MEF Photography Blog! » San Francisco-Based Wedding, Family + Portrait Photography

 

Are you ready for this wedding? No, I’m serious. Are you ready for this? Because if smiling is not on your agenda for the next 10 or so minutes, you might want to come back another time. Lara + Kevin (recall their engagement session) and their Harry Potter themed wedding are guaranteed to make you crack at least one or two smiles. Since I already talked about how much I adore them in their engagement post, I’ll skip the preliminaries and get right to the goods.

Hi, Lara! :D

They had a pretty good view from their suite, eh?

Grandmomma, momma and dad when she turned around for the first time after her hair and makeup were finished. This, my friends, is the face of love.

Meanwhile, my fab second shooter Nicole was over in Kevin’s suite. I’m only posting this photo because it makes me laugh. Everybody eats pizza on the morning before their wedding while their mom puts on their cufflinks. Right? ;)

Oh, Lara. You already know what I’m going to say about your eyebrows, don’t you? ;)

These rings are family heirlooms passed down from Lara’s grandmothers, one of whom survived the Armenian Genocide.

Lara + Kevin didn’t want to see each other before their ceremony, but they wanted to have a little contact. :)

Ceremony time! I love how Lara’s dad is looking at her here.

St. Gregory’s was intimate and warm and beautiful. Bonus point to you if you can find me in this photo.

This was my first experience with an Armenian wedding. Even though I couldn’t understand most of what was being said during the ceremony, I loved the symbolism. And the stained glass. :)

There is no kiss at the end of an Armenian wedding, so guess what we did as soon as we got outside. :D

From the church we drove to Golden Gate Park for bridal party photos.

This was a very fun bunch. :)

Kevin’s momma is going to love this one. :)

I sort of over photographed Lara that day. Not sorry about it even one bit. :)

The next four photos in a row are favorites. :D

I love you two.

Two more Armenian traditions. 1) Plate smashing!
2) Dancing!
I told you it was Harry Potter themed. Ring shot by (perfect) request. :)

You know I always have to do my own thing with the rings though. Another bonus point if you can figure out this setup. :D

Lara + Kevin, the genuineness of your love for each other and your families is an inspiration. Thank you for inviting me into your traditions. I was honored to spend time with those people you care most about and to witness your marriage. Based on the examples you have in your own parents’ relationships, you have a very strong foundation upon which to build your futures. I adore each and every one of these images and I am immensely proud to give them to you. I hope you love them as much as I do. xo, M

 

Hello, heartwarming wedding! Recall the awesomeness that is Mary + Lenny from their engagement session earlier this year. I already gushed about my love for these two in that post, so I’ll spare you my musings and just say that this wedding was wonderful in every possible way.

At M+L’s engagement session, I let Lenny know that he’s weird… in a good way. An assessment by which I stand wholeheartedly. Plus, it made Mary laugh. And shortly after that session, she found the card on the right and had to buy it for him. :D

Meanwhile, my outstanding second shooter, Elyse, was over at the cabin with the guys. Hi, Lenny! :D

This is SO Lenny (a nutrition-conscious, road cycling doctor). His groomsmen enjoy a drink, while he enjoys an Odwalla. :) (I’m on your team, Lenny. There were MOUNTAINS of brownies at this wedding, and I only ate fruit. HEALTH!)

Mary. I love you.

Way to look handsome, Lenard. It’s like you’re staring into my soul.

I wasn’t kidding when I said it was a cabin! (P.S. You might not be able to see it from here, but they all have bicycles on their socks.)

I have no problem admitting that I totally stole the concept of this shot from their videographer. A good idea is a good idea! :D Favorite.

Ceremony time! This is the face Lenny made when Mary made it to the front of the aisle. :)

You might notice that the light in all of the outdoor photos is a little strange, and it’s not your imagination. The King Fire was still raging this day and the smoke was heavy in the air. It held in the heat and humidity, and made the sun a fascinating blazing orange color. You can see the smoke pretty well here. Bonus: It smelled like a campfire all day. :D

Their vows were personal and touching and hilarious.

Married! Do you notice there are two officiants? Lenny is Jewish and Mary is Catholic; their wedding was conducted by both a rabbi and a priest. And yes, they took full advantage of the opportunity to make a joke out of that. They did an awesome job. Easter Egg: Lenny’s sister’s face in this photo. Can you find her? ;)

Rustic look: Nailed.

Loved this shot of their first dance.

…and this one. :D

Then we snuck off for some portraits!

The Pinky Grab is an important trait of their relationship. Favorite from the day. :D

Speech time! :D

I’ve never seen a bride who didn’t look at least a little bit terrified during the hora.

But happier dancing was to come! :D

The streamers have bells on them—a perfect end to the night. (P.S. The smile on Mary’s mom’s face (far left) makes this photo.)

Mary + Lenard, oh how I love you.  I can’t say it in any other way. You’re fabulous people. You’re the rare and enviable combination of brains and kindness (and yes, weirdness!), and you have phenomenal futures ahead of you. I am honored to have been present at the start of your married life. It was a joy for me and I am proud to give you these images to remember it by. Let’s reminisce about it over healthy food sometime soon, okay? ;) Love and miss you, friends! xo, M

Venue | River Highland Ranch + Vineyard
Florist | Little Boy Flowers
DJ | Music + More Entertainment
Caterer | Rayna’s Gourmet Catering
Videographer | Beatnik Studios
Desserts | Emily’s Catering + Cakes

Do you remember Shannon + Scott? (If not, that link is worth a look!) I’m a little bit obsessed with them. And I don’t care how creepy it sounds, but I’m obsessed with Shannon’s laugh (you’ll be seeing a lot of it in a minute). They brought me down to Los Angeles to photograph their wedding at the only LA venue I already knew—and The Smog Shoppe didn’t disappoint. But even without the beautiful backdrop, I would still have loved every last moment of this wedding. Not only did I get to spend time with a woman whom I don’t see nearly often enough (we’re going on roughly twice a decade), but I got to watch her marry the most perfect man for her. And I got to take beautiful photos of all of it. As usual, though, enough of my babbling. Let’s get to the laughter!

