The Way We Click BLOG

Nick and Nicole are one of those couples that everyone loves… and maybe loves to envy a little too! They met randomly when Nick stopped into a tiny hole in the wall bar in San Francisco on a super hot day to get a beer. Nicole was the sassy bartender minding the store. Somehow, Nick made his way back to that spot more and more frequently, and it wasn’t because of the drinks! It’s really no wonder that Nick fell head over heels for her, Nicole is a truly beautiful person inside and out, and has the best sense of humor to go with it! I haven’t laughed as hard as I did on their wedding day in ages… my cheeks actually hurt by the end of the day!

As Nick’s family is a very conservative Russian Orthodox group, there really was no other place they could think to get married except the breathtaking St. Johns Academy Church in San Francisco. Having a wedding there is a very special thing, and the beautiful traditions of this ceremony were fitting to the mood of the day. Two people must actually be married in the foyer of the Church and the vows and ring exchange are done here before they are allowed to enter. Once they are married, the couple enter and are blessed by not one, but three priests to seal their union. This space in particular with its stunning gold domes on the outside, and the wall to wall decoration inside transforms you. St Johns Academy Church is by far the most awe inspiring place I have shot in recent years.

One of my other favorite things about shooting this wedding in San Francisco was the wonderful opportunity to take some extra time to get amazing portraits. Nicole made sure to bok out 2 full hours for us to run around the city for portraits! Having the Golden Gate Bridge in your wedding photos is a dream of mine, so I got to live vicariously through Nick and Nicole… and take full advantage of Nicks favorite secret spot! We only had to do a little hiking to get there… and even hiking in heels and a wedding gown Nicole had us roaring with laughter the entire time.

The Hotel Monaco with its quirky sitting room, elegant ballroom, and grand staircase created the perfect backdrop to Mexican traditions of Nicole’s family! Throw in a little shot of vodka for good luck, and you have a day that I will never forget. This is one of my absolute favorite events I have had the privilege of taking part in, and I can’t wait to go back to the City By The Bay again!

Becca and Jon are two of the most awesome people I’ve had the opportunity to meet here in Chicago, so it was no surprise that when they asked me to shoot a local Chicago engagement session  I jumped at the chance! Their wedding will be in Napa, specifically in the gorgeous town of Yountville, but they wanted some Chicago flare to their engagement session to reflect both sides of their style. We brainstormed some ideas, and they showed up with the cutest chalkboards and hand painted signs, as well as their adorable Pup Taz as props! We ran all over Chicago, but focused on the South Pond area of the Lincoln Park Zoo which has an incredible view of the Chicago skyline, as well as one of the most fun architectural spots to photograph anywhere in town. We then headed south to one of my new favorite spots to get a little more of the country feeling to complement their Napa nuptuals. With one of the more windy afternoons to contend with, Becca was a great sport and had to change her hairstyle more than once to keep it out of both of their faces! Overall however, the most important part always shined through, and their love for one another was easy to capture. Thank you for an amazing day, and special thanks to Taz for being such an amazing model!

Every wedding that I shoot is special in one way or another. I strive to create actual friendships through the process of getting to know a couple before I shoot their wedding, so I can create something magical, and more importantly, meaningful for them on their most important day together. In this case… I had a years long head start as my amazing friend Breandan married his amazing wife Veronica in San Diego last month. I honestly can’t explain how awesome I think Breandan is… he is one of the most genuine, solid, and talented people I have the pleasure of knowing, so I knew  Veronica must be something incredibly special to hold a place in his heart. I couldn’t have been more right. Veronica and I had only met briefly before Alex and I headed out to Chicago, so I took every opportunity to catch myself up on their whirlwind romance while she was getting ready. From everything I saw and heard, I honestly couldn’t have imagined a better match for my friend, and playing such a pivotal role in their wedding day became even more special for me.

The wedding was a beautiful small affair at the lovely Presidio Park in San Diego which overlooks the city and the bay, and with rain on both ends of this weekend I was so surprised they landed on the one beautiful sunny day! While the family went on to Breandans’ brothers house where the reception was held to set up, the three of us stole a couple of hours to take a few photos in the park, and go have a cup of coffee and a treat in Little Italy at the absolutely delicious Cafe Zucherro. As the sun slowly set over the Pacific ocean less than a mile away, the backyard reception complete with home made paella, beautiful drinks and h’ordeurves , and a selection of cakes from the to die for Extraordinary Desserts felt more like being among friends than work… because that’s exactly what it was. Congratulations to the both of you, and all of my love to you both for the future.

So after a crazy move, and an even crazier first month in Chicago, I got to take a much needed respite to go back to my hometown and shoot Kira and Dave’s wedding! After the success of the engagement session despite the crazy cold rainy weather, I knew that the wedding day would be awesome. I’m such a huge fan of Kira, and Dave is the only man who was ever really worthy, so it was hugely emotional for me to be there, and to be such a big part of the day as well! It was a super bright sunny day which is exactly what I would expect for such a bright sunny person, and Kira’s mood the entire day was  nothing short of sunshiny too! Having the ceremony at the top of Heavenly was just that, heavenly, and the rustic ski lodge fit their personalities perfectly and provided a stunning backdrop as well. Everything was perfect from Kira’s awesome bouquet and flowers by local favorite The Enchanted Florist to the supper yummy cake by Flour Girl Wedding Cakes. I had a great time, and managed to actually get some awesome shots while surrounded by lots of my favorite people! My job is awesome!!!

