Merry Christmas from our ohana to yours

to all those celebrating with us today,
Merry Christmas!
for everyone else,
Happy Festivus!

this year april drew us in our own little christmas scene combining some of our favorite christmas movies. can you tell what movies were our inspiration?

this is my all time favorite christmas scene.



if you are by yourself today please know that you are in our thoughts, so you are not totally alone. :)
have a wonderful day and a happy new year everyone!

thank you for visiting our wedding photography blog
check out our portfolio.
contact us by phone at 858.663.3283 or email david@ohanaphotographers.com

ohana photographers | ohana photographers blog | hawaii wedding photography | orange county wedding photography | los angeles wedding photography | wedding photographers | hawaii family photographer | orange county family photographer | los angeles family photographer

christmas surprise - the twilight saga continues

last month we were at the magic kingdom wading through the massive crowds, looking at all the beautiful disneyland christmas decorations, and thinking how cool it would be to see a disneyland wedding with fireworks. btw, it would be awesome! (hint hint for all you couples still thinking of which venue to choose for your wedding.)
anywho, we really wanted to go in the haunted mansion because they had just converted it over to the jack skellington haunted mansion holiday. as we approached the mansion we saw that the line to get in was INSANE so we let out a collective sigh of despair and lost all hope to go in. just then there was a flash of light and ashley and allison floated down in front of us like magical disneyland fairies. they asked if we would like to go in with them. we paused, did a double-take at the line, and wondered just what kind of pixie dust these girls were carrying. moments later we were compelled to squeek out an overjoyed yes as they exclaimed "in our hands we wield the power of walt disney himself, and an extra set of fast passes." :)
after going through the haunted mansion holiday we thanked ashley and allison with gusto, but their tank of kindness was nowhere near empty. they asked us to join them on kim's favorite ride at disneyland, the indiana jones adventure. i pinched myself, kim looked at her watch to see if it was already christmas, and rain nearly stepped on her own jaw. are there seriously still people on this planet that are this nice? YES! and their names are ashley and allison.
fast forward a week or so. we receive an email from ashley. she had been on our website and loved our work. as it turns out, ashley and allison's mom had told them that all she wants for christmas this year are some photos of the two of them. ashley and allison told her ok and had planned to take their point-and-shoot out and take pictures of each other. then they met us.
are you seeing the big ol' slice of fate pie here?
rather than going with their previous plan, ashley and allison drove down to san diego and met up with us to make a little christmas surprise for their mom.

my name is in the bible. does that count? :)

as we were shooting, ashley and allison let us know that they are big fans of new moon and the twilight saga.
i, however, am still undecided on whether i would like to be on team edward or team jacob. :)

allison loves to read. ashley loves her iPod. it's a good mix.

we decided to have a little fun with the whole twilight concept. even Rain threw us a couple ideas.

bella has nothing on ashley

thank you so much ashley and allison. we had a lot of fun with you both at disneyland and during your photo session. we wish you and your ohana a very merry christmas. hope your mom loves these.

thank you for visiting our wedding photography blog
check out our portfolio.
contact us by phone at 858.663.3283 or email david@ohanaphotographers.com

ohana photographers | ohana photographers blog | hawaii wedding photography | orange county wedding photography | los angeles wedding photography | wedding photographers | hawaii family photographer | orange county family photographer | los angeles family photographer

ohana beginnings and xmas blessings

as another year comes to an end we are re-visiting our beginnings, our first clients to be exact. we, like most other small business owners, started out with a dream and zero clients. it took a little luck and a chance encounter to get us off the ground.
enter the xanthopoulos family.
after meeting them for the first time, the xanthopoulos' became our first clients and the first members of our extended ohana. since that day we have been asked to share and capture some of their most important family moments. the work they have given us aside, having this family come into our lives has been a HUGE blessing. they are some of the most wonderful people we could have ever hoped to meet in life. i am inspired to be better at everything i do because of them. they will always hold a special place in our hearts and in our ohana.
in what has become a tradition we look forward to every year, we joined the xanthopoulos family for a day at the la jolla beach and tennis club to take some fun photos for their family christmas cards. we didn't have snow, but we had plenty of sun, sand, and smiles. i couldn't ask for anything more.
these first two shots are fun little sample christmas cards. have you already sent yours out? :)

i LOVE taking photos of this couple!
they are the most in-love couple i know. their love reminds me of the love my grandparents shared for over 72 years. it is true and it makes my heart smile.

thank you both for believing in us and continuing to bless our family.
may all your days be merry and bright.
merry christmas and a very happy new year!

