I am lucky to be a wedding photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is beautiful around the calendar, but this time of year, especially. In the fall, the trees are laced with burn oranges, and the sunsets are draped in pink. Over the past few weekends I have been lucky enough to shoot a wide range of gorgeous weddings. 



A few weekends back I was in San Jose.  One really beautiful and fun idea that I saw at their wedding was: her flower bouquet was decorated with crystal flower broaches. It was so sparkly and eye catching. Their reception venue was unique, with large indoor palm trees. And the tall walls were decorated in spiral light designs, which looked breathtaking in photos. 
 

The next weekend we shot a wedding at a bamboo garden in the south bay.  The bride was stunning under the large oak tree, her dress billowing down the cobblestone path. Bamboo shoots grew tall over the coy pond.  One fun and unique idea they had at their wedding was: the men in the bridal party wore old fashion hats, like fedoras. They looked cool and fashionable.  I very much enjoyed listening to the stories behind how the vintage hats were acquired. One of hats was beaver, not fur, the leather. It was very soft. 

The weekend after that, which was the weekend before last, I was at a winery. A winery is a great venue, especially during the fall. The mix of the browns, reds, greens and oranges makes a colorful backdrop. This couple got married in a room with many barrels of wine- it was symmetrically gorgeous. The room was bathed in candlelight, and soft light from the large crystal chandeliers. 
One unique idea I saw at their wedding was: their officiant asked them to pause during the ceremony to enjoy the moment. I thought this was brilliant. The day goes by so quickly- and to be allowed to pause the excitement and be in the moment is a great idea. 

Last weekend was Halloween.  We shot a wedding in Monterey.  It was raining pretty hard, and it was a beach wedding. Without ruining her makeup, or being upset, the cool couple executed Plan B.  Despite the last minute change of venue, their wedding was terrific, and also had a lot of personality.  One unique thing I saw at their Hallowedding was: the bride wore a recreation of Belle's dress from Beauty and the Beast. The dress was in white, not yellow, but was the same design as in the movie. The groom was far from a beast, but she sure was a beauty, and looked amazing in the famous dress. 

 

My day started at the mission, the palm trees swaying softly against the blue skies. The Bride and Groom are world champion ping pong players; in fact, one of them is an Olympian. They are one of those couples who you just cannot help but love. They are super nice with beautiful smiles. 

In fact, they are well loved, with nearly 400 fun and friendly guests. I had a tremendous amount of fun with this easy going group. 


Some of the fun and unique ideas that I saw at their world champ wedding were:

• a ping pong table for the guests to enjoy
  
• potted orchids as the center pieces on the reception tables
  
• a soda fountain that was literally a fountain 
  
• full-sized cardboard cutouts of the couple in their wedding wear- so fun posing with them!
  
• guests made a tunnel of sparklers for the bride and groom to run through
  

Their wedding was fun and fabulous. I loved everything about this wedding from her dresses and hair, to the glittery cake topper. Their DJ kept the dance floor flowing with a wide range of great music.   One my favorite things that I saw at their wedding was: as gifts for the guests to take home were personalized and reusable shopping bags. This was cute and considerate. This thoughtful gift looks out for the future generations' environment and well being, which is a wonderful act of love. Bravo! It just so happens. last Tuesday California signed into law a no more plastic bag law. So not only was this pragmatic and thoughtful, it was relevant.
  

San Francisco is a romantic backdrop for any wedding. There are a myriad of perfect venues, that are guaranteed to charm your guests. As a wedding photographer, I enjoy shooting weddings and engagements in San Francisco.  

Last weekend I shot a wedding on a yacht. The couple was married by the captain of the boat immediately following the launch of the ship. We cruised around the bay, enjoying the spectacular backdrop and perfect weather. 

One fun and unique idea I saw at this wedding was: during the reception they played a right-left game at the tables. At some weddings there are table games, but this was unique in both the story about the couple, and the wrapped prizes.


Here is how the game worked:  
- Each table was given a wrapped prize
- A starting guest at each table was chosen by volunteer
- A story about the couple was read out loud
- Every time the word "right" was said, the prize was handed to the person to the right
- Every time the word "left" was said, the prize was passed left
- Whoever was holding the prize when the story was over won the prize


 It was much like musical chairs to a story, except no one had to stand up, and someone from each table won a prize. This was a fun way to break the ice before lunch. The game provided many smiles, and much laughter.        

Last weekend we shot a wedding in Napa. It was a destination wedding- the bride and groom were from Arizona.  As the sun started to set over the Napa hills, pink and billowy clouds set the stage for a perfect-picture wedding.  

All of the guests were staying at the same hotel, so they all traveled to, and from, the winery in a chartered bus. This was not only convenient, but a wonderful way to assure their loved one's safety leaving the winery.  

One moment during their wedding that was unique and fun was: during the first dance, every guest was blowing bubbles towards the newlyweds at the same time. The couple was completely swimming in bubbles. The support and love in the room was magic.   


Some fun uses for bubbles at weddings are:

• Bubbles instead of rice- this is a modern tradition
  
• Bubble Guns on the dance floor- en garde
  
• Glow-in-the Dark Bubbles would look amazing with the right DJ equipment
  
• Edible Bubbles would be cute, floating around in a dessert room 
  
• Bubble Performers can be hired to wow your guests
  

As a wedding photographer, I have seen many fun and fresh ideas over the past couple of months. I have been busy every weekend. 

The summer is rich in marriage, rich in love. 





Some of the more interesting and original ideas I saw were:
 

*  A bouquet, delicately adorned with glitter.  It twinkled like her eyes. 


*  Reception shoes with the words JUST on one toe, and MARRIED on the other-  Perfect for the dance floor.  


