Emma + Adam // Timber Cove Wedding

Never could I have imagined that after a totally cancelled wedding season, I'd be having my favorite "work" year, and amid (a very relentless) global pandemic. Not only has this year brought me beautiful venues, scenic road trips, and very impressive vendor food, but there has been such a refreshing sense of, "we're in this together" energy with all of these wonderful couples, and their rescheduling loyalty really got me through a "zero out of 10, do NOT recommend" kind of year last year.

I may have only met Adam and Emma ON the day of their absolutely stunning Timber Cove wedding, but they were quick to treat me like an old friend and their warm presence was palpable. To know them for any length of time is to be mystified by their generosity and to love them completely. Their laid back, fun-loving attitude made it easy for me to get into my creative zone, and it meant the world to me that they gave me their trust without knowing me at all before this day. It's couples like Adam and Emma that keep me wondering how I got so lucky, and help to fuel my passion of being a wedding photographer.

Congratulations to these two, and thank you so incredibly much for letting me be a part of your unforgettable wedding. I have still not come down from the high of this perfect day.

Special thanks to all the incredible vendors I got to work with on this day:

@maryhuynhphoto

@sharkpigweddings

@w_i_n_k_a_r_t

@timbercoveresort

@bloomgeneration

@soundselevated

@sogoodphotobooth

@beauty_on_set

@butter_and

@encoreeventsrentals

@foundrentalco

@thevesselrentalco

@jennigrubbaevents

@taylorkimiko

Jessica + Chris // The Olympic Club, SF

Classic, timeless, and "quintessentially San Francisco" best describes Jessica and Chris's wedding at the Olympic Club, and I've been missing this day, this couple, and those burger dogs ever since (if you know, you know)...

It has been awhile since I've shot an indoor wedding, and this particular venue boasted ceiling to floor windows, offering the best San Francisco views that showcased the familiar, beloved fog we have all grown to love. The venue, as objectively striking as it is, is not what I'm excited about on this day. It's getting to tell the story of Chris and Jessica through my lens, a couple who I have loved and admired since the day I got their first email (which naturally feels like forever ago because Covid+rescheduled weddings).

I have been doing this long enough to know that you can learn so much about a couple through the speeches of friends and family members at these weddings. It comes as no surprise, but it was unanimous that this couple is so loved beyond measure by their community and every speech was testimony to their thoughtful, selfless, and loving personalities. From beginning to end, these two were so amazing to work with, ending every email and tackling every "covid wedding planning" obstacle by saying, "thank you for sticking with us through this mess". I'm definitely the lucky one though.

Cheers to such a lovely, special couple who I missed immediately after this day was over.

Lily + Alex // Timber Cove Micro Wedding

I'll never stop saying it: I love micro weddings. I hope they never go away and I hope people continue to ask me to shoot them in stunning locations and I hope I get to continue pretending I'm the quirky/odd cousin out of the tight knit family that is in attendance.

If you haven't been to Timber Cove Resort, think: absurdly beautiful coastal views with cozy cabin vibes, modern amenities and legit food options, and a bed so comfy that you can trust fall safely and fall asleep immediately. Lily and Alex's micro wedding here knocked my Blundstone boots right off, and I've been wondering if I should uproot my entire life and move to Jenner, California, ever since.

I loved the way these two approached their wedding day. They did away many wedding traditions, and unanimously decided that if they were going to keep it small, they wanted to do things in a way that would speak to who they are, and how they love. What was especially refreshing was hearing the guest speeches during the ceremony, and everyone had prepared something deeply genuine for the couple during this time. Post-ceremony, they shared a toast with these friends and family, and I watched as they remained hyper-present for their guests and each other, for the entire day.

I experienced IMMEDIATE post-wedding blues the day after this wedding, as this was a couple I had such a wonderful, instant connection with from the very beginning, and it made me so happy to see the way they changed their big wedding plans into something intimate, and deeply personal. It feels impossible to feel nostalgia for a day that only just passed, but micro weddings BE like that...

