Our annual holiday print sale ends on Monday at Midnight. If you are hoping to order some prints, now is the time. Not only do prints make great holiday gifts, why not get your photos ordered and framed in time for the holidays?

Kristina and Rich have great, eclectic style. Their wedding was a fabulous mix of eclectic, vintage, modern, art deco style, with a little bit of D-I-Y for good measure. They are such a fun couple, and such a pleasure to photograph. We had a great time with them at their engagement session at Baker Beach, we knew the wedding day would be just as fun to photograph. We were not disappointed!

The story goes that Kristina had her wedding shoes before she had the ring. But when you know, you know, right?

We had a lot of fun with Kristina’s bridal portraits. She’s a great subject, and we could have photographed her for hours! This is just a sneak peek for you, but there are so many great bridal portraits from their day. Kristina has experience modeling, and knows that a slight turn of the head or a different expression can be all it takes to create a whole new look.

Kristina is a genius when it comes to stretching her wedding budget. She planned and created a gorgeous wedding with no details spared. The beautiful jeweled and feathered  invitations were put together by hand, along with the programs & escort cards.  And she had her wedding dress custom made for a tiny fraction of the cost of buying retail. And then there’s the cookies and candy bar to come. If you are looking around for some great DIY ideas, look no further!

Kristina and Rich had a private meeting prior to the ceremony. We started out inside the mansion, and then went outside. Ralston Hall is gorgeous inside and out, there are so many great spots for relaxed portraits. You can choose your favorite spots or just see what inspires you and your photographer in the moment. In addition to these glamorous portraits done inside, we also wandered to a bamboo grove, a little garden area and a cool metal garage door, all on the property and easily accessible. But Ralston Hall would be perfect on a rainy day wedding, because there’s so much you can do inside.

I love this image. So classic. The architecture at Ralston Hall is gorgeous. It makes a perfect backdrop for a vintage themed wedding.

Here’s the bamboo grove. I love the rich colors in the background.

I guess she has a plan for keeping Rich in line…

The feather adds to Rich’s boutonniere, and Kristina wore a feather in her hair for the ceremony as well.

The Ralston Hall ballroom is perfect for ceremonies. This room is so rich, photographically. Chandeliers, a great wood floor (I love the stripes),  soft wall color, arches, limited glass, tall ceilings. Love it.

They are married! Don’t they look gorgeous together?

After the ceremony Geoff sneaked out for a few more portraits with the couple while I captured all the great details of their reception room.

Kristina and Rich kept their family portraits to a minimum which allowed them to relax and enjoy each other. I cannot stress enough what a difference this makes in a couple’s ability to enjoy themselves. See how relaxed they are? We don’t pose them like that. They were actually truly content, relaxed and enjoying each other. That creates an ideal situation for portraits. And its the best way to enjoy your wedding day!

Their colors were navy and silver, which suited the vintage style perfectly. The lighted feather centerpieces add a touch of fun and personality to the room.

Kristina is a scrapbooker and is planning to create her own wedding album, scrapbook style. I’m sure it will have lots of great details and embellishments similar to the wedding invitation details.

I haven’t seen a fountain under the wedding cake since I was a kid! It definitely created an old school glamorous feel.

The first dance was a very sexy & sultry ballroom dance.

For Kristina’s bachelorette party, her girlfriends all headed to a ranch in Texas for a “shoot em up” weekend. The party host (the handsome gentleman in the middle) talked about how the ladies kicked their legs up when pulling the trigger. It was a great story, and you can tell how much the ladies had at the bachelorette weekend. The reception was really fun, and everyone was clearly having a great time. It’s nice to see people genuinely enjoying each other and not worried about formalities, just having a great time.

After the cake cutting, Kristina headed upstairs to toss the bouquet from the balcony.

Another great DIY wedding touch-a candy bar featuring favorites like salt water taffy in vintage bowls and vases.

The best idea EVER!!!!!  Kristina and Rich served cookies and a shot of milk to their guests. There are so many great ways to enhance your wedding experience without breaking the bank. This is one of my favorites. Those cookies didn’t last 5 minutes!

I love how the centerpieces glowed after the lights came down. At the end of the night, Kristina and Rich gave us gifts for Geoff & I and also for Nikki. It was so unexpected and so incredibly thoughtful. Thank you! Congrats Kristina & Rich, and I can’t wait to see how the scrapbook turns out!

I did a family portrait session for the Stern family recently, just in time for the holidays!

