Chelsea Nicole Photography - Las Vegas, Southern California and Destination Alternative Wedding Photographer

Lauren + Clark

chels — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:13:08 +0000

“He winked at me and I emailed him back.”

A wink. This simple flirtatious gesture – a wink on Match.com – sparked a lasting friendship and romance. Lauren told me she knew after their first phone conversation Clark would be someone she could see herself with for a while. As fate had it, she her intuition was spot on. Lauren and Clark became inseparable, doing everything together from cooking dinner, to taking random little day trips and one of their favorite pastimes - biking together. This was even how Clark proposed – while the two were on a bike trail near Lauren’s parents cabin in central PA.

With their love for the outdoors, we couldn’t think of a more perfect place than Red Rock Canyon for their engagement session.

Fast forward to the wedding day – I’m excited to share that Lauren and Clark are officially Mr. & Mrs.!

Lauren looked breathtaking in her stunning asymmetrical wedding dress was by designer KittyChen Couture.

Though in the morning the high winds threatened to be a nuisance, the stormy weather calmed just in time leaving a cooling breeze and sunny skies. And what better place to enjoy it than at the Neon Museum where Lauren & Clark’s colorful personalities were perfectly in tune with the vibrant signs.

L+C: Congrats! Hope you guys had an amazing time honeymooning in Hawaii!! I can’t wait to hear all about your trip to Kauai and Maui.

Kassie & Ryan’s Wedding + After Session

chels — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:00:46 +0000

Kassie and Ryan’s ”cosmopolitan meets vintage chic” themed wedding was filled with one-of-a-kind, personal touches. As a creative couple (they are both photographers) they share a love for the arts, modern decor and fashion. They wanted a wedding that you can’t just buy off the shelf. And they had it! Las Vegas was the perfect destination for their unique celebration with family and friends, with the wedding taking place on the scenic grounds of the Springs Preserve. The ceremony was held in the Garden Arboretum, and the reception was in The Library with magical views of the strip. Here’s some of my favorites from their beautiful day.

Kassie looked absolutely breathtaking in her ornate St. Pucchi wedding dress (from the Avine Perucci Collection). The bodice was bead-encrusted, with silvery crystals that played with the sunlight.
The ceremony took place amidst the Springs Preserve’s lush botanical gardens, as the sun peaked through the trees. Over 24,000 pink rose petals lined the aisle.Circle City Designers did an incredible job on the floral and centerpieces. And as an added bonus, the reception room was filled with the soft auroma of the stargazer lilies, roses, and hydrangea.

Instead of a cake, there was a beautiful strawberry and lemon cupcake tower made by the talented girls at Gimme Some Sugar. I adored the little signs placed in some of the cupcakes with the sayings: “All you need is love” and “Love is all you need”

In addition to all the pretty details on the day itself, Kassie & Ryan’s invites for the wedding were created by one of my favorite invitation designers and friend, Tifany of Gourmet Invitations! Click here to check out photos in Tifany’s blog post and the custom plexiglass invitations she designed. And while you’re there, you may want to peak around. I’m sure you’ll love her work as much as I do!

The day following the wedding, we met back up for a day-after session and some newlywed portraits in the Nevada desert.

To see and read more about Kassie & Ryan’s wedding, check out their real wedding feature in the May/June issue of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine (on the stands now)!

Big congrats to my ultra-fab couple!

CREDITS
Venue: The Springs Preserve – Las Vegas, NV
Wedding Planner & Floral: Circle City Planners & Designers
Cupcakes: Gimme Some Sugar
Wedding Dress: St. Pucchi
Groom’s Attire: Nordstrom
Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang
Hair & Makeup: Hera Beauty
Invitations: Gourmet Invitations
Music: DJ Harry O of Vegas City DJs & Vitamin String Quartet
Lighting & Furniture Rental: LED Unplugged & RSVP Rental
Linens: La Tavola Linen

Sneak Peek: Laura + Andrew

chels — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:51:22 +0000

It all started as Summer Love.

Laura and Andrew met while working at the same academic camp for the summer. Laura said that towards the beginning of the summer her and the other girls had ‘picked out’ their guy for the summer. She placed dibs on Andrew. Apparently he had his eyes set on her too… During a weekend trip with the kids to a baseball game, Andrew smoothly got closer and closer to Laura (skipping seats as kids moved around or got up to grab snacks). He got his lucky break when a slushie was split right next to her. He volunteered to clean it up, then claimed the spot by Laura. It became their ‘first date’ of many. Now, 5 years later, what started as a summer love has grown into a wonderful life together.

I’m looking forward to photographing Laura & Andrew’s wedding in a few weeks at the beautiful Westin Lake Las Vegas! In the meantime, here’s a few photos of the happy couple:

Thanks goes to the Janine and LaVey at Your Beauty Call for rockin’ Laura’s hair and makeup!

