I had the pleasure recently of shooting at one of my favorite locations - Nestldown, in the Santa Cruz mountains, with the beautiful Ashley and Jared! It was a delight from start to finish. Here are a few of my faves, or if you'd like to watch the slideshow, you can do so by clicking on Jared and Ashley's Nestldown wedding slideshow here.
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I had the privilege of shooting Robyn and Sean's beautiful wedding at Holy Cross church and the always stunning Hollins House. Robyn and Sean are absolutely adorable, and it was so fun to get to share their wedding day with them. I've included a few of my favorite photos, and if you'd like to see more of my favorite photos from the day, I've created a slideshow of all of my favorite photos, which you can see by clicking here...
Below is a great example of why I had so much fun; they were literally cracking each other up all day (and I love capturing moments like this)...
The gorgeous flowers were done by Teressa, of Bonny Doon Garden Company, who is not only uber talented (and specializes in organic flowers), but a wonderful person too; it was fun to get to work with her again! There are some pretty shots of her bouquets below, after the jump.
And of course, I can't forget the Hollins House, which is one of my favorites in town, it's so elegant and the views are phenomenal. All in all, this was a beautiful day, and as I said before, I was honored to get to document Robyn and Sean's special day; they were fun, silly, sweet and romantic and I had a blast capturing all their different sides. (Hollins House, below...)
I have to talk about their first dance, which was so great! They started off slow, but then quickly got down and busted a serious move. Below is a shot of the 'serious' part, right before the fast music started, and I love this shot. There are a series of hilarious dancing shots that you MUST see, including a moment where Sean whipped his tux jacket off and threw it into the audience (I was so stoked that I captured it!), but there were so many great dancing moments that I'd be remiss if I didn't include a few of them, after the jump, but in order to fully appreciate the fun and wackiness that was their first dance, you should definitely check out the slideshow!!
Here's the throwing-the-jacket moment...(like I said, more fun dancing shots in the slideshow, and below after the jump).
Close-ups of the dress, before Robyn put it on....
I absolutely love this silhouette, right-before-they-head-down-the-aisle shot! I was shooting the bridesmaids walking down the aisle, and when I glanced up I saw Robyn and her dad conferring, right before starting down the aisle. I love how intent her dad looks, with just that glimmer of light off of his glasses, and how even though it's in silhouette, you can tell that she's smiling...
The ceremony...is Holy Cross not just completely lovely?
Immediately upon stepping out of the church...
Details! I love details, and these placecards in particular were pretty fabulous...
Portraits...
How I love the long veils!
There are more shots, after the jump, click to continue reading below...
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I had the pleasure of meeting and shooting Brad and Lauren's wedding at St. Dominic's, followed by their amazingly gorgeously elegant reception at The Old Fed (or The Old Federal Building). I actually met Lauren's mom, Nan, first, as Lauren was finishing up school, so the first 1/2 of figuring out wedding details was done with Nan. I would say 95% of the time, I work with the bride (and /or the bride and groom), so working with Nan, for the first half was unusual, but great fun. She's such a wonderful woman, (and mom), and getting to know her was a real treat. When Lauren took over half-way through, I had the fun of getting to know her, as well, and when we all met up in San Francisco (which is where St. Dominic's and the Old Fed are located), to do location scouting, we ended up having lunch afterward, and I loved hearing all about them and their family. I felt like (moreso, say than other weddings, for the most part), that I really got to know them well, which was really great.
So before the day of the wedding, through emailing, engagement shooting, and lunch, I already liked their family, but after shooting their wedding, I loved them. Not only was the location unbelievably gorgeous (seriously, it was like a movie version of a perfect wedding) - when you think, 'elegant city wedding,' that was this wedding, but watching them interact with one another; not only Brad and Lauren, who are super-cute, and fun, but the entire family. I especially loved watching them toast one another. I got all choked up, watching their brothers and sisters toast (and slightly roast) them, it was at turns hliarious, and sweet and tender. I guess what I'm saying is not only did I feel incredibly privileged to shoot this wedding, but I really liked them all, as people.
