A 1st anniversary to remember… Chris and Linzie’s California Unique Session

Raise your hand if you put your wedding dress back on for your anniversary…

Keep your hand up if your dress still fits!!  Well Linzie is one of those lucky ones with her hand still up.

And she also had a great reason to put her dress back on (unlike the rest of you with your hands still in the air who only did it to feel like you got your money’s worth!).

Linzie put her dress back on and Chris got all decked out in a rented tux for their Unique Session on Laguna Beach in California…

…which all happened exactly a year to the day after we shot their wedding at Ocotillo Golf Club in Phoenix!

Such a great idea for an anniversary isn’t it?!  A little trip combined with a reminiscent photo session showing how happy you still are a year after the big day… I totally loved it!

All of us totally loved it actually because we had so much fun hanging out in California together.  During the trip, I (Breanna) had another one of those moments where I remembered to appreciate how awesome our job is.  We get to go on vacation with so many cool people!

I mean, we consider it an honor to hang out with them once in awhile before their wedding and then again on the actual day… but to go on vacation with our couples is just awesome!  We got to know Linzie and Chris so much better as we enjoyed great meals in cute local restaurants and as we bonded over the challenges that are inevitable to a good Unique Session.

To start with, we found quick sand (OK it wasn’t really quick sand but enough “Princess Bride” views as a child had my imagination going crazy!), very large holes that housed some kind of animal that was too big for my comfort, and a dastardly lady bug who you could just tell had evil thoughts running a muck (just kidding, she was the perfect little lady of course and very cute).

Aside from all these made up trials, we definitely had the real struggle arrive when Linzie had to get herself in the freezing cold January ocean!

(Yep, she just joined that elite group of brides who decide to “trash the dress” for the sake of the photos!).

The water was so cold that Chris backed out (that’s right Chris, I’m totally gonna shame you!).

(But he just looks so tough here doesn’t he?  Yeah that’s because this was taken before the water factor came into play!).

(I will at least give him credit for doing his best to help warm her up after it was all over!).

Linzie pushed through the freezing pain (which was later relieved by the oh so welcomed numbness that set in) because she had been dreaming and talking about this moment non-stop for the past year.  She was not about to miss her chance!

I was so proud of you Linzie… as I stood by in my 2 layers of dry sweaters and watched you try to not let your face reflect your true body temperature as the icy waves crashed up on you!  It was all I could do not to just drag you out of the water, grab you squarely by the shoulders, and say “you don’t have to do this!”.  But I’m glad I resisted and let you continue on in your bravery, not only because there’s no way I could’ve drug you in that dress that gained an extra 50 lbs as the water soaked in, but also because I freaking love the pictures we got and I hope you think it was all so very worth it!

(I love this one that Scottie took of the dress and the water that dripped off it down the slanted road.  The little footprints let you know there’s a story behind this photo!).

Thank you guys so much for putting in the energy to plan such a great session and trip!

We had a blast and we can’t wait to see where year number 2 takes you!  Happy Anniversary!

Click to see the rest of the photos from Chris and Linzie’s memorable California Unique Session!

(I title this picture… “After She Tamed the Sea”).