documentary wedding photographer san francisco – Page 5

Bay Area Wedding Photographer Hazel Photo First dance under and oak tree

2019 a year in wedding moments

2019 was a big year over here. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in June of 2017, and flying to NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia countless times to photograph weddings in 2017 & 2018, my 2019 wedding season was 95% California weddings. I feel grateful for the shift and the growth, which has allowed me to spend more time close to home running to the beach and eating breakfast tacos in the backyard with my wife on Sunday mornings.

This year I witnessed great beauty and connection up and down the coast, and I was introduced to new traditions: From redwood cathedrals dusted with rose petals in Mendocino, to dusty ranches lit up with colorful saris down in San Benito County. From Greek feasts in hidden urban gardens, to foggy hilltop wedding brunches. From pretzel dances in Silicon Valley, to rooftop ragers in Soma. From boxer dogs in tailored tuxes, to gold sequin party dresses just for dancing.

There were lots of saxophones at weddings this year. I certainly hope that trend endures. One of the saxophonists wore a cow suit. I had the distinct pleasure of listening to my first wedding podcast, including a hilarious interview with the flower girl. One couple drove into their wedding at Fort Mason on their tandem bicycle right up to the altar, another drove away from their City Hall wedding on a getaway motorcycle with a veil flying behind the bride’s helmet. I learned about 2nd lines, the Gujarati Garba Dance, Hula, and Cosplay. This was also a year of micro-weddings. Such intimate affairs. 10 souls at a gorgeous farmhouse on a Vineyard in Sonoma, 18 in a backyard in Napa, 10 on Synagogue grounds in Santa Clara County. But, there were large affairs as well in clubhouses with fantastic views of the majestic San Francisco skyline, elegant white gowns with long trains, 10-piece bands. There was a wedding newspaper, a bouquet of paper airplanes, and a custom-printed Shehecheyanu shawl draped over a pair of embracing brides just-married on a foggy Marin mountaintop.

I want to take this moment to thank every last person who invited me in to witness their weddings, to witness their families,, and their communities breaking bread, singing, laughing, dancing, crying, etc. etc. I loved all of it. I feel immensely grateful, and I look forward to next year, which should prove to be another glorious year full of ritual and awe.

(2020 is already 75% booked…eeeep!!!)

San Francisco City Hall Wedding Photographer

San Francisco City Hall Wedding Photography Packages:

III $2700

4 hours of coverage from Paul, San Francisco City Hall, and up to two other locations in the city. This can be good for a small reception at a nearby restaurant.

II $1800

2.5 hour hours of coverage from Paul, San Francisco City Hall and one other location: Golden Gate Bridge Overlook / Land’s End / Crissy Field / Golden Gate Park / Tank Hill / Grandview

I $1200

1.5 hours of coverage from Paul, San Francisco City Hall only.

All Packages include:

{ Wedding planning phone consult

{ Proofing gallery

{ High-resolution downloads of files.

First look at San Francisco City Hall Wedding — San Francisco City Hall Wedding Photographer

St. Helena Wedding – Napa Valley

Intimate wedding in St. Helena, Napa Valley, California

B & K were married on a storybook sunny April day in St. Helena in California’s Napa Valley. The poppies were out. The wisteria was out. The rows upon rows of grapevines looked lively and healthy.

This was an intimate wedding, just immediate family and a pair of friends in a glorious backyard with vineyards and mountains as a backdrop.

After the ceremony, we headed over a few blocks to Downtown St. Helena for the wedding reception at the incredible Charter Oak Restaurant. After the meal, we headed out to play with sparklers in the balmy night.

Trione Wedding

Trione Wedding – Sonoma, CA – Jill & Jason

Jill & Jason were married at Trione Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma County, CA on a lovely day with diffuse light everywhere. The light gave the Vineyards a majestic moody look out behind the Winery, and they made for an incredible backdrop for our portraits.

I loved the rustic stone walls, the vaulted ceilings, and dark wooden beams in the event space at Trione. They lent an old world feel to the wedding ceremony and to evening reception as well.

Jason is a collector of film cameras and a talented street photographer. During the ceremony they had their officiant and friend make a photograph of all of their guests on a film camera. They intend to slowly take photos over the next ten years on momentous occasions, and only after a decade has passed, will they get the roll of film developed.

And… much will happen in those ten years, as Jill & Jason are world travelers. One of the cornerstones of their relationship is their love of travel, so they brought a bucket to the reception, and guests were encouraged to leave them suggestions for their “Bucket List.”