So Brad, Lauren, and Nan, thanks so much; not only for the honor of asking me to shoot your wedding, but also for being so warm and welcoming, and so fun, to boot. I hope you love your photos, as much as I do. It was so fun for me to edit them, and I really played around with some (of course, leaving you the 'basic' option, as well, if it was too over the top arty). =)
If you want to go see the slideshow of Brad and Lauren's amazing, gorgeous, elegant San Francisco wedding and reception, click here to be taken to their slideshow. You can also check out some of my favorites (as per usual, lately, there are a lot of favorites), to see those, click the 'continue reading...' link, directly below. Or go crazy, and do both! =)
Continue reading "Brad and Lauren's Wedding at St. Dominic's and The Old Fed" »
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This is one of those weddings where (literally) everything was perfect; the bride and groom (and all their friends and family) are absolutely gorgeous, and could easily model (I'm not just saying that either, when you see some of the shots of M'Kenzi, not to mention her sisters and neices, you'll see why I say that). And finally, I got to shoot at a sparkly new location in town, Rancho Soquel, which is the MOST amazing facility! It was one of those weddings where everything came today -- it was a perfect storm of bridal bliss (I really like alliteration!).
So, Rancho Soquel's grounds are absolutely gorgeous, and it seemed that every corner I turned, there was a new, better photo spot than the one we had just left. I had toured Rancho Soquel prior to the wedding day, (since it was new to me), with Denise, from Wedding Connection, (who was also there on the wedding day, to keep things running smoothly), and I really liked it then, but on the wedding day, when I saw it all decorated, I fell in love with the place. I'm not kidding, there was a barn (with beautiful old wood, that reflected the most beautiful light on people's faces when we were doing portraits), 2(!) bridges over the creek that runs through the property, tons of old growth oaks and foliage, a big meadow, and florabunda. It was such a delight for me. Really. I'm not merely gushing, it was an incredible property, and I cannot WAIT to be able to shoot there again.
NOTE: -- If you would like me shut my pie hole, and stop yammering on about all the details of the wedding, and you just want to get to the slideshow already - then click here - and you will be taken to the slideshow. Also, the slideshow is pretty large, so give it enough time to load, it might take a few minutes. Furthermore - if you would like to interrupt my yapping, and NOT go to the slideshow, but you would like to just look at all my favorite shots, then scroll down, to the bottom of this post, where it says, "Continue reading M'Kenzi & Jordan's Practically Perfect Nuptials..." and you'll be taken to the photos I posted here, which are some of my (not very narrow) list of favorites. Now, back to the yammering blog post...
So I had M'Kenzi and Jordan, an absolutely stunning couple, I had Rancho Soquel, an amazing wedding (or any type of event) location, and (this is the icing on the cake) -- the bride and groom had GREAT taste, so every detail was not only well-thought out, but just right. AND, the cherry on top of that icing, is that Katie Gonzales, a dear old friend of mine (we've known one another since she was in diapers), who has been trained under the tutelage of my fabulous Aunt Susi, in the art of floral design, did all the flowers, and a great part of the decor. (Also - another fun fact, and another aside -- Jordan, the groom's older sister, Lisa, was one of my sister's friends, since elementary school - I still remember how she pronounced Ciliberto with her little lisp). Anyhow, did I mention florabunda??? Katie did SUCH an incredible job with the flowers, and M'Kenzi did an equally splendid job choosing them. They had so many gorgeous blooms, AND mixed into all the flowers was different fruit, of all varieties, which made for this incredible tableau. I could not stop shooting all the details (which, to be fair, I'm kinda that way anyhow, but even more so at this wedding). Katie was amazing, and her skills, combined with M'Kenzi's taste, and the fabulousness of Rancho Soquel made for not only a beautiful wedding, but beautiful (if I do say so myself) wedding photography as well.
