Ironwood Blossoms | Arizona Sonoran Desert Plantlife | Texture Tuesday

I'm a desert dweller. Have been for 3 years. And my project on desert textures continues to unearth a growing respect for the arid environment. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum explains, "Ironwood ranks among the most ecologically and economically important plant species in the region. Ironwood functions as a “nurse plant” and a “habitat-modifying keystone species” of benefit to many other species of flora and fauna." 

At the risk of sounding nerdy and/or religious, I've been thinking about the parallel between agriculture and personal growth. One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is John 15. "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."  What if we were to recognize that we too were a most ecologically and economically important specie? What if we were to be a "nurse plant"; a "habitat-modifying keystone specie of benefit to many other species..." 

What if we sought out community as if our root systems were tethered; connected and dependent on each other to grow and flourish. What if we cared enough about the people around us to feed each other; meet each other where they were. What if we, ourselves, readily accepted pruning where we needed help (growth) and rest in the confidence that it meant we were alive; capable of flourishing...

....I might have stretched into a super existential place that you didn't bargain for when you clicked on a pretty picture of pink blossoms. So take it as you may. Think deeply. Appreciate beauty. See things differently...about your home, your land, your life. Or not, and you can simply check out interesting desert textures that caught my eye this past shooting season. 

These texture shots were captured at Bryce & Caroline's wedding up in Scottsdale at El Chorro. I'll be posting their incredibly detail-oriented, organically-delightful, creative, classy wedding super duper soon...

Sonoran Ironwood | Scottsdale, CA | Texture Tuesday | www.laurakmoore.com

Ironwood. Creosote. Cool leaves that i didn't identify. | Scottsdale, AZ | Sonoran Desert Textures | laurakmoore.com

(for more textures search under "texture tuesday")

p.s. thank you to a handful of friends who helped identify this Ironwood via a facebook request for help. That was pretty cool. 

Charlie + Ronika | El Presidio / Tucson Museum of Art Wedding

Charlie & Ronika's Wedding Day Story 

The Details, Behind the Scenes, Memories and Vendor Highlights that made this day extraordinary 

Prep began at the bride's parent's home, surrounded by ladies she loved. The weather was bizarre and stormy. Bridal portraits were done in parent's backyard. Giggles and Fireball whiskey were passed around before the caravan headed downtown.

Downtown at Tucson Museum of Art, the ladies waited while crowds arrived across the street. Katie McClain of Posh Petals arrived with the flowers...

I have never had a favorite flower but thanks to Pinterest I was able to get an idea of my dream bouquet. Katie’s passion alone had me entranced, so fun and bubbly with so much knowledge and advice. She was helpful and determined to help me create the perfect bouquet. The bouquets turned out beautiful looking perfectly spring filled. Charlie and I wanted to stick by our native plants choosing cacti and succulents for the centers pieces. Everything was absolutely beautiful. 

Bridal party enjoyed some fancy poses until dad arrived and he saw Ronika for the first time...Their wasn't a dry eye after...including myself...

Charlie had started the day off right, breakfast with his best bud, then a man trip to the club for some hot tub and steam room time. As the day went on he worried about is bride to be with the unpredictable weather, was she freaking out? All he wanted to do was comfort his bride. As he kicked back some Manhattans with the guys, she was still lingering in his thoughts. From putting on the crazy socks, a Ware tradition, to tying the dress ties and swallowing the last gulp of Manhattan Charlie was ready to greet his bride. The boys walked form the historic Hotel Congress to the ceremony they passed a few guests driving past them. It was awesome to be cheered be passing guests, with lots of whoops and whistles. 

The weather was cloudy skies and as we drove to the ceremony it started to pour in that moment I surrendered to God knowing Charlie was the man for me and how our outside day of events would somehow be nothing short of perfect. The time had come and it may have been sprinkling rain as I walked down the aisle arm and arm with my dad but no one could have wiped the enormous grin from my face. It was happening now and I was determined to be in this moment and I was. All I could register were Charlie’s eyes.

Charlie could hardly stand the suspense now he could slightly see his bride sitting in a turquoise restored 1960 Impala. He watched her walked toward him and just before she was to handed to him he jumped the gun and reached for her hand before it was given. ( that was a super cute moment during the ceremony. see below...)

Family stayed behind and lingered in the El Presidio Courtyard while sunbeams came out with a fanfare full of joy. Family portraits were a blast. Everybody just laughed and laughed. Family Formals are always a little like herding cats but mix in a bit o' humor and funny uncles and a spirit of "best day ever" and you get some pretty wonderful moments...

Downtown sparkled with dew and celebration. While the wedding party wrapped up their show at favorite restaurant La Cocina, bride and groom stayed behind to take a few more pictures alone. 

Megan Crain of MC Events helped design and coordinate Charlie & Ronika's wedding day. Here are some of their thoughts about her role in their wedding day...

