San Francisco Wedding | The Bently Reserve | Tracy and Dan - Sacramento Wedding Photographers

Wow! What a day! It seems like just yesterday I was photographing Tracy and Dan’s breathtaking engagement session at the San Francisco Japanese Tea Gardens. After getting to know them a little better during that intimate shoot (and eating some amazing local Chinese food with them), I could not wait to document their upcoming wedding. They wanted to represent modern style and Chinese tradition, and they had a lot of fun things planned. I always enjoy an opportunity to photograph different cultures and styles, and the new experiences have a way of sparking new inspiration and creativity for me behind the lens. This wedding was full of fun, vibrant, and candid photo opportunities – I was literally moving around and shooting photos from every angle all day long. Never a dull moment.

Their wedding was held at the gorgeous Bently Reserve. After getting ready, the day started off with the traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony. Tracy looked absolutely stunning in her red dress. They all shared a few laughs with some amazing (and comical) door games before the boys came in (while Tracy watched from the room upstairs). I couldn’t believe it when they were gifted matching Rollies as a gift at the tea ceremony (what?!). My favorite pre-ceremony photos took place on the trolley car – so fun yet classic. After their heartfelt first look, we the trolley and took portraits all over the city. It was sooooo much fun!!

And that was just the first half of the day! Then, it was finally time for their super sweet ceremony. I love that they really focused just on each other and enjoyed the moment together – they froze time and shared some emotional moments without rushing. I did my favorite thing as a wedding photographer and captured plenty of up-close raw, beautiful emotions.

Then it was time to celebrate! They kicked off the reception with a choreographed waltz that they worked so hard on for the first dance, and they nailed it! And for the grand finale, they had lion dancers performing at the end!! Amazing! What a beautiful, magical, amazing day!!