Elle & Zach by the SF Pier

I had the pleasure of capturing a wonderful wedding day with two fantastic people, Elle & Zach. They were friends first and a couple second – a great way to have a true and loving relationship. They live in Washington, D.C., but found a reason to come back to the San Francisco area to celebrate their wedding celebration. The nuptials were held at the St. Patrick Catholic church on Mission Street, and the wedding reception was held nearby at the St. Regis Hotelon 3rd Street. Both locations have the San Francisco style and character. They decided to not see each other before the ceremony, so I am sure that when Zach saw her in the fantastic custom dress that she was wearing, he was as thrilled as the rest of the guests. She looked fantastic. Here are a few shots of the couple together having some fun and enjoying their wedding day together. Congratulations again to Elle & Zach!

Wedding favorites, dresses, venues, or vendors

One of the great things about being a wedding photographer, is that I get so many opportunities to experience great places for weddings, see great floral beauty, and photograph some fantastic wedding dresses. It seems that it would be a great idea to share some of the wonderful places that I have been at, and to share some of them with you.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will be going over some of the places that are favorites for me and some of the great vendors that I have worked with in the past. If any of these items: florists, vendors, or dresses seems important to you, then feel free to post your opinion on my poll at Facebook. I look forward to sharing some of my ideas with you. For those of you who are photographers, I will also be sharing some tips and tricks regarding Photoshop and camera lighting for some of my images in the near future as well.

Roundabout

It is rare to see a full size, major construction like a commuter bridge being built right in front of you. To be honest, this construction has been going on for the past few years, and I sort of lost sight of the immensity of the job. I am fortunate to view this massive new replacement Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland being built from the level of the bay. A good friend signed me up to see the development from the same view as those who are building it. I really did not have a full appreciation of the structure until I saw it from the builders perspective. It is HUGE. The construction machines are also gigantic as are the bridge pillars that are being dug deep into the sea bed for stability against potential natural disasters. The new Bay Bridge is due to be ready for auto traffic commuting in 2013. These are some photographs of this new, and hopefully long-standing, bridge being created straight from the sea right in my own backyard.

Old and New

A View from Across the Bay

Construction

Old Steel Beams vs. New Concrete

Some Scale

Beams to Aid Setting the New Bridge

Roundabout

A View from Below

On the Way Home

Mojgan and Alizera enjoying a moment together

Mojgan and Alizera looked wonderful on their formal wedding day. Mojgan looked beautiful in her dress and Alizera looked debonair in his suit. They were ready for the traditional Persian style wedding with all of their family and friends. The wedding ceremony was full of tradition and enjoyed fully by all of their guests. The ceremony, the food, the music, and the overall celebration was a joy to see. It was obvious that they were happy to have this special day to bring their lives together with their guests.

Their personal photographs were taken at nearby Stanford University and at their selected restaurant, Faz in Sunnyvale. My wife, Annie, shot as a second photographer and captured some great additional photographs that will help to make sure that their day is well remembered into the future. Congratulations again to Mojgan and Alizera for their new life together.

Mojgan and Alizera walking by columns

Mojgan and Alizera

Mojgan by arch

Mojgan and Alizera together

Mojgan and Alizera seated

Mojgan and Alizera a quiet and loving moment