Inner Richmond and China Beach Engagement Photos

Christine and Craig met and fell in love while they were living on opposite ends of country. But after getting together, moves ensued and they nurtured a life together in San Francisco.

Their engagement session started in their Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco. We stopped for a stiff drink at their favorite bar and then visited their favorite bookstore – Green Apple Books. We wandered the aisles and I captured candid images of them existing in their regular spots and making each other smile and laugh like they regularly do.

We eventually made it out to China Beach where we took advantage of golden hour. Christine’s glowing red dress contrasting beautifully with the sand and rock. Craig with a sly outfit change into something more casual for beach time.

The images captured pieces of their connection and the ease of their relationship. 

Check out their beautiful Carneros Resort wedding here.

engagement photo shoot san francisco bar
engagement photo shoot san francisco bar

Carneros Resort and Spa Wedding

On our initial conversation, I immediately fell for Christine and Craig’s love story. They were friends from college that reconnected during COVID when a group of friends escaped to a big house in Rhode Island to ride out the lockdown. Here they fell in love. 

Their wedding at Carneros was a true testament to their relationship and style. Not all couples that self-describe as “laid back but stylish” are truly both, but to their credit, Christine and Craig embody those traits fully and every detail made that evident throughout their wedding day. 

During their engagement session in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco, we visited their favorite bar and bookstore before wandering out to China beach. The images captured pieces of their connection and the ease of their relationship. Click here for more.

Fast forward to their wedding day, we find ourselves in the heart of Napa Valley. It was my second time at Carneros Resort. The first time I visited, the ceremony unfolded at the arbor, and the reception took place in a banquet hall. For Christine and Craig, everything was set at the top of the hill, offering breathtaking views of sprawling vineyards amongst rolling hills washed in tender golden light.  

The florals that made up Christine & Craig’s wedding altar exhibited a whimsical, almost creature-like quality. The vibrant arrangements added a touch of playfulness to the natural surroundings. Green Petal Designs knew exactly what they were doing!

Upon arrival, wedding guests were greeted with a refreshing drink, setting the tone for the festivities. 

Parasols were provided for sun protection during the ceremony, adding not only practicality but also a visual element to frame the wedding altar.

Dinner was hosted in a courtyard with an outdoor fireplace, seated between a pair of buildings with the glow of bistro lights illuminating the scene from above. This lent a cozy feeling to the affair, dare I say hygge.

Christine & Craig wrote short notes to each of their guests as place cards, and their tables were named after meaningful places from their lives, complete with illustrations and photographs from each locale.

When dinner had drawn to a close, Christine & Craig slipped away for an outfit change. Christine’s day-to-night flipped from modern white wedding gown, to red sequined cocktail dress, Craig’s from white tuxedo jacket, to navy blue velour tux adding an exciting dimension to the celebration.

They rejoined the party just in time for a Chinese Lion Dance, complete with a jungle gym apparatus for the dancers to climb and jump around. By the end of the performance Craig and Christine were out there with the lions who were glowing red and blue.

Nieces and nephews added verve and joie de vivre throughout the evening, thoroughly enjoying the festivities.

DJ Justin skillfully curated the soundtrack, ensuring the dance floor was pulsing from start to finish. 

As it grew late, the atmosphere remained enchanting. The mini ice cream cone late-night snack delighted guests, especially me. 

Planning & Design: Something Blue Productions

Photography: Hazel Photo Weddings

Videography: @strehlowphotoandfilm.co

Venue: Carneros Resort and Spa

Floral: Green Petal Designs

DJ: @justintertainment

Lion Dancers: Lion Dance Me

Rentals: Encore Event Rentals

Beauty: Grace Lin Makeup

Signage: Olympic Place Prints


2023 Weddings Year-in-Review

In 2023 I reined things in a bit and capped my weekend wedding bookings at 25 to focus on the arrival of my 2nd son (unpictured) … so by the end of March I was fully booked for the year.

It was a privilege to slow things down and focus on what I love most, human connection, laughter, the decisive moment. Some folks call the photographs I love best, candids, but sometimes I feel like calling an image a candid implies that it is discardable. I feel exactly the opposite. When everything is moving around me, and I tune in to the energy of the moment, and I anticipate what is going to happen next, and I make an image that conveys exactly what it felt like to be on a dance floor on a particularly special evening, I have made something worth saving forever.

In 2023 Wedding work brought me all over the San Francisco Bay Area and a bit beyond: Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Marin, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Clara County, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A few highlights from documenting weddings in 2023 included:

(a) An exquisitely designed wedding at Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen, CA with a cake in the shape of a chicken, a fabulous Beatles cover band, and a host named Wally who was a sheep. It’s always a pleasure to work with visionaries, thank you, Madeline!

