My New Website and Blog are LIVE!!

Check them out now!

My New Website

My New Blog

(this blog will still remain up but remember to update your links and RSS feeds with my new blog!!) Yay!!

Erin and Chris are Engaged!

I first met Erin with her mom when we had our first meeting together a few months ago. We had a BLAST during the meeting and I felt as if I had known Erin and her mom for years! So when she booked me, I was stoked because it's always awesome to have ultra cool clients ;-)

Erin couldn't wait for me to meet Chris at their engagement session and I can see why..he is adorable! He was nervous as most guys are before the session starts but Erin knew how to bring out the love bug in him :-D

It was a beautiful day and we beat the rain just by a few minutes..it started raining 5 minutes after I started driving back home...what luck!! Overcast days are awesome for photography so no need to fret when you don't see the sun on your engagement/wedding day!

Here are just a few favorites from Erin and Chris' session..enjoy!!

Gloria and Nick are Married!

Gloria and Nick are probably the luckiest people in the world..why you ask?? Because it rained the entire day of their wedding! The day started out nice and sunny and soon after I arrived at Gloria's house, the rain started to pour..and pour..and pour!

Any other couple would have let the rain bum them out but not Nick and Gloria. They were as happy as can be and it was so wonderful to see them just enjoy their day :-)

Their ceremony took place at the Danish Lutheran Church which was very beautiful and well lit! I can't even tell you how many dark church's I've shot in so to see a well lit church was almost unbelievable!

Their reception was at one of my favorite restaurants, the Summit House. The decor was beautiful and the lighting..*sigh* I love when couples splurge on professional lighting..it really does make a world of difference!

Here are some favorites from the day!





I LOVE this shot!




Awwww..too cute!

I wonder what he's thinking..

Since it was raining..we took advantage of the beautiful light inside the church..





I love their cake topper :-)




Had some fun with in-camera blur!

I'm a bad blogger..

I know..I know. I have been lagging on the whole blogging thing but with good reason though!! My website/blog designer and I have been hard at work at getting my new website and blog ready to go live. I promise.. once I get my new shiny blog, I'll be a posting machine! I am, as they say, "over" my current blog and really just can't wait to post on my new blog!

It's coming..soon..very very soon..so stay tuned!!

Ashley & Tyson : Married!

Last year, my friend Drew called to tell me the great news that she was expecting a baby. Her due date was very close to a couple of her weddings so she hired me to cover one of the weddings in case she went into labor early, etc. Drew really wanted to make it to both of her weddings though because she is extremely dedicated to her clients and cares about them a great deal. However, she almost didn't make it to this one! Drew and her hubby got into a car accident the night before! Everything seemed okay but then Drew started having contractions! To make a long story short, the contractions stopped, Drew went home and planned on coming to the wedding the next day..I know...she is crazy! Crazy for her clients, that is ;-) I can see why too..Ashley and Tyson are just the sweetest couple and I was so touched to see not only the love they have for each other, but the love their families have for them.

The day was beautiful, the details were gorgeous, and the Venue was to die for! They had their ceremony and reception at the Ebell Club in Long Beach. It was the perfect combination of urban scenery and old world charm. If you haven't considered this venue, you must! It's probably one of my most favorite locations that I've shot at.

Before I end this post, I must thank Drew for asking me to come along to help shoot such a beautiful wedding! Definitely one of my all-time favorites Drew! :-)

I must also thank Ashley and Tyson for being so kind to me! Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon!

Here are some favorites from the day:

Check out Drew's belly! OMG..she is one dedicated woman...that is all I have to say!







Ashley and Tyson's first look was so cute..they were so emotional..it was beautiful!

A day in the life of Maddy and Ella!

I had the pleasure of capturing Alice and John's little family the other day. Alice is expecting her third daughter in March and really wanted to capture this moment in their lives before the little one arrives. Since Mom was on bedrest, dad was 100% in charge of the girls and did a phenomenal job!

