She was the girl who would wear the silly argyle knee socks to school with him every Friday. She was the girl who was his best friend. He was the one who played practical jokes & made her laugh. He was the one who made her happy every.single.day. Together, their love is a love that is pure…sweet…a love that has grown deeper over time. They grew up as neighbors, less than two blocks away & began dating in High School. Over the years, they maintained a relationship that somehow remained uncomplicated-even though they dated long distance after High School. They made it work because they knew that something about their relationship would last-despite the miles between them.As they joined hands in a church at Lake Tahoe, it all became REAL. They had been together for years & years and suddenly it was their wedding day-the day that they had waited patiently for…the day that would be more incredible & more amazing than every adventure they had been on together. On a beautiful, warm August afternoon they were joined as husband & wife…and they spent the rest of the day celebrating the love that they had felt for as long as they had known each other.
They were married in a beautiful cathedral at Incline & they spent the night celebrating atop Heavenly Ski Resort-at an elevation of 10,100 feet! Guests rode a gondola to the top of the mountain & enjoyed stunning views of Lake Tahoe as they danced the night away. The night was a perfect, starry night & was a perfect venue for Heather & David’s reception! I loved the pink paper lanterns, the pale pink accents, the pink argyle socks that the groomsmen wore, the pinecone details & the classically beautiful decor everywhere. The evening was flawless & a perfect reflection of Heather & David’s love for each other!
Heather & David-thank you so much for having me photograph your incredible day! Wishing you love, laughter & lots of practical jokes in your new life together! XOXO, marielle.
Lake Tahoe is a PERFECT place for a wedding…it’s always beautiful!
Love when my couples choose to see each other before the ceremony…their nerves dissipate & it’s always a beautiful moment…
LOVE this one!
Heather…you are beautiful!
Favorite…
I LOVE this shot! We were really lucky to get this shot because the light was thisclose to being gone…love how this turned out!
I LOVE the month of October…or OctoVer as Hadley calls it. Personally, I like the V in there-it makes October seem a little more snazzy. In honor of a spooky month, here are some random, spooky things that have happened in my life!
* I went to lunch with Sam last week-he claimed that he wasn’t that hungry & then proceeded to eat his ENTIRE plate of Chinese food. I, on the other hand, wasn’t super hungry so I picked at my food…UNTIL I realized that there was a dead caterpillar in my food. With two black eyes. And cute little squishy legs. Except it wasn’t cute when it was dead in my vegetables. Thank heavens I hadn’t eaten a ton because Sam looked at the caterpillar on my plate…looked at his empty plate & almost barfed. Good times.
* Once while on vacation my younger sister hopped into her hotel bed, stretched out her long legs and felt something in the bed. And I bet you a million billion dollars that you’ll never in a million billion years guess what it was. A MOLAR. Not just a tooth, but a MOLAR. I think about that story all the time & it never gets less funny.
* When I was little, I had really, really long hair. One night I laid in bed & I could feel something crawling around in my hair. I went and told my parents that there was something in my hair. They sent me back to bed three times. I was persistent & finally my dad took me into his bathroom, had me sit down & he shook my hair…and a HUGE spider fell out & crawled across the floor. Told you so, dad.
* Last week we had a series of semi-small earthquakes that didn’t feel so semi-small. When the first one hit, I was so scared that my voice lowered like three octaves. It sounded like I was talking in slow motion. It was weird, creepy and soooooooo random.
* I think that’s enough spooky/random facts for now. I don’t want you to think that I’m weirder than you already do. Happy Octover, everyone!
Here’s a spooky photo of my sister at her wedding. Oh, the joys of photographing people you know REALLY well.
The fog clung to the rocks at Half Moon Bay on a beautiful, overcast Saturday afternoon. The sailboats were anchored…the waves quietly lapped onto the shore & the sweet smell of salt water filled the air. In a room overlooking the ocean, Vanessa’s ivory dress hanged on the door as she got ready for her big day. After she slipped into her gorgeous gown, she waited quietly on the beach for her First Look with Silvio. As they saw each other for the first time, it was once again sooooooooo obvious why they are together-they make each other beam with joy, they make each other laugh & because their love is stronger & more beautiful than ever.
They were married on the beach behind Sam’s Chowder House as their families & friends looked on. And after they were pronounced husband & wife, Vanessa & Silvio walked excitedly down the aisle, threw their heads back with laughter & wept tears of sheer joy. It was a day that they had both waited so long for…and they were both overcome with such joy that their day had finally arrived! Vanessa & Silvio started their day with a First Look (which I always, always LOVE because it gives us tons of time for relaxed photographs before the ceremony). I loved working with them because they gave me tons of time for photographs both before & after the ceremony. We had a blast walking up & down the beach for photos. Their reception was held at Sam’s Chowder House & guests feasted on clams, lobster, clam chowder & more delicious sea food than you can imagine. The setting was a perfect place for their celebration & guests spent the night enjoying the ocean view & dancing. I loved so many details about their wedding…their bright purple & orange color scheme, their cupcake tower, the food, Vanessa’s stunning gown & the perfect setting. From start to finish, it was a perfect day for two people who are perfectly in love.