Cheers to this lovely, outrageously fun+ funny couple. Please accept me as your life photographer??

Sarah + Luke // Sea Ranch Elopement

I have been LOVING all these deeply personal ways in which my couples are choosing to get married these days. With all of the 2020 rescheduled weddings, so many of my clients have pivoted to change not only the headcount, but their entire wedding vision altogether this year, and many of them have opted for small, intimate gatherings and elopements, like this breathtaking one at Sea Ranch from last month.

Sarah and Luke's Sea Ranch elopement was an absolute dream to capture, and I am still daydreaming about it even a month later. Known for its objective beauty and specific, unique architecture, this was my first time visiting the town of Sea Ranch, and the coastal road trip alone left me breathless and overjoyed with the quintessential Northern California landscape that is not (too) far from home. If the feeling of wanderlust was a place, Sea Ranch unanimously embodies it.

My jaw dropped the second I showed up to this pristine, mid-century inspired Airbnb to greet Sarah and Luke for their elopement. Normally I get work day jitters that dissipate within 10 minutes, but I knew the story I wanted to tell immediately, and I got right into my vision's mind and got to work. The day unfolded so perfectly, with a backyard ceremony in the meadow with the ocean as our backdrop, and I weeped from behind my camera during their vows as they perfectly articulated their first date, but from their own perspective. We then gallivanted around as many places that would speak to the true uniqueness of Sea Ranch and that two hours of coverage would allow, and stopped when we were windblown and satisfied with the adventure we chose on that day.

Special thanks to this outrageously kind, and open-hearted couple for letting me do my thing on this day, and for giving me a front row seat into such an unforgettable day.

Evann + Kyle // Boonville Wedding

After almost a full year of cancelled weddings and what felt like never leaving the house (or my sweatpants) in 2020, this year has brought me more podcast-infused road trips (Armchair Expert or Smartless, anyone??), and great-slash-mediocre hotel rooms than ever before, and all in the name of a 'full steam ahead'-esque wedding season that is currently in full force. Due to these 2020 rescheduled weddings + new clientele, my comfortable, 14 weddings/year average has doubled to 28 weddings, and while I'm still adjusting to this new workload, I have tried very hard to not rush my process of delivering one of a kind images (memories) to my clients. All this is to say that Evann and Kyle had a dream wedding in Boonville back in June, and they've waited so patiently for the delivery of their wedding gallery, and I am beyond thrilled for their eyeballs to see these images for the first time.

This wedding day was absolutely flawless and I'm not kidding when I say that both Evann and Kyle were the easiest humans to work with. Without meeting me in person beforehand, they still gave me their full trust and complete creative control to do my thing for this entire day, and I loved every minute of working with them. From the heartfelt speeches from friends and family, along with the kindness they extended to me on this day, it was easy to learn how much this couple is loved and admired by all. Cheers to this amazing couple and thank you for allowing me to lurk in the background of your wedding day.

Planning: The Poppy Group

Hair & Makeup: Lea Buehler

Dress: Wild Bride

Catering: Anaviv

Florals: Wild Coast Flora

Lianne + Nik // Paros, Greece Wedding

In the depths of my 2020 Covid stress, I often wandered over and through the thought of, "Can my photography business can come back from this?", and while I braced myself for a possibly wonky 2021 wedding season and potentially more rescheduled weddings, I pleaded with the universe to let this wedding that has been on my calendar for what feels like forever remain unscathed. Greece opened its borders to tourism only a few weeks before this wedding was scheduled (not stressy at ALL), and it was the biggest Christmas miracle (in July), and wiped away all residual Covid-blues from the moment we landed.

