Swedenborgian Wedding, San Francisco - Audrey and Max

January 9, 2019

I was so thrilled to photograph a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding last summer and I’m so happy to finally post photos of this darling couple and their intimate wedding. It’s been many years since I photographed a wedding at the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco and although I had not forgotten how intimate it is, I was again struck by this location’s loveliness for an intimate wedding in San Francisco. It was a typically cold and foggy day in San Francisco and to walk into that wooden church with a fire roaring and candles lit was truly special. On top of it was this sweet young couple. So in love and so passionate about saying their vows.

Audrey put together her many creative talents doing her own hair and makeup and the flowers! Oh the flowers. She did such a great job for a budding florist and she stunned with her simple slightly BoHo bridal look and Max made just about everyone cry when he read his vows to his bride. A talented writer and creative himself, he expressed his love for his bride passionately. I’m so happy for this sweet couple and was honored to photograph their day. Congrats to Audrey and Max!

Location: Swedenborgian Church, San Francisco

Catering: Herb’n Vegan, San Francisco

Florals: The bride! Please inquire with me if you’re interested in contacting her about your own!

Fairmont San Francisco Wedding: Christina and Hans

September 13, 2017

Such a classic San Francisco wedding was Christina and Hans'! I hadn't been to St. Dominic's church in San Francisco in a very long time and it was great to be back. It's such a gorgeous church and YOWSA! That veil of Christina's was a stunner for a classic SF cathedral wedding. So lovely!

Christina was not only lovely to look at, but a lovely personality too as was her new hubby Hans. We hit it off from the second we met. I walked home from my meeting with them and told my husband I hoped to shoot the wedding I liked them so much. So sweet and down to earth and I always love shooting classic weddings so it was a big treat when they decided to move forward.

I wasn't disappointed. They stayed true to their lovely spirits on the wedding day and their friends and family were fabulous as well. Christina was absolutely stunning in her Enzoani gown. I couldn't stop taking pictures of her. Hans looked proud and completely in love when he saw is bride walk down the aisle. Such a sweet moment. After the church ceremony we went with the bridal party to the little park on top of Nob Hill and despite the rare 80 degree day, we found a shady spot to do their bridal party photos and then off to the Fairmont Crown Room for the festivities!

The Crown Room looked terrific and all pulled together by the Dreams on a Dime team. I loved the cascading wall of flowers behind the head table too. Laura Auyeung of Poppy Petalworks rocked the florals! Christina's mother made the favors which was such a personal touch.

I just loved this couple and am so happy they are so happy with their photos. We had a blast and well, quite frankly, I couldn't go wrong! Congrats Christina and Hans!

Venue: The Fairmont

Florist: Laura Auyeung- Poppy Petalworks

Event Planner: Tamara Pfaumann, Megan Casey, Amy George - The Fairmont

Coordinator: Alex Barranco- Dreams on a Dime

Music: DJ Zhaldee - Love In the Mix

Baker: Inticing Creations

Gown: Enzoani

Hair: Desiree Green

Makeup: Alyssa Fonseca

Shoes: Klub Nico

Linen and Rentals: Unica Party Rentals

The Fairmont Gold Room - Angela and Casey

April 17, 2017

Oh how I love The Fairmont in San Francisco and I was more than thrilled to finally photograph a wedding reception in the Gold Room. I love that classic gorgeous ballroom and had only photographed a corporate event in the room in the past.

Angela and Casey had a jam-packed wedding day starting at the Fairmont getting ready and then we all got on the road to the east bay for the ceremony. On the way we got trapped by a China town parade until father-of-the-bride convinced the SF police to hold up the parade so we could get to the church in time! So funny in retrospect, but a little nerve wracking day of!

I love the big Greek Orthodox cathedrals and weddings. So gorgeous and full of tradition. Angela and Casey tied the knot in a classic Greek Orthodox Ceremony at the Ascension Cathedral in Oakland and then we all got back into the city for the cocktail hour in the Fountain Room at The Fairmont and then dinner in the gold room.

