1. Jasmine Star on Creative Live. So I don’t know if y’all know, but if you are a photog you probably do…Jasmine Star did an amazing FREE online streaming workshop for 5 days. It was put on by the amazing Chase Jarvis and Creative Live team. Creative Live puts on all kinds of free online workshops for the art community, but seriously? The Jasmine Star event may have been the biggest thing they have ever done! Jasmine not only walked through how she runs her business, lots of Q&A, but she also shot an ENTIRE wedding LIVE so we could see exactly how she shoots a big day. And then the next day she showed us her entire edit. It was SERIOUSLY AMAZING. And I learned so much. It was a great thing for me because I saw that I do many things similarly which was an affirmation that I do things right and know what’s up. But it also showed me some things I never knew about and also areas which I know I can improve. And really, that was the whole point of watching. To learn, and challenge myself and GROW. Thank you so very much Jasmine for being a complete open book! You have helped the community (and me as an individual) SO much more than you know! And thank you so much to Creative Live for putting on this extraordinary event! WOWZAS! Y’all rock! …and clients? Y’all should know this experience has pushed me to grow and dream so much farther! Ashleigh Taylor Photography is ONLY going up from here!

2. Kimchi. I have been working A LOT lately and I really needed a little date night. AJ asked me where I wanted to go and we ran through our list of usual places. Then he said…”I know, you want Tofu-Ya, right?” And internet, I was shocked! Cause that boy just read my frickin’ mind! “How did you know?” I asked. His response? “I saw kimchi floating above your head.” LOLZ forever. Yes, sometimes I crave kimchi and tofu soon and apparently it floats above my head like I am a cartoon character. We waited nearly 35 minutes to get a seat at Tofu-ya that night but it was SO worth it! That kimchi totally hit the spot! Mmm mm mmm mmm good!

3. The Switch. On Sunday I went to see The Switch with my mom, and OMG, I LOVED it! Ok so is it a cheesy romantic comedy and therefore somewhat predictable? Yes. But you know what I really don’t care. It was really cute. And super funny. And ummm the little boy in that movie is ADORABLE! I want a little boy JUST LIKE THAT! Cause that kid? He was stinkin’ cute and sweet! I came home telling AJ about it and went through a “awww I want a baby phase.” Then AJ reminded how much work children are and how you have to change their diapers and I was all…oh yeah I’m still so not ready for that! LOL. No, one day I do wanna be a momma. Hopefully to an awesome cute little kid. But right now? Soooo not ready. Maybe in about 4 or 5 years. Unless another romantic comedy messes deeply with my mind before then! hehe

4. InfoMania. Do any of you watch this show? AJ and I LOVE it! It’s on Current TV and it’s a clip show…kinda like how Best Week Ever used to be…only this is a bit edgier and smarter. I LOVE the social commentary segments like Brian Safi’s “That’s Gay” but I also just like the pure hilarity of Brett Erlich’s “Viral Video Film School.” Oh and don’t forget Sergio Cilli’s “White Hot Top Five” and “Music Intervention”! I love it! It’s a super funny show and I totally suggest trying it out if you like funny stuff and TV. hehe

5. Aarti Party. So I am like a HUGE Food Network nerd and I could not have been happier when Aarti won Next Food Network Star. Fun facts: Aarti and I both used to write food reviews for LAist.com at more or less the same time. We also live around the same area and like some of the same Indian food joints. So what I am trying to say is, clearly, we are BFFs and I was rooting for her! Now home girl has her own show, and I LOVE it. I have been saying forever that I wish there was an Indian cooking show on Food Network because dang I love me some Indian food! And now it has happened! Oh happy day! Oh happy day!

From left to right: Aarti from FoodNetwork.com, The Switch movie poster from the official website, Infomania cast from the official website, and tasty kimchi from the kimchi wikipedia page.

Dani and Tony have a dynamic to their relationship which reminds me of me and AJ. Dani is such a fun girl! She has an amazing sense of style and knows how to rock the camera. I love how confident and outgoing she is. Tony is more the quiet, shy type. But he is so caring and strong and always watching out for Dani. He gives his hand when she needs it, he has a strong shoulder for her to lean on, and gives her tender kisses on the cheek just to show his love. It is so very sweet and I was so giddy to get to document this exciting phase in their relationship! I am so happy I got to meet such a stylish, sweet and fun couple and I cannot wait to see where the future takes them! I know there is a lot of excitement ahead!!!

