Wedding: Mariel & George at Nestldown

Mariel and George are one of the most fun and adorable couples we have ever met, just full of life and love. They were married at beautiful Nestldown, under the shady redwoods. They did rock, paper & scissors during their ceremony to see who would say their vows first! Mariel infused their celebration with fun handmade School House details (she's a teacher). She made wedding day report cards, ad libs, and fortune tellers, and each table marker was a library book, with old school photos of themselves. Even milk and cookies were laid out as a bedtime snack. We got to work with Lindsey and Nathan of Bellalu Photography who always make the day fun! Amy Frugoli of Twitterpated Weddings did an amazing job, along with Kellye Clifford of Precious and Blooming, Sweet Tooth Confections who did the "bake sale" desserts, and the catering by Thomas John was amazing, one of our absolute favorites of the Bay Area.

Wedding: Ours!

Pamela and I are getting married this Saturday on August 18th! We are so excited to share in the joy of joining our love and lives together in our own wedding. The planning process has been a lot of work (as we did most of it ourselves!) and we truly appreciate all those who do this for a living. We will be out of the office until the 25th, and it feels good to have almost two weeks off. We love our clients and will get back to you all as soon as we can!

~Luke & Pamela

Wedding: Colby and Evan at San Francisco City Hall

Colby and Evan were married at City Hall in San Francisco. Colby and her father descended the beautiful grand staircase and they were married on the steps under the rotunda. The space was transformed for dinner, with their family and friends surrounding them with their support and love. Isabella Sikaffy of Florabella Weddings and her team did a fantastic job! And we had a great time with Leigh Miller who photographed the wedding.

Wedding: Jenny and Rishi at Carneros Inn, Napa

Jenny and Rishi were married at the Carneros Inn in Napa, CA. It was a gorgeous day with full blue skies. Jenny and Rishi tied their family traditions together with both an Indian and Western ceremony. It was a wonderful wedding day full of family love and joyful celebration. The groom's family met the bride's in a traditional marriage procession called a Baraat, complete with a horse drawn carriage, music and dancing. We working alongside Carlie Statsky and her husband Gabe of Carlie Statsky Photography and had a blast!

Our Engagement Photos: Pamela and Luke

We recently had our engagement photos taken by the amazing Lindsey Freitas of Bellalu Photography! see them here on their blog!

We cannot thank her enough for taking the time to shoot our photos, as we are all busy getting ready for the wedding season. Thanks to Monina Wright of Moderne Beauty for her talent with makeup and hair! We had such a great time with them, and being in front of the camera again (as opposed to always behind the lens) was refreshing and fun! Luke and I realized that we don't quite take enough pictures of us together, and were excited to have some newer and current photos of us. These were taken at Clos La Chance winery in San Martin, great wines and beautiful views. Luke and I enjoyed some wine on the terrace afterwards. Thank you Lindsey you're the best!!

The best pair of work shoes ever!

When Luke and I are out shooting weddings we work long days often in the hot sun, and are constantly on our feet. After some trial and error we both solved the problem of having a good pair of comfortable shoes to wear. If you work in the wedding industry you soon realize you need shoes that are both comfortable and "nice" if not "cute" for ladies. And heels just aren't an option, at least I can't do it. It can make all the difference in how tired you are at the end of the day when you're wearing poor shoes.

I went through tons of brands of black shoes to find that perfect pair- you think the more you spend the better the shoe, only to realize you trash them every weekend shooting. Until I came to Crocs! (thanks to Tanja Lippert, who got me on them.) I always thought crocs looked kind of goofy and were probably painful since they look like plastic shoes. I have never had a more comfortable shoe! Not only do I wear them all day without blisters but I wear them barefoot, no socks or tights. They have breathable holes throughout so my feet stay cool, and the comfiest padded soles. Plus when they get dirty I just hose them off and they're clean again. They come in cute styles and colors too.