There’s only 1 more week to get 2-1 prints! This sale only happens once a year, don’t miss out. We have reactivated all client galleries for this month only. Many 2009 clients have print credits, so we recommend ordering your prints now to take advantage of this very special offer.  Sale ends on November 30th.

If you are thinking about ordering anything in time for the holidays, here are our ordering deadlines to be aware of. We still have a few days left on the annual print order sale, so if you haven’t placed your order yet, get that in soon. Sale ends November 30th. Here are our upcoming studio hours and ordering deadlines:

Holiday Sessions – November 17th is last day to schedule a holiday session

Holiday Cards – Final orders must be placed by December 4th

Gallery Wraps – December 1st is deadline to order gallery wraps for delivery by December 24th

Print Orders – December 15th is the last day to order prints for December 24th delivery

Our studio will be closed for the holidays from December 18th-January 5th

Happy Holidays from all of us at Geoff White Photographers!

Julia & Steve are extraordinary individuals. Their wedding celebration was held on the shores of Half Moon Bay at The Ritz-Carlton. They invited friends and family from all over the world to join them. It was an amazing, incredible day.

We started off with portraits, and actually got them all out of the way prior to the ceremony so Julia & Steve could relax and enjoy their guests at cocktail hour.

Julia’s wedding style is simple elegance, choosing a beautiful sheath dress with a gorgeous lace overlay and red rose bouquet. Steve shows personality in a blue pinstripe suit. His red rose boutonniere adds the finishing touch which coordinates both their styles. Taylor of Faces By Taylor did the bride’s hair and makeup.

I was deeply moved and inspired by Julia and Steve. They are incredibly generous, caring and thoughtful. I saw so many examples of their generosity throughout the day with their time, their money, and their attention. Here are just a few examples: in the golf cart on the way back from the bluffs, they chatted with the driver about his upcoming military plans, and they congratulated him on his achievements and his commitment to serve. It wasn’t just idle chit-chat, they really, truly cared; they took the time to reach out to another human being and connect. During the toast from Steve’s son Stephen, he talked about how present his father has always been for him despite the demands of a very busy career. They took the time to personally thank the Ritz team that had worked so hard to make their celebration perfect. They encouraged their guests to “drink up” because they were donating to an animal society, dollar for dollar spent on their wedding celebration. Like I said, these are just a few examples of what I witnessed and experienced on their wedding day.

Julia and Steve answered a long standing question I’ve had about people and money – what do wealthy people dream about and wish for? If you can buy the fancy sports cars, choose not to work, take the most amazing vacations, etc. then what do you dream about? I learned the answer to that question on this day – you dream about making the world a better place. Julia and Steve are making the world a better place not only by their charitable donations, but merely by interacting with people in such a positive way that people feel inspired and moved to be better individuals.

A good omen before the ceremony I think.

The sun came out just as the ceremony was beginning. Elena combined two of Geoff’s exposures to create this image which captures both the colors of their ceremony and the sky.

This was a Quaker ceremony; our first. Basically, the idea is that a couple declare themselves married with the support of their friends. Quakers have no clergy, so there is no one person to conduct the ceremony, it’s more of a community.  The wedding ceremony consisted of the couple sitting at the front with several witnesses, and the guests were encouraged to speak about the couple if they were so moved. When the couple felt moved to speak, they stood up and said their own vows of marriage and exchanged rings, and then they were married.

This beautiful Quaker marriage certificate was later signed by all the guests.

And on to the cocktail hour!

Gorgeous floral design by Amy of Amy Burke Designs

Julia and Steve had a more intimate gathering and so their reception took place in a half-ballroom presentation. Look how nicely the curtain reflects the light on the left side.

I’ve never seen a cake so beautiful yet so simple from Just Cake. And very small – Julia and Steve wanted the focus to remain on their out-of-this-world dessert bar. This chocolate sculpture by Daniel Mangione, Pastry Chef. It was so beautiful and perfect; I actually thought it was a sculptural piece of bronze artwork!

For the reception, Julia removed her veil and added a rose to her hair.

Behind the scenes of the dinner preparation. Quite the production!

And here’s the signature Ritz-Carlton presentation of the intermezzo course: lighted ice carved heart dishes with raspberry sorbet.

Creating the creme brulee…

I LOVE these chocolate lollipops they create, the presentation is gorgeous. I often see assorted treats such as this (or those chocolate covered strawberries!)  in the suites of the bride and groom. Just another sign of how much effort and creativity The Ritz-Carlton staff puts into delighting and surprising their guests.

