love is beautiful…xoxo
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hair & makeup by TEAM HAIR & MAKEUP
to see more of this lovely couple visit
WEDDING CHICKS 

….congratulations JOSE VILLA & JOEL SERRATO….

today is a good day…JOSE VILLA & JOEL SERRATO’S stunning wedding is featured in an 8 page spread in MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS…stop whatever you are doing & run to the store & pick up the winter 2012 issue…this wedding was truly special…i was/am so honored to have captured the nuptials of two wonderful & loving men…may they enjoy many beautiful married years together…

here is the list of the amazing team of talented & creative people
that came together &  helped make their day not only
beautiful but also full of meaning & substance…..
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Location: FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN FARMHOUSE
Event Design & Production: Lisa Vorce of OH, HOW CHARMING!
Event Design and Flowers: MINDY RICE FLORAL DESIGN
Catering: NEW WEST CATERING
Stationery: TINY PINE PRESS & PAPEL PAPER & PRESS
Calligraphy: ANNE JONES
Cake: SWEET & SAUCY SHOP
Lighting: BELLA VISTA DESIGN
Photography: ELIZABETH MESSINA
Cinematography: JOE SIMON FILMS
Ceremony & Cocktail Music: BOLERO SOUL
Reception Music: MICHAEL ANTONIA of FLASHDANCE
Rentals: CLASSIC PARTY RENTALS
Specialty Decor: BARKER DECOR SERVICE

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this is what the sky looked like the day JOSE & JOEL got married

(today you will find sneak peaks of this wedding on)

GREEN WEDDING SHOES & 100 LAYER CAKE & STYLE ME PRETTY

christmas came early this year
thank you MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS

love is beautiful…xoxo

sunday’s are for relaxing…just saying…xoxo

“I have been wanting you for so long
I have been wanting you for so long

I been down
I been down a different road
I been out
I have been out of control

Girl, when you touch me back
yeah, yeah
I get my senses back
Yeah
Girl, when you touch me back
yeah, yeah
I get my senses back
Yeah

So now I’m feeling alright
Cause nothin’ feels like
When you’re holdin’ on
Said, I feel alright
Cause nothing feels like
When you’re holdin’
When you’re holdin’
I’m feelin’ alright
Cuz nothing feels like
When you’re holdin’ on
When you’re holdin’ on

I wanna treat you like you wanna be treated
I wanna see you as you wanna be seen

I been down
I been down a different road
I been out
I have been out of control

Girl, when you touch me back
I get my senses back
girl, when you touch me back
I get my senses back
Oohh

So now I’m feeling alright
‘Cause nothing feels like
When you’re holdin’ on
Said, I feel alright
Cause nothin’ feels like
when you’re holdin’
when you’re holdin’ on
Said
I feel alright
Cause nothing feels right
When you’re holdin’
When you’re holdin’ on
I feel alright
Cause nothin’ feels right
When you’re holdin’ on
When you’re holdin’ on

Let yourself go,
Let yourself go”

HOLDIN’ ON
by
CITIZEN COPE

nothing like seeing your man all dressed up…xoxo

“dwell in possibility”
EMILY DICKINSON

JOSE VILLA & JOEL SERRATO

a year ago over a lovely breakfast JOEL & JOSE
asked me to be their wedding photographer…

i was so touched that they would want me to document their nuptials…
to be honest, i was a bit nervous…i felt such a responsibility to capture
the beauty of another photographer’s & film-maker’s celebration…

soooo, i suggested that we do an engagement session….

although we knew one another & had great mutual respect for each other…i
felt it was important that the rapport between us, translated well in images…..

JOSE & JOEL were absolutely gracious every step of the way….

they let me, and even encouraged me to just shoot as i like…
never giving direction & always open to any suggestion i had….

we photographed both in their home & in the
beautiful countryside near where they reside….

it was an absolutely gorgeous day….

we laughed…we photographed…..

i was deeply moved by their genuine love & affection….

spending this time together was valuable to all of us…i
think it created an ease & comfort level between us, that truly
resonated into the photographs of their wedding day….

as much as i’d like to share JOEL & JOSE’s wedding images….
their wedding is slated to run in a national magazine in 2012….
(so they must remain private until publication)

it was such a pleasure & an honor to be part of their beautiful love story…

i was so touched by this lovely thank you note  i
received from JOSE & JOEL i simply had to share…

_______________________________________

dearest elizabeth,

we haven’t had the opportunity to write you a proper email because it’s so hard to find the words to describe how grateful and fortunate we feel for having you create such beautiful memories for us. the truth is that we never imagined the emotions that would take over every time we see our beautiful photos, they are better than anything we could have ever imagined…we’ve tried writing this email before… tears and all but no words in the american dictionary could ever describe our internal feelings of gratitude and appreciation for what you have created and captured for us.

we’ve been together for almost 8 years and we had never been photographed before so we were nervous about facing our image on film. jose proposed first in mazatlan mexico,one of our first getaways together and joel proposed a year later, we enjoyed our engagement for 3 years. the duration of being engaged for so long was a beautiful part of our relationship and we enjoyed every bit of it, we experienced more and learned more about each other in that time than ever before. looking at all our photographs brings back so many happy emotions from 8 years of life together.

when we first got engaged there was no doubt you elizabeth messina would capture our memories, it sounds funny but we would even have dreams about the actual emotions we would feel after receiving the photos and i have to say that the dream was probably a prepping of many tears of joy after receiving the first batch of engagement photographs in our hands, prints, all on FILM. elizabeth when you hand delivered these to us at our rehearsal dinner, we didn’t even want to join everyone, we just wanted to sit and see all of our photos. how could someone see our love in this way? how could someone capture our emotions and love so perfect? elizabeth when you stepped out of the room we unwrapped more and more of our photos batch per bath and could not believe our eyes, we hugged and cried.

thank you elizabeth for making this experience for us simple, and about us. we will never be able to thank you enough. we can’t wait to start a family and have you capture us as a whole.

we love you,
jose & joel

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to see more of their engagement check out
the always inspirational STYLE ME PRETTY…

love is beautiful….xoxo

somethings are worth waiting for…xoxo

___________________

gown & shrug by CLAIRE PETTIBONE

of love come in all forms…xoxo

by now, most of you have probably seen my image on the cover of the newest issue of GRACE ORMONDE WEDDING STYLE magazine….it is with great excitement that i now share with you some of my favorite images from this intimate fashion shoot….enjoy & please pick up this issue soon….

may you day be full of love & style & inner grace….xoxo
GRACE ORMONDE WEDDING STYLE MAGAZINE