Karen and Mike had the most elegant and vibrant outdoor wedding. And their beautiful big day was recently featured on the ever-classic Elizabeth Anne Designs! You can read the feature here, and be sure to check out my original blog post!
Oh how dreamy! Lindsay and Andy's intimate wedding at Atwood Ranch in Sonoma was such a gorgeous affair. I just love Julie Atwood's incredible styling and Atwood Ranch is one of the absolute best in Napa and Sonoma valleys. Simply one of the most gorgeous wedding venues in wine country. Despite having fewer than thirty guests, Julie managed to make this large property a gorgeously intimate venue with her magical styling. The property was in all its fall glory and the barn was magically lit with hundreds of candles. Gott's Roadside served up burgers, fries and onion rings from it's food truck and Anne Appleman Flowers & Plants did such an amazing job with the rustic and stunning floral arrangements.
Oh and Lindsay and Andy! What a darling couple! Loved their style and their passion for each other. The day was filled with excitement, loads of love and lots of emotion. I especially loved the idea of the Bible guest book. Set with the backdrop of the chalkboard claiming "love is eternal", guests were asked to write an inspiring passage for Lindsay and Andy and sign it. What an incredible way to start your family Bible! I also loved that in lieu of a cake, the couple opted for a milk and cookie bar by Model Bakery. How adorable!
Congratulations, Lindsay and Andy!
Vendors who participated in this wedding included:
Venue: Atwood Ranch
Event Coordination: Julie Atwood
Florist: Anne Appleman Flowers & Plants
Caterer: Gott's Roadside
Bakery: Model Bakery
I shared a sneak peek of this one last week because I was just DYING over the coral colors and the pink splash of color on Chelsey's insane Tara LaTour gown. Feast your eyes on more loveliness from San Francisco's James Leary Flood Mansion and Palace of Fine Arts Theatre wedding. Chelsey was all about the color and details and Amy Nichols of Amy Nichols Special Events and Nancy Liu Chin Floral & Event Design did an amazing job of pulling everything together. Loved that lit up "LOVE" sign and the homemade kissing booth!
This wedding was not just about gorgeousness, however. It was a true fairy tale wedding overflowing with emotion and surprises for both bride and groom. The culmination was when Mark presented Chelsey with his wedding day gift which was a commissioned painting by Mary Grand Prix of a prince proposing to his princess. This was followed by a surprise by Chelsey to her groom of a song sung along to her own playing of the piano and then out the windows a fireworks show started over the bay! What an amazing night!
BTW - their cake by Beaux Geaux was a replica of a cake on another painting by the illustrator Mary Grand Prix, which was also given to Chelsey by Mark while they were dating. The castle also appeared on their wedding invitation. Oh my! What a day! You two were meant for each other!
Vendors involved in this wedding include:
Bridal gown: Tara LaTour
Ceremony Venue: James Leary Flood Mansion
Reception Venue: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
Event Coordination: Amy Nichols Special Events
Florist: Nancy Liu Chin Floral & Event Design
Baker: Beaux Geaux
Danielle and Tomas had the most classic, elegant wedding at Beaulieu Garden — and one of the most classic and elegant wedding blogs, Elizabeth Anne Designs, shared it with their readers this week. I couldn't be more thrilled! Be sure to check out the feature here, or read more about the wedding on my blog!
Fun at the Vera Wang Trunk show event last night! Melia of Wedspring organized the event and asked me to set up a photo studio setting for a self portrait station. Guests had a blast getting "styled" by the ladies of Vintage Box 1947 who provided gorgeous custom headpieces. The photos are available at www.pictage.com/1526826 for viewing and ordering!
Guests!
Always lovely shooting at Mayacama Golf Club which is nestled in the Mayacama mountains of Sonoma Valley just south of Healdsburg. Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating and Maria Philbin Floral Design did a stunning job with this classic look in Mayacama's luscious Tuscan courtyard. Karen and Mike and their families were all about the love at this wedding and all had such a great time. The ceremony outside the wine cave and overlooking the golf course was stunning, followed by cocktails on the terrace with a BACON appetizer (gotta love that) and then as the light faded, dinner in the stunning courtyard with candles hanging from the trees. But let's not forget the beautiful cake by Fleur de Lisa Wedding Cakes! Truly magical.
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: Mayacama Golf Club
Event Coordination: Covenant Coordinating
Florist: Maria Philbin Floral Design
Bakery: Fleur de Lisa Wedding Cakes
I've been wanting to photograph a wedding at the fabulous and intimate Sonoma wedding venue The Kenwood Inn ever since doing a photo workshop with the incredible wedding and lifestyle photographer Elizabeth Messina. I was thrilled when I booked Holly and Tosh's intimate wedding and couldn't wait to photograph it! I could not get enough of this gorgeous, intimate and classic wedding — and guests surely knew they were in for an elegant affair when they received beautiful letterpress invitations from Invitations by Ajalon. And my BRIDE! Holly was pure beauty itself, in her Jasmine Bridal wedding gown. It took all I had to not completely take over her wedding day with photos of just her. But, Tosh was adorable to photograph, too. He had so much fun and was so besotted by his bride — who can blame him — and the ceremony site and table styled and decorated by Fleur Essence were stunning. I loved the greens with splashes of color.
