Bells and streamers in hand, Merritt + Brian's wedding guests cheered the newlyweds on after their ceremony at the Community Church of Mill Valley. A Balkan/Klezmer band took up the beat with tuba, clarinet, drum, and accordion, and led the procession through the middle of the no-longer-sleepy downtown, lit up by the sight and sound of the merry parade, to their reception at the Outdoor Art Club.

Not wanting to miss the fun of cocktail hour, the bride started it off with some bonding with her younger brother, sharing a round of shots and finishing with a tart lime wedge. Entering the historic Outdoor Art Club (designed by Bernard Maybeck) one of the first details guests noticed were the table centerpieces hand illustrated by the groom - framed depictions of local birds with a fun fact too! Brian will make birders of us all yet!

The couple got the evening rolling with a first dance both sweet and sexy (Brian whipped his jacket off to more howls than Channing Tatum might get before a throng of teens). After a delicious dinner and toasts equally heartwarming and wine-out-the-nose hilarious, guests charged the stage to shake what they got, with a degree of gusto rarely observed at the many weddings we've photographed over the years. Knees rose so high, feet scarcely touched the ground, so jubilant was the dancing.

A perfect celebration and send-off for these two lovebirds -- a type of bird we don't need Brian's expertise to spot!