Be warned: this post is a a doozy! Patti & Alex have been waiting a tad bit for a sneak peak of their wedding, so this one is extra long just for them.

Patti & Alex were married on a typical San Francisco day with typical cold SF weather. But their wedding was anything but typical. Both raised in San Francisco, these two knew they wanted an authentic SF experience for their family and friends, complete with cable cars and a Chinese lion dance. And what better place to host a San Francisco wedding than the famous Fisherman’s Wharf? They planned their special day to PERFECTION. Not even the rain could dampen their spirits. In fact, it wouldn’t quite be a real San Francisco wedding without a little rain thrown in.

True to SF form, the overcast clouds set the tone for a gorgeous, moody wedding. I usually like to create some awesome black and whites during my post processing, but the light was so dreamy on Patti & Alex’s wedding day that the color just popped against the filtered sky. And the window light was amazing! I couldn’t bear to wipe out the color of these images. Even the paint on the walls at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf coordinated with her bridesmaid dresses and flowers. One would’ve thought that a professional wedding planner had a hand in this event, but Patti planned all the itty bitty details herself.

This wedding was a true labor of love. Most of Patti’s vendors were ‘friendors’, including her cousin who helped Patti look extra fab with gorgeous makeup and hair.

Patti is one crafty gal. She made her invitations, baked all of the wedding favors herself, and even sewed boutonnieres and corsage pins for her family.

Karen of SOMA Flowers did an AMAZING job with the floral design.

After venturing out a little ways from the hotel, I found this totally cute pocket of old shipyard buildings and we stopped to take some photos.

I live in SF and believe it or not, I’ve only ridden on a cable car two times in my life.

We found an empty rooftop to quickly snap some shots with the Transamerica building as a backdrop right before the rain came pouring down.

And we walked by the old Cannery on our way back to the ceremony… this was most definitely a quintessential San Francisco wedding!

Alex was part of a professional lion dancing organization in San Francisco. He performed in the SF Chinese New Year parade for many years, so they wanted to do something special for the guests and surprised them with a lion dancing performance. My first lion dance I’ve ever photographed at a wedding. Midway through the dance, Alex and one of his groomsmen jumped into one of the lion costume and performed a routine for Patti! I never realized what an athletic feat it is to jump around in that lion head.

Alex is a professional chef and Patti is a baker, so the food at this wedding was over-the-top delicious. Including the wedding cake baked by talented coworker, Amy, which was alternating layers of red velvet and passion fruit. If I had plastic wrap with me, I swear I would’ve lined my purse and took some home.

Thank you, Patti & Alex, for the awesome food and wonderful time! You guys rock!

Today’s wedding post is an extra long one because Tim and Stasia have been patiently waiting to see a preview of their lovely day.

If I could sum up Tim & Stasia’s wedding in one word, it would be joy. The entire day was full of anticipation, laughter, happy tears, and celebration. I–ahem–might have shed a few tears myself during the ceremony. I can’t even describe in words what a blessing it was to be a part of this wedding. And, oh, what fun! With nearly 400 guests, it’s obvious that these guys are well loved. It’s easy to see why Stasia and Tim are the kind of couple that laugh so much and so often, it’s hard not to smile around them. But, let me tell you, boy do they know how to celebrate, as evidenced by the packed dance floor at the end of the night.

T&S, I had SO much fun photographing your wedding. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day!

This picture below may not seem like much, but I love it because right before the ceremony, Tim snapped a picture of the seated guests and wrote on his Facebook wall, “Words can’t describe what I’m feeling right now, but I’m pretty sure I’m about to have the time of my life.” [Insert sappy tears here.]

It’s not often that your best friend becomes your sister-in-law. Annie and Mel’s intimate Napa Valley wedding was many years in the making. Mel’s baby sister, Yen, has been Annie’s best friend since beyond high school. So, naturally, Annie and Mel were destined to end up together. There’s something so sweet about high school sweethearts enduring the crazy transitional years of college, and finally ending up happily ever after.

With Annie’s super crafty talents and organization skills, I was excited to shoot her wedding because I knew her day would be perfectly executed with amazing personal touches. She designed their fabulous invitations and even sewed the ring bearer’s pillow herself!

