Blog Masonry – Hazel Photo Weddings

Lodge at Marconi Wedding

As is common in this industry, when I first met Stu and Olivia, they were total strangers… That all changed in a hurry when I floated the idea of an experimental 24 hour engagement session during a call. They were game, and I was bothe delighted and surprised. By the time the wedding rolled around, I’d already seen them at sunrise, at sunset, at sunrise again, and in just about every mood in between. It made meeting their parents, siblings, and friends on the wedding day feel surprisingly intimate—as intimate as spending 24 hours straight with strangers allows.

This was my first wedding at the Lodge at Marconi, though I’d wandered its trails years ago when it was still a conference center. The place has a fascinating history: originally built in 1914 as a radio receiving station by Guglielmo Marconi—yes, that Marconi, the electrical engineer and inventor often credited as the father of radio. Over the decades, the property morphed through many lives, from an infamous “alternative lifestyle community” in the 1960s to a retreat center for nonprofits and companies. These days, it’s a smartly renovated resort tucked into the hills of Tomales Bay, just an hour from San Francisco. The lodge sports old radio equipment sprinkled across the grounds, a quiet nod to its origin story.

The wedding day began with Olivia getting ready in one of the conference rooms. Her gown featured a removable train—ingenious, since it made bustling a breeze/non-issue later in the night. During getting ready Olivia surprised Stu with a thoughtful gift. We had our first look on top of the hill above the lodge, the wind catching the train in a way that begged for slow-shutter photographs to show the movement.

From the ceremony site at the very top of the hill, you get wide-open views of rolling hills and Tomales Bay. A sweet breeze kept the air moving, making the ceremony feel alive. A friend officiated in a bold floral dress, adding a pop of color to an otherwise minimal floral setup. Stu’s mom illustrated a map of the venue which assisted guests in navigating their way around the property.

Coktail hour started with a bang, when Stu surprised Olivia with a serenade backed by an a cappella group composed of friends. She was visibly floored. During cocktail hour, Olivia and Stu displayed photographs from our marathon engagement session, and I overheard guests pointing them out with equal parts admiration and disbelief.

The light only got better as the evening went on—golden hour wrapping the hills in soft warm light.

Olivia’s sister gave a toast that was rollicking deadpan funny without being exaggerated, the sort of speech you wish you could bottle.

Olivia and Stu first met in grad school during the early days of COVID, seeing each other for the first time over Zoom. The isolation and quietude of their initial “meet-cute,” gave the dance floor a special kind of righteous, earned energy.

Throughout the day teir families radiated joy and gratitude, a wholesomeness you could feel in every interaction.

The Lodge at Marconi’s history as a 1914 radio station made it a distinctive setting—surrounded by rolling hills, Tomales Bay, and the sharp, shifting light of West Marin- its certainly a wedding venue that lingers in your memory.

Venue: The Lodge at Marconi
Planner: TLC Event Coordination
Photographer: Hazel Photo Weddings
Rentals: Encore Event Rentals
Florist: Poppy Flower Co
Catering: Perkins Catering Co.
Bakery: Whole Foods
DJ: Heart of Gold DJs
Hair and Makeup: Dream Catcher Artistry
Officiant: Charlotte Harris

Temescal and Joaquin Miller Park Engagement Session

Audrey & Marina and I were connected through their wedding planner, Luciana Guerrero-Shibatsuji of Events by GS, and from the start it felt like such an excellent fit. We began their session at North Light in Temescal, a favorite local bar that also houses a highly curated bookstore at the front. It felt natural to capture them in a place that’s part of their regular routine.

After a quick stop at home to pick up their dogs, Archie and Baby, we headed into the redwoods at Joaquin Miller Park. Surrounded by towering trees and winding trails, the session shifted into something whimsical, joyful, and relaxed, a reflection of the life they’re building together.

I was especially looking forward to celebrating their wedding during Pride month at Cornerstone Sonoma, a favorite venue I’ve had the joy of photographing before. This casual, easy, totally-them engagement session set the tone for what would be a beautiful wedding with many of the same qualities.

