Featured: Lauren & Taylor in The Knot!

April 21, 2015

I am so excited to share Lauren & Taylor's wedding on The Knot! Their wedding will also be featured in The Knot's magazine printed in June! Here is a sneak peek in case you just can't wait until June.

The Lodge at the Regency Center - San Francisco Wedding of Thalia and Ian

April 8, 2015

Oh what style and grace! Loved this classic San Francisco wedding. In Thalia's previous career she was a set designer and she let her previous work shine at her wedding. Thalia and Ian are both now firefighters and I have to say, Thalia may be the most good-looking firefighter ever! She was also one of my most stunning brides ever in her classic lace, mermaid Maggie Sottero gown! I thought her look was perfect for the venue and style of the wedding.

Alex and the team from Dreams on a Dime Weddings worked with Thalia and The Regency Center to create the perfect setting for this classic wedding in one of my favorite rooms in the city. The Lodge at the Regency Center is the top floor venue at the Regency Center and was originally a Mason's lodge! The Regency Center has kept all of the old stage backdrops and they let each couple choose their own backdrop for their wedding. I LOVE the backdrop Thalia and Ian chose. It worked so well with the gorgeous florals by Carol Antraccoli.

Congratulations, Thalia and Ian!

Venue: The Regency Center

Event Coordinator: Dreams on a Dime

Floral Designer: Carol Antraccoli

Caterer: Englund's Catering and Cafe

Cake: Lotta's Bakery

Stationary: Foreignspell

Hair and Make-up Artists: Painted Ladies

Ceremony Musicians: An Elegant Touch of Strings

Reception Musicians: Horns A Plenty

Rancho La Puerta Photo Shoot!

March 24, 2015

I feel more than lucky every time I get to go to Rancho La Puerta to photograph for their marketing materials. Rancho La Puerta is truly an amazing place and one of my favorite places in the world! They are consistently voted #1 destination spa in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine readers and if you go you will see why! Go for a whole week and carry that wellness with you for a long, long time. Go every year for a week and you'll be a new person!

The InterContinental The Clement Monterey Wedding - Lisa and Ken

February 21, 2015

LOVED the yellow and gray/charcoal color scheme for this gorgeous Hotel Clement Monterey wedding which was beautifully planned and executed by my former bride, Lauren Sloan of Ryder Sloan Events. Lisa was radiant in her Ace gown by Allure and I loved her bridesmaids gray flowing dresses and yellow flowers by Laughin' Gal Florist!

What a setting and what incredible weather for January! Sometimes winter weather on the west coast can be better than summer weather and this proved that point. It was downright hot out and there was no fog in sight for the glorious view of the Monterey bay throughout the wedding. Plus the wedding was set right off of the main drag, so we were able to sneak away and grab a shot of the bride and groom with their bridal party in front of the iconic Monterey Cannery Row sign!

What fun was had by all, but especially Lisa and Ken. A super sweet couple who was smiling all day long. Ken was doing the traditional surprise honeymoon for his bride and I'm just DYING to know where it was. How romantic overall! Congrats to Lisa and Ken!

Venue and Caterer: InterContinental The Clement Monterey

Event Coordinator: Ryder Sloan Events

Floral Designer: Laughin' Gal Florist

Cake: Patisserie Bechler

Hair and Makeup Artist: Oya Salon

Linen Rentals: La Tavola

Rentals: Chic Events

Musicians: Sound in Motion

Dress Designer: Allure

Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Bill Levkoff

The Firehouse at Fort Mason + Chinese Banquet = Stacey and David

October 14, 2014

Such a sweet couple and such a DIY couple! Also super talented with a LOT of energy. David and Stacey had a marathon day starting with a tea ceremony in Sacramento in the morning and ending with a traditional Chinese banquet at the Far East Cafe in San Francisco's Chinatown. It's been a while since I photographed a Chinese Banquet! I forgot how fun it is to watch course after course come out while the Lion Dances and entertainment go on!

In the middle of the day was their sweet ceremony at The Firehouse at Fort Mason. It was a gorgeous day and views of the bay were clear and sunny. Friends and family gathered for the traditional American ceremony and Stacey stunned all in her appropriately blowy handmade gown. Not just handmade, but handmade BY STACEY! Gorgeous! This couple had so much of their heart and souls in this wedding starting with Stacey's handmade gown of her own design, their travel themed invitations and reception decor (they love to travel!) and David even made the wedding cake himself. These two are definitely talented. Oh and did I mention, they are also an adorable couple and managed throughout it all to have genuine fun with me and their guests. I'm impressed and will forever remember this darling couple. Congrats to David and Stacey!

