Every once in a while, I get the honor of capturing such special moments for friends. A + C were such friends - I had known A from our years of working at SJSU, where we spent many afternoons taking walks on campus, collaborating on projects, and even running career panels together for the arts and humanities. We weathered through job changes, rescheduling their wedding, and navigating the pandemic. With their original wedding scheduled for May, we knew we had no choice but to postpone. 5 months later, they got married in an intimate ceremony on the coast. It wasn't what they planned, but somehow it was perfect for these two who had grown up and met right where they got married in Half Moon Bay. Check out the rest of their Half Moon Bay wedding below!

One thing that G + P had shared from the very beginning of story was their love for the ocean. They sailed together on many adventures, and it became such an important part of who they were as a couple. When COVID caused them to change their wedding plans, they decided to get married in a place that felt right - in Big Sur, California. Together, we looked through different ideas and venues for where they could get married before finally settling on Loma Vista Gardens, a beautiful garden venue nestled in the woods. Though they couldn't have many of their family and friends attend, you could just feel the emotion and love flowing out from their loved ones over Zoom as they witnessed these two's wedding day, cheered them on, and toasted to them over video. Check out the rest of their Loma Vista Gardens wedding below!

For the past 3 years, I’ve photographed weddings at Slowcoast, a beautiful cabin venue in the redwoods near the Santa Cruz coast almost exactly a year apart. Coincidentally when K + C’s larger celebration had to be changed due to the pandemic, they decided to get married in an intimate setting at no other than Slowcoast on September 14, 2020. But then their plans were changed again - my heart was broken when I heard that Slowcoast was one of the casualties in the CZU Lightning Complex just a few weeks before their wedding. It was a place where so many of my couples had gathered with their family and friends, said their vows under the giant redwoods, sat around bonfires cooking s’mores and sharing stories, and danced under the moonlight and stars. It was a place that held so many memories, stories, and magic.

But that didn’t stop K + C from getting married in 2020. Somehow the world had brought them back to their original vision - getting married where they grew up, having their first look at the fallen tree where they used to hang out, chasing the sunset where they used to sneak out to before it became an official landmark. It was a day of absolute magic and joy, as they reminisced over the places that had held so many memories  and created new ones together as husband + wife.

Though sparks didn't fly immediately between A + E when they first met, slowly A managed to melt her heart through the course of a semester over college and they became best of friends. 4 years later, A reached out for help planning his Big Sur proposal. Having never been to the California coast, I showed him some of my favorite hidden gems and we set a plan to secretly find each other at the trailhead. Though smoke and fires had just hit the area a few weeks before, luckily we ended up with a stunning sunset and incredible crazy waves over the rocks. Check out their sweet and emotional Big Sur proposal below!

From their first date, C made it his mission to show K (who had recently moved) all the wonders of the West Coast. They went on countless foodie and hiking adventures, which eventually led them to their first international trip together in Thailand. When they decided to get married, they knew they wanted to say their vows in a place that inspired just as much awe as the many places they had explored together. So they settled on the Big Sur coast, where they got married in front of just family and spent the day doing what they loved the most. Check out the rest of their Big Sur elopement below!

When T first reached out, we started laughing about how similar our stories were. T + J both grew up in the Bay Area like my husband and I did, started dating just before leaving for college in the same year that we did, and spent our first few years doing long distance. He even went to SJSU and studied business like my husband, coincidentally also where I had studied for graduate school as well. Having run in many of the same social circles, we even realized we shared mutual friends!

H + K met in a whirlwind romance with their shared love of stargazing and kayaking on the ocean waves, so it was only fitting that they chose to elope on the coast of Big Sur. Though the day started off with a near-disaster - somehow K's pants got lost in the packing - he pulled off a last-minute outfit change and couldn't have been more excited to marry his bride. We started off at Glen Oaks Big Sur, where they said their vows by the Big Sur River in a sweet ceremony in the redwoods. They shared a first dance on the beach and ended the night on the coast with all the laughter and smiles of newlyweds. Check out the rest of H + K's Glen Oaks Big Sur elopement!

For T + B, the mountains have always been where they called home. They spent their weekends training for triathlons and backpacking in Yosemite - T even backpacked the John Muir Trail a month before the wedding! What better way to spend their first day as newlyweds than at Mt. Rainier, where they had their first date snowshoeing there. We spent the day after their wedding adventuring up the trail and had the best time battling in an intense snowball fight, watching marmots sploot and nom on all the wildflowers, and watching the sun set over the mountains. Check out the rest of their adventure session below!

When these two contacted me to schedule a maternity and family session, they told me they wanted epic. Not the traditional shots, but something more magical that would capture their family with both grand views and sweet in-between moments. Since they couldn't do their traditional trip to Hawaii to take annual photos, we picked this epic location in San Francisco that was the perfect backdrop for exactly what they wanted. Check out the rest of their San Francisco maternity and family session below!