And now, photos!!!

Dani brought cute little props which I LOVE LOVE LOVE! It’s the little things that can really add some extra fun flavor to a session!

You two are STUNNING!!!

Dani, you are GORGEOUS girl!!!

Mmmmhmmm. These two are steamy! Yep it’s true!

Tony you are not so bad on the eyes yourself!

To view more of this fun Griffith Observatory Mr. and Mrs. session, check out the slide show below!!

Tyler and Christine met at UCSB and have been together ever since. Tyler and Christine are definitely the type of people who do everything with their full hearts and take commitments seriously. So when they found each other, I think it became clear to everyone around them that this relationship was something special. During the toasts, every one who got mentioned how they knew from the get-go that Tyler and Christine would eventually become husband and wife. Tyler’s friends and family knew it was different with Christine. And Christine’s friends and family? Well, they knew it was different with Tyler too. It really had been a long time coming for these two, so everyone was so very excited and filled with joy as they watched these two tie the knot. And they celebrated accordingly!

I loved seeing Tyler & Christine’s families come together and unite as one. Tyler and Christine both have such loving families and you can just see why Christine and Tyler turned out so darn good! I was really touched by the love everyone had for each other. And I was also really touched by how welcoming they were to me and AJ. And apparently we scored brownie points for liking kimchi and other Korean delicacies. Christine’s aunt Judy said I was 50% Korean! SCORE! But she told me AJ was actually 100% Korean, because he knew about k-pop bands High Five Of Teenager and Super Junior.  That AJ, always showin’ me up!

So without further ado, please enjoy these photos from Tyler and Christine’s beautiful, emotional day! And be sure to also watch the slide show below!

I loved the deep purple color of Christine’s shoes! So lovely!

1. The Kahala. The Kahala hotel on Oahu is like one of the BEST PLACES EVER. They have an amazing, amazing beach that I LOVE. I love beaches where the water is pretty flat. I’m a tiny girl and I don’t really like being pushed around by the ocean. The Kahala also has some seriously DELISH places to eat! And the best high tea ever! The tea they use is by Mariage Freres and it is the most tasty, flavorful tea ever! The Marco Polo tea tastes like TROPICAL HEAVEN! Wow, yowzas. It is good. I also love the grounds of the Kahala. The landscaping is beautiful and the architecture and interior design is luxurious yet welcoming. Honestly, it would be my DREAM to shoot a wedding here! It is THAT amazing.

2. Leonard’s Malasadas. “Mala-what-a’s?!” you may be saying. Malasadas are this Portuguese doughnuty type treat found in Hawaii. They were brought to Hawaii via the wave of Portuguese immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All I have to say is THANK YOU PORTUGUESE PEOPLE. Cause malasadas? They are AMAZING! Leonard’s makes, hands down, the BEST malasadas on the island. They are so very good because they are FRIED TO ORDER. And if you know anything about fried food, you know it is ALWAYS tastiest hot and fresh from the oil! The best way to describe malasadas would be like a cross between a donut and a beignet ONLY BETTER. They are warm, doughy, yet light,  and buttery. I love the original style, but I also like the Haupia malasada that Leonard’s makes! It is a regular malasada stuffed with a coconut custard! DELISH. Dang now I am craving one! Too bad I’d have to fly 3,000 miles to get it!

3. Lani Kai beach. We stayed with family in Kailua, which is probably my favorite area of Oahu. It is very lush and green and a whole lot less crowded than Honolulu! The best part of staying in Kailua though (besides visiting my fun family) is LANI KAI beach!!! This beach has been voted many times as one of the Top 10 Beaches in the world, and I can clearly see why. The water is warm and never to choppy. It is more of a locals beach (not even a parking lot) so it never gets too crowded. And it has two tiny little triangular islands floating in the not too far off distance. So you just look at the crystal clear turquoise water, and you see the horizon, and you see these two little islands, and you feel like YEP I found paradise. It is seriously so beautiful! I could lay on that beach and swim in its waters for hours.

