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!

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

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:

Ben Lomond Wedding - Christina and Philip

I’ll be honest, when a wedding and reception is all held on church grounds, I tend to expect a pretty simple setup. But nothing about Christina and Philip’s day was “basic” or “ordinary” – they themselves are high energy, yet humble; enthusiastic and fun, yet gracious and compassionate. This positive core extends to their friends and family, and translated into a moving, and truly exciting event that blew away my expectations. Smiles and laughter punctuated the day, and the Orthodox church was a sight to behold. Thank you, Christina and Philip, for entrusting me with capturing all the big and little moments throughout the day, I look forward to being your photographer for future big (and little - hint, hint) moments to come :)

Waterfall Lodge Wedding in Ben Lomond, California – Jenelle and Tyler

Along the coast here, we're blessed with beautiful seascapes in front of us, and enchanting redwood forests and behind us. Jenelle and Tyler opted for a redwood grove wedding in the mountains above Ben Lomond, California, and it was truly a magical setting to celebrate their big day. The venue (formerly known as Stones & Flowers) has reopened and re-branded as Waterfall Lodge. The grand new addition, aside from all the landscaping, is a masterpiece of a recycled wood "barn" surrounded by marble-tiled reception and cocktail hour terraces. It's perfect for typically-sized weddings, and we were lucky to have amazing weather day-of. I was so happy to celebrate this day with Jenelle and Tyler, and I produced way more photos than I typically do. I'll stop writing and just share a few of my faves: