First comes love, then comes marriage...

the comes the baby in the little tin- bucket-thingy-ma-bob.    
Enjoy !
 

Janelle and Katharine tie the knot!!!

Katharine and Janelle tied the knot a few weeks ago, and were bubbling with wonderful energy throughout their day.  These two ladies were toasted all evening by friends and family, and in the oak laden hills of Sonoma, some of the laughter and celebration is still ringing.    Congrats!  These photos below are examples of some of my favorites of their day, selected because they're also my favorite moments to photograph.   The first shot of their rings is something I wish I could do all day.    The next is a prime example of the anticipation that is so fun to witness with my camera.  When nervous and giddy come together, they make for great shots.     That kiss is what I like to call "the real one," when couples walk down that aisle to find a safe spot to smooch... off stage and unprompted.    These portraits, always relaxed, make for wonderful photos, and give the couple a moment to digest their fresh union.

The last shot is a prime example of the best posed shots... just seconds before or after the "say cheese" moment.   

Take me out to the ballpark!!!

Karena and David have scored a home run with each other, and invited me for a session in McAfee Coliseum.   I hope it is apparent just how much fun we had!

be Present (preview)

Nora and Cliff were a perfect match, incredibly present to each other and their guests, invited only those who were keen to celebrate their union, and then brought all together at a fantastic location to see, hear, feel, eat, and party late into the night. With all these components, this wedding left me floating for days.   I'm now finishing the edit, and floating again.   Keep an eye out on my site for more pics soon, including the result of what happens with that cake photo.  

Be Connected

    

Having nearly 30 weddings as a photographer (and dozens more as a deejay) under my belt, I've seen PLENTY of marriages happen.  As some get caught up in the stigma of how it is "supposed" to be, I've been blessed to witness a few and growing number who do it differently,  with cutting a cake or tossing a garter not even in the equation.   Chris and Tony chose to take the road less traveled, uniting their lives with just two witnesses (the officiant and me) and very few of the traditions our parents followed.     With a fun warmup walk around the incredible property of the Post Ranch Inn,  these two adventured, in their full attire with me on a walk of their favorite spots nearby.   As the afternoon changed to evening, and the officiant arrived at their awning, Chris and Tony took plenty (and I mean plenty) of time to say their vows while the sun slipped into the ocean smashing below them.    Nearly as perfect as it could get, they eloped and shared a moment (in both mine and theirs) that goes down as ABSOLUTELY TIMELESS wedding history.   Silence and the sweet savoring of moments prevailed as these two tied the knot in one of the most depthful ceremonies I've ever seen.    A big thanks to these two for keeping it deep, slow, and real!  Do check my "freshly squeezed shots" tab and "be Connected" to see 50 more photos that can almost describe their passion and day of union.

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be Connected (preview)

It is incredibly tough to use just one word to describe a photo, and even harder to describe an entire photoshoot  If I had two, I could come up with paragraphs about Chris and Tony, two newlyweds currently living in Texas, it would be... connected.    These photos, taken a few days after their union may conjure up fun and light experiences.  However, their wedding was one of the most depthful I've been to, where connections to each other, spirit, and the motion of marriage were very deep.  

  

Balloons Above the Valley

My wonderful wife Natalie surprised me with a pair of tickets to fly in a hot air balloon above our home here in Napa.    Having never gone ballooning before, and wondering if the wicker baskets were for real, we climbed aboard during sunrise a few weekends ago.   On a one hour, mostly quiet cruise just a few thousand feet above the vines, my extra wide lens chowed down on the views.  Wow.  This was a spectacular adventure that I have been dreaming of my entire life and the best part, as you can imagine (and what made this flight an adventure), was landing. I thought you'd like to enjoy a few photos, of which the last one is where we landed.  

Rebecca and Josh

Rebecca and Josh found me in February, and our epic engagement session under an orange sky was wonderfully vivid and absolute eye candy.    Their wedding was every bit as beautiful and memorable, hosted amongst the Oakland hills in a wonderful park called Joaquin Miller.   With just a few dozen family and friends, tables of vegan food, acoustic guitar serenades and plenty of dancing,.   While I see many happy people at weddings, for some reason, this party seemed to be full of people full of life, laughing, and shaking....all night long.      Congratulations to these two and their close ones!