Angela stunned all in her Monique Lhuillier gown. I kept thinking while I photographed her that she looked like Audrey Hepburn. Lucky me as a photographer! The florals by Katherine Bergman were classic and beautiful and I loved how they added to the gorgeousness of the Gold Room. Jessica Goldblatt with Dreams on a Dime did a great job coordinating the day, even racing from The Fairmont to Oakland to bring the bride's veil which had been forgotten at the hotel. Now THAT is above and beyond and it was just in time!

The party was raging when I left and given the Fairmont's generous rental hours, I believe the party went until midnight with some great Greek dancing traditions and fun music by a DJ for some more contemporary dancing. What a fun day for all! Congrats to Angela and Casey!

Gown: Monique Lhuillier at Bridal Galleria

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Florist: Katherine Bergman

Event Planner: Jessica Goldblatt Dreams on a Dime

Caterer: The Fairmont

Venue: The Fairmont

Stationer: Fleming's Printed Affair in Oakland

Music: Mark Haggery with Denon & Doyle

Greek Music: George Mylordos

Videographer: Weddings on Film

Sebastiani and The Sonoma Mission Wedding - Nicole and Andrew

January 12, 2016

I will forever love photographing in the Barrel room at Sebastiani Winery in Sonoma! What a fabulous room! Add the tiny and incredibly sweet and old Sonoma Mission church in for the ceremony and you have a pretty great couple of wine country venues for a perfect wedding right in the middle of town!

Nicole and Andrew were a little shy about being photographed, but on their wedding day they stepped up and smiled and smiled for the photos and I was so glad because there were such pretty locations to work with! I absolutely loved photographing them at the Sonoma Mission right off of Sonoma Square and we had fun meeting the bridal party and family at the tiny vineyard on the Sebastiani property!

That gorgeous barrel room was stunning with decor and planning by So Eventful and florals by Mae Flowers. The guests were treated to food by the very local The Girl and the Fig restaurant and catering and then everyone enjoyed transitioning to the tasting room for the photo booth and dancing. So happy I'm on the preferred vendor list at Sebastiani. I just love photographing weddings here!

Congrats to Nicole and Andrew!

Reception Venue: Sebastiani Winery

Ceremony Venue: Mission San Francisco Solano

Event Planner: So Eventful

Floral Designer: Mae Flowers

Caterer: The Girl and the Fig

Baker: Susie Cakes

Hair and Makeup Artists: Taylor Klevins & Krista Schafer

Musicians: Simply the Best

DJ: AMS Entertainment

Linen Rental: La Tavola

Holy Name Cathedral and The Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Chicago - Cara and Albert

December 21, 2015

Every once in a while I get the chance to photograph a wedding near my home town in Chicago. Cara, Albert and I were a perfect fit given that we all live in the bay area, so we were able to do an engagement session here and since Cara and I grew up in the Chicago area so I was able to go and see my family and photograph their wedding in Chicago! Lucky me!

What a fabulous and classic city style wedding! Cara was absolutely spectacular in her Rivini Couture "Sabina" ball gown and long gorgeous veil. I knew from our e-session she would be such fun to photograph and despite cold weather, wind and drizzle she was fabulous in front of the camera! Albert was the perfect groom having just as much fun and indulging his bride and it's obvious in the pictures what fun they have together as a couple.

Their ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral was so gorgeous set under the glorious wood carved ceiling and the reception at the Waldorf sparkled in intimate city splendor with florals by Kehoe Designs. I LOVED how gorgeous that cake was and just HAD to turn it around on it's table to get the sparkle of candlelight behind it (something I would never normally do for a photograph!). As the night went on it went from elegant and candlelit to one heck of a party with Style Matters DJs spinning, champagne and cocktails and dancing into the wee hours. It was amazing the family was able to get up in the morning to go to the traditional Korean Tea ceremony! I LOVE photographing Korean tea ceremonies, but especially the bride dressing. The costumes are truly works of art.

Loved Cara and Albert and had such fun photographing their wedding. Congratulations!

