San Francisco Fairmont Hotel Elopement - Kristal and Robert

September 24, 2014

Oh such a sweet couple! Kristal contacted me a few weeks before her arrival in San Francisco for her elopement wedding with Robert. Their ceremony was to take place on the Hornblower Dinner Cruise boat and they were required to use the photographer on the boat for the wedding and dinner portion of their day, but they wanted a few getting ready pictures at the Fairmont Hotel and a fun San Francisco City portrait shoot as they made their way to their departure on the boat. What fun we had in the two hours we spent together! Loved Kristal's Grecian look and her long black hair and gorgeous smokey eyes. She was lovely to photograph and as a couple they were so in love it was very easy to capture their spirit as a couple! When done viewing their slideshow, Kristal wrote "OMG I just balled my eyes out!!! Julie that is the most perfect wonderful absolutely stunning representation of my entire day!!! Thank you so much!!!!!" Congrats to Kristal and Robert!

Venue: The Fairmont Hotel

Ceremony Venue: Hornblower Cruises

Hair & Makeup Artist: Mr. Eckhard Beauty Salon

Best of 2013!

February 7, 2014

So excited to share my best of 2013 show! I can't believe how fortunate I am to photograph such happy couples and gorgeous locations. Reviewing this made me weepy. So many beautiful couples and emotional moments. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I do. A big thank you to all of the vendors and locations for giving me such gorgeousness to photograph and a super big congratulations to all of my 2013 clients. I hope you all have many happy years ahead! With love, Julie

NOTE: The embedded video below will play in low definition video, so it is best viewed in its current size. Please click here for high definition, full screen viewing.

The Hamlin Mansion Wedding, San Francisco - Mona and Ian!

June 4, 2013

Wow! Total Great Gatsby! Loved Mona and Ian's style which fit in with the gorgeous and classic Hamlin Mansion in San Francisco. So excited Sharla Flock Designs was doing the flowers. She's so talented and the colors in Mona's bouquet were gorgeous. You can't go wrong with spring peonies and ranunculus either! Also, Mona's look was so elegant and classic. That hairstyle by Wak Shack Salon was so original and Nikol Elaine Artistry did a classic, but slightly retro look with the makeup. Mona and Ian were so sweet together and looked like they had the time of their lives. Congrats!

Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Venue: Hamlin Mansion

Floral Design: Sharla Flock Designs

Hair: Wak Shack Salon

Makeup: Nikol Elaine Artistry

Bridal Gown: Elizabeth Fillmore

Caterer: Elaine Bell Catering

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San Francisco City Hall Wedding - Loretta and Ross

March 28, 2013

Last week I was scheduled to photograph a wedding at San Francisco's City Hall and arrived an hour early. As I waited for the elevator while scouting for light and shooting locations, I noticed a stunning bride getting married in the rotunda. As I stood there I noticed it was just the bride, groom and their parents and noticed no photographer! Gasp! I watched until the elevator came and then went up a couple of floors. By the time I came back down the ceremony had just ended and I saw the newlyweds wander off. I stalked and then couldn't stand it anymore. I had to photograph that bride! So I asked. They were thrilled, and here are the results of our five minute shoot! Congrats to Loretta and Ross and THANK you for allowing me a few precious minutes of your very intimate day.

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Credits for this wedding include:

Venue: City Hall

Bride's Fashion: BHLDN

San Francisco Wedding - Kate and Erik!

February 23, 2013

I can't disclose the location of this wedding or publish photos from the ceremony or reception, but rest assured, it was lovely! What I can share are some fun getting-ready photos and portraits of this adorable couple. Kate and Erik got married on the day the Blue Angels flew in downtown San Francisco. As they exited the Clift Hotel where they got ready, as if on cue, the Blue Angels did a fly-by! I loved everyone's reactions when it happened. It was so exciting! What a perfect San Francisco city wedding! Amy Nichols Special Events and Main St. Floralgardens did an exceptional job of coordinating and designing this lovely wedding. Wish I could share more, but here are some that I CAN share! Congratulations to Kate and Erik!

