Sharon & Ian definitely brought their hotness to their engagement session last week. They are super cute and totally in love. It was so easy to photograph them!

This is my favorite image from the session. I just love how she’s looking at him, you can see how much she loves him.

Notice how in Ian’s shirt, one of the colors is from Sharon’s blouse? And see how nice that looks? It’s subtle but definitely pleasing to the eye. Good job guys!

We had actually scheduled their session for last month, and when we met up in San Francisco, it was so foggy and so cold and miserable, we decided to reschedule the session. That has happened several times now, especially for San Francisco sessions. But Stanford is sunny all summer long, so it’s one of our favorites for engagement sessions.

nice watch Ian!

this session was just easy as pie, and I can’t wait for the wedding! Don’t they look so sweet together?

Brides to be, this wedding soiree is not to be missed! This event is very swanky, and it’s a great way to enjoyably attend a bridal show and get a chance to meet with potential vendors, see their work on display and really see who is out there and what they are offering. It’s organized by  superb planner Michelle from MB Wedding Designs and Beverly Yip of Especially Yours Chair Covers. They’ve been putting this soiree (it’s not really a bridal show, it’s more like a really fun cocktail party) for several years, and it’s a really great event. You can register here: Promises and Pearls and I recommend you get your tickets before they reach capacity. There are going to be tons of great vendors there to check out, and Michelle is a fantastic planner that you should really talk to if you have the opportunity. Caterers, florists and designers will be showing off the latest trends, so it’s a great opportunity to get ideas for your own wedding and talk to professionals about how to translate your ideas. Make it a date night, you wont be disappointed!

Follow this link to take a fun little quiz from “the Wedding Book” by Mindy Weiss-it’s a great way to help you figure out your bridal style:

http://www.projectwedding.com/wiki/show/what-kind-of-bride-are-you

Happy Thursday!

Marcia and Marvin’s wedding was perfect. Absolutely perfect. They got married at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, which is a gorgeous venue. It feels like a private estate, but it is actually an arts center. The grounds there are beautiful, and if you are looking for a very romantic setting for your wedding and want an elegant yet relaxed setting, this is the place. Marcia and Marvin put a lot of time into creating the perfect experience for their friends and family. I’ve been to many weddings, and this was definitely one of the best ever. It’s the type of wedding their guests will always remember fondly as one of the great nights of their lives. It was like the place was overflowing with love from Marcia & Marvin, and people were just so happy. It was truly amazing. And Marcia and Marvin couldn’t take their eyes off each other! Talk about a photographers dream couple! They have so much chemistry and connection, and respect for one another. On top of that, they simply adore each other! It was such a pleasure to be part of their day. Here are a few highlights to enjoy…

The bride heads down the grand staircase to see her groom for the first time.

Look at the joy on his face! I choked back tears. All day actually.

They chose lilac as their theme color, and it looked so vibrant and fresh. Beautiful details!

The bride’s entrance was one of my all time favorites. One of the Jewish wedding traditions they incorporated is to have the bride circle the groom seven times. She made her entrance to the intro to Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.” It gave me goosebumps. It was so romantic and sensual. If I was mesmerized, imagine how Marvin must have felt!!!

They worked with Jondell of “I Do” Weddings to help organize all the little details, and that meant Marcia and Marvin were able to completely relax on their day. Jondell was there behind the scenes, making sure there were no hiccups. Everything felt simple and elegant. Did I mention how perfect it was?

The oh-so-delicious cake was by Sonia of Butterfly Cakes Her cakes are always delicious. And the florals were by Pink Lincoln Designs and Marcia said they were exactly what she had hoped for. I loved the different shades and textures in the centerpieces. They were really lovely, and I think purple can be a tough color to work with, if not done just right, it can go horribly wrong. But these were outstanding!

This shot was not posed! They are in love, and it shows. Geoff was up on the balcony and caught this natural moment. I must say, they gave us a lot to work with!

At the end of the night, their DJ Ron Grandia asked the guests to give them a big group hug goodbye. And then they were off!

Last month I was asked by WIPA to photograph their quarterly meeting which was held at Casa Real. I was really excited about the opportunity, as I had not been to Casa Real before and Dianna & Andrew’s wedding will be held there next month. Let me tell you, that place is GORGEOUS!!!  I’m really excited to photograph a wedding there next month, working with the always calm under pressure Jean Marks. The WIPA event was a real treat as the topic for the month was green weddings, and it was inspiring to hear how progressive the Bay Area wedding industry is. Many of the attendees had already taken steps to move towards greener business practices or were very interested in learning more about the options. Being more green is definitely something that we as a company strive towards.

