“Taking the Plunge” ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

August 19, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Weddings | 9 Comments

So, when I was photographing Carly & Dave after their ceremony, Carly’s mom was quietly watching from a nearby rock. She never said a thing (as her daughter “trashed” her wedding dress), but simply observed what was happening.
At one point, while the happy couple were taking a little break, she said to me, “Well, they’ve taken the plunge, huh?” Yeah, like LITERALLY.
I laughed- how appropriate to dive into the Pacific right after saying “I Do”!

Here’s a small handful of the really fun shots we got of Dave & Carly’s “Trash the Dress”. It was SO. MUCH. FUN.
Congrats again you two- you’re such a lovely couple and it was absolutely my pleasure to be a part of your special day!

They Did It ~ San Diego Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

August 14, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Weddings | 13 Comments

JT and I eloped (more or less)… we planned for only 4 weeks. I borrowed the dress of a good friend who was married just a few weeks before me and we told very few people. Part of it was the fact that we wanted it very small and very “no-hassle, no-stress”. The other part was that my family is monstrously large, when you include my aunts/uncles/cousins on both sides; JT’s family is very small and he’s not close to many of them. We wanted it to be balanced.

Besides buying my own dress and having more photographic coverage of our day (and perhaps having someone actually do my hair?!), I wouldn’t change a thing. Sept. 1, 2000 was easy and stress-free and very very happy. We’ve decided that our biggest mistake was this: we should have told our parents we had some elaborate wedding planned and that they had a choice- we could go through with it or they could just pay us the the money and we’d elope. Instead, we just did it and never gave them the option. Oh well… hind sight is 20/20.

I had the absolute privilege last weekend of being guest #5 at Dave and Carly’s small but intimate wedding at Coronado Beach in San Diego. His brother & sister-in-law were there as well her mom and sister, who flew down the day before after being informed of the event only 3 days earlier. All agreed that there was no stress involved- it was easy and small and happy. This young couple is lovely- I can tell that they are absolutely best friends and make each other better people. I have this feeling that Carly grounds Dave a little, and that he pushes her to try new things. The officiator talked about them being equal partners and how important that is. I have no doubt that they will follow this council and do well.
Carly & Dave, thank you for entrusting me to capture your evening! It was too much fun. Best wishes to you both!

(Be on the lookout for a really fun post- coming soon- of their “trash the dress” session afterward. Did I mention that these two are SO MUCH FUN?!)

Musings on a Monday ~ Rachel Clare

August 10, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Just Because, Weddings | 2 Comments

+ When it rains, it pours. We’re looking at this house… okay, I should probably stop there. But, I’m ‘musing’, right? So all I’ll say is, why does buying a house have to be so complicated?

+ Potty training accomplished!! I couldn’t be more thrilled that it happened so quickly. She up and got it. Just like that. I personally think it has everything to do with having Hello Kitty “big girl underwear” on. I’m just sayin’…

+ The wedding on Saturday night was so.much.fun. Short, small (read: four guests), and a great trash-the-dress session afterward. And Coronado was simply lovely that night- perfect weather, perfect light. A lovely couple with a bright future! I wish them all the best. A few sneak peeks to come this week of the event. For now, here’s a teaser…

Tennille & Ryan: Engaged ~ Orange County Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

August 9, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Engagements | 2 Comments

You just never know….

He went to school with her younger brother. Later, she was his swim coach. Now they’ve made plans to be married on the Oregon Coast 09/09/09 at 9:09am. (Cool, right?!)

Thanks, Tennille and Ryan, for a most enjoyable morning engagement session around old down town. I’m so excited for you both. See you in a few weeks!

Nathan & Katie: Wedding (rewind) ~ Farmington, NM Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Weddings | 8 Comments

They’ve known each other for 18 years. When they were 14, Katie and her girlfriends would make Nathan and his friends come to parties, even though there wasn’t a lot of mingling. They sat next to each other in 9th grade science class, and, according to Katie, “I just let him copy all of my papers”.

After high school they went their separate ways: Nathan moved to California for two years and Katie stayed at home for a while before living for a year and a half in Brazil. Both moved back home and were reacquainted. Both were dating other people when they met back up. Neither of those relationships lasted very long. They were soon talking marriage.

This was 5 years ago. Katie and Nathan now live in a beautiful spot with acreage and cows, a large garden, a really big tractor, and two beautiful little boys. They didn’t have a photographer at their wedding, so I had the privilege of doing a session with them so they’d have some images to frame. Don’t we all wish we looked this good after 5 years of marriage?! Oh yes.

You two: congratulations on 5 wonderful years. Here’s to many many more!!

Shaun & Bracy: Gettin’ Hitched ~ Farmington NM Engagement Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

July 22, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Engagements | 9 Comments

They met on a date. They were with other people. They eventually started dating. She moved away to college. He did the same. But here they are, together and planning a Sept. 5th wedding!
These two are beautiful people (hello- Shaun has the greatest dimple EVER) and they make a most beautiful couple. Up for anything, we had a great time shooting around old down-town just before sunset.
Shaun and Bracy- I had a great time! Best wishes to the both of you and many congratulations!

Micheal & Kari ~ Inland Empire Wedding Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

June 22, 2009 | Filed Under Couples, Weddings | 25 Comments

No, I didn’t spell his name wrong.

JT and I spent the past 4 days in Kansas City and Lawrence where we got to see friends and visit our old turf, but mostly for the wedding of Micheal and Kari. JT was the best man. I was the photographer. Besides the bride and groom, I’d say we were pretty “up there” on the importance list.

We worried about rain. We worried about humidity. We had no rain, and bearable humidity. A lovely day, these two were married in the Loose Park Rose Garden in Kansas City with full sun and a slight breeze. The location was gorgeous, the energy was high, and everything went off without a hitch (except for one sweet little flower girl who absolutely REFUSED….).

After the ceremony and reception, Micheal & Kari were laid back and willing to go with the flow while we dragged them into alleyways and into tattoo parlors (truth: it was Micheal’s idea). The wonderful Maria Hays was my 2nd shooter, and I’m so grateful that they’re in that area now! It was wonderful to see her (an old friend) and be able to shoot with her for the day.

This couple is just about as perfect for one another as any couple could be. They compliment each other so well, and I wish them all the best in this new journey together.
Here’s a BIG ol’ sneak peek, because I simply couldn’t cut it down. Feel free to leave Micheal and Kari some love in the comment box above!

For her family ~ San Bernardino CA Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

June 1, 2009 | Filed Under Couples | 4 Comments

It was my absolute pleasure to photograph a wonderful family last month. My friend B’s mother has been dealing with lots of health issues and it gave me great joy to capture images of the entire family. As the session was quite personal, I’ll only be sharing a few of these cute lovebirds…

Coming up… ~ Redlands CA Photographer ~ Rachel Clare

March 5, 2009 | Filed Under Babies, Couples, Maternity | 1 Comment

Remember this lovely couple? They finally *whew* had their baby this past Sunday. Congrats you guys! I’ll be photographing their babe tomorrow, so stay tuned for a sneak peek coming soon!