It was a pleasure to receive an e-mail from WeddingWire this week, announcing that my business has been rated by the company for 2011! According to a press release, "WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program that distinguishes wedding vendors across the country for their excellence." The award, according to the company, is based on client reviews. So to my clients, I would like to say: Thank you!! I appreciate all your kind words!
Birgitt and Stephen’s wedding at the Headlands Center for the Arts was filled with delightful details, including an impromptu puppet performance mid-ceremony. The bride and groom focused on fine food and wine, catered by Katie Powers, and creating what they called a “rustic, Californian aesthetic” through beautiful blooms and décor by IXIA Flowers. What a beautiful celebration!
Vendors included:
Location: Headlands Center for the Arts
Caterer: Katie Powers Catering
Florist: IXIA Flowers
Bridal dress: COAN Couture
Bridal Shoes: Alfani from Macy's
Cliff and Vivian are truly two of the sweetest people I've ever met, and I think it shows in their photos! They had such a good time on their wedding day! This was my first time shooting at Carmel Valley Ranch and I loved it! There were loads of gorgeous spots to photograph (in fact, it was hard to pick and choose which locations) and the staff was terrific. The food was also really yummy.
Sarah Ward of Sarah Ward Events did a great job of coordinating the day, and I loved Chic Event Rentals and Rose Hip Floral's simple design ideas. The architecture at Carmel Valley Ranch and the setting kind of speaks for itself!
Vendors included:
Location: Carmel Valley Ranch
Coordination: Sarah Ward Events
Florist: Rose Hip Floral's
Rentals: Chic Event Rentals
With the help of some extraordinarily talented vendors -- including fashion designer Suzanne Hanley of Atelier Des Modistes, Kathleena Gorga of Conscious Beauty and florist Melissa Comito of A Simple Ceremony -- we put together a couture fashion shoot inside the Swigg Suite of San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel. And I'm excited to say that Style Unveiled has featured that shoot on their blog! Check out Style Unveiled's feature, or for even more photos, check out this post on my blog.
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
Candlelight is one of the easiest ways to add instant romance to any table or room. Plus, what woman doesn't look her best in the soft glow of a candle?! Here are some of the creative ways my clients have incorporated candles into their wedding decor -- enjoy!
My clients are incredibly creative -- even when it comes to displaying their escort cards. They've come up with so many unique ways to direct their guests to their tables. Here is a collection of some of my favorite displays.
Is there anything more yummy than a summertime cocktail? From simple champagne to a citrus treat, there are so many ways to delight and treat your guests with a beverage. Here are a few of my favorite cocktail photographs -- I hope they inspire your own sweet drinks!
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!
Such fun! I had this past Saturday off and before the wedding season REALLY kicks in, my husband and I decided to do a mini-bicycle tour! I've been slowly training myself to be a rider in the California hills (I grew up in the non-outdoorsy Chicago flatlands) and so we wanted to get me out on my first bike tour. We were gone four days. Itinerary: - Oakland (caught the ferry into SF) then rode over the GG Bridge into Marin, up to Sir Francis Drake and out to Samuel P. Taylor Park (slated to be closed in the fall due to CA budget cuts) for our first night of camping - Then back out to the bay for one night at China Camp (another soon-to-be casualty of the CA budget cuts) - On to Tiburon to catch a ferry to Angel Island where we had one night reserved at what I think is THE MOST SPECTACULAR urban campsite in the WORLD. I know that's a big thing to say, but really, there is a site that has a view of the GG Bridge, the Bay and a full view of the SF skyline. You can't get much better than that - unless it's foggy, but we had PERFECT weather. - Then another ferry back to SF, lunch at the ferry building and on the ferry back to Oakland.
Here are some pictures taken with my hubby's awesome wide-angle Lumix/Leica lens point and shoot:
Loaded up and waiting for our ferry to SF:
You would never guess how windy it was right here. Ouch!
First stop - lunch in Sausalito....
West Marin is so gorgeous!
First night camping in the redwoods:
Views at China Camp:
Much needed rest in the hammock!
I had five minutes to spare to run and find us some cold beer for the ferry ride to Angel Island. Success and a cold beer never tasted so good!
View from Angel Island...
Views from our campsite on Angel Island...