Every once in awhile, I get to shoot not only incredible destination weddings, but I also get to shoot weddings for very special, dear people in my life. This wedding was a combination of both, and I have known the bride, Lianne, and her family for what feels like a lifetime, and they have been such amazing supporters of me/my entire family for as long as I can remember. It felt only natural to volunteer myself for the role of Lianne and Nik's wedding photographer, and I was really excited when they didn't reject this offer/me. :)

Lianne and Nik have one of those love stories that feels too "The Notebook" to be real, but truly and wholeheartedly, they were meant to find each other again in this exact season of life. Their story is not mine to share, but it's a heartmelter, and it made this wedding day so special to document. I have never seen such a bright, permanent smile on Lianne, and it brings me such friend-peace to know that she found her person, and to meet Nik even just once, is to love him forever.

Cheers this couple that made this trip possible, and also ruined me on international vacations. I really can't understand why i'd ever-ever go anywhere else.

Jessie + Mike // Bodega Los Alamos Wedding

I think a large majority of people might loathe a solo 5+ hour car ride, but not this mom of two who (barely) survived the pandemic, and is forever enjoying every.bit. of solo time that (hardly ever) exists. All this is to say that when Jessie and Mike had to move their Aptos wedding to Los Alamos, I was ALL FOR IT, especially when they revealed that Bodega Los Alamos was their new venue...

Beyond the beautiful drive and the 10 podcast episodes I was able to get in, driving through the itty bitty town of Los Alamos made me feel like I was instantly on vacation. The town itself was both quirky and vibrant, and I got strong Marfa vibes as I drove through the town "strip" and pulled into the venue parking lot. I had been dying to see this venue in person, and if you're wondering if it's cute enough to plan an entire road trip around, it is, and you should.

I had already anticipated easy-going and kind clients based on all of our email exchanges, but Jessie and Mike were BEYOND LOVELY, and so my kind of people. Mike gave me a big hug upon arrival and Jessie and I said at the exact same time, "It's so nice to finally meet you!", and it set the easy-going vibes for the whole day. I must have said to myself, "I love my job so damn much" about 25 times on this day, and it was such a privilege to get the opportunity to travel to such a lovely location, be all the way back at work, and surrounded by the good energy that Jessie and Mike and their wedding guests exuded all day long. Don't even get me started on seeing people on the dancefloor again...

Cheers to one of the sweetest couples who somehow made me feel like a wedding guest on this day (and let me take home the fanciest beer!).

Special thanks to the following vendors who were extra amazing to work with on this day:

Venue: Bodega Los Alamos

Planning: Wunderland & Co.

Florals: Fluid Bloom

Catering: Lucca WoodFired

Hair & makeup: The Queens Bees

DJ: DJ Curly

Photo bus: Bessy The Foto Bus

Rentals: Amigo Party Rentals

Cake: Solvang Bakery

Tricia + Patrick // Temecula Olive Oil Ranch Wedding

After an entirely cancelled 2020 wedding season, I am slowly-now-quickly getting back into the swing of things, and while my schedule is jam-packed with 2020 rescheduled weddings + new clients, I am so happy (+relieved) to be working again, and to finally shoot these weddings that my clients unfortunately have had to reschedule so.many.times.

You may remember Tricia and Patrick from this engagement session, and I knew from that day on that we were a kindred match, and I have spent every day since counting down to their wedding day. I had heard so much about this venue from the Tricia, and I learned that she helped to plant these olive oil trees with her dad and grandpa when she was a little girl, but I was definitely not prepared for the beauty and uniqueness of this location upon arrival. The denseness of the olive oil tree "forest" was something out of a fairytale, and the intricate details of the ceremony site and the A team of artists that brought it all together truly made this day beyond memorable, and one that I feel so lucky to have been a part of.

This wedding day was one for the books, and I am so proud of this couple for their wedding planning perseverance, despite all the obstacles that 2020 brought them.

