Downtown Chico Engagement Photos: Josh and Megan

Josh and Megan are the kind of people that you want as your friends. From the minute we met them, laughed with them, and heard their story, we knew we liked them. They found each other in college, and became best friends almost instantly. They are such a good fit for each other. Josh is outgoing and full of energy, while Megan is so kind and a little bit quieter. And together, they are some of the most encouraging people we know. They make the people around them feel so loved, believe me, we know :) And I love the way they look at each other. The way they laugh together and they way they love each other.

Here is a glimpse into our engagement session with Josh and Megan. Thank you so much for inviting us into this season of your life. We are totally blessed, friends!

Much Love, K and K

Megan, you are so pretty...

A Chico Backyard Wedding: Kyle and Jackie Tease...

Kyle and Jackie had a beautiful backyard wedding this Saturday on one of the hottest days of the year so far. Their story starts in high school when cowboy met sweet country girl.... We are so thankful to have been a part of this special wedding day.

K and K

more to come very soon...

Chico Wedding Photographers: Fridays are for Fun

Another week;  and just like that, it is Friday again. I can't believe it. This week was full and I would say we had some adventures along the way. *Had the BEST Skype date with our friends, Josh and Bethany. To say we miss them like crazy, would be an understatement. They are once in a lifetime friends. The kind of people that make you better and stronger, even over Skype.

*Learned a lot this week. Humbled for sure.

*Stayed up way too late working on a project that still isn't finished. May have gotten frustrated. That's when Kenny broke out the John Mayer playlist, just because he knew it would make me smile.

*Went to Target with my sister this week. Target is always better with my sister, even if I am just there for toilet paper and shampoo. We browsed the aisles, got inspired by their home section and bought some oreos :) (I promise I don't only eat junk food)

*Had the greatest coffee date with my hubby on Sunday. You know those impromptu dates that turn out to be your favorite? Yep, that was it.

*Our espresso machine was down for the last two weeks, so we ordered a part that it needed. That part came two days ago, so Tuesday was a happy day. The machine worked again.  And then, this morning, while making our coffee, something went down. We had what you may call a mini explosion in the kitchen, that ended with a very broken coffee maker. Goodbye espresso machine. It's been a good four years.

*And... Kenny surprised me with some new shoes this week. I have been looking at Toms for awhile now, and when he bought me these wedges last weekend, I was pretty excited :) He's the sweetest!

Hope you all have a great weekend and maybe sneak in an adventure or two for us :) K and K

What's Really Important

I keep telling myself, it won't always be this way. But at the end of the day, I have to make a choice. Work will always beckon me. Whatever it is, there will always be one or one hundred more things to do. And yet work is not the point of my life. It doesn't define me. and every day no matter how hard I work, there will always be more. So I guess today's blog post is a reminder to myself to never forget what is really important in life.

Kenny attended a funeral today. The man was a husband, a dad to teenagers. He loved God and his story is just beginning. And its true for me too. This is just a glimpse of eternity. I am living for so much more than what I do. The bigger picture, brings me out of the piles of "to do" lists. I want to know that at the end of my life, I listened to God and followed Him to the best of my ability. That's all.

So there's a few of my thoughts -- my motivational speech to myself :) I don't want to be known for my work. I want to be known for my God, the miracle worker and best thing that ever happened to me.

I hope some of this resonates with you today.

And because these two are just as cute as all get-out... Hope to share the rest of their engagement session so soon.

A Centerville Wedding: Leon and Maritza

We only met Leon and Maritza in March. Yet, it feels like we have known them longer. They are sweet, down to earth people who make our job easy.  And their wedding day was absolutely beautiful. Leon and Maritza have known one another for a long time. They said that everyone's reaction to their engagement was "it's about time" :) And it was time, perfect timing for them. The day was well thought out. And as for their future:  we are excited for them. I have a feeling that together, they will do great things in this world.

