Best of The Goodness: 2011

WOWZA. This has been SOME year! We are so thankful for everything that has happened this year. From all the fun new places we have traveled, to all of the unique couples we have met, to all that we have grown over the past 12 months, to QUITTING OUR DAY JOBS (woo hoo!), an everything in between. I just spent a good while looking back through all of our weddings and engagement sessions we shot in 2011 and reliving all of the fun moments we were able to experience and capture. So much fun! Here are some (okay, A TON) of our favorite images from the year. Enjoy!

And to finish us off, an image we took at yesterday’s wedding. Official teaser post coming soon!

What an incredible year it has been! Here’s to an even more amazing 2012!!

Dane and Erin’s engagement session at home

One of the best things about doing an engagement session is choosing a location that has special meaning to you. For Dane and Erin, who just bought their first home in East Sacramento, what could be more perfect of a location? What is even cuter, is we finished the photo shoot at each of their homes growing up, which just so happen so be on the same street! We love shooting couple’s homes. It’s such a personal place where so much of their lives together are spent.

Dane and Erin’s house is so adorable! It was built in the 50′s so they made sure to include a lot of retro and kitsch in their decor.

I love the pink flamingos in their front yard!

After we took photos at Dane and Erin’s home together, we headed up to El Dorado Hills to take photos at the home that each of them grew up in! How awesome is it that they grew up on the same street less than a mile away from each other? First stop was Dane’s house. A swing, a hammock, and a tree house — could we ask for anything more!?

How amazing is this tree house that Dane’s dad built!?

Then we headed over to Erin’s parent’s house. This view was so beautiful!

Erin’s dad has this incredible ’56 Chevy that we were lucky enough to take a few photos with.

Maybe one day I’ll have a backyard that looks like this. So pretty.

Love this one!

Dane and Erin, thanks for taking us in to your homes (literally). We had so much fun getting to know you! The wedding is going to be so much fun, we can’t wait!

Chris and Mabel’s downtown Sacramento engagement session

We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday! We definitely enjoyed some MUCH needed family time and R&R around here! Speaking of family, I’m excited to share a really cute engagement session with a splash of family portraiture. We recently photographed hubby-and-wife-to-be Chris and Mabel along with Mabel’s daughter, Annie! We started at Capitol Garage, one of their favorite hang out spots. We always love it there, it’s so colorful!

Then we headed to Capitol Park, which was lookin’ beautiful with all of the fall colors.

Isn’t Annie adorable?

Love this wall! The way that Chris looks at Mabel…I’m telling you, only she can get him to smile like that!! Ah, love.

Check out this cute rock that Annie found by the railroad tracks!

This bike rack that had been knit-bombed was really neat.

Congratulations Chris and Mabel! Your wedding in July is going to be so much fun!

 

Doug and Claire’s Santa Monica engagement session

Get ready for some pretty pictures of some awesome people! We spent last weekend in LA to photograph Claire and Doug for their engagement session. We had so much fun! Claire and Doug met each other in when they were both going to law school in Chicago and now they are living in beautiful Los Angeles. We are super excited to be traveling to Chicago next year to photograph their wedding! We had a blast chasing around Montana Avenue and the neighborhood and cute shops before heading to a gorgeous hike where Doug proposed! We started at a favorite spot of Claire and Doug’s, an awesome place called Father’s Office (seriously, amazing burgers!!)

Claire! Those eyes! Isn’t she stunning?

We were so fortunate to get some AMAZING light that day, which was sandwiched between two very rainy, wet days. Glad we got to soak up some of that southern California sun!

LOVE these two photos, and it has nothing to do with the bright green wall in the background, haha!

After hanging around town, we took a quick drive to Paseo Miramar, a beautiful hiking trail overlooking Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean. So. Pretty. This location has extra special meaning, because its is one of Claire and Doug’s favorite hikes AND it is where they got engaged!

I love Claire in this one. :)

Check out this view, I mean, COME ON! It’s no wonder they like it so much!

The sun was setting fast, so we headed out to the beach to take some quick photos in front of the Santa Monica Pier. It was kind of perfect because we were able to get some amazing sunset photos!

Doug and Claire, we had soooooo much fun, and we are BEYOND excited to shoot your wedding in Chicago next year! Thanks for showing us some of your favorite spots!

Ian and Emma’s oceanside San Francisco engagement session

Ian and Emma are absolute dolls! I could seriously listen to them talk all day because their British accents are so darn cute. When we met up with them in San Francisco for their engagement session, they were both so excited to get started and they were so much fun all evening. Emma and Ian are moving to SF soon, so taking some photos around their favorite spots in the City by the Bay was perfect.

We met up at Coit Tower for some pretty nature and awesome views.

So in love. :)

Our next stop was at Fisherman’s Wharf which was full of people, energy and color! Always a good combo.

Love this aqua wall!

These two just make my heart melt.

Finally, we headed out to the ever-gorgeous Crissy Field for some shots with the beach and the iconic bridge. We spotted this cute little caterpillar while we were there!

Emma and Ian, you two are simply awesome and just plain sweet! We are excited for your wedding just around the corner!