First stop, Point Bonita Lighthouse- so fun- everyone was cheering and so gracious, allowing the newlyweds to cross the bridge at the head of the line.

When walking back up the hill from the lighthouse, we noticed this little path in the grasses and a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. We had to stop and enjoy the scenery.

We had parked by this old bunker. It was a great place to play around for a bit. All of the old, rusty metal provided great texture and contrast to Marla’s softness.

We concluded our tour at Rodeo Beach for a little wave action and an opportunity to Trash the Dress.

Yes, they got wet and yes, it was very, very cold. These two were such troopers though. I was amazed!

We really got so lucky with the weather and the day turned out to be perfect. If you want to see more from their TTD session and their wedding, definitely take a look at their slideshow, their sneak preview, and their scoop.

Our bride Shelley wanted to honor the city where she and her husband were getting married, so they incorporated historical Boston images and special locations into their seating arrangements and used this book as their guest sign-in book. Photo taken at the Wang Theatre at the CitiCenter Performing Arts Center in Boston, MA.

This photo seems like it is the beginning of a cinematic short. I have a whole story in my mind about how the rings meet and talk and fall in love. Okay perhaps I am getting carried away. Photo taken at Wine and Roses in Lodi, California.

This image combines the rings with a family heirloom. Love the sentimental connection. Photo taken at destination wedding at Hans Fahden Vineyards in Calistoga, California.

The Russian dolls were the favors at Yelena and Rob’s wedding. They made a great prop for the rings. Photo taken at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts.

More than meets the eye. You know the rest. Photo taken at the Fort Mason Officer’s Club in San Francisco, California.

Many, many thanks to our fabulous couples, our supportive family, and our warm and loving friends. We wish you all a healthy and happy 2010!

Ellen arrived at Hans Fahden ready to go. Her sisters, mom, best friend, and neice got ready alongside her. She put some finishing touches on her make-up, and then put on her dress.

When Ellen and Edwin met each other at the end of the aisle, all of the built up emotions found an outlet- in laughter and in tears of joy.

Edwin’s parents watched on.

Ellen and Edwin sealed their commitment to each other with a kiss.

After the ceremony, we gathered the families together for portraits. Ellen’s sisters and best friend are hilarious. They teased Edwin with a long list of mandate’s regarding how to take care of Ellen. He was a very good sport.

Portraits of Ellen and Edwin in the gardens.

I love the way the gaze at each other.

Dinner in the wine cave soon followed. It’s so romantic in there- candles and flowers warm up the space.

As it turns out, Edwin’s friends are also hysterical. His best man gave a truly fabulous speech, which included actual emails Edwin had written during his courtship of Ellen. My favorite quote, "Game on!"

After dinner, Ellen and Edwin cut their cake. I am completely enamored with this colorful cake- actually a perfect representation of the feel of their day- bright, sunny, sweet.

Their first dance, as seen through the eyes of Ellen’s neice.

The father daughter dance. I can totally see where Ellen gets her joie de vivre.

Edwin getting down on the dance floor.

At the very end of our evening, Ellen and Edwin took their turn in the photo booth for a few shots. They have such a great sense of humor- the costumes were perfect and they totally played up the part. This is the very lost shot, as they tell the paparazzi, aka Dave, no more.

Special thanks to all of the professionals who made the day so special:

Andi and the team at Hans Fahden Winery
Sharon Van Geisen from Park Avenue Catering
Mary Ann Parker from Fleur de Lisa for their exquisite cake
Peggy Blatchford for the floral design
DJ Alexander Hansen from AMS Entertainment
Alisa from The Powder Room for her styling of Ellen’s hair
Groom and groomsmen’s attire by Hugo Boss
Margot Piper, Maid of Honor, and talented graphic designer for the printed materials

And to Ellen and Edwin, you are two amazingly adventurous kindred spirits- birds of a feather. It has been such a pleasure getting to know you. We are delighted that we could be a part of your celebration, and we can’t wait to see those photos from Guyana.

Want to see more? Check out their sneak peek on Facebook and their wedding movie.

I will get to a few more with the car later, but first it’s time for dinner. Hans Fahden has it all- those gorgeous gardens for the outdoor ceremony, the airy tea house for cocktails, and the wine cave for an elegant dinner. Marla chose to deck out the space with tall candelabras, tea lights in red glassware, and varied stemware. It looked amazingly elegant.

Before dinner, Marla’s father led a prayer.

Speeches followed soon after. Marla’s maid of honor/sister/the-person-who-introduced-Marla-to-Shawn was quite a hit. She had a list literally a mile long of advice for Shawn. Too funny!

Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed with great food and laughter.

