It was an incredible day. A cloudless sky, budding flowers, butterflies & bees buzzing through the air all made it not only an incredible day, but a perfect day for a wedding. After being together for many years, Evelyn & Dave tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony before their families & friends. As Evelyn’s parents escorted her down the aisle, Dave stood there wearing a mile-wide smile. After all these years of being together, it is obvious that Dave still gets weak in the knees when he sees Evelyn. It is obvious that Evelyn’s heart skips a beat when she speaks his name. It is so obvious that theirs is a love that will last a lifetime. As they held hands & became husband & wife, the joy that was in the air was literally palpable. They wanted everyone there to have fun, to relax & to enjoy each others company in an incredible setting. And that’s exactly what happened! Their wedding was a perfect reflection of who they are as a couple: classy, fun & totally fabulous!
As I pulled my car up to the Montalvo Arts Center, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. I could not believe I was going to photograph a wedding at such a gorgeous venue! Every nook & cranny is a complete dream to have as the backdrop for photographs. Add Evelyn & Dave’s classy wedding to the mix & you’ve got one amazing, unforgettable party! Everything from the divine purple & lime green flowers, the darling birds which adorned the centerpieces, the cake from heaven & the BEST food I have ever eaten in my life (I’m not even kidding you…) was fantastic. Evelyn & Dave boogied on the dance floor, surrounded by their closest friends & family members until late in the evening. It was the perfect, perfect party to celebrate one perfect, fabulous couple.
Evelyn & Dave-you are the sweetest couple I know. The way you treat each other as well as the way you treat others speaks volumes about your character. You are both so easy going, so sweet & such good, genuine people. You are fabulous & I am so grateful to have taken part in your gorgeous wedding! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to document your gorgeous & perfect day! With all my love, xoxo, marielle.
I LOVE this photograph of Evelyn right after she got ready in her gorgeous dress…
The guests waiting for the ceremony to begin-such a gorgeous setting for a wedding!
Evelyn…you are amazingly stunning.
This photo makes me smile…
A shot of their sweet first dance by my fab assistant, Lynn…
My very favorite shot of the day….
There was an exciting buzz that permeated through the air of Melissa’s bridal suite. It came from the combined sounds of hairspray spraying, music playing from Melissa’s phone & the laughter that was shared with Melissa & her closest friends. The buzz continued as Melissa helped steam one of her bridesmaids dresses, helped her flower girl into her shoes & made sure that everyone around her was comfortable. Although today was Melissa & Casey’s day, it truly was a day celebrating each & every person who was in attendance. It was a celebration of the individuals who had influenced & loved Melissa & Casey through the years; a celebration of all those who had helped shape them into the wonderful, incredible people they are. It wasn’t just their special day, it was everyone’s special day. Because that’s just the kind of people Melissa & Casey are: selfless, loving people who want the best for everyone around them. The wedding buzz wasn’t just for them, it was for everyone. And Melissa & Casey were more than happy to share the buzz with their closet friends & family as they tied the knot in a classy, gorgeous & utterly perfect wedding.
As Casey waited at the end of the aisle for his bride, he smiled a quiet smile. A smile that showed peace. A smile that showed the world that he was about to become the luckiest man alive. As Melissa walked down the aisle, she smiled her mile-wide grin & as she held Casey’s hands for the first time that day, tears streamed down her face. They were tears of complete happiness in knowing that she was finally going to tie the knot with the man of her dreams. The ceremony was sweet & perfect.
The wedding was chalk full of amazing details-all handmade by Melissa. Everything from the centerpieces, the take-away boxes of homemade cookies (baked with love by their Grandmothers!), the napkins, the invitations, the programs, the horseshoe place finders…everything! Literally no details were left untouched by Melissa-she truly put her heart, soul & all her craftiness into each & every part of the wedding. I love when brides & grooms get creative with the details because, well-I’m a detail junkie! The wedding was held at the incredible Grace Vinyards & it was such a dream for me to photograph. The combination of the Colonial-style home, the vineyard & the fields of grass were beyond dreamy & such an ideal setting for a wedding.
Melissa & Casey-I love you guys. Literally. I LOVE you guys! You are two of the kindest, caring & genuine people on planet earth. I am so impressed with the love you show not only to each other, but to each person you meet. I felt like I was part of your family at your wedding & am so grateful for the opportunity to document the wonderful celebration of your love. Thank you for being my clients, but most importantly, thank you for being my friends! I wish you a lifetime of incredible, fabulous love. With love & appreciation, xoxo, marielle.
Melissa opening Casey’s wedding gift to her…he surprised her & hired a Videographer for their wedding-Melissa was so excited about it & I loved being there for the sweet moment…
I’m obsessed with this photograph of their awesome bridal party…
I turned around when we were walking & caught this photograph-it truly shows how cute they are together…
I’m dying over this photograph. Melissa-you are totally, utterly fabulous. And so are your shoes…
Melissa handmade all her boutonnieres-they were made with wheat, strings & paper flowers. Sooooooo darling!
