Intimate Conservatory of Flowers Wedding » San Francisco, California

Having spent countless moments together in Golden Gate Park during the early days of Jenna and Brian’s relationship, the Conservatory of Flowers became a natural and nostalgic choice for their wedding. Steeped in San Francisco's history, the venue added a timeless charm to their day.

Their wedding featured lots of personal touches from the floral design artfully curated by their friend Nicole Shaffer to the Jenna’s outfit. She wore a vintage gown that she found at a boutique in Salt Lake City and had meticulously altered, adding a touch of timeless elegance to her bridal attire. Her veil, customized by her mother, became a cherished and sentimental piece, showcasing the love and craftsmanship that went into the wedding preparations. The wedding cake was a true reflection of the couple's creativity and collaboration. Inspired by the floral design contributed by their friend Nicole, the cake became a symbol of their shared vision and the meaningful connections they had formed throughout their relationship.

The ceremony, officiated by Brian's father, was a heartfelt and intimate affair as the exchanged rings in front of their guests in front of the Conservatory. Following the vows, guests were treated to cocktails and appetizers while wandering the lush rooms of the Conservatory. A delightful evening of dinner, speeches and dancing in the Conservatory of Flowers' Orchid Pavilion extended the celebration as the fog rolled in. As night fell, the Summer of Love light show enveloped the celebration in a magical atmosphere, creating a whimsical and festive ambiance that added an extra touch of enchantment to this unforgettable wedding day.

Wedding Venue: Conservatory of Flowers // Wedding Planner: Taylor Rae Weddings // Floral Design: Nicole Shaffer // Caterer: 49 Square Catering // Cake: Cake Coquette // Lighting: Got Light // Hair: Lauren Burda of Found Hair Studio // Make-Up: DIY by Bride // Jenna’s Vintage Gown: Lover’s Bridal Co // Jenna’s Alterations: Heritage + Thread // Brian’s Outfit: Wilkes Bashford // DJ: Paz Gajardo of Heart of Gold DJs

San Francisco City Hall + Stow Lake + Marshall's Beach Elopement » San Francisco, California

Licco and Serhiy both have families miles away in different countries so when they decided to get married, they chose San Francisco City Hall to keep it simple yet elegant. Licco wore a small locket that held photos of her family who weren’t able to fly in from Taiwan. It was a beautiful way to keep her family close to her heart on this special day. Serhiy, hailing from Ukraine, sported blue and yellow pocket squares, a subtle nod to his Ukrainian heritage. These small details symbolized the merging of two distinct cultures and families, making the day even more meaningful.

Licco and Serhiy exchanged rings in front of a small group of close friends and some of their family. Despite those that couldn't be there in person, the love and support of those that were there filled the room.

After the ceremony, the couple, along with everyone else, headed to Stow Lake near the Chinese Pavilion to celebrate. There, they enjoyed a delightful spread of cake and champagne, toasting to their love and the bright future that lay ahead of them. The serene surroundings of Stow Lake and the iconic Chinese Pavilion added a touch of magic to this special gathering.

Just before sunset, Licco and Serhiy ventured to Marshall's Beach, a place that held a special place in their hearts. This secluded beach offers breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and is known for its dramatic coastline. The couple, dressed in their wedding attire, posed for photos against the backdrop of the iconic bridge as the sun dipped below the horizon. Truly a love letter to San Francisco.

Golden Gate Park Shakespeare Garden + Harborview Restaurant Wedding » San Francisco, California

After being together for a decade, S + M knew they wanted to make their union official. They chose to keep it intimate with a family focused wedding. S + M gathered about 25 of their closest friends and family in the Shakespeare Garden for their short but sweet ceremony officiated by S’s niece. Afterwards, we explore Golden Gate Park and the Music Concourse before heading over to Harborview Restaurant for their dinner reception. As the guests enjoyed their multi-coursed meal, S + M’s sisters lead a trivia game with prizes for the winners. Our evening together wrapped up with a little break outside the Embarcadero Center for a few portraits before dark. Grateful to have a been a part of their story.

Golden Gate Park Shakespeare Garden + Botanical Garden Wedding » San Francisco, California » Erin Prado for VCP

// This wedding was photographed by associate photographer, Erin Prado. //

Kelly and Ale are multi-talented and very creative people. Kelly wrote a book about brining and pickling and teaches classes all over the Bay Area while Ale works in the film industry. Their creativity was on full display for their wedding despite being postpone AND having to change wedding venues a week and a half before as their original venue was shut down due to flooding! Jessica from Dreams on a Dime was able to secure the Shakespeare Garden in Golden Gate Park for their ceremony and the County Fair Building in the San Francisco Botanical Garden for their reception. Their day began with Kelly getting ready with her friends and parents at an Airbnb close to their home. She channeled Stevie Nicks with a gorgeous Willowby by Watters gown she got from Wild Bride and wore a stunning gold crown by Amaroq Design. Her Urban Herbs provided the vibrant florals which were a mix of wheat for Kelly’s Kansas roots and tropical blooms for Ale’s Costa Rican heritage. The couple were wed surrounded by their friends and family on a foggy San Francisco day, which made the color flowers really pop. Kelly’s parents walked her down the aisle while Ale’s mother accompanied him. After the vows, the couple celebrated with a joyous parade lead by a live band with their guests through Golden Gate Park to their dinner reception. During cocktail hour, Kelly and Ale ducked away to wander around the Music Concourse and Golden Gate Park for a few more portraits. The reeception continued back at the County Fair Building with a delicious meal and wonderful and touching toasts. Afterwards, the party moved indoors for cake and dancing into the evening. Despite their initial challenges, it was a fun filled colorful celebration!

