Christy + Miguel in Half Moon Bay, CA

Remember Christy and Miguel?  Here they are again as a newly married couple, and they looked more beautiful/handsome than ever on their wedding day!  They had a beautiful ceremony at St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church in San Francisco (which is really lovely) followed by a reception at the Golf Links in Half Moon Bay where everything (weather, scenery, and people of course) came together magnificently.  Chris Jordan joined me again to second shoot while Adm was still recovering, and he did a wonderful job as you'll see below.

Photo below by Chris:

Photo below by Chris:

Next two ceremony photos by Chris:

Dancing photos by Chris:

Yen Yen + Davin in Novato, CA

Yen Yen and Davin were married more than a month ago (yes, I'm wayyy behind) at Stonetree Golf Club in Novato, and their day was quite an extravaganza!  We started with a Chinese tea ceremony at Yen Yen's parents' home in Oakland, then did a whirlwind tour of portraits throughout various spots in San Francisco, including riding a cable car, heading to Lyon St. Steps, and stopping off at Cavallo Point for some super windy portraits in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, before heading to Novato for a really lovely ceremony and reception.  Perhaps I'm somewhat partial, Yen Yen is one of my cousins, but this wedding was filled with so many beautiful and genuine moments and emotion between family and friends - I always feel so privileged to witness and document these moments.  Additionally, Yen Yen is a perfectionist, and she paid so much attention to creating beautiful details.  Her aunts and cousins did all of the gorgeous flower arrangements, she made the place cards, table decorations, ceremony ribbon streamers, and so much more.  But let's let the photos speak for themselves.  Special thanks to Chris Jordan who helped step in as my second shooter while Adm was having back surgery (literally, on the same day!).

Chris grabbed this beautiful photo of Yen Yen below:

The photo below is by Chris:

Chris made some killer silhouettes including the one below and the final image of the post:

Photo below by Chris:

Ivonne + Brian in Knights Ferry, CA

Ivonne and Brian were married at Ivonne's family church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto, before celebrating at the Washington Hotel in Knight's Ferry.  Knights Ferry is one of the hidden gems of the Central Valley, en route to Yosemite when you're coming from the Bay Area, and it's definitely worth the stop if you're in the neighborhood.  With guests mingling on the lush lawn, overlooking the Stanislaus River, and the sun shining brightly through the old Oaks, these two could not have had a more perfect day.  They capped their day with a night filled with lots of dancing, one of my favorite activities to photograph!

Many many thanks to my good friend Allen who stepped up to second shoot with me while Adm was out with a severely herniated disc.  The photo below is by Allen:

Photo below by Allen:

Rachel + Jamie in Muir Beach, CA

Rachel and Jamie's wedding was an intimate getaway to Muir Beach's Pelican Inn, which is nestled in California's Coastal Range just North of San Francisco off Highway One.  Stepping into the Inn felt like stepping into an Old Irish pub filled to the brim with your closest family and friends.  Because Rachel and Jamie had taken over the Inn, it felt as if we were in their family home that just happened to be a short walk from the ocean, with Mount Tamalpais hovering in the distance.  Because everything and everyone were in one location, the day flowed leisurely and allowed for lots of family time, which Adm and I felt very privileged to witness.  The Inn, and all of its nooks and crannies and character details, completely enhanced the understated elegance of the occasion.  At every turn, I was impressed with how in love Rachel and Jamie were with one another, and with how perfect their wedding suited them.  Rachel and Jamie could not have created a more magical day.

The following two photos are by Adm:

Following two photos are by Adm:

Lots of beautiful flower details (photos by Adm and me):

Laura + Jason in Visalia, CA

We kicked off our 2010 wedding season photographing Laura and Jason's two-day affair in their hometown of Visalia.  On day one, Laura and Jason had a beautifully intimate ceremony in Laura's parents' backyard before treating their closest family and friends to a lovely lunch at the country club.  For the following day, these two hosted an open-house reception where almost 300 people dropped in to wish the newlyweds "congratulations."  From our first moment meeting Laura and Jason at Hillary and Matt's wedding last summer to having dinner together at our home last fall to seeing them off on their way to their honeymoon, these two have been some of the nicest and most generous people we've met.  We feel so honored to have been able to document their wedding festivities, and we're even luckier to have made two new wonderful friends!

Photo by Adm:

Photo by Adm:  (lots of wonderful emotion throughout)

The balloon photo on the left above is by Adm as is the photo below:

A couple from the open-house reception:  (second to last photo by Adm)

Best of 2009

What a year 2009 has been!  I've learned so much and met so many amazing people in my first full year of photographing weddings.  I feel so grateful for the families that have trusted Adm and me with one of the most special days of their lives.  Thank you thank you to all of my wonderful couples who made this year so incredible!  Here is a collection of photos from every wedding and engagement session that we photographed in the past 12 months:

Happy 2010!