Wedding at Shelldance Orchid Gardens

Ever dream of getting married in the company of lush and vibrant plants? Kate and Michael lived the dream at their gorgeous wedding at Shelldance Orchid Gardens. Shelldance is a magical place tucked away just south of San Francisco on Highway 1 in Pacifica and while it may be a bit off the beaten path it is well worth the trek.

Kate and Michael were a super fun, vibrant couple with a vibe that matched the colorful display of plants on view in the assortment of greenhouses on the Shelldance property. The couple exchanged vows beneath of canopy of hanging plants and delicate paper lanterns, a site that was later filled with round tables for the intimate reception. There were so many wonderful small details that are woven into the décor of this venue, including the sparkling lights woven in to the arch behind the couple as they said their “I dos. Shelldance has the versatility for all season and we love how this October wedding was decorated with touches of rich autumn colors, including centerpieces that incorporated flowers but leaves, plants and also a pear or two! We also appreciate the commitment to the plant theme throughout the event as even the wedding cake featured an assortment of succulents.

These two also brought us a very different idea for a reception by moving the whole kit and caboodle over to the local bowling alley that "rolled" the party into the evening. It was great to be able to shoot photos of the couple and their friends in a more relaxed atmosphere. We loved to see how people really come alive while bowling! This a group of people that really has fun together and this really shows in the images that were captured.

Though this was our first experience at Shelldance and it quickly made it one our list of favorite wedding venuesom/blog/bay-area-outdoor-wedding-venues.

Shelldance Orchid Gardens in Pacifica, CA
Bride walking down aisle with father at Shelldance Orchid Gardens wedding
Wedding at Shelldance Orchid Gardens
Bride and Groom during wedding ceremony at Shelldance Orchid Garden
Wedding in orchid greenhouse
Bride and Groom inside greenhouse in Pacifica, CA
Portraits of Bride and Groom at Shelldance Orchid Gardens
Cocktail hour at Shelldance Orchid Gardens
Large group portrait of wedding guests in front of colorful building
Sunset portraits of bride and groom in Pacifica, CA
Sunset wedding portraits at shelldance orchid gardens
Wedding cake and orchids
Detail of table flower arraignment
Wedding table arraignment
Wedding reception inside greenhouse
Father of bride giving toast in greenhouse
Bride bowling in Pacifica, CA
Groom celebrating during bowling in Pacifica, CA
Wedding guest bowling in Pacifica, CA

Reception at Hamel Family Wines

While we often spend most of our time shooting weddings and portraits, we love having the opportunity to bring our candid approach to photography to other types of events. We recently worked with Sam and Daisy at Hamel Family Wines in Sonoma County. They had already had a wedding celebration on their own but they wanted an intimate gathering where friends and family could enjoy each others company over good food and wine. Some friends of the family were able to host the event at their new vineyard and it was lovely. We really enjoyed using the architecture of the space and all of the natural light to create some fun and candid images for the couple to look back on. Chris and Christian

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Wedding at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa

Lisa and Eric's wedding at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa had two of our most favorite ingredients: lots of  love, and an amazing venue that lent itself to do what we do best, natural light photography. This venue had everything from a babbling brook, cute bridges, towering redwoods, as well as a small vineyard where we were able to capture some great first look images. 

We have also heard that Griffith Woods does a limited number of weddings a year-allowing couples to have the whole weekend for setup and cleanup at this simple sweet venue. We know how stressful time constraints can be for weddings so having a little bit of wiggle room allows for a more relaxed atmosphere.  We feel pretty lucky to have booked a wedding at this venue as it feels like a secluded hidden gem-like a secret spot that we feel (somewhat) guilty sharing with the world. 

It was clear to us from the beginning that Lisa and Eric shared a very genuine love for one another and were just good people to be around. All of their friends and family were so happy to be there on their beautiful day and we had a great time celebrating with them. Even the flowers on the table accentuated the jubilant atmosphere of the wedding as each table setting was filled with bright and shiny yellow flowers. Guests enjoyed toasting to the couple and eating dinner in a beautiful clearing adorned with string lights and paper lanterns.  The serene backdrop of Griffith Woods doesn’t need much to feel magical but we loved the extra touch of lighting for some evenings shots. 

When all of these things come together it makes us so grateful we have the chance to capture great images for folks that will last them a lifetime.

