It was a gorgeous Autumn day. In fact, you could say that November 14th was one of the most gorgeous days of the year. The sun shined brightly over the Golden Gate Bridge & the warmth of the sun streamed through the windows of Cavallo Point. Stu waited inside the chapel as guests excitedly arrived & were seated. The doors opened & suddenly there was Stu’s bride-more radiant & more beautiful than he could have imagined. And as Sarah walked down the aisle arm in arm with her father, tears streamed down Stu’s face. In front of their closest family & friends they made sweet promises…to let their love show in everything they do: with every action, glance & word. They were pronounced husband & wife…and the rest of the evening was spent celebrating everything-life, love & this new adventure for Sarah & Stu. As the warm sun sunk behind the Golden Gate, friends & family toasted, watched Stu’s Power Point Presentation (one of my favorite parts of the day-it was hilarious!), decadently dined & danced late into the night. It was my last wedding of the year & I was so, soooooooo grateful to end my 2010 weddings with such a timeless, beautiful & fun wedding!
It was my first time shooting a wedding at Cavallo Point & it was such an amazing venue. It looks right out to the Golden Gate Bridge & San Francisco & everywhere you look there are amazing backdrops for photographs. I met Stu there a few days before the wedding & I was so excited to shoot their wedding that I literally screamed with joy when Stu showed me where they wanted their photographs taken. There is something so romantic, so beautiful about San Francisco & I never, ever get over how gorgeous it is! Everything about this wedding was wonderful & picture perfect. And to top it off- Sarah & Stu are incredibly fabulous people who are a blast to spend time with. They spent their honeymoon in Egypt & knowing them, I’m sure they had a wonderfully amazing time!
Sarah & Stu-you are fabulously amazing people who I am so lucky to know. Your wedding was a true reflection of who you are-fabulous, beautiful & most of all-FUN! I am grateful to the moon & back to have been able to photograph your wedding & I wish you all the happiness that the world holds for the both of you…xoxo, marielle.
I can’t think of a more perfect place to have a wedding…
Are you kidding me with these shoes? They are beyond fabulous!
Holy moly. Sarah looked incredible.
I’m always a sucker for photos of a bride’s sweet father walking her down the aisle…
These kiddos were so adorable!
Sarah & Stu gave me so much time for photos that I was in heaven. I honestly had such a hard time narrowing my favorites down!
Favorite…
Daddy & daughter dance…
Which one is your favorite?
The day was crisp. The leaves on the vines had changed from their normal green to a golden, vivid yellow. The rolling hills in Sonoma were simply breathtaking & formed the background for an incredible fall wedding. Not too far from the golden vineyards, Jen was getting ready with her best friends for the biggest day of her life. One bridesmaid helped button her dress, another helped with her shoes. And as she put on the finishing touches, her two sisters sat nearby with tears rolling down their faces-simply because they were so, so happy for her. And if you knew Jen & Chris, you’d feel the same way, too. They are such a good match & everyone who knows them is so, so happy that they’ve found each other. They are the type of people who make the most of every.single.moment. As their friends, families & their calendars can all attest, Jen & Chris are planners. Their weekends are filled to the brim with fabulous events, trips & a whole lot of fun (and of course a Cal game here and there). Their wedding was the greatest & most fabulous event that they’ve ever planned simply because it celebrated their love & their new journey together.
I loved being a part of this wedding for so many reasons. I loved the venue, the rich fall colors & their fun bridal party. I loved the vintage barn, Jen’s beautiful lace dress, their delicious cake & the bottles of wine as their centerpieces. Jen & Chris opted to see each other before the wedding & I love when my couples do a First Look. It is so intimate & oftentimes the photos from the First Look end up being my favorites from the wedding day. I especially loved the fact that the Cal Bears won a game on Jen & Chris’ wedding day!! Their families & friends toasted to Jen & Chris, danced the night away at the base of the Sonoma hills.
Jen & Chris-thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the chance to document your beautiful wedding! From the moment I met you both, I knew your wedding would be spectacular. You are both wonderful people who are so darn easy to photograph! I wish you weekend getaways, road trips & enough Cal games to last you a lifetime! xoxo, marielle.
Jen was so excited while she was getting ready…
Jen & Chris opted to see each other before the ceremony-something I LOVE!
This has to be my favorite photograph I’ve ever taken. To say I’m in love with this photo is a total.understatement.
Jen-you are stunning.
I love this photo of her daddy walking her down the aisle…
I love this photograph…
I loved their fun & fabulous bridal party!
Some of the toasts were hilarious…
Meet my forever best friend & her perfectly darling little family. Amber is my cousin & has been my best friend since I can remember. She has been my best friend through everything-all my bad clothing combinations, all my bad prom dates & she’s even been my friend despite all my bad dance moves. Needless to say, Amber’s been my rock throughout my life & I love her more than I love candy corn (that’s saying a lot, folks.) We met up last time I was in Reno & I shot their family session in about a half an hour. It was so much fun-I love them all so much & am blessed to have them as my family!
