The event got kicked off with a performance by Nuttin But Stringz. This rock violinist duo totally captivated me. I love their music and their performance- they are clearly influenced by world music, classical, rock and hip hop. Check out their sound on their website and check out their moves below.

Then we were treated to a fashion show of David’s new line of wedding gowns. So different sitting in the seats rather than the press area, like we have when we were shooting for Lucire magazine. I could see just enough to develop some strong favorites. The concept behind the gowns is that they are all inspired by red carpet dresses worn by celebrities, refashioned into something glamorous for your wedding day. There is definitely something for everyone in this line, both in terms of style and body type.

My favorites? Let me begin with Eva. This dress starts off full-length with gorgeous tafetta roses directing the eye along a woman’s curves. The lowest part of the skirt can be removed to reveal a short party dress with an assymetrical hemline. A little surprise when the bride returns for the party. A fun, flirty, vivacious dress. I also really liked Charlize and Fergie, another dress that turns into a cocktail dress- totally wearable.

Gwenyth, below, was simply stunning. I loved the color imbued in this dress- champagne, ivory, gold, crystals reflecting the light- along with the lines and the empire shape. Beautiful, simple, elegant.

And another favorite was Olivia. It actually reminded me of something from the movie Titanic. Really soft with antique touches. And you have to love the cap sleeves bejewelled at the edges. So pretty.

They concluded with the grand finale dress- the Platinum Gown. This dress was dripping with 33 carats of diamonds, white keshi pearls and more than 145 carats of aqua marine. The dress was pretty, but honestly I liked the other styles better. I guess that’s a good thing because the Platinum Gown retails for over a half million dollars. Wow!

The last walk…

With David and Faviana- the model in the back is wearing the Platinum Dress…

One more note about the fashion show, Dave and I were totally laughing because we recognized all of the music. I don’t know a lot about music artists and I am not really up on what’s popular, so this is definitely a rare thing for me. (Dave actually does know this stuff- he is way more hip than I am.) But these songs were all the fun songs we hear at weddings. So of course, I knew them and they were totally appropriate.

After the fashion show, David (Tutera) introduced the premiere of Season 2 of My Fair Wedding.

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode with Quiana and Michael’s wedding. Quiana is so lovely, offers up surprises at every corner. And you can see how much she appreciated this opportunity. Totally fun moments from the viewing, which unfortunately I am pretty sure won’t happen in your living room, they shot butterfly confetti out at us when David revealed the ceremony space and the reception space to Quiana and Michael. Such fun!

I am so excited to see the episode that Dave photographed, now. It must be really different to watch the event unfold on the day, almost like slow motion, versus the edited version where everything happens in a whirlwind.

Okay and just to give you a sense of what Gotham Hall looked like last night. Love the lighting design.

A few young girls who had to get in on the runway action.

Dave photographed David Tutera’s decor from a wedding at Gotham Hall earlier this year and we always love seeing a space used in different ways. Set up for the fashion show was definitely different.

After diving into the dessert bar upstairs- yum!, we had to see what it felt like to be on the other side of the camera and stand in the lights. Aren’t we glam!

Thank you to David, Liz, Ashley, Nora and Nicole- you guys put together another amazing event- no surprise there- and we had a really great time celebrating with you. Congrats!

And now on to the smooching….

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With love from,
Dave & Jo

To kick it off, I wanted to start with the family we’ve known the longest- that of Karen and Willy.

Karen and Willy, our first generation, got married in the Spring of 2005 at the Berkeley Faculty Club. They had their Chinese Banquet at The Legendary Palace in Oakland. A couple of years ago Karen and Willy moved back to Boston MA, where Karen grew up and her family remains. Now that we are back in the Boston area as well, we feel so fortunate that we get to see Karen and Willy more often.

Karen was frequently on The Knot and shared our name with lots of other knotties (thank you, Karen). And she also shared our name and work with her good friend, Gillian (second generation), whom she and Willy met through Volleyball. Karen and Gillian have even more in common than volleyball. They also both loved their wedding planning and both have continued to help other brides with their weddings.

Having seen us in action at Karen’s wedding and then seeing the images, Gillian chose us as well. Gillian and Wes were married in the summer of 2006 at the Maison du Lac in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. Because Gillian is an alum, we took some of their portraits at Stanford University.

It has been great keeping in touch with Gillian and Wes. They are such an amazing couple. And we owe them so much thanks for their suggestions of a fabulous BnB to stay at while visiting Australia a couple of years ago.

Gillian then brought her album to work. And we are so glad she did. Because Emily had a chance to see the pix from Gillian and Wes’s wedding. She was planning her July 2007 wedding in Sonoma. When we met them, we hit it off immediately. Dave loved talking science with Mark; and when we delivered their album, we got to see their beautiful aquariums. Dave was thrilled!

Emily and Mark are the third generation. They were married at the Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma and celebrated at The Lodge at Sonoma.

Emily and her sister Allie then recommended us to Allie’s friend Cara (fourth generation) who married Nate at the Sonoma Mission Inn and the Sonoma Golf Club this fall. We were worried about rain, but the day turned out absolutely perfectly. This wedding was extra fun because Allie was a bridesmaid and Emily and her parents also attended the wedding.

Check out more from Cara and Nates wedding: Engagement Session, Sneak Peak, The Scoop, and Slideshow.

Emily and Mark also shared our info with Mark’s sister Lauren (fourth generation). We met Lauren at their wedding and really enjoy her warmth and smiles. We can’t wait to photographer her wedding to Steve at an estate in Carmel Valley next summer. A few years ago, we photographed Sarah and Brett‘s wedding at the Bernardus Lodge and fell in love with the area. Plus, we are really looking forward to seeing the whole White family again!

We have had such a blast with this crew and we can’t wait to see how it grows. Thank you so much to Karen & Willy for kicking it off, and to Gillian & Wes, Emily & Mark (and Allie), Cara & Nate, and Lauren & Steve for keeping this mini-family going thus far!