4. Turtle Bay. I also LOVE the Turtle Bay hotel on Oahu’s North Shore! I stayed there the last time I was in Oahu, but this time we just made a day trip out of it! What I love about this hotel so very much is the setting.  It’s pretty secluded on the North Shore and they just own acres and acres of land. There is hiking trails and horse back riding, and TONS of secluded shoreline. There is SO much natural beauty at the hotel. They also have a great calm swimming beach which of course I LOVE. I have even seen turtles swimming at the beach! Nothing better than swimming near little cutie sea turtles in Hawaii!!  Turtle Bay also has a restaurant called Ola’s which is right on the beach. The food is just okay to be honest but the view is worth the mediocre eats! LOL! But yeah my favorite part about this hotel is just being able to really walk the grounds and explore nature and swim at the beach! This hotel would also be a GREAT place for a wedding! Definitely another place on my dream destination venue list!

5. Bubbie’s Mochi Ice Cream. This place was named by Oprah as one of her favorite things, so you KNOW it is good! Bubbie’s serves up homemade mochi ice cream in a plethora of DELISH flavors. It is unlike any place I have ever been on the mainland. I seriously WISH we had a Bubbie’s in Los Angeles… I think it would do superrrr well here! Hello, look at how well Yogurtland has done! Think about it Bubbie’s peeps! Anyways there isn’t much to say other than the mochi ice cream is nom nom nom. I really like the lilikoi flavor and the guava flavor. Oh and the chocolate espresso! That is pretty bomb too! Man, I could really go for one right now because it is so hot in my apartment! Bubbie’s….Culver City has some open real estate ready and waiting for your west coast debut!!

From left to right: Leonard’s Bakery box from Leonard’s Bakery official website, sushi-like Mochi from Bubbie’s official website, Mariage Freres tin from Mariage Freres official website, Kahala Resort from Kahala’s official website.

Jeanette and Pete are such a fun couple! They are playful with each other. They laugh out loud. They are vibrant. And they have a beautiful family together! These two are just so sweet together and I can see that they are already married in their hearts. But, I am SUPER STOKED to attend their wedding in September, and photograph everything as they make it official!

Enjoy the photos from this super fun beach session! As you will see, the light was GORGE (yes I just abbreviated the word gorgeous), and Pete & Jeanette are not afraid of the ocean!!

I LOVE this photo! Jeanette you are sooooooo beautiful!

To see more of Jeanette & Pete’s lovely Malibu engagement session please watch the SLIDE SHOW below!

I knew I wanted to take my business to the next level, and after talking with friends and the fabulous Jasmine Star, I knew it was time to move beyond having just a blog and get a separate website of my very own! This website has been a labor of love for the past few months and it was definitely a collaborative effort! So I have a lot of people to thank for making it come together!!

I decided to get a SHOWIT site because I was not at all interested in a template site and I had heard so many great things about the software and service from my friends. Showit is super cool because the software allows you to completely customize and update your site whenever you want. They are also super good with support and have soooo many great features! I am excited to learn even more about Showit as I update my site in the future.

Nick Haskins of Spilled Milk Designs designed my website in Showit for me! I do not at all pretend to be a designer and I know that hiring SMD to design and build a custom site for me was one of my smartest business investments ever! Nick and the team had great ideas and totally made all my visions and wishes come true and they were very accommodating throughout the design process! I am SO happy with how it turned out! SO happy!

The video was made by Floataway Studios and I can not recommend them enough for all your video needs! Mary and Scott were so fun and awesome to work with! And dang, do they have talent!! I am in LOVE with my video and I really hope you love it too!!

The photos of just me on my about page were taken by my fabulous friend Katie Neal! I always love having my picture taken but Katie made it especially fun! And I LOVED how they turned out! The photos of me & AJ on the about page were taken by Palos Studio (our FABULOUS wedding photographers)! We love the Palos– they are talented and FUN! And I will always treasure the pics they took of me & AJ!

So yeah, I pretty much had a dream team working with me to make my dream website a REALITY! I am stoked about it! Go check it out and let me know what you think!!

So I will be out of the office until August 19th. My internet access & phone use will be limited. All emails will be returned on August 20th.