Vanessa & Silvio…I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!! Thank you for choosing me to photograph your amazing day-and for being yourselves. I love working with the two of you because you make everything so.much.fun! Thank you for your kindness, your friendship & for being the funnest (yes-I know that’s not a real word) couple on the planet. I know you guys had an awesome Honeymoon in Tahiti so here’s wishing you a fantastic, fun & amazing life together…knowing the two of you, I know that your married life together will be nothing short of incredible. With much love, XOXO, marielle.
Vanessa waiting for her First Look with Silvio…one of my favorites from the day…
Seriously-how cute are they? They were SO excited to see each other!
Love this shot of this woman…she came early & looked so amazing with her fancy hat that I just had to grab a photo of her!
Love these two…they were so overcome with joy!
Favorite…
What a yummy feast!!
She laughed & joked with her friends as she got ready for the biggest day of her life. At the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco, Erika was helped into her beautifully beaded wedding gown & before she knew it, she was ready to see Brian for the first time. As Brian saw Erika for the first time, Erika buried her head in her chest & was overcome with pure joy. Erika & Brian spent the day in each other’s arms, laughing & grinning ear to ear. They were married under the dome at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco & the day was just like Erika & Brian-fun, fun, FUN!
I knew when I met Erika & Brian for the first time that their wedding would be amazing & a TON of fun. Before the wedding, they opted to do a First Look which I always love! It gave us enough time to drive around San Francisco to places that were meaningful to them-I was so glad we were able to get photographs with so many different backgrounds. After their beautiful wedding, their reception was held at the Exploratorium-it was amazing because all of the guests were able to play with all the exhibits during the reception…so much FUN! Guests feasted on pulled pork sandwiches & delicious cupcakes as they danced the night away. Their flowers were perfectly whimsical-I loved the use of succulents & pods in Erika’s bouquet. Each guest spent the evening exploring one of San Francisco’s most famous museums. It was a night to remember & everyone there had such a wonderful time!
Erika & Brian-I know you are enjoying your three week long honeymoon to Bali & Thailand (seriously EVERYONE wants to be you right now!). I am so lucky to do what I do because I meet amazing people like the two of you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for having me photograph your wedding-it means the world to me to know that you trust me with your memories & it means even more to me that I have two new friends. Wishing you both the very best in this exciting new adventure! XOXO, marielle.
Loved the decor at the hotel-it made for some fun photographs…
Erika was SO excited to see Brian!
Dear San Francisco, I LOVE YOU.
I always love this moment when the bride is being walked down the aisle. Such a sweet moment with her dad.
LOVE this one…
It was soooooo windy at the beach but I love how these photographs turned out…and I LOVE how Erika’s dress swooshes in the wind…
One of my favorites…
When I first met Erika, she went on & on about how she’s not photogenic. I told her that she would have no problem in front of the camera. This is when I say, “I TOLD YOU SO!” Seriously, Erika. You are gorgeous.
Cutest.Kids.EVER.
Awesome place for a wedding reception, right?
I have a problem. It’s definitely not the worst problem I could have. Let me come out clean: I am obsessed with candy. More specifically-holiday candy. More specifically-Halloween candy. I don’t know what it is about holiday candy that gets to me, but boy it gets to me BAD. I didn’t really realize it was a big problem until I was shopping with my sister the other night. Here’s what happened…
Last year I remember buying some Jelly Belly brand Autumn mix-it had candy corn, mini-pumpkins, CINNAMON flavored candy corn, etc. Let me just come clean here (this blog is laced with confessions): last year I ate that entire bag before I made it out the store & into my car. So imagine my excitement this year when I was shopping with my sister at the same store when low & behold-they have the same blessed Jelly Belly brand Autumn mix. I literally almost started crying right then & there in the store (must to the embarrassment of my sister). I quickly started loading my cart with EVERY.SINGLE.BAG. that they had in the store until the clerk picked up the phone & said, “Uh…Janice…do you have any more of those Jelly Belly candy corn mixes? It looks like we have a customer who is going to buy ALL OF THEM.” Hello. So, SO embarrassing! I wanted to tell the store clerk that I was buying the autumn mix (all 8 bags of it) for friends, family members, for my daughter’s teacher…but I was buying them for ME. And I had every intention of hiding all of the bags when I got home so that I wouldn’t have to share. Moral of the story: some people just don’t get it. Moral of the story #2: I am obsessed with candy & there’s no stopping me!
So I have every intention of eating every single bite of that Autumn mix. All 8 bags of them. If I happen to share some with you, consider yourself one of the lucky few.
And because I can’t do a blog post without a photo- here’s a photo from one of my recent mini-sessions with someone who I’m sure shares my obsession with candy. I mean, just look at how HAPPY SHE IS!!!!!! Candy makes everyone happy & if you don’t believe me, get yourself some Halloween candy today & thank me later. Happy Friday everyone!
