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

When I think back on Dan and Danielle’s summery backyard wedding, I think of the words “chivalry”, “colorful”, and “pure love.” They had first approached me in the spring about shooting their wedding, after seeing some portraits I had done for their friend and pastor Bob Botsford. Danielle described her dream wedding as being colorful, joyful, and intimate…. and that’s exactly how the day went. From the floral arrangements to the carefully chosen colors, everything popped… and the warm weather coupled with blue skies added a feeling of carefree anticipation. Danielle, you looked so beautiful, and Dan…. you and your “grooms-dudes” looked quite dapper in black. All in all, this was one fun afternoon… here’s my favorites from the day….

This is probably one of my favorite groom portraits I’ve ever done….

And this is definitely my favorite ring bearer portrait I’ve ever done…

To the new Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, I wish you nothing but pure joy in your marriage. I pray your hearts grow closer to each other and that maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of heaven through each others’ eyes. Thanks for letting me be a part of your day!

And a special thank you goes out to Richelle Dante and Samantha Nicole for being my 2nd and 3rd eyes… you two are so fun! And to Amy Vargo of Horizon Christian Fellowship…. for her perfect job at coordinating the day. The super cute cake was done by the amazing Annie Botsford, and to everyone else who made their wedding so beautiful…. thank you.

Jonathan and Marsha met on an online dating site and I’m REAL impressed at how perfect they are for each other. She’s sweet and incredibly encouraging, and he’s quietly intelligent with a strength of character that peeks out now and again in conversation. Both love the Lord with all their heart and their relationship is built strong on the rock of that love. Here’s just a snapshot of how amazing these two are…. After taking a few shots at the beginning of their engagement shoot, Jonathan quietly suggests we “pray for the pictures”, and at his suggestion, Marsha excitedly exclaims, “oohh! What a great idea! Yes! Let’s pray for our pictures!” So we circled up, and Jonathan offered a prayer of thanks for such a beautiful evening for photos, and he prayed for a time with me that would glorify God’s name. Marsha chimed in and prayed for me to be able to see them how God sees their love, and that I would be able to document their love in a way that touches hearts. We ended the prayer and continued shooting…. and I left that evening feeling refreshed, completely blessed, and full. It’s not often I meet people like Marsha and Jonathan, and it’s even less often that I get to spend an afternoon chatting, shooting, and getting to know “them.” I pray for more times like that afternoon shoot, and I’m so thankful I’ve had the opportunity to document their love. Here’s my favorites from the evening at Casper’s Wilderness Park and Laguna Beach….

Marsha and Jonathan,

You two are beyond cute together and I’m so excited to shoot your wedding in a few weeks!