Here's a sneak peak into the life of their growing family!

Being a twin takes team work! Here they are making sure that Daddy's heart rate and blood pressure are okay :-)


Jumping on the bed..oh joy!



Daddy attempting to draw Maddy and Ella..


Story/climbing on dad time is always fun!


oooohhh...I love the light on Ella's face on this shot!


"How ya doin' mom"?


Maddy and Ella have such a beautiful mommy! She definitely has the pregnancy "glow"!


Our best attempt at a family picture!


"Baby Olivia..can you hear me?"


Awwww..Mom and Dad love each other..perfect ending to their family story!

Jazerai and Josef: Engaged (sort of)

What a beautiful family! Jazerai and Josef are "technically" already married but they will be celebrating their love all over again in March with a beautiful ceremony and reception at the Amada Plaza.

Their little boys are too-die-for-cute! They were little troopers while we tried getting some "lovey dovey" shots of their parents..even though I would hear an "eeeewwww..mom and dad are in llooooovvveeee" every now and again ;-)

Here are some favorites from their engagement/family/portrait session..enjoy!!

Maryann and Josh: Married

My first wedding of the year! I couldn't have chosen a better couple to start the new year off with! Maryann and Josh are just two of the sweetest people and I'm so glad I was able to capture one of the most important days of their lives for them!

Their wedding ceremony was very unique..because...it was the longest ceremony I have ever experienced in my entire life! LOL..it lasted about 1 hour and 50 minutes..not like I was counting or anything ;-) We were all laughing about it afterwards and it was actually quite nice not having to be rushed..after all..the shortest ceremony I've ever shot was 8 minutes long..now that is fast!!

Their reception was held at the Amada Plaza in the Atrium where the roof is retractable. However, it was covered because of the rain! Luckily though, it didn't rain until after the reception was over! All their guests had a great time and were dancing up a storm!

Here are some favorites from their day..enjoy!

Rachel & Daisuke

What a way to start Christmas early! Rachel and Daisuke got married on December 22nd, 2007 at the Kyoto Grand Hotel. It was my first time shooting there and I had so much fun! They have a rooftop garden which is awesome and a wonderful place to get some lovely pictures of the L.A. city skyline. As always, Flower Allie Weddings did such a wonderful job with the decor and flowers..loved the flowers Allie!

Rachel and Daisuke traveled all the way from Japan to get married in CA where Rachel is originally from. I had such a lovely time getting to know them..they are just the sweetest couple!

Their wedding was earlier in the day so we got to hang out after the reception for some more pictures of just the two of them...I loved that! Since the wedding was over, they were so relaxed and you could really see it in their photos! I can imagine how stressful it was planning a wedding overseas! I'd be relieved too ;-)

Since I haven't posted a wedding in awhile, I thought I'd post some extra pics to make up for it..enjoy!!

















These were taken after the reception..Rachel and Daisuke make such a beautiful couple!

I'm Back..Happy New Year!!

*sigh* It was nice being in NY for my little vacation with the hubby BUT..I'm very glad to be back in Cali!!

People always ask me if I miss living in NY and at times, I do miss it but every time I visit, I realize just how much I love CA. Don't get me wrong..NY is cool and all but in the winter, it's so cold and gloomy. I actually love gloomy weather but in NY, it's extra gloomy..at least it was when I was there.

Anyhoo, it's a New Year and I'm so excited for what's in store! My new website and blog are going to be ready very soon..*I hope*!

In other random news:

1. Mochi has been acting a little strange ever since we got back from NY. He was staying with my parents and I think they spoiled him too much because now, he demands attention from us constantly! He also is a little bit down which leads to me to believe that he misses his grandma and grandpa!

2. I've been promising my hubby this for soooo long but with the new year upon us, I feel like I have a fresh start and I think I'll be able to follow through with this: Absolutely, Positively, no working on my computer past 6:30pm. Doug has been so patient with my working till the wee hours of the morning but he deserves better than that. After all, if the tables were turned, I know how annoyed I would be if he was doing the same thing.

