san francisco documentary wedding photographer – Page 7

Big Sur Wedding Photographer

This was my first time photographing a wedding in Big Sur, and the landscape did not disappoint. There are reasons to get married in a setting as beautiful as the Wind and Sea Estate. You need less decor! Just look how the landscape and the light change color as the day proceeds. That’s California for you. Honestly, Big Sur is kind of a wedding photographer’s dream.

Jess and Nick had an intimate wedding with just 20 guests at the gorgeous Wind and Sea Estate in Big Sur, California. I definitely got to know the guests a bit better than I do when photographing a wedding with over 100 guests, and I am grateful for this, because across the board Jess and Nick’s people were delightful human beings. This was unsurprising really, as they are two of the warmest people I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. That warmth was on their faces all day long, and a week later when I saw them again, they were still glowing from deep within.

Late into the night, after Jess & Nick had, surfed, and showered, and donned spiffy spiffy togs, and processed through verdant hills, and spoke their vows, and kissed at a seaside altar (not once, but whenever the spirit moved them, like champs, like people who know exactly what they want) and after they read Shel Silverstein’s The Missing Piece to their guests, after they were showered again, this time with lavender confetti, and after they dined, and danced, and were showered again, but this time with the words of their eloquent friends and family, they had a bonfire, and listened to the sea, and it grew dark.

Big Sur Wedding Photographer Wind and Sea Resort

Big Sur Wedding Photographer Wind and Sea Estate

Wedding attire: Jill Stuart/BHLDN

Florist: We are gonna buy a bunch of succulents

Wedding planner: Sea and Stars Catering, Jamie

Hair: Kim Larson

Makeup: Kim Larson

DJ and/or band: Spotify Playlist

Videographer: none

Cake: Sea and Stars (Pies, cookies and s’mores by a fire pit)

Catering: Sea and Stars Catering

Invitations: paperlesspost

San Francisco Marriage Proposal Photographer

San Francisco Marriage Proposal Photographer – SF MOMA

Kevin found me on yelp, figure that. He told me that he lived with his girlfriend, Maggie, down in San Diego and that they were planning a trip up to San Francisco, and it was going to be quite a trip, because he was hoping they would be engaged on the return flight. We made a master marriage proposal plan to be carried out at the spectacular Battery Godfrey. I sent him a video of exactly where he would stand in front of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge… point there, tap here, kneel there… every detail of the marriage proposal was planned out except for the rain (I hear it doesn’t do that in San Diego.) So it definitely rained. We made a backup master marriage proposal plan at San Francisco City Hall, and Kevin executed it perfectly. I have to say it’s thrilling every time I get to photograph a marriage proposal, and these two were about the nicest giddiest folks you could hope to spend a rainy afternoon photographing. After the proposal at San Francisco City Hall we headed over to SF MOMA for a few more deliriously happy photographs.

marriage proposal photographer san francisco bay area

San Francisco City Hall Documentary Wedding Photographer

J and M had a sweet ceremony in the rotunda at San Francisco’s City Hall. I love how their faces glowed with happiness right after their ring exchange and kiss. It was a blissfully quiet day, as far as San Francisco City Hall is concerned. This gave us the opportunity to explore some of the lovelier parts of the grand historical building. J and M and their small wedding party brought along not one, but two ridiculously cute dogs.

Documentary Wedding Photographer San Francisco Bay Area

A Wedding in the Forest – Gideon and Lina

A Wedding in the Forest – Gideon & Lina

Gideon and Lina’s wedding ceremony was nestled into a forest, with live trees bent into a glorious arch as the altar. I’m not sure I’ll ever top that. We used the opportunity to make couples portraits in the forest. The guests’ outfits ran the gamut from the traditional Norwegian dress of Lina’s family, to Gideon’s open collared shirt and brown wool suit. The two children stealing the show in every other image belonged to Gideon and Lina and, were part of the wedding party, and gave me life all day long. Guests used a rowboat to head back to the reception from the ceremony site. There were assorted berry pies, red canoes, croquet, oh, and the dancing, stick around for that…

Garden Wedding – Maggie & August

Maggie and August’s wedding day was one of those days that stretches on, blissfully, for years instead of hours. The confidence, the comfort, the certainty of their love put us all at ease, meaning us humans, me included.

Bay area garden wedding at the gate

bay area documentary wedding photographer

Waiting for his bride first look

Shoulder tap first look wedding

Bay area first look wedding

casual and elegant black tie bridal party

vanity fair wedding party photos hazelphoto

light airy bride smiling

A bamboo arch for wedding decoration

san francisco brenizer wedding portrait

Ashokan Dreams Wedding – Rachael & Alex

What a stunning day Rachael & Alex had for their Ashokan Dreams wedding. The venue is perched on a hill overlooking the majestic Ashokan Reservoir and Catskill Mountains. Each time I glanced over at the Mountains, they had shifted into a slightly different gorgeous color. As the sun fell further into the horizon, the entire landscape lit up orange, green, and blue. Rachael, a talented printmaker, made prints of the Mountains for each reception table, so there was a delightful doubling of the landscape. Intelligent details like that were everywhere. I loved the groomsmen’s bolo ties, the delicate latticework of leaves on Rachel’s dress, the horns the two drank out of during the reception, and the inscription on Alex’s ring! Alex’s family from the midwest has a tradition of forming an adhoc band for big celebrations. Their serenade was particularly lively and joyous. The day kept unfolding and unfolding, and it went further than I ever could have imagined. Near the end of the night there was a surprise performance by a mysterious man in a white fur vest and a dolphin…

Chairs for Ashokan Dreams Wedding