Luke also found his ultimate comfort shoe- Rockport walking shoes. Comfortable and durable leather, he literally walks miles on these shoes and replaces them every year. These happen to work for us, and if you're still searching give these shoes a try, you might like them too.

Wedding: Amber & Erik in Carmel

A stunning ocean view at Highlands Inn in Carmel set the scene for Amber and Erik's intimate wedding. We love small gatherings and this was truly a small family celebration. We were so excited to work with our friends Mike and Gina of Mike Steelman Photographers. They are a great husband and wife photography team, and hanging with them always makes the day fun! This was a half day of coverage.

Promo: Behind the Scenes with Jill Johnson Photography

This is a behind-the-scenes video for Jill Johnson Photography showcasing her gorgeous photos and backstage goofiness with stylist Tia Reagan. This footage was from a bridal shoot we did in the fall for Today's Bride, just re-edited with Jill's beautiful photography. Check out her blog to see all the photos from this shoot.

21 Mile Walk

A few weekends ago Luke, his sister Audrey and I went on a 20 mile walk down the Los Gatos Creek trail. It starts at the top of Meridian and Willow, and follows the creek for 10 miles past Vasona Lake and down into the Lexington Reservoir (which we actually hiked through to loop around). We had a nice halfway lunch break at Los Gatos Brewing Company, before we headed back home. It took us 8 hours! (good thing we left at 9am)

20 mile walk down the Los Gatos creek trail and back

Luke had an idea last fall, to walk the entire length from San Jose up to San Francisco along the El Camino Real. The original El Camino Real was the first road along the California coast connecting all the missions, and they were each a days walk apart. Its about a 2 days walk from San Jose to San Francisco and about 50 miles! 25 miles per day. So as warm up we decided to walk 21 miles.

50 mile walk from San Jose to San Francisco, 25 miles a day

Its amazing how little we all walk now in our day to day life with jobs that require us to sit, and cars to drive us around, but we were made to walk. It actually wasn't as long as it seems, and we were surprised to find that after 3 hours that much time has passed while walking. After 8 hours my knees were aching but the next day we were feeling fine! We will see how the walk to San Francisco goes...

 

the walking shoes of choice...

beer tastes so good after walking!

officially 21.58 miles of walking!

Promo shoot: Elite Vendor Group: Speakeasy styled shoot

The Elite Vendor Group is a talented group of wedding & event professionals in the Bay Area that we are a part of. We recently collaborated on a Speakeasy party theme, that came together beautifully down to the last detail. Be sure to check out the photos by Kati Decker.




