I keep getting asked about the best songs for wedding receptions! Not just from my own clients, but also from friends getting married, or people just thinking about getting married and dreaming about the ultimate playlist. Perhaps my reputation proceeds myself — I was a college radio DJ and spent many years crafting playlists and mixtapes for friends. I’ve done my fair share of crate digging, and for your wedding day, I recommend this formula: Songs that you, personally, love more than anything; songs that mean a lot to you and your partner + Obscure songs that have an excellent beat/groove a ..read more

Chloe and Peter… what can I say about these two that they didn’t say about each other in their astonishingly well-written wedding vows? Chloe is a force of nature, with a smile that could light up any room; Peter is gentle, encouraging, and endlessly considerate. They’re not a typical couple and they didn’t want a typical wedding, so they had one that was all their own. Sure, the ceremony was a traditional Jewish ceremony, complete with a rabbi, chuppah, and lots of readings from the Torah; they had bridesmaids and groomsmen, wedding rings, and a big white wedding gown. But outside of the trad ..read more

As a photographer, there are a few services that I simply cannot live without. One of them, of course, is the Adobe suite — tinkering with photos in Photoshop and Lightroom is at least 50% of my job. Another one is Samy’s Camera, my favorite local camera store with friendly workers and an always-reliable rentals department. In the past year I’ve also been using this service called Dubsado, which is a great all-in-one CRM (Customer Relationship Management) program. Before I used Dubsado, I would keep track of all my gigs by myself and several different spreadsheet programs. However, it was ha ..read more

Amelia and Kyle are eco-conscious couple. During their consultation, they stressed how much they cared about the environment; they cared about nature and climate change, and wanted to throw a fabulous wedding that was also filled with things that were renewable, recyclable, and reusable. They rented as much as possible, handmade the decorations, and picked the perfect venue: the Greenhouse Loft, which is a space in Chicago that is modern and chic, while also dedicated to making the lowest carbon imprint possible. The venue was picked, the macrame was made, the guests arrived… then all that was ..read more

Philip & Michael are a match made in heaven. They’re both impeccably well-dressed, fans of a capella music, avid church-goers, and love being just a little bit extra. They gathered their huge community of family, friends and church sponsors for this black-and-white themed wedding on the San Diego beachfront of Paradise Point. I shot this wedding with the Sweet Paper Media team, who are a great group of guys. When one camera started to malfunction, my cameras and I saved the day, and I’m glad I did! (PS: This is a good reason to get a second shooter!) All the photos in this gallery were ta ..read more

These two headed down from the Bay Area for a little weekend vacation in Hollywood. While they were here in LA, I gave them all my favorite recommendations for places to eat and shop — I used to live in East Hollywood, and I’m still fond of that area — and we got to squeeze in a little engagement session, too. We started in their hotel room, then headed out to the street, where it was lightly drizzling and hazy with golden hour sun peeking through a blanket of grey clouds. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Vi ..read more

Katie & Cliff are such a lovely couple, and their wedding was just as lovely as they are! They picked a stunning location: Saratoga Springs, which has lots of trees, sunbeams, and string lights, and dinner served from a giant firepit... all of which added up to some REALLY cool lighting conditions. But ya know, it wasn't just the light from the venue that lit up our photos. Every person there was lit up with joy throughout the whole wedding. When I say the whole wedding party hit the dance floor and didn't stop dancing until they kicked us out, I mean it -- babies, older folks, vendor ..read more

Ellie and Matt work tirelessly for social justice. They both have jobs in progressive non-profits, champion the works of women of color, and surround themselves with people who are just as diverse and caring as they are. For their wedding, they ventured into the magical wine region of Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico and the architectural wonder that is Encuentro Guadalupe. This hotel is nestled into the hills, and you have to take a shuttle from room to room. Each room is built around the natural landscape, so some rooms have boulders right in the middle of them, or shelves built into rock. I was ..read more

Yuzu and Mitchell had a taiko wedding! Yes, you heard me. A taiko wedding. Taiko = traditional Japanese drums. And Yuzu and Mitchell are professional taiko drummers. And all their families, and many of their friends, are also taiko drummers. So, naturally, their wedding at Saratoga Springs in San Jose, California, featured a wonderful, rousing taiko performance, with absolutely everyone involved. That half hour of performance alone was a thrilling sight (and sound) to behold. But their wedding was much more than taiko. There were origami decorations. Beer on tap. Heat lamps and bonfires. “Terr ..read more

Charity and Mali tied the knot with the equivalent of a sleepaway camp at Cama Beach for their queer friends and family, and I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time. I drove my rented car across the beautiful Washington landscape; I slept in a little cabin with Charity and Mali’s friends; I watched as every single person in attendance contributed to the decorations and fun. I listened to fascinating conversations about climate change and ecology, as almost everyone here does work with climate change policy and nature in one way or another… and also witnessed a mesmerizing late-night drin ..read more