*  A photo booth shaped as a giant Tiffany's box.  With a giant Tiffany-style heart with their name etched into it. It was amazing! The father of the bride had made it all by hand; and what a wow! 

 
*  A videographer put a GO-PRO on the hood of the Bride and Groom's Bentley


*  A giant and fancy picture frame. When I say giant, it was six feet by four feet. We got some creative and fun shots.


*  A break dance performance by the groom. They also had a rapping DJ. 


*  Flame-less candles inside of hanging plastic orbs. That was really romantic.   


*  An officiant dressed as video game character. It kinda looked like a naval uniform. The officiant was telling me it was a male cheerleader character. So he not only looked cool, but he was cheering them on  

*  A bagpiper- turn down, for what?


A couple weddings back we were at a Rose Garden in San Jose. It was beautiful and smelled nice. It was early in the day, and the light was beautiful. Everything was beautiful. The bride's dress reminded me of my wedding dress, but strapless. It was a princess style dress, and she looked the part. She was as graceful in her demeanor as she looked. 


 In fact, their soundboard had gone out just before she was to walk down the isle, which in this case, was a red carpet in a rose garden. Okay, love that!  Anyway, when the sound went out, she kept her cool and grace. Instead of being frazzled or upset, she smiled as we all sang her down the aisle with the traditional wedding march. It was amazing, and even now I feel the love and wonderfulness that that unique situation unfolded.  
 

When I first walked into the restaurant's reception room, I knew right away what I wanted to blog about.  On top of each guests' wedding glass was a pair of red, paper filigree, love birds. They looked delicate and sweet. 

The laser die cast love-bird theme was also a present on each guests' plate. The filigree paper was in the shape of a red bird cage, which was full of candy. This was so cute. 


The Bride and Groom were charming with their sweet nature and lovely smiles. During a conversation with the Groom, I learned that the couple had been taking ballroom lessons for this occasion. I was super excited to see what he was talking about. After the bridal party's entrance, which was performed Gangham Style, the couple had their first dance. 

My jaw dropped to the ground as the Bride and Groom twirled and dipped. They made it look effortless as they gracefully swished across the dance floor. They looked stunning, and the photos are stunning. Their smiles were radiating as they danced for the first time as husband and wife. 
 

Last weekend the Bride was a dancer, and the Groom was a wrestler. The palatial columns of the water temple made for a picture perfect and romantic ceremony.  As bubbles floated by the guests, who were holding white parasols, the bride and groom exchanged tender looks of love, melting our hearts. 

At the reception the dance floor was always popping, with the entire spectrum o'f generations doing all sorts of dancing, from traditional ballroom to "the Worm." They were not too shy to dance.  And dance, they did. 


One great idea that I saw at this wedding was: the Bride and Groom had put together a mixed CD for their guests to take home. This idea is simple and effective; personal and useful. 

As the mariachi music danced through the summer's evening, the smiling guests laughed, cheered, and enjoyed some outstanding salmon.  

The groom was a musician; the bride, a clothing designer.  Their wedding rocked original and handmade keepsakes, such as a vinyl-record guestbook, and their personalized cake topper, with seamstress and rock star.     


One of my favorite touches was the bride had made flowers out of sheet music. She hung them as decoration and also used them as the boutonnieres. Theses sentimental pieces of art looked romantic dangling in the sunset. 

  

In the summer the days are longer, and the flowers grow tall towards the sunny skies. 

Guests wear colorful short-sleeved dresses and have no trouble taking time away from school. 

One great idea that I saw, and experienced this summer was a soda fountain in the reception hall that anyone could walk up to and help themselves.  You could fill your large glass with soda, tea, or water. Ice or no ice- your choice. This was a few weddings back, and I am still thinking about how cool that was. 

The bride and groom had chosen a beautiful venue at a golf course. The green grass up against the sunset filled lake, made for romantic twilight photos and memories.     


Despite the fact that it was a warm day, between the bar and self-serve soda fountain, not a single guest, or vendor, was thirsty for a second. The cups next to the fountain were about twenty ounces, and there was never a line, so hydration was in the house.


Last weekend I was honored to photograph a traditional Vietnamese wedding. This was not my first time shooting a traditional Vietnamese wedding, so I was very happy and excited to get the opportunity again. If you have been lucky enough to have attended one, you know how gorgeous they are.    

As an artist, I favor bright colors; as a yogi, I enjoy chanting. This wedding was entirely enjoyable from the delicious foods to the beautiful ceremonies. From the morning until night, I was in awe at the colorful decorations at all of the ceremony locations. The bride was breathtaking in each of her four dresses and hairstyles. 

One really unique thing I saw at their wedding was the top tier of their giant cake was balancing on a large glass globe.  It was amazing! The DJ had set up a very nice light system, which would illuminate the ball and cake. It was a showstopper.  

One of the best things about shooting weddings is the fun.  

I had the privilege of shooting three beautiful weddings over the past couple of weekends. And although they were different in ways such as their venues, dress styles, and traditions, they all had one thing in common, they were a blast. Smiles all around!  

Some of my favorite things that I saw were:

*  A ring bearer driving down the aisle in a convertible Tonka Corvette

*  A vintage car show procession to the church

*  A large and colorful bird sculpture made of fruits and cheeses

*  A stylish dance performance inspired by Pulp Fiction

*  Homemade mustaches on sticks, which ended up sticking out of the the bridesmaids' bouquets, and under their noses- hilarious! 


One idea that I think is particularly great is: a bride and groom had hired two caricature artists to draw their guests. This was a smash at the cocktail hour and also during the reception. They set up in the back of the tent and guests would sit down and pose, while the excitement of the festivities entertained them.  I saw many smiles as people proudly held up their fun keepsakes.