Kelly + Nick | San Francisco Wedding | Sneak Peek

I'm always excited when third and fourth generation San Francisco couples invite me to document their wedding day. It's icing on the cake when we share the same heritage. That is why I have lovingly named Kelly and Nick's special day, My Big Phat Sicilian Wedding. 300 of their closest friends and family celebrated their union at St. Peter and Paul Church and then ate, drank and danced the night away at Bimbo's 365 Club.

Every detail of the celebration holds meaning for this couple, but the one precious gift that blew me away was Kelly's wedding gown. Her grandfather thoughtfully set aside money for her before he passed away and let it be known that it was to be used towards her wedding dress. It was fitting then, that Nick realized how deeply he loved her right around the time of his passing. It's as if Kelly's grandfather whispered to him from heaven.

I love these two, and I hope this very small sneak peek holds you over until your final gallery is ready!

xo

This quintessential old world San Francisco wedding celebration was exquisitely made possible by the following vendors:

Wedding Planner: Dream A Little Dream Events / Photography: Sandra Fazzino / Ceremony: St. Peter and Paul Church / Venue: Bimbo's 365 Club / Catering: 49 Square Catering / Music: Boutique DJ's / Flowers: Huckleberry Karen Designs / Cake: Fillmore Bakeshop / Transportation: Classic Cable Cars and SF Minibus / Hair and Make Up: Dolled Up Dames / Dress: Jenny Packham via Nouvelle Vogue / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / A special thank you to the dynamic duo, my second shooters: Gorete Ferreira and Cyntia Apps

A Solute to My Father | Gone but Never Forgotten

I'm trembling as I begin this post and my eyes are welling up with tears, and the tissue box is close by.

Dear Dad,
Today, on the one year anniversary of your passing, I solute you. You were far from a saint. We would always say you could murder the pope right in front of grandma, and she would insist, "no was-a my-a son!" You volunteered to be a soldier at seventeen forced to kiss your father's feet in the presence of a priest so that he would sign the enlistment papers. You survived two tours while your best friend came home with a back full of shrap metal. You stole cars and conquered the art of being a master mechanic. You were crazy handsome, but claim you didn't know it even if you spent an hour in the bathroom quaffing your pompadour each day. You were tough. Your motto was, "Do as I say not as I do." You hated playing by the book. Life was so much more interesting if you could work around the system. You made sure I knew never to start a fight, but if someone ever laid a finger on me, I had your permission to finish one. You valued family and made sure we showed respect to our elders at all times. You worked hard rarely coming home for dinner, but then again your day usually started pretty late! You liked drugs and alcohol. Even seven years of sobriety couldn't convince you to live the better life. Your sense of friendship ran deep. You were loyal and caring. Saturday morning cartoons were your favorite time to jump on the couch and tease us. You were a movie buff! That's why each year for your birthday, we honor you with one of your favorite films and meals. You lived life hard, got knocked down, and threw a lot of punches, but you out survived all of your closest friends. That was hard for you. You missed them dearly. You had the coolest cars like the '57 Chevy and a Challenger. Your mom drove you crazy, especially when she would scream your name from the top porch and call you Sally instead of Sal. You believed in God even if you didn't believe in His love for you. You told us right from wrong even if you didn't show us. You weren't the best husband even if you were madly in love, but you were a devoted dad. You spoiled us. You could relate to rap music just as well as disco and country. You instilled your kids with a good work ethic. You took us fishing and let me bait my own hook with sand worms. You taught me how to make it through the hard times. You were so goofy. You loved a good laugh. You had a love/hate relationship with being Sicilian. You loved your culture but you didn't like being picked on when you were growing up for being Eye-talian. You were the son of two immigrant parents who didn't speak English and saved every penny they earned instead of buying you clothes or letting you play sports. You were all of this and so much more. You were one in a million. You were a character through and through. We miss you very much. We love you. May peace be with your soul, and may we see each other again on the other side. xo