We got the chance to spend time getting to know Nicole & Wellington recently while shooting their engagement session at Baker Beach. These two are the most friendliest, genuinely nicest, kindest people you could ever hope to meet. In their free time they run marathons to raise money for charity, which is very cool. Nicole put on a brave face, even though it was FREEZING there (which it normally is) but the waves were outstanding. Their wedding is at the end of next month. Here’s a sneak peak at their session:

Geoff & I were so excited to photograph Andrea & Jonathon’s wedding recently. These two are absolutely made for each other, they simply cannot take their eyes off each other. Plus they are hilarious too. Their wedding was held in Sonoma at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church and then the reception was held at the Jacuzzi Winery a gorgeous property. The event was flawlessly coordinated by Suzy Berberian of A Dream Day. And the florals were simple yet gorgeous, and shades of lavender, done by Julie’s Floral and Event Design

Look at those eyes:

The room is absolutely stunning, definitely one to consider for a winery wedding, because it has that great barrel room theme plus lots of light!

This cake topper was so adorable, and completely fitting for this couple:

The entrance to the room has these two marble statues, it kind of reminded me of the statues from the river in the “Lord of the Rings” movie, it’s really cool:

Omega and Tom had a gorgeous wedding day last year at Nestldown, and you can see it featured in the Fall 2008 issue of the Bride & Bloom. Their wedding was filled with tons of super cute details, and will now serve as an inspiration to brides planning their weddings. Nicole D’Ambra helped the couple with bringing together all those details so the bride could relax and enjoy the day. Congrats Omega!

Check out this funny interview of Geoff by Andrew Hsu, (a great videographer from Studio MSV) posted on his blog yesterday in his series titled “Take a Look Tuesday” on photographers:

http://msv.typepad.com/

Summers are pretty hectic for us, but one night recently I snuck off for an evening to take Brittainie to a Giants game against the Chicago Cubs. We ate dinner at Momo’s, and then headed over to see the game. I’d gotten our tickets from Goldstar Events for $10 each. The seats were way, way up there (as you can see). We had a great time, but next time, we’ll definitely get better seats!

Cristy & Charles were married in a spectacular weekend wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Both from New York, this was a destination wedding for them. Cristy had fallen in love with the location on a previous trip, and had imagined it as the perfect spot to marry Charles, so when he popped the question (while staying at a romantic castle in Scotland) she already had the location picked out!

Morgan Doan of Events By Morgan planned this incredible affair from start to finish. You’ve already seen the rehearsal dinner for their wedding and also Cristy’s bridal session, so here’s the wedding ceremony & reception with all the amazing details. The coastal theme of the wedding started with the invitation and carried through to the colors of the reception. Each seat at the ceremony was preset with a program and a starfish. The day began with Cristy getting into that gorgeous Oscar De La Renta gown, while Charles and the guys got ready in their suite, singing along to Van Morrison & Johnny Cash. The couple’s first dance song was “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison, one of my favorites. We got to work with our friends Justin & Georgina from Weddings on Film. It’s such a pleasure to work with a video team whose style compliments our own. Not only does it make for a much smoother day, your images and video are definitely better as your photographer & videographer are not competing to get the best shots.

Here’s the bagpiper and Cristy with her dad just before going down the aisle:

Charles got choked up when he saw Cristy:

There ceremony was absolutely beautiful:

And they’re married!

The ballroom looked stunning. The floral decor was done by Edward Bellingeri Design & the lighting was by Got Light?  The lighting began in blue & aqua tones, then later in the evening changed to pink tones. Geoff & I ran into Morgan’s team on the Friday night beforehand as they were setting up the ballroom. I’m not certain that Morgan got any sleep at all the night before, but the  end result of the ballroom was worth it:

No one does cake like Susan of Elegant Cheesecakes. This one was chocolate with fresh raspberry filling, my very, absolute favorite kind of cake. And let me tell you, it was divine (I’ve sworn off the wedding cake mostly, but I had to make an exception):

Guests were treated to these cute little favor boxes filled with delicious, funky chocolates:

