Vitaliy and I had such a great time photographing the two of you and getting to know you both along the way. We cannot wait for your wedding next week! Below are a few of my thoughts for you.

Love to you both!

~Candace

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There is nothing sweeter than being tangled up in love. No matter how busy life gets, take time to just be in each other’s arms.

This is my favorite picture from the shoot. Let it be a reminder to always walk hand in hand through life. Never let your paths begin to take separate routes. And Kenny, be sure to always check in with your girl, it’ll make her smile just like in this picture.

Kissing and laughing = two necessary ingredients for marriage.

All I can say is…Allison, you are gorgeous. Always enjoy the inner and outer beauty of each other.

Support and encourage each other through all that life brings your way. There will be enough things in life that will try and tear you down, don’t add yourselves to the list. Be the wife and husband who are always lifting each other up.

Playfulness is a virtue in marriage. At least, that’s what we think.

Allison, look at that strong, handsome man of yours. Don’t be afraid to lean on his shoulder. And if you need to cry on it, that’s ok too. How many of Vitaliy’s shirts have I ruined with my mascara!

This picture makes me happy.

Eskimo kisses do a marriage good. But we already told you that.

If it had been me in this situation, my hands would have been shaking too much to have any confidence I could cut with accuracy. But not Erin, she remained calm and confidently approached her new client, and little did she know, her future husband. They talked in between snippets of hair and spent the time getting to know each other. Clearly, she made an impression on him (maybe she included a scalp massage) because this was the start of their beginning as John + Erin.

After much time and a move to San Francisco, John proposed to his lovely bride. Soon, they will be John + Erin forever. And even better, they’ll be Mr. and Mrs.

Erin and John, you two are a total blast! I can see why you can’t live life without the other. It would be quite dull to say the least. Together, you are a walking comedy act that I’d come out to see any night of the week. Thank you for all the laughs! We are so excited for your upcoming wedding and to see you walk through life together as Mr. and Mrs. We wish you nothing but continued love and laughter for many years to come! xoxo – V & C

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Love is a quiet giggle in the midst of a sweet caress.

I typically pick the images for the blog and then Vitaliy usually adds a few of his favorites. This would be one of his additions. And I can see why.

This is what beauty looks like. Her name is Erin.

Love is walking hand in hand through life no matter what lies ahead.

Erin and John brought us to some great locations. This one is near a view of the Golden Gate Bridge but the fog was so thick you wouldn’t even know the bridge existed. However, we found this beautiful field instead and I loved how this next series turned out.

I believe love is enjoyed best with a little dose of laughter.

Erin and John made a wardrobe changed and we made our way to a beautiful San Francisco neighborhood that we stumbled upon. Erin threw on a pair of red shoes and, as a result, all of their true colors started to show.

This is almost a behind the scenes look, but it’s precisely why I love Erin and John. The look on John’s face says it all. He had us all laughing like Erin is during the entire session.

Tangled up in one another is a good place to be.

Leslie wore a flower print dress and her long hair hung over her bare shoulders. With sunglasses casually sitting on the top of her head, she looked like a perfect picture of summer. As soon as my eyes met hers, a big smile spread across my face. That’s what happens when you’re with Leslie. It’s like your lips start a competition to see who can smile bigger. But it’s a battle you know you’ll never win. Leslie’s smile reigns champion and it’s why anyone can feel warm and welcome in her presence. Especially Mike. I bet she used it to get him to fall in love with her.

Fall in love they did. To the point of promising to say “I do.”

Though the boardwalk was filled with bright colors and lots of noise, I found their love to be the reverse. Warm in color and quiet in sound. Quite the opposite of the fast and risk taking rides, their love is slow, safe and true. Mike loves Leslie quietly with the way he envelopes her in his arms or the way his eyes seem to twinkle with the reflection of her beauty. The one thing they do have in common with the boardwalk is their laughter. The same way it guided me through upon arrival, I can see their laughter will guide them through the years ahead. No matter what kind of roller coasters life may bring, I’m confident joy will always accompany them for the ride.