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Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Event Design and Coordination: Amy Nichols Special Events

Floral Design: Main St. Floralgardens

Merchant's Exchange Julia Morgan Ballroom Wedding - Allison and Justin

December 12, 2012

Classic San Francisco wedding at The Julia Morgan Ballroom in the Merchant's Exchange Building, San Francisco! So excited to share this wedding of Allison ans Justin. I love the The Julia Morgan Ballroom. The architecture is so gorgeous and such fun to shoot. It makes for a spectacular fall/winter venue with the dark paneled walls and huge fireplace and before dark, you can enjoy shooting around the city. What a perfect San Francisco wedding venue! I also LOVE shooting traditional Jewish weddings. They are so festive and full of joy and tradition. Justin and the guys even held a "Tish," which is a tradition where the men all meet to drink and toast the groom. They signed the Ketubah, got married under the Chuppah and of course danced the Hora. What fun was had by all! Congratulations Justin and Allison!

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Vendors involved in this wedding include:

Venue: The Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchant's Exchange Building, San Francisco

Day of Event Coordination: Christopher H. Lee, Leftwich Event Specialists

Catering: Global Gourmet

Florals: Spiral Hand

Paper Goods: Anne and Kate, Anne and Kate

Lighting: Got Light

Hair and makeup: Zindagi Salon

Rentals: Hartmann Studios

DJ: DJ Dave

Transportation: Avalon Transportation

San Francisco City Hall Wedding - Hannah and William

November 30, 2012

I photographed this wedding a couple of years ago, but love the idea of shooting more San Francisco City Hall weddings so thought I would re-post! San Francisco City Hall was the perfect location for Hannah and William to tie the knot. The couple chose San Francisco City Hall for their wedding nuptials, and afterward combined urban grit and the Golden Gate Bridge for their wedding portraits. The plaza across from San Francisco City Hall is also a great spot for portraits, as well as the surrounding areas. And there are so many shooting locations within a 10-minute drive from San Francisco City Hall, such as Crissy Field, which offers gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay. I just loved the way Hannah's dress danced in the wind! For more information about tying the knot at San Francisco City Hall, please go to this link: San Francisco City Civil Ceremony Instructions.

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De Young Museum Wedding - Khanh and Greg

November 9, 2012

I always love incorporating architecture in my wedding photography and San Francisco's de Young museum did not disappoint! I've only had the chance to photograph engagement sessions here in the past, but de Young is a wonderful place to have your wedding if you enjoy art and architecture. Certainly the case for Khan and Greg! We had fun wandering around the grounds before and after the ceremony, shooting their portraits as well as family and bridal party, and they and their guests were treated to phenomenal views during cocktail hour up in the observatory tower. The cafe transformed beautifully for dinner and dancing, and Svenja and her team at Chestnut & Vine Floral Design did an extraordinary job of creating artfully architectural floral designs for the room. I almost felt like I was being treated to a special viewing of Flowers to Art, which is an amazing spring show at the de Young that incorporates local florist's visions of flowers interpreted from the art in the museum. Oh, and the food was gorgeous and yummy, too! Grace Street catering always does an artful presentation and uses fresh organic ingredients that come together in wonderfully flavorful dishes! All-in-all a perfect wedding. Add in an intimate gathering (only 60 guests) and an obviously adoring couple and you have the perfect San Francisco wedding!

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Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Venue: de Young museum

Floral Design: Chestnut & Vine Floral Design

Catering: Grace Street

Eizabeth Anne Designs - Published Today!

April 5, 2012

I'm so pleased that Christine and Eugene's lovely San Francisco Ferry Building wedding is featured today on Elizabeth Anne Designs! You can see the feature here: Elizabeth Anne Designs. You can also view Christine and Eugene's post on my own blog. Thank you Christine and Eugene for such a lovely wedding!

Grace Cathedral and The Westin St. Francis - Alissa and Scott!

November 14, 2011

Another classic The Westin St. Francis wedding, and with a bride who is reminiscent of Sophia Lauren! I just love those fluffy short veils and oh my, what a handsome groom. So many great classic pictures from this wedding, it was hard not to convert them ALL to black and white! Off to Mexico for another shoot at Rancho La Puerta in Mexico for a week! See my previous post from the ranch. This time I'm going to photograph the spa! Yippeee!

San Francisco Ferry Building - Eugene and Christine!

November 11, 2011

Eugene and Christine's darling red balloon e-session was just published on Brooklyn Bride and now, here is their gorgeous and classic San Francisco Ferry Building wedding! I loved their circular ceremony set-up, and Paula LeDuc Fine Catering did an amazing job of transforming the same area into the dining area while guests were at the cocktail hour. No small feat! What a classic and beautiful San Francisco wedding!

