We awoke to the sound of excited whispers and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. The pristine white walls of the cozy San Francisco home reflected the early morning sunlight…. inciting anticipation of the new day. It was Andrew and Liza’s wedding day… the day Liza had dreamed of her whole life was finally  here. As Erin and I finished our breakfast, Liza, with curlers in her hair and coffee in hand, proudly showed us all her carefully selected details. From her shoes to her perfume, she was so proud of everything and she told us how excited she was that we were there to photograph her day.

Their wedding was different than any other wedding I’ve photographed…. in a very good way. This wedding was a Russian Orthodox Wedding, and everything felt rich with culture and history. I loved that the normal wedding day chatter was in Russian, I loved the ethnic family dynamics, I loved that the ceremony was so different, I loved that everyone had true Russian names (I’m pretty sure I met at least 2 Constantin’s, 4 Alexei’s, an Anastasia, and 2 Dimitri’s.), and I LOOOOVED the traditions. I’m seriously STOKED to be sharing this wedding with you all! Here are my absolute favorites from the day, but before we continue, I’d just like to take a moment to thank my 2nd shooter and good friend Erin for everything she did that day. It’s a rare thing to have your dream job, and it’s a whole different level of rare to be able to do your dream job with your dream team… and I’m so lucky to be able to say that I have, with Erin. And now, back to the images…. enjoy!

Take a look at these BEAUTIFUL bouquets done by Carol of An Added Touch Florist in San Francisco. Didn’t she do an amazing job?!

This is the special bread and salt that both sets of parents present to the bride and groom at the beginning of their wedding reception to symbolize wealth and zest in life. Here’s a great shot of Liza’s mom, Nina, preparing the bread…. Look how intricate the designs are!

This is a shot of the icon Liza’s parents presented to her before they went to the church. As in most Catholic and Orthodox religions, icons are a very important part of their worship in the church. This icon was so fancy!

These are two of my favorite shots from the whole day!

Here’s some shots of the CRAAAAZY art and decor inside the Holy Virgin Cathedral in San Francisco. It was a huge cathedral and when I stepped inside, I couldn’t help but stare open-mouthed at the INTRICATE art that covered every inch of the place. I can see why Liza and Andrew wished to be married there!

The ceremony was definitely my favorite part of the wedding day. While it was challenging photographing a ceremony spoken in Slavonic and Russian, it was beautiful to observe…. very intimate.

Yay! They’re married!!!

From the cathedral, we went a few blocks down to the Green Room in the War Memorial where the reception was to be held, and took some pictures with the wedding party.

And, of course, we had to get a shot in front of San Francisco City Hall!

The reception was GORGEOUS!

Andrew and Liza, along with your families…..

Thank you for allowing Erin and I to be a part of your special day. It was a privilege to document your love and your families, and I wish you all the best in your marriage.

And special thanks to all the amazing vendors!

Ceremony Venue: Holy Virgin Cathedral

Reception Venue: The Green Room

Florist: An Added Touch Florist

Hair and Makeup: Karina Leontiev

Caterer: James Standfield Catering

Bakery: Burlingam Cakery

Zak and Katrina are two people who inspire me. Not only are they totally in love, but their desires and passions in life fit perfectly… as perfectly as her hand fits in his. But what inspires me most about them is their ability to “do”. They don’t let work, finances, or “real life” get in the way of their dreams. And even though it would have been so much easier to set their dreams aside for more “realistic” options once they got married…. the best times of their life are happening because they chose the “unrealistic” option…. they’re now living as missionaries with YWAM in Mexico.

I originally met Zak years ago when we were both working at Forest Home, and eventually met Katrina when they got engaged. On our initial meeting, we IMMEDIATELY hit it off. And it was funny…. we ended up talking less about wedding photography, and more about international missions. Zak and Katrina’s enthusiasm for each other, as well as for missions is ridiculously contagious…. and I left that meeting feeling completely inspired to pursue my own aspirations with new fervor. In fact, I’m consistently moved by their enthusiasm as I follow their journey as missionaries.

Zak and Katrina’s wedding happened last year in Ventura, CA and their day completely reflected their personalities and love for people. It was such a fun day and it was one of those weddings that everyone left feeling like they’d witnessed true love. It was an honor to be their wedding photographer, and an even greater honor to be able to call them friends. Here’s my absolute favorites from the day….

Special thanks to my entourage for the day, Christopher, Betsy Lackey, Amanda Patrice, and Victoria Baughman. You guys rocked and I had so much fun shooting with you all! And to Zak and Katrina, thanks for being you…. thanks for loving each other the way you do. And thanks for living your life recklessly chasing after God’s heart. You inspire me to do the same.

This post is loooooooooong overdue, but so worth it. Last year, I had the privilege of photographing two friends’ wedding in Winnipeg, Canada with my bestie Betsy Lackey. We flew in and spent time catching up with old friends, explored, and enjoyed the Canadian autumn weather. It was such a fun visit, and such a fun wedding! We originally met Jon and Gabriella when we attended a YWAM Discipleship Training School in Germany. She was the spunky adventurous girl with the dark eyes and perfect hair. He was the uber uber cool musician/photographer with a stern German demeanor and a hilarious sense of humor. Together, they were the couple all the students hoped to be like one day…. fun, sweet, super cute, AND godly. And on a gorgeous September day at the beautiful Pineridge Hollow in Winnipeg, they became man and wife with all their friends and family there to celebrate with them.

Gabriella and her mom did practically everything for the wedding themselves and it was literally one of the BEST “Do it Yourself” weddings I’ve ever seen. They arranged the flowers and bouquets, made the DELICIOUS cakes, did all the center pieces and decorations, and made all the SUPER CUTE boutonnieres….. Those women amaze me with their many talents. Here are my favorite shots from the day…. (please note that I’ve included a LOT of detail shots because they were THAT fabulous…. I hope you don’t mind.)

Jon and Gabriella, thanks for inviting me into your lives as friends. Your wedding was beautiful and your relationship is something to strive for. Betsy…. let’s do this again soon…

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

-Mark Twain