We ended the evening with pictures on the beach. The carnival lights twinkled in the background like fireflies on a hot summer night. Though the air grew cold along the California coast, Mike and Leslie’s love kept them warm. They embraced each other one last time with the sand squishing between their toes. And I thought to myself, “I hope their love never grows too old for a visit to the boardwalk. I hope mine doesn’t either.”

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Mike and Leslie, thank you so much for such a fabulous evening photographing the two of you. I have only one request, after the wedding, can we all four come back for a fun night at the boardwalk? Those rides are calling my name and I never got my bag of cotton candy. We can’t wait for your upcoming wedding in September! We love you both!
xoxo – C & V

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We started things off on the Merry-Go-Round. It was perfectly whimsical and romantic.

The great thing about carnival rides is how you get to cuddle up close with the person you love. This is Vitaliy’s view.

This is my view. I love all the colors!

One of my favorites from the day. It’s simple, but it’s the connection between them that makes it so special.

Leslie, you are beautiful. Period.

I thought about not sharing this one on the left, but I know these two know how to laugh at themselves. We were cracking up looking through the popcorn series of the session. But these were some of our favorites.

Vitaliy and I taught Mike and Leslie the art of cuddling in a photo like you see above. But then they made it their own (and better) with all their laughing like you see below.

But this magic, this magic, they did all on their own.

One of Vitaliy’s favorites from the day.

I’ll end with this one because I love everything it makes me feel. Love is a beautiful thing and worth the effort to make it last.

These images tell a story of a young couple with a beautiful passion for one another. Nothing about their love is average. When they smile, it’s seems to be the biggest smile their faces can form. When they look at each other, it’s not simply a glance. They look deep within one another and seem to be able to see something that no one else can. That’s the fascinating mystery about love. Each couple’s love is as unique as a snowflake.

Nick and Rachel, your love truly is as beautiful and unique as a freshly fallen snowflake. My hope is that you will always cherish it as such. Becoming husband and wife is the start of a new story for the two of you. I hope that no matter what difficulties life brings, you will continue laughing as loudly together as you do today. Never stop looking deep within one another and valuing those special gifts that only you can see. And be sure to actively participate in writing your new story together. I know it’s bound to be an exciting one! We love you both! And can’t wait for your upcoming wedding in July!

Nick and Rachel tried to act like they didn’t know how to work the camera. But when I look at this, it makes me think they practiced in the mirror before they came.

Vitaliy was worried that it was too windy that day. But when Rachel arrived and I saw her beautiful curls, I knew we’d be able to use it to our advantage.

I told Nick that he reminded me of Eric Dane, also known as Dr. Sloan, from Grey’s Anatomy. He didn’t know who I was talking about, but I assured him it was a compliment. A big one!

Rachel, you are just so beautiful! Love that smile of yours!

It started to rain towards the end of our session. I was excited because umbrellas are such a fun accessory for photos.

I’ll end with a kiss!

This is how I imagine Jessica views her life. With a love for all things yarn, using knitting as a life metaphor makes perfect sense. She is in the process of stitching together a very important section of her life. She is getting married to Ravi, or better yet, they’re tying the knot! And if you hang out with these two for just a few minutes, you can tell how excited they are about it. The series of images I chose to share today is a perfect reflection of the joy these to share together. They just never seem to stop laughing when they’re together. But I think that has a lot to do with Ravi. I couldn’t seem to stop laughing around him either.

Ravi and Jessica, we know your lives will be perfectly knit together the moment you both say “I do.” Jessica, keep knitting away at life and know that it will be even more colorful now that Ravi is by your side. He will continue to strum that guitar to make life tunes that will make you both want to sing I’m sure. And we hope you never ever stop laughing out loud together. We love you both!

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We did the entire shoot at Central Park in San Mateo.

This makes me so happy.

And these make me want to go snuggle up to Vitaliy.

Jessica, you are gorgeous even when you’re simply knitting.

Favorite photo of the session. Hands down!

Oh, I just love it!

I truly believe that being open to share in each others hobbies will truly benefit a marriage. These two are in a good place already.

Jessica doesn’t actually play the guitar, but I think she should start. She looks good with it in her hands, doesn’t she?

Just a little colorful fun.

