It had been six months since they had seen each other. Tiffany had been living in New York serving a mission for her church & after completing her mission, she came home to California for about 6 months. After coming home, she thought it would be fun to visit New York again. She flew to New York & decided to go see her old friends at church. When she arrived at church, David instantly recognized her. They talked & David was shocked to find that suitors weren’t knocking down her door…and then he blurted out, “I would marry you!!” Tiffany questioned if this was a real proposal and David said, “Absolutely. Will you marry me?” She said, “Yes, but I need a ring.” They joked about getting married as they parted ways & went on dates with other people. A few months later, Tiffany made another surprise visit to New York. Once again, she ran into David but this time it was at a wedding reception. They spent the night dancing together & having a great time. Again they joked about getting married & again Tiffany joked that she needed a ring.
So David came to California to see Tiffany…and to propose for real with a real ring! As they explored Tilden Park together, David asked Tiffany if she would take his picture. Tiffany grabbed the camera, started taking the photograph as David dropped to one knee with a ring in hand. She fell to her knees (after taking his photo!) and said yes! They are SUCH a fun couple & you can tell how in love they are by the huge smiles on their faces. They are getting married in the Oakland Temple in a few months & although I won’t be able to photograph their wedding, I feel so lucky to have been able to document this fun time in their lives!
We explored Caesar Chavez park in Emeryville…and all I have to say is that I LOVE California all year round but especially in January & February when the grass is neon green & the flowers are blooming! Here are my favorites…
I love the setting on Tiffany’s ring! Nice work, David!!
As Jackie & JD’s families gathered at Cavallo Point on a warm San Francisco January morning, they thought they were there to attend an engagement brunch for Jackie & JD. The signs at Cavallo Point directed them upstairs to where the “brunch” was to be held. They gathered, talked, laughed as they waited for Jackie & JD to arrive. And as JD arrived, he welcomed all 20 of the guests to his WEDDING. Not his engagement brunch…to his WEDDING!!! Needless to say, they were surprised & SO excited! Everyone was overjoyed knowing that instead of being guests at an engagement brunch that they were going to witness Jackie & JD become husband & wife! It was a wonderful, special & very fun twist on the traditional wedding. As their very closest loved ones looked on, Jackie & JD exchanged vows…to always remember this special day…to love each other with all they have…and to raise their darling son, Graham with all the love their hearts hold. There were tears of joy & mile-wide grins all around. It was certainly a very special, very intimate wedding that their families will never, ever forget!
They were married at the incredible Cavallo Point-I love shooting there because the staff are always incredibly accommodating & friendly. It’s a lovely location & while the rest of the country was in the dead of winter, it was almost 70 degrees on their January wedding day! I loved Jackie’s ruffled dress, I loved how Graham was incorporated into the ceremony (he walked Jackie down the aisle!), I loved their beautiful mixture of flowers…but what I loved most of all was the fact that nobody knew they were getting married! It was simply wonderful.
I could have not asked for a better couple to kick my 2012 wedding season off with…Jackie & JD are fun, personable & SO in love with each other. It is so fun to see how they interact with sweet Graham & you know that Graham will grow up to be a happy person because he is SO loved by his sweet parents. Jackie & JD-thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me take part in your surprise wedding-wishing you both happiness, joy & a wonderful life as the cutest family on the planet! XOXO, marielle
Cavallo Point is such a fabulous location for weddings!
Jackie’s dress was incredible…
Jackie & Graham waiting to walk down the aisle…
Graham sure makes Jackie & JD happy!
I loooooooove this photograph so, SO much…
I had to lay flat on the ground about 15 feet above Jackie & JD to get this image…I won’t lie-I was so scared of falling but I love how the image turned out!
Such a lovely setup…
They gave Graham his own little ring to remember the special day by…so cute!
This one cracks me up!
Amidst the palm trees & the incredible architecture of the Stanford campus, Emily & Scott’s paths first crossed. Their dorms were next to each other & they would often see each other in the dining hall or on the way to class. After freshman year, Scott left to France for two years to serve a mission for his church, and then just a few months before he came home, Emily left to serve an eighteen month mission in Japan. During their three years apart, they kept in touch by sending letters & cereal to one another. When Emily returned from her mission, they we were once again Stanford students together…and over the course of time they began dating, fell in love & realized that they never wanted to be with anyone else.