Lake Merritt Engagement Session

For Sasha and Tobias’ engagement session we started the evening at Bar Cesar, a spot central to their early relationship. The familiar corners made a sweet backdrop for the beginning of this session. From there, we headed back to their place near Lake Merritt for an outfit change and some photos around their home. As the sun began to set, we strolled together toward the lake, catching that golden light that turns everything soft.

Sometimes an engagement session doesn’t need a sweeping landscape or a meticulously planned itinerary. It can be as simple as tagging along on a date night to meaningful places for the couple. The magic of being together somewhere you love—your favorite bar, a plant you pass every evening on your walks, the bench at the park where you meet after work—can be all it takes to create portraits that feel like you.

With these two, it was exactly that. Just them, moving through familiar spaces, laughing in the same places they’ve shared countless small moments before. And as the sun set over Lake Merritt, it felt like the perfect reflection of their story—calm, glowing, and deeply connected.

Check out how they incorporated nods to their Oakland home on their wedding day at The Haven at Tomales – here.

The Haven at Tomales: A Wedding In The Round

Early September at The Haven at Tomales is golden — literally. The hills roll out in every direction, sun-bleached and open, with almost no other buildings in sight. The property feels quietly removed from the rest of the world, a rare kind of seclusion that made Sasha and Tobias’s wedding feel both expansive and deeply personal.

That spaciousness set the tone for the day. Instead of a traditional wedding party, Sasha and Tobias got ready with a small group of close friends. The mood was relaxed and easy — no timeline panic, just real joy and calm before everything began. It was a thoughtful, low-pressure way to handle things without the structure of a wedding party, and it made space for genuine moments. Their group portraits reflected that: casual, colorful, and full of the kind of laughter that happens when you’re surrounded by people who know you well.

Sasha and Tobias saw each other for the first time on their wedding day down the road at Elephant Rock. It was a windy, magical, sweet moment between the two of them. The wonderful rock formations lent a whimsy to their portraits, and the view of the mouth of Tomales Bay added grandeur.

The couple envisioned their ceremony “in the round,” with guests seated in four curved sections surrounding them — an inspired idea brought beautifully to life by wedding planner extraordinaire, Nicole Taylor. This layout created an intimate atmosphere where everyone felt connected and close. A single eucalyptus tree marked the entrance to the processional.

The processional was made up of family. A close family friend officiated in a flowing pink gown that glowed against the yellow grasses. Sasha made her entrance in a minimalist, strapless gown — a clean silhouette that left room for her striking gold monstera-leaf earrings to shine. They caught the light every time she turned her head and paired effortlessly with her legendary warm smile.

After the ceremony, Sasha and Tobias recessed together through the fields as guests tossed dried lavender into the air. Then came one of the day’s quiet highlights: a slow, beautiful walk up the hill to the reception barn. The lines of guests moving through the landscape — their colorful clothes against the golden grass — created a scene that felt cinematic and completely grounded in the place.

The reception was held in the barn, where the late-afternoon light cast angular shadows across the walls and tabletops. Golden hour came right on time — the sun popped over the ridge and lit the fields once more, turning everything warm and honey-colored.

Sasha and Tobias brought pieces of their life in Oakland into the celebration: beer from Ghost Town Brewing, a live set by their favorite Bay Area musician, La Doña, and dramatic florals that included monstera, alstroemeria, and dahlia. Their sense of humor showed up too — they handed their planner a bag and said, “Here’s a bag of 100 sheep. Do with them what you will.” The result? Tiny sheep scattered throughout the reception space, like an impromptu game of Where’s Waldo.

It was the kind of day that felt both effortless and full of meaning — shaped by the landscape, the light, and the people Sasha and Tobias love most.

Planning and Design: Nicole Taylor Events
Photography: Hazel Photo
Venue: The Haven at Tomales
Catering: Sage Catering
Florals: Golden Fields Floristry
Band: La Doña
DJ: Dart Collective
Lighting: Got Light
Rentals: Standard Event Rentals, Bright Event Rentals
Beauty: Ritual Salons

Reasons to Hire a Film Wedding Photograper

What Is Hybrid Digital / Film Wedding Photography?

It’s simply the idea of a wedding photographer mixing analogue film with digital photography on a wedding day.

