Natalia's Maternity Session in Montego Bay, Jamaica

Today we find ourselves at the Montego Bay Airport in Jamaica. We are about to board our flight to Miami (and then Los Angeles) after a week of amazing sights, beautiful sounds, and a wonderful time with our growing family in Jamaica. We were flown out to Montego Bay by a WONDERFUL couple who said their I Do's on this beautiful island, and chose Closer to Love to document their new life as husband and wife together! We were so blessed because Rachel and Aaron were very supportive about bringing our 22-month old, Saylah, along for the adventure!! We learned after being in Solimon Bay, Mexico just a few weeks ago (without Saylah) how much we missed her! So we decided that if at all possible, Saylah would join us for our Jamaican get-away, and we are so glad she came along!!! She absolutely loved it. The crystal clear water was her favorite part of this trip. She wanted to be in the water more than on land:)

While on our trip, I had the PRIVILEGE and HONOR of documenting Natalia's Maternity Session at 25 weeks (As an ex-Ultrasound tech, I always calculate how far along we are by weeks, not months:) But, that is approximately 6-7 months...) The day we shot was absolutely perfect. The sunsets here are beyond beautiful, and having my gorgeous wife (along with a baby in her tummy) as my subjects, I fell in love with everything about her Session - it was just perfect. Below are a few of my favorite images captured during our mini Maternity Session - Saylah was clinging on to me, running into Natalia's arms. It was a challenging Session, but we managed to capture some beautiful moments!

God bless,
Sammy

"Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from Him."
Psalm 127:3

Fearless

Dearest Saylah,

If I had to sum you up in one word, it would be: FEARLESS. You are one fearless, brave, and incredible 22-month old! I love that about you. Some days you are a handful because you want to climb on ‘this’ or just off of ‘that,’ but in the end – I’m so glad you love taking risks! Your mommy and I were talking about you the other day (well, we talk about you EVERY DAY because we love you so much!) but the topic was FEARLESSnesss – and how we are so glad that you are fearless. We want you to ALWAYS be fearless. To ALWAYS take risks – as long as it is aligned with God’s pleasing and perfect will. We have a few family and friends who do not take risks. They are too scared. And you know what? They don’t seem to move forward as much as they wish to. Being fearless is an attribute I want YOU to always hold on to. Continue being brave, continue taking risks, and continue learning from your mistakes. Your mommy and I had to take a few risks in our lives, and God has blessed those decisions. Sometimes God will wait for US to make the FIRST MOVE, before He makes His move right after us. It’s all about FAITH and TRUSTING in Him! So, dream big, Saylah! Aim high and don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t succeed! You can be whatever you’d like to be in this life! But always remember to put God FIRST and He will lead you to where He wants you to go. Live your life FOR HIM. When we are aligned with God’s Word, our lives will find so much purpose and meaning. Thank you for teaching us through every day actions that you do. We love you so much, more and more every single day!!!! We look forward to each day, watching you grow, watching you learn – and you making us laugh and smile in the process. You are and forever will be our beautiful little brave girl.

You are a gift and we love you, endlessly.

Love,

daddy

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER, LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND.”

Isaiah 41:10 – "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Jessica + Daniel Married | Southern California

There are so many wonderful things we can say about Jessica and Daniel – so many! But in moments like this, we truly believe images speak far greater than words. Below are a few of our favorite moments captured during Jessica and Daniel’s emotion-filled Wedding Day in Southern California. In these photographs you will see joy, laughter, romance, admiration and LOVE. Their intimate backyard Wedding Day was simply perfect. We are so blessed to have been apart of it and grateful to have been able to witness such a pure and genuine relationship first-hand.

We love you Jessica and Daniel! May God continue richly blessing you, your families, and your new marriage!

Sammy + Natalia

"And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love Him,
who have been called according
to His purpose."
Romans 8:28

* * *

Watch the incredible Wedding Preview Film by
ZoMei Video Productions
zomeivp.com

vendors

Venue - Heritage Park in Fountain Valley http://www.fountainvalley.org/visitors/parks/

Photography - Closer to Love Photography ;)

Videography- Zomei Video Productions www.zomeivp.com

Hair - Mary Johnson (949) 874-4248 

Make-up - Allison Escalante (714) 356-1501

Centerpiece flowers - Costco wholesale in Fountain Valley (714) 434-0515

Bouquets/boutonnieres- Jennifer Mcgee - Saddleback Flower Shop - www.saddlebackflowershop.net

Bride’s Dress - Mariposa Boutique www.mariposabride.com

Bride’s Shoes- Girl Mia 

Bridesmaid Dresses- Alfred Angelo www.alfredangelo.com

Groom and Groomsmen - Friar Tux www.friartux.com

Bride’s Earrings – David’s Bridal www.davidsbridal.com

Wedding Cake - church friends

Food- Adolfo Robledo (626) 256- 8416

Sweet heart/ bride & groom sign overlay and burlap - Shinoda Design center /www.shinodadesigncenter.net/

Invitations- wedding paper divas www.weddingpaperdivas.com

Chairs and Lamps - Baker Party Rental www.bakerpartyrentals.com

FROM THE BRIDE:

When I started out on the adventure of planning a wedding my first thought was " I want everything simple!" Planning a wedding can very easily become overwhelming and the last thing I wanted was to not enjoy doing it! I love country music and my now husband learned to  love it by being around me. So that is kind of where the country theme kind of came from. When we found our venue we knew it would be perfect! And the rest just kind of fell into place, from the sunflowers to the burlap and even our close friends and family joining in the fun and wearing cowboy boots!! We knew we wanted our wedding day to be clean and simple, we wanted to keep our wedding on the cost efficient side, because the less it cost us the more people we could invite to come celebrate with us! It was a blessing to see how many friends and family stepped up to help us out! From our wedding cake to the set up and tear down, we just were blown away by how people wanted to support us!

The biggest thing Daniel and I wanted from our day wasn't about the splendor that most people see at a wedding, it was making sure everyone there knew that this marriage was the Lord Jesus Christ's doing... and we wanted to celebrate it and spend time with the people we love and care about.

Stephanie + Matt Engaged | Cupertino, CA

Stephanie and Matt are an online success story:) They ‘met’ on Match.com in 2011 and began conversing online until meeting in person at a local café in Los Gatos. Their first date started at the café as drinks and eventually turned into a full course dinner. They had a lot to say to each other and really connected, so much so that the second date was just 2 days later. On their second date, they watched at least 5 tables change over as they spent 10 hours at a restaurant, continuing to get to know each other over a meal (or two). Stephanie admits that it was on her second date that she knew that they would be in each other’s lives, forever. “I fell in love with him that day,” explained Stephanie, when we asked about their love story!

We were so fortunate to travel up north to Cupertino, California to document Stephanie and Matt’s Engagement Session at Picchetti Winery. We had so much fun together and we look forward to capturing their Big Day this coming summer! Below are a few of our favorite moments captured during our Session. Enjoy!

Blessings,
Sammy

“There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casteth out fear.”
1 John 4:18 

All images are copyright of Closer to Love Photography.
Please don't copy, screen-cap,
 or alter any images without our permission.
If you use these photos for social sites such as
 Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook,
please make a note that the photographs were taken by
 Closer to Love,
and a link to HTTP://WWW.CLOSERTOLOVEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
or
 HTTP://WWW.CLOSERTOLOVEBLOG.COM.
Thank you.