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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Reba + Richie in San Ramon, CA

Reba and Richie are the type of people that you want living next door.  They are super fun and all about their family.  When they first came to meet with me, I expected that they might bring their daughter Nina or Reba's mother, so when the door opened and I found that they had twelve family members in tow, I was a little surprised, but quickly learned that that's just how they roll.  As you might expect, that is a lot of people for a consultation, but luckily, I ended getting some help from our dog Kiki.  "How?" you ask, well, Reba and Richie are also Shiba owners and their pup, Kobe, looks just like my little fur ball.  It was an instant connection.

Their wedding was on one of those warm days in late October that we are so lucky to have in the Bay Area.  It took place at the Bridges Golf Course in San Ramon, and as I expected, filled with tons of family and friends who were so happy to celebrate this marriage, one that was eleven years in the making.  Reba and Richie's fun personalities and energy set the tone for their day so that it was just one great party.  Congrats, you two!

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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!

Aubra + Justin in Berkeley, CA

Wow, where to start with Aubra and Justin's wedding?  Adm and I had had such a great time with these two during their engagement session, we knew their wedding was going to be really fun, but it completely exceeded our expectations.  Let's start with Aubra.  She was absolutely breathtaking!  And her dress, well, let's just say I fell in love with her dress, which perfectly went with the feel of their wedding.  And Justin looked very handsome as well and was, hands down, the star of the dance floor.  Next time we have a party, we're totally inviting him to get people groovin'!

Now, moving onto the ceremony.  Aubra and Justin were married in the Redwood Amphitheater at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, and their ceremony was completely magical.  For starters, Aubra seemed to appear as a fairy nymph coming out of the redwoods as she approached the stage to meet her groom.  The image of her walking through the beautiful trees by herself might be my favorite from the whole day.  They had a traditional Jewish ceremony and added in a lot of themselves and their friends to completely personalize it and include the people closest to them.  As I looked around at all of the guests during the ceremony, every single person there seemed to be completely engaged in what was happening and full of genuine happiness and love for these two.  What a privilege for us to be able to witness that!

The ceremony really set the tone for the rest of the day which continued with just as much love and beauty.  In addition to being surrounded by so many people who loved  them, part of what made Aubra and Justin's wedding so special was that it was a complete reflection of them as a couple.  They were both equally involved in the planning process and because of that, they really made this their event.  This seems so basic, but with lives being so busy today, often the wedding planning falls primarily on one person (the bride) who relies on help from her mom or close friends.  I just loved that these two worked together to make this day truly theirs.

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