3. I need to find a) an awesome hair stylist b) a good doctor . Do any of you blog readers have any recommendations for me? You can email me at: trista@tristalerit.com if you like..I'd love to hear from you!

That's all for now..check back tomorrow for some pretty pictures from a wedding I did right before I left for NY!

Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Hey guys!

I'll be leaving for New York this Sunday so I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holidays with their families and loved ones. I'll be taking a break from work while in New York so I won't be returning emails/calls until January 2nd.

To start of the weekend, I thought I'd share my FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG OF ALL TIME with you! *sigh* My one Christmas wish..that Nsync would get back together!!! Enjoy everyone!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!!!

Bri and Kevin- gotta love them!

I got this totally cool thank you card from Bri and Kevin and totally had to blog it! I found out from Kevin that Bri is the mastermind behind this awesome card and I have to say it's the coolest thank you card I've ever received! I want to be on US Magazine too! Bri and Kevin are just as sweet as can be and are really one of the coolest couples I've ever worked with!

Thanks Bri and Kevin..you guys totally rock!!




Now onto other news. A while back I promised that I would keep you up to date on my big ol' diet. Well..there have been no updates because..I haven't started my diet yet! Oh the shame! I TOLD you it was going to be difficult! I REALLY do need to get going on the whole working out and watching what I eat though. There is something very special that will be happening in February that I will need to look my absolute best for. What is it you ask? HAHAHAHA...not going to tell you! You'll just have to wait and see!

EDIT: I totally forgot that one of my other totally awesome cool couples, Kaline and Phach, also were on the cover of one of my favorite magazines! I'm telling you..shooting these celebrity weddings are a total dream come true for me! ;-)

Olivia Take Two!

Thanks for all the comments on Olivia's shoot you guys! Her parents loved reading all of them and have decided they'll be using pictures 4&5 for their annual Christmas card! I'll post some pics of the final result when they come in.

Now onto some more adorable pics of Olivia..I couldn't resist..it's as if she is my own daughter and I'm pulling out the accordian holder thingy of pictures for you guys to see. I really have to give props to her mom for coming up with such cute outfits! I should hire her to be the stylist for all of my rascal shoots...hhmmmmm..I might be on to something here ;-) Oh..and I MUST give props to Olivia for being such a good girl!! You were so good and the perfect little model for me Olivia!







Olivia's mom really wanted some pictures of Olivia having a grand ol' time in her tutu but the minute her mom put it on, Olivia said "No More" and proceeded to take the tutu off! Then her mom said "If you wear the tutu, you can have the balloons!"..then Olivia said "Okay" and we were ready to go!

These are probably some of my most favorite pictures of Olivia ever! Hope you enjoy them! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

My Favorite Little Girl

I always try to be fair and say that I love all of little rascals equally but I must admit that I do have a soft spot for this rascal in particular. Her name is Olivia and she is the first "live" subject (aside from Mochi) that I ever captured on camera. Olivia is my first cousin, once removed but I'd like to think of her as my niece since her mom and I are really like sisters.

I've had the pleasure of watching Olivia grow up into a beautiful little girl. Doug and I have enjoyed every second of it and can't wait to see all the new things she'll get to experience as she grows into a beautiful young woman. Olivia, you're too young to understand this now, but when you're old enough to read and go on the internet to Google your name and happen to come along this blog post, I just want to let you know right now how much Uncle Doug and I love you!!!!!

I'd like to travel down memory lane for a bit if you'd like to join me..

This is from my first shoot with Olivia. I must admit..I still adore this picture of her..looks just like a little Angel! This was taken right before her first birthday..



Last Christmas..look at those luscious lips!!



And now..what a little girl she is! All grown up..Olivia is probably the most stylish 2 1/2 year old I've ever met!








Her parents are having a tough decision choosing one for their Christmas card..if you lovely blog readers could help them out, that would be great!