Charlie is a guy you want to be friends with after a five minute conversation. Really. He’s that down-to-earth, gently open doors, I-think-of-you-first kind of guy. He rolls with the punches and is sooooo easy to get along with. Although his sleep patterns are super abnormal, it’s for a good cause. Alarms (literally) wake him from any chance of shut-eye in the firehouse where he works as a humble firefighter who L-O-V-E-S what he does. It takes a very special person to put your life on the line for strangers, and this man does it with authenticity and suave, everyday. Mr. February? Anyone?

Enter, Kari. A gorgeous, driven jet-setter who is fast-paced and deeply passionate. She draws you in with her words, and keeps you there with her heart. This girl is legit and SO loving. Anyone would be lucky to have her on their team.

Sure, they’ve got differences, but it’s magic watching them complement and better each other. These two ignite, calm, and strengthen qualities in one another like we’ve never seen. And OH how they love each other! It’s almost palpable, tangible, visible love… and you can’t help but catch their energy by being at their side.

Kari and Charlie :: You two are sooo dear to us. Our time together in California was outrageously fun, and we’re so thankful to have you both in our lives for the long-run! Thank you for letting us drag you around for hours and letting me sing. WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Special thanks to Alex of AVE Styles who did a phenomenal job -as always!!- with these two!!!

We started at The W in the gaslamp district of San Diego, where Kari and Charlie stayed for the weekend. LOVE this!!

HOT!!

I dare every reader NOT to smile through this entire post!

Charlie, bringing out his modeling skills. Obviously.

Look at those pumps!! Just LOOK at them!

Marcus eyed this spot and I’m OBSESSED!! They looked GORGEOUS in front of these killer lines!

Note Kari’s Dior engagement watch!! What, what?! SO awesome!

We ended on Coronado’s beach front, and it was utter perfection.

AH!!

How riveting is Kari’s dress?! I was tempted to rip it from her body and run… but that would have been mildly awkward on the drive back.

Seriously?! Those eyeballs!!! Marcus actually said, “wasn’t it awesome how they both smiled with their eyes?”. Bah! I love it!!

XOXOXO!!!

They say it was their passion for music that ultimately pulled them together and never let them turn back. And anyone that knows the two, would probably agree. Abhi and Payal are a creative powerhouse. They’re into graphic design, culture, music, filming, and art – but it’s the “doctor by day, filmmaker by night” persona that we just love, love, love about Abhi. They’re dream chasers, and we can’t wait to see where life takes these two!

Payal came to Chicago from the UK in her teens, and has grown into such a stunning woman. Her soft-spoken words almost cast a spell over Abhi, and the two together, just. make. sense.

We photographed Abhi and Payal’s engagement photos and massive engagement party in New York almost two years ago. It was wonderful to see the families reunited again, celebrating at full force. WE LOOOOOVE YOU and your families, and are so grateful to call you FRIENDS!!

ALL of the garments and jewelry came straight from India.

I could not have been more enthralled with Payal.

What an incredibly stunning bride!!! In love with this. And her.

Abhishek looking amazing in his custom made sherwani!

He was super legit with that sword.

SO perfect together!

Their precious puppy, Pepsi, came along for the celebrations! Tuxedo and all!

The groom’s Baraat!

After the ceremony, they changed into their evening reception attire. They have such fun style.

Abhi is always lookin fly in his suits!!

What an amazing weekend of events!! XOXO

Venue :: Chandler’s Chophouse
Reception Dress :: Charisma Design Studio
Invitations :: Regal Cards
Jewelry :: Bombay Jewelry
Hair & Makeup :: Jel Arnaiz
Decor :: Shukan Events and Design
Videography :: Joshua Tammaro

India meets Chicago, 2012.

Dean’s caring smile, generous heart, and excitement for adventure captured Mia’s fiery spirit, who now deems him her “King David”. It was on a trip through the towns and vineyards of northern Italy that Dean proposed, but knowing Mia so well, he wanted the timing to be perfect. So, he waited, and waited, and patiently waited until their trip was nearing a close. The stars aligned and the excitement of plans and their future has been at the forefront ever since.

We spent the day at the The Rim Golf Club where Mia and Dean will tie the knot in just a couple months with the help of Amy Mancuso! The beautiful Tuscan feel fits the couple perfectly. Jenny and Michael, Dean’s wonderful kids, joined us for some laughs at the beginning.