thank you for visiting our wedding photography blog
check out our portfolio.
contact us by phone at 858.663.3283 or email david@ohanaphotographers.com

ohana photographers | ohana photographers blog | hawaii wedding photography | orange county wedding photography | los angeles wedding photography | wedding photographers | hawaii family photographer | orange county family photographer | los angeles family photographer

have you made your cards yet?

we are getting down to the wire, but there is still a little time left to get your portraits done for this year's cards. call us asap to schedule your session like the awesome valley family did.
for those of you that aren't sure what to do, there are also a couple card samples below. i do want to point out that photos are non-denominational, so you can make any kind of holiday card you wish.
speaking of the word "holiday" i've decided to come up with a phrase that's not so generic. this year i'll be wishing everyone a Meppy Kwastmakah! that just about covers everyone i know. :)

Here are all the details for our holiday portrait special:

1 hour portrait session
one set of custom designed christmas cards [25 cards per set]
two 8x10 prints of your choice
three digital images for you to print as you wish
price: $400.00 + tax

thank you for visiting our wedding photography blog
check out our portfolio.
contact us by phone at 858.663.3283 or email david@ohanaphotographers.com

ohana photographers | ohana photographers blog | hawaii wedding photography | orange county wedding photography | los angeles wedding photography | wedding photographers | hawaii wedding photographer | orange county family photographer | los angeles family photographer

wedding fiesta with maria and jose

everyone has a story.
every life has a path.
sometimes the stories and paths intertwine and amazing things happen.
jose and maria's paths crossed while they were both attending california western school of law in san diego, but jose's amazing story started well before that. when maria told me about it i was so inspired that i had to share it with everyone. please take a moment to read about jose in this link to the san diego union tribune. here's an excerpt – The journey to law school for Jose Orozco began at a Jack in the Box when he was plotting his promotion from cashier to shift leader.

If he worked hard, he could make the move in six months, he was told. And why not? His job kept him off the streets of Logan Heights, where he was teetering on being “jumped into” one of the gangs that controlled the neighborhood.

The fast-food joint is also where he met Kevin LaChapelle, a former police officer who frequented the restaurant. LaChapelle, a youth mentor, saw in Orozco what he didn't and helped him turn his life around.

“I had that strong, strong feeling that this guy wanted to change,” LaChapelle said. “When I worked with gang members, we would have to beg them to change. Jose was different.”

Today the high school dropout is incoming president of the Student Bar Association at California Western School of Law in San Diego and is planning a career as an employment lawyer.

Law school wasn't always an option for Orozco.

He had already been beaten into a tagging crew. Joining a gang was the natural next step – if he could only make time.

Fortunately for Orozco, 27, the fast-food restaurant consumed his time, and his buddies began to disappear.

“Every time I went back to hang out, they were locked up,” he said.

That shift-leader job was looking better all the time.

Orozco was orphaned early in life. He was 8 when his mother died of skin cancer. Five years later, his father died of prostate cancer. For a year he bounced around between his grandmother's home in Nayarit, Mexico, and his stepsister's place in National City. Eventually, Orozco settled with his aunt in Sherman Heights, where he grew up. .
jose and maria graduated from california western school of law, got married, and will soon be taking their bar exam. they don't like sleep. :) maria once told me that they don't have a life, but i think they have a wonderful life that is only going to get better.

maria had so many incredible details that i have to share them with you.
her beautiful wedding dress was by Rosa Clara,
shoes by alfani,
and the pretty pretty flowers were done by manuel chavez in chula vista,

isn't maria THE most stunning bride you have ever seen? muy bonita!

maria and jose had a beautiful wedding at our lady of angels catholic church in san diego.

jose and maria looked amazing! what a beautiful couple.

after their ceremony, jose and maria emerged from the church and were greeted by their family, friends, and the ice cream guy. mmmm, ice cream.

after the ceremony we made a stop for some wedding portraits at balboa park.

the only thing better than the san diego skyline is maria and jose in front of the san diego skyline.

with the delicioso cake by sumi's oven in place, it was time to get the reception at the san diego hilton harbor island going.

two bands turned the reception into a fiesta: kanari and vientos del sur.
the corona played a minor supporting role.

congratulations maria and jose! we are so happy for you. good luck on your upcoming california bar exam. we know after you clear that last hurdle you are both going to do great things.

L.T. and the chargers are working toward getting a super bowl ring, but i don't think it will be as amazing as maria's beautiful ring.

thank you for visiting our wedding photography blog
check out our portfolio.
contact us by phone at 858.663.3283 or email david@ohanaphotographers.com

ohana photographers | ohana photographers blog | hawaii wedding photography | orange county wedding photography | los angeles wedding photography | wedding photographers | hawaii family photographer | orange county family photographer | los angeles family photographer