My First Bicycle Summit!

September 4, 2012

So proud that I was able to climb to the top of Mt. Diablo on my bike! 3 1/2 hours of climbing and 3800 feet! Saw a tarantula on the way up too!

Wedding Paper Diva Watercolor Floral Invitation

Wedding Paper Divas

July 10, 2012

I was recently introduced to Wedding Paper Divas, and I just love their business model — ordering your invitations online makes things so easy! How pretty is the below floral invitation? I also love that Wedding Paper Divas frequently offers special discounts and promotions to their customers, which you can check out here. Some of their special offers end today, so you'd have to act fast!

Fun ideas for flower girls!

June 22, 2012

Happy Friday! To kick off the weekend, I wanted to post a few of my favorite flower girl ideas! Flower girls don't have to sprinkle rose petals down the aisle! Take a cue from some of my past clients and give your flower girls purses or parasols to carry, flowers for their hair or even their own bouquet!

Rancho La Puerta Take Three!

June 15, 2012

Oh, what a good gig! For the third time in a year I've been lucky enough to go to what I'm now considering might be the most special place in the world. Rancho La Puerta is a spa/health ranch located just south of San Diego, nestled on 3,000 in Tecate, Mexico. It was founded in the '40s by a health-conscious couple and has grown into a lovely, healthy getaway. It was voted two years in a row as "best destination spa in the world" by Travel and Leisure magazine readers. The fitness program is top-notch, with full time instructors plus weekly visiting instructors in various disciplines. The food is vegetarian with a bit of fresh fish, and a lot is grown on their own gigantic and gorgeous organic farm. Oh, and the spas and the spa staff are phenomenal! Last time I was there, I got something called a "four hands" massage. Two burly guys working on you completely in sync. Incredibly decadent! Best part about the ranch is it's not pretentious in the LEAST. Most people describe it as "summer camp for adults". Everyone comes in on Saturday and stays until the following Saturday. With mostly communal tables in the dining room, you get to know a lot of the other guests by the end of the week. I've met some fascinating people every time! This visit's assignment was trying to get more men in the pictures to encourage more men to visit. I brought my hubby and he pops up in some of the pics!

Peonies, tulips and snapdragons in hot pinks and oranges create a cheerful bouquet!

June 4, 2012

Once again, Trader Joe's grabs me with their flowers! My husband always gripes because we ride our bikes to the grocery store and hardly have room in our baskets for flowers, but I can't pass them up! It started with the hot pink peonies and then I decided to accent with orange/pink snapdragons and orange tulips. Throw them in the old pickle jar and what a lovely bouquet to enjoy for the week! Happy Monday!

Springtime daffodils to brighten your day!

April 2, 2012

I shot an e-session last night for a friend in the biz. Erica Lewis is the creative force behind Erica Rose Design. Doing an e-session with a florist reminded me to shoot the lovely daffodils I picked up at Trader Joe's the other day. At $1.29 per bunch, you can get LOADS and have lovely springtime throughout your house! You don't have to be a floral designer to put together a bursting simple bouquet. Love, love, love the color yellow! Keep an eye out for Erica's e-session pics soon!

Death Valley Vacation!

March 20, 2012

One benefit of having a seasonal business is that with wedding photography in the bay area, winters are VERY slow, therefore my husband and I try to take at least one long vacation. We stayed on the west coast this year and went on a two week trip up the eastern Sierras with the highlight being Death Valley. I've never been, but have always loved the desert and wasn't disappointed. Death Vally is absolutely huge. Vast and desolate, it's indescribably beautiful. I don't even think pictures do it justice, but I thought I would share a few from our point and shoot. I rarely bring the big cameras on vacation and in this case we backpacked for five days of the trip making it more practical to bring our Panasonic Lumix. LOVE this camera with its Leica lens and wide angle capability! Also the dynamic black and white setting gives great black and white results!

Featured: Desiree and Jarrod's wedding on Style Me Pretty

March 5, 2012

Rosemary Hattenbach of Rosemary Events did such an amazing job, with the help of Eden of End-Design and Cake Coquette, when she planned Desiree and Jarrod's Alice in Wonderland inspired wedding. They're wedding was first featured in San Francisco Bride's magazine, and has now been featured on Style Me Pretty! Be sure to check out the newest feature, or my blog post for even more images!

Featured: Julie and Rajan's wedding on A City Wedding

February 28, 2012

Julie and Rajan held a sweet wedding ceremony and celebrated with a reception overlooking beautiful San Francisco from Hotel Vitale. Today, their wedding was featured on A City Wedding, a blog dedicated entirely to city affairs! Check out the feature here, and for even more images from this wedding, be sure to check out my blog post.

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

Happy Valentine's Day!

