San Francisco Presidio & Sutro Bath Engagement Session | Krystal & Justin

Before I show you the photos of this next engagement session, you should know a little about the story behind it. Krystal, Justin and I had been going back and forth for weeks, trying to pick the perfect date for the session. Because Amanda from One True Love Vintage Rentals was styling their shoot, we knew we needed sunshine and lots of it! So when the morning of the big day came, it was of course, raining! No one was prepared to back down, so we drove out to the Presidio (whilst praying for the sun) and once we got there, it just kept pouring, yet Krystal was determined to make it work! We waited and waited in our cars, just hoping for even a few minutes of dry weather when at last, an hour and a half later, it finally stopped raining! That is not to say that the two of them didn't fight through the freezing weather and the wet ground, but at least we stayed dry! Krystal absolutely loved the rustic and vintage look and put so much work into making the session perfect, so we decided to go to the Sutro Bath in San Francisco which is such a great location. I always tell my couples to be prepared to hike and jump and climb and these two were so willing to do it all in order to get the best pictures. Their hard work paid off, and I couldn't be happier to have such a great, first engagement session of 2012!

I have to mention Amanda at One True Love Vintage Rentals again! They did an amazing job with every little detail! It was so romantic, beautiful,and fun. I love the clocks and the couch; it made the session so unique. And how gorgeous is the little tent in the forest, with the chandelier and the picture frames?! I had such an amazing time and can't wait to photograph their wedding. It is so great to spend a day with a couple before the wedding and see how wonderful they are together.

I also have to give a special shout out to Justin (Sorry Justin, I couldn't keep this in!). He is so sweet! I received an emailed before the session saying that he wanted to make the day perfect for Krystal and wanted advice on how to do that. I have never had a groom do that before! And he even asked me to have a few photos edited so that he could print one from the session to give to Krystal two days later for Valentines Day. Awww!

Thanks you two for such an amazing engagement session! I hope you LOVE the photos as much as I do!

Livermore Wedding Photography - Casa Real | Courtney & Ryan

Here is a wedding with a punch of personality! Courtney and Ryan were married at Casa Real in Livermore and they made sure that there was never a dull moment! The entire wedding party was bursting out of the seams with joy for the happy couple, as were their families. It melted my heart to see all the tears and hugs during the day.



How gorgeous is Courtney?? Loving her red lipstick! And her dress...amazing! Not only is there that adorable bow on the back, but it even has pockets. So cute!





Isn't it great when the groom isn't afraid to be emotional when seeing his bride for the first time? Here was his reaction:














Courtney and her dad wowed the guests when they got up to do their father daughter dance. It was an amazing, choreographed dance and boy can they move!








Congratulations to Courtney and Ryan!

Berkeley Holiday Family Photoshoot on 4th Street | Baby Jake

A couple months ago we went out to the adorable 4th street shops in Berkeley to do a quick family photoshoot! The street was so beautiful with the lights in the trees that it made for the perfect holiday shoot. You may remember baby Jake from previous posts, but look how much he's grown! I can't get enough of those baby cheeks!

Orinda Wedding Photography - Orinda Country Club | Queenie & Franco

There is nothing like a good theme to make a wedding go from good to fabulous! The wedding of Queenie and Franco is no exception. Being the world travelers that they are, they decided to embrace a theme that expressed just that. From airplane cuff links, to paper airplane programs, these two had the adventurer's dream wedding design!

Let's start with their tea ceremony. Can we just take a second to admire how beautiful the outdoor area they chose was? And how about how great the two look? Wow!

After all the fun of the tea ceremony, Queenie and Franco departed to the Skyline Church in Oakland which has floor to ceiling windows overlooking huge trees and letting in beautiful light. There were so many people there to celebrate with the two of them that they barely all fit into the church! They played a fun slideshow for everyone to see and Queenie even surprised Franco by going over to the piano and performing a song. So sweet!

After the ceremony, we headed over to the Orinda Country Club. They have a great little library-esque room for the bride and groom to rest and touch up. The reception hall was where I was just blown away by all of the tiny and amazing details that they put into it. The place cards were designed to look like airplane tickets and the destination was actually the name of the table! Such a clever idea! The centerpieces of the table consisted of stacked up travel books and beautiful flowers. Their dessert table was mouthwatering and had boxes and tins of sweets, all wrapped up in old maps and displayed on top of vintage suitcases.

I could go on and on about the things that I loved at their wedding but instead, take a look for yourselves. To Queenie and Franco, congratulations again! You two make sure a great couple and I wish you many more adventures ahead!