Speakeasy Styled Shoot 
Location: Domenico Winery, San Carlos


PARTICIPATING VENDORS (in alphabetical order by company)
Kevin Whitlock - Aces Up Casino Parties, (acesup.com )
Arlene Marcos – “Ah…New Beginnings” Professional Wedding Consulting( ahnewbeginnings.com)
Susanna - AM Party Rentals (ampartyrentals.com)
Andree - B Chic Fashions (bchicfashions.com)
Lisa Eliopoulos – Cakepop Delight (cakepopdelight.com)
Debbie Lyn – Debbie Lyn’s Costumes (dlcostumes.com)
Lisa Eliopoulous – Domenico Winery Venue (domenicowinery.com)
Crystal/Megan – Enhanced Lighting (enhancedlighting.com)
Gigi Moss - Hair by Gigi (hairbygigi.com)
Myra Hadden – How Sweet Isaias (howsweetisaias.com)
Judy Lee – Iridescence Bridal Couture, Inc. (iridescencebridal.com)
Jen Kwapinski, Jen’s Cakes (jenscakes.com)
Lauren Beene – Lauren Beene Skincare (assisting Kristen with make-up) laurenskincare@comcast.net
Kati Decker - LightSplash Photography (lightsplash.com)
Dirk Decker – Assistant Photographer
Lori Carsillo – Vocalist, Guitar (Jay) and Bass (Mike) Players (loricarsillo.com)
Laura Sabahi - LS Blooms (lsblooms.com)
Luke Goodman & Pamela Francisco - Luke Goodman Cinematography (lukegoodman.com)
Kristen Calderaro – Make-up by Kristen (makeupbykristen.com)
Melissa Hoffman –Assistant Make-Up Artist
Bonnie Harper – One World Designs (one-world-designs.com/)
Sona Kaur and Jasmine Kaur - Ruak Styling (ruakstyling.com)
Mary Seaton – Sofa Outlet (bayareacustomsofas.com)
Joe Salazar and Oscar Reyes – West Coast Bartending (westcoastbartending.com)
Karla Randolph – The Card Lady (facebook.com/designsbythecardlady)
Dexter Cura & Daniel Wilcox – The Laugh Box (thelaughbox.com)
Tiffany - Wildflower Linens (wildflowerlinens.com)
MODELS
Eric Aku (ericraku@gmail.com, 925.336.6906)
Alex Decker (apdecker@gmail.com, 408.394.7338)
Scott Howell (scott@reddotfitness.net, 310.944.5888)
Eric Stackpole (estackpole@gmail.com, 707.483.5067)
Jay Logan (tharealjlogan@yahoo.com, 510.393.1041)
Joe Salazar (westcoastbartender@yahoo.com, 408.280.6043)
Oscar Reyes (reyesor@att.net, 408.221.2396)
Ashley Carvalho (Ashley_carvalho86@yahoo.com, 707.3331.0690)
Valerie Demattei (valerie_demattei@yahoo.com, 650.464.4987)
Jenna Gimarelli (fanmm76@yahoo.com, 650.861.7738)
Jillian Gomez (jilliangmz@gmail.com, 408.667.7206)
Christy Henry (christy_henry@comcast.net, 650.533.9619)
Melissa Howell (mhowellruns@yahoo.com, 310.944.5888)
Naomi Valentine (cakes_by_naomi@yahoo.com, 530.210.0058)

Wedding: Kellie and Michael in the Backyard

Kellie and Michael were married in the backyard of Michael's family home. Their wedding could not have been sweeter, filled with laughter and their families' love. They filled the pool with floating candles, and strung lights across the backyard dinner tables. Their first dance was right at twilight, and just as we started shooting bubbles were blown across like magical fairy lights. So romantic! There is nothing like hanging out at your own home and we truly felt like part of the family that night. Claudia Akers was the photographer, and we had a blast working together that day.

Wedding: Savannah and Rowland in Point Reyes

Savannah and Rowland celebrated their wedding in a rustic California setting in downtown Point Reyes. Their wedding was uniquely steampunk themed, and one of the most charming and creative weddings we have ever seen. Very fitting for Rowland is an art gallery owner and collector, and Savannah is a talented musician. Their creative friends Traci and Patrick of Bird Machine Bird, coordinated everything down to the detail. Their reception was held in Tobys Feed Barn and the details were beautiful and unique, from shadowbox displays, and vintage lighting to black and white films projected on the walls. The celebration continued with square dancing and fun on a bicycle powered ferris wheel by Cyclecide. Their wedding was also featured on the wedding blog, Ruffled.

Julie & Jeff featured on Style Me Pretty!

Julie & Jeff's beautiful Napa wedding was just featured on Style Me Pretty! Thanks to Jen Skog for submitting the gorgeous photos. We are so excited to get to showcase our work alongside these other talented vendors!

Promo: The Laugh Box Flip Books with Dexter Cura

We just completed a promotional film for The Laugh Box, a photo flip book company owned by Dexter Cura in San Francisco. They were one of the first companies to offer the flip book. Check them out these flip books are a ton of fun, and Dexter & Daniel are so great to work with!

We love doing promo videos and are currently taking on more of these projects. Soon to come, a new promo for a graphic designer as well as a photographer.

