Angela + Brett Orinda, CA

Good morning blog world!  We had a really fun shooting weekend - a San Francisco engagement and gorgeous wedding in Carmel, and hope you all had a super Labor Day weekend too!  To ease back into the work week, we're sharing Angela and Brett's "fairytale casual" wedding!

What is fairytale casual you may wonder?  Well, it's what Angela and Brett instructed their guests to wear, and while it's open to interpretation, one thing that's for certain is that it leads to a whole lot of fun.  Angela and Brett know how to have a good time, and when you bring together some wizards, Aladdin, Jasmin, steampunk inspired  Burning Man costumes, and grown men with butterfly wings running around it's guaranteed to be a crazy party.

These two were married atop the hill in Brett's parents' backyard in Orinda.  Surrounded by tall pines and food and drink carts scattered throughout the property, guests dined on fresh oysters, paella, home brew and creme brûlée.  Of all the weddings that Adm and I have photographed together, this one has to be the most enchanting.  Thank you, Angela and Brett, for marching to the beat of your own drum.

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Caroline + Kiren in Yosemite, CA

As Adm and I winded our way along Hwy 120 on the way to Caroline and Kiren's wedding, I could smell the sweet scent of pine as the sun twinkled in between the tall majestic trees.  We turned off onto Evergreen Road, just outside the gate to Yosemite National Park.  As a city girl, I am always awed by the mountains, and as we pulled up to the Evergreen Lodge, I could feel that we were some place special.

Caroline and Kiren are adventurers.  You'll remember their engagement shoot where they were sliding down a really long slide and climbing to the top of Bernal Heights on the way to taking photographs at a bar.  This couple has been on risk taking adventures all over the world so having a wedding in the mountains near Yosemite almost seems like slowing down for them.  Their wedding weekend was so much fun, perfectly described by Kiren as "summer camp for adults."  All 170 of their closest family and friends were in one magical place (where there wasn't any cell reception), surrounded by the woods and there for the sole purpose of celebrating Caroline and Kiren.  They combined western wedding traditions with some Indian traditions, which made their wedding visually stunning and very personal.  We just loved photographing these two with their families and friends!

We're also excited to announce that this wedding is featured today on Maharani Weddings!  You can see their post here.

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Aubra + Justin Engagement

After making engagement photos with Aubra and Justin for more than 3 hours, we can't wait for their October wedding!  Aubra and Justin are both so easygoing and fun to be around (not to mention that Aubra is also a Tar Heel alum).  This was my favorite kind of engagement shoot - leisurely exploring different parts of Oakland, looking for cool street scenes and art.  We ended up in our old neighborhood near the Parkway Theater where we found some great light, shadows and colorful murals.  They also brought along their adorable pup Lucy who joined in for the shoot.  I happen to be an avid Oakland lover, and so I love these shoots that get to show off my city and feel so quintessentially "Oaklandish."

Who doesn't love a good stick fight?

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Rachel + Sky in Big Sur, CA

Rachel and Sky were married within the gorgeous Redwood trees in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.  With only their parents and Rachel's brother, it was an intimate wedding in an idyllic setting.  After their ceremony, Rachel's brother and father treated us to one of my personal Bob Dylan favorites, "If Not For You."  Rachel and Sky had a super fun vibe, and their families were lovely.  To signify how simpatico everyone was, their moms both (coincidentally) wore the scarves that Rachel and Sky had brought back for them from a trip to India.  It couldn't have been done more perfectly.

Erin + John in Woodside, CA

Preston Davis brought me along to Erin and John's wedding a couple of weeks ago.  They started their day at the gorgeous Rosewood Sand Hill resort in Menlo Park where Erin and her girls leisurely primped while John and his guys hung out poolside.  They were married at the Family Farm, a private estate in Woodside that lies nestled amidst gorgeous redwoods.  With the sun streaming through the redwoods and surrounded by the creaking of the old trees, Erin and John's ceremony could not have been more idyllic.

Check out Preston's photos here.

There were some lovely details that featured a peacock theme!