What started off as an ordinary annual trip to Disneyland........

.......ended up being a day where my little bro proposed to his girlfriend Alex at Club 33 (a totally exclusive restaurant in Disneyland just overlooking New Orleans square).

It was a really fun day.....the whole Batty Family (with some Tuckers, Charests, McEntees, a Poplin, a Neels and a Luna there) was hitting every ride possible and doing anything to get our money's worth of our hopper passes.

Tyler met Adam Sandler in the bathroom, my Dad rode California Screaming for the first time (and was SCREAMING), and Aunt Leslie's friend Paul experienced Disneyland for the FIRST TIME EVER!

Around 5 o'clock, we all herded over to Club 33 for a once in a lifetime dinner experience.

A few of us knew Rene Roy's plan to propose (including me, since I needed to capture the moment on film), but mostly everyone else was surprised when he prayed for our meal and quickly snuck in : "and thank you God for my fiancee, Alex" to which she looked up abrubtly (as did everyone else at our table) and was greeted with open eyes to my brother holding out her BLING BLING ring.

I apologize for the blur and grainy-ness of some of the Club 33 images, but I wasn't sure what the lighting was going to be like and was not about to lug my huge flash in there (thus failing to be conspicuous).
So, I hope they still are okay.....it's the thought and the emotion captured that counts, I always say!

Congrats you guys!
And everyone else (especially Nami, who got us into Club 33), it was a wonderful day and I love you all!
and for all those who didn't make it....Uncle Damon, Seth, Uncle Devin, Aunt Cheryl, Peyton, Riley, Jaad and Matt......we missed you all!

Enjoy the slideshow! Just press play and allow it to buffer completely.

Sammy Fishface!!!! Wooohooo!

SO Sam here is my brother from another mother.....uh, and another father too.

Well anyway, we go way back.....his sis is my sis (again, not really, just my best friend).

I was down in Hollywood this weekend taking some head shots for him and although these pictures aren't really the "head shots" persay, they are just some of my favorite pictures from the day.

SAM-U-EL, it was great to see you buddy and fun to play around with some pics for ya! I hope you're happy with them!

The song "Like a rhinestone cowboy......." enters my head here......




Okay, this one is just supposed to be funny.......




.......this one is just for humor too.....

This one is my favorite.......it's so Sam. And just so darn cute!

The Higginbotham Family!!!!!

Cherly, Adam and Skyler seemed to have a good time.....well, especially Skyler who got to play dress-up for her photos and wear ALLLLL of her jewelry (which consisted of about 3 boxes loaded with beads, earrings, bracelets and all a little girl could possibly dream of).

All in all, I think it was pretty successful and definitely a lot of fun.

Enjoy!

Courtney and Aaron are married! WOOOHOOOO!

SO! These two crazy kids! I have known them since they were in Jr. High.....in fact, we were all part of the same youth group and even went to Mexico together on a missions trip! That was waaaay back when....they were just friends at the time. Over the years they remained friends and I heard through the grapevine that they were dating. Well, just about less than a year ago I hear they are getting hitched! I was so excited for them, and couldn't believe that the same two young kids I had known since youth group were now getting married. When they came to me for their wedding pictures, I just knew this was gonna be a great opportunity! Not only do I know them and their story, but they are two of the sweetest, most genuine, beautiful inside and out couples that I know. There was just no way that anything could go wrong.....until the day of the wedding came and it was raining! There was a little bit of a frenzy happening when I arrived and everyone was thinking the worst. But as soon as we drove up the hill, the weather had cleared, the sun was out, the sky was cloudy (but in a GOOD way....in a photographer's dream kind of a way) and you just knew that A LOT of people were praying for good weather on this day. As I watched this couple go through their wedding day, the ceremony, the reception....the love that they have for each other, for God and for their family, was so overwhelming and obvious that even a perfect stranger could look at these two and KNOW that this is a marriage that is going to last. As a wedding photographer, it is so hard not to get wrapped up in the moments and remember to capture them instead.....this was no exception, in fact, it was the hardest I have ever had to try to keep myself together.
There was so much joy, so much anticipation and a feeling of pure, pure love. Courtney and Aaron's families were friends even before Courtney and Aaron started dating, and when they spoke during the toasts, you could tell that this was a divine bringing together of not only two people, but two families. I am so blessed to have shared this day with them and their loved ones and couldn't have asked for a smoother, more enjoyable day and a more real and wonderful group of people. I have two slideshows here because I took more photographs at this wedding than I think I ever have before! My good friend Jason Robbins helped me out again and totally kicked butt as an assistant and a second shooter! Thank you Jason!
These two slideshows are divided up into the first and second halves of the day. I just could not narrow down the pictures! Courtney and Aaron, thank you so much and congratulations! I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do and I hope you have the most wonderful and blessed marriage possible!
Thank you to both of your Moms and Dads, bridal party, everyone who was there and contributed their time to this gorgeous wedding.....God truly blessed your wedding day as He will with your lives. I know that I was encouraged in my marriage watching the two of you!
Love you all!
Dani



P.S. Please press play and then allow the slideshows to buffer completely first before viewing or they will be slow and freak out.