But when the car arrived, we had to take a few photos. Here’s the whole gang…

Shawn’s girls were so cute. They played driver and drivee. They hopped in and out of the front seat and back seat, not once using the doors. It was clearly the best playground ever. Having so much fun, they were plenty happy to pose for a few peaking out the window.

We took Marla and Shawn down to the vineyard for a few portraits alone. On the way down, Dave got to ride with them. On the way back, I got to ride with them. And Dave captured this quintessential image.

We returned to the party for some serious dancing, kicked off by the happy couple’s first dance. What a beautiful embrace!

I just had to share one last image. In the sneak preview, I included the full color version of this moment from the ceremony. But Dave had worked it up with an alternate look as well. We use this technique, which is generally referred to as selective color, only occasionally, but sometimes it makes a real impact in a beautiful way. I love the choice for this image because the moment- a moment of prayer during the ceremony- is larger than life. For me, the variation in tonality gives a Greater Being a truer presence. You feel a difference.

If you want to see more, check out their Sneak Preview and their slideshow. And check back because Marla and Shawn’s Rock the Dress session is on its way.

When Shawn proposed, he pulled all the stops, recreating their first date in style. Marla was truly surprised, but didn’t hesitate. She answered with a resounding, “Absolutely!” You can just imagine the cheers.

Marla and Shawn chose to get married at Hans Fahden, one of our favorite wine country venues. They had the best weather, perfect temps and clear skies with fun streaks of clouds. The kind of clouds you almost never see in California. Plus Hans Fahden was all abloom with pinks and oranges and whites. The setting was idyllic.

Marla prepped in the bridal suite surrounded by her closest friends, her sister, her mother, and her grandmother. There was lots of laughter, and suprisingly very little nervousness. Marla seemed so calm.

Before the ceremony, we took a few portraits in the gardens. Isn’t she stunning? When I captured this, I was completely entranced by her eyes. No wonder Shawn adores her.

Here’s the 3 generations of ladies. You can totally see the family resemblance in their smiles.

Marla hid up in the bridal room while we captured a few of Shawn with his family. These are his two darling little girls. They were so good throughout the day. And you could tell they completely adore both Marla and Shawn.

The ceremony took place overlooking the pond. With under 80 guests, it was truly intimate. Marla’s dad shared a special reading for them. And other family and friends created the music.

I can’t get over how sweet Shawn is. That smile is for his daughter. Melts my heart.

Another important element of the ceremony was their faith. Their connection to each other is enhanced by their religious beliefs. They definitely found ways to make the ceremony reflect their spirituality.

Marla and Shawn not only care about each other, they care for each other. You can see it in every gesture- a deep tenderness, appreciation, and love.

The final element to their ceremony was a special ritual designed to include Shawn’s two girls. Marla and Shawn presented each girl with a special medallion which symbolized their importance in the family. After the ceremony, we asked the girls to show us their necklaces. The necklace is really beautiful, but I think my favorite part of this image is the nail polish. So precious!

And just to give you a sense of what’s to come. One portrait with Marla and Shawn in the Hans Fahden gardens!

I can’t wait to share more. Not only did they have this amazing wedding day, but we got together with them again after their wedding to do a Newlywed/ Rock the Dress session. So there will be lots more amazing photos to see.

Really exciting news- Allison and Adam’s wedding was just published in Destination Weddings and Honeymoons magazine. The mag recently hit the stands, and it looks awesome.

You can actually catch a sneak peak here. Our spread is on page 58-59. But here’s what it looks like.

Still, if you actually want to read it and see the pix better, you have to check out the real thing.

And if you want more from Allison and Adam’s wine country wedding, you can check out their wedding slideshow.

First mini-fam:

Sepi and Homan traveled from New York to get married at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. They had an amazing Persian wedding ceremony followed by great food and endless dancing. We definitely wanted to capture their city sensibilities during the portrait session.

Homan’s mom, Golie married Nader the following year. And we were able to photograph the intimate ceremony at their home in Los Altos Hills as well as the reception at the Four Seasons in San Francisco.

Second mini-fam:

Mark and Julie celebrated their wedding at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia.

They brought us Tricia and Paul who had their reception at the Fairview Park Marriott Hotel in Falls Church.

Third mini-fam:

Judie and Luen were married at Tilden Park‘s Brazilian Room in Berkeley, California.

They brought us Sau-Lai and Keith, who had a Chinese Tea Ceremony at their family homes and then a Chinese Banquet at the ABC Seafood Restaurant in Foster City, California.

Fourth mini-fam:

Augie and Lisa got married in Tahiti and came home for a Chinese Banquet at Yank Sing in San Francisco. After the wedding, we had the good fortune to photographer their friend Sofia and Adil’s wedding at the Alta Mira Hotel in Sausalito.