Headed home!
Brides' wedding shoes no longer just come in ivory -- a bride can don a deep red or a crystal-encrusted pump beneath her dress to reflect her personal fashion style. What bridal shoes do you love the most? Here is a little inspiration to get your wheels turning!
Taylor and John’s gorgeous Ferry Building wedding has been featured again on I Do Venues. The couple’s ceremony took place at St. John’s Presbyterian church, then the celebration continued at the Embacadero’s most famous structure, the Ferry Building. It truly is an awesome location for a reception! Enjoy I Do Venues’ feature, and be sure to check out John and Taylor’s wedding on my blog!
Wedding vendors included:
Reception Venue: San Francisco Ferry Building
Gown: Romona Keveza
Bridesmaid dresses: Priscilla of Boston
Coordinating: Amy Nichols of Amy Nichols Special Events
Catering: Paula Le Duc Fine Catering
Florist: La Fleuriste
Cake: Cake Coquette
Party Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Band that rocked the house: Dave Martin’s House Party
Ceremony Musicians: Nob Hill String Ensembles
Hair and Makeup: Joseph Cozza Salon
Second Shooter: Carloyn Quilici
Hotel for guests, some portraits and getting ready: Hotel Vitale
When I think about the best things about summer -- cherries, bright, bold blooms, refreshing drinks served outside and picnics on checkered blankets -- Melissa and John's wedding jumps immediately to mind. This couple's Healdsburg Country Gardens wedding embodied all I love about summer, and I think it can be a huge inspiration to brides planning a sweet summer fete. Here's a few of my favorite details from their wedding, or check out this post for the full feature!
The roses are blooming! The roses are blooming! I love the early bloom season of roses in the Bay Area and the garden at my home is bursting right now! I dug out an old silver plate pitcher that was my late Aunt's, polished it best I could, put the dented side of the base at the back of the arrangement and viola! A gorgeous bursting summertime bouquet supplemented with a cherry blossom (also from my yard) and some green blooms from Trader Joe's! I know, I know, I AM NOT a florist, but it's really fun to play with flowers and cheap when most are from your own garden! Happy spring!
I've also included a sneak peak of a recent wedding I photographed -- the bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets featured roses! Check back later this week for more of this gorgeous wedding.
If only one thing could be said about Jamie and Ozzie’s stunning wine country wedding, it’s that her dress—oh, that Monique Lhuillier dress—was as breathtaking as every other detail the couple planned. So I was delighted that Perfect Bound, a wedding blog focused on bridal fashions, wanted to feature Jamie and Ozzie’s wedding! Get the fashion scoop on Jamie and Ozzie’s wedding on Perfect Bound, but for more details, be sure to visit this blog post.
Vendors involved in Jamie and Ozzie's wedding included:
Wedding Location: Lancaster Estate
Wedding Coordinator: Stephanie Beer of Covenant Coordinating
Catering: Grapevine Catering
Cake: Fleur de Lisa
Florist: Maria Philbin
Didi and Tim's Headlands Center for the Arts wedding has been featured on The Wedding Chicks! Their wedding was a gorgeous fall affair with warming candles and hearty food -- it was a true pleasure to photograph! Check out The Wedding Chicks feature, or view even more photos from Didi and Tim's wedding on my blog!
Venue: Headlands Center for the Arts Caterer: Katie Powers Catering Coordinator: Headlands Center for the Arts Floral Design: Chesnut and Vine
There are so many hairstyles to choose from when it comes to your wedding. Here are a few of my favorites -- I hope one will help inspire your big day 'do!
Children do the darndest things -- even at weddings. Here's a little something to brighten your Friday!
There are so many wonderful things about summer, and fresh and delicious foods are certainly one of them. It's neat to see how caterers can take a simple summer staple—lemonade or burgers hot off a grill—and make them extra creative creations served on a tray. Here are a few special selections from weddings I’ve photographed. I hope they can inspire some of your own summer wedding drinks and food.
Photos from Taylor and John's beautiful white and blue wedding have been featured on I Do Venues! The couple's wedding reception took place at The Ferry Building, a gorgeous space for any large affair. Check out I do Venue's feature, and for more photos from Taylor and John's wedding, take a look at my blog post. Enjoy!
