MEGAN SWANSON Photography I Southern California

Backyard Bakersfield Wedding: Jayme + Mitchell

meganswanson — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:39:41 +0000

I have so much to say about this wedding. And somehow as I am sitting here typing I cannot find adequate words for this wedding. Jayme is my cousin and Mitchell has been a part of our family for so long. So to see these two finally tie the knot was amazing. Jayme is such a beautiful woman and has a beautiful soul to match. She is a joy to be around and I gotta say the same goes for Mitchell. I was super excited for the wedding day, especially after having the opportunity to do their engagement photos where Mitchell proposed.

Their wedding day could not have been more perfect. Leslie, Jayme’s mom and aunt extraordinaire, worked tirelessly on the effortless design of the event which was held on the front lawns of a private property. It added a perfect personal touch and that carried on through the entire wedding. Another personal touch? Brad, Jayme’s father, married Jayme + Mitchell. It was so overwhelming to witness what could be considered the ultimate ‘blessing’ that a father could have on his daughter’s marriage. As for Jayme + Mitchell on the day, they could not have looked more gorgeous. I’m not kidding. Just so freakin’ gorgeous. But more than that, it was amazing to see these two as a unit. They are a perfect example of the sum is greater than the parts. These two sparkle when they are together.

On a personal note, this was the first wedding that Ian and I did both the photography & videography. I photographed the wedding (with help from Hailey Golich) and Ian filmed the wedding (with help from John Williford). We have a lot of experience filming weddings, but much less photographing them. So I must thank Jayme + Mitchell for allowing me to photograph their wedding. They put their trust and faith in me and that means the world to me. Congrats you two! We love you!!!

Click on the thumbnails below!
To watch their wedding film, click HERE.

{wedding day details}
Megan Swanson Photography & Couture Motion: photography & videography
Romona Keveza: bride’s dress
Ana Elyse: bridesmaids’ dresses
Mr. Tuxedo: guy’s suits
Spill the Wine: dj
Shades of Gray: band
Walker Lewis: rentals
Mossman’s: catering
Moo Creamery: dessert bar & cake

Elements Venue Wedding: Brian + Ellie

meganswanson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:26:51 +0000

On December 19 it was completely overcast and pretty much rained the entire day. But Ellie and Brian couldn’t have cared less. Ellie decided to get ready in her hotel room with only her mom present. It made for a very intimate few hours that were clearly just what Ellie needed. Ellie’s mom looked on with eyes filled with joy as Ellie transformed herself into a bride. Brian was incredibly nervous, which I found funny considering his long history in theatre. But really, Brian just wanted to get the show on the road and tie the knot. They got married with a ton of family and friends looking on. (My favorite was their theatre friends peering down at them from the balcony as they exchanged vows.) Ian and I had had a great time capturing the moments from the day. My favorite moment was during the dancing when everyone was getting down on the dance floor. I looked into the group and couldn’t find Brian and Ellie. A quick scan around the room revealed that they were sitting back at their table, just the two of them, holding hands… happy as could be.

Engaged: Brian + Ellie

meganswanson — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:11:29 +0000

Ian has been friends with Brian for years. They go way back and have been doing theatre together forever. Within the past year, we were introduced to Ellie. (You might remember Ellie from her gorgeous headshots.) She is perfect for Brian. Ellie and Brian are two of the most quick witted people. They are awesome and we can’t wait to shoot their wedding later this month!

CSUF Headshots

meganswanson — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 06:31:15 +0000

Recently I went to my Alma Mater Cal State Fullerton and did some mini headshot sessions. I could not have been more happy with the turn out in bookings and I love the shots. Thanks to everyone who booked. If you’re interested in booking, please contact me!

Ellie Garber Headshots

meganswanson — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:24:17 +0000

Headshots from Ellie Garber’s session. One word about Ellie: GORGEOUS!

(click to enlarge)

Engaged: Mitchell + Jayme

meganswanson — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:35:54 +0000

Jayme is one of my many cousins. She is so much fun, so full of love, and just one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. Her and Mitchell had been dating a while by the time I met him. And I must say that he is great. My family is a very large, rambunctious, and loud group full of love…and he fits right in. Seeing him and Jayme together is amazing.

Last year we started planning a trip to Sunriver, OR for our grandpa’s 80th birthday. We all couldn’t wait to get up there and celebrate. Little did we know that we would be celebrating an engagement as well! Mitchell took Jayme on a long walk around the river and they took a break at a bench. Before Jayme knew it, Mitchell was asking for her hand in marriage. And soon enough…Mitchell will be an outlaw (that’s what we call in laws in this family).

He couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place to propose. So they asked to take some photos in the place he proposed. Kudos Mitchell for picking the most beautiful bench in all of Sunriver Resort. I’m so happy with how these pictures turned out…it was almost worth getting eaten up by the thousands of mosquitos…almost…

Rowan Thomas Bayha

meganswanson — Thu, 27 May 2010 23:43:12 +0000

I am the luckiest Aunt in the world. Just a week ago, I had two beautiful nephews and another on the way. And now….Rowan Thomas Bayha is 6 days old! He is just the most precious little boy. He was born on May 21, 2010 at 7:00 am. 9 lbs. 6 oz. 20.5 inches long. My brother and sister in law are doing amazingly! Kevin is such a wonderful dad and I am so proud of him. Carrie is seriously a superwoman. I was with her during the birth and she totally worked it! I look up to her so much and still today I get emotional thinking about Rowan’s birth. And Ethan (my oldest nephew) is such a cute big brother. He is so happy to have a little brother and to teach Rowan his ABCs. Ethan couldn’t wait for Rowan to ‘pop out.’

Here are a few shots of Rowan’s first photoshoot. So honored that Carrie and Kevin are letting me take his newborn photos.

Engaged: Ryan + Jayme

meganswanson — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:16:07 +0000

Jayme + Ryan. They are super laid back and so perfectly suited for one another. Their dry sense of humor and sarcasm is just wonderful. Once Ian and I figured that out, we knew we were going to have a great day shooting with them. In fact, as they were following our car to the last location, Ryan saw our Yankees plate. Being a die hard Red Sox fan, he informed us right then and there that had he known that we were Yankees fans the engagement shoot would have never happened. He looked serious about it. In fact, their adorable daughter’s middle name is Fenway. Awesome. We had such a fantastic time laughing with them and we are looking forward to photographing and filming their wedding.

First Time Fishing

meganswanson — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:25:21 +0000

My nephew is one of the cutest kids alive. Maybe I’m biased, but I really don’t think that’s the case. Needless to say, he is one of my favorite people to photograph. So the day that we bought him his first fishing pole I raced to grab my camera. I would not pass up this opportunity to document his first fishing experience. My family grew up fishing. Every summer we went to Mammoth Lakes, CA for summer vacation and spent the time fishing. Fishing was a huge part of our childhood. Watching my brother teach his son how to fish was so sweet.

Misty’s Bridal Style

meganswanson — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 01:20:43 +0000

Misty Evers is a good friend from college and we reconnected while living in New York. This is a perfect example of on of my Bridal Style shoots! Misty has been married for almost four years and wanted some more shots of herself in her GORGEOUS dress. So she had her father ship her dress from California (thanks Dad!).

We started at Grand Central Station where Misty changing into her dress in one of the public bathrooms, which was so hilarious. (Sorry Misty. Had to mention it.) We took some amazing shots in Grand Central then hopped on the 6 train. For the record, I love New Yorkers. Misty, Ian and I hopped on the train. Two photographers and a woman in a wedding dress…and did those New Yorkers look up? Nope. Not even a double take. I love it. After we got off at 77th street we headed into Central Park and it was just magical. After hitting a couple locations in Central Park, we ended at The Plaza which felt appropriate. (She changed out of the dress in the Plaza’s restroom. Much better.) Misty was a fantastic bride and her face just photographs so beautifully. Here are just a few selects from that shoot.