Plus, to make it even more fun for me (and not that their wedding was all about me, but hey -- this is MY blog!), it helped that Jordan and M'Kenzi are not only beautiful, but they are so super-fun to shoot; up for anything be it dramatic and (dare I say, slightly over the top -- and I mean that in the best possible way), to the very silly and everything in between. Really, they're a photographer's dream. (As an aside, sometimes really gorgeous people aren't the most photogenic people -- hard to believe but true, and definitely not true in their case!). And I knew that out after we had had so much fun shooting M'Kenzi and Jordan's engagement portraits, so I knew it was going to be a fun wedding to shoot, if only for the fact that M'Kenzi and Jordan are hammy type people, and they actually enjoy getting their pictures taken.
Wow...sorry about the multitude of paragraphs talking about how gorgeous everything was. I do tend to go on, but let me tell you, this wedding lives up to the hype. And if you're a bride who hasn't chosen your wedding location yet, one of the venues I would highly recommend is Rancho Soquel.
And, I don't want to forget to mention, that not only was the wedding day beautiful, and the bride and groom lovely on the outside, but they were really lovely on the inside, as well. M'Kenzi had heard about me from Katie (the aforementioned old family friend), and when I met M'Kenzi, I could see why she and Katie had been friends forever; she's sweet and fun, and Jordan, (who is so smitten with M'Kenzi, it's almost palpable), was really great too. It was one of those ceremonies were I get choked up (it doesn't happen a lot these days, but when it's a wedding that's so sweet and tender, like theirs, my eye piece gets cloudy from my ears. I'm not kidding). They both seemed really in love, and doesn't everyone love the 'happily ever after' of high school sweethearts getting married? So the ceremony was very tender, but then once it was time for the reception, everyone cut loose, which is SO FUN!! It was one of those weddings where EVERYone is laughing and dancing and having fun, and everywhere I turned my camera, I got a great shot of someone doing a crazy move on the dance floor, or throwing their heads back in laughter.
I know I'm going on and on, but I just really loved this wedding (as you'll see by the sheer volume of shots that I 'narrowed down to' to fit in the blog post, and the ones in the slideshow -- the narrow isnt' so narrow, as you'll see), but I had so many favorite shots, this was as narrow as I could get it. So thank you, to M'Kenzi and Jordan and their sweet families and fun friends, for inviting me into your world for awhile, I hope I captured it as you remembered it. It was a delight to get to know you, and a privilege to be a part of this incredible day. I hope you love your photos as much as I do.
Again, you can get to the slideshow by clicking here, and if you want to see some of my favorite photos, posted on the blog, click continue reading, directly below...Also, as always, every photo on this blog is clickable, so if you want to see it larger, click on it, and a new, larger version should pop up. Happy reading!!!
Continue reading "M'Kenzi & Jordan Practically Perfect Nuptials at Rancho Soquel" »
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I was lucky enough to shoot Ken and Cari's wedding this season; lucky because I really like both of them, lucky because they're gorgeous, (which always makes for lovely photos, no matter what I do), and because they're both really fun people, and finally, because they got married at the awesome Monarch Cove, in Capitola Village (for those locals, on Depot Hill). It's sort of a little known spot in Santa Cruz, which is a total mystery to me, as it's one of my favorite wedding spots in the entire county, (I also shot DeAnna and Dave's wedding there, earlier in the year). I don't know why not many people know about it, but I highly recommend any brides looking for a gorgeous, 'reception location with the ocean in the background' to check out Monarch Cove, as not only is it right on the cliff (which the lovely Pacific right behind it), but the house is really cool too! And, (as you'll see in the photos), the colors around Monarch Cove are so bright and saturated, which is my favorite type of photos (higih saturated, lots of contrast), so I was just in heaven shooting there, and completely thrilled as I edited the wedding, and saw all the incredible color).
