Noah Hawthorne Photography | San Francisco Wedding Photographer » Wedding

Alejandra + Abel | Cabo San Lucas Wedding

Noah Hawthorne — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 04:40:21 +0000

Alejandra and Abel were married in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Each time I photograph a wedding I appreciate the unique approach that the couple takes to the day as a whole. There is a certain theme to a wedding, with an ebb and flow that has become increasingly familiar as I have been to so many over the years. Yet between the getting ready, ceremony, family formals, and reception there is so much room for new traditions and an infinite number of ways for the couple to make their dream day unfold. For Ale and Abel, I can definitively say that the focus of this incredible wedding was on the party. The event started with a brunch at the Querencia Resort in Los Cabos before the couple and 200 of their closest friends hopped aboard a chartered yacht to sail around the bay for an up close view of the famous Cabo arches. The wedding preparations began at the Westin Los Cabos, before heading for the ceremony and reception on the beach at the Hilton Los Cabos. It was epic. It was huge. It had six jumbotrons, 500 international guests, a custom stage built onto the Los Cabos beach, spotlights coloring the waves, live bands from all over Mexico, and my favorite, fireworks. It was beautiful, opulent, and laid out with impeccable taste. Coming from the music and movie production business, as well as the hotel business, it is no wonder they were able to put together such a night to remember. For this wedding I paired up with my talented friend and colleague Ian Balam, as I usually do for weddings in Mexico.

Wedding dress: Custom Monique Lhuillier

Wedding Brunch: Querencia Los Cabos Estates and Resort

Wedding bay cruise: Sunrider Tours

Wedding Preparations: Westin Los Cabos

Wedding Ceremony: Hilton Los Cabos

Adam & Cathy | Berkeley City Club & St. Leo’s Church Wedding

Noah Hawthorne — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 21:42:39 +0000

Adam and Cathy were married at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Oakland, with a reception at the Berkeley City Club. The Berkeley City Club is one my my favorite locations, with sweeping Julia Morgan architecture and warm golden light throughout the building. The couple had a bluegrass band, and waltzed away the evening with a wonderful group of family and friends. Looking through the full set of wedding photos I am again reminded of how lucky I am to be able to share in the wonderful wedding transition for such genuine, warm and kind people.

Kristine & Jayson | Skyline Community Church Wedding | Oakland Asian Cultural Center Reception

Noah Hawthorne — Thu, 20 May 2010 05:07:40 +0000

Kristine and Jayson we married up in the Oakland Hills at the beautiful Skyline Community Church, with it’s expansive views looking over Tilden Park. The reception followed at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, where the couple went far beyond the standard reception to put on a fantastic show for their guests. The evening included a dramatic entrance with storm troopers, Chinese Lion Dancing, and a Taiko drum performance where Jayson was able to perform for his parents and Kristine for the first time. It was a wonderful personal touch to a rousing and fantastically entertaining evening. Kris and Jayson are such a wonderful pair. I loved how they flawlessly combined the Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, and Californian feel into a wedding that was perfectly their own.

Thanks to my associate Peter H Chang for his help during the day.

And the introduction at the wedding reception by an Imperial Guard of Storm Troopers.

Peter’s photo below:

Kris’ handmade gifts for all of the guests made quite an impression.

Some details from the day. I love the little Yoda.

Lion Dancing

Jayson on the taiko drums.

Julie & Jeff | Relais du Soleil Wedding | Glen Ellen, CA

Noah Hawthorne — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 07:13:03 +0000

Julie and Jeff were married last week at the Relais du Soleil ranch in Glen Ellen. This secluded and rustic ranch in the middle of Sonoma wine country makes for a spectacular wedding retreat. The couple’s chow Agnes made another special appearance as the ring bearer, while the wedding took place underneath the huge spread of an oak tree. The wedding was completed with an on-site BBQ, a bluegrass/folk band, and then a raging dance party to 80′s pop. It was an intimate, personal, and absolutely beautiful wedding. Thanks to Nancy Tsai for her help as a second photographer as well. See some of my favorites below.

Nancy’s photo

2 more great shots from Nancy

The couple also ditched the traditional wedding cake in favor of a candy bar. It was a bit hit, with a line of enthralled adults and children all night waiting for their fix. Even I was even able to rekindle my own long dormant relationship with Jelly Bellies. Fun!

Nancy’s photo:

Nancy making good use of the new 5D II camera with a little break dancing:

One last huge congratulations to Julie and Jeff, now also my new neighbors in SF!

And a final thank yout to the other vendors who did a spectacular job with the wedding…

Wedding Coordination: Lisa and Adriana from Aloe Events

Flowers: La Fleuriste

Catering: LVCC Catering

Music: Suzy and Eric Thompson (bluegrass and folk music)

Band: The Poprocks (80′s cover band)

Wedding in Jamaica

Noah Hawthorne — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:04:48 +0000

I’ve just arrived in Negril, Jamaica for my second wedding at the Tensing Pen Resort. I’m joined by my wonderful new assistant Ian Balam (now exploring wedding photography after I shot his wedding in Paris last September). I’ll be back on Tuesday to the Bay Area. Ya mon! Respec!