Wedding: Angela and John at Dawn Ranch Russian River

Angela and John celebrated their wedding in a woodland meadow setting at Dawn Ranch Lodge in Russian River. The day was filled with many personal details, including a photo timeline of Angela and John's lives and relationship, heartfelt blessings from the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and prayer flags from their travels together. Their wedding film is unique in that it was shot with a combination of HD, Super8 and 16mm film. We love the organic feel of true film, and get excited when we have the opportunity to shoot a film like this. And even better when our clients are excited about film! Shot with Chris Poeschl.

Today's Bride: Sassy and Sweet with Nancy Liu Chin

Sweet Love! This is the last of the behind the scenes films for Today's Bride Magazine. Nancy Liu Chin and Charmed Events teamed up to create this sweet and flirty wedding theme.





floral + event design nancy liu chin designs / event planning charmed events group / photographer kevin chin photography / cinematographer luke goodman cinematography /  cake designer butterfly cakes / ombre donut tree sweet luna desserts / location terra gallery /  paper hello! lucky / props, furniture, linens, tableware, table + chairs hartmann studios /  gown bella bridesmaid / hair + makeup stylist mimi + taylor salon / headpiece + hair accessories tessa kim / shoes hey lady / bridesmaid dresses and something blue / models mimi + taylor salon

Wedding: Debbie & Justin at Nestldown

Debbie and Justin were married under the redwoods at Nestldown, a beautiful fairlytale inspired venue in the Santa Cruz mountains of Los Gatos. The private estate is full of fun fantasy elements to discover as you wander through, including snow white's cottage, a miniature train and animals peeking out of the grass and trees. Their wedding day was sweet and romantic, Justin played Debbie a song on guitar at their reception and they danced away the night in the barn. We enjoyed working alongside photographers, Danny and Julia Dong.

Today's Bride: Bridal Shoot in Petaluma

Another peek into a fun photoshoot for Todays Bride Magazine. This was at a dairy farm in Petaluma, with Jill Johnson and Tia Reagan working their magic.





Location: Todd's Farm, Petaluma,CA / Photographer: Jill Johnson / Hair and Makeup: Tia Reagan, Freebird Productions / Gown: Gabrielle's Bridal Atelier, Amy Kuschel / Bridal Headpiece: Twigs and Honey / Bouquets: Really Bad Kitty, Flower Divas

Today's Bride: Architectural Modern by Gloria Wong Design

Another shoot we were a part of for Todays Bride. Behind the scenes with Gloria Wong Design and the team at Hotel Vitale.

Event Design: Gloria Wong Design / Event Planning; Jubilee Lau Events / Photography: Jennifer Skog / Location: Hotel Vitale, San Francisco / Cake: Studio Cake / Florals: Hunt Littlefield / Graphics: Good on Paper / Lighting: Enhanced Lighting and Sound / Paper printing/edging: Mira Aster / Rentals, Tabletop: Classic Party Rentals / Rentals, Custom fabrication and decor: Blueprint Studios / Dresses: BCBG Max Azria Runway / Hair and Makeup: Pretty Me Chic / Headpiece: Figs n Feathers / Jewelry: Laura Lombardi / Models: Elizabeth and Bethany / Shoes: Loeffler Randall / Stylist and Model: Elaine Wu of Falosophie / Ceramic votives, thimble bowls: Pigeon Toe Ceramics / Felt Coasters and Chargers: Felt Planet / Frank Gehry rock vases and tumbers: Tiffany and Co. / Letter light table numbers: Perch! / Screen printed cushions for tulip chair: R&L Goods, Piano Nobile / Suippo brass bracelets as napkin rings: Fay Andrada

Wedding: Ashley and Will featured on Style Me Pretty

Ashley and Will's stunning wedding was just featured on Style Me Pretty! We had such a blast working alongside Tanja Lippert and Tia Reagan at Oak Farms in Lodi,CA. To see the full post of Tanja's gorgeous photos, and a kind note from Ashley head over to Style Me Pretty here.