The sky and clouds were amazing that day, and I love the water fountain out front. The entire place had a very warm yet polished feel to it.

WIPA’s president Joyce Scardina Becker giving the speaker, Mireya Navarraro, author of “Green Weddings: Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration” a warm welcome.

Sheldon Sloan from Melons Catering along with the speaker and author Mireya Navarro and WIPA President Joyce Scardina Becker.

A few of our boutinerre shots (if you are a florist reading this, please email me the correct spelling for this word, it seems there are a number of options) are featured in this month’s issue of Today’s Bride, which is a wonderful local resource guide. Do you know I can actually identify the grooms from just these images? Yep, the first spread, bottom left is Steve and then on the spread below is Andy in the far right corner.

this magazine is packed with inspirational ideas just like this, and it fits in a purse. It’s a great little magazine, and we are thrilled to be featured in it!

We did the engagement session for Dianna and Andrew a few weeks ago, and just ordered this “Elements” engagement product for them. This is going to look great on display at their cocktail hour, and will look even better hanging in their home. We love putting together finished products for our clients so they can enjoy personalized artwork in their home. Notice how all the images are balanced with the same tones of sand & greens? When selecting images for a composite frame like this, the images need to be chosen very carefully for balance. If you look carefully, you’ll notice 2 similar types of images on the top left and bottom right corners? Look closely and you will see that all the images are perfectly balanced for a great finished piece!

Francesca & Joseph , known as Ches & JJ to their friends, were married a few weeks ago on the bluff at the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay and we were there to capture every moment. This couple is so in love!!!!  All day they just couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. So sweet! This was a destination wedding, as most of the family lives in Guam and the couple currently lives in LA. What a perfect place for a destination wedding. While the Ritz is a 5 star property, it’s not stuffy at all. The Ritz Carlton has a very relaxed, casual resort feeling to it, and destination wedding guests have a wonderful weekend experience relaxing outdoors by the firepit, enjoying a glass of wine and watching the sunset. There are wonderful pathways to enjoy walks, golfing, spa treatments, and a world class restaurant. And I haven’t even mentioned the views!

Francesca choose this gorgeous Spanish lace veil to complete her bridal look. Doesn’t she look stunning? Makeup thanks to Jim Avila and what a stunning job.

The flowers were done by Laura Little of Floramor. The deep red roses were simple and oh so elegant. A real classic!

The ceremony took place on the bluff, which gives a fantastic view of the ocean for the guests. The ceremony decor really adds a lot to the look and feel of the ceremony. I would not recommend cutting ceremony decor out of the budget. Look at how the color just pops. The vibrancy of the red looks fantastic here against the white chairs and green grass. Bright colors are the way to go if you enjoy vibrant color like I do!

The pew decor consisted of paper cones filled with red rose petals, and this led to an amazing exit shot later…

The couple chose a monogram for their programs, which adds a personal touch. It was our first time working with Ritz wedding specialist Amy Monroe, and she did a great job, making sure everything ran smoothly. It was a little chilly that day, and Amy made sure the heaters were positioned to take the chill off during the ceremony and cocktail hour.

During the ceremony, Ches & JJ were so focused on each other, they seemed to be barely aware of what else was going on around them. Those two are so sweet together! They kept whispering and giggling to each other throughout the ceremony, it was the cutest, sweetest thing I’ve ever seen!

They’re married! This is one of my favorites of the day, I love the vibrant reds and the joy on their faces.

Here’s a bridal portrait of Ches on the bridge. Color or black and white, which do you like best?

The escort cards were simple, but doing them in red instead of white adds that visual punch. The cake was by Cake Expressions and they did a lovely job. The rose on the top was made with frosting but it looked so real!

Francesca’s mom Janet put together this basket for guests to drop their gift cards on. Very nice idea!

The reception decor was timeless and elegant. The tall centerpieces allowed guests to be able to see each other at the tables, and each place setting had an individual rose. Roses are really hot right now, I’m seeing them a lot more than in the past. Make sure the florist you work with uses fresh roses or flowers. I cannot tell you how important that is! When shopping around, and you get a few of those super low quotes on your wedding florals, there is a reason for that-dead flowers. You know what they say, you get what you pay for? Well it couldn’t be more true than in wedding florals. We’ve seen it so many times, the couple got a “great rate” on their flowers, but on the day of, the centerpieces are wilted, the bouquet is falling apart, and it’s gross. Better to have more simple arrangements that are done right, rather than brown, wilted flowers on the table. That’s why it is important to work with a reputable florist like Floramor. They will work with your budget to create something just right for you, whether it is simple and budget friendly, or drop dead gorgeous in every direction.

