsmen on the wedding day is matching ties that they will be wearing in the wedding . . .

A time of encouragement for the groom . . .

Anticipation . . . it’s going to be a great day . . .




Ceremony Location
Corona del Mar Community Church
Congregational Church of Christ
611 Helioptrope Avenue
Corona Del Mar, CA 92626
This next photo is not a normal one shot exposure. It was accomplished using a techinique called High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging. You can read an article that I wrote on this specifically for wedding photographers here.



Reception Location
Balboa Pavillion
400 Main Street
Newport Beach, CA 92661

Hyatt Regency Long Beach
200 South Pine Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 491 1234

Aquarium of the Pacific
100 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-3100

More and more of the busy couples that I get to work with are meeting over the internet! Jennifer and Kevin are one of the many couples who took the risk of meeting someone special through Match. They have a wonderful comfortability with each other, very enjoyable sense of humor and because of those things they end up with great pictures. I photographed their engagement session in downtown Pasadena last year and it culminated in a fantastic Sushi frenzy at Sushi Roku! Thank you Kevin and Jennifer for that! Their wedding took place at the dramatic Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We started with Jennifer getting ready at the Long Beach Hyatt. Here she is getting in to her awesome iridescent light blue French tafeta dress (sister and Mom support roles in the back!) . . .
Her dress was a perfect choice for the evening at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Can you believe she found a matching pair of shoes!!! . . .

Work it girl . . .

Kevin getting ready in another room at the Long Beach Hyatt . . .

Dramatic groom portrait inside one of the hallways at the Aquarium of the Pacific . . .


Ceremony in front of the main aquarium, so beautiful! . . .


Bride/groom pictures outside of the Hyatt Long Beach. Jennifer’s eyes really popped in this set . . .


Once again, back in the hallways of the Aquarium of the Pacific . . .


Cake by Tomgirl Baking Company (or phone 714-907-7513)

This will give you an idea of how the reception is set up in the main entryway of the Aquarium . . .

A stunning first dance . . .

DJ entertainment and special lighting provided by Carcano DJ. Officiant services provided by Don Johnson. 2nd photographer Douglas Chan of Furious Photographers.

There is a saying “Those who love deeply, never grow old.” This is so true with Patti and Dirk in Redondo Beach for their engagement pictures! They were like teenagers dancing on the pier, laughing at each other, giving piggy back rides and playing in the water! They were a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to their intimate wedding in Redondo Beach.


These vendors wanted us to show some appreciation for their shell fish! hahaha . . .

I am not sure how they ended up like this, but it was great . . .

By far, my favorite Orange County beach for engagement pictures is Laguna Beach. There are so many hidden areas for photography – it’s nice to be away from large groups of people and any other photographers. Colorful rock formations, clean sand and beautiful ocean are the setting for Laguna Beach Engagement pictures. Doug and Andrea made my job so much easier as they had a really enjoyable time taking photos together . . .




Another day in Laguna Beach shooting engagement pictures = another beautiful day doing what I love with an AMAZING sunset.

Another perfect day in Southern California and great day for engagement pictures. Manhattan Beach is definitely my favorite Los Angeles beach community; it has a great feel downtown with lots of little shops and bars, lots of recreation, big wide clean beach and lots of photo opps. Laura and Steve are a great story – they met in Colorado, had their first date in Las Vegas, and just moved from Los Angeles to Portland. They love being together, wherever that may be . . .

One of the finer Orange County wedding venues is the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel. “From intimate to extravagant, traditional to unexpected, this highly preferred Southern California wedding location is at your service – dedicated to creating an unforgettable experience that is uniquely yours.  Celebrate your special day as it was meant to be enjoyed, at this renowned Southern California wedding site.” There is also no shortage of breathtaking backdrops for wedding pictures . . .


including courtyards, fountains and gardens galore . . .


“Perfecting the little details that make up your big day is a central priority at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.”

If you are getting married at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Orange County give Hoffmann a call to check his availability!!