Amy + Brett in Sonoma, CA

Amy and Brett flew out from New York to be with their family in California wine country at the Viansa Winery for their Halloween weekend wedding.  Sonoma was warm and sunny with no hint of the winds that we experienced during their engagement shoot at the winery last May.  You couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

To my delight, after dinner all 130 guest stood up and began to dance in unison.  Surprise: Flash Mob!  This amassing feat was coordinated by the fun committee of Teresa and Rob, Judith and Tom's sister and brother, respectively.  You might remember Judith and Tom's wedding which we photographed back in '09.

Amy and Brett's wedding was all about family and fun.  Brett's sister married the couple, and they didn't even seem to mind when their ceremony was interrupted by a nephew who just want to say "hello".  Their first dance was choreographed and provided a great deal of entertainment, and the dance floor props ranged from feather boas to flashing rave lights and glow sticks.  There was an overwhelming feeling of closeness and joy throughout the day.

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Reba + Richie in San Ramon, CA

Reba and Richie are the type of people that you want living next door.  They are super fun and all about their family.  When they first came to meet with me, I expected that they might bring their daughter Nina or Reba's mother, so when the door opened and I found that they had twelve family members in tow, I was a little surprised, but quickly learned that that's just how they roll.  As you might expect, that is a lot of people for a consultation, but luckily, I ended getting some help from our dog Kiki.  "How?" you ask, well, Reba and Richie are also Shiba owners and their pup, Kobe, looks just like my little fur ball.  It was an instant connection.

Their wedding was on one of those warm days in late October that we are so lucky to have in the Bay Area.  It took place at the Bridges Golf Course in San Ramon, and as I expected, filled with tons of family and friends who were so happy to celebrate this marriage, one that was eleven years in the making.  Reba and Richie's fun personalities and energy set the tone for their day so that it was just one great party.  Congrats, you two!

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Alison + Bryan in San Francisco, CA

Alison and Bryan are SO much fun.  Need I remind you how I fell during their engagement session at Crissy Field last year and they kept me laughing all the way through to the end?  While their wedding remained injury-free, Alison and Bryan again kept me and everybody else smiling all day long.  This is a couple who, as they put it, cherishes one another so much that you can see it in every smiling moment.  I think my favorite moment of the day though was during their first look at Lyon Street Steps when Alison was caught between laughing and crying as she saw Bryan for the first time.  Seriously, it was one of the sweetest first looks that I've ever witnessed, and I still tear up a little when I look at those photos.

These two had a completely San Francisco wedding with portraits at Lyon Street Steps and their ceremony at Inspiration Point where guests were treated to an amazing view of the Marina and San Francisco Bay.  Afterwords, family and friends walked across the street to the vaulted ceiling and open beams of the Presidio Golf Course for the reception.  Adm and I have loved getting to know Alison and Bryan, which started over a little game of bean bags at Jaclyn and Andy's wedding last year, and we wish them nothing but love and happiness.

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Sherri + Mat in Malibu, CA

If I just wrote a normal blog post about how Sherri and Mat's wedding at Calimigos Ranch in Malibu was amazing and what an awesome couple they are I would be leaving out a huge part of the story.  Don't get me wrong, Sherri and Mat really are great and super fun together.  I even think that Sherri partially hired us because of our dog Kiki and that makes me love her a little more.  At this point it is important to note that Sherri is also a wedding photographer.

When you're hired by another wedding photographer to photograph their wedding, it is actually really flattering, but let me tell you, the pressure is on.  I would never do less than my all for any of my brides, but when another photographer is going to be looking at themselves in your work, it adds an extra layer of anxiety.

It's at times like these where I feel really lucky to have Adm by my side.  The majority of Sherri and Mat's wedding happened right as the sun was going down, and so Adm lit four locations for their wedding:  the ceremony and receptions sites as well as two portrait locations.  Our final portrait location (at the carousel), was actually so dark that I had to have Adm hold up my cell phone in front of Sherri and Mat's faces in order to focus.  He would then run out of the frame, and I would point that camera where I thought they were and click the shutter.  While we're used to shooting at night a lot, there's usually some light around, like street lights, so I can see my subjects, but this was definitely a first where it was so dark that I couldn't see what/who I was photographing.

All in all, it was a fun and challenging wedding with lots of great people in a beautiful and intimate setting at Calamigos Ranch.

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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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