April + Arthur Maternity

I had the great pleasure of photographing April and Arthur's maternity session this week.  In a lot of ways, it wasn't all that different from an engagement session, except that the whole focus of the shoot was on the baby girl growing inside April's belly.  We started at their home in San Mateo and then walked a few blocks to the Japanese Tea Garden.  Even though I haven't done a ton of maternity sessions (this brings my total count to three), it was super easy to take photos of them since they are so in love with each other and excitedly awaiting their little one.  You would think that April and Arthur are models because they seemed to really easily forget about me and just focused on being with each other.  Despite the fact that with the exception of her tummy April doesn't look pregnant at all, she is due in a couple of weeks.  I can't wait to meet their new baby!

Margee + Kate in Oakland, CA

There is a feeling that you get when you're around Margee and Kate, and when we arrived to Joaquin Miller Park where their wedding took place, that feeling was in the air - not to sound too cheesy, but it was like this bubbling brook of happiness.  Everyone was running about getting the park ready for their ceremony, laughing and smiling as the ribbons for the chuppah blew in the wind.  Kate's smiles and Margee's giggles are so infectious it is overwhelming, which is attested to by all the care that their loved ones put into making their day perfect. We have loved working with Margee and Kate ever since we first met them during our consultation.  These two are so super duper in love that when I'm around them, I feel like I'm intruding on this really special and intimate moment.  But the truth is, that's just how their relationship is - they wholly appreciate each minute that they get to spend with one another.  Because Adm and I work and live together, we spend a lot of time together, and more often than not, we end up taking for granted all of this time we get to be with one another.  A lot of the time is filled with day to day boring routines as well as stress from working, and so even though we're physically together, it's not really time that we're acknowledging how much we appreciate each other.  Photographing Margee and Kate, and watching their ceremony, and the sweetness and closeness between them and their parents and siblings was such a joy because it really reminded us how precious it is to be with someone you love.  Margee and Kate, thank you for this gift, we are so happy for you and your families.

Photo on the left by Adm

Sneak Peek: Liz + Darren, Kate + Margee

We're working away on editing a lot of recent shoots, so for now, here are a couple of previews!

Liz + Darren's Photo Booth

Over the weekend, we put up our first photo booth of the year for Liz and Darren's wedding in Capitola.  We did some things differently for their photo booth, which I'll share in a later post, but for now, I wanted to post their movie.  Make sure you watch through to the end so you don't miss Liz's sister Mary's solo dance show! The snippet of a song is "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz.

Dressing for Engagement Sessions

I'm also a big fan of including props that are either fun and playful or meaningful for you as a couple.  One of the first engagement sessions that Adm and I did was with Judith and Tom, and it was an absolute blast because they asked us to photograph their session as the story of country mouse meeting city mouse, which is how they felt their relationship came about.  We brought all kinds of fun props including a loaf of bread and a big straw hat for Tom to wear as the country mouse.  Even if you don't want to go that far, including something simple like a bouquet of flowers or balloons can add a sweet element to your photos.

We're also big animal lovers and so anytime our couples ask to include their pets in a few photos, we're always on board!

So, there you have it.  Remember, there's no such thing as getting too dressed up or in poor Tom's case, dressing down too much.

Nicole + Grant in Manteo, NC

This past weekend, Adm and I headed to the Outerbanks in North Carolina for my dear friend Nicole's wedding to Grant.  This is one of the few weddings we've attended as guests, and so we were super excited to have a fun, non-working weekend with old and new friends to celebrate with Nicole and Grant.  They had a lovely ceremony along the water, and if you've never been to the Outerbanks, then I definitely suggest a trip: the beaches are pristine, they have amazing sand dunes, and there's lots of fun swimming in the ocean (something I never underestimate since I now live in the Bay Area where the ocean waters are FREEZING!).  At any rate, we had the best time getting to play all weekend with some of my closest friends.  In between all the partying, I did snag a few quick photos of Nicole and Grant.  The weekend went by way too quickly, but we're so happy for Colie and Grant.  Congrats you two!  We had the best time and hope you're having an amazing honeymoon!