I envy couples like Gina and Michael.

This pair was blessed with finding one another, completely by chance. Both knew when they met that the other was “the one”.

Soon after, Gina and Michael made the commitment to journey forward together. They decided to celebrate their love for one another with a wedding, as well as a beautiful baby.

How wonderful to find your soul mate.

How blessed to know so clearly in your heart what you want.

How courageous to follow your bliss.

Documenting unions like this make me particularly happy, and honored. Thanks to Gina and Michael for allowing me to share in the intimate moments of their day at the Claremont Resort Hotel and Spa.

Wishing you love, happiness and many blessings!

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The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa is a historic hotel at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the Berkeley Hills in Berkeley and Oakland, California, providing the resort with scenic views of San Francisco Bay. The Claremont Resort opened in 1915 as the Claremont Hotel, named for the Claremont district in which it was situated. The Claremont has 279 guest rooms, an award-winning 20,000-square-foot spa, 10 tennis courts, and 22 acres of landscaped gardens.  The Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003,and is a designated California Historical Landmark.

Claremont Resort Hotel and Spa
41 Tunnel Road
Berkeley, CA 94705
510-843-3000
http://www.claremontresort.com

Special thanks go out to my assistant on this wedding, Diana. She always make shooting so much fun, and helps keep everyone smiling!

If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment. Click here if you’d like to see more Weddings, View My Portfolio, or Contact Me.

Oh my gosh! This wedding was the PERFECT way to kick off 2010. Sarah and Anthony are one of those couples I just get giddy about when  I meet. Stylish, young, fun and so adorably cute! Plus, they are both artists, and have a great aesthetic. Once they explained to  me the “look” they were going for, I felt really inspired. Sarah really wanted an organic, natural feel to her images. And Anthony liked the minimalist element that the Winter season provides. Where some couples (and photographers) might wish this were a Spring or Summer wedding, I loved the fact that they actually liked the Winter feel.

The day started when I met Sarah and Anthony at the Claremont Resort Hotel and Spa, which if you don’t know, is a fabulous place in Oakland, Ca. The hotel was established in 1915, and I just love the vintage feel.

From the Claremont Hotel and Spa, we went up into Tilden Park to the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, where an intimate ceremony was held. Even in the “off’ season, this garden was gorgeous, and I highly recommend a visit if you haven’t been there already.

After weeks of rain and cold weather, the sun came out this day for Sarah & Anthony.This is Anthony’s Nana, Hazel. If I could adopt her as my grandmother, it’d be a done deal!Anthony, smiling.This is the fabulous outfit of one of Anthony’s good friends. I just loved the juxtaposition of colors, patterns and texture.Topping off the outfit was the sneakers. Sweet!I LOVE the trees in the background. Yay for Winter!Everyone just looks so incredibly happy.I really like this photo. Something just so sweet about this picture of a father and his daughter.Cheers to mother and daughter matching cowboy boots!Sweet sisters.Trees!I love the tattoo. Nice shot by my assistant, Breck!I love this shot. So serious, but it totally works!From serious to silly! How cute are these ladies?Such beautiful eyes! I’m officially jealous.Rock those cowboy boots, girl!Proof they’re really married!I love Anthony’s look in this photo.Sarah is so pretty. Wow.Snapped this just as the Parks Authority asked us to stop. Oops. Still, a nice shot tho, eh?Sarah smiling for Breck.After these fun shots at the botanical garden, we rounded out the day with a dinner and celebration at Oliveto Restaurant in the Rockridge district of Oakland. The food was great and the space reserved for the group was perfectly cozy.After listening to Anthony’s impromptu speech at the end of the night, where he told Sarah what she meant to him, I gotta admit, I got a little teary.Shot this while eating dinner in the next room. Camera in one hand, fork in the other. Yeah, that’s how I roll.I like the expression on Sarah’s face that Breck captured. She’s having a blast!
Here we go!I noticed Mom’s tattoo as I went over to Sarah to say goodbye.

Sarah and Anthony were just such a pleasure to work with. I really enjoyed meeting their family and friends. Everyone was so down to earth and friendly. It’s clear, Sarah and Anthony are very loved. And, the love they have for each other is very inspiring. Sarah and Anthony’s wedding was the perfect reminder why I photograph weddings. So for that, THANK YOU, Sarah and Anthony. It was such an honor to capture these moments on your special day. Enjoy!

Claremont Resort Hotel and Spa
41 Tunnel Road
Berkeley, CA 94705
510-843-3000
http://www.claremontresort.com

East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden
Tilden Regional Park
Berkeley, CA 94708
(510) 544-3169
http://www.nativeplants.org

Oliveto Restaurant
5655 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 547-5356
www.oliveto.com

Bride Chic is the fabulous blog of couture wedding fashion designer, Amy-Jo Tatum. Amy-Jo has been a columnist for San Francisco Art and Fashion News and written articles for The Wedding Gazette. She founded The Design Project of San Francisco, a networking organization of fashion professionals collaborating their skills and talents on projects. She’s currently working on a book called—you guessed it—’Bride Chic’, all about that white gown and very special designer/client relationship. Want to see more of her fabulous gowns? Check out her site at www.amyjotatum.com

To read the article on my company in full, please visit Bride Chic. I hope you enjoyed my post. Click here if you’d like to see more Wedding Photography, View My Portfolio, or Contact Me.