Hi, ShannyPants! :D

When I turned around from taking the above photo, this is what I saw. Could they be any more perfect?

Shanny. I couldn’t love you more.

This is Shannon’s godson! :D

Meanwhile, my second shooter for the day, Melanie, was over with the boys. Hi, Scooter! :D

Love this shot of Scott’s dad helping him with his tie.

Ladies, if you have a corset dress, I have two suggestions: 1) Plan AT LEAST 20 minutes to put it on (it will take all of that time—trust me), and 2) Take off your shorts before you step into it, otherwise your very loyal friend and dedicated bridesmaid will have to get up in there to retrieve them. But the photos will be great. Behold! :D

Spontaneous moment in the lobby. These girls are ridiculous in the most amazing way.

Time for the first sight! :D

It was kind of perfect. Favorite.

Again with these ladies being adorable. This is what I saw when I turned around from taking family photos.

Handsome gents! Can you find Shannon’s brother? ;)

And can you find Scott’s sister? ;)

LOOK AT THIS BRIDAL PARTY!

Wedding time! :D

Do we even need to mention the living wall? If I did not murder almost all plants I’m responsible for, I would grow this in a heartbeat.

Remember when I said I couldn’t love Shannon more? I lied. :)

Married! :D

Then we snuck outside for a few more portraits.

I am really quite funny. Just ask these two. Favorite. :)

Then an outfit change and back inside for some toasts, during which the adorableness continued:

Scott + Shannon have been together for a long time (11 years!). This is their best man recounting that time early on in their relationship when, while toward the end of a backpacking trip through Europe, Scott deleted all of the photos from Shannon’s camera. And here they are getting married—that’s true love, my friends. :)

Ending with a favorite. Love this (and Shan’s dress) with all of my heart.

ShannyPants. Scooter. I cannot even put into words what it meant to me to be part of your wedding day. You are incredible human beings whom I am honored to know, and taking these photos for you was a highlight of my time in this profession (Seriously. It meant the world to me.). Your love, happiness and positivity pour out of these images and I am immensely proud to give them to you. I only hope you adore them as much as I adored taking them. Your futures are as bright as you are and I look forward to watching where life takes you (and to photographing your babies when life takes you into parenthood, wink). Let’s go ahead and see each other more than once per decade, okay? I love you both! xo, M

 

 

I know that Laina + Chris have been waiting so patiently to see these photos, so instead of me blabbing on with my inane (but meaningful! Is that an oxymoron?) musings, I’m just going to let you reference my thoughts on them from their engagement session and get right to the photos!

Hi, Laina! 1) I love me a beautiful, grainy black and white photo and, 2) Laina, you could have so easily been a 50’s movie star. Beautiful!

The first bow tie I’ve ever seen tied without the help of a youtube video. Hi, Chris! :D
Laina wanted a pastel color palette; her florist nailed it.

Chrissy didn’t look so bad himself. ;)

Pastel! :D

Laina was transported to the ceremony site in her Uncle’s vintage truck, which was perfectly color coordinated. ;)

Ceremony time! I loved this image grabbed by my outstanding second shooter, Elyse.

That, my friends, is the face of a man whose breath has been genuinely taken away by his bride. Can you blame him? :)

Let’s talk about the ceremony site at Forest House Lodge, yeah? You go first. (Stunned silence is an acceptable response.)

Just in case you wanted a better peek at the view. I am so deeply in love with my home state—an hour east and you can be in Lake Tahoe; two-ish hours in the other direction and you can walk the streets of San Francisco and dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean. Magical. :)

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have one of those smiles that lights up a room. I think I’ll just ask Laina. :D

Married! :D

Love the view on the left that Elyse grabbed while I was doing the formal pose on the right.
That truck! :D

Then we headed back to the lodge and wandered the nearby street for a few portraits. Purple shoes and socks. :)

I think it’s safe to say Elyse and I were sort of obsessed with photographing Laina that day. I’m not sorry about it. :)

I’m pretty sure I took this shot accidentally as I was putting my camera down. I think I deserve a cookie for that. :D

Hi, hello, hey there. Favorite. (Pssssst, make this a canvas, please!)

If you can tell me how I set up this shot, I’ll give you $10. Actually, never mind; I’ll just tell you: It’s a lighted makeup mirror plus two iPhone flashlights for backlight. Blammo. Favorite.

I love first dances. :D

Laina + Chrissy, thank you so much for inviting me to be part of your wedding day. Knowing what I do of your relationship, and the long road that led you to this day, it was truly an honor and a privilege, and I mean that with all sincerity. From your warm and welcoming color palette, to your grandmother’s cake topper (on your rainbow wedding cake!), to the way you welcomed and enjoyed the company of your guests, the whole day was perfect (hot, but perfect!). Good luck as you work to remodel your new house (I still want to see pictures!) and embark on married life together—you deserve nothing but the best! xo, M