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.
Wedding Photos - Best of 2012
Happy Valentine's day! Congratulations to the newly engaged couples and congratulations to all my newly-weds from 2012. I finally put together a best of 2012. Almost impossible to edit so many great moments down. There are so many more and I hope you take the time to go through all the previous posts to view, but in any case, here's a recap. What a great season of wonderful couples and gorgeous weddings! Here's to an even better 2013! 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.
San Francisco Wedding - Kate and Erik!
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!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Event Design and Coordination: Amy Nichols Special Events
Floral Design: Main St. Floralgardens
Auberge Du Soleil Wedding - Amie and Christopher
Loved this tiny Christmas week wedding at Auberge Du Soleil. As usual the team at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa Valley provided the perfect food and service for Amie and Christopher and despite the very cool weather, everyone was cozy and warm by the fire at their intimate dining table, with arrangements by Seasons Floral Design. When it's only 12 people and just family, you have hours to eat drink, celebrate and catch up with each other! Given Amie and Chris are both active military it was a nice break to be able to relax with their family and get married while they were at it! And Amie looked so very sweet in her Allure bridal gown!
Vendors involved in Amie and Christopher's wedding included:
Venue and catering: Auberge Du Soleil
Floral Design: Seasons Floral Design
Bridal Gown: Allure
Castlewood Country Club Wedding - Cassidy and Brandon
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!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: Castlewood Country Club
Florist: Megan Haney Design
Dress: Ann Taylor
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Carmel Valley Ranch Wedding - Alice and Jason
Rain, rain go away! But it didn't damper this wedding day! What do you do when you're wedding is supposed to take place on the vineyard lawn and it's been raining for hours? Trust in your super team of experts to wrangle all the last minute changes for an indoor ceremony! Lauren of Downey Street Events, the team at Carmel Valley Ranch and Christine Cater pulled it together to make all the guests cozy and warm for the last minute indoor ceremony! As wedding day luck would have it, the weather cleared enough for an outdoor photo session and outdoor cocktails on the Carmel Valley Ranch terrace with raging fire pits. The fire pits continued to rage into the evening when guests wandered back out after dinner for handmade donuts by Harvey's Donuts (YUM!) and s'mores over the fires. Jason and Alice danced to "We've Got Tonight" by Bob Segar. A song I hadn't heard in YEARS and LOVE and continued to dance to a great set by DJ DNA Entertainment. What a BLAST of a wedding and gorgeous too! Congrats to Alice and Jason!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: Carmel Valley Ranch
Event Design: Downey Street Events
Florist: Christine Cater
Donuts: Harvey's Donuts
Entertainment: DNA Entertainment
Groezinger Estate and Villagio Resort, Yountville California - Jess and Nick!
What a lovely and intimate Thanksgiving weekend wedding planned and styled by the ever-talented Dee Merz. Jess and Nick had THE picture perfect fall day in wine country for their Thanksgiving weekend wedding in Yountville, Napa Valley. The Villagio Inn & Spa grounds were bursting with fall color and the Groezinger Estate House was warm and cozy for the fireside ceremony and dinner with their immediate families by their sides. The flowers by Sue Buhagiar were lovely and included nice fall tones and those cupcakes by Perfect Endings were looking mighty lovely on the cake stands styled be Dee. When the wedding is tiny, there's a leisurely pace celebrating marriage, family and Napa Valley food and wine and the Villagio's catering did not disappoint. I loved this intimate wedding and loved that Jess' smile never left her face except when she was weeping during each toast given by each family member. What a lovely memory for these families and me too!
Location: Groezinger Estate House in Yountville, Napa Valley Planner: Dee Merz Catering: Villagio Inn & Spa Flowers: Sue Buhagiar Cupcakes: Perfect Endings Linens: La Tavola Linen Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events
Merchant's Exchange Julia Morgan Ballroom Wedding - Allison and Justin
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!