There is also something wonderful for us, as photographers, when we get to experience another culture. They had a beautiful mass at church in Durham. And the entire ceremony was in spanish. This made our job different and I actually felt like it made us capture things better. Instead of listening we watched and we photographed. It pushed us as artists. It made me see how strong of a love these two share.

So thank you Maritza and Leon for being you. For letting us be a part of such a powerful wedding day. We are so honored and grateful beyond words.

Much Love, K and K

Church: St. James Catholic Church in Durham Venue: Centerville Estate Makeup: The Powder Room Hair: Satori Florist: Cambray Rose Catering: Roots Cake: Upper Crust DJ: Platinum Productions

Once again, I cannot tell you how much I LOVE working with Ashley at the Powder Room. She Rocks!

Cambray Rose Florist did an incredible job with the floral design

Leon, you are so awesome! This little flower girl had the right idea... We all must stay hydrated and well fed on a wedding day :)

Maritza looked stunning. Just love her!

The first look

Maritza, you are beautiful!

We then moved to Durham for the ceremony at Saint James Catholic Church.

The details for the day were stunning. I even loved the hair designs that were created by the girls at Satori.

We wanted to take a few more portraits before the grand entrance into the reception.

The Reception was just perfect and casual and down to earth.

Loved that there was a Mariachi band as well.

Lots of cute kiddos...

And toasts... This man came from Mexico to share in the celebration and he was a whole lot of fun!

And of course some sweet dancing shared by the bride and groom to end a long, but wonderful day!

Chico Wedding Photographer: Fridays are for Fun

I have no idea how Friday came so quickly. Wow. I feel like the weekends are a blur and before I know it, another wedding is nearly here.This week has been one of those nose to the ground, work hard weeks. Once again though, we managed to have a little fun.

*In good old summer fashion, we went to the pool a couple times this week. I started swimming again and discovered that while I may have thought I was in shape, a half mile of swimming nearly tuckered me out.

*We also discovered that our nephew Carsten, is happiest in the water. At eight months, he is quite the little fish.

*I did a power clean of the house on Wednesday night. With working so much right now, I feel like everything is a little harder to keep up with. But I made record time of cleaning the house on Wednesday. Go team Stone!

*Had a mentor session with Melissa Jill this week over Skype. Such an honor and loved learning from her. We both laughed about having to get out of our sweats, for our meeting. (On days when I am just working in my office, I tend to stay in my sweats all day long: No need to spoil a good outfit day).

*Had a late night run to Winco last night, which was an adventure in itself.

*Ate way too many gummy bears this week. Not sure when or why I got addicted to these little guys, but it is true. And my favorite kind, the generic brand from Safeway. Trust me, I did a taste test.

*And just this morning, I got to have a coffee date with Shannon Rosan. Such a sweetie :) Love meeting with her. I am pretty sure we could talk for hours. She's a photographer here in Chico and if you haven't seen her work, well you simply must.

We have an event tonight and another wedding this weekend. It's going to be a good one!

Happy Friday everyone. Have a great weekend! Maybe work on your sun tan for me, and oh yes, eat some gummy bears as well. K and K

Chico Engagement Photographer: Josh and Megan Tease...

Last night, our cheeks hurt from smiling. Truly. Josh and Megan are just those kind of people, the ones that you want as friends. And for us, we appreciate them even more after last night's engagement session. They are so sweet. Just a few photos for today, but there will be more soon.

Have a great Thursday! And feel free to share some love and leave a comment for Josh and Megan!

Megan, you are so pretty.

Chico Wedding Photographer: Stephen and Kelsey

I could hardly sleep the night before their wedding. My excitement for Kelsey and Stephen, coupled with the adrenaline of a double weekend wedding, was just enough to keep me awake. So I thought about their story. Stephen first saw Kelsey at a debriefing for a summer work project that he completed with Campus Crusade. He was intrigued by her from the start.  And so without looking back, he introduced himself. And asked her what kind of bible she was reading. The rest is history. Their friendship quickly grew, even though Stephen lived in Chico and Kelsey in Southern California. It was almost as if Stephen knew from the start that this was the girl he wanted to marry.

