I’m so proud of this image, because it truly is one of my favorites. The groom, Tom, waited at the rooftop of the City Club in San Francisco for his First Look. He was nervous, to be sure. When Nima finally walked up the stairs to the rooftop and tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around and laid his eyes on Nima for the first time on their wedding day. This was his reaction.

“Time flies by in the blink of an eye, and at some point, being able to look back is everything. It’s easy to get lost in making a living. But [...], it’s just not the same as building a life. How lucky we are that we get to do this thing we do as photographers. We get to help people see that life.”

I can’t agree more.

That is exactly why I love this image. I feel so full of hope for what is to come when I look at this. Baby T’s nursery decorations come to life, and they could almost fly away as he looks on.

Snuggles with Mom are the best when they are close and smushy.

Dad loves to take walks with Baby T. He’s just learning to walk, and Dad proudly looks on.

The first thing that you may notice of this dapper little boy is his bright smile. Look a little longer, and this image tells the story of how tiny he is. He holds tightly to Mom and Dad, and his whole hand just fits the size of Mom and Dad’s fingers.

The whole family in style! I remember fondly what was said during our image premiere. Mom and Dad said that Baby T is wriggling and wanting to get out of their arms, and Dad said that that’s how he always is! I love when families embrace the beauty of their authentic lives.

Baby T had a cake smash on his first birthday. Oh, what an adventure! Baby T’s face is full on concentration as he touches the cake for the first time.

Little T did not wait long to check out this pretty carrot cake with blue and brown frosting.

Little T was more interested in playing with the cake than eating it!

The cake smash got more and more fun as Little T dug in!

Let’s swish the frosting around on the floor with our hands…

…and with our feet!

The aftermath. Cake destroyed. Baby happy.

Aaah, all clean!

Hanging out with Mom and Dad in bed is the best fun. Lazy weekend mornings with no rush to get anywhere in particular. Just lots of hugs and kisses on the agenda.

The joy of being a baby is to fly!

Thank you to Baby T’s family for the honor of witnessing the beauty of your lives!

Shocked mothers aside, we decided to embrace this crazy idea. After a trip to a vintage clothing store, the flower market, and some ingenuity with spray paint, Allyson and David had wedding attire. The dress was, ahem, vintage (think 80′s). Vintage would be a optimistic word, but this made our faux wedding session all the more fun. It also doesn’t hurt that Allyson is just one of those women who could make rags look amazing. You can tell that these two are ready for just about any kind of adventure together.  I was glad to be along for the ride!

I love the gigantic beauty of these trees and the exuberance of this image. This is young, exciting, thrilling love.

Allyson and David love to laugh together. Our faux wedding photography session was filled with lots of antics and lots of close, passionate moments.

I love the ethereal look of these black and white photographs.

This moment is so dream-like. It hangs still, and time stretches out, longer than real time. The essence of their joy and closeness can last forever.

Killer dimples. Can you say, “adorable?”

The bride and groom sparring.

Belly laughs are amazing.

An adorable moment as Allyson, standing bare foot on a tree, leans over to kiss David.

This was from my sneak peek, but I have to post it again! I loooooooove this photograph. I love the juxtaposition of the majesty of nature which is huge and ancient against the tenderness and intimacy of two people in love. Sigh!

Thank you Allyson and David for the joy of this adventure! And by the way, David’s mom loved the picture that he sent from this faux wedding photography session!

Ceremony and Reception: Murrieta’s Well
Catering and Cake: Wente Vineyards
Makeup: Heather Gorrie
Hair: Kim Tvedten
Entertainment: Vive Entertainment

Leigh gets ready with hair and makeup.

Leigh teared up many times during the wedding, and getting ready was no exception. Mom got very emotional as Leigh put on her dress.

Leigh’s bouquet had burlap and button details. Her red Naya shoes fit in so well with the vintage wedding details. How amazing is the pheasant feather in John-Luke’s boutonniere?

This gorgeous bride is ready for her first look with John-Luke before their wedding ceremony.

John-Luke and Leigh were nervous and excited to see each other for the first time. They were both all smiles right before they met eyes, but tears soon began flowing for both of them. It was so touching how deeply these two loved each other.

Ready for the wedding ceremony! I love how the groomsmen are so happy for John-Luke.

The details were so rich and lusciously layered. Gourds, fall leaves in red, orange, and gold, wine cork place card holders, candles, lovely lights, table signs made from tree cross-sections, and more! All the details were to die for!

The candy bar!

Leigh and John-Luke planned lots of surprises for their wedding reception so that their guests could have a fun and fabulous experience. At one point during dancing, everyone got a clown nose and painter’s cap and formed a Conga line.

Congratulations to Leigh and John-Luke on getting married. It was an honor to be at your wedding!

Claire and Mark are pretty rock-and-roll, and you can see that throughout their wedding day . They really know how to have fun, and they wanted their day to be all about fun and celebration. Claire started off the day getting ready at the Warwick Hotel. She had a simple lace dress that complemented her natural beauty.

I love Claire’s braids and barrettes.

Mark loves Michigan, and Claire had a special “M” just for him.

Claire is the epitome of elegance in this image.

A party bus took Claire and her bridesmaids to the ceremony site at the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. They rocked and rolled all the way there.

Mark waited at the gorgeous Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden to see Claire for the first time.

After the ceremony…

…some more rock and roll!

Michigan ties on the guys!

It was very foggy and freezing during our excursion to the Golden Gate Bridge, but you can’t tell by how radiant and warm these two are.

The newlyweds’ grand entrance at the San Francisco Film Centre, thundering in with Michigan’s fight song.

Mark and Claire had their first dance and then rocked away the night.

Mark and Claire, congratulations! It was an honor to be present on your special day!

Just one for now.

What a beautiful smile! Leigh and John-Luke are great together.

For Leigh and John-Luke, mustaches are part of their personal story. They told me about how they love to go to Mustache Mondays at a local sushi restaurant. If they wear a mustache to Mustache Monday, they can sing karaoke and enjoy low cost sushi and drinks. How tasty and fun!

I brought some mustaches for them, so that they could surprise each other with a First Mustache Look.

Leigh and John-Luke are set to be married in October at Murrieta’s Well, Livermore. I can’t wait!