I thought to myself I have met my “dream couple” when I first met Matt and Maggie and they have told me about their plan to get married on Mount Diablo Ranch in Walnut Creek, CA. That magical place has always been a perfect spot for a perfect sunset time wedding in my mind.

In the day of the wedding I have met Maggie at the Embassy Suites Walnut Creek hotel in Walnut Creek, California just as she was finishing getting her makeup done and getting ready to get into her dress.

Maggie was radiating with joy and so calm – there was a quiet feeling that everything is going just as planned! What a blessing to get on your wedding day!

While Maggie was getting ready Matt and his groomsmen were having a good time of their own at the Diablo Ranch:

Every little corner of this venue had a simple rustic charm of a working cattle ranch:

It was time for the ceremony, the beautiful bride walked down the aisle accompanied by her father and serenaded by a vibrant mariachi band. As heartfelt vows were articulated Matt and Maggie were pronounced man and wife:

The warm August sun was going down I was lucky enough to capture a few private moments of the newlyweds right after the ceremony:

Our cowboys and cowgirls were ready to party into the night:

And our Matt and Maggie were ready to start a new beautiful chapter in their lives together…

For more adventures of Matt and Maggie on their wedding day check out this wedding slideshow.
The whole wedding gallery is available here.

It wasn’t THE day, not quite yet … but very very soon they would be married, joined by their families for the grand celebration and enjoy their “happily ever after.”

Before the commotion of the wedding day would begin Mike and Amy wanted to document the current slice of their lifetime together, the beginning of their new adventures together.

We have arranged to meet on the Oakland LDS Temple grounds an evening leading to their ceremony and have some fun taking pictures without worrying too much about time. You could feel the sense of excitement and enthusiasm about this couple; the air around us was filled with laughter and joy.

The soft evening light was basking my soon-to-be-newlyweds in it’s pleasing orange glow, the golden sunset overlooking the bay was sealed with a sweet kiss.

On their wedding day, Mike and Amy celebrated in a hall filled with beautiful antiques and vintage items. Vintage and antique items always are great at wedding receptions. Antiques show class. They are a throwback to earlier times. They are a reminder of the past.

Ironical, they remind us of when ‘things’ didn’t matter as much. They remind of us of when family was the most important thing. With that spirit Mike and Amy wanted to start theirs.

Getting married is wonderful, exciting, and at times overwhelming. It is such a blessing to be able to capture the tenderness of this BIG moment.

It was a scorcher of a day: 105 in the shade and no shade to be seen.

Rudy stood sweating out each moment waiting for Danielle his bride to make her entrance.

Radiant, she walked slowly down the aisle with a smile to Rudy.

The ceremony was brief and beautiful.

Group pictures were taken then the party retreated to the cool shade of the reception hall and the celebration began.

Like most women I like shiny things: jewelry, sequin dresses, reflection of the mirrors (well, most of the time.) So every time I get to travel internationally I take my time looking though the duty free magazines with jewelry and watches. For some reason swarovski crystals are always featured in them. I enjoy looking and the perfect pictures of the necklaces and earrings and choosing which ones are my favorites. Don’t get me wrong, I have never bought anything of the duty free magazines before. But the idea of owning such an eye-catching beauty just feels good.

That’s why I was so excited to find these natural swarovski crystals on a hike at Point Reyes a few weeks ago.


Aren’t those perfect! My very own “swarovski crystals”…My very own gift from nature…

All I had to do was just look close enough; I wonder what else I can find if I turn my iPod off and get my camera out on my next hike.

Growing up in Ukraine I used to watch a lot of Indian movies, which is somewhat odd if you think about it. I have always loved the colorful outfits and as you might have guessed – dancing. In November I have photographed an Indian wedding which brought me back to my childhood.


Ruby and Josh, the bride and the groom, wore amazing red and white wedding outfits.


For the first time in my life I saw such an intricate henna tattoo work – I can only imagine how long it took…

Now I want a purse like that too .

The guests and the couple danced the night away, and I was so glad to be a part of this fairy tale wedding.

I don’t consider myself a car fanatic, i.e. I skip car commercials on my Tivo, don’t know what a good mileage is and don’t plan on buying a car just based on looks (unless it’s a Smart or IQ car and I get it for free.) However, there is something magical about beautifully restored old cars. Maybe it’s the perfect reflection of the blue sky above.


Or the attention to the details where all the parts are not simply functional, they are pleasing to the eye.

Such a beautiful car can almost take you back in time!


Bon Voyage, Albert!

I took these pictures for Chad to send out to his family for the holidays. As always I am attracted to old magical buildings with wrought iron candelabras, park benches and fall foliage.



Thanks Chad for being patient and going along with any of my ideas.

It is amazing to me how many people think they are not photogenic… if I had a penny every time someone told that to me, I would have a lot of them! While taking pictures for Nicole and Cary, they told me they would be happy they looked “good” only in one picture. Well, I am not sure how to break the new to them, but we definitely got more than one good one. Here are a few of my favorite ones:

There are a number of reasons of why I like to take pictures at the weddings – I get to know the couple and take part in a very important day of their lives. But one of the best things is getting to know the family and close friends. These are the people that influence and raise us; by getting to know them you get to know the bride and the groom so much better.


Rey and Leslie have a fun large family – something that I haven’t grown up with (I am the only child). It was so great to see all of them come together to support and celebrate with the couple.

I only wish I had more time to spend with them and hear more of the fun stories about Rey and Leslie growing up that are passed on at the weddings.

I think of each wedding as a begining of friendship that will continue on in the future, and their wedding was just that.