Shoutout to all the amazingly talented vendors who helped to make this day the very best:

Planning + Design: @Alex_everlybymge @everlybymge

Venue: @temeculaoliveoilcompany

Floral: @soireefloraldesign

Rentals: @sigpartyrentals

Lighting: @brillianteventlighting

Catering: @do_or_dine_catering

Entertainment: @jukeboxproductions

Neon Sign: @pacificentertainment

Beauty: @Lauren.ashley.hair @lockswithlexi

Napkins: @hostesshaven

Menus: @something.lettered

Hailey + Alex // Santa Rosa Airbnb Wedding

You know you're getting old when some of the client inquiries that show up in your inbox are from kids that you used to babysit, and now they are full blown ENGAGED adults, asking if you will be their wedding photographer. This was absolutely the case with this outrageously stunning microwedding I recently shot for Hailey and Alex, and I may or may not have seen Hailey since she was an actual child who was begging to stay up past her bedtime.

Nothing could have prepared me for how beautiful this day was. Hailey had previously sent me the address to this airbnb they were getting married at, and while the pictures were stunning, seeing it in person was an entirely different experience. It was dream home status. And in so many ways, it felt like my dream venue to shoot a wedding in. I walked in that house, and truly felt like I knew exactly what story I wanted to tell, and got straight to work on capturing such a gorgeous, unforgettable wedding day.

Not only did I get a "unicorn venue" opportunity on this day, but I also had the BEST, "do your thing, we trust you!" kind of clients on this day. Hailey and Alex were so warm and inviting, and they were completely comfortable with taking direction and they really just let me geek out in that house and with that light, and with all the shadows and textures we found along the way. They booked me for two hours on this day, and I feel like we made some real 'team magic', and in record time.

With things opening back up and full weddings starting to resume, I sure hope these microweddings stick. I have come to love these intimate gatherings and the stress-free vibes that follow, and the timeline feels so organic on these days. Cheers to these two for creating a dream wedding under some not-so-ideal conditions, and to Hailey for remembering that her vintage babysitter is a wedding photographer.

Dani + Jason // Petaluma Engagement Session

While we're not out of the (Covid) woods just yet, 2021 has yielded so much hope, and my calendar is starting to fill up with amazing client meetings and promising possibilities of what this year could hold. What I DO know is that I have the most amazing list of clients who have been 'ride or die' with me, and just holding Zoom meetings to chat wedding details is filling my cup more than anyone could ever know right now.

I chatted with Dani and Jason a few weeks back about their Fall wedding, and it was an undeniable, instant connection and we quickly moved forward with scheduling this engagement session. They were graciously flexible and left the creative reins to me for this, so I landed on this beloved Petaluma location that boasts these Sound Of Music hills and also provided all.the.social.distancing.space (funny thing I MUST consider these days when location scouting).

We had a blast during this session and I was quickly reminded that I love meeting new couples, and learning more about them during these sessions. It's such a great opportunity for couples to feel comfortable around a camera, and also comfortable around me (and my bad jokes?). I always leave feeling creatively re-centered and full of gratitude that couples find me, and then choose me as their photographer, and Jason and Dani single-handedly restored my 'bah humbug' feelings about a 2020 forced year off of photography.

Cameron + Matt // SF Micro Wedding

Never could I have imagined that weddings would continue to be impacted in 2021, but here we are. Still pivoting, still doing our best, and taking it all one day at time. Luckily, I've been more than blessed with amazing couples who have worked so hard to ensure that I am still a part of their future wedding date, and if we're looking for silver linings, it's that I am getting more opportunities to connect with these couples, and it truly feels like we're all in this together.

Cameron and Matt had an original wedding date set in March 2021, but due to continued uncertainty, they pushed their wedding to Fall 2021 and opted for a small, four person wedding ceremony in San Francisco to officially seal the deal, and dare I say that I love shooting these micro-weddings and I will miss them once we can gather again? While large gatherings are ideal for the typical client, being forced into creativity and developing new ideas for how to marry your favorite person safely has been the infamous challenge for my 2020 couples, yet these microweddings have been the saving grace for many of them. With gatherings as low as four people, there are infinite forms of flexibility, and I especially love how Cameron and Matt walked by this location a few days before, and decided this was the spot they loved, and sent me an address to meet them at. It was all planned and put together within a week, and it was such an easy, breezy wedding day that left me so excited for the other few I have on the calendar this year.