Featured: Destination Weddings Magazine

chels — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:13:08 +0000

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – my brides and grooms totally rock! I’m so lucky to work with the coolest couples on the planet, and Kassie & Ryan were no exception. Not only are they super cool (the kind of people you love spending a fun-filled weekend with – filled with chic details, hardcore grooving on the dance-floor, ghost towns and desert sunsets), but they’re also fab fellow photographers who do awesome work as Apostrophe Studios in Indianapolis. Their creativity also spilled over into the design of their wedding day making it an absolute joy to photograph. And I’m excited share that it’s been published in the latest May/June issue of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine.

Congrats K&R!! I loved being a part of your wedding and am so happy you got the lovin’ you deserve! Also, big thanks to Lauren and the team at Destination Weddings for the fantastic spread and writeup.

As an added bonus, a were stoked to find out that an image of Kassie looking all stylish was selected for the inside front cover (contents) page!

The issue is brimming with great articles and inspiration – so be sure to pick up a copy at your local bookstore, or order a digital copy right through Destination Wedding Magazine’s website. Also, check back in the next day or two for a full blog post with lots more images from Kassie & Ryan’s beautiful Las Vegas wedding at Springs Preserve!

PCH Road Trip

chels — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:08:56 +0000

What a crazy few months it’s been! Towards the fall of last year my amazingly talented BF, Jayse got a job offer to take a lead screen-graphic design role in Marvel’s The Avengers (coming out this week)! The only catch was it required him to come to Los Angeles to work. Though we’re admittedly both workaholics and each run our own separate businesses, we’re used to working across from each other and love being around each other every day. So this was a BIG change. Luckily it came at a time of year when a lot of my work could be done remotely from our little temporary home in California. But the months ahead still consisted of many many weekend trips back-and-forth between from Vegas to L.A. for meetings and photo-shoots. During that time Bella became my official road trip buddy. She had the drill down pat: grab favorite teddy bear, jump into passenger seat, have momma put on special seat-belt, lay down, sleep, watch momma stop for Mad Greek, get some doggie treats, sleep some more all the way home:

It was an extremely busy few months for the both of us, so once we were officially back home Jayse and I decided to steal a little vacation time for just the two of us! We didn’t have a lot of time to plan so we just packed up and drove off in style in Jayse’s awesome 350Z. We did the Pacific Coast Highway drive – planning everything from my iPad as we drove with windows down, breathing deep to take in the fresh sea air. It was the perfect get-away – leaving both of us refreshed and recharged!

Here’s some photos (taken with my trusty iPhone) from our trip:

Featured on Design Aglow!

chels — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:00:24 +0000

Design Aglow is well-known as being an amazing online resource for portrait and wedding photographers – bringing the best products, business tools and inspiration! I’m a huge fan of their company and their dedication to art and helping photographers succeed, which is why it’s an incredible honor having my photography featured on their blog and products. Most recently, I was included in their new Facebook Cover templates, Studio Newsletters, Photo Overlays and Creative Posing Guide for Grooms. Be sure to check them out, and bookmark their site! They’re constantly coming up with original products and innovative ideas.

Facebook Timeline Covers

My photographs were included in 3 of 4 timeline cover sets. Congrats to my fab couples that were featured: Kayla & Sean, Uri & Loren, Kassie & Ryan

1. Social Expression

2. Serendipity

3. Swoon-Worthy

Studio Newsletters: Wedding Collection

Engagement Photo Overlays: Haute Romance

Featuring an image from Jamie & Addison’s engagement session

Inspire Me Cards: Creative Posing Guide for Grooms

Three of my images were included in this awesome guide filled with tips for posing grooms and groomsmen – with one image from Uri & Loren’s wedding making the cover (center image):

Details about the posing guide from Design Aglow’s site:

With this timely collection of 73 groom and groomsmen images, featuring some of the most amazing photographic talent in the industry today, you’ll be all smiles both before and after your groom swaggers down the aisle. Whether you’re looking for the classic styling of eras gone by, fun and casual flair, or want to focus on the details, you’ll never be at a loss for ways to frame your subject fabulously and create works of art clients will treasure for years to come. Simply print these gorgeous mini portraits for on-the-go greatness and create your own rousing reception.

Featuring stunning imagery from:
Tinywater Photography
Paul Johnson Photography
Tanja Lippert Photography
Simply Bloom Photography
Chelsea Nicole Photography

I love Design Aglow’s creative posing guides and definitely recommend them if you’re looking for great photo tips and inspiration! In addition to the Grooms guide, I also have a couple images included in their Posing Guide for Brides.

Huge thanks to Design Aglow – It’s always a thrill to have my work included in your fabulous products!

Linda & Andy’s Wedding

chels — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:41:40 +0000

You may remember Linda and Andy from their quirky proposal story and cheerful Disneyland engagement session photos (click here for a refresher). Well, these two love-bugs are officially married!! They celebrated with close family and friends at a heartfelt ceremony and beautiful high-tea reception at the Las Vegas Four Seasons. Big thanks goes to Melanie Anderson and her team for helping the day flow perfectly! Here’s a peek at some of the photos:

LOVE that dress and how Linda’s rockin’ it. She looked gorgeous! This next series is from Linda and Andy’s romantic first look:

Linda and her maid of honor – her beautiful daughter, Catherine:
The theme of the reception decor was inspired by the poems and love story of Elizabeth Berrett Browning and Robert Browning. You could tell Linda put a lot of thought and love into each detail – and everything was absolutely gorgeous!
Linda made these adorable DIY signs for their photo-booth. I snuck away with them and their awesome guests to have some fun:

Linda & Andy – Congrats!!! Hope you’re having an amazing time honeymooning in France! Ah.. the city of love.

