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.

This might just be my favorite image from the day. It is very simple and direct, and I love the reflection of the sky behind them.

Judy and Burgess had lots of guests coming up and congratulating them. Judy looks so happy to receive the warm wishes.

Judy’s maid of honor shared a first look at Judy’s new name.

The speeches were hilarious. Perhaps Burgess doesn’t think so at this moment.

Everyone wanted to get involved.

Burgess and his groomsmen serenaded Judy.

Enjoying their first dance as husband and wife.

Later, Judy changed into her qipao. The games played during the reception are some of the most fun moments at a Chinese wedding. Judy and Burgess actually got their guests involved in the fun. What the guests did, Judy and Burgess did.

I had to share just one more image from the night. Clearly everyone was having an amazing time. But no one would have expected this fantastic hug attack. Too funny!

If you would like to see more from Judy and Burgess’ wedding, definitely check out their PicFlick.

Judy got ready at Blackhawk Country Club, where they would also be celebrating their wedding ceremony and reception.

The boys arrived early enough to take a few portraits. Looks like they had a good time! Love that each one has a different expression- totally get a sense of their personalities.

The clouds were playing with the light, letting bits in here and there. The hills look luminous in this photo. Can you believe this amazing view from the ceremony site?

While waiting for the ceremony to begin, we always enjoy taking photos of the guests.

Then the fun began. Everyone was pretty excited to see Judy as she walked down the aisle.

Watching during the ceremony.

Judy listening to Burgess’ vows.

Putting the ring on. Sometimes this can present challenges.

No problems with the kiss, however.

Celebrating!!!!

The ring in question….

I just have to close with a couple of their portraits. So sweet together!

Lots more from the day and their details still to come, but if you need more right now, check out their engagement session story and PicFlick.

Tyler chose Amber’s engagement ring with help from Amber’s mom, who also happens to be a jeweler. When they were ready to select their wedding bands, her mom was happy to help the couple find a perfect match.

Amber’s complete look- from head to toe- in style. Earrings, veil, hair, wedding dress, bouquet and rings… Beautiful.

A closer look at her birdcage veil, styled with jewels and feathers, and her teardrop diamond earrings.

After the ceremony, the veil was removed, but the feathered and jeweled comb for her hair stayed to add a sense of whimsy. Also check out Tyler’s distinguised black-tie tux with the singular white rose boutonniere.

The sounds that filled the air that evening can only be attributed to Keith Johnson and the AM Radio. They kept the dancing going and the guests entertained.

Actually Tyler also helped with the entertainment. He sang one special song just for Amber.

Though he knew the song, he wasn’t taking any chances.

I can’t think of anything more romantic. He even had a single red rose for his new wife. She rewarded him with a sweet kiss.

With the nerves set aside, it was time to party. Dancing to the great band was no problem for our groom!

And that completes the details from Amber and Tyler’s stunning wedding. If you would like to see the more from their wedding, I would recommend checking out their slideshow.

The pros involved in this wedding were amazing. Another round of thanks to:
Ceremony Venue: Borgia Room at The Westin St. Francis
Reception Venue: Alexandra’s at The Westin St. Francis
Hair: Antonio Cabral
Make-up: Aida Morano from Aida’s Custom Cosmetics
Gown Designer: Romona Keveza
Bridesmaid dresses: Siri
Groom’s tux: Canali
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Selix Rentals
Cake: Shinmin from I Dream of Cake
Floral Design: Jeffrey from J Floral Art
Band: Keith Johnson and AM Radio
Ceremony Musician: Amber’s stepfather, Carl Weimer
Invitations: William Arthur

For her own bouquet, held here by her bridesmaid during the ceremony, she chose white orchids with yellow centers.

Her bridesmaids’ bouquets were also a single flower type and color- all merlot calla lillies. They just feel like an flower for an evening event.

Together the ladies looked great- white on white for the bride and deep red with chocolate brown for the bridesmaids.

Corsages for the moms continued the look- deep red orchids.

To add to the elegance of the ceremony in the Borgia Room, white candles of varying heights and types were places on the mantle over the fireplace. They were surrounded by garnet roses and greenery.

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For the reception table decor in Alexandra’s, multiple containers were used on each table. Each had a different single flower type in complimentary colors; all the containers were varing sizes. The monochromatic look came together in a sophisticated way.

