San Francisco Wedding Photographer, Event Photographer + Photojournalist

Hey Everyone! I just got back from Thailand, and I finally get to post my favorite pics from my last wedding of 2011. Megan and Cody are a great couple who had a beautiful wedding on the 4th floor balcony of the gorgeous San Francisco City Hall back in December. I really enjoyed working with this couple, as they were both so down to earth and made photographing them really fun. And, as always, I’m including my favorite part…their Love Story:

Megan on Cody:
Cody stole my heart from the moment we met, although I didn’t tell him that right away.He came into my life at a time when I needed him most and didn’t even know it.  He makes everything better. Cody gives me the strength I need when I feel like giving up. He has opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities, a new world of hopes and dreams. He makes me laugh to my core and gives endlessly just to see me smile. There is no one I would rather lay down with at night or awake to in the morning. Cody is my life, my love, my partner.

Cody on Megan:
The first time that I met Megan I remember asking myself, “why can’t I find somebody like this?”  I found her ability to juggle the elegance of a pretty lady and the tomfoolery of a playful girl spellbinding.  I knew immediately that I was in trouble…….in a good way.  Megan balances me, and I like to think that I do the same for her.  The perfect day for us can be spent running a thousand miles an hour or curled up in ball on the couch.  Together, we fit. She is my missing piece, my other half that makes me whole.

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San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfgov.org

Special thanks go to my assistant on this wedding, Ryan. As always, he’s fun to work with and got me covered, even on the days when I leave my camera strap hardware at the officeThanks for making so many 2011 weddings a blast…here’s to more fabulous weddings in 2012!

Lina and Mike are like the fairy tale couple. High school sweethearts, they’ve been together for the last 10 years. Although school and distance has often kept them apart, it’s clear that this couple’s love for one another is as strong as ever.

Because I knew I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to meet Lina and Mike in advance of the wedding, I made it a point to get to know them a bit before hand via email and telephone. One of the questions I asked them was, “What’s your love story? And, what do you hold dear about each other?”

As always, I got such a wonderful and heartfelt response, and now I get the pleasure to share it with you. (Time to grab the Kleenex!)

Lina on Mike:
Eleven years ago when I was 15 years old, I saw Mike as he was walking one of my classmates to class & thought he was totally cute. A year later, a couple of our mutual friends convinced him to “AIM” me. We started off as “radiohead7272″ and “angelbear717″. A summer of LOL’s, ROTFL’s BRB’s & TTYL’s later, we were hanging out at school during every break and disgusting all of our friends with our teenage flirtiness. On October 27, 20o1 we officially became a couple during the last dance at our homecoming themed “Happily Ever After”. Since then, we’ve gone to college in different cities and have been long distance for the last 8 years. We talk everyday and do our best to see each other as often as possible, but really, what hasn’t killed us has definitely made us stronger! I’m a planner, he’s impulsive. I like country music, he likes alternative rock. I like tea, he likes beer. I like chick flicks, he loves sports. The list of opposites goes on and on, but in the last decade as we grew from 16 & 17 to now 26 & 27, we have learned to compromise, be patient, listen, communicate, be understanding, enjoy each others company, and value both the little & big things. Most importantly, we have discovered a love beyond what words can express and now the promise of a long, happy journey to spend the rest of our lives together!!

Mike on Lina:
Lina & I met in high school when I was a senior and she was a junior. We had an unconventional first meeting. It all started when one of my high school soccer teammates told me that “someone” thinks I’m cute. Of course I asked who and found out that it was a person that I had never heard about or met before. Soon after, while chatting on AIM, I got an instant message saying “hello, you don’t know me but I know you”. I thought it was one of my friends playing a prank on me, so I just went along with it. After chatting for about 3 minutes, I realized it wasn’t a joke, but instead was the girl in the 11^th grade that has a crush on me. We continued to chat every night, sometimes until 2 or 3 am even though we had to wake up early for school the next day. At the end of October, I asked her to the Homecoming dance. During the last dance, I asked her to be my girlfriend. We dated, having our ups and downs as a young couple, but somehow have been able to work everything out. Lina & I are polar opposites, but this is what makes our relationship interesting and fresh. There are many things I love about Lina. She is a caring, thoughtful, loving, friendly and fun person. Even though we agree to disagree a lot, in the end we become stronger as a couple by learning from our differences. Throughout the ten years that we have been together, I am proud of the commitment and trust that we have fostered for each other. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Lina and know that there are exciting things in store for us in the future.

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Special thanks goes to my assistant Ryan, who helped out on this wedding. As always, I appreciate his fun sense of humor and slick ninja moves.

San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfgov.org

So many great things about this couple….where do I start?

How about they fed me, not once, but twice! Yep, Kana is an incredible cook, and true to Japanese hospitality, she made an incredible spread of traditional Japanese food. YUM! (I’m not afraid to admit, I asked for a doggy bag to take some cookies home!)

In addition to keeping me well fed, Scott and Kana are some of the nicest folks I’ve met. It was so much fun to just sit and chat with them, and hear all about how they met, their interests, and their plans for the future. One thing I learned about them is that they both share a love for swing dancing. Cool, right? And the best part? They’ve been practicing in their garage, open to the street for their neighbors and passersby to see. I love it! I mean, where else can you walk down the street and see a cute couple just having a blast swing dancing in their garage? I ❤ San Francisco!

The best part of meeting Kana & Scott, however, was to be able to be witness to how they feel about each other. I love when a couples’ feelings are subtle, yet palpable. With Kana, what I loved most was the way she smiles at Scott. And with Scott, it was how he looks at Kana…with such deepness, tenderness and affection. Man, what expressive eyes he has…it nearly knocked me over. To be able to see such affection between two people always makes me feel so incredibly blessed and honored. And, it reminds me why I love doing what I do for a living.

So, without further adieu, let’s get to the good stuff. Be sure to grab a tissue, it’s sure to make you cry!

Kana on Scott:
It is difficult not to love Scott because he is such a sweetheart. I have never seen anyone who has a big, beautiful heart like him. He is someone who can truly be happy, cry and pray for other people. He makes me laugh, whether he tries or not. I love every moment we spend together. I love how he is so simple like a child. I love how he takes care of me. I love his cooking. I love dancing with him. I love the look in his eyes when he says “Aishiteru” (“I love you” in Japanese).  I love everything about him, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to have him next to me for whole my life!

Scott on Kana:
There are so many things that I love about Kana that I don’t think that a paragraph can come close to capturing them. Kana is caring, honest, warm-hearted, and a bit mischievous. She makes gestures, such as bringing home flowers or cooking her favorite meal, which make me feel so appreciated. She clearly expresses her joy in her wonderful smile and laughter. It isn’t hard to find something that brings this happiness out in her. I love that she hops and pats her arms against her side like a penguin when she is excited. I am thrilled that I get to spend the rest of my life with her enjoying the little things that each day brings.

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Special thanks goes to my assistant Ryan, who helped out on this wedding.

San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfgov.org