I had the pleasure of working with Lauren and David for their engagement session in Seattle this fall.  They are getting married at Viaggio Winery in Acampo in August 2010 and we thought it would be neat to have their engagement photos taken where they currently live.  David’s mom came along and we made a day of it, visiting all the hotspots and eating yummy food.   Here are some of my favorites.

At the Fish Market

We LOVE salmon

What to order

Flower shopping

Lauren and David

At the Japanese Gardens

Mangesun Park

Seattle Sunset

Sunset Kiss

Here are some of my favorites from Janice and Reza’s reception at the Delta Breeze Club located on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.  I was thrilled to be their wedding photographer, as these two are a bundle of fun!

I feel like I’ve been in a whirlwind lately…in a good way.  I have a passion for travel, and since July I’ve visited 5 countries (Spain, Morocco, Poland, Italy and Mexico), three of those, for weddings.  After my wedding in Zakopane, Poland, I was asked to travel with Donnie and Carla to Tuscany for their wedding in the very tiny town of Certaldo. What a fantastic trip that was!  I traveled solo and had a few days in Florence  before the ceremony, so I had a chance to see much of what I hoped to see there (Brunelleschi’s dome and the Duomo, Michelangelo’s David, the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio and even Michelangelo and  Galileo’s tombs), and later managed quick day trips to Rome, Pisa and San Gimignano.  I then planted myself in Certaldo close to the ceremony site so that I could scope out the location.  What I found was a photographer’s paradise! Certaldo is a small Tuscan town about 30 -minutes north of Sienna. Perched high on a hill above Certaldo and overlooking the town is a Medieval Castle known as Certaldo Alto.  You can hike up the steep walkway or ride the venicular up to the top for fine dining, great wine and fantastic views of Tuscany.  There were way too many settings for portraits on the hilltop; stone walls, brick walls, gorgeous arched doorways, cobblestone streets and arched tunnels, old wooden doors and ivy covered walls. Everywhere I turned I saw a photogenic backdrops.  In fact, much of Italy makes for photogenic backdrops! Here are a few of my favorites from Donnie and Carla’s wedding celebration.

It was delightful working with Meghan and Matt and their families.  The ceremony was held at Morris Chapel and it was a good day for an indoor ceremony as a cold front was moving across the region and it was windy and cool.  Their officiant was an uncle and he added a special feeling to the ceremony.  Meghan and Matt braved the elements and traveled by classic car to Oak Farm Vineyards in Lodi for the reception.   Oak Farm had just completed their new pavillion so the dining was outside, but they brought out several large heaters to keep everyone toasty. Great wine, food, dancing and fun!  Here is a video of some of the highlights of the day.

I feel as if I’ve been in a whirlwind! This past month I had the privilege of photographing a wedding in the highlands of Southern Poland in the town of Zakopane.  Magda and Lucasz are both from Zakopane and they are truly proud of their heritage.  They wanted to incorporate as many customs as possible into their two-day event.  From the horse-drawn carriages that carried the guests to and from the church to the very last polka, Magda, Lucasz and their families thought of everything.  The local guests too, were excited about bringing on the old ways and the women dressed in colorful skirts and  traditional dresses, while the men wore heavy felt pants, fluffy white shirts and regional hats. From the kitchen came a never-ending stream of savory meals (we were fed AT LEAST every 2.5 hours!), while a live band played solid sets of perfect polka music. Dancing and laughter filled the lodge and poured out onto the surrounding decks, which provided beautiful views of the surrounding Tatra mountains.   I plan to do a more in depth write up as soon as I can, but for now, here is a highlights video of this 2-day celebration. It’s very fast paced, so be ready for that!

Nicole and Nick chose Lake Natoma Inn as their wedding venue and as they were planning the wedding they realized just how beautiful the area is down by the lake.  They asked if I minded shooting their engagement photos there as well and I agreed.  We had perfect weather and they looked so good together.  It was a fun photo session and we had a chance to discuss details of what they wanted as far as wedding photography and what we needed to do to capture those moments.  One reason why I really love to do engagement sessions is that it gives us an opportunity to work together before the wedding day, when tensions can be high.  These two were so relaxed.  I knew their wedding would be fun and beautiful.

I had a great time photographing Spencer and Breanna a few weeks ago in San Francisco. They are really fun to work with and we had a great day at all the fun photo spots.  Here are a few of my favorites from Baker Beach.

Spencer and Bre cruisin Baker Beach.

Here’s a video I’ve been meaning to post for a while.  A collection of some of my favorite Mexican doors.  Most were taken on the mainland, but there are a few from Baja California and Baja California Sur. Enjoy!

What a wonderful couple! I had such a great time working with Daniela and Marcus.  It was hard to take a bad photo of these two. And the wedding and reception details were just exquisite.  Both families and the wedding party were all so very easy to work with and so appreciative.  With Morris Chapel as the backdrop for the ceremony and the Stockton Country Club as a reception site,  it was a magical day and a fantastic  experience. Thanks again, Daniela and Marcus for allowing me document your wedding!

Daniela and Marcus at Morris Chapel

Inside Morris Chapel