Up close…

From a distance…

One of my favorite touches was this monogram. The bride and groom’s formal initials laid on a bed of flowers- roses, dahlias, lilies, orchids- with lights around the edges.

Congrats to Jeffrey from J Floral Art for creating such a stunning look for Amber and Tyler.

The ceremony took place in this fabulous space, the Borgia Room. I am enchanted by the wood panelling and the gorgeous ceiling. The chandeliers are not too shabby either.

I love the fireplace as the central focus point for the space and the wedding.

Even the hallways are magnificent at the St. Francis Hotel. They made for an excellent portrait location on a day when going outdoors just wasn’t possible.

As the guests made their way to the reception in Alexandra’s, they were treated to more elegant touches. The seat assignments were listed on this scroll.

Each place setting had a special gift awaiting the guest.

A Surf and Turf dinner soon arrived- quality to match any restaurant in San Francisco. And if you have tasted the food in San Francisco, you know that is truly high praise.

Champagne toasts followed the meal.

The reception space was gorgeous. I especially loved this mural behind the band, so beautifully lit.

And for a greater sense of the room, from our bride and groom’s perspective.

Through a doorway.

From the band’s perspective.

And the wedding dinner wouldn’t have been complete without a few tasty treats to cap off the day.

First a platter of desserts.

And then this stunning cake- wrapped in white chocolate sheets and decorated with dark chocolate swirls and roses. Amazingly elegant.

To add a sense of whimsy to the day, an adorable super hero cat groom’s cake.

More details and inspiration from Amber and Tyler’s wedding to follow soon. If you would like to see more from their day now, check out their story and their slideshow.

The pros:
Ceremony Venue: Borgia Room at The Westin St. Francis
Reception Venue: Alexandra’s at The Westin St. Francis
Hair: Antonio Cabral
Make-up: Aida Morano from Aida’s Custom Cosmetics
Gown Designer: Romona Keveza
Bridesmaid dresses: Siri
Groom’s tux: Canali
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Selix Rentals
Cake: Shinmin from I Dream of Cake
Floral Design: Jeffrey from J Floral Art
Band: Keith Johnson and AM Radio
Ceremony Musician: Amber’s stepfather, Carl Weimer
Invitations: William Arthur

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!

I started the day with Sarah and her girls at the Clubhouse.

Sarah walked down the aisle with her mom and dad on each arm, and tears of joy in her eyes.

This image says it all. Sarah’s dad gave Bryan a warm welcome into the family, before the ceremony even got underway.

Check out their ceremony site. So beautiful among the trees.

Watching.

Under the chuppah, sealed with a kiss.

Then they took a few moments for their portraits and to enjoy their newlywed status.

Let the party begin. Friends and family got things started with some music.

Sarah and Bryan kicked off the dancing with their first dance.

Did I mentioned laughter? Because there was tons of it. I am still laughing over the toast by Sarah’s cousin in which she explained the origins of the Jewish tradition of breaking the glass. Her explanation was one I had not heard before, and it had everyone reeling from laughter.

More dancing followed dinner.

Shosh and Jon, who introduced us to Sarah and Bryan, took a spin on the dancefloor.

The guests definitely enjoyed themselves.

And for that matter so did Sarah.

Thank you so much, Sarah and Bryan, for inviting me to be a part of your wedding day. I had such a great time working with you and am thrilled to share the rest of your photos with you. But first, a little PicFlick….

For more of Sarah and Bryan, check out their slideshow.

For their the quintessential San Francisco wedding, Amber and Tyler chose the venerable Westin St. Francis Hotel which was built before the 1906 Earthquake. This historic Union Square hotel has hosted presidents and movie stars alike. It was the perfect backdrop for Amber and Tyler’s elegant city wedding.

For this wedding, I teamed up with our associate, Christine, and we started the day with Amber as she was completing the final touches to her look.

I set up a few photos of the shoes and the dress.

Love the light.

Making sure everything is just right.

We had a little time before the ceremony so we took the opportunity to take some portraits of Amber. She was simply striking.

She looked so glamorous; we had to capture her amazing fashion and style.

Then off to the ceremony, where Amber and Tyler said their "I do’s." and then this image which comes from the end of the ceremony would be the “We did’s”.

The portraits are often the first alone time our couples have on their wedding day. We were happy to step back and let them enjoy the moment.