Aloha!!!! And have a good week readers!

PS- Yes I am aware I have been SUCKING at my Tuesday Top 5 lately. I will get back on track when I return I promise!!!

When AJ, Cindee, and I arrived at the bridal suite at Pickwick Gardens, Zoe was getting all dolled up. She was very calm but definitely giddy with excitement too! She had the cutest accessories picked out– a lovely chiffon rosette to adorn her hair, and purple flats which also had rosettes on them! So adorable! Zoe has incredible style and her whole look came together wonderfully! Meanwhile Nima was getting ready with his groomsmen and they were all laughing as they tried to figure out how in the world to pin on their boutinierres. Thank goodness for their fabulous coordinator, Shana Fu of East West Events, for saving the day!

Zoe and Nima are an amazing couple! They are so sweet together and always taking care of each other. They enjoy being silly and making each other laugh! And they enjoy just holding hands and having quiet moments together just as much! Another thing is that they are very caring and generous. They made sure that we were filled with yummy Indian food through out the entire day, and that we had a place to sit with the guests! Very lovely!

The reception was very festive and filled with customs from Nima’s Indian heritage! There was, as I mentioned, NUMMY Indian food, Indian music, and two special performances. Then things got really romantical when Nima took to the microphone himself and serenaded Zoe with his rendition of Jason Mraz’s “Im Yours.” Everyone was in awe. It was pretty much the SWEETEST THING EVER. Later on in the evening, Zoe and Nima changed into traditional Indian Wedding outfits and we took some fun night shots outside! It was a prefect end to a great day!

Thank you to Zoe and Nima for trusting me with your special memories and for being so generous and sweet! Thanks to my hubby AJ and friend Cindee for shooting with me! Thanks to Shana for coordinating, Floral Elements for the pretty florals, White Night Designs for the elegant draping and linens, Jaqki’s Cakes for the yummy cakey goodness, DJ Sandeep for rocking the dancefloor and Sarah Young Make Up for making Zoe and her girls so very glam! I loved how this day came together thanks to everyone’s hard work! So now….onto PICTURES!!!!!! Woooohooo!!!!

Zoe and her friends were so excited as they got ready!

I LOVED that Jennifer put so much thought into the session and into the outfits she chose! She brought a veil (which I always love), an Alice In Wonderland costume because she is having an Alice themed wedding, and some other sexy outfits! It was good times! Just look how fun the session was!

Sexy Alice.

I love this shot! Its like Jennifer fell down the Rabbit Hole. In like, a totally SEXY way!

Me-owwwwww!

Jennifer you are GORGEOUS!

And it was! It was hot too! Probably one of the hottest days West LA has seen all summer. And there were like literally 20 other weddings going on, and we were all fighting for the good light to take pics in. But we worked out! We managed to beat the heat, and the crowds, and create some super fun images worthy of a rockin’ couple like Roy & Kristine! I really love the way the pictures capture Roy & Kristine’s unique since of style, super fun personalities, and how in love they are. Roy & Kristine are the type of couple that can be fierce one second and laughing so hard the next. They joke with each other and get lost in their own world. They smile genuinely. And they smile big. It is truly a joy to be around them! Their super cool style totally inspires me but their love inspires me even more!

Thanks Roy & Kristine for trusting me to capture your memories! I had such a great time with you! I am so glad we got to know each other! And thanks to my buddy Cindee Bae for second shooting with me! You rock too my friend!

And now…pictures!!!

Just announced as the new Mr. & Mrs, Roy & Kristine exit the temple!! Such a happy moment!

Kristine chose super cool bridesmaid outfits! And they rocked it so well!

Stylin’ bridal party!

This is kinda Reservoir Dogs. Awesome.

Thanks to Cindee for capturing these lovely bouquets while I was photographing the bridal party! I like how we tag team it

Birdcage veils! Swoon!

Ah! Kristine!!! You are GORGEOUS!

Work it girl.

I love everything about this.

Bride & Groom rockin’ Vans. I like!

I’ll leave you with the bling!

Can’t get enough of the super rad Roy & Kristine?! Check out the SLIDESHOW below, which is set to the tune of one their favorite songs of all time–”Close To Me” by The Cure!!

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