Blue skies, soft puffy clouds, and a gentle breeze.

A lush redwood forest at the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains.

& of course, a jubilant couple celebrating their marriage with friends and family on a relaxed summer afternoon

Venue: Sanborn County Park

Strolling the beach
Moseying about Golden Gate Park
A night of celebration and bowling with friends and family from near and far
...oh and getting married

Sounds like a pretty good Saturday to me.

Wedding Coordinator: Alex Barranco, Dreams on a Dime
Florist: Ampersand SF
Ceremony Venue: Shakespeare Garden in Golden Gate Park
Reception Venue: Mission Bowling Club

What a wonderful way to close out 2015.  I had the pleasure of photographing Kristen + Alex's beautiful wedding at the Trentadue Winery in Geyserville, CA.

Amidst the most rain we've seen in California in what seems like a decade (it was maybe 5 rainy days over the span of 2 weeks), I found myself checking the weather forecast daily 10 days up to the date of the wedding.  Of course, weather sites are completely unreliable that far out, so I was treated to an emotional rollercoaster of rain, no rain, lots of rain, clear skies, cloud cover, and tons of rain, sometimes in the same weather checking session.  Come the wedding day, we were treated to a little morning drizzle, which really makes nature's colors pop, and a refreshingly crisp (some would say cold, I prefer crisp) day.

Wedding days bring emotions (non-weather related) out of people that they may forget they even had.  Unparalleled levels of excitement, nervousness that shakes those with unwavering confidence, and an appearance of tears in the eyes of the strong, is just part of what makes wedding days so special.

I had an excellent time with Kristen, Alex, their wedding party, and all of their guests.  Kristen and Alex's relationship has taken them all over country and their love for one another can be felt in both a deeply romantic, and incredibly joyful manner.  

Here's to a great 2016!

Special shout-out to my amazing girlfriend, assistant, and world-renowned coat rack, Julie :)

Venue: Trentadue Winery
Wedding Coordinator: Megan Misaka, Milestone Events Group
Floral: Cathy Macierz
Hair/Make-Up: Nicole Barnett, Brush the Salon