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!