I am so excited to share Tracy & Aaron’s wedding feature on I Do Venues! Check out the feature here, or their full blogpost!

Thank you to all the amazing vendors who helped put this beautiful wedding together!

Getting Ready Location: Ritz Carlton, San Francisco
Ceremony Location: St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco
Reception Location: St. Francis Yacht Club
Videographer: Phillip Velasco

This session may have to go down as one of my all time faves!  Besides the fact that I love, love, love shooting in Napa (where I’m based), I also just loved hanging out with Katherine & Ben!!!  They are super interesting, and sweet and kind and just plain easy to hang out with!  And yet another reason that the referral chain is the happiest source of wonderful new clients.  These two were at Natalie & Ethan’s wedding a few years back, in fact Ben was their officiant.  Now Ben & Katherine will be tying the knot this November in San Francisco, and I’m so excited to be there to capture it!

For their engagement session, we found some quintessential Napa spots with olive trees, grape vines, a big red barn & a few oak tree-lined lanes.  Below are just a few favorites, or view their slideshow here.

{PS} As I write this, we’re still having some technical issues with the transition to the new site/blog, so if you see images after this post that are missing, just know we’re working on it!  Thanks for your patience!

Katherine & Ben, thank you so much for inviting me to capture your sweet love!

For more information about wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the San Francisco Bay Area, album design or other fun photography tips, feel free to reach out by email: lori@loriphoto.com or via the contact link on my website.

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So fun to see Marissa & Joe’s beautiful wedding published on 7×7!  Check out the feature here, or their full blogpost!

Big thanks to the wonderful vendors who helped to create this wonderful event!

Reception Venue:  Oceano Hotel and Spa

Event Planners:  Bellissima Vita Weddings, Simply Stunning Weddings and Events

Floral Designer:  Bloomsters

Cinema and Video:  Permagrin Films

Band:  The Groove Kings

Transportation:  Mr. Toad’s Tours

Newborn photography is always awe inspiring.  It’s amazing to me, to meet this new little person, working so hard to understand the world and grow and develop.  Newborns are so strong, yet they are so dependent on their parents to guide them and keep them safe, especially in these first few months.  I can’t get enough of their connection to their parents, and their many, many expressions.  And their tiny fingers & toes.  Such sweetness!  Meeting Jude was all the sweeter, as he is the newest member of my own extended family!  How awesome is it to gain a sister this year, and then become connected to her family?  Jude is my sister-in-law Elisha’s nephew, and I loved getting to know this little person and his loving family!

A little side not on my approach to newborn sessions… I love a cute newborn pose as much as the next person, but I rarely ever pose newborns.  To capture those super-studio style newborn shots with the baby perfectly curled up, with it’s head resting in it’s hands, or bundled up in a basket, means the newborn really has to be in a deep sleep, and even when they are, the process of getting a newborn into a “pose” can be very taxing on the little ones, not to mention their parents.  Instead, I really focus the flow of my sessions on the comfort of my tiny new friends, and I find it produces lovely images of their expressions and details, and authentic moments of interaction with their family.  I find that if everyone is comfortable & relaxed during the session, beautiful moments naturally present themselves.

Here is one of my favorite non-posed shots from the session, that I couldn’t have planned if I tried!

Here are a few more favorites from the session, or view Jude’s slideshow here.Hilary & Matt, thank you so much for letting me capture this sweet & wonderous time in your family.  I so enjoyed spending time with you all and getting to know you better!!!

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For more information about wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the San Francisco Bay Area, album design or other fun photography tips, feel free to reach out by email: lori@loriphoto.com or via the contact link on my website.

For the most up-to-date news and special offers, sign-up for the LPP newsletter.

Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.

I love the story of Marissa & Joe’s first date!  They were set up by friends to go to a dance together in high school, so their first date was actually a blind date, to a Valentine’s Day Dance!  So cute!!!  You have to check out Marissa’s blogpost all about it, along with a most awesome photo from the dance here!  Years later, they reconnected & fell in love again.   So sweet!  With a love of the beach & 80′s dance music, and amazing weather on their side, they planned an event that reflected their Southern California style & rockstar moves!  Here are just a few favorite photos from their epic wedding in Half Moon Bay at the Oceano Hotel & Spa.  Or you can view their slideshow for more images from the day

Marissa & Jesse, thank you so much for inviting me to capture your beautiful wedding day!

A big thank you to the wonderful vendors who helped to create this wonderful event!

Reception Venue:  Oceano Hotel and Spa

Event Planners:  Bellissima Vita Weddings, Simply Stunning Weddings and Events

Floral Designer:  Bloomsters

Cinema and Video:  Permagrin Films

Band:  The Groove Kings

Transportation:  Mr. Toad’s Tours

For more information about wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the San Francisco Bay Area, album design or other fun photography tips, feel free to reach out by email: lori@loriphoto.com or via the contact link on my website.