Fifth mini-fam:

Hilary and Scott married at the Los Altos History Museum in Los Altos Hills.

They shared our info with Arianna and Jesse who held their Jewish wedding ceremony in the redwood grove of the Regional Parks Botanic Garden and then the rest of their wedding celebrations at the Brazilian Room in Tilden Park.

Check out more from Ariana and Jesse’s wedding: Engagement Session, Sneak Peak, The Scoop, and Slideshow.

Sixth mini-fam:

This one is a little hard to say who came first. Perhaps they are more like twins as both couples found us around the same time.

Teresa and Kyle were married at the Mission Santa Clara de Asis at Santa Clara University and then celebrated their reception at the Hotel DeAnza in San Jose.

Angela and Michael celebrated their wedding at The Lodge at Sonoma and followed with a private portrait session at Chateau St. Jean.

Check out more from Angela and Mike’s wedding: Sneak Peak, The Scoop, and Slideshow.

Seventh and final mini-fam:

Another mini-fam of twins. I believe Elsa and Tim found us. When Elsa came in to meet with us, she brought Emily along. So we actually met them both at the same time.

Elsa and Tim held their wedding ceremony at The Palmdale Estates, in their lovely gardens. They followed this with a lovely Chinese Banquet at the ABC Seafood Restaurant in Foster City.

Check out more from Elsa and Tim’s wedding: Engagement Session, Sneak Peak, The Scoop, and Slideshow.

Emily and Erik were married at the Mad Art Gallery in St. Louis Missouri. This totally hip art space is a converted jail designed in art deco style.

Check out more from Emily and Erik’s wedding: Engagement Session, Dress Fitting at Vera Wang, Sneak Peak, The Scoop, and Slideshow.

As you may recall, Allison and Adam were married at Hans Fahden Winery in Calistoga, Ca. Wine country weddings offer so much beauty for the couple and the guests to enjoy. We wanted to make sure to capture some of the rustic charm and romance of the vineyard in their portraits.

The elegance of the caves is unmatched. Lit by candles and decorated with flowers, which Allison and Adam had wanted to blend their love of both Alaska and more tropcial locals, the space was stunning. I also loved the long table set-up.

Now let’s get to the reception. When everyone was seated, the toasts began. Adam’s best man gave an absolutely brilliant toast.

And then dinner…. Check this out. Adam is showing off a pic of an astoundingly huge salmon he caught on his fishing trip in Alaska (right) and holding the filet of the same salmon on his plate (left). A true before and after image!

Dinner was followed by the first dance. Allison’s expression is simply dreamy.

And the guests continued to enjoy themselves, kicking back and relaxing throughout the evening.

It is a tradition among Adam’s friends to serenade the bride on her wedding day. Their rendition of "You lost that loving feeling!" had me in fits- what bride wouldn’t enjoy this?!

And then one of her bridesmaids also had an opportunity to take the mic. She has an amazing rich voice and treated us to two beautiful songs.

We are so happy to share these images with Allison and Adam. Welcome back from Bali!

If you want to see more, you can check out the rest of their images or view their sneak preview.

Kicking off the ceremony with an abundance of cuteness, two young ones rushed onto the scene.

Deana followed to meet up with Nick. And the surrounding area during the ceremony was filled with color. This is the view from across the pond.

The beautiful clear skies also meant hot sun. The guests shaded themselves with parasols as Deana and Nick spoke their vows.

I adore their smiles.

After they had a few moments to sip champagne, they returned for their family portraits. We then were able to take some pictures of our gorgeous bride.

Deana’s bouquet.

We ventured into the vineyard for a few more of our fabulous duo. Deana was wearing some awesome high-heeled shoes, but she was willing to trek anywhere. I am so amazed. No fear. She looks so relaxed.

Dinner in the caves followed. It was a cool and refreshing change of pace; the ambiance was so romantic.

At each seat, the guests were treated to a box filled with these chocolates. We had a taste. They were delicious. Each guest received two truffles (one with “d” and one with “n”). And additional chocolates were displayed around the bar and the coffee table for after dinner enjoyment. These delightful morsels were filled with various wines. Yum!!!!!

Yum leads to more yum.

Dancing the night away….

I just had to close with this image. Dave and I worked together to create this magical image of Deana and Nick by the pond. They seem so small under the skies in this version. I can’t wait to see it blown up.

Many thanks to Deana and Nick- we had such a wonderful time photographing your wedding! You two are amazing. It was an absolute joy to celebrate with you and your families.

And thank you to Kit for making sure everything ran so smoothly.

Want more? Click here to see more of the wedding gallery. Also check out Deana and Nick’s super cool engagement session.