About the Couple:
Sarah and Anthony met while they were students attending the Art Institute of California in Santa Monica. Anthony works in film and Sarah is an artist. According to their photographer, Rebecca Wilkowski, Sarah and Anthony are “stylish, young, and fun, and with a great aesthetic as they are both artists…” In college, the couple had the same circle of friends, but somehow managed not to meet each other for three months. Then, late one night at the end of a party, Sarah showed up and Anthony was smitten. A week into dating, Anthony asked for her hand in marriage but she promptly said “no.” After 3 1/2 years of asking, Sarah finally said yes! They tied the knot on January 31, which is Sarah’s grandparents’ wedding anniversary. They thought it would be a nice tribute to them, as they have been happily married for more than fifty years.

The Decision to Go Green:
The couple’s shared love of nature led them to throw a gorgeous green wedding. Anthony loves to write, draw, and go camping. Sarah likes hiking, camping, riding horses, and all things outdoorsy. They invited a group of close friends to keep their wedding day small and simple, very in tune with the outdoors. Using their creativity and working with the gorgeous scenery of their venue, Anthony and Sarah incorporated their unique personal styles into their celebration.

Venue:
Before the wedding, the couple stayed at the Claremont Resort Hotel and Spa.  The ceremony took place at Tilden Park in the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, a naturally stunning and serene living museum of California’s native plant species. This garden encompasses many of the state’s rare and endangered plants and is a place for visitors to wander among trees, shrubbery, and flowers from different plant communities throughout the state. Sarah and Anthony had both always wanted to get married outside, and the gorgeous Botanical Garden seemed like the perfect place.

Rings:
Anthony and Sarah chose a green and meaningful option for their wedding rings—they exchanged vintage rings that had belonged to Anthony’s grandmother.  This idea is eco-friendly, and offers a way for the bride and groom to make a special connection to important family members.

Florist:
The couple decided to use a local, family-owned and operated florist, Darling Flower Shop, for their floral arrangements. The Darling Flower Shop came highly recommended and created the gorgeous succulent bouquets that Sarah wanted. The yellow flowers in the bouquet are wattles, Australia’s national flowers, which perfectly represent Sarah because she is from Sydney, Australia and yellow is her favorite color.

Reception Food:
Sarah and Anthony both love Italian food, and Oliveto, close to Oakland, CA is their favorite restaurant in the whole city for Italian cuisine. Sarah’s heritage is English and Italian, so it fit very well and was a natural choice for their reception dinner. The venue created a delicious menu of fresh, local and certified organic foods for the bride, groom, and their guests.

Table Linens and Decorations:
The couple rented their table linens and decorations, an option that is both budget and eco-friendly. The white tablecloths added to the simple, elegant look that Sarah and Anthony created.

Entertainment:
Instead of having a live band, Sarah and Anthony decided to use their iPod for music as a money-saving strategy. They made their own playlists and hand picked songs that were meaningful to their relationship, as well as their friends and family.

Cake:
Sarah and Anthony wanted an Alice in Wonderland type cake, unique and a little silly, similar to the Mad Hatter’s hat.  Fortunately, they had a close family friend who was willing to make the beautiful cake from scratch. This is a great way to save money and add a personal touch.

Final Thoughts:
The bride acknowledges that planning a wedding can be stressful at times, but it’s worth it.  Sarah says that she and Anthony realized this “the moment we saw each other right before the ceremony. In that instant, all the stress of the day melts away, and you remember why you love each other.”

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The Green Bride Guide (GBG) has everything you need to plan a green wedding! Here you can find pictures from real green weddings, articles and advice on eco-chic decor, and a wide range of green wedding gifts including: organic bedding, Recycled Glass Dishes, and eco-friendly appliances. GBG also has the largest green wedding directory in the country, to help you connect with local vendors.

To read this article in full, please visit the Green Bride Guide. I hope you enjoyed my post. Click here if you’d like to see more Wedding Photography, View My Portfolio, or Contact Me.

If having a green wedding is important to you, it’s a good idea to choose green vendors to accommodate you on your big day. This week’s Macro Monday featured photographer, Rebecca Wilkowski, definitely belongs in the green group.  Not only is Rebecca a Certified Green Photographer, she also serves on the board of directors for Greener Photography and is a member of Green America, Green Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Green Business Program.

In 2006, Rebecca modified her business practices to be more environmentally friendly.  This included reevaluating her practices, technology, office work flow, services and products.  Rebecca Wilkowski Photography even offers environmentally-friendly wedding albums, canvas wall prints, and DVD folios made from recycled materials.

So, who is Rebecca and what is she all about?  Here’s what she has to say …”My background is as diverse as the people I’ve come to photograph, and includes photojournalism, commercial work, portraiture, fine art and travel photography. Weddings, however, are my first love…people are my passion! I treat each wedding as if it were my own. I spend copious amounts of time planning and preparing. I get pre-wedding jitters. I’m overwhelmed with the joy of the first kiss. I get nostalgic when the bride and her father dance. I get down and boogie with the guests on the dance floor. And, (yes, I’ll admit it), I even cry as I edit the photos from each wedding. These images….my client’s images…are that beautiful. And it is this emotion that I strive to evoke in individuals when they see my work.”

The wedding she’s sharing with us today is one with plenty of green elements.  Sarah and Anthony met in school at the Art Institute of California.  After a week of dating, Anthony asked Sarah to marry him.  She quickly said “no.” Then, she finally said “yes” … after 3 1/2 years of him asking.  They were married at the East Bay Botanical Gardens on the anniversary of Sarah’s grandparents to honor their marriage of over 50 years.