Congratulations to this couple who feels like old friends at this point. Definitely going to be a loud ceremony crier at this Fall wedding.

Nina + Eric // Yosemite Engagement

Somewhere around three weeks ago, I had a scheduled phone call with Nina and Eric, an engaged couple who was looking for the right photographer to capture their wedding day for early next year. We hopped on a video call, and within minutes, we learned that we were both vacationing in Colorado from California. It made for a good conversation starter, however, we quickly uncovered many similarities the longer we chatted and the connection just felt serendipitous right from the start...annnnnd that's how we ended up in Yosemite together, just a little over a week from our initial phone call.

This was by far the most spontaneously planned engagement session I've ever done, but due to the connection we established on that video call and learning we were both randomly going to be in Yosemite on the same exact dates, I knew a last minute engagement adventure was the perfect option for our new "team". I think all of our eyes collectively lit up at the idea of adventuring around in the most serene, perfect nature, so it was an easy, "I'm in, if you're in!" unanimous kind of decision.

We hit a comical number of roadblocks when trying to meet up in a MASSIVE National Park with zero reception on this day, but the fact that we made this day happen at all still feels so impressive, and I'm still so proud of how hard we hustled to make it to all of our premeditated locations on this day. Sure, we might have SPRINTED during a mile hike in to chase the sunset at our last location, but we knew it was worth it the second we saw the views. Our destinations on this day were even more magical in person, but I'd like to add that these images of Nina and Eric being blissfully in love actually DO these locations justice.

We hiked back to our cars with headlamps and iphone flashlights, and I left with a giant smile on my face, feeling like somehow we just conquered the world. Thank you to this amazing power couple for saying yes to this experience...I don't think any of us can forget that one (or the fact that we saw a freaking bear?!).

Emily + Ryan // Oakland Micro Wedding

Oh, weddings, how I've missed you so. I've been a wedding photographer for the last seven years, and while I've been madly in love with my job and the opportunities and people it has brought into my life since the very beginning, I never knew I would miss it THIS MUCH after just six months of not being able to do it. We are all more than our jobs, but for me, photography has always been my outlet, and a way for me to still tap into who I am as a creative, and let's be honest...a break from stay at home mom life.

While 99% of my weddings have been rescheduled for next year, a few clients have been interested in keeping their wedding date, but pivoting from "large gathering" to a small, intimate ceremony with just family and a few friends. I've been calling these "micro weddings", and Ryan and Emily were the first of my clients to plan one, and it definitely brought on all the feels. If this is what weddings will look like for the unforeseeable future, I. AM. HERE. FOR. IT.

You may remember Ryan and Emily from this forest engagement session. This was the first time I had met them in person, and they felt like old friends by the end of the session. On the day of their Oakland micro wedding, we laughed (cried?) about how much life has changed since we last saw each other, only six months prior, and then focused on the beautiful day they planned, with 13 of their closest supporters as witnesses. While everyone was wearing masks and remaining six feet apart, it held just as much meaning as any large wedding I've shot in the past, and for a moment in time, or rather, for a moment in the last six months, I temporarily forgot about the pandemic, and felt like my old self, doing what I love: documenting love.

Thank you to this couple for still figuring out a way to let me tell a REALLY INTERESTING part of your story that none of us will ever forget (and thank you for giving me a reason to wear an actual outfit for the third time in 2020).

Jamie + Kyle // Ocean Beach Engagement

It has only been FIFTEEN WEEKS since I last worked, and while my 2020 wedding season has undoubtedly been cancelled, taking on a few sessions this week has restored a tiny bit of normalcy in my life, and reminded me how much joy my job of photographing beautiful humans brings me.