But why use any film at all when digital cameras are so incredibly capable? The digital format is malleable to an absurd degree. The data captured by a modern full-frame sensor is monstrous. You can do anything with it—add sprocket frames, light leaks, dust specks, simulate expired film stock, all in post-production.

But just because you can do all those things, doesn’t mean you should. Which light leak? Which dust speck? Which faux film grain and why? The choices are endless. It can be unmooring. And in the end, the thing that is so heart-stoppingly beautiful about your own wedding photos is that they are a true document of the people you love the most in the world, and their convergence to celebrate the formation of your new family.

My digital cameras can fire off 20 frames per second. A wedding day might last nine hours.
Nine hours × 60 minutes × 60 seconds × 20 frames = 648,000 potential images.
Yes, it’s an exaggeration—but the point stands. The sheer volume of data is overwhelming. Choosing between all those moments—big and small, sweeping and intimate—is a responsibility. Decision fatigue is real, especially in our data-saturated era.

At once, film changes the paradigm. It slows everything down: the focusing, the composing, the timing of the shutter press, the winding of the film, the reloading of the roll. Each photograph develops a striking gravity as a result of the time and space that fills in all around it. A film photograph is afforded the room to breathe. It demands to be embraced just as it is, gorgeous imperfections and all.

This isn’t to celebrate missed focus or camera shake per se, a photograph can be authentic without those particular imperfections. The chemical reaction, the baked-in color science of each film stock, the unpredictable magic of light playing over photosensitive emulsion—it’s all so much more forgivable. So much more lovable.

Digital photography cannot afford that luxury. A digital photograph is always the result of a series of decisions. And because of digital photography’s deep malleability—its uncanny ability to see in the dark, to be anything you want it to be—its mistakes can feel unforgivable.

The problem with digital photography is that its perfection is often too perfect.

And yet, there are very real limits to what can be achieved with analogue film photography. Film is in love with light. It’s like bougainvillea craning its neck towards the sun. Stuck in a dark place, it wilts, it loses all color and fidelity. Digital is agnostic when it comes to the sun. Digital can find happiness in the nooks and crannies of a restaurant, under bistro lights, even with just moonlight as a companion.

Digital is a gossip. It immediately tells you when you have burned the highlights. Even before you press the shutter, an onlooker may gasp at what they see on the rear screen of your camera. This immediate feedback can lead to some show-stopping files. This feedback is wildly advantageous for flash photography.

Flash, which is necessary at the great majority of wedding receptions, is at least 20 times easier to master in digital photography as a result of the instant feedback on the camera’s rear screen. I do not recommend hiring an all film photographer for a wedding that includes many hours of nighttime reception. There might be film wedding photographers who are masters of flash, but they are rarer than a lizard reciting Neruda.

The lightning speed of contemporary autofocus and FPS (frames per second) from a digital camera body can make capturing action delightfully easy. Children are particularly tricky to photograph on film. I know from deep experience with my own children. They move quickly and with remarkable unpredictability and thus, you need at least one or two phds to fully master manual focus while photographing children. Often it is exactly the speed of digital photography that allows me to react quickly enough to tell the myriad small and lovely stories that unfold on a wedding day.

Which of my clients respond to my analogue film work and why?

Some of my clients are avid film photographers themselves. They love documenting their daily life with a point and shoot, and then delight at reliving their days months later when they process the film. Some of my clients are serious about using a large format camera to precisely photograph architecture. To them, it feels natural and meaningful to have a professional photographer use film to document their wedding.

Some of my clients know very little about analogue film cameras, and haven’t used a film camera, but they understand the appeal. It feels like an entry into an appealing world that they are beginning to understand little by little. Maybe they have an Instax, and they love the chemical nature of photographing a friend’s birthday, and the late-night hijinks that follow.

Others are drawn to film for its emotional resonance. They aren’t interested in technical specs, but they respond instinctively to the look and feel. They can’t always put it into words, but something about the softness, the grain, the imperfect magic of film makes them feel something they don’t get from digital. It reminds them of old family photo albums, or the grainy candids of their parents’ wedding. It’s not nostalgia exactly—it’s texture. Soul.

Then there are the aesthetes. These are the clients who treat their wedding as an opportunity to make something beautiful—deeply, personally beautiful. They appreciate the way different film stocks respond to color and light, even if they don’t know the names of those stocks. They recognize when something looks elevated, painterly, cinematic. They care about detail. They choose handmade paper for their invitations. They select flowers for their shape and tone. For them, film is another way to build intentionality into the day.