First look at home in Sebastopol
Couple standing in front of home on their wedding day in Sebastopol
Bride and mother in law riding in golf cart on wedding day
Reception space at Griffith woods
Wedding table arrangement with widlflowers
Wedding guests waiting for ceremony
Bride walking down aisle with father and mother
Wedding ceremony at Griffith Woods
Ceremony at Griffth Woods
Ringbearer at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa
Bride and Groom exchanging rings attached to carabiners
Wedding at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa
Bride and Groom kiss at wedding ceremony in Griffith Woods
Wedding guests during reception at Griffith Woods
Nature detail at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa
Candid of wedding guests in Santa Rosa
Guests during cocktail hour
Mother and father of bride during toasts at Griffith Woods wedding
Father of groom giving toast
Brother of bride giving wedding toast at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa
Sisters of bride giving toasts at wedding reception in Santa Rosa
Bride and Groom rasing their champagne glasses at Griffith Woods
First dance at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa
Kids dancing at wedding in Santa Rosa
Detail of brides bouquet
Wedding guests dancing among redwoods at Griffth Woods
Bride dancing with brother
Portrait of bride and groom at Griffith Woods
Bride and groom walking in vineyard at sunset in Santa Rosa
Bride and Groom in front of rustic barn at Griffith Woods in Santa Rosa

Wedding at the Camron-Stanford House

This one was as close to home as they come! Marko and Nicole had their wedding at the Camron-Stanford House in downtown Oakland over looking Lake Merritt. The couple was a referral from a friend of Chris' and it turns out Christian’s kids and Nicole's kids go to the same school!

The Camron-Stanford House, in our opinion, is one of the best outdoor wedding venues in Oakland. It’s a beautiful 19th century mansion situated on the shores of Lake Merritt with lakeside views to boot. Wedding ceremonies take place outside on the lawn overlooking the lake and come reception time guests enjoy the romantic lights and the sunset glow of the Oakland hills. The best part, we think, is that weddings at this historic gem help preserve the mansion for years to come. What better way to truly appreciate our awesome town and celebrate a piece of history.

Marko and Nicole’s wedding was a beautiful day with friends and family, good food, and lots of dancing. We really loved being part of their special day and we wish this great Oakland couple all the best.

Bride and Groom on the porch of the Camron-Stanford house in Oakland

Bride and Groom on the porch of the Camron-Stanford house in Oakland

Wedding bouquet on grass near Lake Merritt

Wedding bouquet on grass near Lake Merritt

Bride and Groom at Lake Merritt in Oakland

Bride and Groom at Lake Merritt in Oakland

Detail of Groom's blue suit with pink tie

Detail of Groom's blue suit with pink tie

Bride coming down aisle at Lake Merritt wedding

Bride coming down aisle at Lake Merritt wedding

Camron-Stanford house in Oakland

Camron-Stanford house in Oakland

Wedding at the Camron-Stanford House in Oakland

Wedding at the Camron-Stanford House in Oakland

Camron-Stanford House wedding

Camron-Stanford House wedding

Wedding at Lake Merritt

Wedding at Lake Merritt

Bride and Groom walk down the aisle after ceremony at Camron-Stanford House

Bride and Groom walk down the aisle after ceremony at Camron-Stanford House

Detail of wedding rings on stone

Detail of wedding rings on stone

Wedding toast at Lake Merritt

Wedding toast at Lake Merritt

Wedding guests listen to toast at the Camron-Stanford House

Wedding guests listen to toast at the Camron-Stanford House

Guest giving speech at Lake Merritt wedding

Guest giving speech at Lake Merritt wedding

Wedding guests during reception at Camron-Stanford Wedding

Wedding guests during reception at Camron-Stanford Wedding

First dance at Camron-Stanford House in Oakland

First dance at Camron-Stanford House in Oakland

Dancing shoes at Lake Merritt wedding in Oakland

Dancing shoes at Lake Merritt wedding in Oakland

Detail of DJ and dancing at Camron-Stanford wedding

Detail of DJ and dancing at Camron-Stanford wedding

Camron-Stanford house in Oakland

Camron-Stanford house in Oakland

Bride and Groom walking along Lake Merritt in Oakland

Bride and Groom walking along Lake Merritt in Oakland

Beautiful Indoor Wedding with Natural Light

Earlier this Summer we had the pleasure of photographing Paul and Sepi's San Francisco city hall wedding. Over the last few months we've spent a lot of time documenting ceremonies there and have loved exploring the historic building and finding new vantage points. It seems that every time we visit we find a new spot or some new light that inspires us. Chris and Christian

Intimate wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall

Intimate wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco City Hall Wedding

San Francisco City Hall Wedding

Black and white candid of couple at San Francisco City Hall

Black and white candid of couple at San Francisco City Hall

Black and white of Bride and Groom on balcony at San Francisco City Hall

Black and white of Bride and Groom on balcony at San Francisco City Hall

Bride and Groom just married on the steps at San Francisco City Hall

Bride and Groom just married on the steps at San Francisco City Hall