Practicing 6 feet of social distancing while wearing a mask was an interesting obstacle during Jamie and Kyle's beach engagement session, but I think we were all pleasantly surprised with how quickly it felt normal, and how easily we adapted to the safety parameters we put in place. It was a typically gloomy day in San Francisco, and we practically had the entire beach to ourselves, so we took our time galavanting around the sand dunes, running along the beach, and not taking ourselves too seriously, and I think (know) it was the most fun I've had in actual months.

Congratulations to these two amazing humans who were so instantly warm to be around, and for being as natural as humanly possible when your photographer is wearing a mask over 60% of their face and you've never met them before this.

Jess + Chris // Golden Gate Park Engagement

Anyone who has ever worked with me and stepped in front of my camera knows one thing: I become a slightly obnoxious motivational coach. My couples and I even laugh about it, in the moment. Over time, this has become my inadvertent alter ego, and I know I must sound like a really proud (stage) mom to all of my subjects (or anyone within earshot). The over-the-top enthusiasm comes from a genuine place of understanding how not-so-comfortable it is to have a giant camera pointed directly at your soul, and wanting my couples to openly know that know matter how far out of their comfort zone they feel, they are absolutely crushing it.

Jess and Chris reached out at the end of last year for their wedding this Summer, and after tossing around a few ideas for their engagement session, I knew two important things: 1- they didn't have many pictures together (I instantly commiserated- my husband and I have .5 pictures together in the 11 years we've been together), and 2- they weren't looking to achieve the cliche engagement photos that I know we've all seen (aka hard no to the "heart hands"). We met at the Conservatory of Flowers, and within the first five minutes of this session, I knew this was a great location fit for them, and that they were a great fit for me. In true D. Lillian stage-mom form, I was basically cheering throughout this entire session, but can you honestly blame me? They're gorgeous (and I'm the luckiest photographer).

Cheers to these two for owning this session, I can't wait for round two this Summer!

Emily + Ryan // Marin Engagement

"Redwoods are our favorite backdrop" was the direction Emily and Ryan had given me for their engagement session, and the best part of planning this one was learning that I live only thirty minutes from a Redwood preserve. I was completely unfamiliar with this location and really hoped it would be everything I had imagined, and the moment I stepped foot into the forest, I knew we had found 'The Location'.

While this was the first time I was meeting Emily and Ryan, we jumped into this session with a mutual ease and playfulness and really just had a blast exploring the nature around us, together. They naturally held hands and laughed and flirted, while I continued to be my awkward, third wheel self by documenting their cuteness from afar (and also really up close).

I was so smiley after this session, and ultimately thankful that somewhere in the abyss of wedding photographers, these guys found-then-chose me (and my awful jokes).

Tricia + Patrick // Los Angeles Engagement

I touched on this in my last blog post, but I'm pretty emphatic about the research project behind location scouting for each and every one of my sessions. I eagerly deep dive into the depths of Google image searches and sometimes even just drive aimlessly to find the perfect fit for each and every one of my couples. With that being said, I had this whole Plan A location for this session with Tricia and Patrick that included a national forest just outside of Los Angeles, but at the last minute and with their consent, I changed it up completely, due to too many unknown factors, no super-specific meeting spots, and being deeply anxious that our phones wouldn't work out there (all of my worst nightmares when meeting new people for the first time).

Thankfully, Tricia and Patrick were completely flexible and on board for Plan B, because it yielded the dreamiest location that far exceeded all three of our expectations. I knew that this Los Angeles location had been used in dozens of films and a handful of old Westerns, but I particularly geeked out on the fact that this location featured these iconic, man made caves that were used as the entrance to the Batcave in the original Batman television series. We explored, scaled the side of a canyon, and navigated around a few music videos being made (only in LA), and I have to say, that this was one of the most adventurous sessions I've done, and it was 100% worth facing all the LA traffic to get there.

So thankful for this couple for trusting me completely, and for leaning into this experience with an open mind and a willingness to explore some bat caves(!!!) (and for braving LA traffic). I can't wait for Wedding Day Reunion!

