Jul
29
Mina and George first met during an Argentine Tango class. Music has followed them through their relationship and I honestly felt as if I heard a soundtrack accompanying their wedding day. So this post is primarily a tribute to that element of their day.
Starting with the birdsong backdrop during their portrait session.
During their first dance, guests enjoyed watching our couple show off their moves.
While they were visiting tables, a Persian game between the bride and groom and their guests turned into a spontaneous dance party.
Mina and George are not the only ones who felt the inspiration to dance. Almost instantly everyone was on the dance floor.
Mina and George took center stage.
Taking a break from the music, for a few toasts.
A sweet slow song.
Girls just want to have fun… with the bouquet toss. This one taken by our associate, Brian Lee. The ladies had such a good time.
Boys! Boys! Boys! The garter toss. Mina giving George a little instruction about what to do and not to do.
One boy getting psyched up for the garter.
Closing the evening out with a lullaby, my favorite by Brian. This young lady was pooped from all the fun.
What a pleasure it was photographing Mina and George and their families, such fun spirits. Thank you for including us.
And much gratitude to the team of professionals who made their day so lovely:
Getting Ready Venue: San Ramon Marriott
Ceremony and Reception Site: Canyon View
Cake: City of D’lights
Floral design: San Francisco Florist
DJ: Aykut
Hair and Make-up: Victoria’s Salon
Wedding gown: Jenny Packham at Nouvelle Vogue
Invitations and other products: Lovebirds Stationary
Can’t get enough of this musical duo? I don’t blame you. For more of Mina and George, check out their engagement session, sneak preview, and slideshow.
Jul
27
After seeing a glimpse of the first half of their day, you must already know that Donna and Jimmy were going to have a great time at their reception. In fact, everyone did.
Their grand entrance as husband and wife.
Enjoying the first dance.
Guests joined them for a slow song on the dance floor. I captured this image of the feel of the day- intense love, zooming.
Then things really got underway. Some very serious dancing.
Loving the rim of light around the lead singer.
At most weddings, the bride and groom get their first dance together and then maybe a few fast songs together, if they are lucky. Donna and Jimmy managed to get in several dances, and they enjoyed every single one.
And Jimmy getting down on his own.
After all that dancing, Donna needed a break. One generous gent offered her a foot rub. Definitely the way it should be for the bride.
Jimmy toasted his guests.
Then, side-by-side Donna and Jimmy attacked, I mean, cut the cake. Hilarious!
The party continued, with guests joining the band, and singing a few.
And the band kept the fun going all night long.
Many thanks to our couple, Donna and Jimmy, and all of the talented professionals who helped create this magical party for them…
Donna’s best friend, Jane Pofcher Goldman, and planner of D’Lish Intimate Catering, for coordinating, designing and planning the event with Donna
And the rest of the team-
Getting Ready Venue: The Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Exchange Conference Center, Boston
Caterer: Legal Seafoods
Wedding Cake: Konditor Meister
Floral design: Winston Flowers
Chuppah Design: Jessica Erickson
Chuppah Rental: Tommy Wholesale Design
Linens: Rentals Unlimited
Wedding Gown: Vera Wang
Invitations and Graphics: Jessica Erickson of J.L. Erickson Design
If you still want more, check out their e-session in Ashland, their sneak preview, and their slideshow.
Jul
25
I’ve enjoyed getting to know Emily and James over facebook, but feel like their engagement session sealed the deal. They are both such lovely people, clearly enamored with each other and their families. But seeing them interact in person was a true joy. They have been together since their college days at The University of Arizona, and their comfort with each other definitely shows. They made my job a piece of cake.
The theme for their wedding is La Vie en Rose, so Emily wanted to incorporate flowers into their engagement session. The Elizabeth Gamble Garden has a lovely rose garden, plus lots of other great options as well. One of my favorite spots in Palo Alto.
They also wanted to hit the Cantor Arts Center on Stanford’s campus. This gave them a more cosmopolitan feel. Emily changed into a special outfit for the occasion. She is wearing the dress she wore when James proposed.
So love this photo. They are dancing and I caught this mid-twirl. Sweet!
Such a fun couple! You should definitely check out their slideshow for more from Emily and James engagement session.
Jul
23
Fun. That’s what Donna and Jimmy are all about. And they wanted their wedding to express that part of themselves. Donna explained the evening as "a party where where there also happens to be a wedding." She totally hit the mark. People were smiling and eating and laughing and dancing all night long. And even the wedding ceremony was filled with joy and cheers. The gray skies couldn’t bring anyone down.
Donna and Jimmy started their day at the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge; breaking all the rules, they got ready in the same room, so we didn’t do a special first look moment. Instead we started right in on the portraits. First one of our dashing groom.
And one of our lovely bride, looking stunning in her Vera Wang gown.