Finally, some clients are simply romantics. They believe in slowing down. They write love letters. They collect records. They like the idea that film can’t be checked on the back of a camera—that it asks you to trust the moment, to move forward without seeing the result. When they see a medium-format portrait of themselves, composed and luminous, it feels like seeing their love through a different lens—one that says: this mattered.

A Colorful Park Winters Wedding

Sam and Skye’s wedding at Park Winters was like stepping into an Alice in Wonderland dream world. A vibrant, whimsical, and joy-filled event where every detail was infused with color, creativity, and personality.

From the moment guests arrived, Park Winters set the tone. With its lush English gardens, Victorian inn, and secret-garden atmosphere, it felt like we had been transported into a hidden world of romance and charm. Skye, a designer by trade, contributed her expertise and eye to the day’s aesthetics, and Taylor Rae’s planning brought every colorful vision to life.

Steeped in history, Park Winters is a five-star country estate nestled amidst the verdant farmlands of Northern California. Originally built in the late 19th century, its grand Victorian inn has been carefully restored to preserve its original architectural charm. The main inn boasts tall ceilings, intricate plaster moldings, stained glass windows, and wainscoting. The property features formal gardens, a chic event barn, and a wraparound porch.

The decor choices for Sam and Skye’s wedding were bold and playful—bright florals in shades of pink and pastels, retro keychain table finders that doubled as fun keepsakes, and table numbers painted onto vintage books. It was a wedding that didn’t just embrace color; it celebrated it.

One of the most memorable and meaningful design elements was the stationery, which Skye designed herself. Each piece was produced with exquisite letterpress detail: the invitation itself, a “bus ticket” packed with wedding details, and a card catalogue-inspired insert that charmingly outlined their love story. The save-the-date bookmark included a delicate ribbon, and the entire suite arrived in an envelope adorned with large-scale, beautifully flourished calligraphy across its face—marrying storytelling with design and setting the tone for the day well before guests arrived.

The groom and his groomsmen embraced a beach-casual vibe, opting to forgo ties, while his golden bee cufflinks added a charming, regional touch—a fitting choice for a wedding surrounded by thousands of acres of farmland in California’s Central Valley. Guests leaned into the theme, too, with floral patterns appearing throughout the crowd.

Skye’s dress was ethereal and delicate, with a bodice of hydrangea-esque applique and detailed bead work that sparkled in the sunlight. The soft tulle skirt was echoed in the shoulder ties and her bridesmaids hair bows.

The ceremony took place in the late afternoon, with the sun hovering just behind the grand Victorian inn, casting golden sunbursts over the couple. Guests, encouraged to wear formal garden attire with an emphasis on color, contrasted beautifully with the lush landscape.

During cocktail hour, guests mingled at the outdoor bar under the shade of early fall maples. Conversation starter cards encouraged lively interactions, and lawn games—including a particularly photogenic, colorful croquet set—kept the energy light and fun.

Dinner was an experience all its own. A pair of long banquet tables stretched beneath the bistro lights, creating an intimate yet festive atmosphere. At each place setting, guests found a personalized card and colorful Christmas cracker—a nod to a beloved holiday tradition shared by both Sam and Skye. At the beginning of dinner, Sam and Skye asked everyone to cross their arms, grasping one side of a Christmas cracker while their neighbor grasped the other. As the crackers popped, revealing colorful paper crowns, the entire evening took on an even more whimsical, party-like quality. Fresh fruit adorned the table, and Grandpa may or may not have sneaked a few bites of the juicy, unsuspecting cantaloupe.

As the sun dipped lower, the magic continued. The reception space, with its lofted roof and dramatic lighting fixture, turned into a lively dance hall. A particularly enthusiastic moment saw Sam dancing so hard his pants ripped—a testament to just how much joy filled the night. Outside, guests lounged by the fire pit on a grand sectional couch near the dance hall.

Park Winters provided the perfect canvas for this unforgettable day. Whether wandering through the groomed gardens or discovering a hidden pomegranate tree, guests felt like they were part of something truly special.