Intimate City Hall + Golden Gate Park Elopement » San Francisco, California

In honor of San Francisco City Hall opening back up for civil ceremonies on June 7, I wanted to share one of the last of my pre-COVID weddings. (I had several weddings from before the pandemic that I never got to post. While I’m a stickler for chronology, I also love these wedding photos so much and want to share them with you all.)

Annie and Tomar opted for a simple and sweet San Francisco City Hall wedding with just the two of them and a good friend who brought them a yummy cake to celebrate the nuptials. After their sweet ceremony at city hall, we headed over to the Lily Pond area of Golden Gate Park for some additional portraits outside. As Annie and Tomar were planning to move away from the Bay Area in a few months, they really wanted to commemorate some of their favorite parts of San Francisco. We explored the park a bit and they were even greeted by a cute little duck family!

Destination City Hall + Golden Gate Park Elopement » San Francisco, California

A year ago, Alexis and Will flew all the way from Minnesota to get married at San Francisco City Hall. Before making it official, they chose to meet me at the redwood grove in Golden Gate Park where they exchanged private vows with each other. Private vows have become one of my favorite things, especially when it comes to elopements. The civil ceremony at city hall is pretty quick and doesn’t allow for a lot of personalization so taking little moments like these can really add to the magic of the day. I loved being able to photograph these two sweethearts in both a natural landscape and the iconic San Francisco City Hall.

// This is a pre-COVID elopement. I have several weddings from before the pandemic that I never got to share. While I’m a stickler for chronology, I also love these wedding photos so much and want to share them with you all.

Golden Gate Park Music Concourse Engagement Session » San Francisco, California

Seulbie and David first date was at Golden Gate Park so for their engagement session, we decided to shoot in the park again. I met them at the Music Concourse which provided us many backdrops for portraits. I love shooting at the Music Concourse as the DeYoung Museum, Cal Academy of Sciences and the Music Concourse itself provides a lot of interesting architectural elements to play with.

San Francisco City Hall + Golden Gate Park Redwood Grove Elopement » San Francisco, California

On an overcast San Francisco summer day, Helen and Ben gathered a few of their dearest friends for a sweet little San Francisco City Hall elopement. They wanted the day to be easy and chill and city hall was able to deliver. After the nuptials, we headed to the small redwood grove in Golden Gate Park for additional portraits.

Golden Gate Park & City Hall Elopement » San Francisco, California

Allie and Dan have a true modern romance as they intially met via Instagram! After working up the courage to friend request Dan, Allie and Dan messaged for a week and before they knew it they were spending hours on the phone. Soon after Allie flew to Vancouver from California to meet Dan and from the moment they met in person, they knew they would be inseparable. 

They chose to elope at San Francisco City Hall but before they tied the knot under the rotunda, we spent some time in Golden Gate Park. I took them to a little corner of the park that is lush and jungle-like since Dan is from the tropical island of Taiwan and that's where they got engaged. Knowing that the city hall ceremony doesn't allow for much customization, they decided to exchange hand-written private vows while surrounded by greenery. (It was such a sweet moment and now I want all of my future elopement couples to do this same thing!) Afterwards, we all headed over to city hall for the legal ceremony before joining Allie's parents at Brenda's French Soul Food for a celebratory lunch. 

Hotel: Kimpton Buchanan // Floral Design: Ampersand SF // Hair & Make-up: Urban Beauty Loft // Allie's Dress: BHLDN // Allie's Shoes: Sam Edelman // Rings: Maison Birks & Bellyssa Jewelry

War Memorial Green Room + Golden Gate Park Elopement » San Francisco, California

Lilly, originally from Los Angeles and Warris, originally from London met and fell in love in San Francisco over four years ago. They lived near Golden Gate Park during those years and grew to view the city as their home. So naturally even after they moved to the South Bay, Lilly and Warris wanted to get married in San Francisco. The couple originally decided on San Francisco City Hall for their intimate celebration but due to the sudden and unfortunate passing of Mayor Ed Lee, wedding plans quickly changed. Luckily, the War Memorial Opera House's Green Room was able to accommodate Lilly and Warris's last minute plans and the ceremony was equally as beautiful. The SF City Hall event planner even allowed us to stop by the building for a few portraits before we headed to Golden Gate Park to meet up with their beloved deaf rescue dog, Boone. Boone is a big part of their family (a little felt version of him was tucked next to Warris' pocket square), especially since Golden Gate Park was his main backyard before they moved. We spent the rest of the afternoon, exploring some of their favorite spots (including a quick stop in front of their old apartment) before the couple headed up to Sonoma for the rest of their weekend celebration.

Golden Gate Park Stow Lake + Grandview Park Engagement Session » San Francisco, California

Yulia and Jordan are getting married in Colorado but wanted to have their current home, San Francisco, as the backdrop for their engagement session. We spent a quiet afternoon wandering around Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park before catching a gorgeous sunset at the top of Grandview Park.