I like their story. And we love them. Their wedding day was held at TBS Ranch with every detail meticulously planned by Kelsey. We were so honored to come alongside them during this day. They are loved well, thats for sure.

Thank you Stephen and Kelsey for sharing part of your wedding day with us. You are both beautiful people and we can't wait to see what is in store for you.

Much Love, K and K

Vendors: Venue: TBS Ranch Catering: Sandy's Specialties Flowers: Mallery's Flowers Dessert: The Pink Box Bakery Dress: David's Bridal

And while the girls prepared, the boys were busy doing this...

Love this shot that Kenny captured...

Kelsey, you are beautiful.

The ceremony was held on the lawn at TBS Ranch.

Stephen and Kelsey chose not to see one another before the wedding ceremony, so this is his reaction to seeing her for the first time.

Kelsey, you are gorgeous!

The details were amazing. I loved the table settings and all of the thought that went into them.

Pink Box Bakery did such a good job of presenting this delicious dessert bar. I didn't get to try any of the treats, but I am thinking Kenny and I will be visiting this bakery someday soon :)

Loved their first dance.

And these moments with their families...

Kelsey was a part of a Sorority at USC and all these girls were just the sweetest...

Stephen also had some great friends in college...

The evening ended with lots of dancing.

These girls fought it out for the bouquet...

And just before the end of the night, we caught this sweet moment between Kelsey and Stephen...

Chico Wedding Photographer: Leon and Maritza Tease...

It never gets old. Really, that's how much we like our job. And being a part of Leon and Maritza's wedding yesterday was so wonderful.Just the tiniest of teases from their wedding day out at Centerville Estate. Can't wait to share more!

Thank you so much friends!

Fridays are for Fun.

Right now, Kenny and I are working a lot. Just some longer days, but don't worry, we love our jobs. The only thing I have been considering is hiring an assistant just so that I have someone to talk with each day :) In the midst of our hard work, we did manage to have a little fun this week:

*Thanks to my sister and her family we had an impromptu date last night to Jon and Bons for some frozen yogurt. Nothing like being with the family and eating some ice-cream. Is it weird that I mix chocolate peanut butter granola with tart frozen yogurt?

*Kenny and I have been running together a couple days a week. It has become one of my new favorite things -- we get in great visits and sport ourselves as "runners", although we know that is far from the truth. Thankfully I have a hubby who makes me think I am athletic :)

*We celebrated the birthday of our good friend Bryce this week! So lucky to be friends with their family. As a side note, Kenny and I spent about twenty minutes picking out a card for Bryce at Target. Did you know they have an entire aisle of "funny" cards. Let's just say I may have laughed out loud quite a few times in the middle of Target. Good thing Kenny was beside me.

*Ok and confession of the week, I got hooked on the Bachelorette. Emily's story is just amazing and so while I told myself I wouldn't watch this season, I couldn't help it. Here's to hoping she will pick a good husband. I already know who I am rooting for...

So cheers to Friday. We all need to laugh and dream and enjoy these sweet summer days.

Oh, and I also have been finishing putting together our bedroom decor. This is one of the fun little things that I purchased at The Address this month:

Happy Weekend! We'd love to hear about your plans and what you did for fun this week!

Chico Wedding Photographer: Luke and Crystal

Dear Luke and Crystal, What an amazing day! From the minute we showed up, I knew this was going to be a sweet and a calm day. You are both so easy going and happy. We loved that! We watched as your friends and family gathered around you and celebrated your love. It was beautiful. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your day. Thank you for giving us the chance to capture two people and their friends. We felt like friends and that means the world to us as photographers.

Happy Honeymooning next month! So grateful for you two! Much Love, K and K

Vendors: Venue: Just This Ranch Florist: M Creations Caterer: La Cocina Economica DJ: Platinum Productions Cake: Upper Crust Makeup: Powder Room

Crystal, you are stunning!