Annie’s other BFF and bridesmaid, My Tran, did a fabulous job with Annie’s makeup.

Annie drew her invitations herself and scanned them into her computer to make these adorable invites.

If I could do my wedding all over again, I’d choose a dress like this gorgeous frock with cascading ruffles. LOVE.

Annie & Mel, thank you so much for letting me be a part of your day! I loved every single minute of it.

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Tra Vigne Restaurant, St. Helena
Makeup Artist: My Tran
Bakery: Sweet Occasions
Floral Designer: Garaventa Florist
Wedding Dress Boutique: House of Fashion
Wedding Coordinator: Hilary Fontaine

Special thanks to Jason W. for shooting with me.

Sometimes, a best friend turns out to be a soulmate. Such was the case with Julie & Henry.  These two amazing people have the sweetest story! Friends from church, they were the best of buddies for many years until one day, Henry decided to move from SF back home to Michigan. It could’ve been the anticipation of separation that caused these two to spend more time together. Whatever it was, when Henry returned to Michigan, the two of them found themselves emailing and texting non-stop. Over the thousands of miles between them, they couldn’t deny they were more than just buddies. Julie planned a trip to Michigan and the two anxiously awaited their first real “date” since they had defined themselves as a couple. :)

Eventually, Julie decided to move out to Michigan for grad school and they were finally reunited. And, well, we all know the happy ending to this tale. Now their future kids will also know that distance, patience, and a lot of laughter can be the ingredients for a wonderful love story.

Congrats, you two! I had a wonderful time photographing your wedding and I look forward to catching up the next time you guys are back to the bay area.

Ceremony & reception venue: Oakland Kaiser Rooftop Garden
Flowers: Joann Cai
Wedding gown: Maggie Sottero at Rin’s Bridal
Event company: Inspire Productions

Special thanks to my bro & sis-in-law of Visia Productions for shooting with me.

They say laughter is the best medicine. If this is true, Stasia & Tim are destined to live long and happy lives, because I’ve never been around a couple with more laughter than they share between them. It’s contagious! I absolutely cannot wait for their wedding this October.

With her adorable freckles, Stasia bears a striking resemblance to Lucy Liu, doesn’t she?

Phoebe has been encouraging me to post more of my photos. I have thousands upon thousands of images, still unseen by eyes other than my own. And she has a point: what good is a photo if no one views it?

This image was taken during a humid, smoggy summer morning in Shanghai. Jet-lagged, I woke up at 5:30am with the husband still snoring away. I dressed and headed out for a stroll by myself along the empty Bund. The eerie calm of the early morning was a stark difference from the crazy hustle and bustle of daytime Shanghai. I passed by the locals scattered along the wide walkway lining the Bund river: Grandpas performing Tai Chi routines with their grandsons watching, janitors sweeping the dusty streets clean, and a few business men and women headed out to start their work day. As I took in the sights and smells of my Shanghai morning, I basked in the peace, loneliness, and connectedness I felt with this culture I descended from. Lovely, crazy, Shanghai.

Annie and Mel! I love these two and I think their pictures speak for themselves. They have the kind of relationship that reminds me why I love photography so much.  I just loved capturing their relationship on camera and they made it so easy. I seriously cannot wait to photograph their Napa wedding this September.

Mel proposed to Annie on the steps of Union Square, where we started off. Coincidentally, Union Square is where Mr. Chau propsed to me too! I guess there’s something magical about this spot.

Erika and Will are the kind of people that are so sweet, it seems almost unreal. They are the type of folks that are concerned with making sure their friends and vendors are eating lunch… on their own wedding day! It’s no wonder they are the perfect fit for each other. It was obvious by seeing how many hands were involved with the planning of this wedding, these two are very loved by those around them. Their wedding was a perfect reflection of Erika’s creativity and planning, Will’s support, and the hard work of their family and friends.

Here’s a fun fact that I discovered on Erika and Will’s wedding day: My little bro and sis-in-law were the photographers for Erika’s brother’s wedding a few weeks prior! AND, at the wedding rehearsal, I found out that Will’s little sister (Erika’s bridesmaid) was my sorority sister in college. Two random connections, one incredibly SMALL world.