I always thought I knew how much my mother did for me. Until I got married & had a baby. It was only THEN that I realized really how much my mother did for me growing up-everything from cleaning & cooking, driving me everywhere I needed to go & giving me wonderful advice about everything & everything. I am so grateful for my mother & I will be happy if I can become half of the mother that she is.
Since Mother’s Day is just around the corner, I’ve teamed up with Nicole from NovemberThirteen Jewelry to celebrate the fabulous women in our lives with not one but TWO GIVEAWAYS!!!!
Yes, you read that right. TWO GIVEAWAYS.
We will be giving away the following to two lucky winners
One 30 minute Portrait Session from yours truly…
Look at all these cute mamas with their kids. Seriously. Melts. My. Heart.
OR your choice of one pair of these earrings (white freshwater pearls with Swarovski rondelles) or (gold Swarovski crystal pearls with Swarovski rondelles) Can you say GORGEOUS?!?!?!
Here are the rules, y’all.
Please let us know why your mother (or someone you know who is a mother) deserves to win either the portrait session or the earrings. What things has that woman done to inspire, motivate or move you?
To enter the PORTRAIT giveaway, send your entry HERE
*portrait session must be in the San Francisco Bay Area or Reno/Sparks Area.
To enter the JEWELRY giveaway, send your entry HERE
We will be announcing the winners of the giveaways on May 3rd. Go ahead & enter yourself, your mama or someone who inspires you!!!!
It was Angie’s first day as a new student at Harvard. She was attending a party & was introduced to Nick through a mutual friend. And that’s when it all began. Their connection with each other was immediate & it wasn’t before long that Nick began showing Angie around campus & giving her suggestions for fun places to eat near the dorms. Over the next year & a half, they remained good friends before they acknowledged what everyone around them knew-that they were a completely fabulous couple. And that they were absolutely meant to be together.
I first met Nick & Angie back in 2007 at a friend’s wedding in Jamaica. Nick & Sam were high school friends who were both groomsmen for the wedding. I spent some time talking to Angie & was amazed at how put-together, smart, funny & amazing she was. Sam & I agreed that Nick would be out of his mind if he didn’t marry Angie. Luckily, Nick saw the same amazing qualities in Angie & was head over heels in love. Later on, while vacationing on a secluded beach in Nicaragua, Nick asked Angie to be his wife. She said yes! They are tying the knot in just a few months & I am beyond excited to be part of their amazing wedding!
Angie & Nick flew to the Bay Area from New York for some final wedding planning & we met up for their engagement session. They only had one day for photographs & the day we shot was raining cats & dogs. It was raining soooooooo hard for their entire shoot but they totally rocked it out! I am so excited for their wedding & I know how much fun it is going to be! Thanks, Angie & Nick for the fun time! I can’t wait until July! xoxo, marielle.
P.S Angie-whenever you get sick of your clothes, call me. I’ll take them off your hands. Seriously.
Like most good stories in life should begin, Jennifer & Jason’s story began with candy. Jennifer had noticed Jason at church & wanted to get to know him better-after all, he was the cutest boy in the congregation & by far the cutest boy she had ever laid eyes on. One day while at church, Jennifer invited Jason to sit next to her & share the delicious candy that she had stashed in her purse. As any smart guy would do, he accepted the sweet offer & that’s how it all began. They began a relationship filled with fun, laughter & happiness. Because, quite simply, that’s how Jennifer & Jason are-fun & happy people who want everyone around them to share in their joy. Jennifer & Jason are some of the happiest people I have ever met in my life & it was such a pleasure to spend their special day with them!
Their gorgeous wedding at the Oakland Temple was filled with lots of laughter & love. As they excited the temple doors as husband and wife, their mile-wide smiles & laughter were just a small glimpse of how truly happy they make each other. Each detail was perfect-from the gorgeous Calla Lilly flowers all the way to the eyelet paper lanterns (you might know by now that I am obsessed with paper lanterns), down to the best darn wedding cake I’ve had in a long time, everything was pure perfection. Being such a happy couple, it only seems fitting that they would Honeymoon at the Happiest Place on Earth-Disneyland. See, I told you-pure perfection.
Jennifer & Jason-thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your gorgeous wedding! I loved witnessing the happiness that the both of you share & I know that this is only the beginning of the many, many happy years to come. Thanks for being so very fun to work with! You guys rock my socks! With much love, xoxo, marielle.
It was very cold, windy & cloudy at the temple but I loved the wonderful moodiness that it added….this is by far one of my favorite photographs I’ve ever taken of the Oakland Temple…
This is my favorite photograph of Jennifer & Jason…it just shows exactly who they are as a couple-fun, funny & totally fabulous.
Jennifer-you are fabulous in every way.
After our photographs at the temple, we snuck away to a faaaabbbulous location & did some fun shots…