February 14, 2012

My hubby and I are going to play hooky this afternoon to enjoy each other and Valentine's Day so I'll leave you with this! Penny and Sean eloped last Valentine's day and I was lucky enough to photograph their darling hour. Penny was born in and grew up in St. Valentine, Nebraska, hence the Valentine's Day nuptials. It's much sunnier this year than last! Happy one year, Penny and Sean!

Something to brighten your winter blues!

February 8, 2012

Spring can't come soon enough, can it? In the meantime, I hope this bouquet of roses that I picked from my garden late last spring will cheer your winter blues!

Sparkling wedding shoes

January 26, 2012

What girl doesn't love a pair of sparkling wedding shoes? Lauren's silver Jimmy Choo heels were stunning. Do you have a favorite kind of wedding shoe or designer?

Keeping warm this winter

January 19, 2012

As the weekend approaches, here's to hoping you have something exciting planned -- and someone to snuggle up to and keep you warm!

Engagement sessions that pop!

January 12, 2012

Sometimes all it takes to make an engagement session extra special is a pop of color, whether its a vibrant accessory or a bright background. Christine and Eugene's engagement session stands out because this adorable couple brought along huge red balloons -- and a killer pair of red heels -- to their session. And Susan and Billy's engagement session was brought to life with the vibrant back-splash of the Oakville Grocery. Be sure to check out these sweet sessions for even more inspiring images!

Rustic wedding inspiration

December 29, 2011

There is something so comforting about rustic weddings -- they are always so warm and inviting! I had the pleasure of shooting two rustic-inspired weddings this season, and wanted to share some inspiration from them with you today. If you're planning a rustic wedding, I hope these images will give you a few good ideas! They come from Kim and Ken's wedding, and Austin and Brian's wedding. Please check out their complete blog posts for even more inspiring images!

Custom wedding cocktails

December 27, 2011

Signature drinks are so popular at weddings, and so many of my couples have taken beverages and made them their own! I would like to share a few of my clients' special drinks with you today. Julie and Rajan shared an Indian-inspired cocktail with guests, while Desiree and Jarrod dressed up drinks with simple straws and flags. Beka and Josh served colorful beverages in mason jars, and Didi and Tim made their own wine labels to cover wine bottles. I hope some of these drinks inspire you to make your own custom cocktails!

Christmas is almost here!

December 14, 2011

When I think of Christmas, I think of red. Red lights on our trees, red sprinkles on cookies, red wrapping paper. So, as we all get ready for Christmas, I thought I would share a few favorite red-hued images with you! Happy shopping and decorating!

Rancho La Puerta - Best Destination Spa in the World!

December 9, 2011

I was fortunate enough to go back to Rancho La Puerta for a second time to photograph their marketing materials. The last time I was there I photographed the resort's fitness program and cooking school. This time my assignment was the spa. I've sprinkled some from the last shoot in here as well so you can get an overall feel. This place is truly special. Everyone who goes — and some people have been going every year for thirty years! — describes it as "summer camp for adults." I do think that's the best description. It's active, it's relaxing, it's social and healthy. It as everything I would look for if I was going to a spa — and many people agree with me, as it was recently voted "best destination health spa" by Travel and Leisure readers for the second year in a row. My days, when I'm not shooting, start with an early morning hike, healthy breakfast, 9:00 a.m. stretch class, 10:00 a.m. tennis clinic or yoga, 11:00 a.m. swim class, noon lunch and then afternoon of pool time or spa time. Healthy dinner with fun friends met at classes or at community dining tables, and then early to bed unless going to a special presentation — this time, they had some wonderful musicians who did almost nightly performances. The spa treatments I got this time, much needed at the end of the wedding season, were unbelievable. The most amazing experience was a Watsu massage, which is a water massage in the pool. The visiting practitioner is one of the best in the world. I ran into one of my former brides the last time I was there (she was there with her mother and sister), and she told me about the "four hands" massage. Truly one of the most decadent things you can ever do, but absolutely the BEST. Mike and Jesus worked in absolute unison on BOTH SIDES of my body! They were like synchronized swimmers! Chiropractic, deep tissue, cranial sacral therapy. All of that combined with healthy eating and loads of exercise, gosh, was my body feeling good when I came home. I would highly recommend a visit to this truly special place! Enjoy the photos!

Fall wedding inspiration

November 28, 2011

Fall is in full swing, and the crisp air and vibrant colors can inspire beautiful weddings. Here are a few favorite fall wedding images that I hope you enjoy!

Featured vendor on Elizabeth Anne Designs

November 9, 2011

Elizabeth Anne Designs is a fabulous wedding blog, chock full of gorgeous real weddings and unique inspiration for brides. And I am so pleased to announce that I am now a featured vendor on their blog! You can check out my vendor portfolio here, and for other wedding vendors in your area, be sure to search the entire vendor guide!