Lauren + Steve: San Francisco Wedding Photography at the Westin St. Francis, Pt. 1

Bowerbird Photography September 30, 2015

Last week we posted a sneak peek from Lauren + Steve's elegant wedding at the Westin St. Francis near Union Square in San Francisco. Lauren's mom, Rosa, wrote the cutest comment under the photo: "Love the pic... what a beautiful couple... Ken & Barbie... lol." Their wedding was totally out of a fairytale and a perfect romance - not to mention these two have the perfect bods - so the comparison to Ken & Barbie really does fit.

The wedding day dazzled with the most beautiful details, from Lauren's stunning wedding dress to custom flasks for the boys. After sharing a bottle of bubbly with her mom and bridal party, Lauren put on her dress and then went to meet her hubby-to-be for their first look. We spent some time in Union Square taking portraits of this dreamboat duo, where security tried to kick us out, convinced that we were doing a fashion shoot because these two looked so smoking. Luckily we were able to convince them that, YES, Lauren + Steve were about to get married, for reals! They just happen to look like super models :)

Their wedding ceremony was on the top floor of the Westin St. Francis in Victor's Palace, with sweeping views of San Francisco. Many laughs and a few tears made for a heartfelt wedding ceremony.

Up next will be photos of their reception and an oh-so-fabulous surprise salsa dance from the bride and groom that was seriously HAWT!

Congratulations Lauren + Steve on your beautiful wedding!

San Francisco Wedding Photography at the Westin St. Francis. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Venue and Catering: Westin St. Francis

Wedding Photography: Bowerbird Photography

Wedding Coordinator: Lauren Schardt

Flowers: Violetta Flowers

Cake: The Cakemaker

Makeup: Beauty by Melanie

Hair: Jade

Wedding Dress: Stella York

Suit: Vera Wang

DJ: Gatsby Entertainment

Brides Shoes: Oscar de la Renta

Wedding Rings: Derco Diamonds

Baby Kit: San Francisco Newborn Photography Session

Bowerbird Photography September 28, 2015

Sweet baby Kit! Welcome to the world!

We were so excited to finally meet this perfect bundle last week, just before she celebrated her third week earth-side. Mama Leenie + Papa Jed could not be more captivated by their darling baby girl. Congratulations beautiful family!

San Francisco Newborn Photography Session. © Bowerbird Photography 2015 — San Francisco Newborn Photography Session. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

Merritt + Brian: Outdoor Art Club Wedding in Mill Valley, Pt. 2

Bowerbird Photography September 23, 2015

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!

Outdoor Art Club Wedding in Mill Valley. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Photography: Bowerbird Photography

Wedding Ceremony: The Community Church of Mill Valley

Wedding Reception: Outdoor Art Club

Wedding Planner: Alex Barranco

Flowers: Venn Floral

Cake: Knead to Make

DJ: Dave Tutton

Catering: All Seasons Catering

Merritt + Brian: Outdoor Art Club Wedding in Mill Valley, Pt. 1

Bowerbird Photography September 21, 2015

Sitting down to prepare this blog post makes us feel a little nervous. Not the photo part - feeling pretty good about that (this heartthrob couple makes our cameras click spontaneously when they enter the frame). The written part gives us pause. Merritt is a published author, has countless bylines in big magazines, and is a wit bot of infinite bon mots. Moreover, Brian is like a genius in everything - history, birds, preservation law, crabbing - thereby rendering Google obsolete when we can just text him a picture of a nondescript brown bird and he writes back excitedly with the name and some fun facts. Sooooo, a little intimidating to write when the readers are writers and such... but, since we dare not bug them on their honeymoon to do our jobs for us, (1000 words, please?), onward we go!

Okay. Maybe after a bit of a break to cry our eyes out first. This isn't easy. We're reviewing the photos of the "first look" on their wedding day in the garden at the Outdoor Art Club and it makes a confetti canon out of the box of tissues that was on our desk. Awwwww... guys!!!! Now, that's love!!! Merritt strolled down the garden in her gorgeous white dress, and Brian waited under a tree after having just read Merritt's letter to him. Their expressions when they saw each other for the first time that day were indescribable. They lit up with pure joy. There were tears, twirls (Brian checks out Merritt's... dress!), and belly laughs that utterly erased any nervousness they felt before that moment. Merritt found her hanky, and after daubing her eyes, helped Brian dry his. Sooooo sweet!

It was a perfect summer day, the world was saying to them, "you can have it all!" Bystanders shouted well-wishes as they strolled down Mill Valley, and just when we started to think that it might be a good idea to put on some sunscreen, we plunged into the cool shade of a redwood grove, redolent of dewy ferns and moss, at Old Mill Park. After family photos, these two traipsed away further into the woods and had some quiet moments together before their ceremony under the hush of the giant trees.

Their wedding ceremony was held at the Community Church of Mill Valley. A loving, spirit-filled ceremony, it celebrated these two and their commitment to each other with unadorned beauty. Merritt + Brian make friends wherever they go, and are adored for their kindness and generosity of spirit, evidenced by the rows of guests with beaming faces. We couldn't wait to contribute our voices of support, and family and friends sang along with the folk musicians to the Shaker song, "Simple Gifts." Tears flowed out again (and made our viewfinders misty there for a minute too). With bands exchanged and a hearty kiss, these two lovebirds left the church with huge grins and were ready to party (but first Brian had to grab his giant bell... see next post).

Merritt + Brian, it has been such an honor to watch you two flourish with such joy together these last few years. We love you both so much and are CRAZY happy for you both!

Can we just send you your photos already... because we are running out of tissues over here! Check back on the blog soon for more photos. There was a parade, dancing, goofiness, and all the good times that could be contained under one crocodile gabled roof!

Old Mill Park Wedding Photo in Mill Valley. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

Wedding Cutout Flags. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

Community Church of Mill Valley Wedding. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam

Wedding Vendors

Wedding Photography: Bowerbird Photography

Wedding Ceremony: The Community Church of Mill Valley

Wedding Reception: Outdoor Art Club

Wedding Planner: Alex Barranco

Flowers: Venn Floral

Cake: Knead to Make

DJ: Dave Tutton

Catering: All Seasons Catering

Family + Newborn Photo Session at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Redwood Grove

Bowerbird Photography September 13, 2015

Baby Abby has arrived!!! It took every ounce of restraint not to want to nibble on her little toes and hold her tight. Sooo precious!!! Check out her little feet below --- know what we mean? But we also had to chase after her big sis' with our cameras - now a preschooler so full of exuberant energy she literally ran around us in circles.

It's pretty incredible to document families as they grow. We feel so honored to be able to photograph the growing Schrader family, starting with maternity photos at the beach, (that bump yielded darling Cate), and now, with newborn baby Abby. We found the perfect location for the photo session as well. While the Bay crackled under 100+ degrees of heat, we followed Grant's wise request and ducked into the cool shade of the redwood grove at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. The comfortable temperature allowed Abby to sleep through most of the session, while Cate ran through the majestic trees collecting redwood sorrel and enjoyed the company of her new best friend.

We had the best time photographing this fab four and all their love and excitement under the canopy of California's ancient trees. Congratulations beautiful family!!

Family + Newborn Photo Session at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Redwood Grove. © Bowerbird Photography 2015

xoxo,

Ariel + Sam