Mahshad and Brad tied the knot at Piedmont Community Hall at the end of July. We were happy to come back to this beautiful venue for our second time this summer. In the morning, when we came to Mahshad’s room, she was happily preparing sandwiches for her family and friends. The smile never left her face and the day was really just flawless.

I immediately fell in love with their doggy Foxy who proudly marched down the isle at the beginning of the ceremony.

The guys looking handsome:

Following an American ceremony it was time for a traditional Persian ceremony. We were looking forward to this for a long time and it was totally worth it! I was moved by the beauty and rich traditions of this culture.

Every item used in the ceremony symbolized a different aspect of the ancient traditions: there was a mirror and candles for purity, coins to represent wealth, honey and crystallized sugar to sweeten life, flowers for beauty, and a basket of decorated eggs to symbolize fertility. Again I thought how lucky we are to live in the Bay Area among so many different cultures.

Here we had just a few moments with the bride and groom:

The evening had yummmy Shish Kebabs, toasts and lots of music and dancing. It was a beautiful outdoor reception.

Congratulations to Mahshad and Brad! We’re very happy for you guys.

This couple’s Engagement photos can be seen here.

Natasha and Mike

We always joke that we never know when we might meet a new client. Sometime this winter Mozhenna recognized Mike while we happened to be leaving a restaurant. They know each other from college but haven’t seen each other since. When Mike told Mozhenna that he’s a wedding photographer, she said that she actually recently got engaged and introduced us to Sergey.

On the Saturday of the wedding we met Mozhenna at her parents’ place as she was getting ready. We came just in time to see Mozhenna putting on her gorgeous wedding dress and the final touches of makeup. She was not the least bit worried and didn’t stop glowing or smiling the entire day.

Sergey was preparing as well:

This couple allowed lots of time for everything in order to have a happy and stress-free day. We were really happy about it because the extra time really allowed us to get creative. Sergey and Mozhenna were up for almost anything…

One cute moment was when we were at the Arboretum in Golden Gate park and a little girl just froze as she pointed at Mozhenna and announced: “Look mommy, it’s a Princess!”

The ceremony and reception were both held at Russia House where Mozhenna’s brother Misha was also wed 13 years ago. There was an abundance of pastries and fruits and the desert table was topped with a surprise for the newlyweds: a heart-shaped ice sculpture with Mozhenna and Sergey’s names written on it.

Who could’ve guess this could be made out of a watermelon:

Enjoy your honeymoon guys! Thank you for sharing this wonderful day.

Click here for their Lincoln Park engagement photos.

Natasha

What a great, laid-back wedding this was! Jessica and Erik were wed a week ago at the Piedmont Community Hall – one of the most beautiful city parks I’ve ever seen.

This couple decided that while they don’t want to see each other before the ceremony, they want to take as many pictures beforehand as possible to free up more time for the evening. Jessica looked simply gorgeous when we met her by the Japanese Tea House.

Leaving Mike with our bride, I went to look for Erik and his groomsmen at the ceremony location through the park. Little did I know that I took the wrong trail and was heading further and further away into the park! I have to say that huffing and puffing uphill with heavy gear was really hard work! It felt like I spent about a a week wandering in the woods when I finally came out to the site and found the guys.

Jessica had cool berries in her bouquet:

The outdoor ceremony by the fountain was filled with joy and laughter. The officiant started off by reading Jessica and Erik’s passionate and humorous words about each other: how they met and their first impressions. It’s quite a challenge taking photos while you’re laughing hard! :)

After the ceremony there was great food and emotion-filled toasts. Everything pretty much went exactly like Jessica wrote to us in an email a week before the wedding: “We’ll simply be dancing the night away and when it feels like the right time, we’ll stop and cut the cake and then keep the party going!”

Congratulations to Jessica and Erik!

Click here to see their Engagement Photos.

Natasha

Lucky 7/7/07 is here!

The Knot, a wedding site, says that on any given Saturday in July there are typically 12,000 weddings taking place in the US. But on 7/7/07 that number has more than tripled to an amazing 38,000! This could possibly make it the most popular wedding day ever.

We’ve been looking forward to our 7/7/07 wedding ever since we met Joyce and Christian for their Engagement Session back in March. This couple was so much fun and we felt a connected to them from the start.

On their big day two weekends ago we came to meet them at a small boutique hotel on the Embarcadero waterfront in SF. The girls were putting on finishing touches and Joyce was slipping into her gorgeous silk dress. One floor down the groomsmen were having beer and anxiously trying to tame their unruly ties. When the couple saw each other in the lobby of their hotel it was a truly emotional moment.

Joyce and Christian’s ceremony and reception was held at Terra SF - a downtown art and event gallery. The venue’s great feel was made all the better with the beautiful paintings all around. This day felt intimate even with many, many guests and the reason for this was perhaps said best during the ceremony: “Ultimately, friends are the family we choose.”

Mike and I both LOVED their unique reception – only a few tables and chairs were provided while most people walked around and mingled amongst delicious food stations. There was a live band and much dancing and laughing to finish off the night. Joyce and Christian’s wedding style was truly unique.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful day with us! We hope you’re having an absolute blast on your honeymoon!!

Natasha