Anyhow, I knew after Ken and Cari and I did their engagement shoot (click here to see those) (incidentally, also in Capitola Village), that we were going to have a good time shooting their wedding. I would say that we laughed about 70% of the time we were doing their engagement session, which not only makes for a fun time, in general, but makes for great photos, too! (Especially for a photographer like me, who loves getting those laughing shots).
Plus, both Ken and Cari aren't afraid to strike a pose, which means we not only got lots of great laughing and interacting shots, but we got some really great dramatic, looks-like-it's-in-a-wedding-magazine, slightly (but not completely) over-the-top type portraits, to go with all the fun casual shots. Plus, we had ample to time to get all these portraits, as we not only did a quick portrait session at the reception location, but they were so serious about getting great portraits that we all went down to the beach after the reception, and got some amazing (if I do say so myself) portraits of Ken and Cari, as well as their family.
Ken and Cari - thanks SO much for choosing me to be your wedding photographer. I hope you love these photos as much as I do. If you want to see the slideshow of their wedding day, you can get there by clicking here. (give it time to load, there are a lot of shots, but I promise it will be worth it). Or, if you don't have time for that, click below on, 'Continue reading...' to see some of my favorite shots of the day. As always, all photos are clickable, if you want to see them larger.
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In May, Kim and I flew down to Cancun, Mexico to shoot Kate and Matt's destination wedding, on Isla de Mujeres, in Cancun, Mexico. It was quite an incredible experience, and I was thrilled to be asked, and to be able to do it! It was a crazy, mad-cap trip, which I can go into in more detail later, but getting to know Matt and Kate, and their friends and family was a privilege and honor that I won't soon forget. I have so many favorites, this is going to be a large post. First of all, I first have to thank my cousin Mia, for putting me in contact with Kate and Matt. I'm completely indebted to her, for the introduction.
Being in Mexico, with Kim was a hoot, and we had a good time, especially on my birthday, where we rode over on the ferry to Isla de Mujeres, to scope out the ceremony and reception location (Zama Beach Resort, a gorgeous place for a wedding). We spent the afternoon riding around like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride on the golf cart that Kate and Matt had reserved for us, and spent the afternoon on the beach (at Zama Resort), in our bathing suits, jumping off the dock, looking for shells and swimming around on the white sand beach. We had lunch on the beach, and after the ferry ride back to mainland Cancun, had a 'couples' massage (which cracked us up to no end), having a dinner by the ocean and an early night to bed, to wake up for our trip the next morning.
On Wenesday, we met Kate, Matt and their friends and family, and embarked on the 3-hour ride to Chichenitza. It was incredible to see the sites I'd heard so much about, they were incredible to see, and I was happy to record Kate and Matt's day there, for them with their friends and family. After that, every headed back to the hotel to do their own thing for the evening. Kimmy and I went to the beach for a while, and she fell asleep while I read, with the gorgeous waves lapping the incredibly white-sand beach. We had dinner in our rooms, and went to bed early to prep for the wedding the next day.
Kim and I went over to Isla de Mujeres early in the day, to meet Kate and Matt, and do their portrait session, before the ceremony started, and we had a great time riding around on the golf carts, all over Isla de Mujeres, shooting pictures down small alleys, on craggy rock, in front of crazy-bright, fabulously painted buildings for a couple hours. At the ceremony, Kate held a simple bouquet of calla lillies, and walked down the beach aisle to her groom, to the sounds of a small group of mariachi. The ceremony was short and sweet (and absolutely beautiful, in front of the pier, and the crystal-clear blue water). Surrounded by their family and friends, it was lovely to watch, and I felt privileged to be there. After the ceremony, we took some more portraits, with everyone there, and a few more of Kate and Matt, on the dock, and then it was time for a delicious Mexican dinner under the stars, with the beach and water in the foreground. It was a great time, and I know I keep saying it, but I felt privileged to be asked to be there, and shoot the day, and I felt like I not only got to see a wonderful time in their lives, but I made new friends, as well.