Stephanie + TJ // Sausalito Engagement

Without even doing it intentionally, I am kind of always location scouting for future photography sessions. I'm sure it's a common, unspoken habit among wedding photographers, and I've come to think of it as sort of an art when pairing new clients with locations that I think will best speak to them, and who they are as a couple.

With all of that being said, I have been HOARDING this location in my mind for a long time now, and I have been waiting for the perfect couple to use it. As soon as Stephanie and TJ said they preferred that I take the creative reigns with this engagement session, I knew I had their full trust, and this really gave me the permission to shoot exactly how I wanted to, and at the location I had been daydreaming about for months and months. Beyond their total trust-fall into my vision for this, I also really loved and appreciated how they wanted to look and feel like themselves in these photos, and opted to wear what they normally would on any given day. This added a layer of casualness to this session that worked so incredibly well for our urban setting (and made it that much easier to scale a few walls/rocks when the situation called for it). :)

This was one of my favorite engagement sessions to date, and I have these two brave humans to thank for it. Both showed up with a total willingness to support my ideas, and it made for such a flawless working relationship-turned-instant-friendship by the time we wrapped this session. Cheers to these two on their engagement, let the BIG DAY countdown begin!

Regina + Ben // Land's End Engagement

While January is historically a slower month in the wedding industry, I typically schedule a handful of engagement sessions in this month, and pray to the rain gods to give me some semblance of decent weather to work with. This couple, Regina and Ben, were in town from New York, and we had a dangerously small window to fit this engagement session in before the rain started back up and before they headed back to the East Coast. A clear forecast in San Francisco had us openly celebrating our good luck on this day, and it made our adventurous excursion that much more exhilarating (and manageable).

I had chatted with Regina and Ben on the phone just a few short weeks before this engagement session, and while I loved connecting with them and hearing about their wedding day vision, nothing beat getting to hang with them in person. I loved the "old friends" energy that we collectively created on this day, and I watched any/all camera-shy jitters dissipate only a few minutes into our session.

As we wrapped this session, I headed back to my car feeling so grateful for these opportunities to meet such incredible humans like Regina and Ben within my line of work. Not sure where these two beautiful people came from, but I'm so thankful for the connection, and I can't wait for round two this Fall.

Jess + Doug // Pelican Inn Wedding

In January of 2018, my family and I said goodbye to our favorite little beach town that we called home for the last four years, Half Moon Bay. While we weren't moving far, Marin felt like a different universe, and not one that we were certain we'd fit into. It took a handful of months to settle in, and while we were beginning to feel a bit at home in our new neighborhood, we had wondered if/when we'd ever find a community of our own. Cue somewhere in the middle of 2018, and the universe decided to gift us two of the greatest humans for friends, Doug and Jess.

Getting to know-then-love Doug and Jess has been the absolute highlight of our new-ish Marin life, and I have loved getting to know them as a couple, and also as two completely separate individuals. They are the most gracious and accommodating human beings, and they're just as down to go out to dinner with my husband and I as they are to hang out with our two kids and our massive (and often gassy) dog, and we have never felt anything but completely loved and supported by them. It is no surprise that I nearly starting crying when they asked me to be their wedding photographer, and the extra special bonus was getting to shoot this wedding with my husband on our 6th wedding anniversary. Creating art for the people that you love and with the people you love is absolutely how I prefer to spend my time, and it was truly the least we could do for two people who have been in our corner since day one.

This day was just as magical as it looked, and yielded a true depiction of some of Marin's finest landscapes, while also incorporating so much of Doug and Jess's history. An private hilltop ceremony followed by a small reception at the rustic Pelican Inn made for a truly intimate day, and allowed both Doug and Jess to be present and in the moment with all of their biggest supporters. My husband and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend our 6th wedding anniversary, and we smiled the whole way home when reflecting on Doug and Jess's wedding day.

Cheers to these two beautiful humans, thank you for having us! (p.s. we ate your entire grazing table that night. It was us. )