Luke looked awesome and was pretty excited to see his bride...

How can you not love Crystal? Isn't she just the happiest?

And then it started to rain on us... So we moved inside for a couple sweet photos...

And sure enough, about a half hour later, the sun came back... Loved these girls and their flowers...

The ceremony was held on one side of the backyard. It was a sweet ceremony with lots of personal touches. Crystal's Mom sang to both of them, which was beautiful.

We captured these right after the ceremony...

And these are the kind of details you get when you photograph a wedding at Just This Ranch...

How fun are these details? A couch and a tub for the drinks? So great!

And they celebrated the night away... of which will come at a later time....

Chico Wedding Photographer: Stephen and Kelsey Tease...

Wow, it was one crazy weekend! One of those weekends where we look back and thank God for giving us the strength to do things well. And on Sunday, we were blessed to be a part of this wedding at TBS Ranch. Thank you Stephen and Kelsey for sharing your love with so many of us. Can't wait to share more :)

Have a great Tuesday evening! K and K

Chico Wedding Photography: Luke and Crystal Tease...

Loved capturing this wedding on Saturday. Even with a bit of rain, it was an amazing day! Many thanks to Melinda and Alexa with Just This Ranch for giving us a perfect backdrop. Happy Memorial Day Friends! So thankful for all the sacrifices that others have made for freedom in this country. We are blessed. K and K

Chico Wedding Photographer: Time

Time. Our time is precious because it is so short. Isn't that true?

And so there is one thing I have learned about time: that the way we use it matters. How I spend the moments of my day, matters. The purpose for which I live my life, matters. And how I use the gifts and resources that God has blessed me with, matter.

Because at the end of the day, I believe my time is made for a purpose much greater than myself. I want people to see God working crazy miracles in our life. I want to love well and live with few regrets as possible. I don't want to waste my time.

And I pray that you will live a full life as well.

Much Love friends! We are excited to spend this weekend photographing two amazing weddings! There will be much to come!

K and K

Walnut Creek Wedding Photographer: Mark and Emily

Dear Mark and Emily, We just want to thank you so much for letting us be a part of your wedding day. We want to thank you for being friends to us. For being vulnerable and real so many times. And as we photographed your wedding day, we saw eight years of love transform two people and two families. We saw that your friends love you so much. We saw that you two are committed to God and to each other. It blessed us. Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Much Love, K and K

PS: Your wedding day was absolutely beautiful.

The Vendors for this Wedding were: Ceremony: NorthCreek Church Reception: Shannon Community Center Florist: Sunshine Flowers Caterer: Pampered Palate Cupcakes: Sinful Bliss Cupcakes Makeup Artist: Jenn Allen Dress: Davids Bridal

We started the day at what is now Mark and Emily's home in Walnut Creek.

Kenny spent some time with the boys over at another residence in Walnut Creek where Mark was getting ready. Loved this moment between Mark and his mom.

Mark was looking so dapper on this day!

Just a few of Emily at home before the first look... Isn't she stunning?

The First Look

Followed by lots of portraits...

Emily, you are so beautiful!

The bridal party was just the sweetest... These girls have been friends for so long. They are like sisters!

The ceremony took place in a chapel on the campus of North Creek Church.

The reception was held at the Shannon Community Center in Dublin. It was a gorgeous venue and the couple chose sweet decorations.

Before their entrance into the reception, we snuck away for a couple more photos.

Can't say it enough, Emily you are so pretty.

The evening held lots of meaningful toasts.

And I especially loved their first dance...

The dancing, well, let's just say it was a grand party!

And at the very end of the evening, we all said our goodbyes, and wished we too, were heading to Hawaii!

Hope you had the best of honeymoons in Hawaii. Lots of love friends!