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
Auberge Du Soleil Wedding - Eileen and Jerome
This classic and understated wedding at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa Valley was so wonderful to photograph. Jerome is French, and I thought the simplicity of the French style (which also harkens back to the simple weddings of years ago, even in the states) was refreshing. A morning wedding and lunch reception with classical music throughout is such a nice tradition. Choosing Auberge Du Soleil for their wedding luncheon was perfect to reflect Jerome's French heritage, as the food and wine there are the shining stars! The views aren't so bad either! Loved shooting at the charming wine country Holy Family Mission Church just south of St. Helena. We were able to incorporate a few shots of Eileen and Jerome in the vineyard right next door! Eileen and Jerome couldn't have been more laid-back and happy and their families were a joy! Loved listening to the lovely french speaking relatives! Congratulations to Eileen and Jerome!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Ceremony Venue: Holy Family Mission Church
Reception Venue: Auberge Du Soleil
Floral Designer: A. Hana Design
Bakery: Patisserie Angelica
San Francisco City Hall Wedding - Hannah and William
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.
Calistoga Ranch Wedding - Kristen and Ladd
Was happy to photograph at Calistoga Ranch recently! Dee Merz and her team did a lovely job of setting up an intimate poolside ceremony, cocktail hour and drop-dead gorgeous dinner in the wine cave. The vibrant orange flower arrangements by Grant & Company were perfect for fall. Kristen looks so incredibly glamorous in her Amsale gown and Ladd in his hand-tied bow tie! So classic and gorgeous was this wedding centered on family, food and wine.
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: Calistoga Ranch
Planning: Dee Merz
Floral Design: Grant & Company
Gown: Amsale
De Young Museum Wedding - Khanh and Greg
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!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: de Young museum
Floral Design: Chestnut & Vine Floral Design
Catering: Grace Street
The Log Cabin, San Francisco Wedding - Anthea and Patrick
This wedding is so sweet! I loved the intimacy of shooting a wedding at the Log Cabin in Presidio of San Francisco. It was very funny when the mother of my bride, Anthea, walked into the hotel room where Anthea was getting ready and exclaimed, "It's 50 degrees and windy in the Presidio!" Without missing a beat, Anthea retorted "Mom, it's always 50 degrees and windy in the Presidio!" Oh, everyone was in such good spirits even as the wind and fog whipped around us. The ceremony was short and sweet, as were our photo sessions so that everyone could move inside to grab a Manhattan and sip by the roaring fire. How cozy! Anthea is the cheese monger at BiRite Market, so the market did the catering and with Anthea's direction literally created a "cheese" cake. Layers of real cheese wheels made to look like a wedding cake! The cheese plates that were served as the last plate were truly out of this world. Anthea knows cheese! Congratulations to Anthea and Patrick!
San Francisco Wedding - Patty and Gerardo
Patty and Gerardo are going on celebrating their 10th anniversary, but never had a "wedding day." So to celebrate they threw themselves a lovely wedding! I thought that was super-sweet and loved the vintage '40s look Patty achieved, as well as the drop-dead gorgeous vintage cars they used, both owned by Gerardo. Patty arrived in the black car and they traveled to the reception in the cream colored car with red seats. The seats matched Patty's lipstick! Seriously gorgeous! Congratulations Patty and Gerardo!
Thunderbird Lodge, Lake Tahoe Wedding - Aaron and Mary Ellen
My dear cousin married a wonderful woman a few weeks ago at the Thunderbird Lodge in Lake Tahoe, and I had the pleasure of being both guest and photographer! Aaron and Mary Ellen have a great love for Lake Tahoe and have lived here most of their adult lives, striving to make work pleasure in boating and skiing. Aaron is fortunate enough (and talented enough) to be a captain on the Thunderbird Lodge's historic boat, and Mary Ellen has worked as a docent and event planner on the property. Therefore, it was only fitting for the two of them to say their vows next to their beloved and incredibly blue Lake Tahoe on the property of the Thunderbird Lodge. Their guests were treated to a private tour of the property after the ceremony while Mary Ellen, Aaron and I walked around the gorgeous grounds taking photos. Then we were off to The Big Water Grille for a lovely dinner with view of the surrounding mountains. It couldn't have been a more lovely day!
