Deb + Peter: 10 Year Wedding Anniversary in Woodside

Wow.

Wow, wow, WOW!

You should have been at Deb & Peter's 10 year anniversary party last month! Held at their house in Woodside and put on by the talented Maxine Andrew of Instead of You.

The place looked absolutely stunning in vibrant pinks and yellow.



There was plenty of entertainment and eye candy that evening, starting off with "Bubble Ladies" who did gymnastics inside big plastic bubbles as they floated over the pool in the back yard.




And the evening was catered by the talented Paula le Duc. There was a fritto misto bar with calamari, shrimp, fennel, and broccoli and lemon and plenty of passed hors d'oeuvres. The dinner was a buffet of Caesar and haricot vert salads, tangy citrus noodle salad, crabcakes, peking duck, panzanella, a carving station of lamb, and several more delicacies. Mouth watering yet?


Deb and Peter had a vow renewal ceremony presided over by a ship captain by the "international waters" of their swimming pool. It was very sweet and they went right into their "first dance" – "Your Love Amazes Me” by John Berry.


The second form of entertainment came from the go-go dancers in wedding regalia which was stripped off to show cute bikinis underneath.




The band, Busta-Groove, was awesome and so high energy. They played several sets with outfit changes.


Then came the fire dancers! This trio was just amazing and had the whole audience enthralled. They were quite a spectacle!




Deb and Peter were wonderful hosts and started off the dancing. You should have seen them out there on the dancefloor.


And the love between them was so evident. 10 years later and they were still laughing, kissing, and just enjoying one another.


Busta-Groove has everyone on their feet for a wild time. (I must have left too soon because apparently the cops showed up later that night to calm the rowdy partiers!)




It was a perfect evening and I couldn't be happier for Deb and Peter. Here's to several more decades together!

Don't you ever doubt this love of mine
You're the only one for me
You give me hope, you give reason
You give me something to believe in
Forever faithfully, your love amazes me
"Your Love Amazes Me” - John Berry

Susan + Mark: Wedding in Monterey

I wanted to get out this post from a wedding down in Monterey I did with the fabulous Julie of Julie Cheshire Photography.

The wedding was between Susan and Mark and I got to hang out with Mark and the groomsmen before the ceremony. They got ready at the Monterey Marriott where their reception would be later in the evening.

There was a time of panic among the groomsmen when Mark took off a band-aid on his thumb from the night before and got blood on his pristine shirt collar. After trying on the other men's shirts with no luck and worry that he would have to make do some other way, his trusty photographer saved the day! I took matters into my own hands and scrubbed the stain right out. Best of all, Susan didn't need to be alerted.


Mark was just awesome. He had the rings that they had picked out but knew that Susan had wanted a nicer one and bought it for her as a wedding day surprise. Everyone (including myself) was giddy with excitement for the reveal during the ceremony.


The ceremony was at the historic Perry-Downer House. It had a lovely back patio with flowers and was a beautiful location for a wedding. So beautiful that the guests were armed with their own arsenal of camera gear. I think it's just too funny that there were four of us running around with pro gear.


The time came for the rings to be brought out. Mark's best man brought out the original ring and began to hand it over. He then shook his head and put it away only to bring out the ring with the bling! Susan was shocked and so excited. She told the officiant to get a move on so she could get it on her finger.


Susan and Mark are so funny and have a great sense of humor. They were just fun and easy to be with.


They're also very in love and are so sweet with each other.


The reception on the top floor of the Marriott was decorated in Susan's purples. There were windows on all sides looking out over the city of Monterey and the bay. It was a great room.


Their cake was especially impressive. Fun and quirky, just like them.


After dinner, Julie and I snuck them outside for sunset looking over the bay.


They had another surprise in store for their guests. No one knew that they had taken dance lessons for the wedding. The song started with Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and then turned into Frank Sinatra's "I Get A Kick Out of You" where they showed off their skills on the dancefloor.


It was a beautiful day and I had a great time.

Thanks so much and best wishes in all the years to come!