Reception Venue, Event Coordination, and Caterer: The Waldorf Astoria

Ceremony Venue: Holy Name Cathedral

Floral Designer: Kehoe Designs

DJ: Style Matters

Bridal Gown: Rivini Couture

Stationary: Jane Weber, ink!

Hair and Makeup: Mindy City Hair

**Special thanks to my good friend Jeff Ellis for helping me photograph this wedding. I worked with Jeff when I was first getting into photography over 25 years ago!

Piedmont Community Church Wedding - Sarah and Jonathan

December 13, 2015

Here's another very local location (I live in Oakland) I had never been to before! The Piedmont Community Church in another local gem. The darling old church, courtyard and reception hall built in 1918 features some terrific mission-style architecture. Love that it's a self-contained venue that includes a church! Not easy to find! Cocktails in the courtyard, weather permitting is a great transition to the lovely dining hall.

Sarah and Jonathan were all about spending as much time as they could with their family and friends, but their time alone together on their wedding day was just as important so they decided to make our photo session that time. We had a terrific time and I loved photographing Sarah in that incredible veil! While the guests enjoyed Chick-fil-A sliders at cocktail hour, we ran across the street to take advantage of the redwoods, oaks and architecture in the gorgeous central Piedmont park!

Then it was a buffet-style dinner by Blue Heron Catering followed by some crazy dancing with some traditions woven into the evening like the funny money dance! Also, honoring Nicaraguan/Cuban heritage, everyone was treated to watching a tango during the mother-son dance! What a festive wedding. Congrats to Sarah and Jonathan!

Venue: Piedmont Community Church

Caterer: Blue Heron Catering

Bridal Gown Boutique: Margene's Bridal

Veil: Kinsley James

Hair Stylist: Rockridge Day Spa

Makeup Artist: Richard Marquez

Best of 2013!

February 7, 2014

So excited to share my best of 2013 show! I can't believe how fortunate I am to photograph such happy couples and gorgeous locations. Reviewing this made me weepy. So many beautiful couples and emotional moments. I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I do. A big thank you to all of the vendors and locations for giving me such gorgeousness to photograph and a super big congratulations to all of my 2013 clients. I hope you all have many happy years ahead! With love, Julie

NOTE: The embedded video below will play in low definition video, so it is best viewed in its current size. Please click here for high definition, full screen viewing.

Auberge Du Soleil Wedding - Eileen and Jerome

November 30, 2012

This classic and understated wedding at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa Valley was so wonderful to photograph. Jerome is French, and I thought the simplicity of the French style (which also harkens back to the simple weddings of years ago, even in the states) was refreshing. A morning wedding and lunch reception with classical music throughout is such a nice tradition. Choosing Auberge Du Soleil for their wedding luncheon was perfect to reflect Jerome's French heritage, as the food and wine there are the shining stars! The views aren't so bad either! Loved shooting at the charming wine country Holy Family Mission Church just south of St. Helena. We were able to incorporate a few shots of Eileen and Jerome in the vineyard right next door! Eileen and Jerome couldn't have been more laid-back and happy and their families were a joy! Loved listening to the lovely french speaking relatives! Congratulations to Eileen and Jerome!

Vendors involved in this wedding included:

Ceremony Venue: Holy Family Mission Church

Reception Venue: Auberge Du Soleil

Floral Designer: A. Hana Design

Bakery: Patisserie Angelica

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San Francisco Wedding - Patty and Gerardo

October 22, 2012

Patty and Gerardo are going on celebrating their 10th anniversary, but never had a "wedding day." So to celebrate they threw themselves a lovely wedding! I thought that was super-sweet and loved the vintage '40s look Patty achieved, as well as the drop-dead gorgeous vintage cars they used, both owned by Gerardo. Patty arrived in the black car and they traveled to the reception in the cream colored car with red seats. The seats matched Patty's lipstick! Seriously gorgeous! Congratulations Patty and Gerardo!

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Grace Cathedral and The Westin St. Francis - Alissa and Scott!