When Jessica told me that she had bins full of yarn, this was the image that popped into my mind immediately. And it rivals with my top favorite from the day.

I chose Stephanie and Dave because their engagement story was filled with romance and stood out amongst the rest. But I still couldn’t help asking them to recount it again in person. I’m a total sucker for details especially when it comes to engagement stories. I’ll be honest though, I love the story of how a couple first meets just as much as how they got engaged.

Since getting to know your photographer eliminates a large portion of the picture day nerves, I invited them to grab a cup of tea before we got started. As I sipped on my cozy Chamomile, I watched the way the love was spoken, or better yet, hidden between the lines of the story. The story definitely speaks of the love. But it’s the way their bodies speak that reveals it even more. It was seen when Dave shifted his view from us to look at his bride as he shared the details of the proposal. And it was spoken as Stephanie touched his arm in the special moments of the story. She giggled as Dave expressed how much he loved her to two strangers. But the giggles simply reveal a woman who is as giddy as a school girl to be so loved.

I wanted to squeeze in closer to Vitaliy because I’m as giddy as a school girl in love too. But I’m also giddy that we get to celebrate love every time we take out our camera. It never gets old. And it makes me more giddy in love each time.

Dave & Stephanie, thank you for inspiring my own love story! We had a total blast with the two of you. We wish you a future filled with love and laughter…and many more days enjoying the Giants together.

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Stephanie and Dave wanted some pictures with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. I don’t blame them. It’s a beauty!

Their dog, Teva, had no problem being himself during the photo shoot.

This is one of my favorites from the session. It’s just so effortless and happy.

These two are going to have absolutely no problem with their First Dance on the wedding day. They are not only triathletes, but they know how to dance.

Another favorite! I just love how the curve of their arms frame Stephanie perfectly.

Work it, Stephanie! You look amazing!

Our camera has documented some amazing moments of love over the past year. And we’re here to celebrate them.

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Love…

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It’s that moment, right before the kiss.

Anticipation makes it sweeter.

It’s being tangled in each other’s arms.

It makes you feel like there’s nothing else in the world but the two of you.

It’s felt when her skin brushes up against his.

It’s romantic.

Oops, how did that get in here? Me and my Valentine.

It’s passionate.

It’s tender. It caresses.

It deserves celebration.

I apologize. Another one snuck in. But I just can’t keep my eyes off this guy.

It’s enchanting.

It’s felt in that sweet, soft kiss.

It’s about walking through life side by side.

Oops…again? I promise it’s the last time. And I will keep my promise because it’s the end of the post. We are thrilled to document another year of love.

With Amanda and JP, we struck gold! Since booking us as their wedding photographers, Amanda regularly emails me sharing updates on her wedding planning. The kind of emails you would send your best friend! Every time I open them up, I get excited to read them because I feel like it helps me better understand who Amanda is and what she likes. The better I know Amanda, the easier it will be to keep her happy on her wedding day and to give her images that will keep her smiling for years to come.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about Amanda through her emails. She is a designer and her wedding planning reflects that. It’s those little details in design that make a world of a difference. And she’s the type to pay attention to the little details. She has incredible taste that leaves me more excited to photograph her wedding because I’m confident it’s going to be remarkably pleasing to the eye. She is thoughtful. She doesn’t have to take the time to email me updates about her wedding. But every time she does it makes me smile that she cares to include me in her very important day.

And in person, I’ve learned one thing about Amanda. She is beautiful. She looked effortlessly beautiful with her hair pulled back and a soft curl cascading down the side of her face. The beautiful shape of her eyes convinced me that God cares about the little details too. And each outfit she changed into complemented her petite frame so beautifully that it made me feel ok with being short.

Oh, don’t think I forgot about JP. It’s simple. JP is in the business of keeping people happy too. Specifically Amanda. He loves her. He loves her a lot. And you will always see a smile on his face unless we ask him to look more serious for a photo.

I hope you enjoy Amanda and JP’s engagement photos as much as we enjoyed taking them. I can’t wait for their wedding in October!

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We photographed Amanda and JP’s engagement session all around Woodside. The locations were perfect!

Amanda loved all the rustic aspects of this barn location. So did we!