The dinner was an incredible multi-course meal created exclusively by Chef Snook of The Kenwood Inn. The chef even came out of the kitchen to pass around a plate of truffles! It was a fabulous meal and long and intimate dinner filled with toasts, great food and wine, capped off with a delicious cake by Patisserie Angelica. I think Holly and Tosh got their exact dream wedding. Oh, and then vavoom! Holly changed into her sapphire green evening gown and I went bananas all over again!
The following vendors participated in Holly and Tosh's wedding:
Venue and Catering: The Kenwood Inn
Floral Design: Fleur Essence
Bakery: Patisserie Angelica
Invitations: Invitations by Ajalon
Bridal Gown: Jasmine Bridal
I just had to share some if this fabulous wedding as I still put it together for Chelsey and Mark! Look at this gorgeousness! I so loved the coral colors paired with the stone of the Palace of Fine Arts. And just look at Chelsey's DRESS! There's so much more to share so take a look back within the next few weeks!
Last year, a friend contacted me with questions about becoming a wedding photographer, and I had the pleasure of mentoring her most of last wedding season. She was a terrific second-shooter, and I wanted to give credit where credit is due for some of the gorgeous images she captured while working beside me. I directed some of the images while some were all her own. Either way, each is incredible! Thank you, Olivia!
Off to Rancho La Puerta again! Rancho La Puerta is is a health and wellness spa located just south of San Diego, nestled on 3,000 acres in Tecate, Mexico. It was founded in the ’40s by a health-conscious couple and has grown into a lovely, healthy getaway. It was voted two years in a row as “best destination spa in the world” by Travel and Leisure magazine readers. I'm one of the lucky photographers who gets to go down a couple of times a year to shoot for their marketing materials and website and I'm off for a week Saturday, October 19th through Saturday the 26th. I will have limited access to e-mail and no access to voice mail while I'm away. I will try to answer e-mails as soon as I can!
Yowsa! Julie Atwood of Julie Atwood Events and the folks at ISES really know how to throw party! Julie Atwood, already a talented stylist, worked with Meredith Law of M. Design on flowers and La Tavola Linen to create the feel of this lovely garden and barn event. Back to Earth Catering prepared such yummy food, including roasted harvest veggies and beef shank. YUM! Atwood ranch is a glorious Sonoma valley wedding planner that organizes events at elite wineries and estates in Sonoma Valley and the North Bay. ISES is a membership organization that provides training for event planners.
Planning: Julie Atwood Events
Catering: Back to Earth Catering and Sage Catering
Rentals: Encore Events Rentals and ATL Events
Linens: La Tavola Linen
Floral Design: M. Design
Lighting: Twilight Design
Wine Tour: Out in the Vineyard
Yowsa! What a stunning bride! Jenna was picture perfect in her gown and tiara! The Mayacama country club was the perfect backdrop for photographing Jenna and her very proud groom, Chris. I just LOVE those wine cave doors and wall of vines and that courtyard is such a gorgeous setting for dinner. Lanterns hanging from the olive tree branches were a special touch as the evening light progressed. As always, Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating did a heroic job of keeping everything on track, including a VERY large family! Congratulations to Jenna and Chris!
Vendors who participated in this wedding included:
Venue: Mayacama
Coordination: Covenant Coordinating
Oh my gosh! I had such fun shooting this wedding! Always a pleasure shooting at Healdsburg Country Gardens, of course. Being an intimate venue with so much to offer — gardens, barn, big oak tree and vineyards — it's a wedding photographer's dream! Not only that, but Amy was such a fun bride! She truly was able to completely let go on her wedding day and as a naturally funny person, she just was a joy to shoot! Add Jason into it — who was also just plain cool — we all just had a natural blast! Loved the bird theme throughout the wedding decor and LOVED the groomsmen attire! So festive and colorful. The linens on the table were subtle, but gorgeous and classic making the floral arrangements by Dandelion Floral really stand out. The food by Grapevine Catering was phenomenal, as was the adorable cake — topped by what else than a pair of birds! — by Pattisserie Angelica!
Vendors who participated in this wedding included:
Venue: Healdsburg Country Gardens
Florist: Dandelion Floral
Caterer: Grapevine Catering
Baker: Pattisserie Angelica
Oh how I loved the gorgeousness of this wedding and how absolutely RELAXING it was for all. It helps that Anne and John are incredibly low-key. That translated to all facets of their wedding and made for a truly enjoyable experience for everyone. This was my first time shooting at
, a private ranch in the heart of the Sonoma ranching community. I love the rolling golden California hills already and then add a barn, a gorgeous Victorian home and lush gardens and you have the PERFECT setting.