What a wonderful day. It was such a pleasure photographing such a sweet, in love couple. Congratulations Ches & JJ!

 Lorena & Jaime’s wedding was one of the most glamorous, gorgeous and amazing weddings we have ever photographed! We had the pleasure of working with Rebecca Reategui an amazing planner who worked with Lorena to create the wedding of her dreams. It was unreal! In fact, there was so much glamour and glitz, it took 3 of us to properly photograph the day. The wedding day itself was designed with 3 different looks & styles, so guests were able to experience a chic white ceremony, an ultra sexy, modern cocktail lounge, and an opulent & sophisticated reception. It was simply stunning. Let’s start at the beginning. Lorena opted for the ceremony to take place in a tent, which allows for a completely clean palette to work with in terms of design. The tent structure went up overnight right on top of the parking structure.

Linnae of Asiel Design and her talented team (of like 30 people!) created this stunning space for Lorena & Jaime’s fairytale wedding ceremony. The aisle was created with 10 ten foot tall white trees covered in white blossoms, candles and crystals. The tent was absolutely dripping with crystals and gorgeousness in every direction. White carpet and well dressed chairs completed the look.

Check out that chandelier!

Here’s a closeup on the bouquet. I love that added touch of detail.

Behind the ceremony area was a gorgeous floral presentation of different arrangements.

Look at that gorgeous bride! I love the makeup, the pink color palette works beautifully against her skin. Dress by Reem Acra

All the bridesmaids had these brooches or wrap clips to hold their wraps in place. It was the perfect solution to the problem of cute wraps that won’t stay put.

After the wedding ceremony, guests headed inside to the cocktail lounge. The black and fushia color combo created a really modern yet sexy atmosphere. It was a perfect contrast to the dreamy fairytale setting of the ceremony. Behind the arrangement is a candle wall. Which looks really cool.

Lorena & Jaime featured a signature cocktail bar with raspberry champagne cocktails. It looked SO good, I cannot tell you how badly I wanted one of those! Of course we never drink while working, as you need very steady hands for photography. Otherwise you might end up with a lot of “artistically” out of focus images!

Even the carpet was fushia! And there were roses everywhere, the fragrance was gorgeous yet not overpowering. The cocktail lounge was my favorite, I love those colors together. The overall look was modern and sexy.

 A Video Reflection provided the videography for the day. I can’t wait to see it!

The lounge area featured couches and ottomans with large pillows for lounging. Now on to the reception…

The tabletops were stunning (I know I’ve already used that word many times) and when guests walked into the ballroom, I definitely saw jaws dropping! The color scheme for the reception was black and white with sage green accents. It created a classic yet modern setting. Overall, everything was really tied together in terms of the decor. Each area was different, yet certain elements could be found in each of the themed areas. I love the idea of using different color schemes throughout an event to delight you guests, yet keeping certain elements consistent really helps tie it all together.

Even the chairs were sexy!

The rectangular tables created a warm intimacy throughout the room. The textures were rich and sophisticated, creating a tabletop that was a sensual treat. Classic Party Rentals provided the chairs, linens, and tabletop rentals.

The cake was provided by Perfect Endings. It was a tower cake with 5 layers. Simple yet elegant.

I love the image above. To me it represents the level of service experienced only at the Ritz Carlton. Once we move into the ballroom See-Wai (AKA the best Banquet Captain in the WORLD!!!!) makes everything happen. Creating a flawless fine dining experience for a large group of guests is like an orchestra performance, and See-Wai is an amazing conductor. Everyone and everything is taken care of, on time, perfectly. And that’s it. That’s what she does.

Here’s Tony delivering the bride & groom’s inter mezzo course personally. The man is absolutely, 100% dedicated to his clients!

Around halfway through the reception, a false wall opened up to reveal WAR on stage. The crowd went wild! War is funk band that has been around since the 70’s with hits such as “Low Rider”  “Spill the Wine” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” The band has a great energy, and the crowd knew pretty much every song by heart.

Later in the evening, guests were treated to a snack bar station with mini burgers, French fries and pizza.

I love this image of the two of them walking off into the sunset together.

I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite wedding moments on the blog. Here’s one from 2007, this is the wedding of Tarah & Eric Byrnes. Eric is a baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he also does a radio show. As the bridesmaids came walking down the aisle, Eric used his mic to provide commentary on each bridesmaid as she arrived, letting the audience know who she was, how they knew her, etc. It was absolutely hilarious, and a great way to break the tension! I do love exciting entrances, and I don’t think that it takes away from the bride’s entrance at all. In fact, making a nice entrance for other members of the wedding party, including the groom, really amps up the energy level and sets the stage for the bride’s entrance.