By far my favorite from the session. Those eyes Amanda! Beautiful!

The light was amazing! We could have photographed there forever.

Vitaliy wanted to pass on the following location. Being the Creative Director, I put my foot down and insisted we photograph here. I’m so happy I did! I love these next two. And so does Vitaliy.

I was reading her blog yesterday and she shared a post about the ten most important things she’s learned about blogging. The very last item on her list said, “Value every person who takes the time out of their day to stop by your blog. Tell ‘em you love ‘em. Regularly.” Since I’m a firm believer of saving the best things for last, I can see why this was listed as her final recommendation. This post was encouraging on so many levels and funny as usual, but it also made me realize that I don’t thank each one of you enough. Not nearly enough! Part of that is because I’m convinced that my mom is the only person who reads our blog. But I don’t even thank her enough. Thanks mom for being our #1 fan!

The truth is that most days I want to give up. Writing, as photography, as all forms of art can be so difficult because a part of you is revealed in every piece of work you do. Vulnerable and exposed. And the minute you realize this, your creativity hides in fear. And if I’m tired then just forget about it. There are days when I’m struggling to come up with even a paragraph to write. I write, delete, re-write, delete. And then I whine to Vitaliy that I cannot do it.

But it’s because I want to give every client I write about something special. I want it to come straight from my heart and I want not only their pictures to be a work of art, but also the words that we write about them to be a gift as well. And, if I’m honest, part of the problem could also have to do with my perfectionism. But only a little part!

In all honesty, Vitaliy and I do not know what our future looks like. Our business and this blog is constantly evolving and we have no idea where it will take us or what it will become. But to know that we’re not alone in this journey is a great feeling. So thank you! Thank you for the time you take out of your day to come visit with us. Thank you for every comment and every sweet email. And thank you for inviting your friends to come join in on the fun.

This blog, this business, we would not be where we are without you. We love you, each one of you! And we’re thankful for you!

~Candace and Vitaliy

P.S. If you haven’t already, come join us on Facebook. We’ve got a fun giveaway going on for the next week.

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You know what else we’re thankful for — our amazing clients. P-Dub isn’t the only person that makes me happy. Here’s a sneak peek that brings a smile to my face!

Candace, remember not to laugh too loud on the first date. Don’t eat all the cookies before your date gets their fair share. Don’t talk too much.

In case, I forget to remind myself of the last one, Vitaliy always does.

Meeting with Amy and Ryan was a typical blind date. We waited for them to arrive and I forced myself to withhold from eating the cookies. We chatted for a bit as we got to know each other and then we asked them to share with us the story of how they fell in love. I remember thinking, as I listened, these two people have the prettiest smiles I’ve ever seen. Then they reached the part in their story when we found out Ryan is a dentist and Amy is a dental hygienist. The more they talked and the more they smiled, I knew we were a match made in heaven. In case you didn’t know, it’s very important that you and your wedding photographer are a match made in heaven. As the meeting came to an end and the cookie plate was empty, I sat there like most girls on a blind date wondering what my date thought of me. Would they be interested in a second date?

And in fact, they most certainly were! Amy and Ryan ended our date with asking us to be their wedding photographers. I told you — we are a match made in heaven!

Amy and Ryan, it has been such a blast getting to know you guys on this journey towards your wedding day. We had so much fun trekking around San Francisco with you for your engagement pictures. Your smiles were as delightful as they were on our first date. We can’t wait for your wedding!

Lots of love to you both!

~Candace and Vitaliy

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We started Amy and Ryan’s engagement session at Crissy Field. I’m so in love with this first picture that I can’t even talk about it. I’m just going to be quiet and go back to enjoying all of its goodness.

Oh the hair, Amy! It’s so long and beautiful and flowing.

See how much fun these two are — always full of smiles.

Nothing like a good ol’ piggy back ride!

Ryan, I told you that you were going to love being photographed. Look at you working that camera! Mr. GQ!

Amy and Ryan love to read together so we had a little fun in a near by bookstore.

I’ll end with this. I love the random guy who walked into our picture. I love the cuddling up with a book. And I love the laughter that it all brings out in Amy and Ryan.