The Beach-Bride-Birthday Weekend

What do you get when you cross a beach, a bride, and a birthday with buttercream frosted cupcakes? One crazy busy, crazy fun weekend! This past March, I headed to Orange County, CA to assist my baby sister with my middle sister's engagement pictures. And it just happened to fall over my birthday weekend. :)

I attempted to fly out on a Thursday afternoon using a standby pass. After unsuccessfully "standing by" for three flights, I was about to call it a day (or in this case, a weekend), when the bride-to-be gave me the best birthday gift...frequent flyer miles! The flight left the next day at the butt crack of dawn (not the best way to wake up on your birthday), but at least I was on my way.

Holly's wedding was booked for July 5 at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. Because we wanted to take her engagement pictures near the surrounding area, we stayed at a nearby hotel. This was the gorgeous view of the Pacific from our balcony:

After a quick nap (cause the grumpy birthday girl needed one in a bad way!), it was off to meet with a few wedding vendors. After viewing countless tablecloths, overlays, seat cushions and napkins (who knew there were so many shades of purple?), we finished our business and went in search of some sustenance. And for the record, In 'N Out in California tastes much better than In 'N Out anywhere else.

Since the next couple of days were going to be busy with the engagement shoot, we cleared the evening of all wedding nonsense and went out to eat to celebrate my birthday. Our good friends, Jeana and her husband Eric, were able to join us for some yummy Mexican food. And for the record, Mexican food tastes much better in California than almost anywhere else. With the exception being Texas, of course, and most likely Mexico. :)

Not having access to a kitchen, my sister Laurie kindly asked Jeana to whip up my favorite cupcakes - vanilla with buttercream frosting! And Jeana did not disappoint!

Saturday was the big shoot! Holly wanted three separate locations (bistro, beach and dramatic art museum), so this meant three different outfit changes. While she was getting her hair and makeup done, Laurie & I met up with Jeana again to scout out a beach location. Being a local, Jeana knew the perfect spot: a section of Laguna Beach that offered up gorgeous landscapes and rocky backdrops.

And Jeana brought along the cutest scouts - her adorable sons Dane and Cole!

After shooting some fun bistro shots in Laguna Beach (sorry, I don't have any to share since I was babysitting our illegally-parked car!) we headed back to the beach. When it comes to photography, light is your most powerful tool, so it was a race to get these shots before the sun went down. And for the record, my main role in "assisting" the photographer was holding a flash. Big job!

Then it was a mad dash to Los Angeles for our night shoot. Holly wanted to take some dramatic shots at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, otherwise known as LACMA. Outside the museum stands hundreds of street lanterns. At night, their soft light creates the perfect romantic setting.

Besides the long-suffering groom, Laurie was the real unsung hero of this weekend. As you can see from the picture above, she went to great lengths to make Holly's vision come true. To see Laurie's professional pictures from this weekend, check out The Making of Mrs. Hendrix on the Laurie Ruth Photography blog.

And for the record, it was great birthday!
PK