Charlie and I decided we wanted to celebrate our wedding with everyone we love. We saw our wedding as a day of celebration and wanted to be the best celebration/ party ever! With our guest list reaching near 300 people I wanted to get the best deals and explore all my options when it came to food entertainment and décor costs. When we met with Meagan it was a no brainer that she would be worth investing in. Meagan directed me with all the essential guidelines as far as questions and timelines I needed to answer and create. She worked hard for me to get the best prices so I could stay within my budget. 

And then the party began. Guests got settled in, wedding party introduced, and bride and groom came rejoicing in, danced and dinner...

Caterer Carte Blanche was willing to be creative giving us a traditional Mexican menu with a exotic modern twist. Prickly pear meatballs and veggie stuffed quesadillas for the cocktail hour. I loathe the time between a ceremony and reception with no food. Everyone’s thinking whose table is going to get served first, so I insisted on hefty appetizers during the cocktail hour. Our experience with Carte Blanche was awesome and I love their promise that there will always be more than enough food. It is pricey to feed 300 guests but Carte Blanche made it possible to feed my guests a delicious appetizers and meals until their tummies were stuffed, all while staying within budget. 

During consults the year preceding wedding time, Charlie & Ronika MOST talked about their day being relaxed, natural, uncontrived, non-cheesy, celebratory and totally 'them.' When the floor was opened, people danced...and danced...and laughed...and danced. I even got off the clock and was invited to stay and hit the floor too! 

We wanted to party the night away dancing with all our favorite people. DJ Andrew Wagner of Tucson's Muse DJ learned our taste in music and really listened to all of our requests. He set up a sharp sound system and provided us a never ending selection of tunes!

Of course every bride wants to look fabulous on her wedding day and look back at the pictures in awe. Well Laura K Moore Photography was my top pick. She is able to get people to come out of their head while in front of a camera. I knew she would be able to capture the best shots. Turns out I was right the photos are ridiculously amazing; from happy, to sexy, to goofy and precious we got every emotion of that spectacular day captured--so full of life and real emotions! I got my dream wedding photographer. Enough said.

Overjoyed to share this story. To know these people. To consider them friends. Thank you for letting me be part of this whole process of planning and delighting. You guys are awesome :) 

If you want to see more work or keep tabs on what LKM is doing... click on the follow tabs in the right column. | Joy, LKM

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VENDORS

Dress: Alfred Angelos // Bridesmaid's Dresses: Alfred Angelos // Bride's Shoes: Dillards // Hair Sylist: Gaetanas Salon // Groomsmen's Suits: Jos A. Bank // Catering: Carte Blanc // Florist: Posh Petals // Coordinator: Meagan Crain of MC Events // Photography: Laura K Moore Photography // Ceremony Location: El Presidio Court Yard // Reception Location: Tucson Museum of Art // DJ: Andrew Wagner of Muse DJ // After-party Location: La Cocina

P.S. And just for fun, if you missed Charlie & Ronika's precious, casual, stupid-sexy engagement session, go here

Luke + Juliette | Sweetheart Session | Claremont, CA

It's my brother's birthday and I wish I were near him. with him. able to do something crazy somewhere in the vacinity of him. but he's working at some fancy firm doing some fancy design stuff in Silicone Valley, changing the world one fancy art development at a time. 

I hunted through a few pictures I had of him. And then realized...oh man oh man, i never shared his sweetheart session with his best friend and girlfriend, Juliette. 

So here is Luke and his woman. These beautiful people are my family and I'm sending you one solid air guitar your direction...  :) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :) 

"Freckled Aloe" | Texture Tuesday

This weekend I was asked to share one of my texture pieces at our church as part of creative worship. This is the one i chose and you can read the thoughts behind it HERE. 

"Aloe Nutbakeri" | Tucson Succulent | Sonoran Desert Museum 

Oregon Backwoods | Texture Tuesday

Oregon is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. On our way to shoot Seth + Joelle's wedding last weekend in Astoria, Sarah and I stopped on the side of the road to capture a few dew-kissed details. 

If you want to read more about our time in Oregon, here is the story of our time in the Pacfic Northwest

Our Adventure in Portland | 2 Photographers Journey to the Northwest

LKM is sharing the 'behind the scenes' story to last week's Oregon shooting adventure. See HERE for the full story... (fair warning. it's a long one.)   

Lantana Bush | "Wild Type Spanish Flag" | Sonoran Desert Plant | Texture Tuesday

ruth be told, one of my most recent desert textures is called "the wild type spanish flag." No joke. I figured it only appropriate...Lots of things happened for Spain last week...(and it's not just Chile's fault.) 

This bush is right outside our apartment. The sun sets behind it perfectly. Almost every evening I'm out near it, smelling the its rich, thick honey waft while kids ride their bikes in the courtyard.