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars

Big News for LDP

I've been blogging my photo adventures for over a year now and I've reached my 100th post!

I'm taking this special occasion to share some very exciting news for Lindsay Docherty Photography… I'm moving to Pennsylvania!

That's right, my west coast days are coming to an end and I'll be making the move in December and going back to where I grew up on the "Main Line" right outside of Philadelphia.

There are obviously a few cons to this decision. I hate, hate, HATE cold weather and I'll be showing up just in time for blizzard season. Bleh! The hardest part will be saying goodbye to all the good friends I've made during my stay here and all of the awesome people I've had the opportunity to photograph.

Because of this I'm offering a deal to you: half off the session fee and a discount on weddings from September 22nd until December 1st. Mention this post when you contact me at info@lindsaydocherty.com or 415.515.3575. I still have very busy weekends, but we'll find some time.

This also means I'm now available to the whole Philly area for 2009 weddings and portraits. I can't wait to explore all new venues and locations and report back on my blog. Wish me luck!


Philadelphia's 30th Street Station

Oh Philadelphia freedom shine on me, I love you
Shine a light through the eyes of the ones left behind

Philadelphia freedom I love you, yes I do
Elton John, "Philadelphia Freedom"

p.s. I'll be on the East Coast for the next two weeks and my internet accessibility will be a bit shoddy so it may take longer than normal in getting email replies. I'll be in Raleigh, NC, Ocean City, MD, and Philly, PA; let me know if you want to get together!

Family Portraits in Woodside

I had a great time with the White family yesterday at the lot of their new home in Woodside.

They have a great piece of land for a house that will come to fruition within the next two years. They thought it was a great place for family portraits and it was one of the few occasions that their four children were all in one place at the same time. The siblings are spread out from Atherton to LA to Scotland.

On their property there's a wooded area with redwoods and you'd never even know that anyone else is around (with the exception of the occasional tennis match sounds). The nature around was beautiful and the sun was coming through at just the right time.



Here are the siblings: Stephen, Katie, Chase, and Lexi.





And, of course, you can't forget the people responsible for these four, Kevin and Mary.


It was a wonderful group and a whole lotta love to go around.



Thank you all for indulging my antics. I had a great time and wish you all the best in your new home!

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family”
Anthony Brandt quotes

Joanne + Glyn: An Elopement in San Francisco

On Tuesday I had the honor of photographing the wedding of Joanne and Glyn. They came over from Newcastle, England to get married and honeymoon around the States. Their tiny ceremony and 3 week honeymoon will be followed by a grand reception when they return home. They ran into a few speed bumps along the way, namely lost luggage that arrived the night before the ceremony and our silly Labor Day which required them to trek to City Hall the day of the ceremony rather than Monday as they had planned. Oops.

Everything fell into place. Joanne had massive butterflies and was just shaking with excitement. They married in the Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf presided over by Angel Stork. The very cool thing about such an intimate ceremony is the feeling in the room. There were only five of us there and even I was feeling all aflutter from Joanne and Glyn's vibes.





It was a very sweet ceremony and Glyn opened the bubbly afterwards to celebrate.

I then whisked them away to Fisherman's Wharf for some true San Francisco portraits. When looking through their pictures, I can't help but notice the way Glyn looks at Joanne. There is so much love and happiness in his eyes.


Joanne felt a bit self-conscious walking around in full bridal wear and was sure everyone was looking. In actuality, they were! She looked gorgeous and they received many many congratulations and cheers from perfect strangers. They noted that that kind of behavior would never happen in England. They even had a request from a guy who just wanted to take their picture!


We then walked over to Pier 39 to check out the sea lions, a trolley car, the piers, the Hard Rock Café, and a few other quintessential SF elements.



We made a full circle back to the hotel and poor Joanne was able to take off her shoes. Being beautiful isn't all that easy! It was the perfect day for a wedding and I hope they had a fabulous time on their dinner cruise that evening.

Thank you both for letting me be such an important part of your day and have a great time while you're here!

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
Germaine Greer