As you can see, Jill & Jason invited me to bring my Hasselblad to Trione to make a few wedding portraits. It gave me great pleasure to put a few rolls of film through my old trusty friend.

Special thanks to Lisa Bravo of Bravo Events and Weddings who made everything flow smoothly throughout the day.

Wedding planner : Lisa Bravo
Hair : Amy Braem
Makeup : Nicolette Lafranchi
DJ : NorCal Pro Sound
Catering : Girl and Fig

Berkeley City Club Wedding

Berkeley City Club Wedding – Jenni & Andy

Jenni & Andy were married on a sunny day in late December at the Berkeley City Club, a hidden gem of a wedding venue, right next to the Cal campus. Genius architect, Julia Morgan, was at her finest when she designed this “castle in the city.”

As the sun was setting, wedding guests gathered on a generous balcony. The chuppah holders processed. Jenni and Andy’s puppy was led down the aisle by Jenni’s niece. A pair of friends/co-officiants effortlessly wove diverse rituals into the ceremony. Highlights included: the signing of a gorgeous, colorful ketubah depicting, among other things, the Golden Gate Bridge, and their frolicking puppy; a musical performance with Andy on trombone, a friend on sax, and Jenni, with a chorus of friends, on vocals. They smashed a glass, smooched, and headed into the library for cocktail hour, where a full jazz band serenaded guests.

The vision for the wedding reception was crystal clear: “dinner & a show,” oh, and a hora, of course. (Important life rule, never pass up a chance to dance the hora.) Andy’s parents kicked off the show portion of the evening with a riotous slideshow romp through Jenni & Andy’s childhoods. There were traditional toasts, a family band, experimental music, pop covers, a jazz set with Andy and band. Such a lovely full evening!

Dog looking at wedding cake with desire. Documentary Wedding Photography Hazel Photo Bay Area

“Documentary wedding photography” 7 reasons why this is what you really want.

Bride and Groom drinking champagne at night and laughing at a wedding in napa california

You care deeply what it actually felt like to be at your wedding, and so you want wedding photos that convey that feeling. The goal in “documentary wedding photography” is to make images that make you feel what it was like to be at your wedding years after the fact.

Bridesmaids popping champagne in black and white documentary wedding photographer

2. You want a photo of your best friend doing the worm, of your mom teasing her sister, of your dad hugging you with tears in his eyes, of your niece with that look like she’s plotting world takeover. These are the moments a documentary wedding photographer is attuned to, and immortalizes.

Documentary Wedding Photography San Francisco of people dancing outside at night

3. You want a photographer who has a keen eye for the meaningful gestures, expressions, and details that tell the larger story. A documentary wedding photographer spends years honing the ability to see the unexpected, to frame things just right, so the viewer is compelled by the photograph, and understands the scene.

4. You don’t want your photographer to tell you to have a second first look. One is overwhelmingly wonderful. Also, hold on a sec, how in the world can you have a second first look? This speaks to the authentic manner in which documentary wedding photographers work.

Groom kissing his dad's cheek at a Chinese Wedding in Silicon Valley Documentary Wedding Photography

5. You want pictures that make you feel seen. A documentary wedding photographer can make photographs that compliment the principles that guided you when you were planning your wedding. (whether you sat down and wrote out official guidelines with your fiancé, or you just have a general sense of what you were about during the planning.) Unfortunately some wedding photography doesn’t see you for who you are, and ends up being more a photographer’s idea of what a “romantic wedding” should look like.

Indian Wedding Documentary image of recessional with flower petals in the air

6. You don’t want a photography company that takes over with multiple cameras, and blocks your guests’ view, and makes it feel like a photoshoot, not like an authentic event. In “documentary wedding photography” the goal is to let the wedding be exactly what it is, rather than to step in and change it.

Couple Just married walking towards Muir Beach Overlook

7. You like the color of your dress and the florals you chose, and you want them to be true to life in the pictures. The style of a documentary wedding photographer can be carried into processing images after the wedding day with the goal of reproducing beautiful faithful color. Some wedding photography is significantly altered in post-processing, whether that be desaturation, color grading, or excessive retouching.

Groom breaking a glass at a Jewish Wedding at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco Documentary Wedding Photography

Couple at their grand entrance to their wedding reception. Guests are twirling their napkins in the air. Documentary Wedding Photography

1 2 3 456