Kate and David got engaged on this very beach! We really lucked out with amazing March weather for this engagement photo session in Point Reyes. A risky move but it definitely paid off. I love how much fun these guys are having in their engagement pictures, and I can’t wait to take more pictures with Kate and David at their wedding in Guerneville next month!

Joyce and Dan were such a pleasure to work with. Their wedding was at Nestldown in Los Gatos, CA this September. This is one of the most stunning venues I’ve ever seen. It’s the type of place where I could just wander around for an entire day and take photos even if nobody else was there. Fortunately, there were other people there, and they were all having a great time celebrating the marriage of these two amazing people.

At the end of the night, the groom gave me one of the best compliments I’ve ever received as a wedding photographer, and it had nothing to do with photography. He said that it was great having me around because he felt like I was a calming presence during the occasionally hectic parts of the day. It was a great reminder that working with a bride and groom on their wedding day is more than just taking great pictures.

Eve and Christian are engaged to be married on August 25th 2012. We took their engagement photos at Oakland’s Lake Chabot, and we even included their vintage canoe, “The USS Patches McGee”.

Marissa and Chris were married at Sea Ranch in Sonoma County last summer. Such a gorgeous location, and a gorgeous couple to match. This was a wonderfully intimate wedding; with under 50 guests I really felt like I was part of the wedding, and not just an observer.

Overcast skies like the one on Chris and Marissa’s wedding day make for great light, and we got some amazinng portraits of the couple at sunset. I would love to shoot another wedding at this venue some day, even though it’s a bit of a crazy drive to get there on Highway 1.

This has got to be a first. The theme for Christine and Jim’s wedding, which I recently photographed at The Brazil Room in Berkeley, was “Saturday Morning”. The wedding incorporated all the things that the bride and groom like to do when they spend a relaxing Saturday around the house, such as:

• Crossword puzzles
• Eating breakfast
• Drinking coffee
• Listening to NPR
• And of course, wearing PJs all day

When they told me about their wedding plans, I had to ask, “Wait, you really want me to wear pajamas to your wedding?” They practically insisted. This was one of the most unique, fun, and relaxed weddings I’ve ever participated in. A few of my favorite details:

• The program for the wedding day was printed in the form of a newspaper, complete with crossword puzzle. The clues were all about the bride and groom.
• Breakfast buffet, and pastries instead of wedding cake
• A live recreation of “Wait, Wait! Don’t Tell Me!” the NPR news quiz
• Coffee/tea themed table decorations
• At the end of the wedding, the couple rode off on a decorated tandem bike (not sure what this has to do with the theme, but it’s awesome.)

Here we go:

I took these engagement photos for Cara and Carlo back in September of last year. We had a great time exploring Oakland’s Jack London Square, and got some stunning photographs as well. These guys are getting married later this year, so stay tuned for wedding photos of these two!

I love backyard weddings. I especially love it when said backyard has a stunning view overlooking vineyards. This was an awesome DIY wedding, with lots of handmade details, and a ton of personality.

A few of my favorite things about this wedding:

• Great outdoor setting and great light in the room where the bride was getting ready
• Amazing photo locations just a short walk from the ceremony site
• Totally random and unexpected appearance from TOMMY SMOTHERS!
• Knuckles the dog
• Super fun bride and groom who seemed totally at ease in front of the camera

Carrie and Mark were married on August 21 at the Healdsburg Country Gardens in Healdsburg, CA. Such a gorgeous setting, and such a gorgeous couple. As a photographer, this is the type of wedding you always hope for.

• Beautiful outdoor setting: check
• Bride and groom who look like movie stars: check
• Great weather, food, details, decorations, and people: check, check, check, and check.

These guys made my job really easy. Enjoy the photos!

Bethany and Dan were married on May 1st at the Farm at Putah Creek in Winters, CA. I love the down-home (yet elegant) vibe of this wedding. Lot’s of great details, and cool style at this very unconventional celebration.

Some my favorite things about this wedding:

• suspenders
• roasting marshmallows
• barn dancing
• kids with parasols
• a groom in boots

Megan and Andy (or “Megandy” as they’re known to their friends) we’re married on May 15th, 2010 at  the Rush Ranch Open Space in Suisun City, CA. I love outdoor weddings, but especially when they’re in such a gorgeous setting as this.I remember thinking I would have loved just wandered around the ranch taking pictures even if there had been nobody else there.

The ceremony (officiated by a close friend of the couple) was moving and included toasts and songs from friends and family. The all-vegan catering was delicious, and the bride and groom are obviously very much in love, and I think it comes through in all the pictures of them.

My top 5 favorite things about this wedding:

1. Rush Ranch Open Space
2. Delicious vegan catering
3. Wooden SPORKS!
4. People playing Ultimate Frisbee in suits and dresses
5. The groom’s daring leap over a barbed wire fence