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.

We were thrilled that Professional Photographer magazine selected our website as one to feature in their article about creating a great website. We worked really hard on creating a great concept for our website and putting it all together. We wanted the website to really be a one stop shopping experience, where brides and grooms could really get a sense of who we are and what we are all about. We have a number of out of town clients that are not able to come in and meet with us, and so we wanted our website to give that same kind of experience as coming in and meeting with us. There are a lot of layers and detailed information on the site (which took absolutely forever to write!) but we love how it turned out. We hadn’t had a new website for years, and this site will allow us to refresh our look at any time and keep the images fresh. The screen shot featured in the article shows the before and after for remastering. Once again, it’s an honor to e featured, and hopefully our website will serve as inspiration to other photographers out there.

Rachael and Adrian got married recently at Flood Mansion in San Francisco. These two are so adorable together, I could hardly stand it! The mood of the day was just super relaxed and fun. And what a pleasure to photograph! We started out with the bride getting ready upstairs, and then did a few minutes of bridal portraits. Rachael is gorgeous and the camera loves her!

I really love the texture in her bouquet. The greenery adds a fresh, modern look to it. These florals were done by Jory’s Flowers out of Concord.

They could not stop smiling! So much fun to work with!

Rachael’s bridesmaids were giving her some last minute advice for the wedding night!

I really love this image of the bouquets. I know it’s a little random, but I like it!

Adrian was on the verge here when he saw Rachael for the first time…

They did it! So cute. Flood Mansion ceremonies can be held at either end of the courtyard, and Rachael & Adrian asked us our opinion on which direction to face the guests. While the fountain at the back is also nice, we love the steps for the ceremony for a number of reasons. First, you are able to put stagger the bridal party on the steps which helps guests to be able to see everything. This also ensures the camera has a clear view of the bride and groom. Nothing is more frustrating to me during a ceremony than when the bride and groom is obscured by the bridal party. The other reason I love this location for the ceremony is the windows reflect the blue sky which looks very cool.

The reception was very elegant. I love the long tables, it creates a wonderful intimacy for guests. Rachael’s mom made those runners, and with the tall branch centerpieces, the tables had a simple elegance to them.

The food was delicious!  Betty Zlatchin Catering did a great job and I would definitely give them a call if you are looking for a caterer.

One of the coolest things about Flood Mansion is the lighting. It’s got a certain quality to it. The views of the city are fantastic, but the lighting is just superb. This carries through at the cake cutting, and then also the dancing, as there are these big windows all through throughout the dancing room. Don’t they just look blissfully happy? Makes me think of the phrase happily ever after…

Our good friends Jason & Kei were recently married in the Carribean, and Geoff & I were fortunate to be able to attend their wedding as guests. Luckily Kelvin was available! It was an amazing time, and Kelvin captured it beautifully. Kei & Jason wanted an intimate gathering of their closest friends and family for a week long celebration. Geoff has been friends with Jason since grade school, along with Jason’s two brothers, Mike & Kevin (or Dr. Kevin, if you’re not feeling well). We’ve both been happily watching Jason and Kei fall in love over the past year, and on Valentine’s day he proposed (after flying to Scotland to secure permission from Kei’s mom). Quite the romantic story! The island is called St. Lucia, and is known for it’s two mountains called the Pitons. It’s a lush, gorgeous island with waterfalls, a volcano and beautiful beaches. Here are a few highlights from the day…

Here’s Kei getting dressed with her mom’s help. She was putting on this gorgeous pearl choker.

I LOVE the back lighting on her hair!

There’s one of the Pitons in the background. Doesn’t this make you want to get married on the beach!?!

Dianna & Andrew scheduled their engagement session for a day when the weather in our chosen spot was uncooperative. We were originally planning on Half Moon Bay, but the weather was foggy & rainy and just not right for what we had planned. So we headed back over the hill and went to Stanford, where the sky was sunny and gorgeous. Geoff & I had a fantastic time with Dianna & Andrew, and we are really fortunate to be able to photograph their wedding this coming summer. This couple has such an easy way about them, and their on-screen chemistry is fantastic. It doesn’t always work out like that, believe me. I love Dianna’s blouse, the color really pops against the background. Fashion is an important part of a photo session, it brings color and style to the images, and also inspires creativity in your photographer. Look at these two, they look fabulous just standing there! easy!

Their wedding will be at Casa Real, which is a stunning venue in the East Bay (will post some pics soon, I was just there for an industry event). Jean Marks of Jean Marks Weddings is their planner, and it’s always a treat to work with Jean. She is a calming force in the midst of the wedding day excitement. Plus Jean has all her clients over for tea, and YOU KNOW that earns a lot of points with me! The wedding design is being done by the talented Gloria Wong of Gloria Wong Design and I can’t wait to see what Dianna & Gloria come up with.

Dianna had her makeup trial for the wedding done earlier in the day, which is a brilliant idea. Makeup was done by Taylor Pham of Faces By Taylor and she is one of the very (very) best. The look was so flawless that the photos looked as they they had already been retouched.

Doesn’t Andrew have a great smile?!?

I love this quiet moment on the bench…

I love this one above. It would make a great wall portrait, because it conveys a certain feeling & emotion, yet has a very artistic feel to it.

As always, these are just a few of our favorites…

Sedona has always been on my “must see” list so I was thrilled when we had a photography conference to attend in Phoenix and a friend suggested we take a side trip to Sedona, only a few hours away. It was a gorgeous day, and the views were truly amazing. Geoff & I drove around just soaking in all the scenery, then we went to this little restaurant tucked away next to a little stream and after having a great lunch, we sat out by the stream reading & having tea. It was one of those “perfect” days you don’t get very often. As the sun began to set, we headed back out to enjoy it from a scenic vista. It was amazing. This was actually back in January, but it sometimes takes us a while to get to personal work. Enjoy!

I recently attended an industry event focusing on how to make weddings a “green” event. Mireya Navarro, author of “Green Wedding Planning Your Eco-Friendly Celebration” led the discussion, and she shared a lot of easy tips. Here are some of the highlights:

Dress-consider purchasing a “worn only once” dress instead of brand new. Not only will this be a huge savings to your budget, but it’s an eco-friendly choice as well. Another option is to reuse/repurpose your dress after the wedding. Even though many women preserve their dresses for their daughters, it’s very unlikely that your daughter will want the same style when she gets married.(how many women do we see today wearing their mother’s wedding dress? I can’t actually think of anyone. My own mother’s wedding dress style was kind of…well she wore white go-go boots with it, if that helps bring up a visual). Mireya suggests reusing the dress to make a christening gown, a bed canopy or something else where you will be able to continue to enjoy the dress for years to come.

Invitations-recycled invitations are price competitive so there’s no reason why you can’t do it. Using a minimum of paper & envelopes for the formal invite, saving the RSVP, maps, and other information for the wedding website.

 Skip the limo & have a friend drive you.

Flowers-use local, in season flowers that do not have to be shipped in. Less is more. Reuse the vases.

Catering-work with your caterer to provide fresh, local foods. A number of local caterers are green certified including Global Gourmet & Paula LeDuc.

Work with green vendors-not only do they care about the same values as you, but your dollars are going towards supporting green practices.