Mill Valley Community Center Wedding: Eileen + Jed, Part 2

       A few weeks ago, we posted part one of Eileen + Jed's wedding ceremony, at the Lark Theater. We wanted to show you a few more images from their beautiful and fun-filled wedding reception at the Mill Valley Community Center. It was the most perfect summer day and the cocktail hour was held outdoors on the patio. Afterwards, guests went into the sun-filled reception hall, for toasts, dinner and dancing. Eileen + Jed wanted an epic party to celebrate their marriage, and that's exactly what they got: an absolutely fabulous party, filled with all their friends and family!

The afternoon started with cocktails on the patio. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding.

Yummy bites. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The bridal party having fun in the sun. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

Wedding guests. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The inside of the Milly Valley Community Center. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The beautiful table settings. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

Wedding escort cards. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

Bunches of local lavender. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The wonderful flower centerpieces. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The bride and groom listening to toasts. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

Their first dance :) © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

A dip + kiss! © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

And then the dance party started! © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

This crowd knew how to have a great time! © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

More dancing! © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The bride and groom take a break to cut the wedding cake. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

And then back to more dancing! © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

The bride and groom taking over the dance floor. © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

And a kiss at the end of the most wonderful day! © Bowerbird Photography 2013; Mill Valley Community Center Wedding, Mill Valley.

       A big congrats to Eileen + Jed! We are so happy for you both!

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

Larkspur Theater Wedding: Eileen + Jed

       Now deep in winter, it's the perfect time to remember the sunny autumn we had in Northern California. The season was full of weddings, since so many brides know that the weather is always a dream, making their wedding look like they come out of the movies. Speaking of the cinema, we wanted to share photographs from one of the recent weddings we documented this September at the Lark Theater, in Larkspur. It was wonderfully creative and fabulous, with true moments of Hollywood glamour. Guests were given Playbill programs inspired by the movie, Vertigo, and took their seats in the darkened theater to watch a surprise wedding trailer, starring the heartthrobs, Eileen + Jed. Jed played the country bumpkin from Marin and Eileen wowed the audience as a sophisticated city slicker from San Francisco. They stared across the Golden Gate Bridge pining for each other.  As all good movies have a happy ending, so does this romance, and when the trailer ended, and the lights went up, we all watched the gorgeous bride walk down the theater aisle and into the arms of her groom. 

Beautiful polka dot green wedding shoes. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The bride, Eileen, getting her makeup done. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The gents got custom bow ties from the groom. Now they just have to figure out how to tie them. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

An impeccably groomed groom. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The bride arrives at the theater with her entourage of ladies in teal. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The groom and his gents walk to the theater. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

A playbill wedding program. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The guests arrive at the Lark Theater, where the ceremony was held. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The ceremony starts in the Lark Theater, with a surprise movie trailer. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

The wedding party lined the Lark Theater stage for the main feature, the wedding ceremony. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

They are married! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

This wedding party is ready to party! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

Sealed with a kiss. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Larkspur, Marin.

       We will post a second set of images soon, with photos from the reception and their super fun dance party!

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

Dublin Wedding: Roselle + Andrew

      It only took a few days after Roselle and Andrew first met for them to realize they were going to spend the rest of their lives together.  However long you have to wait, your perfect soul mate is out there, and when you find him or her, it just feels right.  And so begins the "Happily Ever After" fairy tale.  Getting to know Roselle and Andrew, and hearing about the paths they took before they found each other, makes you believe in this kind of beautiful destiny.

       An excerpt of dialogue from their storybook romance went something like this:

       "Yeah, I'm all that and a bag of chips."  Andrew joked.

       "No you're not, you're wholesome like a bag of apples."  Roselle countered, and thereon nicknamed him "Fuji Apple."  

       Andrew is from Louisiana, and courteous with good southern manners, politely asked if she was sensitive about her height, and when she said "no," he made a request.

       "In that case, can I call you "My little one?"  

       Roselle sarcastically retorted, "Am I yours?"  

       Andrew simply said, "I hope so."

      Last weekend, Andrew and Roselle were married in a beautiful church ceremony in Dublin.  Their love is the type that's meant to be: kind, courageous, and joyful.  We feel privileged to have gotten to know Andrew and Roselle and document their special day.  One can't help but feel inspired by their love.

Roselle gets prepared for her wedding day, transforming like a butterfly into a gorgeous bride.  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Andrew makes sure every detail for his bride is perfect. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

The wedding rings. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Roselle's mom ties the lace back of her beautiful wedding dress. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Andrew wears a special mother of pearl tie clasp in honor of his grandmother. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

The bride stops for a moment of prayer before the wedding ceremony. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

During the exchange of the rings, Andrew gets choked up in this heartfelt ceremony.© Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Lighting the unity candle. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

The bride and groom share a moment together and smile with joy.  They're married! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

The beautiful bride. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Roselle -- you are stunning! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Love it! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

First dance with bubbles -- such a sweet idea. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

The bouquet toss. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

Totally dreamy. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography in Dublin, CA.

       Congratulations Roselle and Andrew!  May you live happily ever after.

xoxo,

Sam + Ariel

All The Pretty Details: Amanda + Mike's Wedding

       When Sam was in high school, Disneyland invited his band (he played piano and clarinet) and choir (he sang baritone) to play in the Magic Kingdom.  Being the curious kids they were, what interested them most were not the rides, but what this fantasy land looked like on the other side of the wall.  It was peopled with extraordinary individuals: Sam was coached by singers featured in the Disney movies, and got to swap stories with a hard-working actor carrying Mickey's head under his arm.  

       We don't have any backstage pass to Disney to give away, but we can take you on a little behind the scenes tour of Amanda and Mike's recent wedding.  They put on an incredible celebration in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains, and assembled a talented team of professionals that helped make the magic happen.  We want to give a shout-out to the vendors, and applaud them for the work they did.

       Libby Werba (Events by Libby) was the wedding planner, and we loved how organized and relaxed she was.  She skillfully managed the timeline when plans changed, and made sure everybody at the wedding enjoyed themselves.  

       We were so excited to work with Audrey from Honey Pear Designs again.  Audrey has an impeccable eye for style, and makes gorgeous flower arrangements - a real treat to photograph!  We also appreciate that she always tries to source sustainably-grown flowers.  

       Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards was a beautiful location for the wedding.  It's a nice retreat in the mountains, without being too far a trek from San Francisco.  The view is stellar: green vineyards fill the foreground, with a view of the Bay stretching out into the horizon and the mountain ridge line providing a scenic vignette.  Unfortunately, we couldn't taste the wine because we were working, but heard from the guests that it was great.

       The hair and makeup was provided by Elizabeth Chang, Elizabeth Chang, Skyla Arts.  To attest to her skill, one only need to see photos of the bride and her bridesmaids: they looked absolutely stunning.

       The music was provided by Raffi, Raffi Nalvarian, Sound in Motion.  We've encountered many DJs and MCs, and he is clearly one of the best.  A veteran radio personality and DJ in the Bay Area, he has turned his enthusiasm to weddings, and knows how to get a party started, and rocking all night long.

       We've eaten our way through Paris, and through the countryside of Southern France.  But who needs to make the trip across the Atlantic, when here, in the Bay Area, Le Papillon provides the type of 5 star French cuisine that would otherwise justify the expense of an intercontinental plane ticket.  Yeah... it was good.

      Sweet Tooth Confections created the sweet spread, heaping with a variety of decadent confections and desserts.  The perfect portion sizes, from mini-cupcakes to flutes of mousse, justified repeated trips back for more.       

       More photos from the wedding featured in our earlier blog entry can be found here.

Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Pomander, or kissing balls, add to the elegance of the wedding ceremony.  Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

The Fogarty Winery makes a wonderful wedding venue, with sweeping views of the Bay. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

To start, smoked sturgeon salad with almonds, apples, and endives, and topped with crème fraîche.  Yum!  Catering by Le Papillon.  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Sweet Tooth Confections with their irresistible table of treats.  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Look at all the layers of that chocolate mousse!  Does Sweet Tooth Confections do home deliveries?  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Raffi Nalvarian with Sound in Motion, brought the party together to watch the romantic first dance.  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

The bride gets a dance with her dad.  Raffi Nalvarian puts on the music.  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Raffi Nalvarian with Sound in Motion, kept the dance floor hot all night long.  © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

You know it's a good party when things get a little wild :)  Let loose, we've got it all handled! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

       Amanda and Mike know how to throw an epic celebration, and all of us are so happy to have been able to contribute our talents to their special day.

xoxo,

Sam + Ariel

Fogarty Vineyards Wedding: Amanda + Mike

       Sometimes love is next door, and sometimes love is found over 7,000 miles away.  Little did Mike know that after stepping off the plane in Taiwan from America, he would go to a friend's birthday party the following night, and meet the love of his life, Amanda.  The story of love is so simple and beautiful: two people meet, and know they want to spend the rest of their lives together.

       Mike and Amanda tied the knot last Friday, surrounded by friends and family who traveled from Asia and all across America to celebrate the occasion.  The venue could not have been more perfect.  After a ramble through the forested hills of the Santa Cruz mountains, the guests arrived in private shuttles and a limo at Fogarty Vineyards, stepping out to a stunning panoramic view of the Bay and San Francisco twinkling in the horizon.

       Each element of the wedding was so beautiful, amounting to a truly breathtaking day.   We're excited to share photos telling the entire story of the wedding sometime soon, but as for now, we can't wait, and have to share some of our favorite moments - there were so many!  Here's a little sneak peek for your enjoyment.

Amanda's stunning wedding dress. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.
 

Amanda's gorgeous Badgley Mischka wedding shoes. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

The beautiful bride prepares for her big day! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

The handsome gents. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

The lovely ladies. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Amanda with her beautiful flowers by Honey Pear Floral Design . © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Wedding bling! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Amanda and Mike tie the knot! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

And they are married :) © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Such a perfect couple. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

The bride feeding her groom some juicy grapes fresh from the vine. Tooo cute! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

Happy love birds! © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

A sweet kiss of wedded bliss. © Bowerbird Photography 2012; Wedding Photography at Fogarty Vineyards, Woodside.

       Thank you Amanda + Mike for letting us take photos of your special day!  You are so perfect for each other and we're so happy that you found each other!  Congratulations!!!

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

p.s. More photos to come featuring the friends and family of the bride and groom as well as all the fabulous vendors.

Photography by: Bowerbird Photography

Venue: Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards

Wedding Planner: Events by Libby

Flowers: Honey Pear Designs

Hair/Makeup: Elizabeth Chang, Skyla Arts

DJ and Music: Raffi Nazarian, Sound in Motion

Caterer: Le Papillon

Dessert: Sweet Tooth Confections