Madeline Trait did the flowers, which were perfectly fitting with all the antique touches of the furnishings and other details, and I LOVED that they did a pig roast by Pam Ferrari Custom Catering. And the cake by Della Fattoria? To die for! Here's a sneak peek!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: Chileno Valley Ranch
Floral Design: Madeline Trait
Catering: Pam Ferrari Custom Catering
Cake: Della Fattoria
Magical. Magical. Magical! Wow. I just LOVE shooting at Campovida. Julie and Matt chose this location because Matt's family has traveled up to their lake house in the area since Matt's childhood and when they saw the property they just knew how perfect it was for their wedding. I loved that Julie said about their sunset portrait session that they felt like they were discovering "secret gardens" as I led them through the property for the session. The property is so large that you could spend an entire day "discovering" it's many delights. For a destination wedding, it can't be beat. It will wow the guests. Julie and Matt put their hearts and souls into their wedding day with loads of individual and hand-crafted touches. The couple handmade their programs, name tags, menus and ribbon napkin rings! Grapevine Catering served an incredible meal, with a super sweet cupcake dessert by Kara's Cupcakes. Most important, however, was an incredibly special weekend spent with family and close friends. Again, what a magical place to do so. From the pictures, it looks like they had the time of their lives! Such a sweet couple!
I was so excited that a former bride of mine asked me to photograph the inaugural Edible Excursions San Francisco Craft Cocktail Tour. Edible Excursions is an award-winning culinary tour company that offers foodies guided culinary walks through several areas of San Francisco. Lisa, the owner was in the infancy of her business when she got married and asked me to be her wedding photographer. I also photographed their firstborn, and I am so excited to have seen Lisa's business grow and to be a part of this newest venture in her business. We have some star mixologists in the Bay Area, and I'm so excited to see Lisa add this tour to her Edible Excursions options. These tours are not only great to go on, but they make great gifts or the perfect plan for a party idea!
Was thrilled that the folks at Campovida and Sadie Waddington of Locally Grown Weddings asked me to photograph this lovely event at Campovida's simple and pretty new tasting room and event venue in Oakland! The wines were divine and my good friend Hugh Groman of Hugh Groman Catering did an amazing job with the food pairings. Sadie and Madeline Trait of Gilli Flower Design both did a wonderful job of making this already stunning space even more so, and then Sweet Lauren Cakes contributed those amazing pie pops! Never seen those before! My favorite was the pecan! I would highly recommend checking out a tasting event at either the Campovida Oakland location or make a weekend of it and go up to their STUNNING Hopland location. Look for a wedding post from a recent wedding I shot at the Campovida Hopland location too!
Vendors who participated in this shoot include:
Venue: Campovida
Event Design: Locally Grown Weddings
Floral Design: Gilli Flower Design
Catering: Hugh Groman Catering
Pie Pops: Sweet Lauren Cakes
Katie and Beat traveled the world celebrating their wedding! Currently living in Australia and celebrating their first festivities in Switzerland where Beat is from, they ended their celebrations with another ceremony and reception to celebrate where Katie comes from: Berkeley! I always love shooting at the Berkeley City Club. It's Julia Morgan-designed, and Katie and Beat embraced the gorgeous and formal architecture during our somewhat formal portrait shoot. Then we were off to The Faculty Club at UC Berkeley lawn (called "the glade") for a ceremony in the lovely natural surroundings of the campus, and then back to the Berkeley City Club where Pat Gibbons Floral Design did such an amazing job with the flowers. I LOVED the blackberries in the centerpieces celebrating the height of summer, and then it was on to the WOW factor of the dancing and amazing horn ensemble. This group were quite the dancers to the tunes Elite Entertainment played!
Vendors who participated in this wedding included:
Ceremony Venue: The Faculty Club at UC Berkeley
Reception Venue and Catering: Berkeley City Club
Florist: Pat Gibbons Floral Design
Entertainment: Elite Entertainment
What a sweet couple, Stella and Angel! She, so petite and stunning in her mother's wedding gown (handmade in the Philippines in 1977), and he so tall and handsome! Loved the colorful lanterns brightening up the outdoor cocktail area, and guests had a terrific time with the costumes at the photo booth! Katharina Stuart Floral Art and Design also did a gorgeous job with the summery soft-toned floral arrangements!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Oh how I loved this ceremony site! All the years I've been photographing weddings (thirteen BTW!) and I hadn't photographed a ceremony in a wine cave. Rehearsal dinners? Yes. Wedding dinners? Yes. Cocktail hour? Yes, but never a ceremony. The wine cave ceremony site at The Meritage Resort & Spa did not disappoint. I'm sure all the guests were wowed when they walked into this gorgeous site. I know when I walked in with Ryan and Adam for their pre-ceremony photo session, we were all wowed too! Congrats to Ryan and Adam!
Vendors who participated in this wedding include:
Venue: The Meritage Resort & Spa