Tyler with the bouquet in one hand and the new ring on the other. Definitely a married man. Welcome to the club, Tyler!

Such a touching and romantic first dance…

The night just got better and better as Tyler surprised Amber by serenading her with a red rose in hand.

Amber’s reaction.

Then a passionate embrace.

I have many favorite images from the day, but this is Jo’s favorite. It pretty much sums up their passion, their tenderness, their class, their glamorous hollywood style, and the feel of the whole wedding.

Thank you, Amber and Tyler, for inviting Christine and I into your most amazing day. We are so glad we could be a part of it.

Also many thanks to the pros who helped Amber and Tyler make their wedding a beautiful reality!

The team at the Westin was fabulous! It was wonderful to work with you.
Ceremony Venue: Borgia Room at The Westin St. Francis
Reception Venue: Alexandra’s at The Westin St. Francis

Hair: Antonio Cabral
Make-up: Aida Morano from Aida’s Custom Cosmetics
Gown Designer: Romona Keveza
Bridesmaid dresses: Siri
Groom’s tux: Canali
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Selix Rentals
Cake: Shinmin from I Dream of Cake
Floral Design: Jeffrey from J Floral Art
Band: Keith Johnson and AM Radio
Ceremony Musician: Amber’s stepfather, Carl Weimer
Invitations: William Arthur

If you would like to see more from Amber and Tyler’s city soiree, definitely check out their slideshow.

These two have a million ways to smile.

Angie taking a moment with her dad.

I love this photo for lots of reasons. Partially because the couple on the right, Hilary and Scott, are a past bride and groom of ours; it was really fun to see them at Angie and Mike’s wedding. Also all of these guests are so engaged in what they are doing. And what they are doing is looking at photos. Angie spent hours and hours and hours putting together boxes of family photos. She printed them all in black and white, set each box (all were different) on a table for guests to enjoy. It was so much fun!

One such photo of Mike and his sister made the rounds because it was hilarious. A moment in history that I had never expected. Of course, that meant we had to re-enact the photo. Kind of reminds me of a recent Modern Family episode.

Mike’s transformative nature…??? According to his best man, it appears that Mike can go to dichotomous extremes. For one, he is not fond of hippies, but he himself is a vegan. In a similar vein, he was a self-confirmed bachelor, but found the love of his life and went in the other direction with full force, completely committing to Angie.

And then of course, there are the actual transformers. Every single speech alluded to his special collection of Transformers, a full wall in his man cave devoted to them. Dave, of course, took this as a sign that we needed to purchase a Transformer as a prop for their ring shot. (Dave was absolutely giddy as we were shopping in the toy aisle.)

Mike wasn’t the only kid who enjoyed himself at his wedding. The chocolate cupcakes were a huge hit with the youngin’s.

We took a break from the laughter to smile at the sweetness of Angie and Mike’s first dance.

And then more laughter and cheers ensued. Angie had a special surprise in store for Mike. At this point, he had no idea what was ahead for him. So he apparently needed to steel his nerves.

And what was in store for him? A fabulous dance number choreographed by Angie and her friends. A little background… Several months before their wedding, Angie and Mike had arranged a little dance-off competition for their wedding- Angie & her friends vs. Mike & his friends. It seems that Mike allowed things to fall by the way side, but in secret Angie was masterminding her routine. And not only was it a complete surprise to Mike, Angie put in a special tribute to her mom, selecting a song that Angie had won a talent competition with when she was in elementary school, a song her mom would know and appreciate.

Mike’s dance number? Maybe it wasn’t choreographed but it sure was cute.

And a little movie in celebration of Angie and Mike…

Special thanks go out to the professionals who made Angie and Mike’s day so amazing:

Venue: Fort Mason Officers Club at 1 Fort Mason
Catering: Eden B. at Organic Chef Catering
Floral Design: Lidia Sadoun at la fleuriste
Ceremony Musician: Guitarist Kenneth Schwartzman
Lighting: Hayley Bramble at Got Light
Dance Floor: Jeff Bickner- Bickner Dance Floor Rental

And of course, many many thanks to Angie and Mike for including us in your most wonderful day. We had such a great time with you guys- and kept laughing and smiling while working on the images. Thank you!

If you would like to see more from Angie and Mike, check out their engagement session, sneak preview, rehearsal dinner, and slideshow.