I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce you to Plum Tree Weddings. I recently connected with Nina who is the heart and soul behind Plum Tree, its great to meet and collaborate with people all over the world. If you’re a UK Bride or just want to be wowed by worldwide weddings, be sure to check out Plum Tree Weddings blog– you won’t be disappointed! A big thank you to Nina for featuring Mike & Lacey’s wedding today!
This year is the year of travel for us…we’re headed to Europe twice this year; once in April and once in August to shoot a wedding…we feel SO SO blessed to be able to travel and do what we love! Its unreal. We’re both big on travel so this is a real blessing. In just ten days Arash and I are embarking on a 3 week European adventure and we couldn’t be more excited! Before our wedding season takes off into high gear, we’re taking a inspiration vacation to see the sights and explore some of the most gorgeous landscapes in Liverpool, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Switzerland. We’ve been neck-deep in Europe research as we plan out our itinerary — who knew how intensive a trip like this can be? I’m definitely looking forward to spending Easter with my bff in Liverpool then heading off to all our other stops. We’ve got our gear ready to go and you can believe we’ll be posting it up on instagram and documenting our every stop. If you know of any great restaurants, sites to see, shops to visit or galleries to explore, leave comment and let us know… and the countdown is on!
I’ve decided to start a new column called IN THE LIGHT.
I hope it will be a unique way to introduce different artists, bloggers, entrepreneurs and/or inspiring people who will share a glimpse into what makes them come alive. One thing I’m super passionate about is telling stories with my photography and my hope is that this will give me the chance to document people who will in turn, inspire you. The column will feature a different profile each month, where each person(s) will include a list of five “things I heart”. First up: Joanne Encarnacion of Encarnacion Photography.
She’s a wife, a mom of two, a fashion lover, a hair guru and she makes up one half of the contagiously charming duo, JOANNATHAN. After years of juggling working in the hair biz and running a photography studio, she took a leap of faith by saying goodbye to hair and hello to photography full time (enter applause here!) when she recently joined the incredible VSCO team! Be sure to check out her and Jonathan’s work and read more about her journey. 
1. MY FAMILY. My husband and daughters are huge inspirations to me. Seeing their laughter, smiles, and their daily growth into amazing individuals are just some of the characteristics that I definitely aspire to be. My husband has such a loving spirit. He’s kind, giving, and caring, something I always try to strive for. When times are tough and situations in life are bringing me down, I think WWJD, “what would Jonathan do”? It’s silly but I do it. My daughters are just. Inspirational to me. That sense of courage that kids have because they do not have anything to stress over is something I learn from them day to day. The curiosity to aspire to be something, to constantly say “I wanna be this or that when I grow up” is so amazing! Their minds are like sponges and their dreams seem to be so endless. Watching them daily is so inspiring.
2. FOOD!!! I swear I work out to eat more. For reals. I love food. I love the creation of amazing dishes. Chefs probably have one of the most awesome jobs in the world, they are not only able to create and experiment in the kitchen, but they feed the soul. I’m always so enamoured by the abilities they have to be able to pair certain flavors together. The most amazing part of it all is it comes from the earth and I get to eat it!
3. FASHION. I love shoes, handbags, and of course clothing. I love shopping! Dressing up is so much fun. I blame it on Sex and The City. Inside, I’ve got a whole lot of Carrie Bradshaw, a pinch of Samantha Jones, a dash of Miranda Hobbs, and a splash of Charlotte York. I often make the excuse of “I am buying this piece for a shoot” and the reality is I’m hoping to use it for a shoot, but if not, its going into my closet.
4. TRAVEL. Although this isn’t something I do often, I do love it. Last year I was blessed enough to shoot two weddings in Hawaii and it was my first time going. Now Hawaii has a special place in my heart. The people, the lifestyle, and the beautiful surroundings allowed me to be free. The funny thing is I was so not a beach person before going and I left there becoming the biggest islander living on the mainland. The people in Maui understood the important things in life: family, home, food, love, and the beach.
5. WALT DISNEY & DISNEYLAND. The man was awesome! He built Disneyland as a place for his daughters to come and play. Disneyland never ceases to amaze me. It’s constantly growing, evolving, changing, and moving forward. It’s a place for you to imagine the unimaginable and be reminded of childhood memories. Disneyland holds probably one of the best quotes in life, “All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney was a dreamer and I hope that I can learn to always dream just a he did.