Berkeley City Club Wedding Album

Noah Hawthorne — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 21:10:28 +0000

For some of my favorite wedding venues I will make up a demo album. The Berkeley City Club is one of my favorite places in the East Bay, where I’ve worked several times over the past few years. I’m currently putting together an album that showcases some past weddings, but with a different twist- showing a bit more of the venue for lighting ideas, food ideas, ceremony setups, and of course photography ideas too. It’s a mix of favorite photos and usefull photos. Here are a few sample layouts from the Berkeley City Club wedding lookbook. The book will be about 30 pages long, so this is just a sample.

Kathryn & Ryan’s Ahwahnee Wedding Slideshow | Yosemite National Park

Noah Hawthorne — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:04:08 +0000

Here’s the final slideshow from Katheryn and Ryan’s beautiful Ahwahnee wedding in Yosemite National Park. It was such a pleasure to be part of their day, and I really got to appreciate firsthand why Yosemite is such a fantastic destination wedding location.

Plus a few more photos as well…

Leaving the ceremony with a bit of rain, but a big smile (and an umbrella).

Just outside the Ahwahnee there was a great stone bridge and some great fall color.

I love this natural light shot or Ryan and his mom dancing.

There are some more really nice photojournalistic photos that didn’t make their way into the preview blog post I put up earlier, and a quick look at some of the full range of wonderful events that took place throughout the day. This was a really fun one! You can see the full screen version of the wedding slideshow HERE.

Kathryn and Ryan’s full wedding gallery is also now available online.
Enjoy!

Keri & Josh | Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda Wedding | Santa Cruz

Noah Hawthorne — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:53:22 +0000

Keri and Josh were married at the Resurrection Catholic Community Church in Aptos, CA with the reception following at the Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda. We started the day getting ready at the Seascape Resort in Aptos, CA with stunning views over the Pacific Ocean (and some opportunities for great photos too). We had some really challenging, harsh light while there at around mid day, but I found some little tricks to bring out some fantastic photos. Did you know that in really harsh light, shooting in the same direction as the sun will result in flat, colorless images with harsh shadows. However, if you shoot towards the sun (and can avoid lens flare) then you can add glow and pop to an image and come away with something really spectacular? It’s always fun to refine my technique, and I’m so pleased with how these came out. The Kennolyn Hacienda was another fantastic place, with sweeping views from the Santa Cruz mountains, a redwood grove, beautiful light everywhere, and a comfortable Spanish/Californian feel to the architecture and landcaping. My second photographer was Peter H. Chang. Enough talk then, on to the photos:

Peter’s photo:

Here’s a fun perspective on family pictures. Kids always make these events so fun. I had to promise a silly picture in exchange for a fun picture after, and this was a fun and unanticipated result (grabbed by my second photographer Peter). The kids really got into it!

On to the reception site at Kennolyn, the kids playing on the lawn and having fun as only kids can.

Perhaps my favorite photo from Keri and Josh’s wedding…

The Kennolyn reception venue as the sun finished setting.

Keri and the girls did not let a lack of microphones stop them from properly celebrating a selection of 80′s rock songs.

Thanks to the vendors:
Cake: The Buttery Bakery
Florist: Connie J. Moore Floral Designs
DJ: Sam Peacock
Make-up/hair: Leslie from Tranquille Spa

Thank you to Keri and Josh for being such wonderful, considerate clients. I wish you the best! Congratulations!

Yosemite Landscape Photos

Noah Hawthorne — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:37:45 +0000

I’ve just arrived into Yosemite for Kathryn and Ryan’s wedding at the Ahwahnee Hotel tomorrow. Very exciting! The fall color here is spectacular, and I’m just in awe of this beautiful place. While I’m technically a full time wedding photographer, that sure didn’t stop me from getting to Yosemite early so that I could run all over the place indulging in a little bit of landscape photography. I was even crazy enough to wake up at dawn so that I could get some of the mist rising off the valley floor.

This is one of the things that I really love about photography. For me it provides a different perspective to the world, and also a bit of extra encouragement to get out and experience things more fully (ie put up with a chilly, early morning for a bit of good light). I’m only in Yosemite for a moment, shooting the wedding and then heading out on Sunday, but here are a few favorites that I’ve come up with so far. Half Dome was looking great today, so I had to give it a little extra attention. Enjoy!

Kyle & Courtney | Ralston Hall Wedding

Noah Hawthorne — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:45:56 +0000

Kyle and Courtney were married at the beautiful Ralston Hall in Belmont. We found some secret little nooks for photos outdoors, and then took advantage of the wonderful antique feel and golden light that makes Ralston such a special place for a wedding. Courtney was gorgeous, and an animated bride that made the whole day a lot of fun. Kyle helped pull everything together with style while staying completely relaxed the whole time. I can see why the two make such a perfect pair.

See some of the highlights below! You might notice the new larger image format I’m using on the blog with bigger, crisper images. This wedding certainly deserves it. I had a hard time picking just a few photos to put on the blog, so get ready for a whole bunch below. Second photographer was the talented Peter H. Chang. Yay for photos!

Peter’s photo:

Another thank you to the other vendors that helped make the day wonderful:

Wedding Coordinator: Bellissima Vita
Catering: Continental Caterers
Florist: Floralisa
DJ: Chocolate Sound
Cake: Copenhagen Bakery