(b) A reunion in a redwood grove with one of the most honest, good, and charming families I have ever worked with. I had photographed one sister’s wedding back in 2019, and I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the younger sister’s wedding this past year.

(c) A trip to Philadelphia to photograph the wedding of an old friend I met playing scrabble in my early twenties. The wedding was at the Barnes Foundation, a museum full of Matisse and Picasso. Jackie and his husband, Brian were welcomed to the altar with an aria sung live by Jackie’s cousin, and that, that was heartstopping.

Just a few collaborators:  @beltaneranch@liveloveleal@uclubsf.events@eventsbygs@sassydivadesigns@blissfulevents@somethingblueproductions@small.blue.planet@brazilianroomevents@boheme_events_@carlysaberevents@carnerosresort@berkeleycityclub@straushomeranch@exploratorium@barnesfoundation@styledbride@taylorraeweddings@villageozfarm@macarthurplace


Sonoma Garden Wedding

Vignettes from an unforgettably whimsical garden wedding at Beltane Ranch in Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley, California.

Madeline and Matt

Her delicate dress of embroidered French cotton lace, buttons all down the back.

His whimsical olive linen suit lined with citrons.

Her crown of dried flowers affixed with a splash of orange ribbon.

The magical lane of Persian rugs leading down the aisle to the towering majesty of the live oak draped in a shawl of flowers.

The dulcet tones of their friend/officiant’s southern twang.

The ethereal light reflecting off her vows and onto her alabaster cheek.

The fine line between tears and riotous laughter that was crossed again and again as Madeline and Matt exchanged vows.

The air suffuse with dried flower petals as they ecstatically flew back down the aisle. As if all the world were filled with flower petals cascading through the air.

Whatever they told their guests to wear worked out just about right, cocktail hour a sea of floral prints and colorful summer suits scattered across the lawn, sipping Mavericks and Roosters.

Come Together, I Want To Hold Your Hand, And I Love Her, She Loves You, Here Comes the Sun, Strawberry Fields Forever.

Wally the sheep with his glorious floral crown somewhat bashful, nibbling the lawn, but also delighted by all the attention, especially from Madeline, his greatest fan.

The caricaturist hard at work sketching guests.

Her brother’s cow and sheep cufflinks.

The chickens promenading through cocktail hour, and round the reception tables.

Designed by Madeline, each escort card a flower petal, waiting to be plucked by a guest from its field of blossoms.

Stargazer, bluebell, marigold, poppy, peony demarcating each baroque tablescape with long paisley tablecloths, intricately detailed amber goblets. Everything designed and drawn by Madeline. One had the sense this was not the first tea party Madeline had hosted.

Chicken cake! Surrounded by holstein pops, cartons of cake eggs and cake chicks, mini hay bale cakes, carrot cakes in the shape of carrots.

A day so thoroughly governed by whimsy and the unexpected.

Delights at every corner.

Love Me Do, Eight Days a Week, Free as a Bird, Don’t Let Me Down, Octopus’s Garden.

Also, the pair of original songs with which Madeline and Matt serenaded their guests. Her gleeful recorder solo against the setting sun.

A rainbow of ombre tapers burning against the dying light of the head table.

And if all this, somehow, wasn’t quite enough, an exquisite sunset sidled in as Madeline & Matt’s wedding day came to it’s conclusion.

Who amongst us succeeds in bringing so many chapters of the magic of childhood into her wedding? Very few I say, none quite like Madeline & Matt in this past decade that I have documented.

Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, bride and groom in flower garden
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, florals on oak tree
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, garden party wedding dress  lace details
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, lace wedding dress details
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, spring summer florals
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, wedding ceremony guests
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, recessional, dried flowers
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, recessional
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, recessional detail.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, cocktail hour, documentary wedding photography
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, custom cocktails
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, wally the sheep, lamb
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, wally the sheep, lamb
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, wally the sheep, lamb
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, custom seating chart, DIY
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, garden party attire guests,
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, garden party attire, caricatures, cocktail hour
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, ranch chickens
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, tapered candle tablescape.
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, speech.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, speech.
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, speech.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, speech.
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, dancing.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, dancing.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, dancing.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, dancing.
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Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, golden hour sunset.
Beltane Ranch, Sonoma Garden wedding, documentary wedding photography, golden hour sunset.