Ceremony Venue: Fort Mason Center - Firehouse Reception Venue and Caterer: Far East Cafe Event Coordinator: Events by Herna & MarissaFloral Design: PK Floral — **Ceremony Venue: Fort Mason Center - Firehouse**
**Reception Venue and Caterer: Far East Cafe**
**Event Coordinator: Events by Herna & Marissa**
**Floral Design: PK Floral**

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.

Piedmont Community Center Wedding - Catherine and Eytan

January 1, 2014

I've always loved this little gem of an east Bay Area wedding venue! Piedmont Community Center has it all — convenient location, redwoods, gardens, lawns, a lovely courtyard and a beautiful indoor hall for the cooler months or dancing. I was thrilled when Catherine and Eytan contacted me and also told me that Svenya of Chestnut and Vine Floral Design referred them to me. I love working with Svenja! Her work is gorgeous and so original. She created the most beautiful chuppah for the ceremony beside the redwoods. Blue Heron Catering also created a wonderful buffet of food and made sure the day went smoothly for all. And who could miss the beautiful cake by Masse's Pastries? Catherine and her family had a huge hand in the details of the couple's big day. For their handmade programs, Catherine designed a "Catakshy" family seal, a name that combines Catherine's first name with Eytan's last name. Her mother also designed and sewed traditional Vietnamese gowns for the bride and family members to wear during the reception!

Catherine and Eytan and their families were an absolute joy to work with, and I was so pleased when I got this thoughtful note from Catherine:

"We can not thank you enough for your consummate professionalism and astoundingly beautiful work. It was such a true pleasure to work with you before and during the wedding. We couldn't have asked for a better photographer and will recommend you to all our friends!

Looking at the photos is such a joy. It's like reliving the joy of the day each time, for which we thank you!"

What a thrill to get this note from Catherine and Eytan. I could go on and on about what lovely people they are, and am so happy that they have found each other. What a wonderful couple!

Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Venue: Piedmont Community Center

Floral Design: Chestnut and Vine Floral Design

Catering: Blue Heron Catering

Bakery: Masse's Pastries

Rancho La Puerta Photo Shoot!

October 18, 2013

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!

Edible Excursions San Francisco Craft Cocktail Tour - Inaugural Event!

September 29, 2013

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!

Campovida Wine Tasting Event - New Venue in Oakland!

September 18, 2013

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

Berkeley City Club and UC Faculty Club Wedding - Katie and Beat

September 10, 2013

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

Styled Shoot: Blue Heron Hall at Laguna de Santa Rosa

July 10, 2013

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a styled shoot orchestrated by Julie Atwood Events at Blue Heron Hall at Laguna de Santa Rosa. And this beauty was just featured on I Do Venues! For a sneak peek, check out the venue feature. More to come on my blog soon!

The Palm Event Center Wedding - Christine and Scott

June 17, 2013

What a day! Christine and Scott had a celebration and fun-filled day starting with their gorgeous wedding ceremony at St. Mary's Chapel in Moraga. On of my favorites! I love the mission-style architecture. I could have photographed there all day, but we moved on to the Palm Event Center for a fabulous reception filled with good food and loads of dancing. The toasts were endearing, and Christine and Scott danced and laughed and really got around to visit with their guests. Loved their dessert and candy bar and especially loved Christine and bridal party "flash-mob" dance! Congratulations to Christine and Scott! You can also view their sweet e-session here!

Ceremony Venue: at St. Mary's Chapel

Reception Venue: Palm Event Center

Florist: The Flower House

Catering: Palm Event Center

Cake Baker: Filigree Cakes

Marin Art and Garden Center Wedding - Colette and Kevin

June 10, 2013

So sweet! You may have seen Colette and Kevin's engagement session post a few months back. They love their neighborhood in San Francisco and did a local engagement session in places that were dear to them. Even though they fell in love with Marin Art and Garden Center and the weather is warmer in Marin, they still had their ceremony at their church in San Francisco and then everyone headed over the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin for the reception! Fun for all! We headed from Notre Dame des Victoires church in San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped for a few windy and foggy shots at a bridge overlook on our way to the reception, and did additional photos at Marin Art and Garden Center where it was much warmer! This wedding was so sweet and simple, and the whole time Colette and Kevin looked like they felt like they were the luckiest people in the world! A lifetime of happiness for them is ahead, I'm sure!

Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Ceremony Venue: Notre Dame des Victoires

Reception Venue: Marin Art and Garden Center

Caterer: Ann Walker Catering

Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas

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

How to host an outdoor Greek Orthodox ceremony

April 10, 2013

Since Andra and Christopher's gorgeous wedding, I've often been asked how other brides can host an outdoor Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony. And who better to answer that question that Andra herself? I reached out to her on behalf of my other brides, and here is what she said: Brides need a "special dispensation through the Archbishop," according to Andra, to have a ceremony outside of the church. In her case, Andra had a grandfather who would have difficulty traveling between multiple venues -- and so, her priest made the dispensation request on the behalf of the couple. "I am not sure how easy it is to get and if it would be granted in situations where there is no pressing health need," she says, but it doesn't hurt to ask! And just for fun, here are a few shots from their outdoor ceremony! You can check out their full wedding post here, too!

Rancho La Puerta Photos

April 4, 2013

I'm lucky enough to be heading to Rancho La Puerta about every six months now to shoot photography to help them re-build their photography library. Rancho La Puerta 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. It's become one of my favorite places on earth, and I would highly recommend going to rewind and re-energize! If you go, let them know I sent you! I get a little prize! Everyone loves prizes! This last assignment was hiking. The mountains were gorgeously green like I've never seen them and the mountain lilac was in full bloom. I actually burst into "The Hills are Alive" from the Sound of Music during one of the hikes! This was a short visit for me (usually I stay for a week) so not too much to share, but gorgeous none-the-less! Hope these photos inspire you to go to Rancho La Puerta!

Barbara Llewellyn Catering - Hip Oakland Warehouse 50th Birthday Party Bash!

February 7, 2013

Wow! Oh the places you'll go - right here in Oakland! The theme of the party was "Where in the World is (the birthday boy)." Barbara Llewellyn Event Planning & Catering did an AMAZING job creating an original and spectacular event, where every food station represented a different country. There were two large rooms and an outdoor space at Uptown Body and Fender - an autobody shop in Oakland that was completely transformed into a hot night party spot! The outdoor space represented Russia, and I thought it was the most spectacular because it had an ice-topped bar featuring Russian vodkas and caviar, imitation-stuffed polar bears, cushy seating and roaring fire pits. Inside, there was a German beer garden setting that served sausage and short ribs, complete with picnic tables! There was also a Mexico room with mini margarita shots and tacos, and an equally fabulous U.S. station with a replica of the Statue of Liberty and the Trans America tower serving mini burgers and fries! I think the guests were all amazed, and they all played their parts by dressing as the citizens of the world. It was not hard to guess where in the world some of the guests were from! Everyone danced the night away to the Notorious band. What a BLAST of a party!

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Vendors:

Event Planning, Flowers and Food: Barbara Llewellyn Catering & Event Planning

Lighting - Got Light

Band - Notorious

Rentals and Props - Blue Print Studios

Russia - So Fine Event Design and Classic Party Rentals

Ice Sculpture - Clear Memories

Cake: Debbie Does Cakes

Rancho La Puerta Wellness Spa Mexico

January 22, 2013

As some of you may have read in previous posts, I have the pleasure of going down to Rancho La Puerta -- a wellness spa and health ranch located just south of San Diego, nestled on 3,000 in Tecate, Mexico -- every six months or so to shoot photos for their marketing materials. Lucky me, because Rancho La Puerta has been voted for years as “best destination spa in the world” by Travel and Leisure magazine readers! It was founded in the ’40s by a health-conscious couple and has grown into a lovely, healthy getaway. The fitness program is top-notch, with full time instructors plus weekly visiting instructors in various disciplines. The food is vegetarian with a bit of fresh fish, and a lot is grown on their own gigantic and gorgeous organic farm. Rancho La Puerta has become almost my favorite place in the world -- right behind being at home with my hubby. It's like summer camp for adults with GREAT organic vegetarian food and exercise and beauty galore! Enjoy the most recent photos!

Castlewood Country Club Wedding - Cassidy and Brandon

January 16, 2013

Sweet details and such a sweet couple too! I've never photographed at Castlewood Country Club and had a blast posing Cassidy and Brandon around the lovely grounds. Cassidy spent a lot of time thinking about the sweet details for her mostly DIY wedding and it paid off! Loved the little flags hanging down the aisle and the darling cupcake table! She also used heirloom succulents in her bouquet, which was made by Megan Haney Designs, and brought that theme to the table centerpieces and guest favors. Cassidy thought of everything to make their day lovely and fresh and light and fun. I just loved her Ann Taylor gown and Badgley Mischka shoes, too! Such a sweet and beautiful couple!

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Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Venue: Castlewood Country Club

Florist: Megan Haney Design

Dress: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Badgley Mischka