Carmel Mission and the Memory Garden, Monterey - Katey and David
When Katey first contacted me to shoot her wedding, she was in Afghanistan! Katey and David are both in the military and I was happy to be available to shoot their wedding for them and that Katey is back safe and sound. I was also happy to be back at the Carmel Mission church. It's such a gorgeous location for wedding photographs and their wedding was one of the last before the church starts their big renovation. I also loved Katey and David's vintage forties theme and all the personal details. Katey wore her grandmother's wedding gown, adding her own personal flair of blue lace at the bottom! And guests were treated to bottles of Limoncello, made by the bride's aunt with her great-grandmother's homemade recipe. The lemon's came from David's grandmother's tree! I thought the invitation RSVP was especially clever and I loved those fun robes Katey gave her bridesmaids. They all looked so vintage and colorful for the getting ready photos! Congrats to Katey and David!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: Carmel Mission church
Coordination and Catering: Grapes of Wrath
Florist: Big Sur Flowers
B.R. Cohn Sonoma Wedding - Kristy and Charles
So excited to share Kristy and Charles picture perfect Sonoma Valley wedding at B.R. Cohn Winery. Leslie Struble of Dandelion Events planned a lovely wedding with mini olive trees, old shutters to hold place cards and a color scheme that was bright and cheerful. I loved the fruit that PoppyStone Floral Culture sprinkled throughout the floral arrangements too. The hill of oak tress surrounded by vineyards was a spectacular place for the ceremony and I'm sure every guest was amazed at the light and beauty. Then the wonderful surprise of Kristy arriving in an antique to-die-for convertible! GORGEOUS! We had such fun during our photo session too, taking advantage of the beautiful late summer light, the vineyards and the car! Congratulations, Kristy and Charles!
Vendors involved in this wedding included:
Venue: B.R. Cohn Winery
Event Planning: Dandelion Events
Florist: PoppyStone Floral Culture
Catering: Sonoma Meritage
Hair and Makeup: JS Makeup Artistry
Ferry Building Wedding, San Francisco - Emilie and Andrew!
I'm always thrilled and flattered when an industry expert chooses me to photograph their wedding! Emilie is the sales and catering director at The Fairmont San Francisco Hotel and she approached me last spring to photograph her own San Francisco Ferry Building wedding. I was beyond thrilled to do so! We had fun at their e-session and then their day couldn't have been more perfect. Perfect weather, perfect timing, perfect venue. Gorgeous! Chelsea Bowman of Chelsea Events and Floral Designs did a fantastic job of working with Emilie to create the perfect event. She also worked with Nelya of San Francisco's Amazing Flowers & Events on the floral arrangements and as usual, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering team catered a flawless event. I loved the fresh green and white colors Emilie chose for the linen and flowerss. So simple and pretty. I also loved the way Andrew sneaked peeks at Emilie throughout the day. SO in love!
Vendors involved in Emilie and Andrew's wedding included:
Venue: San Francisco Ferry Building
Floral Design: Amazing Flowers & Events
Event Design: Chelsea Events and Floral Designs
Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering
Penthouse Suite Welcome Dinner at the Fairmont San Francisco
Emilie and Andrew were fortunate to be able to have their welcome dinner in the Penthouse Suite of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Originally designed as a private residence, the suite was designed by Julia Morgan and has four bedrooms, a living room, dining room, circular two story library and a Moroccan tiled billiard room! What a gorgeous setting for the night before their wedding!
Private Ranch Wedding - Flora and Andrew!
Congratulations to Flora and Andrew! What a gorgeous wedding! Alicia of Alicia K Designs and her team did a phenomenal job transforming a working ranch and hundred-year-old barn into a festive and intimate location for a wedding. The ceremony site was set with hay bales covered with pink fabric, a very sweet detail. But that was hardly the only sweet detail of the day! The couple included a popcorn bar complete with a reclaimed wood top, stunning bouquets of pink and coral roses by Nasrin and Momo of La Lavande and a cupcake display filled with delicious creations by Sibby's Cupcakery. (Did I mention you could choose your cupcake flavor from an antique cabinet?) An old-fashioned, upright piano and player set an Old West tone during cocktail hour. But the barn was truly transformed for the DJ's set later in the evening, when everyone let loose for loads of dancing. Serious fun was had by all at this wedding!
Wedding coordination and design: Alicia K Designs
Flowers: La Lavande
Event Rentals: Blueprint Studios
Additional event rentals and lighting: Hartmann Studios
Catering: Gerald's Paella
Stationary: Painted Tongue Press
Calligraphy: Papineau Calligraphy
Cupcakes: Sibby's Cupcakery
Linens: La Tavola
Ceremony Music: Blossom String Quartet