Then off to the Exchange Conference Center on Boston‘s waterfront. The guests had already begun to arrive and were being treated to drinks and good company. Donna was excited to see everyone.
Soon Donna and Jimmy were whisked away to a room upstairs for their Ketubah signing ceremony. A few of their closest friends and family joined them.
Totally cute holding hands under the table.
And one looking in from the outside.
We had hoped to go outside for portraits on the pier, but the weather that day thwarted our plans. Dave was able to give them a taste of the view through a window.
When getting married the second time around, there are definitely different people at your wedding. For Donna, the fact that her sons could walk her down the aisle made the day all the more special. Still she couldn’t take her eyes off Jimmy as she walked towards him.
The stories told during the ceremony were warm and funny, but my favorite moment was their kiss. Even the guests were super excited about it!
And Donna and Jimmy look so happy to have sealed the deal.
More soon, but if you just can’t get enough of Donna and Jimmy, check out their Ashland e-session, complete with a Harley-Davidson.
Jul
21
For Mina and George’s Northern California destination wedding, they brought together both of their cultural traditions and treated their guests to some really fabulous experiences. From the traditional Persian ceremony, complete with the Sofreh-ye Aghd (or spread), and Persian dancing to the Chinese tea ceremony and Dim Sum for Sunday brunch, their East meets Far East wedding was a perfect blend.
Guests traveled from near and far. Even Mina and George came all the way from Chattanooga, Tennesee. One of the other exciting elements for everyone was the fabulous Tri Valley view. Mina and George chose the Canyon View because the terrace offered 270 degree views of the gorgeous California hills.
Mina and George both got ready at the nearby Marriott hotel. Dave hung out with George as he prepped.
Loving the detail on Mina’s shoes and best of all George did all of the crafty work to add the bling. Seriously. He put on all of the crystals. Pretty amazing, no?
When Mina arrived from the hair salon, it was time to get into her dress.
Mina and George didn’t have a traditional bridal party, but Mina’s best friend Sarah was the best unofficial maid of honor ever. She helped Mina get all gussied up, and kept the whole day running smoothly.
Loving all the details of Mina’s look, from her sparkly earrings…
To the stunning back of her dress. And everything in between.
As soon as Mina was ready, we brought George to the hotel garden where they would see each other for the first time. Check out the big smile on his face as Mina walks towards him.
We took a few portraits of our bride and groom before heading to Canyon View for the ceremony.
The ceremony was held on the terrace.
I was particularly taken with the officiant’s use of the iPad. Never would have thought of that, especially given how bright out it was, but it seemed to work great for him.
Part of the tradition is for family friends to hold a canopy above the couple during the ceremony.
When the officiant asks the bride for her hand on behalf of the groom, she doesn’t speak at first. He asks 3 times and finally she says "Baleh." This moment is full of joy and laughter. Here it was captured by our associate Brian.
And one of my personal favorite moments from the ceremony. Mina and George give each other a taste of the honey from the sofreh. Sweet and sexy.
And just a hint of what’s to come, here’s one from their portrait session.
More soon from their fabulous party.
But if you want to see more of Mina and George now, check out their engagement session PicFlick.
Jul
19
A very happy 40th anniversary to Beth and Bud!
We have had the great pleasure of celebrating 4 weddings with Beth and Bud and their family! It all started when their daughter Emily married Mark. Emily and Mark chose to get married at the Sonoma Mission, where her parents had wed. And amongst their portraits, they wanted their own version of this image from Beth and Bud’s wedding. Last year at Lauren and Steve‘s wedding, we discovered that Beth and Bud shared an anniversary with the newlyweds. And when Emily told us that her mom was an avid reader of our blog, we couldn’t wait to celebrate her nuptials as well. So 40 years ago, plus a day (I was out of the studio yesterday) these two fabulous people tied the knot. I am certain it was a beautiful event, filled with warmth, love and joy. We are so happy for you, Beth and Bud, and hope your ruby anniversary was amazing.
Jul
06
One summer a few years ago, fate took hold of Suzanne and Andy’s lives and brought them together in a way neither would have expected. As Suzanne said, "Who meets in a bar?" Well actually, she and Andy did. And it was perfect.
Suzanne had been visiting her family at the time, but was living in Southern California. A friend took her to this neighborhood bar for a drink. A friend of Andy’s happened to bring him to the same bar. It’s the kind of bar that really is meant for the locals and probably sees a lot of the same faces. Not the kind of place you would expect to meet your future spouse, or even someone new. Neither Suzanne nor Andy went to the bar to fall in love, but love is what they found.
Fast forward to this summer. Suzanne and Andy are busily preparing for their wedding at Stone Tree Golf Club. We took a few hours to enjoy the city they have spent so much time in and create engagement photos for them. San Francisco gave us all its blustering cold dripping wet fog (yes it was gruesome) and Suzanne and Andy gave us smiles and warmth. It was a perfect night.
