I’ve known Chris and Paola since before they were married ten years ago, I held Nico the day he was born and have played with and adored him and his lil’ sister Victoria ever since.  While they aren’t my family by blood or even on paper (yet), I’m happy to refer to them as such and I can’t believe how fast they are growing up!

These four make a beautiful family and I was honored to have the chance to capture them be as adorable as ever!

Love you guys!!!!

Mar and Jon both come from large families full of love, and that was totally clear on their wedding day.  After attending and shooting their engagement party, I was able to meet much of Jon’s family and see how well the two families were going to blend together!  On their wedding day, as tensions and stress can tend to accumulate with so much to accomplish in so little time, it was so sweet to see siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and parents all doing their part and playing their role to help make this merry matrimony happen.

As with most of my brides, Mar confided in me once or twice that she wasn’t sure how the day would turn out, having never done anything like it before. I responded with the same thing I tell all my couples with similar concerns:  “It’s going to be perfect, because it’s all about your love for each other.  The rest is just icing on the cake… literally.  Besides, you’re not supposed to be an expert at this, because that would just mean you got married all the time!”

Despite Mar’s concerns, let me tell you: down to every last detail, their wedding was STUNNING!  Her gorgeous beaded Sottero Midgley dress that trailed long and gracefully behind as she made her way down the aisle of St. Paul Church.  The fabulous salmon colored bridesmaids dresses on the beautiful bridal party, complemented by the grey tuxedos that Jon and his handsome groomsmen wore.   The centerpieces that stood tall on the tables with pastel flowers draping off of them. The cake… can we talk about this gorgeous 4 tiered cake?  It was so delicately adorned with detailed designs and colorful flowers; it almost looked too good to eat!  All these wonderful aspects and so much more made this wedding perfect in every way and blew everyone’s socks off!

I can’t wait to hear all about their amazing honeymoon to the Virgin Islands (they just got back).  Congratulations love birds… we couldn’t be happier for you both!!!

xo,

 

True, authentic, deep, passionate, honest, inspiring love. That’s what Xan and Kim have. It’s the kind of love that fills a room… the kind of love you can see all over them.

From the first time Kim and I spoke on the phone, to the bottle of wine the three of us had at our first meeting, to the epic engagement session we had retracing their first date (in case you missed it, here it is: http://173.255.253.231/chloejackman.com/public/kim-xan-romantic-engagement-session-dogpatch-sf/), to the months we spent planning the wedding (mostly them, me just here to help!), to the evening I spent at their new apartment drinking more wine and putting the final touches on their big day, I have been in awe of them and their deep, unwavering, whole-hearted, fearless love for each other. They truly are the perfect puzzle pieces made for one another, and I’m pretty sure that this has been the case for them in every previous life and every one they’ll have after this magical one.

One would naturally assume they’d have an epic wedding to celebrate their epic love, and I’m thrilled to report that they did just that. The whole thing was filled with personal touches that made it oh so them: DIY projects like the vibrant alter Kim made out of pinwheels she cut and folded herself; coffee filters she dyed, strung up and had decorating the walls of their venue; fabulous “Yay” flags; candles made in Xan’s Grandfather’s memory; DELICIOUS homemade honey bourbon that included the secret recipe as a gift to their guests; and adorable cake toppers made from champagne corks by the all talented Laura Beam. Their friends and family put countless hours into making this wedding spectacular. And let’s not forget the food trucks people. I mean, come on… that is a fantastic way to feed your happy and hungry party, because let’s be honest; who doesn’t love a good food truck?

There are so many moments from their wedding that I will always remember and that made me laugh, cry and feel the love, but I will leave most of them for you to discover or re-discover in the images below. The few that I have to mention are:

–When they did their first “not” look before the ceremony: they were very cautious not to see one another and we were all on patrol to make sure that was the case, but we set them up in a door way with their backs to each other so they could only hold hands and hear each other’s voices. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I watched them comfort and support each other with a few simple words and a few squeezes of hands. And Xan, being the Southern gentleman he is, said farewell with a kiss on his lady’s hand.