We started off at the Courtyard Marriott in San Ramon where Erika and Will prepped in anticipation of their day.

Gorgeous flowers from SOMA Flowers in San Francisco.

Kalani Style helped to make Erika look extra lovely.

The San Ramon Marriott had some fun little nooks for our portrait time before the ceremony.

Cute moment alert! You can see in the back of this photo, the poor little ring bearer who didn’t quite make it down the aisle by himself. Nevertheless, the most adorable flower girl in the world did a perfect job in her role.

Erika & Will, thanks for letting me be a part of your lovely day. I wish you both all the happiness and joy in the world!

Venue: Canyon View Dining Hall
Coordination: Poshly Distinct and Mita Productions
Cupcakes: Love Bites Bakeshop
Flowers: SOMA Flowers
Makeup Artist: Kalani Style
Thanks to my hubby for being the best light stick man a wife could ask for and Nancy for second shooting.

I know it’s cheesy to say this. My favorite part of being a wedding photographer is meeting the couples. I’ve always been one of those romantic, optimistic types. You know, the type that reads Pride & Prejudice once a month and cries watching Disney movies. I just love people in love. And nothing makes me happier than meeting two people who are so perfectly matched, it’s like the universe created them to be together. What can I say? I’m a sap.

Erika and Will are two such people. Just being around them one afternoon, I could immediately tell they are like yin and yang. Will’s boyish humor and Erika’s sweet demeanor are the perfect balance of fun and affection. They were so adorable together, I smiled the entire time I was shooting. As I watched how sweetly Erika interacted with Will, I couldn’t help but think, sessions like theirs make me grateful for my job.

We started out in Pacifica at Rockaway Beach in Pacifica for some fun, casual portraits. It was still quite sunny out at 5pm and warm by Pacifica standards. Erika picked this location, a perfect match for her sweet personality. 

After Pacifica, we headed up at the Ferry Building for Will’s location pick. The city matched his fun personality. I had memories of my own engagement session while shooting this (we also explored the Embarcadero area).

Erika took off her shoes for this picture because she didn’t know I was going to take a full body shot. But I think it’s more adorable without the shoes.

Erika & Will, thanks for letting me drag you around the city in the cold. I can’t wait for your wedding in July!

I’m super excited to share part 2 of Nancy & John’s gorgeous wedding! If you missed part 1, click here.

Now, where were we? Oh yes, it was pouring rain when we left Hotel Sofitel. But nothing could dampen their spirits, because when we arrived at the Palm Events Center, the venue looked gorgeous! I mentioned before that Nancy & John’s wedding was a labor of love shared between all their their family and friends, and the end result was truly breathtaking. I loved that everyone was able to share in the joy of pulling off an amazing event.

The tables were named after San Francisco streets, a tribute to the great city they’re both from.

Instead of a candy bar, they had a donut bar! How adorable.  There’s a cute story behind why they picked bluberry donuts. I hope Nancy shares it in her Weddingbee recaps.

Although it was pouring buckets, we were determined to get some vineyard portraits in. Did I mention we took these BEFORE the ceremony? Nancy and John were such troopers!

The ceremony was held inside a dark and intimate barrel room lit only by candles and a few chandeliers. For the photography enthusiasts, that’s ISO 2500-3200, handheld at 1/15th – 1/30th of a second at 1.4 or 1.2 with no flash, nearly the entire ceremony.

Nancy and John, with the help their friends, set up a DIY photobooth! They did an AMAZING job with the set-up and props. Of course, it helps that they’re all photographers.

The Palm Events Center whipped up a special dessert for Nancy: French Toast for Mrs. French Toast. Quite possibly the sweetest touch a venue has ever provided.

Nancy surprised John with a super special serenade of Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am”. John was definitely surpised. Don’t tell him I told you, but I saw him busting out the tissues.

The night concluded with everyone dancing the night away. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Nancy & John, I hope you’re having a FABULOUS time on your honeymoon in Asia. Thank you for letting me share in this day with you! I’m very lucky to call you guys my friends.

See more of Nancy & John’s wedding from Diana of Two Plus Two Photography  here!