Written by Candace on July 11, 2013 | 2 Comments

Adam+Jessica: Wedding at Beltane Ranch

Adam and Jessica’s wedding day was hot. I mean hot! A heat wave blew through California and collided with their wedding day leaving us all in a sticky state of sweaty bliss.

Bliss, yes! I don’t know how it was possible given the circumstances. But the minute Adam and Jessica saw each other for the first time, the heat faded into the background and they took center stage. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other and they were full of smiles. A nice breeze blew and I seriously considered it their wedding miracle.

Shaded by the large oak tree at Beltane Ranch, Adam and Jessica were surrounded by their closest friends and family. They shared their vows with laughter and tears and promised their lives to one another. The moment was absolutely perfect – the hot summer breeze, the setting sun, and two people in love. Congratulations to the happy couple!

You can read Adam and Jessica’s love story here. And you can also view our favorite memories from their day here: ADAM AND JESSICA: THE HIGHLIGHTS.

Adam and Jess, your wedding was so fun and romantic. There were so many wonderful moments to capture because you and your friends and family are so incredible. Thank you for inviting us to play the special role as your photographers. It was truly an honor and a pleasure for us both. Congratulations to you! We wish you a marriage filled with love and laughter.

Click here to see all the lovely details and the team of vendors that made this Beltane Ranch wedding so spectacular.

Chime in or Share

Written by Candace on June 11, 2013 | 4 Comments

A Big High Five

Being self-employed is funny business. Sometimes I joke that it’s very much like being unemployed.

But that’s just a joke. In reality, it’s a lot of hard work. But it’s similar in the sense that you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck. You don’t have quarterly performance reviews. (Though Vitaliy will likely tell you that I give him a performance review every day.) You don’t have to be to work at a set time. And you don’t have a steady paycheck each week. And let me just say, not having these things, though sometimes nice, can be difficult. I could often use a boss breathing down my neck and a set time to start my day.

So, how do we assess ourselves as a business? That is a good question! One that we’re still considering ourselves. Especially when we view success as having to do with much more than a P&L report. It is quite easy to fall into thinking that we’re not doing enough or that we haven’t grown enough. One small and simple way that we combat this thinking is to always celebrate every small accomplishment with a big high five.

When we read our clients’ reviews or see that our work has been published and vouched for by industry peers, we have to count that as more valuable (and much more exciting!) than any quarterly performance review. We were thankful to see Michael and Kate’s wedding featured on Style Me Pretty last month, but we were even more thankful to read Kate’s review on Yelp. To know that we served her well, produced a quality product, and gave her an unforgettable experience is how we can be sure that we’re doing our jobs well.

You can see Michael and Kate’s wedding on Style Me Pretty here. And to make this self-employed girl’s day – can I get a virtual high five?

Woodside backyard wedding on Style Me Pretty

Chime in or Share

Written by Candace on June 6, 2013 | 4 Comments

Adam+Suzanne
Wedding at San Mateo Garden Center

A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition. Those were the words that caught Suzanne’s attention as she scanned Adam’s online profile.

She had been on so many unsuccessful dates she could have easily given up on the whole “online dating” scene. But as she read those words something told her this guy could be different than all the rest. As one would expect, she clicked on his picture to see the face behind the words. To her disappointment, she could hardly decipher how he looked based on the picture he shared. It would be something she would forever tease him about – he was lucky the rest of his profile made such an impression on her. She decided she needed to meet this mystery man.

Suzanne was Adam’s very first date on match.com. As a writer, her profile was filled with creativity, wit and humor. Adam couldn’t wait to meet her, so the two arranged their first date. As expected, Suzanne approached the meeting point having no confidence she’d be able to pinpoint Adam in a crowd. But she didn’t have to, Adam noticed her right away. To him she was even prettier than her pictures portrayed. And to her delight, he had the sunny disposition she was looking for. They each knew that would be their last first date.

Adam and Suzanne had a small, intimate wedding at the San Mateo Garden Center. Surrounded by close friends, family, and each of their two children, they promised their lives to one another forever. Nestled in the garden with a cool breeze, everyone danced in celebration to the sweet tunes of Bobby Joe Valentine. Adam and Suzanne started their marriage the same way they started their relationship, filled with laughter. It was a happy day indeed!

Adam and Suzanne, your wedding was filled with such sweetness and intimacy that it brought me to tears at times. Your love is fun and beautiful and I’m confident you’re going to have a marriage filled with love and a lot of laughter. You have a beautiful family to enjoy it all with. Congratulations! Love to all!

Chime in or Share