I admit it. I was an English Major. In fact, Dana and I both were. And before I made a living looking through a lens, I made it with my fingers on a keyboard. And Dana? Well, she actually qualifies as a legit writer. Books are in our blood. So maybe that explains why we had such a squealing "OMG LOOK AT THIS NO NO LOOK AT THIS" reaction to Katie +Kevin's incredible book-infused Autumn wedding.
Read MoreDinika + John's Glamorous Red Carpet Catholic Wedding // St. Ignatius Church + San Francisco Film Centre // San Francisco, CA
Dinika & John's San Francisco wedding was pure fairytale.
From the beautiful Victorian house Dinika got ready in to the awe inspiring St. Ignatius Church where they said their vows and the gorgeous San Francisco Film Centre where the party really got started - from start to finish, their wedding day was a visual (and literal, when you add in the incredible food) feast of love. And I haven't even mentioned the Elvis impersonator yet.
Read MoreMonica + Troy's Stylishly Simple Riverfront Wedding // The River's Edge // Knights Ferry, CA
I thought when I photographed Robyn and Michael's wedding last year that I'd never get a chance to capture a larger height difference than their nearly foot and a half disparity. Boy was I wrong! Monica and Troy may have to get creative to look one another in the eyes - Monica even stood on a step at the altar to lessen the height difference - but they don't have any problems seeing eye-to-eye. You can tell by the way they look at each other, as in the picture above: even after years of being together, they're beaming like kids in a candy store on their wedding day.
Read MoreJazmin + Zane's Elegantly Rowdy Villa Wedding // Private Residence // Stanford, CA
For a small business, there's nothing better than word of mouth. No matter what industry you're in, knowing that a customer has been so pleased by your service that they'd tell other people about you is pretty much the oversized gold star of adult life. That's why we're so proud to have been able to shoot Jazmin + Zane's incredible Raiders-infused wedding in Stanford, California.
Zane was a groomsman in Solana & Kevin's Giants-inspired blowout a few seasons back so he was front and center to see how we work and the results we get. That's why I was absolutely thrilled to connect with he and his beautiful fiancee for their wedding day!
Read MoreTop Moments of 2016
2016 has definitely been a wild ride. There were just so many hilarious, gorgeous, tear-filled weddings this year (and, you know, complete chaos nationally and internationally, but that's not really where we're going with this post. But we could. Because come on, 2016, you had to take Carrie Fisher, too?!).
This week, Justin and I set ourselves the impossible task of narrowing down the year's weddings into our favorite moments - the most hilarious, inscrutable, emotional captures of the year, since that is, as photojournalist wedding photographers, what we believe this job is all about: capturing moments. The things a bride and groom are too busy to see, or too hopped up on adrenaline to remember.
Looking back at these photos really cemented for us how ridiculously lucky we are to do this job. Thank you to every bride and groom we worked with this year - for that one day, we got to be a part of your life, to laugh at your dad's bad jokes, to toast with your friends. It's an absolute honor and we can't wait to see what 2017 brings.
I mean, assuming 2017 does not bring the apocalypse.
Read MoreLindsey + Brad's Dreamy DIY Wedding // The Reata // Oakdale, CA
There's always something magical about the wedding of two people who have been in love for a long time. Lindsey and Brad's wedding was such a good example of that magic - they have an ease together, they have a history not only with each other but, as a couple, with all the friends and family surrounding them on their day, and when you combine that familiarity and love with incredible DIY details and a regal Tuscan setting like The Reata, well, you're guaranteed to be shooting something special.
Read MoreAmber + Mario's Sun-Drenched Lakeside Wedding // Burson, CA
I'm about to let you in on a little secret about what we do.
Ready?
Wedding photography is like 90% about the bride.
Boom.
Are you shocked? Surprised? No? Congratulations, that means you've probably spent more than a few minutes browsing wedding photography blogs!
We're so used to being there when the bride and bridesmaids are getting their hair done, having their makeup perfected, putting on the dress, that it just feels like a totally natural part of the wedding day experience. Sure, we check on the guys from time to time, but we spend most of our time with the bride.
I'm telling you all that to tell you this: Amber & Mario wanted something different for their incredible lakeside wedding in Burson this spring. Instead of following the bride around, they asked that I stay with the groom and groomsmen as they got ready. So I shadowed them, from their trip up to a secluded little house in the dusty hills where their suits waited for them, to their anticipatory shots of tequila from cool shot glasses featuring old timey mugshots. From Mario in tattered, paint-stained boots to him under the boughs of a weeping willow tree lakeside in a gorgeously fitted gray suit watching his stunning bride walk down the aisle.
Read MoreTiffany + John's Free-Spirited Forest Wedding // Lazy Z Resort // Twain Harte, CA
Tiffany and John's wedding was, hands down, the wildest ride of a wedding day we have ever shot. Think ten raucous groomsmen with beer and cigars who were so racy we can't even show some of their photos on this blog (we're looking at you, dudes who got NSFW tattoos in preparation for the event). A totally rockin' dance floor. John's three sisters cackling while they absolutely roast him during their speech at the reception. Roving gangs of children, blue-tongued from all the confections at the candy table. And, of course, that moment at the end where Tiffany threw her bouquet so hard that it flew right past the women waiting to catch it and straight into the arms of a male bystander.
Read MoreRobyn + Michael's Classy Disney Wedding // The Carnegie Arts Center // Turlock, CA
Robyn and Michael's wedding was a first for us. In one breath, they asked Justin and I to document their day, and in the next, Robyn asked me to be her matron of honor! It was a balancing act, at times, being in and shooting a wedding, but it was a great reminder of what weddings are like from the other side of lens. It was incredible to be swept up in it - in the hilarity, the tears, the hours of hair and makeup and holding the bride's bouquet during the ceremony and when to walk back down the aisle during the recessional (which I did wrong, by the way). It renewed my awe and respect for brides, grooms and wedding parties everywhere! The amount of time and energy that goes into making a wedding tick defies all reason, and yet the best ones - like Robyn and Michael's - look and feel completely effortless.
Read MoreLaura + Jeremy's Downright Rockin' Downtown Wedding // St. Stanislaus Catholic Church + The Century // Modesto, CA
Dana and I have known Laura for over a decade - when her sister married my brother in 2005, we became family. We see each other on holidays, at birthday parties for our mutual nieces and nephews, and in all the years we've known each other, one thing is obvious: she's never been so happy. Joyously happy. The sort of happy that lights up a room. The sort of happy that made 19 - yes, 19 - bridesmaids and groomsmen stand next to her at the altar. The sort of happy that turns a wedding reception dance floor into an absolute mad house. And that is so, so obviously thanks to Jeremy. Judging from his reaction as she walked up the aisle, the feeling is mutual.
There were endless stand-out details on this wedding day. Jeremy and his brothers toasting beer cans with their mother after they finished getting their tuxes on. The ceremony at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, where golden-hour light poured in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, back-lighting Laura while her father walked her up the aisle. The reception at The Century was, as usual, unbelievably stunning, filled with lush green ferns and eucalyptus, bunches of white and royal purple flowers, dozens of glowing chandeliers and candelabras. The bride comes from a family of dairy farmers and the groom from a family of almond farmers, so their favors were miniature milk bottles filled with almonds. It was perfect. Going through the pictures again for this post, I'm struck by all the stolen glances and simultaneously hilarious/romantic moments between these two. Laura and Jeremy, thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding, and for gracing us with the permanent mental picture of Jeremy's faux striptease during the garter toss! You clearly have a lifetime of memorable moments ahead of you.
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