Al and Jean-Yin are a great couple - their engagement session at the Capitol in Sacramento was one of my all-time favorites, and they’re both such super-nice people (and Jean-Yin is ORGANIZED). So I was really looking forward to shooting their wedding, and the 100 degree temperature at the RH Phillips winery in Esparto wasn’t even close to enough to dampen the spirits of Jean-Yin and Al’s fun-loving friends and family! The winery was beautiful and the chocolate-themed wedding went off perfectly despite the heat. Jean-Yin looked radiant and Al’s smile never left his face. The reception included some wonderful personal touches, including a “Case Study” slide show presenting the history of the couple (my favorite slide was the one explaining how Al arrived at his current GQ look - hint: Jean-Yin deserves a LOT of credit…) and a salsa dance performance followed by lessons. At the end of the night, the two drove off together in Al’s second love - a vintage Land Cruiser named Colonel Mustard - a fitting end to a wonderful day!

I was thrilled to shoot Brooke and Mark’s wedding in San Francisco yesterday. I’ve known Brooke for a few years now, since our days on the UCD Triathlon team, and even before I did their engagement session, I was lucky enough to photograph both members of this highly photogenic couple. As anticipated, my second shooter Jeff and I had a great time riding around the city in a big tour bus, traveling back and forth from downtown to City Hall for the ceremony and then to the Cliff House for the reception. Things got a little hectic when an uninvited guest decided to join us for the bus ride, but the capable groomsmen sorted things out soon enough and we were on our way to City Hall, just in time to meet the happy couple for their ceremony. Brooke and Mark were up for just about anything (even climbing out on a little cliffside ledge), and you could tell they were just enjoying themselves and having a great time. I wish you two all the happiness you deserve - thanks for letting me be a part of this wonderful day!

Christine and Matt had a beautiful wedding in Yuba City. My second shooter Erika and I had a great time - these two are a joy to work with - fun, laid-back, stress free (well, Matt was a tiny bit stressed, but Chrissy was one of the calmest brides I’ve ever seen!) and… they really know how to kiss! A quick look through my portfolio will reveal that I’m partial to a good smooch shot… and Matt and Chrissy gave me lots of material to work with. Their friends and family were loads of fun too - some touching, emotion-filled speeches and, of course, a fun-filled party - you know it will be a good time when there’s a table full of candy and a make-your-own margarita machine! A nice big wedding party (21 total!) and a bunch of extremely adorable kids running around made for some great photographic moments. And as a special bonus, we got to indulge Chrissy’s love for all things Disney by doing a little Cinderella re-enactment on the church steps. I’m really looking forward to shooting with them again for their post-wedding session - I’m sure there’ll be lots more kissing! Congratulations you two!

Jamie and Jay met playing Rugby while they were at Sac State, and their rugby-themed wedding was a blast! These two are a great couple - easy-going, fun and obviously made for each other. How can you not love a couple who have a Great Dane AND a Chihuahua (I actually got some insight into how that Chihuahua might feel after I spent some time standing next to some of Jay’s groomsmen - those guys are BIG!) The ceremony took place at St. Elizabeth’s in Sacramento - a lovely Catholic church (with a wonderfully accommodating priest who made it relatively easy to take photos in the dimly lit church by allowing us to use flash - a nice surprise!) The reception at the Grand Ballroom was beautiful, with some wonderfully heartfelt speeches from Jamie and Jay’s family. And then the party started! The country music kicked in and everyone kicked up their heels for some rip-roaring fun! There were definitely some folks burning up the dance floor (including the bride and groom - turns out they’ve got some moves off the rugby field as well!) The rugby theme extended to the garter toss - after Jay pulled off Jamie’s garter, the DJ tossed him a rugby ball which he threw to the waiting groomsmen.  Congratulations to Jay and Jamie - may you have many happy scrums, rucks and mauls in your future!

I photographed my first Pakistani wedding along with my second shooter Erika, and we had a fantastic time! The colors, the dancing, the food - it was all completely amazing! Nazli and Umer are a great couple, and so much fun to work with - they were always smiling and their upbeat, positive attitudes never faltered. Their friends and family were also great to be around - I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to eat so many times - they practically pulled the cameras out of our hands and forced food upon us… not that we were complaining - I knew there’d be some amazing food, since every time I spoke with Nazli, she spent at least a couple of minutes telling me how great the food would be - food is a big deal to her family, and I fully support that! The first day of the wedding took place in San Ramon and Fremont and consisted of the Nikah (the religious ceremony) followed by the Mehndi (traditionally a ceremony for the bride during which her hands and feet are elaborately painted with henna). The religious ceremony was of course completely different from the typical wedding ceremonies I’m used to photographing- the men and the women were separated (at first in separate rooms, and later on opposite sides of one room), and Nazli and Umer were separated as well until after the ceremony was over. It was a very intimate setting, with everyone sitting together on the floor of the mosque, and and it felt like everyone was really involved in the ceremony instead of just spectating.
At the Mehndi party, Umer and Nazli’s friends and family performed some wonderfully elaborate choreographed dance performances. Umer’s nieces were especially adorable, and obviously inherited their talent from Umer’s sister Saira, who danced as well. There was also a ritual involving the stealing of Umer’s shoes, which were then sold back to him. I couldn’t quite figure out the significance of that particular ritual, but it made for some great photo opportunities.
On Saturday, the festivities (and eating) continued in Sacramento. We started out at Nazli’s parents’ house for a session with the bride and groom, before heading over to the Platinum Palace for the reception. The decorations and table settings were stunning, including a huge spread of carved fruit and three delicious looking cakes… and of course, more delicious food. This event was a bit more formal, and everyone, especially the bride and groom, looked spectacular.

Tons of thanks to Nazli and Umer for including us in their celebration and introducing us to the wonderful world of Pakistani wedding festivities!