We started off in North Beach (for those touristy types, that’s the Italian district in SF) and wandered along the streets. Both Suzanne and Andy had lived in the neighborhood at various points in their lives so had strong ties to the area.
Meandered over to Washington Square Park for a little greenery.
Loving this shot. So San Francisco- you’ve got the MUNI lines criss-crossing over the street and the TransAmerica building in the background.
Enjoying the architecture.
A little Monet-esque as they are walking. Take a moment and enjoy the yellow sweater Suzanne is wearing. Love bright colors on a gray day.
Of course, we had to head over to the scene of the crime. So we hopped in their car and drove to Russian Hill where that neighborhood bar, The Buccaneer, is located. Could this be how it all started?
They hadn’t been back since their first anniversary, which made it even more fun to relive their story. As it turns out, the same bartender was serving up drinks the night they met and the night of our shoot. I think all the memories brought out even a bit more romance.
We had so much fun and now we can’t wait for their wedding in just a few short weeks. This was just a smattering of all the amazing photos we were able to get of this awesome couple. I would definitely recommend checking out their slideshow for more from Suzanne and Andy’s SF e-session.
Jul
05
Hanging out with Becky and Neil during their engagement session was like hanging out with old friends. We had such a nice time wandering around paths by the Charles (chosen because they used to go running along the Boston side) and then meandering through the streets of Boston University. Neil filled us in on all sorts of tidbits about his alma mater. And both Becky and Neil shared stories about where they had lived and played in the city. Added bonus, they are both chemists and Dave loves getting a chance to connect to his science roots. Stimulating conversation all around.
We also wanted to capture a little bit of Cambridge for them, as that’s where the live now.
Enjoying the moments by the water and being together.
Crazy amazing skies juxtaposed by crazy fast cars and our couple focused completely on each other.
Now on campus. So many beautiful architectural details and interesting buildings to get cozy by.
We all loved the brownstones. Though Neil didn’t get to live in one while he was an undergrad, we couldn’t help dreaming about what it would be like. So we decided to claim one for our shoot.
After the daydreaming came some play time. I think Neil won this thumbwrestling match. But I am sure it was close.
We ended up at this super cool sculpture as the sun was giving us glorious light. I like how they are wrapped up in each other and the sculpture is wrapping around them.
Becky and Neil, we absolutely can’t wait for your wedding at the Museum of Science. It is going to be fabulous!
But that’s not til later this summer, so in the meantime, if you want to see more, check out their slideshow.
Jul
04
Wishing you all a joyous Independence Day-
Let freedom fly!
With love,
Jo, Dave and Max
Jul
02
We get to see all kinds of weddings, for sure, from the most minimal- a couple at city hall- to the most extravagant- a bride and groom with huge numbers of guests in grand venues- and everything in between. And we enjoy them all; the beauty in each truely comes down to the people involved. When Meagan contacted me, I was very excited. You see, Meagan was referred to us by her friend Leigh-Ann, who also happens to be our friend and a wedding industry peer so we knew Meagan would be fantastic to work with. She and Chris and their wonderful families did not disappoint. And their intimate wedding was absolutely beautiful.
Meagan and Chris had been engaged for awhile, but hadn’t gotten very far into the wedding planning, until this spring, that is. At which point, they decided not to mess around and scheduled the date for early June. They planned a small ceremony at her parent’s home in Beacon Hill, with portraits to follow in the Public Garden, and then dinner at a favorite restaurant. The whole feel of the evening was warm, loving, bright.
Meagan arrived at the ceremony on foot. Calm, at ease, and joyful.
She entered the living room where their guests were gathered. Some stood, some made themselves comfortable on the couches and chairs.
I found myself completely caught up in the meaning of the ceremony, truly listening and feeling the impact of the moment.
The kiss and the applause.
And the hugs and the tears. Pretty much everyone was in tears.
Meagan definitely thought about the details and they seemed to match her sophisticated taste to a tee. Her J.Crew wedding dress was modern and chic; her bouquet of cream roses with touches of whites and greens was the perfect accent.
Following the ceremony, we took a few portraits in the condo.
I love the moment just before the kiss.
Snuggling up by the window.
Then we ventured down to the Boston Public Garden.
The big tree in the back and the way Meagan casually holds her dress gives this one an old world romantic feel.
I am thinking these tourists definitely got their money’s worth from their Duck Boat adventure.
We went back up to the flat to hang out for a bit before dinner.
The yummy looking cake. Mmm…. I think I am getting hungry.
Then over to the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro for dinner.
And some more photos?!
Many thanks to Meagan and Chris. What a joy it was to work with you and be a part of your celebration!
If you want to see more, check out their slideshow.
