Stacey + Rob in Livermore, CA

I hit it off with Stacey and Rob right from the beginning, and we ended up going out for dinner at one of their favorite places in Oakland, Cafe Biere, where I was thoroughly impressed with Rob's taste in beer and drinking skills.

Unfortunately for Stacey and Rob, rain had dampened their rehearsal the night before at Murrieta's Well, but luckily for us, that same rain made their wedding day clean, crisp and beautiful.  The gorgeous light, puffy clouds, green vineyards and the thousand folded cranes made for a very fun day of shooting.

Both Rob's and Stacey's families are very musically talented.  Rob's sister and some of her children had a special waltz composed for their wedding march, and they played it as Stacey walked down the aisle.  Later, in lieu of her maid of honor toast, Stacey's little sister Jessica sang "Grow Old With You," of Wedding Singer fame.

Stacey and Rob ended their evening in Murrieta's Well barrel room, surrounded by family as they danced among the twinkling lights.

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I loved this series of Stacey walking down the aisle, flanked by her mother and sister.

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Amy + Brett in Sonoma, CA

Amy and Brett flew out from New York to be with their family in California wine country at the Viansa Winery for their Halloween weekend wedding.  Sonoma was warm and sunny with no hint of the winds that we experienced during their engagement shoot at the winery last May.  You couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

To my delight, after dinner all 130 guest stood up and began to dance in unison.  Surprise: Flash Mob!  This amassing feat was coordinated by the fun committee of Teresa and Rob, Judith and Tom's sister and brother, respectively.  You might remember Judith and Tom's wedding which we photographed back in '09.

Amy and Brett's wedding was all about family and fun.  Brett's sister married the couple, and they didn't even seem to mind when their ceremony was interrupted by a nephew who just want to say "hello".  Their first dance was choreographed and provided a great deal of entertainment, and the dance floor props ranged from feather boas to flashing rave lights and glow sticks.  There was an overwhelming feeling of closeness and joy throughout the day.

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Marie + Todd Engaged!

One of the best parts of Marie and Todd's engagement session was not getting arrested for trespassing.  Who knew that a shoot that began with an ice cream sundae at Citizen Cake in Pacific Heights would lead to sneaking through fences and climbing the side of hills while wearing heels in the Presidio?  And on that note, Marie is a rockstar when it comes to walking/climbing in heels.

After we were done breaking the law, we headed to the pier by Crissy Fields for some shots with the Golden Gate Bridge in the fading light.  Adm and I had a fun adventure with these two and are really looking forward to their fall wedding next year.

We had one casualty during the shoot: Todd's sunglasses.  I feel partially responsible because I'd been reminding him all day to take his glasses off so he put them in his back pocket and subsequently sat on them.  Whoops.

Alison + Bryan in San Francisco, CA

Alison and Bryan are SO much fun.  Need I remind you how I fell during their engagement session at Crissy Field last year and they kept me laughing all the way through to the end?  While their wedding remained injury-free, Alison and Bryan again kept me and everybody else smiling all day long.  This is a couple who, as they put it, cherishes one another so much that you can see it in every smiling moment.  I think my favorite moment of the day though was during their first look at Lyon Street Steps when Alison was caught between laughing and crying as she saw Bryan for the first time.  Seriously, it was one of the sweetest first looks that I've ever witnessed, and I still tear up a little when I look at those photos.

These two had a completely San Francisco wedding with portraits at Lyon Street Steps and their ceremony at Inspiration Point where guests were treated to an amazing view of the Marina and San Francisco Bay.  Afterwords, family and friends walked across the street to the vaulted ceiling and open beams of the Presidio Golf Course for the reception.  Adm and I have loved getting to know Alison and Bryan, which started over a little game of bean bags at Jaclyn and Andy's wedding last year, and we wish them nothing but love and happiness.

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Ellen + Brendon in Charlotte, NC

I LOVE this couple!  Ellen is one of my best friends from college and she could not have found a more perfect partner for herself than Brendon.  It's always such a privilege to witness our clients' weddings, but it's truly magical watching two people you know and love declare their love for one another, especially when they've included passages from The Velveteen Rabbit in their ceremony.  Everything about their wedding came together so perfectly and with so many contributions from their friends and family so that it truly was a day for all of us to show our love and support for these two fabulous people.  Ellen has always been a dear friend, and she is one of the most impassioned and compassionate people I know so it was a real honor to be able to participate in and contribute to her day.  I doubled as a woman of honor and photographer so Adm and our good friend Whitney Shefte made a number of the images.

I may be a little biased, but Ellen was one of the most gorgeous brides I've ever seen!  She looked like a brunette Veronica Lake and was absolutely stunning!

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Ellen's best woman, Shannon, designed and created all of the floral arrangements and bouquets, which were amazing!

Ellen, I love you and couldn't be happier for you!

Crystal + Vincent in San Francisco, CA

Crystal and Vincent were married in the Spanish Suite of the Clift Hotel in November.  They had a lovely, intimate affair - there were candles and crystals everywhere, which really nicely accentuated the simple flower arrangements.  Since everyone snuggly fit into one dining room, they managed to combine elegance with coziness, which seems to perfectly reflect both Crystal and Vincent - they were both very formal at times, especially considering Vincent's military background, but throughout the course of the night, they still let loose and partied with all of their friends and family.

This was our first wedding where we photographed everything indoors (with the exception of 10 minutes right outside the Clift for some night light portraits as shown above).  Since we're big natural light people, this was a fun challenge to figure out how to light everything while still retaining our same photographic style.

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