This beautiful family was such a joy to work with on this beautiful day in September of last year. (Yes, it's almost been a year, congrats Christina and Jason!)
We met up with Christina, Jason, their adorable young daughter, and several family members for their SF City Hall civil ceremony. "Having our daughter there to share our day meant the whole world to us," Christina told us. "She told everyone at her school 'we got married.' It makes me so happy that she felt so involved in our whole wedding process and photos."
We photograph weddings at SF City Hall multiple times a month, sometimes multiple in a single day, but this one did stand out to us. These two were so joyful and their daughter was just too dang cute!
Plus, Christina's flowers were artificial (can you even tell by the photos??) which was a brilliant choice. The high-quality silk arrangement was ordered from Etsy and will last a lifetime.
Their Story
Christina and Jason were co-workers and friends before they started dating. They worked together at an ICU in Bakersfield, Christina as a respiratory therapist and Jason as a nurse. They soon became more than just friends and had a surprise pregnancy at the beginning of their relationship. "We didn't plan to become a family that way," Christina told us, "but we couldn't be happier after all of the changes and challenges we have overcome together."
After a few years, Jason decided it was the perfect time to propose to Christina. He proposed alongside their daughter at The Sutro Baths in San Francisco. Christina said it was a beautiful day! What a perfect location for a proposal. It's one of our favorite places for wedding and engagement photos and we have witnessed a few proposals at this epic spot. If you've never visited, you really do have to go next time you're in the city.
City Hall Wedding
Christina and Jason considered planning a big wedding but knew that it is such a hassle. They discovered San Francisco City Hall and knew it would be perfect. It's beautiful and hassle-free! They only wanted their immediate family to attend anyway, so they knew that a City Hall wedding would be the easiest option.
They stayed at an Airbnb in South San Francisco in order to accommodate their family. Fresh Face Makeup met them at the Airbnb to do Christina and her sister-in-law's hair and makeup, which was a very nice bonus to the day.
They knew that the family would appreciate the architecture of SF City Hall just as much as they did. While we took pictures, the family had a great time exploring the building.
Christina shared her impression of the day with us: "It was a beautiful day that went by really fast. As soon as we arrived at city hall it was like we were moving at lightning speed. Working with Alicia helped us to slow down and savor each moment and each other. As the pictures and time went on we were able to become more comfortable and joke around while taking pictures. Alicia was very flexible in poses and types of photos we wanted to try."
We know that having your photo taken is nerve-wracking for many people. We always strive to make couples feel comfortable in front of the camera.
Palace of Fine Arts - Photos after the Ceremony
Right after the ceremony and our City Hall photos, we all headed over to the Palace of Fine Arts for some additional shots. We love giving couples the option of multiple photo spots, as that gives them more variety when it comes time to display their photos. Plus, it's just fun!
Christina was a bit hesitant to climb the stairs, but we're so glad she did. We got some great shots, like the one at the top of this post.
Dinner After the Ceremony
Like many couples who get married at San Francisco City Hall surrounded by a handful of their loved ones, everyone gathered at a local restaurant for dinner in lieu of a formal reception. They ended up at San Tung and enjoyed a dinner served family-style, which was perfect for their small group of people.
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