When I met Marina and Pablo at San Francisco City Hall on this particular autumn afternoon, we were working with the following set of ingredients: No sleep, no food, no parking. Add a scoop of ‘running behind schedule’ and a dash of ‘forgot the rings in the car’, and we had the perfect City Hall wedding recipe. That the day turned out fabulously is a testament to the love that flows between them, and the incredible positive energy that flows from them. Marina, Pablo, you are both simply fabulous. I still cannot believe that we were able to accomplish so much in such a short afternoon, and I sincerely apologize for making you climb on windowsills, wade through traffic, dodge cable cars and levitate using conventional balloons. Your sense of style and your ability to run down long staircases in high heels are enviable qualities. You might consider teaching a workshop! Anyway, I’ll stop rambling now and let you and the world enjoy the results of my love for photography and your love for one another.
Archive for the ‘Weddings’ Category
Marina + Pablo | San Francisco City Hall Wedding
November 8, 2011Oceano Hotel Half Moon Bay Wedding | Lisa + Yaakov
October 26, 2011Lisa. Yankie. What an incredible privilege it was to bear witness to your wedding, to document your union, and the union of your families. There’s an old superstition floating around that rain after a wedding ceremony portends good luck. That may or may not be true. But I believe that the flawless blue sky that presided over your wedding in Half Moon Bay is the perfect metaphor for the clarity you felt entering into this marriage, and for the purity of your intentions. The Oceano Hotel was such a perfect place for your wedding. There was so much excitement between the tisch in the stately boardroom (which I believe breaks a record for the number of handsome men drinking single-malt scotch in a single room), and the bedeken in the atrium (which allowed multiple awesome angles from which to capture the veiling and celebration). The transitions from ceremony to cocktails to reception inside the beautifully-appointed tent were also totally seamless! Lisa, your unlimited energy was palpable to everyone around you, and Yankie, your pensive demeanor and quiet confidence struck the perfect balance with your bride. The radiant Jewish bride, the elegant Jewish groom – you two were absolutely perfect. I felt honored to be able to hear all of the wonderful things your family and friends had to say about the two of you. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed since we first met at Janet and Tyler’s wedding last September, and since we had our sultry little engagement shoot at the Fairmont in San Jose back in March. You’ve gone through a lot of changes in your lives – not the least of which has been moving clear across the country to live here in California. It’s been a pleasure to meet you and your families. I am so glad that you invited me to be your wedding photographer, and I cannot wait to deliver your wedding album, which I hope will serve as a treasured family heirloom. Mazel Tov!!
Marriott Union Square Wedding | Rudy + Gilbert
October 21, 2011Gilbert and Rudy chose Marriott Union Square for their wedding because it was a venue perfectly suited to their style. These guys were all about urban sophistication, and they certainly got it, with magnificent city views, and easy access to the Embarcadero and SoMa for a fun urban wedding photography itinerary. But more than that the Marriott offered the perfect setting for an intimate, emotional wedding day with close family and friends. I had the pleasure of creating a moody engagement session with these two gentlemen a few weeks before the wedding and I already knew what a strong connection they have. What I didn’t anticipate was just how much fun I would have with their awesome wedding party! They built plenty of time into our schedule, to allow for an extensive trip around the city, including a stroll through the SoMa, a pilgrimage to Pier 7, and even a pause at the peak of Nob Hill. We returned to the Marriott for a beautiful ceremony, where many of the participants recounted their personal experiences and feelings for the ‘Golden Boys’. Finally, an elegant reception awaited, and later in the night, Gilbert and Rudy unleashed a whole series of party games which had people crying from laughter. The grooms, their families and friends had invested so much effort in this wedding, and it showed. 9.10.11 turned out to be a perfect day.
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Hans Fahden Wedding | Natalie + Scott
October 4, 2011September was a great month. I did a lot of traveling and soaked up sunshine wherever I could find it, returning to SF to enjoy the days of Indian Summer. Another highlight from last month was a visit to Hans Fahden. This warm, intimate winery always evokes a fun, casual atmosphere among the guests, but Scott and Natalie truly made it their own. Beautiful decorations graced the patio, as the stylish guests mingled and enjoyed rosemary champagne. Each table in the cave was dedicated to a U2 album – the couple’s favorite band and an important connection in their relationship. You may remember Scott and Natalie’s engagement session at the Legion of Honor and Chez Spencer. Well, Scott and Natalie looked even more stunning together, and the comfort and trust we built during that session really led to some super fun moments during the wedding. The ceremony was beautifully officiated by Reverend Peadar Dalton. Things got exceptionally silly during the formal photos, and I was grateful that the couple’s families and friends were so relaxed around the camera! It was a hot day in Calistoga, and as the evening approached and things cooled down, we ventured out into the vineyards. The evening was still pleasantly warm, the light was perfect, and Scott and Natalie looked as if they were walking on air. We returned just in time for the first dance. The dance floor was aglow in orange and purple, and packed all night – especially during the U2 covers!
Hartley Botanica Wedding, Los Angeles | Jen + Tim
September 30, 2011This wedding season has brought many beautiful, diverse, and even distant weddings to my studio. In July, I was invited to document a wedding aboard a cruise to Mexico, and just recently, I returned from filming a destination wedding in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. And a few weeks ago, I took a road trip down to Los Angeles to document the wedding of Jen and Tim at the stunning Hartley Botanica Gardens. I left home at dawn. The day would start with a radiant sunrise, and conclude with a flurry of sparklers lighting up the warm so-cal night. After a punishingly cold San Francisco summer, I yearned to escape to warmer climates, and I wasn’t disappointed. I spent the day basking in 85-degree weather, surrounded by the lush greens and yellows of the gardens. Jen and Tim’s day was full of meaning, and replete with gifts, words and songs from the heart. The ceremony took place in a beautiful arbor, which shaded the guests and provided the perfect setting. Tim and Jen were beaming, and the positive vibes from the guests were palpable. As the sun was descending, the couple performed an incomparable first dance, and a fun, intimate evening ensued. The toasts were touching, the cake was stunning and delicious, the dance floor was packed (Tim and Jen ‘Brought the Sexy Back’), and finally, the sparkler exit was perfect. In that last photograph, the couple looked out at their adoring guests, who lit the path. I think that’s pretty much the first time they took their eyes off one another.
Videography provided by Matrimony Pictures, Los Angeles Wedding Videographer.
Wedding at the Wilhelmina Windmill | Megan + Markus
September 26, 2011Man, it’s hard keeping up the blog in the middle of such a crazy wedding season! But, I am back, and I say: A warm hello to all of those present, and to some of those Absinthe! Hah! Markus and Megan, who met in Denmark during an Absinthe-colored evening, tied the knot here in San Francisco at the Queen Wilhelmina Garden. And believe it or not, years ago, Megan’s parents were married beneath the same windmill, by the same pastor! An incredible example of the circle of life, this intimate ceremony got even more interesting later on. After we returned from taking foggy Ocean Beach wedding photos (and having found some awesome Absinthe-green backgrounds!) Megan and Markus began their own wedding tradition by compelling all of their guests to partake in a “green” toast to the newlyweds. The ceremony and reception were attended by an intimate group of family and friends, but also, perhaps, by the ghosts of Van Gogh, Hemingway, Poe, Wilde and Crowley (not pictured).
