Ok, let’s see if I remember how this blogging thing works!

Here is an elegant, yet lighthearted affair thrown by two of the sweetest people ever to find one another.  We started things off at The Palace Hotel for the getting ready.  The fabulous Giao Nguyen and her team took the lead on hair and makeup, and she’s quickly become one of my favorites.

We were lucky enough to have the chance to shoot in the restaurant with no one around.  I was pretty happy to be able to make some images with the most beautiful ceiling in the city as my backdrop.

Gwen Helbush of Where to Start Weddings even pulled some strings to get us access to the upper tier.  Definitely above and beyond Gwen, thanks!

We moved on the Asian Art Museum from there for a few more portraits before the ceremony.

This is Malarie’s shot of the little flower girl going into melt down mode when walking down the aisle. Kids.

The deets:

Florals: Nancy Liu Chin

Event Planning: Gwen Helbush

Makeup/Hair: Giao Nguyen

Dress: Melissa Sweet

Cake: CakeWork

Caterer: Global Gourmet Catering

Videography: iq Videography

I loved the restrained elegance mixed with the playfulness of the video game theme.

A spin on the father daughter dance was the father/daughter slideshow, which brought out some great emotion.

Thank you so much for having us!

Cliff

We’ll start off with this shot right after Morgan got into her dress. I think she was working it for the videographer, Thomas Hughes, who was excellent, btw. The only videographer I’ve actually ever enjoyed working with. If you’re looking for wedding video, he’s about as good as it gets.

I thought this was funny. We did a “first sight” moment with Morgan and Pat, and after they had seen one another, Morgan gave a little spin so he could get a better look.

Some gorgeous details. The dress is from Priscilla of Boston, and the sweet peep-toes are from Kate Spade.

They have a soft spot for Grace Cathedral, so we headed up the hill for some portraits before the ceremony:

The flower girl was adorable, and she lit up anytime the camera swung in her direction.

The wedding ceremony/reception were on the 32nd floor of the St Francis and the view was spectacular. The San Francisco weather worked with us, staying crystal clear all evening. A rare sight!

It was an emotional ceremony!

Married!

This one’s a little “Where’s Waldo?” I admit, but I really dig it.

One of my favorites.

Before we ended portrait time I wanted to check out their Honeymoon Suite, since I thought there might be some cool stuff in there to shoot. I was right! I made a beeline to this awesome reflective table. One of my favorite groom portraits ever.

Here’s the reception details! The cake was among the most ornate I’ve ever seen, and was by Elegant Cheesecakes. That backdrop of the skyline didn’t hurt either! I also love that golden light pouring in before sunset. A big shout-out to Julie Briggs Dunn, the coordinator for the day who was a huge help in making sure everything went smoothly and looked good. Thanks!

They had a candy bar set up, and I couldn’t resist playing with some Fireballs when it came time for the ring shot.

First dance!

Morgan and her Dad with their dance. We decided he has a very Paul Newman thing going on.

Party Time! It ended up being quite the full dance floor, my favorite time of the day. It was so full I could barely get out there to shoot it! Thanks to my new favorite DJ Chris Mowery from Denon & Doyle. He was a total pro, keeping me in the loop for how things progressed throughout the evening, and kept the party moving all night. He’s one on my short list of DJ’s I’d feel comfortable recommending.

I love this one. Morgan’s Dad did some push-ups in the dance circle, and everyone went crazy! He even caught a little air here I think. I love all the bare feet in the background too.

Going for the garter!

Air guitar!

The Mom’s gettin’ down.

A parting venue shot.

Thanks Morgan, Pat, and Family for having us along for the ride! I hope you’re enjoying Europe you two! If you haven’t already left Paris, make sure you have some Pierre Herme for us! Seriously. It’s the most amazing stuff on Earth. I really miss living there!

Cliff

First up is an example of my current Custom Album:

Next is an outside comparison between the Custom Album and the Wedding Book:

Finally, some images showing some additional details of the Wedding Books and Guest Books:

I’ve worked hard over the years finding just the right partners to work with to build books that I’m proud of, and I hope you’ve enjoyed checking them out, and that you’ll enjoy having one of your own even more! All of the books differ in their construction/materials, as well as the designs that are available with each, so contact me for additional details, or for an opportunity to meet with me to discuss your wedding plans, and to see these samples in person!

Cliff

It was fun shooting out there, and getting to know Katie and David a bit better, although I wouldn’t want to be there alone after dark!

OK on to the pics! I think this 1st image just might be my favorite. I love that you can see the whole city from bridge to bridge. and the framing from the palms. The dramatic skies didn’t hurt either! If an image has ever screamed for a huge canvas this is it.

I love this image of Katie and David. They look great, and just enough of the Bay Bridge and Transamerica building to suggest the location.

Another favorite. The abandoned building, the skies, and the lone gull make this one feel a bit surreal.

They drive a Smart, and as soon as I saw it I knew we had to use it in an image!

Malarie and I had a great time working with you and exploring the Island! We’ll see you at Casa Real in October!

Cliff

Thank you to all my couples from 2008!!

Cliff