Leanne & Jeff's Wedding, The Palm Event Center, Pleasanton, CA

Oh man I was so excited about this wedding! For the last three years I have been fortunate enough to shoot for three different couples in a close knit friend group. From Lelani & Matt to Colleen & Tommy and now Leanne & Jeff, I feel so lucky to have met these guys and have been able to grow friendships with each. I only wish I lived in the East Bay so that I could hang out with these awesome people more often. I can't even begin to describe how much fun I have with this group; but hopefully the pics will tell the tale. Right out the gate, Jeff and his groomsmen stripped down to their skivvies just so that they could ham it up with a pillow fight. I felt so honored. Then there was the reverse strip tease, where Jeff's guys threw money (and bananas) at him to, yes, put his clothes ON! Leanne & Lelani were totally cracking up when I showed them some sneak peak shots. The Palm Event Center was a gorgeous choice for Leanne & Jeff. In tune with Lelani, Matt, Colleen and Tommy, Leanne & Jeff got married in the fall with a touch of the Halloween spirit, so it was a perfect choice to do a first encounter with masks! I loved posing Leanne & Jeff or rather just letting them do their thing, because I could tell how much they love each other, and how happy they were to be getting married. It really made my heart swell. Leanne's dress was drop dead gorgeous and sparkled beautifully in the Palm Event Center's barrel room. It was a stunning affair and I had so much fun all day. It was the kind of wedding that makes me want to photograph weddings till I'm old and gray. I'm especially proud of the "thriller" shot I got with each of my couples, which was also in theme with the song played at all three weddings. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Leanne & Jeff, Lelani, Matt, Coleen and Tommy: the warmth of your spirit and the pleasure of getting to know all of you has made me so very grateful.

Courtnee & Armen's Wedding, Paradise Ridge Winery, Sonoma, CA

Courtnee & Armen's epic wedding at Paradise Ridge Winery came to me from Ali DiLuvio from Ali DiLuvio Events. Ali and I have had a good amount of collaborations this year and I can't wait to share another Style Shoot we did that also took place at Paradise Ridge, so stay tuned for that. Scott MacDonald was once again my proxy on this wedding, and did a phenomenal job. Paradise Ridge has amazing photographic diversity, and Scott definitely took advantage of it. The sculpture gardens are a visual playground and there's nothing quite like having a first encounter under a 20 ft tall 40 ft wide LOVE sign! I was fortunate to shoot Courtnee & Armen's engagement session so I knew Scott would have a great time working with them. Certainly the end of the night pics were some of my favorite of the year. These guys know how to party, but I guess it's not too hard when surrounded by good food, friends, and wine. Thanks Courtnee & Armen & Scott!

Winnie & David's Engagement & Wedding

This post is extended for Winnie & David, incorporating both their wonderful engagement session and beautiful wedding. One of the principal reasons I wanted to release both sessions at once is to show how much planning helps in the preparation of your wedding photography. An engagement session is something I generally recommend for all of my clients. It's a really fun opportunity to get some professional pictures on a day that isn't your wedding day. The images can be used at your reception in a guestbook, on a canvas, or in frames. But the best benefit is that my clients learn what it's like to work with me before their wedding. Whether it's discussing the theme, styling, or location, it's my aim to create a story that says something about your relationship with each other that's conveyed photographically. An engagement session gets you comfortable posing in front of the camera, and gives you perspective on how you'd like to look on your wedding day.

David & Winnie have such a great story. They met in adulthood, but lived just a house or two apart growing up. So even though their paths we're close to each other it wasn't until they were ready that they crossed. It was kismet. I'm so happy to have had the privilege of seeing such a connection. Winnie & David were full of ideas when they approached me for their engagement session, but we narrowed it down to two looks; one more sophisticated look at the Ferry Building and one more casual look for the Bay Bridge. The versatility of the area and clothing change gave our session a multi-day shoot feel while providing them with a wider array of pictures for their guestbook. Taking from that experience we planed that for their wedding we would go off location for the first encounter (before the wedding) and again after the wedding with the bridal party (on the beach). Winnie later decided to change into a reception dress, which gave us even more picture variety. It is with this type of foresight into your wedding photography, that clients can really take advantage of the time they have with me. We had an amazing time, yielded some incredible pictures, and I am so happy that Winnie & David worked so beautiful in tandem with me. Thanks you guys, I had a blast!

Winnie & David's Engagement Session: The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA

Winnie & David's Wedding: The Oceano Hotel, Half Moon Bay, CA