My condolences Spain...here is a hug. a historical salute. a solid handshake. a bouquet of wild spanish flags and a solid dose of honey air. If I knew how to send you a gift, i'd send someone important and symbolic a gift...a fine art canvas large and glowing like a bouquet of remembrance and transition. | LKM 

"Honey Air" by LKM | Lantana Bush | "Wild Type Spanish Flag" | Sonoran Desert Plant | 16 x 20 Giclee Canvas Print: $150

PT 3: Kris + Kristen | Miss USA Celebrity Garden Wedding | Simi Valley, CA

"Whenever people see our wedding pictures they always say what fun it was.  

While Kris & Kristen wrapped up their sunset portraits (See Here), cocktail hour was filled with sparkling champagne and excited chatter of friends and family from all over the country. The doors opened to a glittering dance hall where the wedding party performed their choreographed dance collection ending with Kris & Kristen folded into each other. People danced and laughed late into the night until sparkles guided their grand getaway.

Below is the finale of Kris+ Kristen's wedding day. If you missed part one or part two, go quick and oggle and then return for the final installment. 

And for again, because these people were huge proponents in the beauty and details of their wedding day, here is the vendor list:

VENDORS:

Venue: The Vineyards // Hair: Emily Dawn Artistry // Make Up: Katarina Van Derham // Flowers: Laura Williams of PoppyHill Flowers // Cake: Delicious Bakery // Bridesmaid's Jewelry: Marrin Costello // Bridesmaid's Dresses: Alfred Angelo // Photographer: Laura K Moore Photography // Videographer: Janelle Perusi // Lighting & Sound: Diversity Sounds DJ Services by DJ Christopher Tandy // Musical Performers: Cameron & Kelly Brier // Wedding Coordinator: Alice Issac: 00aliceissac00@gmail.com

miss-usa-wedding-california-groomsmen.jpg

PT 2: Kris + Kristen | Miss USA's Enchanted Garden Wedding | The Vineyards, Simi Valley, CA

"Seeing her walk down the aisle... it was like seeing her for the first time all over again." - Kris

If you didn't catch PART ONE of Kris & Kristen's wedding day, you probably should. Between the girl's giddiness and a super special first moment together, there was an immense amount of anticipation hanging in the air! Again, shout out to The Vineyards for being one of the most beautiful posh little garden venues I've ever seen. There is this brick path all the way down to the garden area looking up into this lush weeping willow cluster of green and life where Kristen was to meet her groom. The moments down this pathway were some of my favorites. The way the girls straightened up and walked carefully, perfectly. The way the guys stood tall. The way her mom laughed with her son and how the ring bearers were so, so very good at their job. :) And then Kristen's moments with her dad. The way his eyes glistened, the way you could audibly hear her heart pounding....and then he saw her... 

Check out the PARTAY that followed the sunbeams!

SEE PT 3 HERE 

PT 1: Kris + Kristen | Miss USA's Enchanted Garden Wedding | Simi Valley, CA | Los Angeles Wedding Photographer

Kris + Kristen's wedding was exquisite. The details. The sparkles. The beautiful people. There was glamour. There was friendship. There were details from incredible vendors pulled from all corners to make this enchanted garden wedding happen. I'm working on a culled list of all the brilliant hands that pulled together to make this event happen! Here are a few particular details that were so special to these two...

- DETAILS: Sparkles. Sparkles and white light everywhere. Those are some of Kristen's most favorite things. Along with fairy tales, glamour, whimsy and an effort to bring an enchanted garden to life. //  FIRST MOMENT: Kris & Kristen didn't want to see each other before the wedding but they did want to give gifts and pray together before the ceremony. She gave him a treasure chest dubbed "For His Eyes Only...A Taste of What is to Come." It contained her favorite images from her luxury bridal / boudoir session we had shot a week earlier...and he gave her a precious book of memories along with a jaw-dropping aqua diamond ring. oh my stars...so incredible! // BRIDESMAIDS: All the girls were close friends and family part of the Miss USA journey. With prestigious titles, hollywood credits, modeling contracts, sough-after designers, speakers, writers... but despite all the craziness, on the day of, all eyes were on the bride. They honored her and rejoiced over her with every ounce of joy they had. // HIM: the patience and anticipation Kris showed...(swoon). His men were goofy. They laughed and sprawled out in the stellar bachelor's room. They had a few drinks. They relaxed. They bonded...But as the ceremony got near Kris donned a pair of headphones and asked for alone time. He waited quietly for the ceremony... and oh his face when he finally did see her for the first time... go HERE for part two and HERE for part three

... so here is the prelude...

Go HERE for Pt 2!

VENDORS:

Venue: The Vineyards // Hair: Emily Dawn Artistry // Make Up: Katarina Van Derham // Flowers: Laura Williams of PoppyHill Flowers // Cake: Delicious Bakery // Bridesmaid's Jewelry: Marrin Costello // Bridesmaid's Dresses: Alfred Angelo // Photographer: Laura K Moore Photography // Videographer: Janelle Perusi // Lighting & Sound: Diversity Sounds DJ Services by DJ Christopher Tandy // Musical Performers: Cameron & Kelly Brier // Wedding Coordinator: Alice Issac: 00aliceissac00@gmail.com