The three of us had originally planned to wander around the streets of San Jose Del Cabo that day to get a real flavor of Mexico and its culture. With all of the family wanting some face time with the newlyweds, we ran a bit short on time so  we ended up deciding on something a bit more simple for their day after session. We took advantage of their amazing oceanfront suite, complete with private rooftop deck and pool for a few shots and then just took a casual walk down the beach near their hotel the Marquis. To spruce it up a bit, I decided to try out some new lighting stuff I’m playing with, and we all ended up having a blast wandering around the beach, watching for washed up puffer fish, checking out the local fisherman, and enjoying the sunset on one of the most serene beaches in the world. Thank you again for everything that you gave to me throughout your entire adventure and to Ed for being SO good at holding that light!

Effortless. This is the word I would use to describe Ed & Beatriz in every aspect of this day. Beatriz getting ready was one of the most relaxing, fun, and creative vibes I’ve walked into in a long time. This first part of the day always seems to have everyone on edge and worried about the time, but not Beatriz. Her grace was infectious and carried over throughout the entire day. The quiet moments were what I seemed to keep coming back to over and over, from Beatriz’s sister Leda writing her speech while getting ready, to Ed’s brother and best man keeping him on track and on time while he was getting ready, to the little moments that Ed and Beatriz stole for themselves throughout the day, including a wink after the ceremony! The intimacy of the event made it even more concentrated, and the images I was able to get in this group of people are some of my personal favorites.

So in March I had the most amazing opportunity to go down to beautiful Cabo San Lucas Mexico, with Ed & Beatriz for their getaway wedding. What an amazing trip! I was with them from the rehearsal dinner, through a gorgeous wedding day, and then an amazing and stylish day after session on the beaches of San Jose Del Cabo. The exquisite Marquis Los Cabos where the wedding was held was the backdrop for much of the events except for the first night. There are SO many photos from this awesome event that I had to break them up into three posts for everyone.

Day one was the small family only rehearsal dinner at the elegant and romantic Tequila restaurant in the city of San Jose Del Cabo. San Jose Del Cabo is about 40 minutes away from Cabo San Lucas and retains much of the local flavor as opposed to the super touristy downtown atmosphere of Cabo. We got particularly lucky in being there that night because there was a HUGE street fair going on for the entire week just a couple of blocks from the restaurant. After dinner we all wandered down there to check out the madness, and trust me it was complete and total chaos in the most positive way possible! Everywhere you looked there were vivid visuals of records, local sweets, t-shirt vendors, juice bars, churro booths, and of course the famous Luchadores, or Mexican wrestling masks! Beatriz really rocked hers with her usual style and Ed’s dad had to get in on that action as well which made for some really funny moments towards the end of the night! More to come soon…. keep checking back.

To commemorate a day that celebrates love in all forms, I decided to dig up one of my all time favorite events to showcase on the blog. The world is a tricky place sometimes, and having someone there to support and love you no matter what is what everybody longs for. I found the absolute epitome of love and devotion when I met Paul and Jack. These two had been together for 13 years and when they were finally allowed to marry in 2008 it was the most awesome event I’ve been to! Held at the uber chic Club Social in Hollywood, these two had every detail perfected, from their custom tailored Dolce & Gabbana and Prada Suits, to the fantastic table settings themed to their favorite designers, to the scrumptious dinner and appetizers from Citrus, it was a day I will never forget.

So on this Valentines Day, lets all celebrate in every way possible and move forward into 2010 with love in our hearts!

And here is a shot of the two on their one year wedding anniversary! Thanks so much guys, and I can’t tell you enough how grateful I am to have been in the presence of your absolute adoration for one another!

What can I say about Chad and Dawn except that I would be hard pressed to find another couple with as much style as these two. Chad is the drummer for the awesome band The Struts in the San Francisco area, and the band’s classic rockabilly style bled right over into their wedding flawlessly. From the exquisite vintage style invitations, to the completely unique centerpieces that featured personal pictures and keepsakes, to Dawns custom handmade dress, cool “Maleficent” style jacket, and amazing hairpieces I was visually blown away all day by just how cohesive and perfect every detail was. The Regency Lodge in San Francisco was the perfect backdrop, offering gorgeous details of its own that lent itself to the theatricality of Chad and Dawns event. They are so incredibly warm, welcoming, and well matched that even the little setbacks during the day like Dawn needing to be sewn into her dress at the last minute didn’t seem to phase them. Look for Chads amazing wrestling mask, Dawns stunning vintage ring, and the perfect couple,  Mr. and Mrs. Roxxit!

So Jenny and John’s wedding was incredibly special for many reasons, but mainly because Jenny was my roommate a few years back and a completely awesome friend! Her and John started dating when we were roomates 4 years ago, and to be there to document their wedding day was an absolute dream come true. They have endured so much in the 4 years they have been together, and most recently the distance they must spend apart since John joined the military. Jenny had to plan their wedding in just over 3 weeks and to have everything come together on an incredibly sunny November day in Shell Beach CA. was an absolute miracle! The day was full of sweet moments like Johns best man helping him with his tie,  Jen having to have a last second dress alteration right before she walked down the isle, and the entire room singing happy birthday to Jen’s grandmother when cake was served. It made me feel like I was among family and made shooting so much fun. Thanks so much Jen & John for just being you, and loving each other the way you do. Its completely infectious… and yes we’re all jealous of you! Congratulations Girlie!!!