Dec
25
Elaine and Eddie meshed the traditional with some less traditional elements and created a truly unique and beautiful experience for their guests.
Chinese tradition dictates that the groom must come to the bride’s home to pick her up. It sounds simple enough. But then the bride’s family and friends don’t make things easy for the groom. Eddie and his groomsmen had to perform a variety of tasks, including running around the block and drinking some not so pleasant liquids, as well as pay a toll. In the end, their persistence proved fruitful and they were allowed to enter the house. Eddie didn’t hesitate, but went straight for Elaine’s room. And like a true gentleman, he brought her a bouquet of flowers.
After the tea ceremony, honoring the ancestors, and family photos at both her house and his family’s house, Elaine prepared for their wedding ceremony. She looked stunning in her white gown and accompanying coat lined with white fur.
Elaine and Eddie had amazing good fortune. The weather in San Francisco was perfect for their outdoor ceremony at the Shakespeare Garden in Golden Gate Park.
Family and friends enjoyed their surroundings while awaiting Elaine’s walk down the aisle. Because Elaine and Eddie asked a close friend to be their officiant, the ceremony was intimate and personal.
We whisked the newlyweds away following some post-ceremony family and friend portraits. Not only did we get the benefit of the Shakespeare Garden and its surroundings, we drove over to the Legion of Honor Museum. We have enjoyed shooting amongst the white columns before, but this time a special event dictated we try something different. We were thrilled to put their gorgeous green landscaping, beautiful white colonnade wall, and sculptures to good use. These were not your typical Legion of Honor shots and they were great fun!
When we ran out of light, we decided we needed to accompany Elaine and Eddie to their final destination for the evening. Their wedding banquet was held at House of Banquet, a Chinese restaurant with an amazing simple gold decor. The rest of the evening was a whirl of delicious food, games, and dancing.
Congrats to Elaine and Eddie!
See sneak preview photos.
See more photos.
Dec
17
What a way to end the season with a fabulous couple and a gorgeous wedding! Congratulations Meredith and Bronson. Here’s a sneak preview of your photographs. Wait until you see them all. I promise that there will be some super fun dancing shots.
Dec
08
We shot a beautiful wedding at the Shakespeare Garden in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park a couple of weeks ago. Here’s a sneak preview for those who can’t wait.
Dec
08
We could have spent all day shooting Emily and Erik. They are a fun, witty, adorable couple.
We started our engagement session at the Berkeley Rose Garden, a gorgeous natural environment. This was a great spot for all of us to warm up, not that Emily and Erik needed much warming up, as we found some fun ways to interact with the environment. The gardens offered us paths, a bridge, trees to climb in, and dandelions. Then Erik pulled out his trumpet and serenaded Emily- no wonder we didn’t want to stop!
Following our portrait tour of the gardens, we ventured to Shattuck Avenue to find a more urban setting. We were delighted to find a parking lot with a great wood fence, an apartment building with interesting levels, some alleyways, and a fantastic colorful mural by Paul Barron outside the Green City Gallery. Here, we got to see a different side of Emily and Erik; the urban feel definitely complimented their personalities.
Thank you, Emily and Erik, for sharing your music and taking chances with us. We had so much fun. We can’t wait to celebrate with you at the Mad Art Gallery in St. Louis this May.
Here are several (it was really hard to narrow these down) of our favorites from the shoot….
We couldn’t show them all here but check out the other great shots of Emily and Erik’s session.
Dec
05
When Maya told us she and Drew had gotten engaged, we were thrilled for them both. After all, we are practically related. Maya is Duke’s “mom.” Duke is Max’s litter-mate brother. And Max is our “baby.” So that makes us…. hmm, not really sure.
When they hired us to shoot the wedding, we were so excited. They are a great couple. They are a great family. We can’t wait to celebrate with them at The City Club of San Francisco in February.
A couple of weeks ago, Dave enjoyed a lovely California afternoon with Maya, Drew, and Duke at Crocker Park in Piedmont. Of course, Duke was very well-mannered, and so were Maya and Drew. Everyone had a great time. And they got some great images to boot.
Here are a few of my faves….