Wedding Planning : Samar of Blissful Event Planning
Venue: Beltane Ranch
Flowers: Mae Flowers Sonoma
Sheep: Wally the Wooly Weeder
Rentals: Encore Events Rentals
Band: Ticket to Ride (Beatles cover band)
Catering: Sage Catering
Cake/Desserts: Supreme Sweets
Hair & Makeup: Santa Rosa Powder Room
Dress: Atelier Des Modistes


San Francisco City Hall Mayor’s Balcony Wedding

I remember that Ruth and Tom originally found me and reached out because they were attracted to a specific photograph I made of a couple walking across the street in front of San Francisco City Hall with the blur of a US Postal Service truck passing by behind them… so I knew we would become fast friends.

The couple has a classic Bay Area – Los Angeles love story, complete with a first meeting halfway in between at the lot behind Brooks Brothers in Bakersfield, CA. Their San Francisco City Hall Mayor’s Balcony Wedding was a beautiful event that celebrated their time together living in San Francisco.

The Mayor’s Balcony provides the opportunity for customization with up to 100 guests, room to read your own vows, have a friend officiate, have musicians serenade you down the aisle, and stomp on a wine glass wrapped in a napkin if you like.

The Mayor’s balcony looks out on the grand staircase, the lobby, and the rotunda. I typically make group portraits in the Fourth Floor North Gallery. There are a million spots in City Hall to make couples’ portraits, the building’s nooks and crannies provide an embarrassment of riches. We lucky enough to create a few photos while no one else was on the grand staircase. We also had the chance to make a few photographs that captured Ruth’s dress with movement.

After City Hall we headed to Ruth and Tom’s apartment in the Inner Sunset for an intimate cocktail hour with their closest friends, their dog, pizza, and homemade cookies by Ruth. They had decorated the apartment with Japanese cranes a friend made for them, a good omen for a prosperous marriage. After resting our feet, and filling our bellies, we set out for Golden Gate Park with the dog and friends in tow. One of my favorite moments of the day was when Ruth and Tom bumped into a neighbor on our walk, and I was able to capture an earnest neighborly greeting. I enjoy making photographs in a variety of settings because I’m able to capture a range of feelings as each distinct space is activated. When everything goes well, the images can take on some of the complexity of a partnership.

From here we hopped on MUNI where the party continued. It’s fun to be out on the town in wedding finery as passersby often shout out celebratory greetings – and you feel welcomed and celebrated by the city at large.

See Part 2 for details on the reception at Wayfare Tavern… 

For a four part post about a San Francisco City Hall Fourth Floor North Gallery wedding, click here.

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san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
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san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery
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san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, fourth floor north gallery, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
san francisco city hall mayor's balcony wedding, bride and groom portraits, documentary photography
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inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, couple portraits
inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, couple portraits
inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, couple portraits
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inner sunset, documentary wedding photography
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inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, muni
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inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, golden gate park portraits
inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, golden gate park portraits
inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, golden gate park portraits
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inner sunset, documentary wedding photography, muni
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inner sunset, documentary wedding photography,

Wedding attire: BHLDN

Hair and Makeup: Kristina Curtis (@bykristinacurtis)

Wedding Ceremony Venue: San Francisco City Hall Mayor’s Balcony

Wedding Reception Venue : Wayfare Tavern


Wayfare Tavern Wedding Reception

If you want to start at the beginning of Ruth and Tom’s wedding day you can read about their San Francisco City Hall Mayor’s Balcony wedding here. 

Their Wayfare Tavern wedding reception followed a wedding ceremony at the Mayor’s Balcony at San Francisco City Hall, an Inner Sunset apartment mini-reception, Golden Gate park dog walk, and a MUNI ride.

Wayfare Tavern makes for an excellent intimate wedding reception venue – it has an industrial vintage feeling with dark wood paneling, exposed brick, and painted wood floors. Ruth and Tom’s guests dined in the Bartlett Room which is adjacent to the wine cellar. There’s an old-school, speakeasy club feel to the space that is balanced with the airy, glass-enclosed wine cellar and industrial retrofitting. Located in the Financial District it feels upscale and classy but urban and gritty at the same time. 

Ruth and Tom utilized one of my all time favorite wedding traditions and included hand-written letters to each guest as their place settings. As a continuation of the handmade theme, origami paper cranes adorned the wedding cake – baked by Ruth herself! 

What a wonderful day it was galavanting through San Francisco, and celebrating the marriage of two of the loveliest people you might hope to meet.

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Wedding Ceremony Venue: Mayor’s Balcony San Francisco City Hall

Wedding Reception Venue : Wayfare Tavern

Wedding attire: BHLDN

Hair and Makeup: Kristina Curtis @bykristinacurtis

Cake: by Bride!

Transportation : MUNI

Catering: Wayfare Tavern


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