Colorful, glam, uplifting, hyphy, family-oriented, justice-seeking, God-loving - these are the words I think of when I remember Quess and Kristen's double golf course wedding in Burlingame and Millbrae. We may have spent the day hopping from location to location on a hot Bay Area day, but throughout all of it, these two kept their cool and focused on what mattered - celebrating their new union and honoring those they loved.
Read MoreQuadrus Conference Center Wedding in Menlo Park | Jennifer + Adam
You might remember Jennifer and Adam from their breathtaking engagement session at Windy Hill. I've been looking forward to their wedding at Quadrus Conference Center in Menlo Park ever since. Jennifer had told me beforehand that she wanted it to be “mellow,” and she and Adam managed to pull off a sweet and chill wedding while still incorporating gorgeous decorations (including florals from SF flower mart arranged by the bride’s mom!), delicious food (I lowkey wanted the kids' meal chicken tenders and fries), and a poppin dance floor with participants of all ages!
Read MoreWente Vineyards Wedding in Livermore | Sarah + Mark
I recently had the immense pleasure of photographing Sarah and Mark's intimate wedding at the Caves at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, CA. You may remember these two from their engagement session in the Sunol Wilderness a few months back. I had a BLAST running around the fields with them (like literally running - it was humid and we were all sweating by the end) so I was so excited to see them again for their wedding!
Read MoreKawai + Bryan | Huntington Beach Wedding
Kawai and I lived together for two years in college, where I had something of a first-row seat to the earlier stages of Kawai and Bryan's relationship (as seen below). So when she asked me to take some photos for their bridal party, of course I said yes!
The two of them met while volunteering for their church youth camp, but didn't reconnect until a missions trip to Mexico a year later. They spent a week serving, working, praying, talking, eating, and caring together, capping off the trip with a 4 hour van ride playing games on their mobile devices and sharing snacks, where something special was growing, but neither of them knew exactly what to expect. Shortly afterward, Kawai headed back up to Berkeley for her senior year of college and Bryan stayed in SoCal, but their communication (and love for each other) only grew over the 400 miles between them. As Kawai puts it:
... we can’t stop talking. At first it’s just texting and a handful of awkward-bantering-sharing emails, a smattering of Facebook posts… but the communication only swells instead of fade over time, and soon we are a flurry of all-day texting…
Weekly phone calls, a Wordpress poem, and many more moments over the next four years lead us now to their wedding day, which I was honored to help partially document. Read more about their relationship in their own words at their tumblr.
These two really made their big day the story of their love, whether through bookshelves chronicling their journey before and through couplehood, corsages and boutonnieres made by the bride's mom, the Batman pie topper, or a ceremony arbor built by the bride herself!
Kawai and Bryan opted to do a first look, which I always recommend! It's a precious, private moment for the two of you to enjoy time on your own in the midst of the craziness of a wedding day, and it honestly helps take some of the jitters away before the ceremony!
Guess which one is a Zoolander fan and which one is a Batman aficionado..
Kawai, you are stunning!!
The ladies opted for corsages (handmade by Kawai's mom!) in lieu of bouquets, and they were beautiful!
Bryan and his groomsmen looked dapper in their gray suits, complete with homemade boutinnieres.
Of course we had to get a couple of shots in front of the eponymous Red Horse Barn..
Kawai and Bryan, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your special day - it was a blast! Love you both!
Venue: The Red Horse Barn
Bride's Dress: David's Bridal
Bride's Jewelry: Purpose Jewelry
Bride's Hair: Deanna Jade
Bride's Makeup: Sahana Sankar
Groom's Suit: Al Weiss Men's Clothing
Bride and Groom's Tailoring: Freddy's Tailor Shop
Floral: Mother of the Bride
Catering: Wood Ranch
Wedding Pie: The Pie Hole
Bar: OC Bar Service
Tea Bar: MintTEA
DJ: Fly By Night
Rentals: On Call Events
Vintage Rentals: Party Pieces by Perry
Photography: Veronica Chou Photography
Videography: Buckley Videography