I Do: The Wedding of M & J

Atop the hillside of Rancho Palos Verdes, sits the shining jewel that is Wayfarer's Chapel. Built in 1951 by the son of Frank Lloyd Wright, the church commands the eye with its floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a generous view of the Pacific from atop the bluff it resides.

Back in the fall, I happened to drive past Wayfarer's while shooting an engagement session with another couple in Palos Verdes. (Actually, we considered parking in their lot so we could shoot in the meadow across the street, but thought better of it - :) I hadn't photographed a wedding at Wayfarer's up until that time, but thought it'd be a treat to do so. About a week later, I received the timely call from M & J with an invite to document their event at the chapel and jumped at the chance to do so. I could finally park in Wayfarer's lot without the threat of a tow.

I was commissioned for a two hour session, enough to capture the ceremony inside the chapel, along with a bracket of time for portraits before and after the nuptials. We made away with some great moments and enjoyed what was the juiciest sunset I've had the pleasure of photographing.

Congrats again M & J! This will be my final post of 2010, but there's 3 weddings bouncing through the editing queue and will be sharing those come January. Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Marj & Jeff: The Wedding Slideshow

Journey's "Small Town Girl". It was the most perfect anthem for Jeff and Marj's charged Grand Entrance.

I gave some thought to using this tune for their slideshow, but couldn't quite partner the song with the whole of their wedding story. Instead, the images found harmony with another Journey classic, along with a little nod to all the other fans of Super Mario Bros. out there.


Click on the image above or HERE to enjoy the show!

I Do: The Wedding of Marj & Jeff

It's been a long time since I've played Donkey Kong. Last time was on Colecovision. (Yep, that long.)


I remember having to thwart a giant ape to rescue the girl -- more often than not, losing the girl and falling prey to the ape. The game has come a long way since then -- and somewhere along the line, our groom, Jeff, bested the angry orangutang and won his girl, Marj. Both employed in the gaming industry, therein lied the natural signature for their wedding -- a Super Wedding, no doubt brothers Mario and Luigi would risk life and limb to attend. I mean, check out the cake? Who wouldn't dodge hurling barrels and rabid fireballs for a slice of that?




Jeff and Marj wed at the beautiful Old Saint Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco's historic Chinatown. After some portrait time along Aquatic Park, we retired to their one-of-a-kind reception at the iconic W Hotel. Amazing colors abound, saturated with personalized tributes to the gaming world they so know and love. Kudos to the uber-talented Lord Mesa and Kelice Penny -- Lord, for all of the fantastic decor, designs, and illustrations; and Kelice, for the hand-crafted red mushroom wristlets. Seriously, go check out their work! Thanks as well to Megan Weisberg of MW Weddings for coordinating the day, and making sure I made it through all the levels of game play.




And cheers to San Francisco for welcoming me with open arms. A meaningful experience in so many ways, I'll always hold this one close to the heart. Thank you Jeff and Marj for allowing me to be a part of your celebration. And hey, the three tequila shots at the close of the night weren't so shabby either.