Kim and Kyle - Married!

I met Kyle when I first moved to California six years ago, and I can tell you that he's one of the kindest, most passionate people I know.  When he met Kim several years ago, it was a match made in Heaven, and the two of them make one of the happiest, cutest couples you can imagine!

The wedding was held at McMenamin's Grand Lodge, a quirky converted Masonic orphanage, with vintage charm and painting everywhere (even on the plumbing!).  Kim did a wonderful job designing all of the decorations and accoutrements herself, and I couldn't be more impressed!

The Children's Cottage, where the main events took place, had bookshelves everywhere, and made it easy to find the perfect book for this ring shot.

Kyle and Kim opted to see each other before the ceremony, which I just love because it gives us time to take some relaxed, intimate images.

We took a tour of the grounds of the lodge before the ceremony and found some great photo ops.  I particularly loved this parlor.

Kim and Kyle's bridal party was a very fun-loving bunch, which is how we ended up with this shot.

I absolutely adored the cake-- it's one of my favorites of all time, and I love the scrollwork and names!

Kyle and Kim, I'm truly honored to have been a part of your Big Day, and I know you two will be so happy together!

Upcoming Event - Millbrae Art and Wine Festival

It's been a busy and triumphant day.  We returned the unregisterable kayak trailer, finally (it's a long story, but suffice to say that the ladies at the Pleasanton DMV and I are on a first name basis these days.), and Josh is at class, so I'm relaxing and thinking about the upcoming days.

This weekend we'll be at the Millbrae Art and Wine Festival on Broadway Avenue in downtown Millbrae.  We'd love to see you, and, of course, we'll have an assortment of works for sale, including greeting cards, loose prints, canvases, framed prints, and my personal favorite, metal prints (I simply can't get enough of prints on metal.  So shiny and vibrant, what's not to love?).  Of course, there will also be wine and food, and good times for all.  So, come on by and say hi!

Sneak Peak - Kim and Kyle - Married!

So, I realized today that I'm more than a little behind on the blogging lately... It's been a very busy month, full of weddings, family and time in the mountains.  To make up for it, here's a sneak peak from Kim and Kyle's summer wedding at a quirky cottage and lodge!

More to come soon!

Lori & Mario - Married!

Lori and Mario have been one of my favorite couples to work with this year.  From their engagement shoot full of personality (and classic cars), to the end of their wedding and everything in between, they've been fun, willing to try anything, and totally in love!  Their wedding ceremony was held at the beautiful Queen of All Saints Church in Concord, with a lovely reception in the atrium of the Crowne Plaza hotel.

I just loved Lori's shoes-- you simply can't go wrong with sparkling shoes on your wedding day!

Lori looked gorgeous, as always.

Though we usually prefer to do a First Look before the ceremony, Lori and Mario built in some alone time between the ceremony and reception, which allowed us to relax for a while and take some fantastic shots of that newlywed glow with the church's colorful stained glass windows.

Of course, their transportation from the ceremony to the reception was a classic Chevelle.  Many thanks to Mario's cousin Manny for chauffeuring!

The natural light in at the reception was just amazing, and the first dance images are some of my favorites.

Nikki & Paul - Engagement Shoot

As a wedding photographer, there's nothing better than shooting a couple that's on the same wavelength you are.  It relaxes everyone, the laughs keeps coming, and you can really capture who your couple is and the absolute joy and love they're experiencing.  And that's exactly what we got at Nikki and Paul's engagement shoot - the real Nikki and Paul!

We started off the day at Point Lobos State Reserve, on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, then headed down the road to the Carmel River State Beach for some champagne on the sand.  Point Lobos holds a special place in my own heart because that's where Josh proposed to me, and it was great to visit again.

After a short walk through the pine forest and along the cliffs of Point Lobos, we headed on over for some champagne on the beach.

The ring Paul gave to Nikki has been passed down through generations, and was truly gorgeous!

Lori and Mario - A Few More

A few more favorites from Lori and Mario's engagement shoot that didn't make the first post...

Coming up next week - a beach engagement from Monterey!

Lori & Mario - Engagement Shoot

They met while working at the Elephant Bar, mostly agree that their first date was at P.F. Changs, and firmly believe that the third time's a charm.  Lori and Mario are one of the most adorable couples I've met yet.  For their engagement session this week, they brought out the big guns.  A full wardrobe, including some fan-tab-u-lous shoes, a gorgeous rose garden, and not one, but four classic cars!  I can't wait to see what their wedding next month will bring, but I'm sure it will be absolutely stunning, and I'm so glad to be a part of it!

Lori, I have just one word for you here:  RAWR.

You are a very lucky man, Mario.

A quick wardrobe change, and on to car number three, the Chevelle!

Channeling the Blues Brothers....

These last two shots make me smile every time.  You know it's true love when even a mock proposal brings this much joy!

Lucy and Emma - Pet Portraits

Lucy and Emma are my parents' dogs.  Lucy follows my mom around, and, when she's not following Lucy, Emma hangs out with my dad.  They both completely ignore my parents when my little sister visits from college.  Somehow, they just know Andrea is a dog person, and they parade around after her like the Fourth of July.  While visiting my folks for the holiday weekend, I took a few minutes to get some quick portraits of the barking duo.

Happy Wednesday, folks!