I'm in the process of making a slideshow, which includes some of the photos from the day trip, the day before the wedding, that we took to Chichenitza. When the slideshow is up, I'll post it here, but in the meantime, a few of my favorites are also featured here, and there will be many more after the jump....
EDIT: To see the slideshow, go to next post, by clicking here...
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I recently shot Kate and Adam's engagement shoot up around the (gorgeous) UCSC campus. It was a place I'd never shot before, and I was so glad they suggested it, because the photos turned out so great. It was one of those shoots where I was oohing and aahing about all the photos and locations as we continued through the shoot. I know I can get (over)excited, but I truly do feel so blessed to do what I do, and I really do get excited when I'm shooting, seeing the shots as they come up, and also thinking about what they will be like, once I edit them. So if you've shot with me, and you think, "Is this chick for real?" well, yes, that's really how I am. I love what I do, and no matter how many shoots or weddings I've done, I still get excited with each one.
Kate and Adam were a blast to work with, so easy-going, and fun, and also very excited to be doing the shoot (which makes it even more fun for me). I'm excited to do their wedding, in the next month! I know we'll have a good time. Not only do the photograph incredibly well, but they are such great people, and I love being around sweet people, so I'm grateful they found me! More photos after the jump...
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Check it out -- me! IN a photo! Crazy, I know...thanks to Kimmy for snapping this shot.
I met Shari in a most off-beat manner, I would have to say the most unusual way I've ever met a client. You see, the first time I met her I was naked! Now before you start wondering just what kind of photographer I am, let me clarify. Shari was my massage therapist long before I was her wedding photographer. We met while she was working at Sanctuary Day spa, and I went in after one of my wedding double-headers (when I shoot two weddings in one weekend), which are particularly rough on my back. We got to talking, and she told me she had just gotten engaged a few weeks prior, and I told her about my photography. (As an aside, Shari has given me some of the best massages in my life, which is a bold statement, given I have gotten a LOT of massages in my life).
Anyhow, I had the privilege of shooting their wedding a few weeks back. The ceremony and reception were at the La Selva Beach church and clubhouse. I'd shot at the church before, but never the clubhouse. When we first started talking about their wedding,they were kicking around the idea of having it at home, but by the time we got in touch again, they'd decided to have it in La Selva.
Our first conversation (while I was on my stomach, speaking through the face hole, while Shari gave me a massage), Shari also told me that while their wedding would likely be small and fairly low-key, (no matter where it was held), that photography was very important to her, which is something I kept in mind whenever I thought about Shari and Jim, because if you know someone is passionate about photography (Shari's also an artist), or art, then I always feel a little extra pressure, like I don't want to disappoint them, even more so than normal (and trust me, I *always* want to do the best job I can for people.
Anyhow, when I arrived, Shari and Jim were in the process of setting things up (they had done pretty much EVERYthing themselves). I pitched in and did a few things, while alternately taking photos, to help them get the places ready. Shari and Jim were both inordinately calm, and cheerful while setting up. In fact, given the amount of work they'd done getting the places ready over the previous 24 hours, I was shocked at how chill they seemed to be. The wedding and reception were both great, and despite the darkness (which was a bit hard to deal with, especially when trying to find portrait locations) both outside and in the clubhouse, I'm really happy with how the photos turned out. I think we got some really great ones, despite the darkness of the locations. I'll post some of my favorites below.
It was a pleasure to shoot Jim and Shari's wedding and to get to be with them throughout their wedding day. Shari is incredibly sweet, and kind (and super-centered and down-to-earth), and Jim is fun and friendly, and being with them was a delight. Thanks, you guys, for inviting me to be a part of your big day! Below are some of my favorite shots from the day, or if you want to see the slideshow I put together, you can check out the wedding slideshow by clicking here!