–The ceremony itself: Geez… I was tearing up before the music even started, then I looked at Kim who had tears streaming down her face and I lost it! After the procession it was finally just her and her daddy left to walk out into the main room, down the aisle, and into the arms of the man she will love forever. As she entered the room (I can only imagine this but I’m fairly sure), everything faded away and all she could see was him and all he could see was her. In a perfect moment, she mouthed “I love you” to him and he did the same to her. Through tears of joy, all the way down the aisle, they promised their love to one another. Xan, being the gentleman he is, almost made a big boo-boo by reaching down to kiss Kim when she made it to him at the alter…long before the “you may now kiss the bride” line. But never fear, he caught himself and managed to find the patience to wait to kiss his bride until he was told to (and a million more times since then, I’m sure).

Xan and Kim, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to share this beautiful day with you guys! Congrats on the puppy (let’s schedule a photo session for him soon!), and I can’t wait to see you both, drink more wine, and catch up

xo,

• Thank you to my amazing second shooter Matt Gillooey!!!
• Coordinator: Laura Beam | Their fabulously amazing friend
• Venue: Fort Mason | rebecca@fortmason.org
• Make-up & Hair:  Oxenrose Salon | 415.212.9723
• Florist: Florist: Petals | annette@handfulofpetals.com
• DJ: Sean Evans  | sean.evans@gmail.com
• Food Trucks!!! Soma Streatfood Park | josh@somastreatfoodpark.com
• DIY & amazing friends & family who helped make it all happen!

Everything about this day made you feel love, it was over flowing like the fountain in the center of the bar.  Sometimes you meet people and you just know…you know that the love between them is real and genuine and lasting…when you see them and the way they look at each other and hear the intensity and truth behind their words and you watch the emotion bubble over…you just know.  Thank you for sharing your intimate day with us. I’m so very happy for you both and I can’t wait to see your family grow.  Congratulations!!!

xo,

Thank you to Maddie of Hart & Sol for shooting with me all day!

Venue: Cigar Bar

Coordination: Meredith Espinoza mespinoza@viansa.com

Make-up: Nikol Elaine

Hair: Aya Kamagawa

Love: Everywhere

Two years ago (almost to the day of our session) Ryan called me on a Sunday night asking if I was available two days later to shoot his City Hall Elopement to his soon to be wife Liliana (I LOVE how spontaneous elopements can be…so romantic!).  So we met in the lobby, signed the paperwork and had a intimate ceremony just me the judge and the two love birds, then we hoped in a limo and drove around the city shooting and had a fabulous afternoon celebrating there love…see!

THEN 6 months later Ryan called me and said we’re having our big celebratory wedding in Mexico with our friends and family…can we bring you down to capture our next chapter? My answer was…DUH!!!  Of course I would love to, so we did (Justine came too…bestie vacation!).  Gorgeous right?

So in their usual style Ryan gave me a call on a Sunday afternoon…”Hey Chloe, guess what we’re having a baby! ”  Me: “What?!?! That’s so exciting, I’ve been waiting for this news from you guys!  When are you guys due?”  Ryan: “In 3 days, think we can schedule a maternity shoot?” Me: “What?!?! 3 days!  Holy crap!  This is why I love you guys..let’s do it!”  So on her due date we went on a wild adventure through the Presidio ending at Baker Beach, where their Elopement session ended 2 years earlier.  It was cold and windy and Liliana was an absolute rockstar changing from one little outfit to another and it was all worth it becuase lil’ Valentina is going to have wonderful, loving images of her parents BV (get it?  Before Valentina!).  I can’t wait to meet her!

…and just to bring it full circle we took this one again, but instead of a wedding dress and a suit, it parents getting ready for their very first lil’ schmoo!

xo,

She just moved onto a farm, so I of course jumped up and down like a little school girl.  It was a gorgeous, crisp, clear afternoon and Ty, her fabulous lady and I set out on an adventure and here’s a little of the magic we made.

Please go check her out…I promise you’ll be happy you did

https://www.facebook.com/tylanmusic