Noah Hawthorne Photography | San Francisco Wedding Photographer » San Francisco wedding photographer specializing in artistic wedding photojournalism with an elegant, personal touch. Service to the San Francisco Bay Area and destination weddings worldwide.

Nina and Peter were married at the Oakland Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The schedule was unique, as the initial marriage ceremony was a private affair with no photography allowed within the temple. Following the official ceremony, the couple held a second ring ceremony and reception at the Lafayette Park Hotel. Nina and Peter were athletes at Stanford back in their college days, and met at an athlete’s dinner. However, it wasn’t until years later when they passed each other on the crosswalk between the main campus and the gym/playing fields that their relationship started. After walking past each other as they would have any other day, Peter turned around to sneak a glance at Nina walking away, and found her turned around looking at him from the other side of the street. They walked back together to chat, and the rest is history.

While the wedding event was a joyous occasion overall, it had a particularly poignant back story. Peter’s sister has been particularly sick for the past year, and remained in the hospital with Peter’s mom during the wedding. They were greatly missed, but both contributed a recorded message for the couple and their guests during the ceremony and reception in one of the most moving moments I’ve experienced in my wedding career. For me, it truly emphasized tenuous nature of life even while we are young, and the importance of love, family, and living in the present. Below are some of my favorite photos from the event, with a full wedding film fusion production with Peter H. Chang still in production.

Nancy Tsai’s photo below:

Nancy’s photo below:

Nina and Peter calling their sister/mom after the ceremony.

Harsh, mid-day light can also make for some dramatic contrasts and shadows.

Wedding photos can sometimes trend towards the flashy, but I absolutely love to capture some of the fleeting moments of the wedding day, even if they don’t have the artistic glamor. Below is one of my favorite photos from the wedding. It’s basic and simple photographically – but the emotions and relationships are so engaging. Nina and Peter are sharing a private moment together while listening to a wonderful duet, with Peter’s brother Sam taking a break from the music to sneak a look at the new couple.

Mom’s recorded speech during the reception.

Thank you so much to Nina and Peter for a wonderful day!