Here’s the team with Julia and Steve, and an assortment of desserts in the process of being created. And now for the deliciously finished products…

Tony and C-Y celebrating a very successful weekend!

Congratulations to Julia & Steve!

Place your print order in the next two weeks and get 1 duplicate print of each print ordered. All of our client online galleries for 2009 are reactivated for our annual print sale. This sale only comes once a year, so if you have been thinking about ordering prints, now is the time. Call Nikki with any questions. Get your holiday shopping done early this year! Sale ends on November 30th.

Alison & David’s wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay was magical. Everything was pretty much perfection. Their wedding was exactly the way a wedding should be: full of love, joy and family. Both Alison and David were just so happy all day. Their two families were so close, it was like they were blended into one big family. It was beautiful.

Here’s our gorgeous bride walking barefoot through the grass to get to various portrait locations. And yes, her dress did get dirty in service to a great cause! Don’t be afraid of a little dirt on your dress, it is meant to be enjoyed on one day only!

I love the side profile. Even the serious look on the upper right, she’s just stunning. I love the scalloped lace on the veil. Alison’s hair and makeup by Armando of Get Your Do Up

Ornamento provided the florals, soft yellows and peaches for the ceremony, and then darker reds and oranges for the reception. Ornamento also provided coordination for the day’s events, allowing the families to sit back and enjoy the day.

These great bridesmaids dresses will definitely have a life after the wedding.

These signature cocktails kept the guests occupied while we headed out for portraits. I love the names they came up with!

Alison removed her veil after the ceremony, and had flowers pinned in her hair which gave her a different look for the reception. As a photographer, I think the best portraits of the couple are created when the photographer finds a great spot with nice lighting, and then the couple just enjoys each other-you get real emotion and a real connection between the two of you. And the images will speak for themselves!

Since the ceremony ended close to sunset, we did Alison and David’s portraits before the family portraits, to ensure we used the best available lighting for the couple.

The reception decor featured autumn touches like fall leaves, candlelight, chocolate tablecloths, berries and rich autumn hues. The lighting accents really set the scene.

Shannie Cakes created the lovely stacked cake.

No explanation needed on Alison’s feelings about being lifted up in a chair for the hoorah dance.

And she survived!

Guests were treated to this gorgeous candy bar station with childhood favorites like jelly beans, sour patch kids and Bazooka bubble gum.

Congratulations to both Alison & David!

Ayumi & David are getting married in late Spring next year. Kelvin met up with them at the Palace of Fine Arts recently for their engagement session. This couple is very sweet and fun together.

These two are very goofy and silly together! The playfulness in their relationship really comes through in the images.

Elena gave this image a cross processed look to play up the blues in the image.

Ayumi’s makeup looks great; soft and natural. You always want to make sure you look your best for the engagement session.

I love how the light catches the rim of the columns in the upper left corner.

Ayumi & David headed over to Baker Beach with Kelvin to finish up their session. I love how Ayumi chose to wear a scarf here at the beach. That’s very true to the location!

What a gorgeous, clear day in San Francisco.

David carried Ayumi quite a bit at the beach. In fact, at one point he even carried her in one hand. Yes! I could hardly believe my eyes.

The perfect ending to their engagement session. Congrats!

Julia and Steve had an AMAZING rehearsal dinner party at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay the evening before their wedding. Kelvin was there to photograph every delicious detail! The couple wanted to share the many joys of road food with their guests, and so the idea of a “road trip” themed rehearsal dinner party was born. Road food is what you find in local eateries, often far from the beaten path, sometimes known only to the locals. Isn’t it so much more fun to visit a new place with a tip about some local establishment with the world’s best (ice cream/ribs/bread pudding/milkshakes)? Steve’s son Stephen was inspired to create a website called www.roadfood.com which is this fantastic site that gives tips on great little out of the way diners and such for foodies on the go. Julia and Steve, along with the Ritz-Carlton team, brought some of their favorites together to be tasted and enjoyed. I warn you, do not read on if you are hungry…you will be sorry! My mouth is watering even as I write this…

Mmm…

One of the best things about rehearsal dinner parties is that the bride and groom get a chance to really relax with their guests the evening before the wedding. This makes the wedding day go so much more smoothly because there’s no pressure to say hello to everyone at the reception when you’ve been enjoying their company all weekend!

Here’s to the happy couple!

Apple pie and cotton candy…a dream come true for me. Followed by an ice cream sundae, of course!

Julia, the bride, and Tony White, celebrating a very successful event!

And for those that could still fit in a few treats, smores at the fire pit. Delicious!