CREDITS

Photographer: Chelsea Nicole Photography
Wedding Venue & Cake: Four Seasons Hotel, Las Vegas
Catering Manager: Melanie Anderson
Florist: Robin at Las Vegas Event Flowers & Decor
Photo Booth: Shutter Booth
Hair and Makeup: Megan & Whitney at Makeup in the 702
Wedding Dress: Enzoani

Photographers: April PUG Meetup!

chels — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:00:19 +0000

Every month I put together a special meetup for professional photographers in the Las Vegas area called the PUG (Pictage User Group)! It’s been my labor of love over the last few years – and the PUG’s grown and developed into an amazing group of photographers (and good friends) that have helped elevate the local professional photographer community.

In addition to sharing stories and catching up over drinks, every month we have a different guest speaker or topic of the month. A couple years back I put together a special meeting on “Learning from a Coordinator’s Perspective” where I led a panel featuring local Las Vegas coordination talent. It was a huge learning experience for everyone involved – both on the coordination and photographer side of things – and has been one of the top requests for a repeat talk. This month we’re bringing the topic back which a special new presentation put together by the talented coordination team at Scheme Events on what wedding coordinators (and their brides) really want from photographers. Scheme will be speaking about what they like and dislike while working with photographers before, during and after the wedding planning process. And the presentation will end with a panel of some Vegas’s best local coordinators.

If you’re a photographer in the Vegas area, we’d love to have you! Join us for this meeting and on a monthly basis where we discuss the latest photography and business topics, host guest speakers, and simply have good time with a group of like-minded, awesome people. The meetings are always free, and professional (or aspiring pro) photographers at all levels are welcome! Here’s the deets for our April meeting:

Date & Time: Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 – 6:00 P.M. for socializing; 7:00P.M. getting started! (Click here to RSVP)

Meet the panel coordinators:

Scheme Events Team: Traci, Tara, Jacqueline & Rissa

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Juliet Douglas of Green Orchid Events

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Andrea Eppolito Events

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Erica Pauley of Simply Weddings

Photo credits: Artistic Imaging (Scheme), Adam Trujillo (Andrea Eppolito)

Join the Vegas PUG facebook page, to learn more about the Vegas PUG, get updates and information on upcoming monthly meetups!

Danielle + Brian

chels — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:44:10 +0000

Danielle and Brian are a fun, outgoing couple who love the outdoors! For their engagement session we planned a day up at Red Rock Canyon. Brian brought along his guitar since it’s one of his favorite pastimes and something he and Danielle enjoy together. Danielle loves listening to him play (especially when it’s just the two of them). His music is even how they first met! A mutual friend (Shooter) told them they would be ‘perfect together’ and invited Danielle to one of Brian’s shows. Though they didn’t get to talk that night – there was a connection from across the room. Brian told me he picked her out of the crowd and was secretly hoping she was the girl his friend was talking about. He called her later and the they’ve been together ever since. It turns out their friend was right – they really are perfect together.

Brian brought his killer, restored classic ’71 Bronco out for the day. Definitely a perfect car for cruisin’ the outdoors!They also brought their adorable dogs, Scrappy and Rhea, who were loving the wide open desert!Be sure to check back to see photos from Danielle and Brian’s wedding! It’s coming up this spring at Legends Ranch and is going to have lots of sweet personal touches – including a special performance by Brian. I can’t wait to be a part of and capture their big celebration!

Alicia + Matthew

chels — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:00:56 +0000

Alicia and Matt met in their freshman and sophomore years of high school through mutual friends (Matt was Alicia’s first kiss!). But as many high-school romances play out, their time together was short ‘n sweet. The true love story began a few years later when chance brought them together again. Alicia told me, “It was love at first sight” and they have been inseparable ever since.

After falling madly in love, they eloped and a couple years later welcomed a beautiful son, Jayden into the world. Fast forward exactly 7 years later to the day on July 7th (7/7) Alicia and Matt are finally going to have the big wedding they’ve always dreamed of! I can’t wait to capture the celebration – they’re doing it up right at the gorgeous Anthem Country Club.

Alicia and Matt LOVE summer-time and being in the sun so we planned a destination ‘engagement’ session around one of their favorite things: a lazy day at the beach. Family is really important to them, so they were super excited to include their son Jayden in their shoot.

We decided to do a 2-Part shoot that started in beautiful Santa Monica. The second part, was all about them.

Afterward, we headed to a private beach in Malibu for more images of just Alicia and Matt.

What day at the beach is complete without getting a little wet?