THANKS Joanne for being the first, IN THE LIGHT.
Last night at 10pm marked the official Persian New Year and as we wake up this morning, we welcome the first official day of Spring. Its always fun to celebrate Nowruz with family and great friends around us. Nowruz, for me means splashes of color, fresh beginnings and the start of one of my favorite seasons of the year. Traditionally, Nowruz is a time for family to get together and celebrate so I hope you’re surrounded by family and friends today…and if you know anyone who’s Persian, be sure to wish them a Happy New Year!!
Saw this Target commercial last night that beautifully illustrates what I feel inside. Time to bust out the color and enjoy the changing of the season!
So thankful to have the weekend here! Finally feeling healthy again after battling the flu bug for the last week, just in time for our trip to LA today. Arash and I are celebrating his birthday with none other than an epic Lakers game tonight and catching up with good friends all weekend. I surprised him with tickets to see his boy (yup!) Kobe play. Ever since we got married Arash has wanted to take me to a game in his hometown of LA…so here we go! Hope you enjoy some chill time in these next few days too. Cheers to the weekend!!
Mike and Vivian. Oh where do I start? Since we met back in the summer of 2011, we’ve become good friends, swapped travel stories over sushi and every time we hang out, we find yet another crazy thing in common. Its almost unreal how similar we are and just completely gratifying to know that I get to work with people like Mike and Vivian. Both super talented graphic designers, in love with mid-century modern design, appreciate great food and love to travel just as much as we do…not to mention we live down the street from each other!? Crazy. Their SF City Hall wedding was fitting – simple yet completely classic. I especially love the photo below because it sums up the dynamic of their relationship in one photograph. Vivian keeps it cool and Mike keeps things ridiculously interesting and spontaneous. For their reception, Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant was the perfect backdrop to end the night with its modern setting, and delicious food!
The countdown is on for our Europe trip and the days are flying by. I can’t believe we’re leaving in less than a month. There have been a lot of great changes for dELBARR MORADI Photography, our team has been growing, which is super exciting! We hired on a new production coordinator who I’ll introduce very soon and we set up a cute new office space and started designing some new packaging too! I’ll be sure to post some photos of our space soon. In the meantime…I’m looking forward to a full week of work ahead. Cheers to a great week!
Matthew and Aubrey couldn’t be sweeter. I am so blessed to know them and to get the opportunity to shoot their wedding later this year, too. We had such a great time together and if you’re wondering the back story behind the “love sick” theme? Matthew and Aubrey are medical students at Loma Linda University in Southern California. It was there that Matthew first saw Aubrey, and outside the Anatomy lab was where they finally had their first introduction, where it all began. And according to Matt…when he first laid eyes on her, it was love at first sight.
Location: Cavallo Point, Sausalito, CA // Staging &Shoot Design: Simone Lennon, Soiree by Simone // Jewelry: Fourtane Estate Jewelers, Carmel, CA // A big thank you to Style Me Pretty California for publishing their love story. To see even more photos from the day, be sure to check out the post!
If you know me, you know there is this hunger inside me to be a part of great change. To see something change and impact the world for the greater good. My heart beats for it and as a photographer, I love documenting it, telling the story. I’ve traveled to Haiti and spoke to hundreds of Haitians, joined in the global fight to stop sex trafficking all over the world and walked the streets of Cairo, in hopes of making some sort of difference through prayer and simple, real relationships. Nothing makes me feel more alive or passionate than seeing people, artists, storytellers, voices, come together and spark an incredible movement, drawing attention to something we can so easily ignore. We work, we go to school, we travel, we live comfortable lives here in the US and I know that God has blessed me and continues to provide SUCH amazing experiences and opportunities for a purpose. For a greater impact. My art, my talent, my passions can also be used for causes like this. After watching this video, I couldn’t ignore this call. How can you? The child soldiers in Africa have been on my radar for years thanks to Invisible Children and this year they are determined to go even more viral with their message, their challenge. I hope you watch this and I hope you get involved…it could be a simple signature, wearing the bracelet or simply just sharing this video on Facebook. Its not everyday that something this big comes along and I’m excited to be part of this change. Check out KONY2012 for all the info you need to get involved and spread the word.