Chico Wedding Photographer: 7 Years

Yesterday we celebrated seven years of marriage. So crazy to think that life moves this quickly. And in seven years of this amazing, unpredictable adventure, we have learned so much. We have learned that expectations will only let us down. We have learned that morning breath is a true reality, no matter how pretty we think we are... (sorry friends) We have learned to share: bank accounts, rooms, cars, food and chores. We have learned that being together is way better than being alone. We have learned how to compromise. We have learned to make mistakes and find grace. We have learned that perception is hardly reality. We have seen after six moves in seven years that we can live nearly anywhere (ok, maybe...?) We have learned to love our quirks. We have learned to laugh over spilled milk. We have learned that In N Out truly serves the best fast food burger, and fries. We have learned that forgiveness is daily. We have seen that not everyone thinks we are very funny, but we still think we are :) We have learned to be unafraid of risk, because that's where God stretches us most. We have seen that married people really do start to look alike. We have learned to appreciate our family now, more than ever. We have learned how to disagree, and are still trying to figure out the art of conflict. We have learned that chai tea will always be our drink of choice. We have learned that cereal is always best in the late night hours. We have learned a lot. We still have a lot to learn.

And today, we are learning to love, better and more sacrificially as God changes us. Our hearts are grateful for seven years.

And because we have been taking a photo each year, in the same spot, here is this year's self portrait. (which certainly proves that our self portrait work is not improving:))

Oh yes, and thanks to the Stone family for sending these beautiful flowers! What a treat!

To All My Sisters Out There: Bouquets

Well it is here -- wedding season is upon us and every time around this year, I am reminded of how beautiful flowers really are. And the floral creations from Saturday's wedding were among the prettiest. As you prepare for your wedding, consider what kind of statement your flowers will make. Some brides choose pops of color that complement their overall look and others choose very subtle whites to work together with their look. Either way, try not to overlook these details. I wrote a more thorough blog post on flowers last spring and you can read that by clicking here.

A brief look at last week's bouquets: They were really stunning. The designer of this work was Sunshine Flowers out of Martinez, California. I would highly recommend their work if you are planning a wedding in the Bay Area.

The Bride's Bouquet was beautiful.

The bouquet for the Maid of Honor had just enough differences to really stand out.

Chico Photographer: Luke Tease...

I got to work with this sweet boy today. He was a little bashful at first, but he quickly warmed up to the camera. So thankful for their family. And  because Luke's Dad is our dentist, I have to say it once again, if you are looking for the best of dentists here in Chico, you must visit McComb Family Dentistry. Hope you are all enjoying the cooler weather today :) K

Chico Wedding Photographer: Wordless Wednesday, Almost...

Well in between editing, a dentist appointment (apparently I still have wisdom teeth and a cavity) and just the normal work day, I managed to get a lot done. Except this blog post. So please forgive me, as Wordless Wednesday saved me once again. But really, who doesn't want to see another photo of this stunning couple? And hear about my dentist appointment?

Happy Wednesday friends! You are half way through this work week :)

Chico Wedding Photographer: Finding Balance

Our life can seem crazy at times. There are moments when I have to take deep breaths and remember that we chose this. We choose to do ministry one hundred percent and own a wedding photography business. We choose to stay up later than we should or say yes to one more thing. We choose to go all out, wanting desperately to make a difference in this world. And then there are the moments where God slows us down. Because in it all, we have to choose balance.

We have to choose not to set our alarms in the morning and to walk a lot slower than normal. I have to choose to let the house stay dirty one more day, because people are more important.

So when we take a day off, you can know that we are busy choosing not to be busy. We are busy making breakfast burritos for dinner, because I am too lazy to make anything else. We are busy catching up on sports and the latest episode of The Firm. We go for walks that last for hours and get Frappucinos for half off, because who wouldn't want that? We choose to go to Costco together and pick out our latest craving, (which is usually Cheezits). We are busy dreaming of the beach. We choose to read and draw or peruse the latest magazine. We choose to play cribbage like it never went out of style.

Mostly though, we just choose to be together. Because really, that's our favorite place to be.

And because so many of our memories are tucked away on instagram... here are just a few of the latest.