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.
Jun
25
There are so many ways for love stories to happen. Sometimes couples meet in high school, sometimes through work or through friends, sometimes online. One of my favorites is definitively a chance meeting which through time and space would seem improbable. Somehow the stars align and the two who were meant to be together meet. Mary and Jason’s is one such story. They met when Mary was in England. An American girl meets an Englishman. They fall in love and manage being long-distance. Then at last they get married and begin their life together.
Mary started the day at a close friend’s home; she got ready there and even did a few portraits with her favorite ladies. We’ll start off with this image by Brian Lee who joined me for the day. What a great moment he captured!
Checking in with her friends….
With mom.
With the girls.
We all headed over to the church. Jason was all ready to go and looked very dashing. He’s a Brit so that seemed a given.
And he was very happy to see his bride join him at the end of the aisle.
The guests from across the pond enjoying the ceremony.
The church is so beautiful- it has great architectural details with a modern craftsman flair.
After the ceremony, we took a few portraits around the church.
Then we headed over to Santana Row.
And the Hotel Valencia. Jo and I photographed a wedding at the hotel a few years ago but didn’t get nearly enough time to enjoy all that it has to offer. I was so excited when Mary said she wanted to go there for photos. There are so many opportunities for great images.
Brian knew about this fabulous wall around the corner from the hotel. We were lucky enough to catch a lady who was moving in upstairs. She had this great black leather couch and was happy to lend it to us for a few shots. The red wall, the lanterns, the black leather couch and our stunning couple- can’t imagine anything better. Teamwork made this one!
This super sweet portrait by Brian.
Off to the reception at Maggiano’s. The cake was really beautiful. Loved the sculputural quality of it, and I think the silhouette definitely captures that element.
Have a I mentioned how much fun everyone had on the dance floor? Mary and her ladies took the party to high gear. This one by Brian.
Old, young and everyone in between knew how to kick it up on the dance floor. Love the movement!
Weddings have so much energy and the nature of the energy changes from moment to moment. Mary and Jason took this opportunity during a slow song to hold on tight and enjoy being Mr. and Mrs.
Congrats Mary and Jason! I can’t express what a joy it was to photograph you and your families. (We have known Mary’s side since Krista and Andy‘s wedding a few years back and are so glad we can continue to be a part of these wonderful celebrations.) A million thank you’s!
Special thanks to all those who made their day incredible:
Getting ready venue: friend’s home
Ceremony site: St. Andrew’s Church
Reception venue: Maggiano’s
Wedding cake: Cake Expressions
Floral Design: The Wild Geranium
DJ: Joel Nelson Productions
Invitations: David’s Bridal
Hair and make-up: Nirvana Salon, Los Gatos
Gown designer: David’s Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew
Groom and groomen’s tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse
Much gratitude to Brian Lee for tagging along on this fabulous wedding. It was such fun working with you.
If you want to see more from Mary and Jason’s wonderful day, check out their slideshow.
Nov
13
Jilanne and Doug’s wedding reception at Leal Vineyards was gorgeous, emotional, and downright fun. The skies were crystal clear, no fog in sight; the cool air moved in as the day progressed. The warmth of family and friends kept the party going until the very end, with a vibrant spirit of celebration.
After their wedding at the Old Mission San Juan Bautista, we took portraits on the grounds in and around the mission church.
Then everyone returned to the vineyard for cocktail hour outside on the patio and dinner under the tent. We captured a few more with the vineyard backdrop.
The tables were all set up for dinner. The grounds at Leal are gorgeous- and smell good too- the yummy scent of heather is so welcoming..
Jilanne and Doug opened up the dance floor.
Followed by Jilanne and her dad. So sweet.
Doug escorted his mom to the dance floor, and they were soon joined by his siblings in a dance/hug. Doug is so close with his family. I was truly touched in the ways they supported each other.
With dance floor open, the party really got underway. There were some mighty exuberant guests.
The money dance kicked things up a notch.
Energetic dancing galore.
Jilanne and Doug closed the dance floor with a tango. We had seen them practice during their engagement session, and this was even better. They are simply stunning dancers.
Many, many thanks to Jilanne and Doug, and both your families for welcoming us into your wedding day celebration. We have so enjoyed getting to know you and it was such a pleasure to meet all the people you hold dear.
We would also like to thank the professionals who contributed to your special day.
Ceremony Venue: Rosie at the Old Mission San Juan Bautista
Organist: Edward from the Old Mission San Juan Bautista
Reception Venue: Andrew at Léal Vineyards
Wedding cake: Just Cake
Floral Design: Poppy’s Petalworks
Lighting Design: Hartmann Studios
DJ: Prosound Entertainment
Hair and Make-up Stylist: Athena
Our bride’s dress: Alvina Valenta, from the Bridal Galleria
The bridesmaids dresses: J. Crew
Groom’s suit: Hugo Boss
Groomsmen’s attire: Alfani Red
If you would like to see more of Jilanne and Doug, definitely check out their engagement session, sneak preview, and slideshow.
Nov
06
A lady and a gentleman, through and through, Jilanne and Doug have old world sophistication, style, generosity and kindness right to their core. I have so enjoyed getting to know them over the past year and a bit. We had a blast on their engagement session playing at the Presidio and Fort Point. Then after checking out their wedding venues, the Old Mission San Juan Bautista and Leal Vineyard, and chatting with Doug about all of their plans, we really couldn’t wait for the big day.
So today I get to share just a little snippet of what’s to come.
Jilanne and Doug started their day at Leal, where they both got ready in the guest houses. Jilanne was practically all set when we arrived. Just a few finishing touches like the veil. I love the softness of this image; it matches Jilanne’s gentle side (mind you she also has a very spunky side, like when she told me about the prank she and Doug had thought about pulling on Dave and I for their engagement session- too funny!) but this one is all about her femininity.
And Doug was already hanging out with his friends in the wine tasting room. Smart thinking.
The girls and I hopped in the limo for our trip to the Mission. When we arrived, we made sure the coast was clear as Jilanne and her ladies walked to the church.
Doug was just around the corner at the entrance to the church with his groomsmen, all of the sponsors and the ring bearer.
The ceremony was so beautiful; the back drop of this historic mission was a perfect setting.
Another perspective…
I love the way Jilanne and Doug enjoyed themselves during the Catholic ceremony. They were totally in tune with each other.
And they were certainly not alone in being affected by the momentousness of the day.
When I first saw this image Dave captured, I fell in love with it. It feels to me exactly how it feels to be leaving the wedding ceremony- like you are embarking on something big and exciting and bathed in sunshine and warmth. I can feel Jilanne and Doug’s smiles even though I can’t see them in this image.
More to come next week. Can’t wait to share the rest!
Feb
04
Krista and Andy married this summer and you will not believe the fabulous touches she gave to her wedding. Everything from her wedding dress to the cake had her signature on it. The result was simply amazing.
Krista picked a beautiful dress by Paloma Blanca, but added her own look to it- a Japanese inspired sash.
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Jan
07
While having a multi-generation mini-family like Karen and Willy‘s is so much fun, we also love our smaller mini-families. We have tons of these. Today I wanted to send a shout out to a bunch of the two generation mini-fams.
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.
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Aug
30
When last I wrote, Krista and Andy were enjoying a fabulous portrait session at Hakone Gardens. The time quickly approached for the ceremony and we left Hakone to make our way to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Saratoga.
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Aug
28
We had a great time with one-year old Isaac the last time we were in California. His mom hired us to take his first year portraits and suggested we take him to Stanford for the session. What a fabulous idea! We selected the art museum because we knew the grounds around it were beautiful.
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