November 14, 2011

Another classic The Westin St. Francis wedding, and with a bride who is reminiscent of Sophia Lauren! I just love those fluffy short veils and oh my, what a handsome groom. So many great classic pictures from this wedding, it was hard not to convert them ALL to black and white! Off to Mexico for another shoot at Rancho La Puerta in Mexico for a week! See my previous post from the ranch. This time I'm going to photograph the spa! Yippeee!

Intimate weekday wedding at the Swedenborgian and Hotel Vitale

October 10, 2011

I just love weekday weddings (I got married on a weekday myself). Small and intimate, Julie and Rajan's wedding was perfectly coordinated by Amy Nichols of Amy Nichols Special Events and set in two lovely San Francisco locations. I've always wanted to shoot at the intimate and original Swedenborgian Church of North America -- founded in 1817 at a religious convention based on the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg --and was not disappointed. Warm and intimate with a roaring fire, gorgeous window light and candles, the ceremony was simple and lovely. Then on to sweeping views of the Bay Bridge, Ferry Building and downtown San Francisco at one of the gorgeous terraces at the Hotel Vitale. The early evening cocktail reception was fabulous and as twilight set and the city lights came on, it was simply magical. I loved the added Indian touches to honor Rajan's heritage, too. They had an Indian swing -- a beautiful hand-carved bench for guests to enjoy -- and a talented Henna artist who applied henna for the guests. A few of the ladies, including the bride and Rajan's daughter, even changed into Saris for later in the evening. Congratulations, Julie and Rajan!

Vendors involved in Julie and Rajan's wedding included:

Ceremony location: Swedenborgian Church of North America

Reception location: Hotel Vitale

Coordinator: Amy Nichols Special Events

Flowers: Floramor Studios

Henna: Renda of Henna Garden

Cake pops: Sweet Lauren Cakes

Cupcakes: Kara's Cupcakes

Martha and Phillippe's Piedmont Community Hall wedding

September 19, 2011

Such a pretty wedding reception! Martha and Phillippe's wedding was very local to my business. I met them at my Berkeley church many years ago in a walking group (before they even started dating!) and Phillippe remembered I was a wedding photographer all these years! I was excited to shoot a wedding at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, which is my very wonderful church, and the reception at the Piedmont Community Hall, which is a lovely local venue. Martha has such good taste. Loved the place card table and those gorgeous flower urns on the tables! So pretty!

Vendors involved in Martha and Phillippe's wedding included:

Ceremony location: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley

Reception location: Piedmont Community Hall

Featured: Ray and Lily's wedding on A Paper Proposal

May 5, 2011

Ray and Lily's wedding was beautiful, and one of the things that really stood out were the gorgeous paper products that Ray designed just for the event. Photos of the products -- from their invitations to their favors and table numbers -- were featured on A Paper Proposal! Be sure to check out the feature on A Paper Proposal, and get photos of the entire wedding on my blog!

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Vendors involved in Ray and Lily's wedding included:

Church: The Church of the Nativity Chinese Banquet: Champagne and Seafood Restaurant Cake: Citizen Cake Flowers: Friend

Ray and Lily's traditional and Chinese wedding

March 24, 2011

Ray and Lily wed twice, celebrating first in a traditional American church service and again in Chinese tea ceremony, complete with a banquet. The first took place at an adorable 100-plus year old church in the south of San Francisco -- the second at a champagne and seafood restaurant. Both ceremonies, along with the weather, were beautiful!

Vendors involved in Ray and Lily's wedding included: Church: The Church of the Nativity Chinese Banquet: Champagne and Seafood Restaurant Cake: Citizen Cake Flowers: Friend

St. Mary's in Moraga - Christine and Bruce

August 12, 2010

Christine and Bruce contracted my services only for a few hours, so I didn't shoot much (including my 5 minute bridal portrait session ten minutes before the ceremony!), but it was a lovely wedding set in the beautiful little St. Mary's campus chapel. Location: St. Mary's, Moraga, CA

Florist: Granshaw's Flowers

Baker: The French Bakery

I loved the traditional dresses Christine changed into later in the evening!