Viewing entries tagged
bay area wedding photography

San Juan Bautista Wedding at The Mission

San Juan Bautista Wedding at The Mission

You can tell it’s a slow part of the season when the sneak peek of my first wedding of the year includes over 300 photos! I don’t know who will ever read this, but I can tell you it was such a JOY to be around people and to capture an actual full wedding. I’m so over this pandemic! Granted, it was still a small wedding, and there were lots of masks (which makes for challenging candid photos) but it was so fun to celebrate a wedding after so long away from them.

The wedding was a full Catholic mass at The Mission in San Juan Bautista, and after a few family photos inside the church, we went outside and across the street for some pretty beautiful settings in this historical location. The reception was a beautiful affair at the couple’s back yard home in San Jose. I have to say, I have high hopes for 2021 weddings – they cant’t come soon enough!

Pebble Beach Surprise Engagement / Proposal

Pebble Beach Surprise Engagement / Proposal

We had a rough idea of where my client would propose to his girlfriend, but like wedding photography, I’m always prepared to roll with the fluid circumstances of a proposal. I’d checked off the important stuff: 1) Satellite image with rough location, 2) rough timing of said proposal and 3) received selfie of couple so I don’t stalk the wrong couple LOL.

Luckily both sets of parents were also with me to witness the moment – this isn’t typical, but at least gave me confidence I wasn’t going to end up in the wrong place! Apparently these two are long-time sweethearts, and life found a way to finally, formally, unite this couple after 16 years. A beautiful thing, if you ask me!

Needless to say, everything came together like clockwork. She said yes, he cried. Well, they both did. They all did. I did. Ok not that last part. But I was happy.

Here’s a selection of my faves from the proposal itself and the brief engagement shoot afterwards. Luckily they were dressed for a nice dinner in Pebble Beach . (hint: guys, always tell her there’s a nice dinner waiting so she’s not wearing her comfy sweatpants when I capture this part!). Enjoy ;)

Silicon Valley Capital Club - San Jose Wedding - Lily + Nolan

Silicon Valley Capital Club - San Jose Wedding - Lily + Nolan

It’s not too often you run across a couple as sincere, sweet and good-intentioned as Lily and Nolan. From the moment I met them at an inconspicuous Starbucks in San Jose, I knew they were special, and I was going to be in charge of their wedding day memories. We had a practice / engagement session in Japantown, a place that represents the roots of their relationship and holds many special memories for them; it was amazing to capture them in their element, and to experience a previously unvisited place to shoot through new eyes, combined with my in-the-moment vision.

For the wedding, it was also a new location for me. The girls got ready in the always-fabulous Fairmont Hotel, amazing natural light providing for some stunning pre-wedding candids. I met the guys up in the Capital Club bar – on the roof of the Knight Ridder building right next door – and I could tell right away that not only does the groom have a best friend for a dad, he’s also got a crew of amazing men in his circle of friends. There was as much emotion swirling through that bunch of guys as there was with the girls next door. The day was a whirlwind of laughter, tears and sweet moments. I took a TON of photos, many more than usual, and want to share a few of my favorites below. The spreads below are like open album pages – the ultimate album, if you will. Enjoy…

Roaring Camp Wedding Photos - Felton, California

Roaring Camp Wedding Photos - Felton, California

If you love trains and you’re getting married, you really have to check out Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton, California. Carol and Nick (well, especially Nick), dig these steam-driven monuments to living history, so it was a natural choice for their Big Day to choose Roaring Camp as their wedding venue. It was Cinco de Mayo, and we were graced with amazing weather all day. Even though Roaring Camp can host large weddings with over 200 people, these two wanted something a little more intimate, allowing for family-style tables at the reception, and setting up a really cool lounge area outdoors around a fire pit. The ceremony was held in the upper redwood grove, and the train ride up and down Bear Mountain is always one of the most memorable aspects of a Roaring Camp wedding. I got so many great candids throughout the day, please enjoy some of my favorites in my album design below:

Indian Engagement Session at Palace of Fine Arts and Baker Beach, SanFrancisco

Indian Engagement Session at Palace of Fine Arts and Baker Beach, SanFrancisco

These two were flying back to New York the same evening, so rescheduling their west coast engagement was… not an option. While I waited for them in the Palace of Fine Arts parking lot, the sky opened up and rained… Part of me was expecting the client to cancel via text, but alas the rain stopped and they showed up not too long after, ready to go! Even when the weather is cold and drizzly, the Palace of Fine Arts is a very popular tourist destination, and they get dropped off to explore the property by the busload. And of course there’s always photographers, both amateur and professional, snapping away at the architectural wonders or, like me, shooting sessions with couples. We took our time exploring the property, getting both wide shots to show off the towering architecture, and closer in, more intimate photos. The challenge is really to make it seem like my clients are the only ones there – and I think we more or less accomplished this! Afterwards we drove 10 minutes to Baker Beach, another popular tourist location given the great sunset view of the Golden Gate Bridge. After a quick outfit change in my Sqivvy pop-up tent, we finished the engagement shoot on the beach, getting some romantic sunset shots along the way. Enjoy a few of my faves below!