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. We 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!
The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay culinary team created some incredibly delicious treats!
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 Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay signature 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!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
My favorite shot…no 2 favorites..no, wait… my THREE favorite shots are….the close up of the bride and groom holding hand (pin stripes really pop), the pelicans flying, and the sun peeking out of the clouds over the ceremony. The red carpet pops, and then the sky….Gorgeous!!! You guys are just amazing.
Yeah, I really remember those pelicans flying overhead. As a photographer, I am often conflicted about witnessing something beautiful versus capturing it for others. I saw it happening, but did not have time to respond (didnt have the right lens on at that moment) but I mentioned it to Geoff, assuming he would look up in time to see it but not capture it. But No! He’s “Very Fast” and was able to whip around and capture it beautifully. Someone at the wedding actually mentioned it to me recently, asking if I had seen it. It was one of those profound moments.
You captured the essence of Julia & Steve`s day beautifully, both in pictures and in words. It was a thrill to be a part of it. One more story of Julia`s generosity: I admired the sparkly belt she added to her dress after dinner. At the end of the wedding, she left it for me, truly heart-full people!
Wow…
Dear Lara and Geoff,
I cannot THANK YOU enough for capturing the true essence of our wedding. Thanks to your AMAZING pictures, we will be able to recreate and remember every detail of our wedding for the rest of our lives. If you two are ever in NYC, please let us know. We would love to get together with you. Thanks again.
Julia