The clouds rolled in right above the Berkeley Faculty Club as Leanne was calmly getting ready for her wedding day. Tiny drops of rain fell from the sky. The leaves outside her window had changed colors-painting the trees in heavenly oranges, yellows & deep reds. Her friends laughed & danced while helping Leanne get ready. The fog began to settle in the Berkeley Hills. You could say it was the perfect Autumn day to get married. Their ceremony & reception were held inside as the rain tapped on the windows. Their vows were sweet…kind…thoughtful-a true reflection of they type of people Matt & Leanne are. If you know them, you know how sweet they are with each other, how kind they are to all those around them & how thoughtful they are in everything they do. It was a simply perfect wedding. The evening was spent dining on fabulous food, hearing hilarious toasts & dancing that lasted through the night! It was the best party because it celebrated the best thing ever-Leanne & Matt’s fantastic love for each other.
I know I say this all.the.time, but I love the couples I work with. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful, fabulous clients! Matt & Leanne are no different! They are amazing, fun & fabulous people & I love them both! Matt & Leanne opted to do a First Look, which I always love because it gives me as the photographer more time with the bride & groom. I love capturing that special, intimate moment where the bride & groom are all alone. I loved so many things about this wedding-I loved that Leanne’s mother made her dress…I loved the deep, rich tones of the flowers. I loved-LOVED the cupcakes that they served instead of a cake! My favorite part of their details were their centerpieces. Both Matt & Leanne have backgrounds in Science, so they scoured through the Bay Area to find vintage test tubes & beakers for their centerpiece vases. They turned out beautifully! I love when couples are able to think outside of the box-it was such a fun & fabulous way to bring personality to their decor!
Matt & Leanne-I am so grateful to have had the chance to photograph your stunning wedding. You are both so easy going, so fun & such a good match for each other. Your are both beautiful inside & out-I am grateful to have you as my new friends & I can’t wait for all the adventures life has in store for you! With love & deep appreciation! xoxo, marielle.
The Cal Berkeley Campus is stunning all year round-especially in the Fall…
Do I even need to say how amazing Leanne’s shoes are? I was dying over how fabulous they were! I’m a girl who loves to photograph fun shoes!
Leanne’s sweet mother made her dress-it was gorgeous & so fitting for Leanne…
I was so happy they decided to do a First Look…it rained in the afternoon but we were able to do a ton of photographs outside before the rain came!
Favorite.
What can I say? If you wear fun socks to your wedding, I’ll love ya forever.
Their amazing centerpieces…
She quietly stood in front of the mirror, her veil covering part of her face. She put on her earrings…nervously chatting with her mother, sister & friends as she slipped into her gorgeous dress. “I’m nervous,” she explained, “but I know I won’t be nervous once I see Chad.” Just a few hundred feet away from Kelly’s Bridal Suite, Chad was waiting. Quietly. Calmly. Kelly left her bridal suite, turned the corner & as they caught thrir first glimpse of each other on that day, tears streamed down both their faces. They embraced & Chad buried his head into Kelly’s neck…both of them laughing & crying together. Kelly was right. In the moment they laid eyes upon each other, their nerves melted away & were replaced by incredible, palpable joy. It was the happiest day they had ever known. Not only was it the day that they would become husband & wife, but it was the day that they promised to end their long airport goodbyes, complete their cross country relationship & to finally-finally be able to call the same city home.
Kelly & Chad put so much effort into making their wedding meaningful, intimate & gorgeous. Their golf course wedding & rooftop reception at the Rancho Las Palmas was classy, beautiful & utterly fabulous. Each detail was perfection (and you know how much I loooooove details!) I adored the colorful paper lanterns, their simply gorgeous cake, the vivid coral & lime green color palate. The colors looked amazing against the Palm Springs backdrop! To be honest, though-my favorite part about this wedding was working with Kelly & Chad. I so appreciate the fact that they listened to me & trusted my opinion. That means more to me than they even know! Their party lasted into the night with incredible food, heart felt toasts & more awesome music than you could even imagine. A special thanks to my friend Hanh for assisting me! Their family & friends dined, danced & celebrated until the Palm Springs sky filled with starts. It was a perfectly, perfect day.
Kelly & Chad-you are amazing, fabulous people who I feel soooooooooo blessed to know. Your vivacious spirits & love for each other is palpable. It is so obvious that you were totally, 100%, without a doubt made for each other. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to document this incredible part of your lives together! I know I’m not the only one that is jealous that you are honeymooning in the most perfect place on the planet-Tahiti! Wishing you all the happiness that this world has to offer you both-you so deserve every bit of it! with love, xoxo marielle.
I’d never been to Palm Springs before & holy smokes-it didn’t disappoint!
I loved Kelly’s fabulous, fabulous pink shoes!
I’ve said it before-I LOVE when couples choose to see each other before their ceremony. It is such an intimate, wonderful moment & I’m always over the moon when my clients choose to have a First Look!
Favorite.
I think it’s physically impossible for me to love this photograph any more than I already do….
Which one is your favorite?
