Intercontinental Mark Hopkins + SF City Hall Elopement » San Francisco, California

When Monica and Braylen decided to elope, they knew it had to be in San Francisco. Monica said “San Francisco has a permanent place in my heart as my mother and I took a very special trip there together before she passed away in 2016.” Before the ceremony, we met up for portraits at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. Being at the Mark Hopkins was in honor of Monica’s mother due to the fond memories the place held. Afterwards, we headed over to San Francisco City Hall where they had a sweet and short ceremony under the rotunda. It was the perfect way to elope by keeping things simple and meaningful.

DIY Childhood Home Backyard Wedding » Petaluma, California

Anela and David met while working as park rangers at Point Reyes National Seashore. Their relationship grew from running buddies to friends to partners who have travelled the world on amazing adventures. They’ve hike Patagonia and spent two years working in one of the most remote national parks in Alaska, Katmai. In fact, David proposed to Anela while on a hike to pick wild blueberries in Alaska. For their wedding, they decided to keep it more local and threw a garden party in the backyard of David’s childhood home in Petaluma. Being surrounded by the rolling hills and gorgeous oak groves, it was clear why David’s upbringing brought him to seek a job that kept him in the beautiful great outdoors. On the day of the wedding, the sky was a grey haze due to California wildfires. Despite the unusual conditions, everyone was in great spirits and the haze added a surreal warm glow to the landscape. Anela got ready in the guest room before having a first look with her father and brother before seeing David in the front yard. For the ceremony, everyone headed down to the large field below the home overlooking Petaluma. David’s father officiated, sharing funny stories about the two of them and gifting them some fishing lures (Anela and David are avid fisherman!) Afterwards, everyone was invited for a delicious catered meal around the pool which included a whole roast pork and salmon Anela and David caught in Alaska. After dessert of cake and donuts, the dance party began and everyone danced on into the evening. I am so grateful to have been a part of their wedding day!

Venue: Private Residence // Wedding Planner: Parker Nichols Events // Florist: April’s Flowers // Caterer: Ring of Fire // Cake: DIY by a family friend // Rentals: Encore Event Rentals // Hair & Make-Up: Shayna Azevedo // Anela’s Wedding Dress: Starlet Bridal // DJ: Premier Productions // Wedding Rings: Brilliant Earth

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.

Soda Rock Winery Wedding » Healdsburg, California

Clarisse and Colin met in college in Boston on orientation day. They were friends for three years before they started dating (their friends called them the real life “Monica Geller and Chandler Bing”!) Nine years later and a cross country move later, they found themselves getting married on a warm and sunny autumn day in Healdsburg. The day started at a gorgeous Airbnb in Healdsburg where Clarisse and her bridesmaids all got ready. I showed up just in time to capture her giving them all delicate bracelets engraved with the location of where they first met. And of course, there were happy tears all around. Once everyone’s eyes were dried, they got dressed and ready for the celebration. Clarisse showed off her gown in the garden and paired it with her hand painted leather jacket with her future husband’s last name and her custom made “Moondawg” logo. As everyone continued to get ready, I headed over to Soda Rock Winery to meet Colin and set him up to see Clarisse for the first time. There was a gorgeous oak tree behind the barn which provided enough privacy for the two of them (though their moms were able to peek in on the action from afar.) After the first look, we spent some time shooting some group portraits before they were hidden away while the rest of the guests arrived for the ceremony. The barn was decorated simply with deep red florals by Beijaflor Botanicals and a gorgeous crystal chandelier that cast rainbows on the rustic barn floor. A friend of their officiated the wedding ceremony and they also included some Filipino traditions as a nod to Clarisse’s heritage. While cocktail hour kicked off, we ducked away together for some portraits in the vineyards before rejoining the party. As the sunset behind the fields, guests were invited into the tasting room for a delicious dinner. Clarisse’s grandfather surprised her with an impromptu Filipino money dance and homemade cakes and s’mores wrapped up the evening as everyone danced into the night.

Wedding Venue: Soda Rock Winery // Airbnb Rental: Starlight Grove // Wedding Coordinator: Events by CMG // Florist: Beijaflor Botanicals // Caterer: Park Avenue Catering // DJ: DJ Rufio // Photobooth: Penny the Photo Lounge

Oakland Hills Redwood Grove Engagement Session » Oakland, California

Linden and Robin met me in my favorite spot in the Oakland hills for a bit of redwood forest wanderings one morning in May. They were drawn to the natural beauty of these woods, the way the light filtered through the trees and how green everything was becoming after the winter rains. After the redwoods, we went down the road a bit to a lush field of eucalyptus where they cuddle and laughed, walking through the tall grass. Linden and Robin were so at ease with each other during our shoot, it made the morning together fly by. I can’t wait for their wedding next year!

Intimate San Francisco City Hall + Stable Cafe Wedding » San Francisco, California

When Debbie and Angela decided to get married, they wanted to celebrate their community along with their union. The couple made it a point early on to hire only women/POC/queer wedding vendors, and being a part of such a dynamic team was a breath of fresh air. The day started at their apartment where Debbie and Angela got ready together while a few of their closest friends hung out enjoying pastries and mimosas. Afterwards, we headed to San Francisco City Hall for a sweet and simple ceremony under the rotunda surrounded by their family and friends. Once their were officially married, they took a break in the middle of the day before the evenings festivities at Stable Cafe. Fogcutter helped keep all of their guests happy with delicious drinks and appetizers during cocktail hour. Before Debbie and Angela’s family style meal, they invited a few of their family members to share toasts about the couple. Assorted desserts, including Angela’s favorite—ice cream sandwiches, kicked off the evenings festivities with a few more speeches, dancing, mingling and general merriment. My favorite part of the day was Debbie and Angela’s traditional Filipino money dance. Instead of keeping the money, they chose to donate it all to two local charities close to their heart, CAAM (a non-profit focused on sharing the rich stories of the Asian American experience) and RYSE Center (a youth program in Richmond, California). Truly a day full of love and heart.