Mia and Dean – Thank you for introducing us to the treasures of Payson! Your hospitality was out of this world, and we are so, SO grateful to be part of your wedding and marriage. Can’t wait for June!!

Love these guys!

ALL of their outfits were amazing thanks to AVE Styles!

They’re so much fun together.

Dean looked impeccable!

As you can imagine, Mia was a DREAM to photograph. She’s just stunning.

I die.

XOXO!!!

We appreciate you leaving comments on their site!! Thank you for your continued support, friends!! XOXO

We started at home.

Paisley was NOT enthusiastic.

We ventured down the street and found some great, clean, simple spaces.

Marcus looked sooo handsome! I tried to take advantage of him multiple times. Fail.

How fun are the bright lips? My genius makeup artist, Ashley Nicole, did a flawless job, and Sarah Hubbell gave me those cute loose curls!

I love downtown.

My sweet warrior.

We LOVE you, MelJill XOXO!!

When Ashley of Ashley Gain Weddings and Events asked us to be part of her vision for Arizona Foothills Magazine with a lineup of spectacular wedding creatives, we did a pretty hot dance and squealed a bit! She’s AMAZING!! A piece of my heart will always remain in Italy, so obviously it skipped a few beats when I discovered it’d be playing from elements you’d expect to find on the Amalfi Coast. And if I can’t be sipping limoncello on the beaches of Italy today, I might as well live vicariously through some beautiful Italian inspiration (and gelato)!

Planner and Coordinator :: Ashley Gain Wedding and Events
Venue :: The Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain
Stationery :: The Event Essentials
Linens :: Wildflower Linens
Florals :: LUX Wedding Floral
Bridal Gown :: Uptown Bridal
Rentals :: Classic Party Rentals
Menswear :: Mr. Formal
Hair and Makeup :: Makeup by ML
Photography :: Gina Meola Photography

Every detail was created with such intention and care! Looooooved the flowers, handmade Italian China, soft linens, adorable menus… YUM!

I was blown away by how accommodating the staff at the Ritz-Carlton was!

Jimmy and Hannah were AWESOME! Nothing tops shooting real couples.

My favorite set from the day!

No words. Other than “no words”.

A sweet ceremony space was flawlessly put together outdoors.

It’s official!

Look at all that yellow, sweet goodness!! Dolce cart!

Beautiful bottle labels by The Event Essentials!

No better ending than gelato! Truth.

XOXO!!!

Can’t wait to share this full shoot with you TOMORROW!

XOXO!!

Arielle, a queen-bee of sorts with poise and presence, was hopelessly drawn to Chris, a gentleman of integrity, kindness, and love. So it was only with excitement that friends and family celebrated two amazing souls finding the other.

They love good food, wine, travels, friends, God and laughter. Don’t you want to hang out with them?? But get this. Arielle’s not only gorgeous, smart, and caring… she’s also a die-hard sports fan! Chris will have a life-long sporting companion in Arielle – although there’s a good chance he’ll always struggle to keep up with her!

Being as hard-working and talented as they are, I know big things are in store for their future together. We can’t wait for their Temecula vineyard wedding later this summer!

The fabulous  Alex of AVE STYLES worked her styling magic! They looked PERFECT!

Chris BROUGHT his game face!

They’re so fun to hang with. Too bad Chris kept praying we’d go away.

We got to shoot around our hood, which was a blast and pretty un-Arizona-y.

Vavoom!! I had major dress envy.

I loooved photographing Arielle! She’s so beautiful!!

BEAAAUUUTIFUL!!

Love you two!! XOXO

I love our friends. LOVE! Casia and Eric of Purple Nickel are no exception. These two are sooo special, and we’re incredibly grateful to have them as besties.

Aside from being awesome people to befriend, they’re also amazing portrait photographers with a little architect-graphic-designer-extraordinaire mixed in!! See what I mean? Amazeballs. It’s too bad they’re OUR friends, because you can’t have them.

We had a shoot in Tucson last week and were graciously hosted by this duo. We got to stay in their RAD space and contemplated taking over and kicking them out of. Mission failed. But we had a wonderful experience nonetheless and managed to steal a few shots to plaster our walls with!

They are sooooooo CUTE!!! I love these. And them. They’re ours. Back off.

Everything about their home is the bomb.

XOXOXO!!!