Nathan & Morgan: (Get) Engaged!! - Feb 15 - Baker Beach - San Francisco, CA

So how was your Valentines Day?? Me, I cooked dinner for my wife and daughter and we just had a low key evening at home. Earlier in the day, however, I was on the phone with Nate making super secret plans that involved a beach, a ring, and a paparazzi(me) for the following day. Let's back it up a bit..

Nate is my great friend Chris' younger brother and I have known him since he was just a wee ladd. In fact, I photographed their youngest sisters wedding a little over a year ago and that was when I knew this day was coming. You see, Nathan & Morgan both ended up with the garter & bouquet at that wedding, so little did Nate know his days were numbered. =)

Fast forward to last week I received an excited voice mail from Nate and while he did not tell me what he was up to, I had a suspicion. Sure enough, Nate was planning to pop the question and he wanted to surprise Morgan and have the entire thing photographed only there was one catch: He did not want her to know about it. Of course! Right? No I mean, even after he proposed he did not want to reveal they were being photographed so literally the photos would be 100% candid and 100% real emotion. That took me by surprise but it turned out to be the greatest way to do it.
He had a surprise engagement party set up for later that evening and he wanted to surprise her AGAIN by revealing some of these images at the party. Talk about pressure! A once in a lifetime opportunity for me to capture a moment they can now forever look back on and share with their kids someday. Challenge, accepted.

I asked Nate's brother, Chris, if he would come along to be a second pair of eyes so I/we would not be spotted but also just so he could witness his little brother propose! We arrived early and made sure we were quite far away as not to be noticed. Everything worked out so perfectly and now Nathan & Morgan are engaged to be married! I think it's safe to say we are all so very happy for them!
I am so excited to be able to share these images that I was entrusted to capture and I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. =)

Brian!

Mimi & Will: Engaged! - A Berkeley Marina Engagement Session - Berkeley, CA

It's not that often that I get to photograph an engagement session in January. Usually it's raining or cold but this year it has been neither of those things.

Mimi & Will chose to have their engagement session at the Berkeley Marina which is basically the westernmost portion of the city of Berkeley right on the water. If you walk to the very end of the pier you almost feel like you could swim to San Francisco. I know this because we walked to the end of the pier and believe me when I say, it's much further than it looks. =)

I had a great time getting to know Mimi & Will during their session. They even brought along their adorable little dog, Penny, who of course we included in some photos as well. Just a few short months and the wedding will be here! Please enjoy a few of my favorite images from our time together that I have selected to share!

-Brian

Paula & Phil: Married! - A Grand Island Mansion Wedding - Walnut Grove, CA

They say it can't be done..or maybe it shouldn't be done but I'm here to tell you one thing. I did it.

Well, not really. You see, this will be the first and only wedding of it's kind for me. For this wedding I had to rent a tux and give a toast. I had to be in some pictures and my 2 year old daughter Chloe was a flower girl. Yes, if you haven't guessed by now I was the best man and this was my brothers wedding... but I also was there as the photographer. Crazy, right? I coined a new term that I'm sure will not catch on...Best Man-ographer. *cricket chirps* Yeah, I don't think anyone laughed when I said it in my toast, either. =)

Truth be told I called in a favor from my good friend and fellow photographer Tiffany (from Tiffany Green Photography) and asked for her help. Somehow the idea was that I would photograph the wedding..except for the ceremony itself and any photos I was required to be in. That's where Tiffany would come in. Tiffany and I have shot 50+ weddings together so in theory it would be a piece of cake...

Everybody kept telling me to make sure I had fun and enjoyed myself but I don't think people realized THIS is how I enjoy myself the most at weddings. I simply wanted Paula & Phil to have some great photos and an amazingly fun and enjoyable wedding. I think both things were achieved. I got to watch them exchange their vows up close while also watching my daughter(and the other flower girls)in the front row chomping on "ring pops". LOL. Hey, it kept them quiet! I got to see all of our family that came from far and wide and I got to be a part of ALL of the days events..something most people don't get to do. Hey, enough about me.

Clearly I don't need to go into much detail about how I know Paula & Phil. This all started about a year ago when my brother told me he was going to propose but wasn't sure how to go about it. Me being the older brother(and the crazy photographer that I am) somehow came up with a way to be part of it and photograph it happening(which you can see HERE!) They were engaged on a Saturday, Christmas was on Sunday and on Monday no joke they had booked the Grand Island Mansion for their wedding. Paula was not messing around! Months of planning and here we are. They were married on November 9th, 2012 and I could not be happier for them.

So below are some favorites from their big day. Again a special thank you to Tiffany for helping make this day so special for them. Congratulations Paula & Phil! Enjoy~

-B





















They wrote notes to each other which they wanted to exchange and read in each others presence however they did not want to see each other until their "first look"..
















And on to their "first look" moment. They opted to take this private moment to see each other for the first time so we would have an opportunity to take some photos outside before the sun went down...






































































Longest! Arms! Ever! No way Phil is gonna win this one..




And Joe gets the PARTY started!










As Hulk Hogan would say: BROTHERS!!










my/our parents!










I have no idea what is going on here..













Fin!

Congratulations Paula & Phil!!

B