(You can read more about their day on A Practical Wedding.)

Ceremony Venue: San Francisco City Hall // Reception Venue: Stable Cafe // Wedding Planner: A Monique Affair // Floral Design: Farmgirl Flowers // Caterer: Fogcutter // Angela’s Suit: Ted Baker // Debbie’s Dress: Viola Chan // Mini Cupcakes: Love at First Bite // Egg Tarts & Mini Pork Baos: Cherry Blossom Bakery // Mini Polvorón: Goldilock’s Bakery // Shanghai Lumpia: Manila Eatery // Vegan Lumpia: Astig Vegan // DJ: Whit the DJ

Garrapata Beach + Rocky Point Restaurant California Coastal Engagement Session » Big Sur + Carmel, California

Iva and Daniel are getting married in Carmel and love the California coast so much that they decided to also do their engagement session there. We met up on a cloudy grey day at Rocky Point Restaurant which has a stunning view of Big Sur and Rocky Point Bridge. We took some photos along the cliffs and watched the storm clouds roll in as the deep blue waves crashed along the rocks. Afterwards, we headed to Garrapata Beach State Park and hiked down to Calla Lily Valley along Doud Creek. The magical scene was made even more fantastic as rain lightly began to fall. I’m so grateful to have been show this special little place along the coast!

DEBBIE & ANGELA'S Queer San Francisco Wedding Celebrating Their Immigrant Families » A Practical Wedding

I’m so happy to announce that Debbie and Angela’s San Francisco wedding is featured on A Practical Wedding today! Social justice and equity were two huge themes to their celebration and I was really touched by their dedication to representation and celebrating their communities. Read more about their wedding here.

Tilden Park Brazilian Room Wedding + Brunch Reception » Berkeley, California

Maureen and Sean were married on a warm October morning in Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley. The day began in West Oakland where everyone got ready at the Airbnb. Close friends of Maureen helped her and the rest of the wedding party with hair and make-up. Maureen’s mother helped with the finishing touches before we all headed up to the Berkeley Hills. They chose to get married at the Brazilian Room with a ceremony overlooking the Botanical Gardens. Sean’s childhood martial arts teacher was their officiant while Maureen’s sweet bulldog Peaches was the “Dog of Honor” and also walked down the aisle. After some sweet and simple vows, Maureen and Sean got the party started. Since it was a daytime brunch wedding reception, they wanted to make sure their guests were entertained in addition to being well fed. Culinary Excellence provided delicious treats while Dan Chan, a magician, wandered through the crowd wowing everyone with his world class slight of hand and other illusions. In addition to a fun photo booth, the couple was also able to get Jon Casey, a live digital caricature artist to illustrate one of a kind portraits for their guests. The reception felt like a fun birthday party rather than a stuffy wedding reception. After a few hilarious toasts and dessert, Maureen and Sean wrapped up the day with a portrait session down by Jewel Lake.

Muir Woods + Mount Tamalpais Post-Wedding Portrait Session » Mill Valley, California

Coney and Sunny were married with a simple courthouse ceremony in Los Angeles earlier this year but never really got a chance for some proper photos. Coney, a talented illustrator with a love of nature, always dreamed of taking photos in Muir Woods, ever since she fell in love with the place several years ago. As a big fan of redwood forests, I was immediately on board to do a portrait session with this sweet couple in one of my favorite places. We heading into the woods an hour before the park closed and had most of the trails to ourselves. As I took them deeper into the park, we stumbled across a patch of ladybugs and one took a liking to Coney. Afterward a quick outfit change, we drove up to Mount Tamalpais for a new more photos just as the sun disappeared.

Chinatown Cameron House + Baker Beach Engagement Session » San Francisco, California

Jazmin and Kristin met while playing basketball so for their engagement session, they chose one of the prettiest courts in San Francisco. Located two stories up, the court at the Cameron House in Chinatown boasts one of the best views of the city. Afterwards, we headed to catch sunset at Baker Beach for that classic Golden Gate Bridge photos.

Redwood Grove Old Mill Park Wedding » Mill Valley, California

Lindsay and Ariel’s wedding day began with a traditional tea ceremony at the Mill Valley Inn. Both sets of parents as well as some uncles and aunts were honored with offerings and tea and cookies. In exchange, Lindsay and Ariel’s family offered their blessings and red envelopes. The surprise of the morning was when Lindsay’s mother pulled out a wedding gift that Lindsay’s grandmother prepared and saved for her before she passed. After a sweet and emotional morning, we all headed over to Old Mill Park where Lindsay and Ariel officially saw each other for the first time. We took some time to shoot portraits before Lindsay was whisked away to wait and hide in the public library next to the park. Under the shade of the redwoods, their wedding ceremony included lots of sweet stories, including how they first met—a real life Craigslist missed connection! Afterwards, everyone headed to the Mill Valley Community Center for a delicious reception of fried chicken with a geode cake and s’mores for dessert. (Big thanks to James and his team from Limelight Productions for keeping the day running smoothly.)