On that same beautiful campus where they first met, Scott sent Emily on a scavenger hunt where at the end, he asked her to marry him…and she said yes! They are getting married this summer in Boston & although I’m not going to photograph their wedding, I loved being able to get to know them while shooting their engagements! They are fun, easy going & completely, absolutely & totally crazy in love. Here are my favorites from their engagement session at the Stanford campus!
I love shooting at the Stanford campus because of the beautiful architecture & mosaics…
FAVORITE.
I love all the huge palm trees there! One of my favorites…
It was one of the only Saturdays last summer where I wasn’t booked for a wedding. I was on a mini-vacation at Lake Tahoe with my family, enjoying the summer sun & the sand in my toes. While soaking in the sun, my phone rang & on the other line was a voice that asked, “Did you bring your camera to town?” I had brought my camera to town because I was visiting for my sister’s bridal shower & I had brought my camera, one lens & my flash. “Yes….” I responded. The woman asked, “Can you shoot a wedding RIGHT NOW?” Amber & Conan’s photographer had written down the wrong date for their wedding & about 10 minutes before the ceremony began, they realized that it was very likely that they would have no professional photographs for their wedding. Thanks to their fast thinking wedding coordinator, I was contacted & although I knew I wouldn’t make it to that side of the lake for the ceremony (it was an hour drive), I knew I could make it to the reception site in time to get some bride & groom photographs as well as photographs during the reception. So I met Amber & Conan for the first time on their wedding day right as they pulled up to the reception. We had some time to quickly get some bride & groom shots by beautiful Lake Tahoe before their reception started & spent the rest of the evening capturing the heartfelt toasts, the sweet dances & the fun evening that their families & friends enjoyed.
This wedding was definitely a testament to me that you don’t need a myriad of lenses to get great photographs-I literally had one-ONE lens for this wedding so there was no option for me to switch lenses. When I first started photography, I had a long, LONG list of all the lenses I needed. Sam encouraged me to get really good at using one lens & then we could build up from there over time. My first year of photography I carried one lens & now in my sixth year, I only carry four lenses. For all you photographers out there, I hope & pray you are in constant contact with your clients before the wedding day so that something like this never happens!
Amber & Conan were so laid back, easy to work with & the kindest people on the planet. I loved getting to know them a little bit & I was so glad to be able to come at the last minute & take some photographs for them to remember their wedding! It was a beautiful event, filled with laughter, dancing & a whole lotta love. Here are my favorites…
My favorite…
I loved how they turned the glass cups upside down & used them as centerpieces!
I’m always a softie when it comes to the daddy daughter dance…
I’ve had a couple of people ask WHICH lens was the lens I shot with me…it’s my favorite lens-the 85mm 1.4!
The rain clung to the petals & the leaves around the temple. The fog was heavy & it was a typical winter day in Oakland. It was a typical day except for the fact that two wonderful people were celebrating their love & happiness with their families. I was elated to be able to document Claire & Russell’s special day at the Oakland Temple. They were married on my anniversary (best day of the YEAR!!!) & I was able to spend a couple of hours at the Oakland Temple documenting their joy. The fog & the slight rain certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit. And the typical, foggy, rainy day in Oakland turned into one exciting, wonderful & beautiful day because of Claire & Russell.
I loved how modern & elegant their details were. Claire’s darling, DARLING dress (lace!! and a belt!!!), her fishtail bride & her pink shoes were adorable & modern. Russell looked dapper with a pink tie, as well! We met before their ceremony so we could do photographs outside before the sun set completely. After their ceremony, we did a few more photographs & I literally almost died when the sun went down & the Christmas lights came on at the temple! The sunset was this incredible purple color & we had a great time taking photos with the Christmas lights!
The best part of my job is that I am able to meet people who as just as lovely on the inside as they are on the outside. Claire & Russell are totally down to earth, sweet, funny & perfect for each other. This was the last of my 37 weddings for the year & I couldn’t have ended with a better wedding. As I drove home after taking their photos, I kept on thinking about how blessed I am to be able to work with people who are so incredible. Wishing you an eternity of happiness, laughter & overflowing joy, Claire & Russell! xoxo, marielle.
Look at the fog!
Definitely my favorite!
There was a green dumpster outside the temple & I suggested that we use it for a background. I think Russell was a little hesitant at first but look how awesome it looks! Thanks for trusting me, you guys!
Claire, you are stunning!