Vendors involved in Christine and Eugene's wedding included:

Venue: San Francisco Ferry Building

Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering

Coordination: Shannon Leahy Events

Floral Design: Poppy's Petalworks

Cake: Inticing Creations

Hair and Makeup: Penny Do Artistry

San Francisco City Hall wedding -- Ann and Marty Part 2

July 20, 2011

My good friend and very talented wedding photographer Ann Hamilton was wed at San Francisco City Hall weeks ago and I, along with a troop of other photographers, had the honor of photographing her wedding. We had an incredible time, and the wedding was so beautiful that I couldn't resist sharing a few more with you.

Featured: Rebekah and Drew's St. Regis Hotel wedding on The Wedding Yentas

June 24, 2011

A pair of architectural aficionados, Rebekah and Drew crafted a wedding that reflected The St. Regis' sleek look and clean lines. Their wedding was a stunning all-white affair, with pristine details that included white phaleonopis orchids that dripped from tabletop branches and vases. And I'm excited to say that their gorgeous wedding was recently featured on The Wedding Yentas! Get more details about Rebekah and Drew's wedding by viewing The Wedding Yentas feature, or visit my blog post for more wedding images!

Wedding vendors included:

Venue: The St. Regis San Francisco Wedding coordinator: Natalia Guillen Floral design: Floramor Ethnic band: Klezmania Dance band and entertainment: Pop Fiction

Published Today on Vivanista!

June 9, 2011

Kate Siegel of Kate Siegel Events asked me for a photo of the Flood Mansion for an article she was writing for a blog called Vivanista and I was happy to oblige since The Flood Mansion is one of my favorite SF locations! Just one photo, but always fun to be published!

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Classic Portraiture

June 3, 2011

I wanted to share a little classic portraiture from last Sunday's wedding. After I was booked for the wedding, my bride mentioned she had some photos she wanted to send for me to emulate. The photos were classic portraiture of Queen Victoria! Oh my! BUT, to my "tagline's" point, "Classic, beautiful, fresh. Your wedding, your photography." I was reminded that part of what sets me apart from other photographer's is my classic training in photography. I received a four-year fine arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago over twenty years ago and have been shooting pictures even longer than that. Weddings for over nine years. When a curve-ball gets thrown at me and I need to shoot classic portraits from another era, I can handle it and true to my tagline, I really can morph my photography to match my client's style. I only had about twenty minutes in a somewhat small and crowded hotel lobby to shoot and will share more soon, but wanted to share a couple of my faves and then I'm off to shoot my good friend Ann Hamilton's (voted one of the top ten wedding photographer's in the world!) wedding today! It's also my three-year wedding anniversary today! Enjoy these photos!

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The Hamlin Mansion San Francisco Wedding Photography

Wow! Another Hamlin Mansion Post on I Do Venues!

April 28, 2011

Fun to be featured again on I Do Venues! I love photographing weddings at the Hamlin Mansion in San Francisco. The architecture is so lovely to work with!

Gena and Ryan's wedding featured on I Do Venues!

March 22, 2011

Gena and Ryan's beautiful Bently Reserve wedding has been featured on Style Me Pretty and now, it's featured again on I Do Venues! For more pictures of Gena and Ryan's wedding go to my blog, and take a look at the wonderful vendors -- including Amy Nichols Special Events, Floramor,The Bently Reserve -- involved in making the couple's day extra gorgeous.

Featured on I Do Venue - Hamlin Mansion

March 5, 2011

Ava and Dave's wedding at the Hamlin Mansion in San Francisco is featured on I Do Venues! Getting ready location: Hotel Drisco

Wedding location: The Hamlin Mansion

Catering: Elaine Bell Catering

Flowers: Sharla Flock

Cake: Cake Coquette

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Fairmont San Francisco Swigg Suite Local Fashion Shoot

February 9, 2011

Per my recent post, I was thrilled to be featured in the current issue of SF Brides magazine. As a follow up, I want to share a few more photos from our shoot! A big thanks to Suzanne Hanley or Atelier Des Modistes, couture wedding gown designer in San Francisco and Kathleena Gorga of Conscious Beauty who did hair and makeup. Melissa Comito of A Simple Ceremony did flowers, but unfortunately most of our focus was on the gowns!

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Style Me Pretty Feature Today!

December 8, 2010

Excited to have another feature on Style Me Pretty today! Taylor and John's classic San Francisco Ferry Building wedding was so pretty with all of it's fresh blue and white features. Amy Nichols of Amy Nichols Special Events, Le Fleuriste and Paula LeDuc Fine Catering all did a wonderful job pulling it together! Go to: Style Me Pretty to view the full article and here's a sneak peek: