Sasha Photography is a San Francisco wedding photography studio, specializing in wine country weddings, hotel weddings, San Francisco City Hall weddings, and wedding photography in the San Francisco Bay Area and destinations beyond. We've documented nuptials at many of the premier wedding venues in San Francisco, including weddings at the Bently Reserve, San Francisco City Hall weddings, Ritz Carlton San Francisco weddings, City Club of San Francisco weddings, weddings at the Fairmont Hotel, Mark Hopkins Hotel Weddings, Julia Morgan Ballroom Weddings and more. We've also traveled for destination wedding shoots in places like Paris, London, Los Angeles, and The Outer Banks in North Carolina. Even a wedding on a cruise ship! Every year, we also spend a great deal of time in the wine country. Our clients invite us to some of the most gorgeous and desirable Napa, Sonoma and Calistoga wedding venues, including beautiful Hans Fahden Vineyards, this Private Healdsburg Estate, and this incredible estate in St. Helena. Sasha's work stands out from the rest because of the playful, daring approach he brings to his images. Surprising and unexpected, Sasha's work features bold colors, innovative lighting and poses, and emotional candids. At Sasha Photography, attention to detail, a comprehensive storytelling approach, and a focus on the experience of clients and their guests is paramount.
When the lawyers go home, the tourists clear out, and the building is eerily empty – that’s when the San Francisco City Hall wedding photographer really goes to work! Here’s a bird’s-eye view of one of my latest City Hall couples, as seen through The Rotunda. This is the place where City Hall ceremonies are held, by default. It’s lovely, but it can be crowded during the peak hours, with couples eagerly awaiting their turn. Here, late in the day, SF City Hall was almost empty.
Awesome wedding adventure yesterday with Claudia and Sijesh. On a lovely, sunny day in the Mission, I was immediately searching for color and pop, and I found it not far from the couple’s reception venue. Throw in some reflections, some lighting, and we were off and running with some signature graffiti shots! More to come of course, but here’s a teaser.
You might not guess from this photo that it was in fact taken in San Francisco. It’s amazing, when you just open your eyes and look around, it’s not hard to find something unusual in this city. My San Francisco City Hall shoot with Angela and George culminated here, in the urban desert, where Angela posed for this prickly picture.
Happy Valentine’s Day! I celebrated the most romantic day of the year by attending the assembly of Marriage Equality USA supporters at San Francisco City Hall. MEUSA is an organization that has been fighting for marriage equality for many years, and today’s event brought together same-sex couples, influential speakers, organizers and media organizations. The marriage equality movement has been through many ups and downs over the last several years, but the cycles between steps forward and setbacks keep getting shorter, and the momentum keeps building. As a City Hall wedding photographer, I had the privilege of documenting many same sex weddings during the brief window five years ago when it looked like marriage equality was here to stay in California. I have documented the weddings of hundreds of couples since – but the fact is, it’s mostly opposite sex couples that get married at City Hall. That is, until marriage for all couples is finally legal in California.
Leeda and Edris invited me to document their big Afghan wedding at City Hall. The entire building was theirs for this particular Saturday night! The building was gorgeously lit, impeccably decorated, and ready to receive the celebration. I’ve been to San Francisco City Hall many many times over the years, but I’ve never seen it decked out quite like this. Speaking of decked out, the bride and groom were absolutely stunning, as were the family and guests. Everything about the evening was simply…beautiful. The decor, the couple, the guests, the music, the food. The way everyone danced, the smiles on their faces. It was truly a night to remember. Leeda and Edris had an emotional first look outside the hotel, amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday travelers. Then, as if to complement the festive, bold colors that would define the evening, there was even a vintage yellow cab to ferry Leeda and Edris from The Mark Hopkins Hotel to City Hall. Needless to say, I made sure we put it to photographic as well as automotive use! Mary Whelan of Wedsuite and her team were terrific and made sure that the expansive evening ran smoothly. On a personal note, it’s important to mention that the delicious Afghan meal you see in the photographs ended up on my plate and in my belly.
What a whirlwind wedding season it’s been!! Still a few weddings left in December, but things have finally cooled down a bit and I’m catching up on all the stories I documented this year. I met Joe and Laura at the CrossFit gym where Joe directs the program. It’s an amazing community of athletes. Usually we see each other in workout clothes, so it almost blew my mind when I saw these two dressed to the nines, walking through the doors of San Francisco City Hall. I was also looking forward to a high-energy shoot, since I was pretty sure these two were in great shape! To add to the excitement, a huge number of guests showed to witness Joe and Laura’s City Hall wedding ceremony, and of course I had fun crafting a giant family portrait to capture everyone who attended. After the ceremony and a whirlwind photographic tour of City Hall, we emerged from the building to find Joe’s father’s classic convertible waiting out front. Awesome day. Joe summed it up best with a nod to CrossFit jargon: “Joe married the smartest, most beautiful girl he’s ever come in contact with. Lifetime ‘Personal Record’.”
I was only with Allyson and Daniel a brief time, but the intensity of physical and emotional connection was incredible. We were fortunate to have beautiful light streaming through the windows, and the building seemed strangely quiet and and still. Every time I enter San Francisco City Hall for a wedding, I encounter something different, and today, Allyson and Daniel allowed me to capture something very special between them. There was another little wrinkle: As Allyson explained her many tattoos, “Three things,” she said, “can lead to a man’s downfall. Alcohol, gambling, and women.” On the tops of her feet, the message was: “Man’s Ruin”.
There’s no doubt about it: despite the cool and foggy San Francisco July, wedding season continues to heat up. I love to share complete wedding stories on this blog, not only because I want to share the full story with my couples, but also because it gives future clients insight into how I comprehensively document weddings. In addition to making repeated trips up to the wine country and shooting weddings in San Francisco hotels, over the past two months I’ve also documented many SF City Hall weddings and intimate weddings around town. I would love to share the full stories, but unfortunately time does not permit. So, here’s a collection of some of my favorite images from the last two months! Many of my City Hall weddings include extended itineraries, where we jump on Cable Cars and also venture out to places like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts, and funky urban locations around San Francisco. Many of these images showcase what a diverse and colorful city we live in (despite the fog). I’ve also tried to feature some examples of my unique approach to family/formal photographs. Thanks to all the lovely brides, grooms, families and pets featured for their patience, energy and willingness to play! Remember, you should definitely become a fan of Sasha Photography on Facebook to see regular updates, as I try to post several favorites on the page each week. Also, check out this awesome Yelp review from Jamie and Jake, one of the couples featured here. Enjoy!
One of the most exciting things for me is to hear my clients articulate their vision for the wedding day. Even more thrilling is to actually see that vision come alive, and of course to be there to document it! Emily, Yosem and their families planned a truly grand affair for the couple’s day – a 1920′s/30′s theme ruled the day. The wedding began with elegantly-clad guests enjoying a cocktail reception at the Kensington Park Hotel, and then a fleet of Rolls Royce cars arrived to ferry the attendees to the wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall. During the ceremony, the guests watched Emily and Yosem exchange rings on the Mayor’s Balcony, as the grandeur of City Hall unfolded behind the couple. A champagne toast, formal photographs, and then the couple and I escaped to do our grand photographic tour of City Hall, while the guests enjoyed an official tour of the building, conducted by the docent. Finally, the day concluded with a lovely dinner reception at Farallon: delicious food, a beautiful cake (created by the bride’s sister!), and a hilarious quiz game were the highlights of the evening. Thank you, Emily, Yosem, and your families, for inviting me to be a part of your day! Congratulations!