The couple truly went all out with their decor. Here’s their crystal tree with hanging name cards:

The 80’s band Notorious was cool, and the crowd loved them:

Guests rocking out on stage:

Cristy & Charles’s friends KNOW how to party:

And to delight their Cuban friends and family, a cigar lounge & Cuban sandwiches (yummy!):

The bride’s mom surprised the couple with a confetti blast during the last dance. What a great end to the party:

What a pleasure it was to photograph the wedding of Amanda & Phil. These 2 have been great to work with, and by the time their wedding day rolled around, it was like photographing for friends! The day began at the Cypress Hotel in Cupertino where Amanda was getting ready. The rooms there are fantastic to photograph in, great colors and textures everywhere you look. Amanda chose this amazingly glamorous gown, fitted at the bodice, it had a very Hollywood glamour feel to it. The ceremony took place at the Carmelite Monastery, and afterwards we did some fun portraits around the gardens and with their hip getaway car. Amanda & Phil have a certain easy, hipster style to them, and that definitely came across in their wedding details. The reception took place at a family home in Los Altos. It was the perfect setting for a relaxed evening of celebration. The guest list was kept very small, which led to a very intimate dinner party ambiance. It was a perfect day!

The bride and her friends arriving at the church:

A few ceremony highlights:

We couldn’t have asked for a better sky:

The reception was casual yet elegant, the ideal dinner party. The cake topper was made out of bronze by Amanda’s dad, inspired by the engagement image just below:

At the reception, Amanda & Phil asked their guests to snap a photo, then place the photo into the guest book along with their signature & well wishes. It was a very cute setup, and guests had a lot of fun with it.

Amanda & Phil’s entrance. They had a really cool band for the reception:

The first dance:

Lauren & Alex tied the knot recently in San Francisco. This couple is so adorable it hurts to look at them! Kelvin & Eric photographed their wedding day, which started out at the elegant Palace Hotel for getting ready & portraits, then the ceremony was held at the San Francisco Trinity Episcopal Church (the church with those cool red doors)  & the reception took place at the Regency Center. The couple decided to have a private moment with each other prior to the ceremony. We always encourage couples to consider seeing each other before the ceremony whenever possible. Yes, I know, it’s breaking with tradition, but there are some major benefits to consider-1) Rather than a let down, seeing each other before the ceremony is more romantic, in that you can embrace and share a moment with one another before all the excitement begins. 2) The wedding day jitters and stress are pretty much removed after seeing each other. This tends to lead to a much more relaxed experience, the ability to focus on & enjoy the ceremony, and just a general sense of ease. 3) After the high of the ceremony, it is difficult to stand still for family pictures. Ask any recent bride, and she can confirm that it literally hurts to smile after the ceremony, just all the emotions take their toll I think. 4) Your pictures are taken when you are at your best-makeup is fresh (mascara still in place) etc. 5) And finally, you get to relax and enjoy your cocktail hour. You get to enjoy all your guests as well as those tasty little hors d houvres that you carefully picked out. This state of relaxation will endure through the reception as well-if you’ve had a chance to say hello to most of your guests at the cocktail hour, you’ll be able to enjoy the rest of the evening, without the pressure of trying to visit every table. So we are highly in favor of couples seeing each other beforehand. Check out the evidence for yourself:

Apparently these 2 needed kissing breaks every 50 feet or so! I love love love the detail on Lauren’s dress:

And here’s a sneak peak of the ceremony:

Inside the Recency Center:

The start of dancing, the first dance:

Lauren & Alex are off to their honeymoon in Bali & Vietnam, so they’ll have to wait till they return to see the rest…

Cristy & Charles had a destination wedding in Half Moon Bay, and their celebration lasted all weekend, starting with the rehearsal dinner party at Sam’s Chowder House in Half Moon Bay. They rented out the entire place for the evening, and guests were treated to all the lobster they could eat! After dinner a Cuban band entertained guests into the wee hours! The next day we were at the Ritz Carlton, photographing their absolutely stunning wedding. Those images will be available soon, in the meantime, enjoy these images from their rehearsal dinner:

The inside, taken with a fisheye: