Tag Archives: Avila Pier

If you’re looking for the best time to schedule family portraits for your Holiday Card, it’s never. If you’re looking for the perfect outfit, it’s out there but you’ll never find it. And if you’re wondering whether you’ll even like the family photos from your session: you’ll love them. 4 eva.

No shame. No judgement. Sure, I have captured family portraits for over a dozen families this year alone…but my own family portraits…that session is TBD.

Hit me up, or not. I still have plenty of time to capture your crew before Christmas. Or New Years’…or my personal favorite: Groundhog Day.

There’s a thing I’ve noticed about my relationship with my ‘clients,’ the Bride and Groom. If I’m lucky enough to spend time with them, we meet over wine while they vet their photographer, and I screen my potential couple. If we get along, we decide to work together—contract signed, deposit paid. Over months, we plan, coordinate, communicate. The relationship becomes supportive and collaborative, like a business deal, which many thrive in. Then the celebration begins: a welcome dinner, maybe a winery tour—where I meet the crew: family, friends, loved ones. Our relationship deepens—growth, trust, liking each other. The wedding day follows—the pressure ramps up, details land perfectly—the suit, makeup, dress, vows, first look, kiss—a whirlwind. As the sun sets, I focus on capturing the couple at their radiant best. They’re ‘Cloud 9,’ and I’ve fallen for them. Witnessing a community come together to celebrate two beautiful people is moving—something words can’t fully capture but we feel deeply. To Violet, Alex, and all the couples who’ve invited me to celebrate with them, thank you. It’s an honor and a blessing to do this week after week, to make a living doing what I love, and to still be here.

Manuel+Carolina
There were some tears. ’Twas lovely.

Venue+Host: @madonna_inn
Officiant: @andymo805