Corina and Tron had a day to remember on their most important day of their lives.  Their wedding started off at Corina's parents house where bridal prep carried away in a family like atmosphere.  The ladies were having fun getting their hair and makeup done while the elders were in the next room having casual conversations all morning long.

Over the course of the day I learned that the bride's father, who is a retired San Jose firefighter, built the very house she grew up in.

the bridesmaids were happy for Corina and excited for the day to begin.

Over at the groom's hotel Tron's brother helps with the final touches before heading to the Mission Santa Clara de Asis at the University of Santa Clara.

At every wedding I photograph I learn a lot about a couple's personalities, it's just the nature of being a wedding photographer, but this day was a little different for me.  I grew up with a friend who also had a firefighter for a father and because of this I felt a little more at home a little quicker than usual, there was a comfortable sense of familiarity to start the day. 

What I learned about this family is that they are very close, and that Corina's father is very proud of his daughter, and like this symbolic hammer says "I will always be your little girl". 

Detail photos are what bring it all together. 

The Mission Santa Clara De Asis is absolutely beautiful. 

I used a mirror to create this reflection image.

Corina and Tron danced their way out of the church to the sounds of live mariachi music.

and then we photographed a handful of natural light formal bride and groom portraits.

Sun flare is a simple way to add an artistic element to a portrait.

The bridal party had fun during the casual portion of the formal photoshoot.  

A memorable element of this particular wedding was that it was one hundred and eleven degrees, but by the look of this daughter of a firefighter you'd know she was unphased by the heat.   

One of my favorite portrait lenses is my 85mm, it gives great background distortion, clean bright edges which causes you to focus on the couple more than other telephoto lenses.

What I love about hot days; are warm nights.  The palm trees around the entrance to Hayes Mansion are simply beautiful. 

The flowers set up in the reception were beautiful!  I have to give praise to Flowers by Edgar, he is amazing, enthusiastic and accommodating, I appreciate working with great vendors like him and also wedding planner Crystal Lequang and her team.  

When we have tall standing flowers to photograph we use a different technique than just shooting a long exposure, we add a "pop" of light to accent the arrangement so your eye naturally goes to the peak of the scene.

Here the wedding planners gave me a quick opportunity to photograph a softbox lit portrait while the room was empty.

Studio Cake made a great four tiered design.

We love capturing the glint of emotion whenever possible, our sports photography background helps us stands out here.

It's safe to say Corina and Tron are super fans.  Perhaps I should have worn my 2015 championship ring to the wedding!

It was a little dangerous getting this wildly energetic trombone players photo, the Lucky Devil's Band was incredibly captivating! 

and then there was dancing, and lots of it!

I love it when I have the opportunity to photograph a nontypical portrait using strobes, like the below silhouette portrait.