A sunny rainy day on the beach, and the proverbial sense of humor.

Starting the year off right. My second wedding of 2009 was just as sweet as the first one. This time we were scheduled for a beach ceremony near sunset, but the weather report was not looking at all promising. I arrived at the La Jolla Cove - like I do - sort of obnoxiously early for when I was supposed to be there, and wandered around the park for a while doing some scenics:

So far, everything looked bright and sunny, with those stunning clouds in the distance. I walked down the stairs to Shell Beach, the ceremony site, and set my bag down on a rock so I could scope out the beach for a minute. When I looked back at the rock there was a juvenile seagull roosting on top of my bag. The early bird. I sometimes think life has a sense of humor.

Liz and Tony arrived with Liz's mother, two sisters, and two friends (not, I should add, the smallest wedding I've ever shot). After putting on Tony's boutonniere (a cute difficulty for weddings big and small), we walked the beach for a few portraits before their officiant showed up. Still sunny.

Right before the ceremony, the clouds began obscuring the sun, which had grown low in the sky by this time.

Sisters' excitement. One of my favorites.

A wonderful thing about ceremonies like this is that, with no one to block, I can get close enough with a long lens to see clearly the rings being placed for the first time.

Finishing up paperwork, and still dry:

After the ceremony, we made our way back up the stairs. I offered my congratulations to Liz and Tony, and as I was shaking Liz's hand, a raindrop hit my cheek. Less than a minute later, walking to my car, the sky opened up with sheer downpour, and I laughed while shielding my camera gear under the "just-in-case" umbrella.

Shanna and Tony

Lots of new photos coming soon from my recent trip through California, but my big reason for coming back to San Diego was my first wedding of '09, Tony and Shanna.

Shanna and I met a few years ago, and I always liked her very much. She wrote me last August about an engagement portrait session with Tony, whom she had recently become engaged with. We met in the Gaslamp District of San Diego for the portraits, and it only took a few minutes with her and Tony to know that I wanted to be a part of their wedding as well. Tony matches her perfectly - a handsome guy with a heart of gold. I marked the calendar for January 10.

A moment of prayer before the ceremony.

You can't plan these things. I was looking for an establishing shot of the guests arriving for the ceremony when this little mop of yellow hair sticks out of the greenery and plants on the cutest grin.

This was why I wanted to shoot this wedding. Two shots below this, you see Tony reading his written vows to her as she wipes her eyes. In the middle of a sentence he cuts himself off and says, "Shanna, I just love you so stinkin' much!" To which the whole crowd, myself included, lights up in laughter.

It's been a while since I've seen a good cake fight. These two were scrappy.

Time to hit the trees...

I'll be on the road for a few days starting the 27th, and returning to normal life on the 2nd. A dear friend of mine had her grandmother pass away recently, and I'm driving with her to the top of California. Luckily this also means some amazing pictures in the redwoods. I'm planning to visit a location called Fern Canyon, and of course I'll be stopping through San Francisco as well, adding to my California collection.

New Years Eve we'll be sitting down to a nine-course meal by chef Brian Hopper at The Groves in Myer's Flat, CA. Good friends and good food, and then New Years morning I'm on the road again, trying to beat a storm that's coming in from the Pacific (once I get to Sacramento I'll be in the clear).

To my clients, I'll have phone/email available at all times, and I'll be back for meetings starting January 3rd. Happy New Year everyone! I look forward to all the wonderful weddings lined up this year.