Nick was my first guy’s senior session. Nick’s great in front of the camera, and I’m really happy with how his images turned out.

What a cutie!

And then here’s a few of Brittainie and Nick together.

I love this one!

Hanh & Jean-Luc chose to say their vows in front of their very closest friends and family in a very intimate ceremony at the lush & lovely Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto.  It was the perfect way to start a marriage! Hahn and Jean-Luc decided to start their day with a private meeting prior to the ceremony. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I’m a big fan of private meetings between the bride and groom before the ceremony. Besides being a MAJOR stress reliever for nervous brides and grooms, it’s also a great way to get your portraits out of the way so you can actually enjoy visiting with your guests during cocktail hour. If you are on the fence about this idea, give us a call so we can convince you! Or search the blog for “private meeting” and you’ll see all the great images that result from these intimate moments.

I’ve been really into extreme close ups lately. I think it has something to do with that old saying…”the eyes are the windows to the soul.” See what I mean? I’ve always been a tight shooter (Geoff gets after me about this all the time, but I just can’t help it!) because I just love the intimacy that is created by a very tight shot. Cropping these to 5×7’s and 8×10’s can be um, challenging for Elena, but it’s really how I began to see the world in a more beautiful way. When you take in an entire scene with your eyes, it’s usually boring, regular, ordinary. But if you break it down into smaller bits, and look at things from different angles, you can see beauty everywhere.

Hanh was just glowing with happiness all day. The vibe was easy and relaxed, and Hanh and Jean-Luc took care of all the family portraits prior to the ceremony, which actually turned into a nice little pre-ceremony reception. Everyone was just so happy!

The flower gardens were in full bloom, and I noticed guests really enjoying themselves, strolling through the gardens before and after the ceremony.

The reception took place at the Plumed Horse in Saratoga. What’s great about intimate celebrations is you can really spoil your guests. Hanh and Jean-Luc definitely took advantage of the opportunity to treat their guests to an incredible meal. Each place setting had a fresh stem of flowers; a really nice touch. And so appropriate, since they were married in a garden. Hanh & Jean-Luc planned several surprises for their guests throughout the evening, such as naming each table with a photo of a particular location (but no written name of the spot). Guests had to match up their escort cards with a city name to the photo in order to find their table. A very clever way of adding personal touches. Not only does the couple travel frequently, Jean-Luc has an interest in photography.

Geoff took a series of really cool shots of the happy couple from inside the wine cellar (might not technically be a cellar, but that’s what I’m going with).

For their first dance, the couple had another surprise in store for their guests. Starting off as a normal slow dance song, the music changed about half way through into a disco song. That really got the party started! All in all, a wonderful experience. Congratulations Hanh & Jean-Luc!

Courtney and Peter had the most perfect wedding celebration you could ever hope for. Surrounded by family and friends, they said their vows in one of the most magical places in the Bay Area: Nestldown. It was just perfect. The joy was contagious.  It could have poured rain, the cake could have not showed up,  and it wouldn’t have mattered one bit to this couple, they were oblivious to anything other than each other and their families. However, everything did turn out perfectly, and Jean Marks of Jean Marks Weddings was on hand to  ensure everything went without a hitch. Here’s a sneak peek at the day:

Peter’s gift to the groomsmen: custom made converse with P&C initials on them. Is that the coolest thing you’ve ever seen??

Brittainie, her boyfriend Nick and I went out for a senior session last week. We had so much fun, and we didn’t get to do everything we wanted, so we’ll be going back out again soon. I must say, Brittainie is my favorite model. She’s so gorgeous, look at those eyes!!!

In person, I wasn’t enjoying this location at all, so I only took the one shot above before moving on. Hmm. Sometimes things look much better on camera than in person…

my favorite, a brick wall. I could work with a brick wall and a good subject for hours.

I got the street shot in the very last light of the day.

I love this one too. Beautiful.

Sharon & Ian’s wedding was amazing. You might remember these two from their engagement session recently (the really good looking couple). Their wedding did not disappoint! Geoff and I started out at the hotel where they were getting ready, and then headed over to Ruby Hill for the ceremony and reception. This was my first time shooting there, , and I have to say the venue is the perfect location for a wedding (or for photographing a wedding). There’ s a nice patio for the ceremony to take place with a gorgeous blue sky as the backdrop. There are many, many little nooks and crannies for great portraits, including this amazing old oak tree. The reception room has tall ceilings and a really dramatic staircase for bridal party entrances. OK, enough with the commentary, let’s get to the good stuff…

Sharon can pull off the supermodel look effortlessly. I’m not usually a fan of the big train on a wedding dress, as they can be tricky to get smoothed out and looking just perfectly, but Sharon’s train is gorgeous. I think I like it because the silk looks great a little messy, every little edge doesn’t need to be perfectly straightened and smoothed. This image above is a fan favorite here at GWP.

There’s that blue sky. It was pretty warm out too.

I learned at the wedding that these two have been together for many years. I would have never guessed, as they have this chemistry about them that seems like a brand new, just fell in love type of relationship. Wow. Amazing!

We were pretty excited about the oak tree location, where we went for a few minutes at sunset. We’ve started breaking up the portraits into 10-15 minutes after the ceremony or before, and then 10 minutes right around sunset. I think this works really well, as people are much more relaxed the second time out, and it’s the best lighting. So which version of this image is your favorite? I like the sunset one (just above) and my second favorite is the black and white image.

And they lived happily ever after…

Meghan & Jake’s stunning South Bay wedding took place at the Mission Santa Clara. Here’s Meghan getting ready and her dad seeing his beautiful baby girl all grown up on her wedding day.

Kristina Taheri Special Events was the planner for the wedding. The powerhouse design team consisted of Meghan & Jake’s moms, who joined forces to create the incredible look and feel of the event. I was amazed with the color and textures used in the theme of natural elements like vegetables and wood. What a great way for their families to come together!

Are those not some of the cutest (and wearable) bridesmaids dresses you’ve ever seen?

This is one of my favorite images of Meghan, gorgeous lighting…

During the hour long ceremony, Meghan and Jake couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. It was so sweet! Every once in a while Jake would lean over and give Meghan a little kiss on the cheek…

They’re married!

These amazing centerpieces were done by Bloomsters. I loved the birch wood and arrangements of vegetables and exotic flowers.

The reception was held in a big tent on the lawn. It was just perfect!

Congrats to Meghan and & Jake!

Congratulations to Lorri & Alex, and their caker baker Barbara Gardiner!!!! We are always thrilled and honored to see our images included in magazines!