This past weekend we had the pleasure of shooting Jenny and Jeff’s unique and original wedding at the Ralston White Retreat in Mill Valley. We met this awesome couple through a referral from the wedding we shot in Mexico back in April. We knew it was going to be a special event from our conversations with Jenny and we had an amazing time being a part of this day.

From Jenny’s vintage inspired dress, to the beautiful grounds of the Ralston White Retreat, we tried to get everything we saw to fit inside of our cameras :) There’s a beautiful pond as well as trails going through the woods all around this venue. As it turns out, the Ralston White Retreat is a sixteen-bedroom mansion that was originally acquired as a wedding present by the owner to his wife. It was definitely a special treat to photograph in and around this venue.

The grand finale of the evening was the appearance of the Extra Action marching band, in which Jeff is the snare drummer. This group of performers was simply surreal as there were close to 20 people playing everything from wind instruments to a variety of percussion orchestrated together with dancers, all marching from the house to a field on the property. It was pitch black outside by this time but that didn’t stop us from getting some fun shots of the act.

Some favorites from the day:

Jenny’s head piece was just jaw-dropping:

Jeff’s off-white suit was a great choice for this venue and surroundings.

Loved the grounds of this Mill Valley retreat.

Jenny was such a natural for the photos.

This flower girl was such a cutie!

The interior of this historic mansion had so much character:

The centerpieces were hand-made and so unique and original.

This dog came with the grounds – he was a shy one but adorable nonetheless.

At the pond below the house:

Everyone was in tears when Jenny’s sister gave her speech:

Jenny and Jeff had a special set of cards and birdcage for people to write their wishes:

Absolutely delicious vegan cake with custom decorations.

There was a special area with dozens of masks set up for everyone on this wedding day. It was definitely a lot of fun.

The Extra Action marching band was providing some amazing entertainment into the night.

Congratulations to Jenny and Jeff on their beautiful wedding day!! We were excited to be a part of it.

Jenny and Jeff’s wedding has been featured on Style Me Pretty!

Jenny and Jeff’s wedding has been featured on Ruffled blog!

On the day of this engagement session it was warm and sunny in most parts of the Bay Area. That is, everywhere, except the Lands End in San Francisco. While driving we were somewhere near Pacifica when we entered a thick, dark cloud of fog and we hoped until the last moments of driving up to the Cliff House that the fog will disappear.

Well, it never did, and pretty much by the beginning of the photo session it was starting to get pretty dark. Despite the cold and spooky atmosphere with the ocean making some weird sounds in the dark way too close to us, we had a blast! Jen and Jimmy were real troopers and we had a ton of fun climbing the ruins of the Sutro Baths while taking these photos!

Here are our favorites from the evening:

Natasha

 

About a week ago we had the pleasure of shooting Julie and Brian’s San Francisco City Hall wedding photos. Their family and close friends joined them from around the country for this intimate celebration and we had a great time capturing their wedding photos.

San Francisco City Hall weddings usually take place during the weekdays, and Julie and Brian’s wedding was the last ceremony of the day on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon. Arriving in a beautiful white limo, Julie was met by Brian and everyone who had gathered in front of the City Hall. The emotional ceremony was followed by a photo session near the Palace of Fine Arts:

We don’t get to photograph bridal preparations for City Hall weddings often, so we absolutely welcomed this chance. Love this picture of Julie getting ready.

Loved the reaction of Brian’s mom when she first saw him on the day of the wedding.

Julie looked absolutely stunning, she chose to have a veil which yielded for countless photo opportunities!

SF City Hall building never ceases to amaze me – love the architecture of it. It’s amazing how different it looks from different angles: I don’t think I’ve ever seen two photographs of that building that looked the same!

Waiting for the ceremony to start:

Every wedding ceremony in SF City Hall starts in room 168 – the County Clerk’s Office. That’s where Julie and Brian took an oath and signed all the necessary paperwork.

After all the papers were taken care off it was a time to go up the stairs to the Rotunda for the wedding ceremony:

It’s a pleasure to photograph people who are in love and are overwhelmed with happiness – we never have to ask them to smile :)

It is always a treat to photograph portraits inside the City Hall, the light there is absolutely gorgeous!

Congratulations to Julie and Brian!! It was truly a special day and we were happy to be a part of it.

Mike

 

 

 

We love to photograph City Hall weddings and would love to photograph YOURS! View more information here: San Francisco City Hall Wedding Information.