For the most up-to-date news and special offers, sign-up for the LPP newsletter.

Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.

I’m catching up blogging some favorite weddings from last fall, and Bethany & Kevin’s had me grinning from ear to ear & jonesing for a  ’59 Chevrolet Parkwood!!!  Especially a teal blue one, pretty please?!!   I knew I would have fun photographing Bethany & Kevin the moment I met them, but after their enchanted engagement session in Ross, when Bethany brought along a vintage bird cage and quilts from her grandmother, I was smitten!   These two are so full of love & tenderness, and very fun to photograph!  And I love how they used vintage items at their wedding that were tied to family and steeped in meaningfulness.  I loved the vintage watch that Bethany wore of her grandmother’s and the birdcages her bridal party crafted at her shower.  So many sweet details, and such a beautiful & sweet day!

Here are a few favorites from the day, or view their slideshow for more!

Bethany & Kevin, thank you so much for inviting me to capture your beautiful wedding & engagement too!

A big thanks to all the vendors at Bethany & Kevin’s wedding!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Cline Cellars

Event Planner: Little Blue Box Weddings

Caterer: Park Avenue Catering

DJ: Denon & Doyle Entertainment

Floral Design: Kate’s Blossoms

Make-up & Hair Stylist: Brides By Amy

Cake: flourChylde bakery

Bride’s Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti

Wedding Dress: Priscilla of Boston

Groom’s Attire: Men’s Wearhouse

Rings: Simone and Son

For more information about wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the San Francisco Bay Area, album design or other fun photography tips, feel free to reach out by email: lori@loriphoto.com or via the contact link on my website.  For the most up-to-date news and special offers, sign-up for the LPP newsletter.  Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.

As Stanford Alums of the Undergraduate, Law School & PhD programs, it was a clear choice for Marisa & Joe to celebrate their wedding at the beautiful Stanford Memorial Church.  They

A special thanks to all of Marisa & Joe’s wedding vendors!

Ceremony Venue: Stanford Memorial Church

Reception Venue: Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club

Event Planner: Affrunti Events

Floral Design: Three Sisters Flowers & Events

DJ: All Star Jukebox

Cinematography: Thomas Hughes Films

Make-up & Hair: La Belle Day Spa

Invitations: Papyrus

After 5 days of almost non-stop rain this week, I can’t help but think how lucky my winter couples were this year with the weather!!!  Stephanie and Steve were no exception!  They planned their February wedding in at the Oceano Hotel in Half Moon Bay and had beautiful, clear skies, and we even got to take them for some beach shots after the ceremony!  I loved so many things about their wedding day: the soft lavender & blues in the bridesmaids dresses and throughout their beautiful florals, the gorgeous natural light that filled their ceremony location (in the beautiful atrium of the hotel), the serenading that the congregation did to bless their ceremony, the charity wishing fountain, the sweet love these two have for one another, and to make it all sweeter, they had a custom chocolate bar, where guests could create their own candy bar out of a huge array of ingredients (dark chocolate with toffee, sea salt & coconut ruled in case you were wondering!!!).

Here are a few favorites from the day, or view their slideshow here!

Stephanie & Steve, thank you so much for inviting me to your beautiful wedding day!

Big thanks to the vendors who helped make Stephanie & Steve’s wedding so special!

Ceremony & Reception Venue:  Oceano Hotel & the wonderful Nancy Nernhan
Floral Design: Alena Jean Designs
Cake: Cakes by Maggie
Cinematography: 1080 Visual
Ceremony Musician: Corelli Strings
DJ: DJ Saint Patrick
Make-up & Hair: The Traveling Stylist

Special thanks to Julie & Kirsty for helping to capture the day!

For more information about wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the San Francisco Bay Area, album design or other fun photography tips, feel free to reach out by email: lori@loriphoto.com or via the contact link on my website.

For the most up-to-date news and special offers, sign-up for the LPP newsletter.

Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.

I was thrilled to see Gabrielle & Anthony’s beautiful wedding at Vintners Inn featured this week on 7×7! Love this couple & this gorgeous venue!

A big thanks to all the wonderful vendors who brought this beautiful day together:
Venue: Vintners Inn
Wedding Planner: Nichole Kohake, Swank Events & Weddings
Florist: Kathy Sabbagh
Videographer: Thomas Hughes Video Production
Officiant: Reverend Blane
Rentals: Wine Country Party & Events
Hair: Article Salon, Tara Floor
Music: The Fundamentals

For more information about wedding or lifestyle portrait photography in the San Francisco Bay Area, album design or other fun photography tips, feel free to reach out by email: lori@loriphoto.com or via the contact link on my website.

For the most up-to-date news and special offers, sign-up for the LPP newsletter.

Or follow me on Twitter, or Facebook.