Epic South Iceland Engagement Session » Iceland

When Vivian Chen from Brooklyn, NY reached out me over a year ago, her email gave me goosebumps. Here was another Vivian Chen living on the opposite side of the country wondering if I would shoot her destination wedding in Iceland. Moments prior to seeing her email in my inbox, I had been literally daydreaming about going back to Iceland. Since we had the same name, this East Coast Vivian said she had been stalking me for years, hoping I’d give up the URL “vivianchen.com”. When she got engaged and started planning her wedding, she decided on a whim to contact me. Her inquiry felt too serendipitous to pass up, so I immediately wrote her back and a few days later we were video chatting. From our mutual love of cats, similar home design aesthetics and easy going personalities, we clicked immediately and it felt like I was talking to an old friend. There was no question we’d be going on an Icelandic wedding adventure together.

Three days before the wedding, we shot an epic engagement session that took us along the most scenic parts of South Iceland. Originally Vivian wanted to just go to the black sand beach but when I found out that we had the whole day free, I said, if you’re up for driving all day, let’s hit up a few more spots! And of course, she and Dragos were up for the drive. Setting out early in the morning, we started our day long portrait session at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon before driving to Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon and ending the day at the black sand beaches of Reynisfjara. And of course, we stopped to say hello to Icelandic horses along the way.

Springtime Kensington Blake Gardens Engagement Session » East Bay, California

I love discovering new places in the East Bay for engagement sessions so when Eileen suggested Blake Gardens in Kensington for their engagement session, I was excited. We met up on an overcast morning and wander the expansive grounds. From the multiple reflecting pond to the small redwood grove and late summer blooms, the gardens were more beautiful than I imagined. I can’t wait to share this place with other couples!

Summertime UC Botanical Garden Engagement Session » Berkeley, California

Whenever Clarisse and Colin are in town, they love spending time wandering the paths at UC Botanical Gardens in Berkeley. For their engagement session, we picked a lovely and warm summer afternoon to explore the lush greenery the gardens have to offer.

San Francisco Irving Street Comic Book Shop Engagement Session

Hallie and Josh have spent the past three years living in the Sunset District near 9th and Irving Street. As a big comic book fan and self proclaimed nerd, Josh really loves visiting the local comic book shop, Amazing Fantasy. So for their engagement session, they chose to keep it close to home by taking photos in the shop as well as their favorite ice cream place, San Francisco's Hometown Creamery before walking over to the 16th Street Mosaic Steps. 

Oakland Redwood Grove Destination Engagement Session

J and D live on the East Coast but are planning to have their wedding next year in California to be close to family. When looking for venues, they settled on the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley due to the gardens and close proximity to redwood groves. D fell in love with the redwoods so I suggested that we explore my favorite grove in Joaquin Miller Park for their engagement session. Every time I come to this place, it's always different and this morning did not disappoint as the light fell through the canopy in a magical way. 

Pacifica Coast Sunset Engagement Session

Linsday and Ariel love the California coast but wanted a unique location for their engagement shoot. After some weekend exploring, they found that the cliffs next to Rockaway Beach in Pacifica to be the perfect setting. And luckily, the coastal fog never set in and so we got a gorgeous sunny evening for their shoot.

A Foggy Grey Lands End Engagement Session

Debbie and Angela chose the iconic Lands End and Sutro Baths for their San Francisco engagement session. As it's one of my favorite places for portraits, they fell in love the ruins and the grand rock formations all around. Typical to San Francisco, it was windy and cloudy the day of our shoot. These two took it in stride, especially since the cooler weather meant we didn't have to fight tons of tourists to get the famous shot along the ruins. I can't wait for their wedding in the fall!

Alameda Crown Memorial State Beach Engagement Session

Maureen and Sean recently moved to Alameda and we wanted capture this new chapter of their lives for their engagement session. We started their engagement shoot at their home with their sweet bulldog Peaches before heading over to Crown Memorial State Beach for sunset. I fell in love with the tall grass on the beach which transported us from Alameda to a tropical island. Afterwards, we headed over to the abandoned docks for a few more sunset photos overlooking the San Francisco Bay.

Point Reyes National Seashore Engagement Session » West Marin

Anela and David are National Park Service rangers who met while working at Point Reyes National Seashore at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. They struck up a friendship that started as being running buddies before it quickly became something more. This adventurous couple love camping, fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. (Anela's love of exploring and sharing on Instagram is how we got to know each other!) Recently, the couple relocated to Alaska where they both work as rangers at Katmai National Park. It was in Alaska on a blueberry picking excursion where David popped the question, surrounded by their friends in blueberry patch. Their wedding plans will bring them back to Northern California so during a recent visit back, we headed back up to Point Reyes for their engagement session. They chose the Kule Loklo Trail for photos as it was the trail they used to run when they were just getting to know each other. For their second location, we caught the sunset at Limantour Beach where David and Anela had their first date. I can't wait to be a part of their wedding day!

Lands End + Sutro Baths Winter Sunset Engagement Session

Kathleen and Ben met in college and have been inseparable for the past 10 years. Ben proposed to Kathleen on the winter solstice in Japantown which was the site of one of their first dates. It was a cute proposal that was captured all on camera by a group of teenage girls who offered to take their photos. Ben told me he always dreamed about what type of woman he would marry and when he met Kathleen, he just knew. They love the look of the California coast so we headed over to San Francisco's Lands End and Sutro Baths for a beautiful sunset engagement session. I can't wait for their wedding in a few weeks!

Joaquin Miller Park Redwood Grove Engagement Session

For Anne and Michael's engagement session they brought along their cute pup, Mabel to be a part of the portraits. We explored my favorite little redwood grove in the Oakland Hills as the morning sunlight filtered through the trees. 

Presidio Wood Line + Baker Beach Engagement Session

Sarah and Mike's relationship blossomed in San Francisco with a first date that had a rocky start due to a rude waiter but quickly and naturally unfolded to a five hour long evening full of laughter and beer at a local dive bar. When Mike decided to propose to Sarah, he surprised her during a trip home to Georgia. Enlisting the help of Sarah's nephew who brought in the ring, he popped the question in front of her family on the same weekend as her her parent's 45th wedding anniversary. Since she lives so far away from her family, it was extra special to have everyone be a part of that moment. For their engagement session, we chose start at the Wood Line in the Presidio as Sarah loves eucalyptus trees. Afterwards, we wrapped up the shoot at Baker Beach for some iconic Golden Gate Bridge photos.