Danielle + Ephraim in Santa Rosa, CA

Last year, when Ephraim's little sister Anna excitedly faced the prospect of living in the same city (San Francisco) as her big brother, she asked if she could live with him.  To her disappointment, he turned her down, saying that the next person he would live with was going to be his wife.  So, last fall, when Ephraim told Anna that he and his then girlfriend Danielle were looking for a place together, she knew (before Danielle) that Ephraim and Danielle were going to get married.  And just like that, less than a year later, Danielle and Ephraim were married.

These two had a beautiful wedding at Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa, where the vineyards were lush and they couldn't have asked for a more classic Bay Area late summer day.  Thanks to Cristina Heald of Heald Wedding Consulting, everything went smoothly and without a hitch!  Congrats Danielle and Ephraim!

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Melissa + Donovan in Napa, CA

After Adm and I had such an amazing engagement session with Melissa and Donovan, we were really looking forward to their wedding in Napa.  Unfortunately, Adm was sick on the day of their wedding, but luckily, our friend Brad Zweerink was able to step in at the last minute, and we had a great time photographing Melissa and Donovan's wedding together.  Their day started at the Hilton in Napa, and when we arrived, Melissa and her ladies were all ready, with all of her details laid out for me to photograph and casually sipping champagne.  Donovan and his guys were in the same boat as they were all ready to go and watching football just a couple of doors down.  There was no last minute rushing, thanks to Melissa's impeccable planning skills and attention to detail, and this set the tone for the rest of the day as everything went incredibly smoothly.

The wedding and reception took place at the Napa Valley Country Club, which had gorgeous rolling hills covered in gnarled oak trees all around it.  Everything happened at the perfect time of day when the light was best, and so it was a real treat to photograph these two, who were so obviously in love and surrounded by quintessential California late summer beauty.  Once the sun went down, Melissa and Donovan planted themselves on the dance floor with their friends and family and danced the night away.  This was a real enthusiastic dancing crowd and as the night went on, the dancing got crazier and crazier, which just made for super fun picture taking!

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Melody + Cyrus' Photo Booth

Melody and Cyrus had a roaring 20s themed wedding, so naturally, the photo booth had to reflect the 1920s as well.  I personally am a big fan of 1920s styles so I loved searching for the props, and my grandma (who was born in 1925!) helped me make some sequin and feather flapper headbands.  This was a really fun crowd that came dressed in style and had a great time tearing up the photo booth.  Normally, we do photo booth pictures in color, but I thought that the black and white was fitting for this particular booth.

Now, this is a girl who dances like me, Isadora Duncan style.

Do these two below look familiar?  They should!  We photographed their engagement session, wedding and photo booth (the inspiration for Melody and Cyrus' booth) last year, and now they're expecting!  Congrats Ginny and Sep!

This has got to be my favorite (OK, second favorite behind the top photo of Melody and Cyrus with the flying hats):  How can you not love a serious kid with foreboding, gloved fingers?

Quick Getaway

We've got weddings up the gazoo right now, but to stay fresh and help us deal with all of the crazy, we took a mini break to Mendocino in Northern California.  It was perfect.  The trees, the sunshine, the food, the dog and the boy.

Nancy + Eric Pre-Wedding Session

Nancy and Eric's engagement session was more of a family outing than a photo shoot.  They wanted to take photos with their dog, Royce, but because he wasn't allowed in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, Nancy's sister Helen and her boyfriend Tony came along to watch the little pup, and they simultaneously provided styling help and a big heart balloon bouquet.

After Golden Gate Park, we made Nancy and Eric brave the cold sunset at Sutro Baths for some stunning shots.  We had a lot of fun with this whole bunch, and we really appreciated all of the care and attention Nancy put into the shoot - she had her hair and make-up done earlier in the day, thoughtfully planned out her props (including little Royce), and as you can tell, she and Eric looked amazing in their wedding clothes.  These two are getting married in a month or so with a City Hall wedding, and we wish them all the best!

Sonja + AJ in Santa Barbara, CA

You might remember Sonja and AJ from their engagement session at the Stow House and old train station in Goleta, CA.  Or should I say, "How could you forget them?"  One of the things that seems to be pretty important when you pick your life partner is that you have a solid friendship with one another, and Sonja and AJ are knock your socks off best-friends who are in love and know how to make each other laugh.

Over Labor Day weekend, these two got married at The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, which was the perfect place to have their wedding.  The setting was intimate and naturally beautiful, a place that perfectly fit their incredibly personal ceremony which was presided over by Sonja's uncle.  In the backlight of the setting sun and shimmering leaves, Sonja got pretty emotional as she and AJ read their own vows to one another.  It was a beautiful thing to witness and photograph.  Once the ceremony was over, these two held nothing back as they partied the night away with their closest family and friends. Congrats, you two - we wish you loads of love and happiness!

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