Preservation Park Wedding

We love shooting weddings at Preservation Park. It’s one of our favorite outdoor wedding venues in Oakland.  We were super excited to shoot with Christina and Justin as they got married outside in the Pavilion, surrounded by friends, family and gorgeous flower arrangements by Ash & Oak Floral. We had the pleasure of shooting Christina and Justin's engagement photos and were pumped to work with them for the second time on their big day.  

We could tell that the day was going to go well from the moment we started capturing getting ready photos.  There is an image that we captured of Christina getting ready that encapsulated the pure joy that she exuded the rest of the day.  We love shooting weddings because not only are they are milestone occasions but also because we simply love to see people in moments of genuine happiness.  Christina and Justin really delivered on this end. 

Preservation Park is a venue that has a lot of built in charm but Christina and Justin enhanced its positive features with beautiful floral tablescapes, fun games for people to play and even a photo booth.  Bride and groom portraits and family groupings are always fun to shoot but it is nice to also capture the details in the decor that each couple brings to make the venue their own. Christina and her bridesmaids held incredibly fun and fresh bouquets that coordinated with the table centerpieces and floral arrangements that greeted guests at the entrance to the venue. 

The day was not only beautiful but also a ton of fun. It was easy to snap a ton of photos of not only the decor but of the friends and family who were also feeling the joyful vibes of the day, which included being able to play a Pac Man game that the couple crafted themselves. Guests were able to relax, unwind and enjoy some great dancing to the music of a live band in the open air pavilion. They were also able to snack on delicious, elegantly plated appetizers and some sweet desserts (we may have grabbed one or two). We loved hanging with Christina and Justin and the people that they love and can’t wait to see how the next couple we work with makes Preservation Park their own!

The Gardens at Heather Farm Wedding

The Gardens at Heather Farm in Walnut Creek is such a beautiful wedding venue and among one of our favorites in the Bay Area to shoot a wedding at. Tucked along the hillside the garden’s six acres are full of natural beauty all year long. We got extra lucky this Spring however when we photographed Jake and Janel’s wedding surrounded by the lush rose garden in full bloom.

Spending time with Jake and Janel to shoot their engagement photos gave us some insight on just how great of a couple these two are.  Having had this time to capture the two of them together set some high expectations for their wedding day and these two really delivered.  We knew it would be a great time but the level of love and warmth that Jake and Janel have for their family and friends-who so obviously love and appreciate them back is a great reminder of why we shoot weddings.  The elegant, bright and beautiful scenery of Heather Farm provided a beautiful backdrop for a heartfelt ceremony and a loving (and incredibly fun!) reception. 

We love that we are able to document the wedding day as it unfolds while also witnessing friends and family adoringly speak about the couples that we feel are turning into our friends as well.  Jake and Janel’s wedding wasn’t only fun to shoot because of the thoughtful details and well appointed tablescapes throughout the Camellia Room -- it was fun to hear Jake speak about how nervous he was to first ask Janel out on a date, to hear Jake being poked fun of a bit for promenading on a Hawaii beach in his “short-shorts” but ultimately being appreciated for his protective nature, to hear Janel’s intelligence and presence being complimented by Jake’s sister.  

The evening was filled with warmth, laughter, joy and love. It was obvious that family is important to both Jake and Janel and their loved ones. You could tell that Jake’s sister was speaking from the heart when she spoke about Janel felt like a part of the family from the beginning.  We felt that sense of warmth throughout the night and felt lucky to be a part of Jake and Janel’s evening. Congratulations Jake and Janel!

For more information on booking your wedding at The Gardens, visit their event website and schedule a tour. As a recommended vendor, we offer a complimentary engagement session to all Gardens at Heather Farm referrals who book us for 8 or more hours of coverage. You can see more of our wedding photography here.

Beautiful Greenhouse Wedding in Pacifica

We all know that the Bay Area has several destinations that draw tourists from around the world. From the Golden Gate Bridge to the pearl necklace lights of Lake Merritt to the bustling sights of the Silicon Valley, we are lucky to live in a place brimming with obvious attractions. However, it is the little known gems off the beaten path that really light us up as photographers. Shelldance Orchid Gardens is one of those places. It is a place where you can have a greenhouse wedding that feels both majestic and intimate, a perfect place to celebrate the first day of the rest of your lives together.

Leah and Tom currently live on the East Coast, but the magic of Shelldance (as well as their family and friends who live in the area) brought them back to the Bay for their wedding ceremony. The couple said their incredibly meaningful, wry and often funny vows to each other in a cozy greenhouse ceremony, surrounded by vibrant plants that matched the beautiful embroidery of Leah’s gown. We knew Leah and Tom were a lovely couple prior to their ceremony but we felt really lucky to be present for their vows which not only covered their steady love for each other but also Tom’s apparently well known fascination with the weather and traffic patterns. The lighthearted and warm nature that was expressed in their vows permeated the entire event, which made the venue feel even more like a secret hideaway just for the couple and their loved ones.

The event was full of lively details that we were happy to capture, from the live plant centerpieces, a sweet food spread by Fogcutter catering and an upbeat performance by Campbell’s Jazz Soup. These details provided a great backdrop for the heartwarming stories and funny anecdotes shared by Leah and Tom’s friends during the reception. Events like Leah and Tom’s wedding remind us just how lucky we are to be wedding photographers, as we get to be witness to the union of absolutely lovely people. #Blessed

A Lovely House Wedding in Sonoma

Towards the end of our Bay Area Summer, we took a drive to the North Bay for a lovely house wedding in Sonoma where Laura and Adam said “I do” surrounded by their close family and friends. These two and the majority of their wedding guests made the trip to California from the Midwest and got to enjoy the California sun, a nice break from the chilly fall weather back home. Laura and Adam’s friend offered up his Sonoma home to serve as their wedding venue and what a beautiful venue it was. The sleek and modern home served as a backdrop for a refined yet intimate ceremony. We loved shooting the details of this home as the house was layered with crisp white and cream colors that gave the event an overall sophisticated and upscale feel.

The ceremony took place on the property’s lush lawn overlooking a rustic wine country field. The officiant of their ceremony was Laura’s sister and the readings and music were also given by guests. Having guests be a part of the event is a great way to get everyone involved and cut down on event down time where guests may become distracted. It was beautiful to see the blending of families and incorporating everyone into the ceremony sets a great tone for this modern day Brady Bunch.

Following the ceremony, guests mingled poolside during the cocktail hour while dinner was plated. Guests mingled and enjoyed their delicious food while overlooking a gorgeously refreshing looking pool. We definitely had a bit of home envy with this location.

The evening closed with a twilight toast to their guests and a champagne saber gift to their host and good friend. It was such a pleasure being part of this one. We love working in new places and documenting moments that are so meaningful to our clients.