And if you want more photos, click on the 'continue reading...' link below for a few more of my favorite shots, after the jump...
Continue reading "Jim and Shari, La Selva Beach Clubhouse Wedding" »
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I've written before about how I'm a amember of the WPJA, and also how when I entered my first contest with the WPJA that I placed, and could now be considered 'award-winning'.
Well, I entered the most recent [AG]WPJA contest . The [AG]WPJA is the 'Artistic Guild' of the Wedding Photojournalist Association, a sub-group of the WPJA, which is -- from the site: "A group of international wedding photojournalists, who capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing," or basically -- you're good at not only capturing images ina photojounalistic style, but that you're good at Photoshop/post-processing after you've shot the images). To be listed as a member of the [AG]WPJA (and not just the regular WPJA), you have to have placed in the top ten in one of their contests to be considered a 'member' and listed.
So, all that to say -- I entered the most recent contest, and placed in the top ten!! So I'm now a member of the WPJA, and the [AG]WPJA. I'm thrilled, because I think my post-processing is one of the things that sets me apart, and I'm glad to be recognized because of it. The above shot is the the image that placed. If you want to see it on the site, you can see it by clicking here. I entered it in the 'details' category. The judges comments were: Classic, timeless elegance is reflected in this well toned image. The vertical lines of the veil contrast the looped hair which is offset by the ornaments. It's a simple moment that has been pushed along by great toning. Anyhow, I'm thrilled to have another 'award-winning' image! Especially because I really love this image -- it's just nice to be recognized doing something you love and have so much passion about. I also recently had another image get into a wedding magazine. I'll scan it and show it to you guys soon!
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I am thrilled to let you in on a little secret. One of my wedding photos is in the March issue o f Elle Magazine. I'm not kidding. It's something I've known might happen for a while, but have been waiting to see if it would happen. One of the other florists I think is great (yes, there are other florists besides my Aunt Susi (but only a small handful) that I think are great, anyhow, Teresa, of Bonny Doon Garden Co., and I have worked together on a few weddings. One of the weddings we worked on together was Valentine and Darrell's wedding.
And what was really unique about Valentine and Darrell's wedding, was that they did all their flowers organic. So Teresa called me up ahead of time, and asked me to take some shots for her, since it would be a unique thing, and she knew of a woman working on a book about the organic flower industry, Amy Stewart, who might be interested in using them, or at least seeing them. So, after the wedding we showed them to Amy, and she contacted us later in the year, to let us know that Elle was going to be writing about her book, and could she send a few from that wedding, in case they wanted to use some. So fast forward to today, and I got an email from Teresa, letting me know that they used one of the shots I took. How awesome is that?!?!? I am thrilled.To be in Elle magazine in any capacity is exciting. The shot featured here is the shot they used, and once I get a copy of the magazine, I'll post that as well.
This news is icing on the cake of a great couple of weeks for me. I've booked 8 new weddings for this year, in the span of less than a week, I'm already starting to book 2008, and I'm starting my season this upcoming weekend. So things are great, and busy. I've got 18 weddings already for this year, which is considerably more than I had at this time last year.
One of my clients, who hired me last year, Kate and Matt, were originally going to have their wedding in Chico, decided to scale way back, and have a small destination wedding in Cancun, of which they asked me to go and shoot. I'm SO excited, as I love travelling, and I love shooting, so to get to combine them in an official capacity is more than thrilling. Plus, I really like Kate, and get along with her so well already, that I know it's going to be a blast. I'm so stoked they're able to fly me and my assistant out to shoot their wedding, and I can't wait!! It's been one of my goals to shoot an international destination wedding (I've shot destination weddings before, just not internaltionally), my next goal is in Europe or the UK (preferably Italy, of course). =) So things have been really great the past few weeks, albeit, still very busy. But good busy, not, I've I'm-not-sleeping-because-I-have-to-get-stuff-done kind of busy, just regular busy, which is much more mangeable.
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