Natalie & Kenneth - A "MATCH" made on Match.com!

When I first got the email from Kenneth that Weddings 9-1-1 was among their 3 choices for wedding photographers, I was ecstatic. We immediately arranged a meeting I was excited and anxious to meet the bride and groom-to-be as well as introducing Weddings 9-1-1's photography services.

I had no idea that after a nice conversation and presentation that the couple would make their decision on the spot, but, THEY DID!! Wow!! I can still remember Natalie, closing the sample wedding album I demonstrated and said "we've already made our decision, we want YOU to shoot our wedding!" I was humbled, to say the least.

We met with the couple a few months later and shot Natalie & Ken's Engagement Session, and wow, what a photogenic, fun and fabulous couple they were....read more on their E-session (scroll down). After the e-session, we were counting down the days before we would see them again, this time, Natalie would be in her bridal gown and Kenneth in a tux.

Their wedding day finally arrived, and the rest, well, we will leave it to you to see why we think this couple is blessed in so many ways! Congratulations to a couple who is not only generous in love, spirit and excitement, but they are truly a unique pair indeed! Major kudos to match.com, love arrives no matter how it's the "when" that matters.

Safia's Bridal Mendhi Party

We are so happy to share with you, our FIRST Bridal Mendhi Celebration, as you can see by some of my favorite shots, it is a culturally rich and beautiful part of the traditional Indian Weddings.... The wedding lasted three whole days and evenings and last night was the final reception. The reception took place at the Unity Center in Novato, California, it was a lovely venue with a lavish garden and lovely photo opportunities. Please stay tuned, we will be sharing more of this beautiful celebration. We congratulate the newlyweds and their families and we at Weddings 9-1-1 wish them a multitude of lifelong health, happiness and prosperity! A la sature!

Our FIRST Trash the Dress Session!

Congratulations to the winners of our Spring's Trash the Wedding Dress Photo shoot, Kate and Brian Bowyer!

We could not have been more lucky, Kate was so excited and ready to go! She then told me that her husband was excited too and that she had TWO dresses! Honoring her mother's request to only trash ONE dress, we decided to be on the "tame" side with the dress which was going to be preserved. We took it easy, pushing the envelope just a wee bit. Now, for the second dress, you be the judge, although I think we could have trashed it even more!

Kate and Brian were great sports, and great photo subjects as you will see here, Kate kept saying how much fun it was and it was an overall GREAT experience. Weddings 9-1-1 is happy to add Trash the Dress to our portfolio and to offer it to all of our clients. As cold as it was Kate and Brian got drenched by the Ocean and it was at some point very romantic! Thanks for reading, and remember, no matter how long that dress has been in the closet, bring it out, LET'S TRASH THAT DRESS!!!!!!!!

The Engagement of Natalie & Kenneth

We want to extend a "heartfelt" congratulations to Natalie & Kenneth whom will soon be saying their "I DO's." At Weddings 9-1-1 we have the fortune of meeting some amazing people, and this happy, lovely and bubbly couple is deserving of that title. Not only can they not keep their eyes off each other, Kenneth is so excited to be marrying Natalie he finds it difficult to contain himself and it is so wonderful to see and experience a couple with such impacting PDA's (public dispaly of affection). They are definitely meant for each other and we are excited for their up and coming wedding as much as they are! Stay tuned....I have a funny feeling that something VERY interesting will be happening at THIS wedding!

Jacqueline and Christofer Wedding

Weddings 9-1-1 would like to congratulate Jackie & Chris on their wedding. Jackie and Chris met through their church, got to know each other, fell in love and off they were! The happy couple tied the knot at the Embassy Suites in South San Francisco, CA and celebrated their reception at San Francisco's El Patio Español Restaurant in San Francisco. Their wedding party, and families put on a lovely event, and they all were a great source to the couple. We were pleased to have covered this milestone event, and would like to wish them a lifetime of love, health and happiness.

Salud! (Cheers)

Oh boy oh JOY!

We want to congratulate Joy who is the winner of our Spring Portraiture Giveaway, she was chosen to share her family and current pregnancy with the world. When I first notified Joy, it seemed her name was absolutely perfect for her, boy was she joyful! In speaking with Joy and getting to know a little bit about her, her husband how they met and their new forming family, I learned that they lived on San Francisco's Treasure Island in 2001 and how special it was to the couple. THIS information was like music to my ears and it was the birth of my canvas...I immediately envisioned Joy on top of the rocks with a fiery sunset, I told her about it and she thought it sounded like fun. Equipment used: Nikon D200 60m f2.8, Nikon SB800 and Canon 5d Mark II 70-200mm f2.8L lens and Canon 580EX II on and off camera strobes, as well as a Z-Ray Spotlight.

"Amazing Phil & Grace"

Here we are in our ninth month or so of business at Weddings 9-1-1 and today we receive a beautiful note from Grace Valdovinos, a gorgeous bride we photographed at the historic Rialto Theater in  Pasadena, Ca in 2008. We always like to think we work hard and we focus on the events that surround weddings, the bride, her family, the groom, his family, and all of their guests. It is so easy to be swept away on such a busy day and it's even easier to forget all the pertinent little details, until....the photographer shows the bride and groom their wedding day all over again, in imagery. Keeping this in mind, we capture what already exists and we focus on YOU! Here's Grace's much appreciated thank you note and review, Wayne and I were humbled once more.

"My wedding seemed like such a whirlwind that I missed so many events throughout the night. It was only after I received our photos from Barbara and Wayne that I was able to experience the details of my wedding through her camera lens. I will never forget the priceless snapshot of my new nine year-old cousin, Sofia, as she hugged me in congratulations. Her angelic face pressed against my pink wedding gown. What I saw in the photo almost made me fall over in my chair. As far as I could remember, sweet Sofia was dressed in an elegant white dress. The photo revealed a few more details, including the pair of black & white Converse she decided to wear to funk up her look for the evening! So many memories that I have now to keep...for this I am eternally grateful. Thank you so much Barbara and Wayne, for your eyes, for your skills, and for your romantic sentimentality, the combination of which has given Phillip and me a lifetime of memories". -- Grace Valdovinos, Los Angeles, CA