Having done Alissa & Alex’s engagement session about a year ago, I had already known for a while how much I would enjoy photographing their Tilden Park wedding at the Brazilian Room. They are both so fun to engage with and direct, and have such easy access to dazzling smiles and bursts of glamour. I love how game they were for playing in front of the camera and doing anything I said! 
I forget sometimes that being in front of a camera can be a bit intimidating at first, and I really remembered during this wedding how much I appreciate the trust that builds between a couple and myself that allows them to relax and us to have so much fun together… Thanks to everyone who collaborated on this event: coordination by Elizabeth Clayton of Lowe House Creative, flowers by Sweet Peas Floral Designs, cake by True Confections Cakes, and everyone else involved!
I am starting this post a little non-traditionally, with quite literally one of my last photos of the day, just because I love it so much! I took it when I was getting ready to leave and thought there was nothing else to shoot… let *that* be a lesson to me!
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There were many firsts for me at Emi & Alex’s wedding at the Snow Building in Oakland. Since the building is technically inside the grounds of Oakland Zoo property, I went to scout inside the zoo earlier in the day. Although we never actually got to photograph inside the zoo during the wedding, I did get to see flamingos, rhinos, and giraffes in the East Bay for the first time – really exciting for me . First time it’s started raining on us in the middle of an outdoor ceremony, which smoothly got relocated indoors for part 2. It’s also the first time I’ve photographed a wedding that represented these 4 particular ethnicities coming together – Argentinian, Armenian (Alex), Black and Mexican (Emi). This definitely translated into fantastic families coming together for a very fun wedding! First time I’ve seen churros be part of the dessert bar at a wedding, too… If you don’t know what churros are, I highly recommend going to the streets of Madrid in the wee hours of the morning after being out all night to find out! And it’s the first time I’ve seen a groom surprise his new wife by not only having a mariachi band (her favorite) show up and play near the end of the night, but also picking up the microphone and belting out a song just for her as his first time ever singing in front of a crowd! Cheers to the both of you!
The progression of sky colors over the San Francisco skyline as the sun set on this half-rainy day was just stunning!
Alex after his fabulous mariachi debut 
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